Beyond The Four Spiritual Laws

[Webers_Home]

-
141) 2Cor 7:1 . . Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us
cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit,
perfecting holiness out of deference to God's wishes.

Webster's defines "deference" as affected and/or ingratiating regard for
another's wants. Deference is the opposite of resistance, rebellion, defiance,
indifference, and stubbornness.

Contaminations of one's body would include things like drug addiction,
alcoholism, adultery, promiscuity, gluttony, eating blood, etc.

Contaminations of one's spirit likely refers to one's mind and so would
include certain kinds of entertainment; i.e. books, music, art, and movies;
viz: things that are seen with the eyes and/or heard with the ears.

The promises are those listed at 2Cor 6:14-18.

142) 2Cor 8:11-15 . . If the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable
according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. Our
desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but
that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply
what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then
there will be equality, as it is written : He who gathered much did not have
too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little.

That directive is an excellent passage for debunking the so-called Faith
Promise; which is a popular scheme for tricking church members to pledge
money they don't have while expecting God's providence will somehow
provide it. That is not the Lord's wish. By means of Paul, the Lord says to
give out of what you already have, not what you hope to have later; I mean:
it is not His wish to copy ENRON's mark-to-market accounting practices
and/or futures trading with pork bellies and soy beans.

143) 2Cor 9:7 . . Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to
give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

I have yet to meet a pressured giver who was cheerful about it. What Paul is
saying there is that the Lord would prefer you kept your money than give it
out of reluctance and/or resentment. And that goes for anything else on
your list of charities. If your heart isn't in it, scratch it off your list.

Church managers can be very creative when it comes to laying guilt trips on
their congregations in order to con money out of them. One morning at a
church I was attending some years ago, a flyer was distributed to all the
Sunday school classes that pointed to the Israelites in Exodus 35:4-36:7 as
an example of pious generosity.

But what the flyer didn't point out is that those very same Israelites
worshipped a golden calf and indulged in revelry while Moses was up on a
mountain receiving the Ten Commandments, and also the very ones who
refused to invade the promised land when God told them to; resulting in
forty wasted years marching around in that awful Arabian desert till
everybody over the age of twenty from the original crowd was dead except
for just two guys: Joshua and Caleb.

Oh, and one of my very favorite scams is called Saving And Serving. In
other words; the congregation is talked into loaning their church the money
for an ambitious building program and promised to be paid monthly
mortgage payments from the church's budget; which of course is funded by
the congregation too. (chuckle) If that isn't the most pious of all Ponzi
schemes ever!

144) 2Cor 10:7 . . If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he
should reconsider that we belong to Christ just as much as he.

It's amazing that any Christian's ego would be so inflated as to think
themselves holier than an apostle, however, there are some people out
there with a pretty bad case of conceit who are up to it. I can just hear the
sneer in their voices as they think to themselves: "What's so special about
him? He puts his pants on one leg at a time just like everybody else." That's
the voice of one of the most destructive human passions there is: malicious
rivalry. It got Abel murdered (1John 3:12) and it got Christ crucified. (Matt
27:15-18)

● Mark 12:13 . . And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the
Herodians, to catch him in his words.

Just look at that! The Lord's enemies actually stalked him, hoping he would
slip up and say something they could use against him. Who were the "they"
in that passage? None other than Judaism's religious elite.

● Mark 11:17-18 . . And as he taught them, he said: Is it not written: My
house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it
'a den of robbers. The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this
and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the
whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.

You know what kind of animal stalks? A predator. So people infected with
malicious rivalry are nothing in the world but human wildlife: feral beasts.

145) 2Cor 10:10-11 . . For some say: His letters are weighty and forceful,
but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing. Such
people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we
will be in our actions when we are present.

Next to gossip, I'd have to say that rumors are another very effective
method for influencing how others think. As Hitler's propaganda minister
once said: "Repeat a lie often enough, and in time the masses will accept it
as true". Sad but true: word of mouth oftentimes enjoys more acceptance
than the facts of a matter.

The people who made those comments about Paul apparently never met him
for themselves. They were just going by hear-say and their own imagination.
That's not love; no, that's malice. Real love is protective; it doesn't seek
opportunities to hurt someone's feelings, undermine their credibility, malign
their reputation, find fault, nor denigrate them solely to satisfy a blood lust
for bringing people down.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
146) 2Cor 10:17-18 . . But, let him who boasts, boast in the Lord. For it is
not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the
Lord commends.

It's unfortunate that some of Christ's followers have reached the point where
the only Bible teachers they will listen to anymore are those with a résumé
of accolades like doctorate degrees, books published, and positions held; as
if any of that validates their usefulness to God's purposes. One thing we
should always remember is that just because somebody is published, or that
somebody was educated in a seminary, doesn't make them eo ipso right.

Christians relying solely upon accredited sources are setting themselves up
for disappointment since it is God's Spirit who selects and empowers His own
teachers rather than colleges and seminaries.

● 1 Cor 12:1 . . But one and the same Spirit works all these things,
distributing to each one individually: as He wills.

And sometimes the Spirit selects people to speak for God who seemingly
have no business speaking for Him at all; for example:

● Amos 7:14-15 . .Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah: I was no
prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdsman, and a
gatherer of sycamore fruit: And Yhvh took me as I followed the flock, and He
said unto me: Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.

Christ was a blue collar craftsman; a carpenter; which was a trade
considered at the level of uneducated society in his day.

● Mark 6:3 . . Is not this the carpenter . . . and they were indignant.

● John 7:14-15 . . Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the
temple, and taught. And the Jews marveled, saying; How knoweth this man
letters, having never learned?

Peter was a commercial fishermen; another profession that required no
education.

● Acts 4:13 . . Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and
perceived that they were uneducated ignorant men, they marveled

It has been my experience that people who rely solely upon accredited
sources do so because they have no choice; in other words; they're forced to
because they lack the anointing described below.

● 1John 2:26-27 . . The anointing which you have received from Him abides
in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same
anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and
just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.

Christians need instruction; in fact instructors are a gift from Christ to his
church (Eph 4:11-15). But instruction alone cannot condition a Christian's
intuition to recognize the truth when they encounter it; viz: instruction alone
cannot give a Christian a feel for the truth, nor can instruction alone break
down a Christian's resistance to the truth. That's where the anointing comes
into play. It assists Christians to recognize and to accept the truth when they
encounter it; and assists them to sort it all out and make it click.

What that means is; the Lord's sheep should be able to recognize the truth
and accept it whether it's coming from an accredited Th.D. or a common
rank and file pew warmer; because the only person who can be safely
trusted to know the right interpretation anyway is God's Spirit.

● 1Cor 2:14 . .The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that
come from the Spirit of God, for they are absurd to him : neither can he
comprehend them, because they are spiritually discerned.

What that's saying is that even if a non-anointed Christian should run across
a genuine Spirit-endowed teacher, they won't listen to him, no, they will
reject the Spirit-endowed teacher. They have to reject him because the man
without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of
God, for they are absurd to him: neither can he comprehend them, because
they are spiritually discerned.

I'm not saying there's something wrong with divinity school. I'm just saying
that graduation from one doesn't eo ipso recommend somebody's spiritual
competence since it's the Spirit's sovereign prerogative to select and
empower the men whom God wishes to represent His son and that's why it
isn't all that unusual for a man with his collar on backwards to have his head
on backwards too.

147) 2Cor 13:5 . . Examine yourselves, whether you're in the faith; test
your own selves. Don't you know of your own selves, how that Jesus Christ
is in you, unless you're all reprobates?

Peers and contemporaries tend to grade themselves on a curve, utilizing
proprietary standards. I don't think that's what Christ is recommending
because it's quite possible to be judged a saint by your peers and/or
contemporaries while judged a devil by God (cf. 1Cor 4:3-5). But actually,
Paul isn't speaking of conduct; no, he's speaking of something far more
crucial-- Christ's residency inside one's physical body. His absence is literally
a life-threatening condition.

● Rom 8:9 . . If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

The spirit of Christ is also labeled "the spirit of His son" for example :

● Gal 4:6 . . And because you are sons, God has sent forth the spirit of His
son into your hearts calling out: Abba! Father.

Abba isn't a name; it's an Aramaic filial vocative. What that means is; when
I'm out in the garage working alone and my son and his mother are in the
kitchen talking about me, the noun "dad" merely indicates my son's father.
But when my son wants to get his father's attention, and he calls out: Dad!
Where are you? then "dad" becomes a filial vocative.

What that boils down to is this: the spirit of His son always compels Christ's
sheep to call out to a father, never to a mother and the reason for that is
actually quite simple. God's son never prays to his mother; but always to his
Father; hence those influenced by the spirit of the Father's son will do the
very same thing.

That, by the way, is a pretty good litmus test. If somebody is comfortable
praying to the Lord's mom or to an angel or a patron saint, it's a pretty good
indicator that the spirit of the Father's son is not in them because His son
would never do something like that; nor would he ever encourage others to.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
148) Gal 1:8 . . But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any
other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him
be accursed.

The koiné Greek word for "accursed" in that passage is anathema (an-ath'
em-ah) which has to do with banishment and/or disassociation.

An application of this, within the epistle to Galatians, is 5:4 where it says:

"You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ;
you have fallen away from grace."

Whenever Paul spoke of "law" he was usually referring to the covenant that
Moses' people agreed upon with God as per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and
Deuteronomy. So, in a nutshell; 1:8 and 5:4 are speaking of people who
sincerely believe that it's necessary to comply with the Ten Commandments
to get to heaven.

149) Gal 5:1 . . Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath
made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Let's say you tell a lie. Well; if you're covenanted with God to be truthful as
per Lev 19:11; then the lie will shoot yourself in the foot because the
covenant is contractual; viz: it obligates God to come down on you with a
curse for breach of contract (Deut 27:26, Jer 11:3-4). He has to levy a curse
against you or He himself would be in breach of contract.

Maybe you're a bit unreliable at honoring your commitments; but I assure
that God is 110% reliable at honoring His. A cursory review of the last 3,500
years of Jewish history easily bears that out.

To view a menu of curse options available to God; just feast your glims on
Lev 26:3-38, Deut 27:15-26, and Deut 28:1-69. I do not think it wise to
yoke oneself to those curses.

FYI: There's basically two categories of commands in the Bible: binding
commands and non-binding commands.

The commands in the Old Testament are binding commands; viz: Yhvh's
people are under contract with God to comply with them; and He is under
contract with His people to enforce them; which means that when Yhvh's
people breach the contract by disobeying one of its commands; God is
obligated to slam them with any and/or all of the covenanted curses listed at
Lev 26:3-38, Deut 27:15-26, and Deut 28:1-69.

Christ's commands, on the other hand, are non-binding commands; viz:
Christians are not under contract with God to comply with them; nor is He
under contract with Christians to enforce them. So when a Christian
disobeys one of Christ's commands; God is under no obligation to slam them
with a curse. They might get slammed with discipline; but never with a
curse.

● Rom 8:1 . .There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in
Christ Jesus.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
150) Gal 5:2-3 . . Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be
circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. Again I declare to every
man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole
law.

The koiné Greek word for "man" in the above passage is anthropos
(anth' ro-pos) a common word in the New Testament for humans of either
gender. The specific word for males is arrhen (ar'-hrane) and/or
arsen (ar' sane).

Modern females undergo conversion to Judaism by means of a ritual bath
called Mikveh; which, for them, is equivalent to male circumcision. The exact
process by which females in the Old Testament underwent conversion-- e.g.
Ruth --is unknown.

I think it safe to assume that the circumcision Paul warned against was a
label that included not only the male kind but also by whatever means that
females in his day underwent conversion to Judaism.

Seeing as how the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon per Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy doesn't specify a God-given
procedure for female conversion to Judaism, then I'd guess that just about
any design would be sufficient so long as the ritual is conducted by someone
authorized to do so.

151) Gal 5:13a . . You, my brethren, were called to be free. But do not use
your liberty to indulge the base nature;

Christians are sometimes accused of practicing a religion that gives people a
license to steal, so to speak. Well; that is very true to a certain extent
because Christians do have immunity from any, and all, of the curses that
Israel's covenant imposes on scofflaws as per Lev 26:3-38, Deut 27:15-26,
and Deut 28:1-69. However, God prefers that Christians not do whatever
they want; but instead do whatever He wants, In other words: Christ's
followers have liberty to steal but they don't have a license to steal. (Rom
6:1-13)

152) Gal 5:16 . . I say then: walk in The Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the
lust of the base nature.

Some years ago, in a boatyard where I was employed on Shelter Island in
San Diego, I was listening to a young Christian boast of his dedication to
Christ. So I asked him: What about the command to walk in the Spirit? How
are you doing with that one?

Well, the brash, pleased-with-himself youngster admitted he didn't even
know what that meant, let alone how to do it. (chuckle) In regards to
"dedication" Mr. Super Saint hadn't even got to first base yet. (judging by
the fact that was on a third marriage last time I checked, I'd have to say he
never did get the hang of it.)

Anyway, there's nothing mystical about this. Walking in the Spirit is just
simply doing what God wants rather than letting your natural impulses
and/or your own thinking control your conduct all the time.

For example: item #1 contains these words: "Abstain from food tainted by
idols, from promiscuity, from the meat of strangled animals, and from
blood." When a Christian complies with those instructions; they're walking in
the Spirit; but when they're ignoring those instructions and eating whatever
they want and sleeping around without regard for God's feelings about it;
then they're fulfilling the lusts of the base nature. It's just that simple.

153) Gal 5:25 . . Since we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
154) Gal 5:26 . . Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envying
one another.

Webster's defines "conceit" as: excessive self-appreciation of one's own
worth or virtue.

There's nothing intrinsically wrong with having strong core values and/or
believing in yourself, but if you should find yourself somewhat indignant
and/or resentful when others don't believe in you, or when they think very
little of your core values; then watch out because that's a symptom of
conceit, and it will hinder you from obeying the Lord's orders in regard to
getting along with fellow believers.

The koiné word for "envy" is phthoneo (fthon-eh'-o) which means: hostile
toward a rival, or towards someone believed to enjoy an advantage. In other
words; we're talking about a competitive spirit-- not the good-natured,
friendly kind but a malicious kind of competitive spirit that resents others
doing better than itself, or more popular than itself, or more recognized than
itself, or more admired than itself; viz; it's all about self.

Rivalry is a very destructive passion. It got Abel slain by his own brother,
and it got Christ slain by his own people. Rivalry makes otherwise sensible
people behave contrary to their own better judgment, and gets them
embroiled in oftentimes unnecessary vendettas; e.g. gender rivalry and
racial rivalry. Now those two there are very destructive social influences.

If none of the above describes you; consider yourself fortunate.

The koiné word for "provoke" is prokaleomai (prok-al-eh'-om-ahee) which
means to challenge; viz: to get in somebody's face in an obnoxious,
assertive, confrontational manner; which is a kind of behavior that prevents
people from deserving identification with God's kin.

● Matt 5:9 . . Blessed are the peaceable: for they shall be called the children
of God.

155) Gal 6:1a . . Brethren, even if someone is caught in the very act of any
trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness;

The koiné Greek word for "trespass" is interesting. It can refer to willful
misconduct and/or to unintentional misconduct. Seeing as how willful
misconduct is dealt with harshly and summarily as per 1Cor 5:1-13 while in
this situation gently, then I'd say Gal 6:1 is referring to unintentional
misconduct; which doesn't merit a public flogging; but rather a quiet talk;
and the more private the better in order to avoid embarrassing the
unintentional offender.

Restoration does not apply to visitors; only to members on a church's roles;
i.e. the congregation. The visitors' business is none of our business so don't
go sticking your nose in it.

The Greek word for "restore" basically means to repair or adjust, viz:
restoration applies to maladjusted Christians, i.e. the ones whose
misconduct is habitual, and quite possibly detrimental to a church's overall
health.

The restoration process is specifically the turf of "spiritual" Christians. In
churches where people are conceited, assertive, confrontational, embroiled
in petty rivalries, debating, quarrelling, and maybe even jostling for
notoriety; the spiritual ones are obviously going to be as scarce as California
Condors.

A spirit of gentleness precludes the use of bullying, intimidation, rage.
yelling, demeaning comments, ugly remarks, brow beating, and such. Those
kinds of behaviors aren't gentle, no, they're cruel.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
156) Gal 6:1b . . each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted.

The Greek word for "tempted" is somewhat ambiguous. It primarily means
to test; but can also mean endeavor, scrutinize, entice, and/or discipline.

I think what the restorers are being cautioned against is going about a right
thing in a wrong way so that they themselves wind up taken to task for
conduct unbecoming. In some people's minds, the end justifies the means so
long as it benefits the so-called greater good. But that's Machiavellian
thinking rather than Christian thinking.

In other words: the restorers need to tread lightly because if they go after
an alleged offender like a lynch mob; then they themselves should expect to
be seen by others as a toxic menace and a threat to peace and cohesion.

Confronting somebody in a holier-than-thou attitude is unacceptable too.
Just because someone has been taken in fault does not make the jury
somehow superior human specimens.

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider
others better than yourselves." (Phil 2:3)

157) Gal 6:1-2 . . Bear one another's burdens, and thus fulfill the law of
Christ.

It's human nature to shun people with problems so they don't drag us into a
world of inconvenience and/or negativity. But that is not what I call fulfilling
the law of Christ; which reads thusly:

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you
must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if
you love one another. (John 13:34-35)

The love that is defined by "As I have loved you" is a kind of love willing to
suffer inconvenience, shame, humiliation, embarrassment, and disgrace for
the sake of another.

Christ's love isn't a fault-finding attitude; it's a supportive virtue: it doesn't
only feel your pain, it gets involved in your pain. Church can be the loneliest
place on earth when nobody cares enough about you to get involved in your
pain; but instead would just as soon not know about it. Sadly, there is about
as much love for one another in modern churches as there is amongst an
audience of strangers at the movies.

I sincerely believe that a lot of that indifference has to do with modern
churches just simply being too big and too busy.

158) Gal 6:6 . . And let the one who is taught the word, share all good
things with him who teaches.

That verse is commonly interpreted as referring to providing a teacher with
material necessities. Well; it can mean that; but the Greek words for "share"
and "good things" are ambiguous.

I suggest that Gal 6:6 refers to feed-back; i.e. to tell the teacher how and/or
in what ways the things you've learned from him have been a help to you.

Some teachers just like to hear themselves talk; while others would like
what they say to be useful. Feed-back can be very encouraging to the latter.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

.
159 Gal 6:7a . . Don't be deceived into thinking God is a silly old fool.

A silly old fool is a senior citizen that people know they can mistreat and/or
take advantage of without fear of complaint, resistance, or reprisal.

People in our day and age are easily persuaded that God is harmless and
that the Old Testament's version of God is no longer someone to fear since
Jesus came along. But as God was capable of withholding blessing back
then; He still is.

"A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his flesh, will, of
the flesh reap corruption; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the
Spirit will reap eternal life." (Gal 7b-8)

The koiné Greek word for "corruption" is phthora (fthor-ah') which means:
decay; viz: decadence; which is saying that when Christians make a habit of
indulging the propensities of their base nature; God withholds the fruit of the
Spirit as per Gal 5:22-23; which consists of love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.

"If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who
raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
through His Spirit who indwells you.

. . .So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live
according to the flesh-- for if you are living according to the flesh, you must
die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you
will live." (Rom 8:11-13)

To "live" then has to do with the fruit of the Spirit; without which Christians
become dead.

There's a parallel to this back in the book of Genesis in the story of the
forbidden fruit. God warned Adam that he would die if he ate some of that
fruit. The interesting thing is; God didn't' have to assassinate Adam in order
to make good on the warning; no, God simply cut off Adam's access to the
tree of life and let nature take its course.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
160) Gal 6:10 . . So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all
men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

Good can take any number of forms but I think a useful description we could
apply here is "beneficial".

Jesus did good (Acts 10:30) i.e. he was very definitely beneficial; not just on
the cross or by his teachings, but in non spiritual ways too.

Those who are of the "household of the faith" are actually kin; viz: siblings;
and like they say: charity begins at home.

Some churches have what they call a deacon's fund; to assist members who
are down and out and/or in dire straits.

And don't overlook your church's senior citizens. Some may be getting up in
years and finding it difficult to even maintain their own homes and yards
anymore. Chores may not seem all that spiritual; but pitch in anyway if for
no other reason than your assistance is beneficial.

161) Gal 6:11-16 . .Those who desire to make a good showing in the flesh
try to compel you to be circumcised, simply that they may not be persecuted
for the cross of Christ. For those who are circumcised do not even keep the
commandments themselves, but they desire to have you circumcised, that
they may boast in your flesh.

. . . But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord
Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the
world. For neither is circumcision anything, nor un-circumcision, but a new
creation. (cf. Acts 15:5-32)

Some Christians truly believe it's possible to be an adherent of both Judaism
and Christianity at the same time (e.g. Messianic Judaism). No, that's
against the rules. Judaism must be abandoned if one is to take up
Christianity because human sacrifice is illegal under the terms and conditions
of the covenant that Yhvh's people agreed upon with God as per Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. If you try to take up both religions at
the same time, the one will invalidate the other.

162) Eph 2:11-22 . .Therefore, remember that formerly you who are
Gentiles by birth and called uncircumcised by those who call themselves the
circumcision-- that done in the body by the hands of men --remember that
at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in
Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and
without God in the world.

. . . But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been
brought near through the blood of Christ. Consequently, you are no longer
foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of
God's household

Christians are prone to forget; and one of the things they forget is that their
religion didn't begin with the Roman Catholic Church; no, it began with
Abraham; and the purpose of Gentiles hearing the gospel is not so they can
replace the Jews as God's chosen people, but rather, so they can join them
and share in their blessings.

● Rom 11:17-18 . . If some of the branches have been broken off, and you,
though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now
share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, don't boast over those
branches. If you do, consider this: You don't support the root, but the root
supports you.

● John 4:22 . . Salvation is of the Jews.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
163) Eph 4:1 . . As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life
worthy of the calling you have received.

What if a believer neglects to live a life worthy of their calling? Will they be
lost? No; believers have eternal life, which is a kind of live that cannot die;
therefore, it's impervious to the wages of sin.

● Rom 6:23 . . The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life in
Jesus Christ our Lord.

People with eternal life have 100% immunity from prosecution.

● John 5:24 . . I assure you, those who heed my message, and trust in God
who sent me, have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins,
but they have already passed from death into life.

The reason they will never be condemned for their sins is because Christ was
raised again for our justification. (Rom 4:25). The Greek word is dikaiosis
(dik-ah'-yo-sis) which essentially means acquittal-- a legal term that can be
roughly defined as the act of adjudicating that a person is not guilty, i.e. an
acquittal is a legal declaration of innocence.

According to 1John 1:8-10 believers in this life are never 100% sinless; but
that's no longer a legal issue for Christ's sheep seeing as how according to
2Cor 5:19 God is no longer keeping a record of their sins to hold against
them at the great white throne event depicted at Rev 20:11-15.

164) Eph 4:2 . . Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, putting up
with another in love.

Humility is one of those virtues that people love to talk about; but rarely
ever seem to exemplify.

The koiné Greek word is a tongue twister. It's tapeinophrosune (tap-i-nof
ros-oo'-nay) which means: humiliation of mind, viz: modesty; which
Webster's defines as: free from conceit and/or vanity. I don't know if you've
seen the movie AMADEUS but one thing Tom Hulce's character, Mr.
Wolfgang Mozart, sorely lacked was modesty.

Conceit is defined as: excessive appreciation of one's own worth or virtue;
viz: a too-high opinion of one's self; i.e. a master-race mentality.

Vanity is defined as: inflated pride in oneself or in one's appearance; viz:
narcissism and/or self adoration.

Cosmetics and figure-shaping undergarments don't really qualify as the kind
of vanity that Paul is talking about; which is a kind of vanity that goes way
beyond just trying to look your best.

Sinful vanity is an ugly creature. It's self aggrandizing. Vanity isn't gentle
either, on the contrary, vanity can be quite cruel, thoughtless, competitive,
given to rivalry, indifferent, and insensitive; and vanity abhors associating
with people whose station in life is decidedly below its own; and God forbid
someone below themselves should have the nerve to correct either their
conduct or their knowledge.

Patience is a jewel. It's defined as: the power, or capacity, to endure without
complaint something difficult or disagreeable. Patient people seem to have a
predilection for retaining their composure while under stress. These make
the best leaders because they don't get flustered when everything around
them is disintegrating into chaos.

Patience is very useful when it comes to "putting up" with certain kinds of
rather annoying Christians who seem to have a knack for getting on people's
nerves.

During my forty years working as a professional welder, I encountered
numerous fellow employees whose skills and performance were excellent;
but nobody could work with them. They were just too difficult.

God forbid that Christ's followers should ever be "difficult". It is rather to be
desired that they be civil, courteous, thoughtful, sociable, agreeable, helpful,
approachable, accommodating, affable, rational, reasonable, temperate, and
self-controlled. Christians around whom everybody has to walk on egg shells
all the time, are in sore need of a personality make-over if they're to ever
have any realistic expectation of associating with God.

165) Eph 4:3 . . Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the
bond of peace.

Peace is what everybody wants but seem thoroughly unable to attain; even
in Christian churches, where you'd think that at least there you'd find peace
seeing as how it's related to one of Christ's beatitudes.

● Matt 5:9 . . Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called sons of
God.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
166) Eph 4:17-19 . . So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you
must no longer live as the pagans do, in the futility of their thinking. They
are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God
because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their
hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to
sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for
more.

Sensuality and the life of God are diametrically opposed to each other. The
one is carnal and the other is spiritual, the one is human and the other is
divine. The one does whatever comes natural below, and the other does
whatever comes natural above.

Paul said that pagans live as they do because of the hardening of their
hearts which doesn't always refer to ones emotions-- those can be roughly
defined as one's bowels (e.g. 2Cor 6:12, Php 1:8, Php 2:1, Col 3:12, et al).

Hardening of the heart takes place at the core of one's being; the very
marrow of their bones; for example the heart of the Pharaoh who opposed
Moses and Aaron in the book of Exodus.

Some things are said to be scratch-resistant, fire-resistant, mold-resistance,
UV-resistant, rust-resistant, and so forth. Well; a hard heart is God-resistant,
really God-resistant. If the highway to Hell could be said paved with
sensuality, then the substrate upon which the pavement is laid could be
depicted as hard hearts; for example:

● Zech 7:11-12 . . But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the
shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made
their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the
words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets:
therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts.

167) Eph 4:20-24 . .You, however, did not come to know Christ that way.
Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth
that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to
put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be
made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created
to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

When God completed the six days of creation, He went on sabbatical (Gen
2:1-3). The six days were all bounded by an evening and a morning. The
seventh wasn't bounded; i.e. it hasn't ended, indicating that God has yet to
resume creating things for the current cosmos. So then, the new self spoken
of in the passage above isn't for the current cosmos, rather, it's a self
created for a cosmos yet to come. (Isa 65:17, 2Pet 3:13, Rev 21:1)

The koiné Greek word for "desire" is epithumia (ep-ee-thoo-mee'-ah) which
means: a longing.

Epithumia by itself doesn't indicate sinful desires. The very same word
describes the Lord's personal longing to dine in the company of his apostles
just prior to being crucified. (Luke 22:15)

The kind of longings in view are "deceitful" which is from the koiné Greek
word apate (ap-at'-ay) and means delusion, which Webster's defines as: a
persistent false psychotic belief regarding the self, or persons or objects
outside the self, that is maintained despite indisputable evidence to the
contrary-- in other words: deceitful longings are delusional longings.

For example: the old saying "The grass is greener on the other side" which of
course is an unreasonable expectation. Some people sincerely believe that
they would be happier if only they had more money. Well; sad to say,
money can be guaranteed to buy you neither love nor happiness.

Delusional longings get people to chasing after brass rings that may or may
not satisfy; viz: sometimes the dream is better than the reality. Meanwhile,
their life clock is winding down while they're in pursuit of those brass rings
and they are steadily becoming more and more secular and unspiritual. Paul
"insists" that Christ's followers avoid squandering their time and energy
chasing after delusional longings; viz: keep their feet on the ground and
their heads out of the clouds..

168) Eph 4:25 . .Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully
to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

Honesty is demanded by the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with
God in the Old Testament (Lev 19:11). Although a Christian's association
with God is not based upon compliance with that covenant, it's still required
that they be people of integrity who can be relied upon to tell the truth;
especially to each other.

169) Eph 4:26a . . In your anger do not sin.

Anger isn't eo ipso evil. It's how one handles their anger that matters. Anger
can be a very useful tool when it's applied by somebody who knows what
they're doing. For example :

● Mark 3:5 . . And when Jesus had looked round about on them with anger,
being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man:
Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored
whole as the other.

170) Eph 4:26b-27 . . Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,
and do not give the Devil a foothold.

Ol' Smutty Face is no slouch. You just start holding a grudge, or fly off the
handle at the inappropriate time, and you and the Devil will be roped
together on the Eiger where your common goal won't be the summit of a
mountain in Switzerland; but worse: disunity in the body. No fuming!

171) Eph 4:28 . . He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must
work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have
something to share with those in need.

Isn't is just amazing that early Christian church members were active
criminals? Yes, right there in the Ephesian church were thieves. Ironically
Paul didn't order the Ephesian Christians to not steal, no, of all things; he
ordered them to stop stealing; and not only to stop stealing, but to stop
stealing for a living!

You'd think church would be the one place on earth where you'd be safe
from crime, but not so. Back in the 1970's I sang bass in the choir of a
monster Baptist church in San Diego. The 90+ member choir would meet in
a rehearsal room and the ladies would all leave their purses in there when
we moved out to be seated in the loft. The room had a very sturdy door and
was always securely locked when we left the room.

Well, one Sunday morning when we returned to the room, that Fort Knox
door and its lock were smashed open and all the ladies' purses were rifled.

Does cheating on your taxes count as theft? (chuckle) If the Ephesian
Christians needed to be told to stop stealing, then modern Christians even
more so; don't you think?

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
172) Eph 4:29 . . Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say
be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those
who hear them.

"helpful" is from the koiné word oikodome (oy-kod-om-ay') which means: to
build up (as opposed to tearing down).

"foul or abusive" is from the koiné Greek word sapros (sap-ros') which
means: rotten, i.e. worthless (literally or morally) viz: inappropriate.

The foul and abusive category no doubt includes not only profanity, but also
biting sarcasm, cruel remarks, thoughtless comments, chafing, relentless
fault-finding, sneering, ridicule, mockery, and unnecessary criticism.

Language that's good, helpful, and encouraging is essential if one is to be
serious about exemplifying the fifth beatitude.

● Matt 5:7 . . Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Speaking of humanity as a corporate body, the Bible says:

● Rom 3:13a . .Their throat is an open sepulcher

It's not advisable to open a sepulcher seeing as how the contents are no
doubt going to be quite odious and in a state of decay; especially in locales
where the remains weren't cremated or treated with formaldehyde.

173) Eph 4:30 . . Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were
sealed for the day of redemption.

The koiné Greek word for "grieve" is lupeo (loo-peh'-o) which means: to
distress; to make sad. There's a lot being said these days about human
rights abuses, while very little to nothing is said about abusing God's Spirit;
which is no doubt far more common. (cf. Gen 6:6-7)

Seals aren't always a mark or a tattoo or an impression made in wax with a
signet ring. Sometimes a seal is merely a vocal validation. For example:

● Matt 3:16-17 . . And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway
out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw
the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: and lo a
voice from heaven, saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased.

In other words: God vouched for Jesus' credibility by sending His spirit to
mark him out, and also by a solemn pronouncement. By that method; God
himself personally sealed Jesus' mission; viz: signed off on it; so to speak.

● John 6:27 . . Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to
eternal life; which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has
placed his seal of approval.

Christ's followers are singled out by the Spirit too; but not with a visible bird
or an audible voice, but rather; by the Spirit's occupation inside their very
bodies. Christ's followers can't see the Spirit for themselves of course; but
God can see it and that's really all that matters anyway in the long run.

But we really should address this "grieve" thing; what's that all about? Well,
for starters; it's not something new. Way back in time it was said of God:

"The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the Earth, and that
every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord
was sorry that He had made man on the Earth, and He was grieved in His
heart." (Gen 6:5-6)

Noah wasn't the only God-fearing man back in that day, but he was the only
one of them not grieving God. Consequently he was spared death in the
Flood while the others weren't.

174) Eph 4:31 . . Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and
slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior.

It wasn't the Lord's wish that Ephesian Christians avoid all bitterness, rage
and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice; no; on
the contrary, he wanted the Ephesians to "get rid" of them.

"bitterness" is from the koiné word pikria (pik-ree'-ah) which means: acrid,
poisonous, and/or toxic (literally or figuratively)

Christians like that are nothing in the world but deadly reptiles.

● Rom 3:13b . . the poison of asps is under their lips

"rage" is from the koiné word thumos (thoo-mos') which means: passion (as
if breathing hard). Passion is just the opposite of reason; and as everyone
knows, emotions are incoherent; so it's to be expected an emotional person
is not acting rationally. This is a kind of conduct that Paul says brings sorrow
to God's Spirit.

"anger" is from the koiné word orge (or-gay') which means: desire (as a
reaching forth or excitement of the mind), i.e. (by analogy,) violent passion,
ire, (by implication: punishment)

People overcome by orge typically want some satisfaction; even to the point
of at least your ruin; if not your death.

"harsh words" is from the koiné word krauge (krow-gay') which means:
outcry.

Out-crying is what protestors do; in other words: assertive, in-your-face
confrontational complaints and/or demands..

"slander" is from the koiné word blasphemia (blas-fay-me'-ah) which means:
to vilify. Webster's defines "vilify" as: (1) to lower in estimation or
importance, and (2) to utter slanderous and abusive statements against;
viz: defame, discredit, and/or denigrate.

A statement need not be false in order to qualify as slander; it need only to
be unnecessary; viz: you'll often hear people say: Well, I was only telling the
truth. Were they? No, that's a ruse. In reality, they're insensitive; and they
don't care who gets hurt by their thoughtless remarks.

The Lord notices the words people say, and he also takes note of the spirit in
which they say them.

● Matt 12:36 . . But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day
of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.

"malicious behavior" is from the koiné word kakia (kak-ee'-ah) which
means: badness, i.e. (subjectively) depravity, or (actively) malignity, or
(passively) trouble:

Malice usually includes the element of "spite" which Webster's defines as:
petty ill will, or hatred, with the disposition to irritate, annoy, or thwart.
Compare that to the koiné word for "persecute" in the eighth Beatitude
which means, literally: to pursue; viz: to stalk, to hound, to harass.

Webster's defines "thwart" as: (1) to run counter to so as to effectively
oppose or baffle; viz: contravene, and (2) to oppose successfully; viz: to
defeat the hopes or aspirations of; in other words: to deliberately get in
someone's way; block, discourage.

Boy I'll tell you, that Ephesian church was as rough-hewn and crude as the
old logging community of Stump Town (now Portland) out here in the
Oregon of the 1800's. They cussed, they brawled, they bad-mouthed, they
held grudges, they were thieves, they were arrogant, they somehow had the
idea that Jews were below them, they were immodest, conceited, vain, and
impatient, they walked unworthy of their calling, and they were splintered
into cliques.

I've heard more than one expositor boast that the Ephesian believers
represent Christ's church at its spiritual peak; but I thoroughly disagree.
Yes, there were some outstanding individuals, but by and large the
congregation's spiritual condition was decadent, deplorable, despicable, and
unbecoming.

BTW: Where is the Ephesian church today? It's gone, just like Christ warned
it would be.

● Rev 2:5 . . Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write . . I have
somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember
therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or
else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his
place, except thou repent.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
175) Eph 4:32 . . Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each
other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

(chuckle) that resembles a line from one of Bill And Ted's adventure movies:
"Be excellent to each other"

Within the context of the letter Paul wrote and sent to the Christians residing
in the ancient city of Ephesus; the objects "one another" and "each other"
are exclusive; viz: the comments refer only to one's fellow Bible-believing
Christians rather than the world at large. So if you're unwilling to be kind
and compassionate to outsiders; at least be so with people at church so as
to help prevent church from becoming a hostile worship environment.

The koiné Greek word for "kind" is chrestos (khrase-tos') which means:
employed; viz: useful.

Chrestos is found in only seven places in the New Testament, and without
exception implies being beneficial to others for their own good rather than
using people for a selfish purpose of your own.

The word for "compassionate" is eusplagchnos (yoo'-splangkh-nos) which
means: sympathetic.

Webster's defines sympathy as: 1) an affinity, association, or relationship
between persons or things wherein whatever affects one similarly affects the
other, 2) inclination to think or feel alike: emotional or intellectual accord, 3)
feeling of loyalty: tendency to favor or support, 4) the act, or capacity, of
entering into or sharing the feelings or interests of another, 5) sensitivity,
and 6) heart; as in "have a heart".

Eusplagchnos would make a good substitute for a word found in one of The
Lord's beatitudes.

● Matt 5:7 . . Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

"merciful" is from the koiné Greek word eleemon (el-eh-ay'-mone) which
means pretty much the same thing as eusplagchnos: compassionate and
sympathetic.

In my dad's final months of battling with a terminal cancer back in the late
1960's, he was in a great deal of pain and discomfort which made it difficult
for him to sleep. In fact, he couldn't sleep in a bed at all. He sat on a small
stool and rested face-down with his forehead on a coffee table in the front
room.

One day, as we were driving to our week-end ritual of coffee and donuts on
a Saturday morning, he complained that his third wife (call her Rosa)
seemed indifferent to his condition. He remarked that he didn't want
sympathy, just some understanding. Well, I was both perplexed and
amused; and asked him: Dad, how can Rosa possibly appreciate your
feelings without being sympathetic?

Dad was stumped. The problem was, he never knew his own father; and his
mother abandoned him with relatives when he was just a toddler. My dad
was a tough, self reliant old ex-Navy farm boy who himself was thoroughly
unable to sympathize with anybody. In his prime, Dad was a brutal man,
given to outbursts of rage and purple epithets. He was defensive, combative,
thoughtless, and quite cruel to animals too. In my dad's mind, sympathy
was for panty-waists not for "real men" but there he was in old age, dying of
a terminal cancer; and starving for compassion-- something he'd wanted all
his life but could never admit.

It used to be that Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts were trained to be useful to
others as just simply a matter of good deeds and good citizenship. I don't
know, maybe they still are; but I've known lots of churchians who were
totally useless to others because they're infected with an ugly spirit of
conceit, rivalry, and indifference. Far from being kind and compassionate;
those Christians are actually sociopathic and don't even know it.

The word "forgiving" is charizomai (khar-id'-zom-ahee) which essentially
means: to grant as a favor; viz: gratuitously, i.e. courtesy.

Webster's defines gratuitous as: 1) given unearned or without recompense,
2) not involving a return benefit or compensation or consideration, 3)
costing nothing: free, 4) not called for by the circumstances: unwarranted,
5) complimentary, 6) gratis, and 7) voluntary. In other words; charizomai
seeks no reciprocation; it never says "you owe me one"

Sailors are oft heard to say that the sea is very unforgiving: meaning it
allows no room for error or weakness. Christians ought not be like the sea.
We ought to be the most forgiving people on the planet; and not because we
expect others to reciprocate; but just because we enjoy being gratuitous.
For some Christians though, courtesy is an effort.

Eph 4:31-32 isn't easy. What we're looking at there is not just good
citizenship; no, what we're looking at is something divine in both its nature
and its behavior.

● Php 2:1-2 . . If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort
of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my
joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of
one mind.

The koiné Greek word for "bowels" is splagchnon (splangkh'-non) which
means: an intestine. Your gut is the very place where you "feel" pity and/or
sympathy for others-- that is; if you're capable of those kinds of feelings;
not everyone is.

176) Eph 5:1 . . Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children

One's dad is probably the most important role model a kid can have, that is,
if he's a good man; otherwise, he'll just be another bad influence. It's pretty
kool when a kid can look at its dad and honestly say, from the bottom of its
heart: "Dad; when I grow up, I want to be just like you".

In this case, the imitator isn't a pretender; no, he's not a stand-up comic
mimicking a famous celebrity. What we're talking about here is duplication;
in other words: God's children shouldn't just act like Him, they should
reproduce Him; so that when the angels observe God's child at work or at
play, they can say: "Yep; that kid sure takes after his old man; he's a chip
off the old block"

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
177) Eph 5:2 . . Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself
up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Christ's love went way beyond just being friendly and helpful. His was a
sacrificial kind of love; in other words: it was protective and supportive at
the cost of deep expense to himself-- but not just as a humanitarian. Christ's
life counted for more than just being neighborly, his life of love was an act of
worship.

"I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of Him
who sent me." (John 6:38)

"I do always those things that please Him." (John 8:29)

In point of fact, God prefers to be worshipped by love than by church
attendance.

"For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than
burnt offerings." (Hos 6:6)

178) Eph 5:3a . . Among you; there must not be even a hint of sexual
immorality

I've lost count of the number of celebrities I've seen on television talk shows
shacking up with people and boasting about their babies while in reality
those children are illegitimate and nothing to be proud of at all.

When my sister got knocked up by a sailor boyfriend back in the late 1950's
at the age of seventeen, our parents whisked her off to an aunt out of state
to avoid the disgrace. My sister gave up her baby to adoption right out of the
womb and nobody back home was any the wiser; but today, who really
cares anymore?

FYI: The illegitimacy rate in the USA during 2013 was almost 41% of total
births and it's no longer illegitimacy; now it's labeled Non-marital
Childbearing. (chuckle) a rose by any name is still the same flower.

My wife once belonged to a woman's group in a mega-church we attended
back in 1980. One of the ladies was married to an assistant pastor whose
duties included counseling married couples. She told my wife you wouldn't
believe the amount of adultery that goes on among married church
members, and she wasn't talking about your average rank and file pew
warmers either; no, her husband counseled church members a whole lot
higher up than that.

That church was very impressive and had something like 4,000 members on
the books. It's budget was over $16,000 per week. (The buying power of
$16,000 in 1980 was comparable to the buying power of roughly $46,000 in
2017). To look at that church with its buildings, its property, it's programs,
its membership numbers, its music, its missionary outreach, and its
whopping budget; you would think it housed the holiest collection of saints
on earth. But no; behind the scenes, behind the façade, behind the curtain,
behind the pulpit; there was moral decadence. (cf. Matt 23:27-28)

● Ecc 3:16 . . And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that
wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was
there. (cf. Matt 23:27-28)

179) Eph 5:3b . . nor any kind of impurity, or of greed

It's so easy to assume that naughty fantasies and porn-like behavior are the
impurities that Paul is talking about; but any behavior associated with sin is
an impurity. So then, maybe you're an usher in church; but are you
dishonest? And maybe you sing in the choir, but are you a malicious gossip?
And maybe you attend mid-week prayer meetings; but do you deny your
children even common courtesy and their fundamental human rights? And
maybe you teach Sunday school, but do you go over the speed limit, feed
parking meters, J-walk, and drift through stop signs? And maybe you even
stand in the pulpit; but do you have a drinking problem?

Webster's defines "greed" as avarice; which is an excessive, or insatiable,
desire for wealth or gain. Greed is associated with biblical covetousness. Just
simply wanting money isn't sin. It's wanting money simply for the sake of
accumulating it that's covetousness. Ben Franklin once said a penny saved,
is a penny earned; but to greedy people a penny saved is a penny
stockpiled. Were you to ask a greedy person to name the dollar figure that
would satisfy them, they would likely respond: "more"

180) Eph 5:4 . . Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking,
which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

The koiné Greek word for "foolish talk" is morologia (mo-rol-og-ee'-ah)
which means silliness; viz: buffoonery.

Webster's defines a buffoon as: 1) a ludicrous figure; viz: a clown, and 2) a
gross, and usually ill-educated stupid person; viz: an ignoramus. I think I
would put gross high on the list of undesirable buffoon-type behaviors. It's
okay for kids to be gross, but thoroughly unbecoming for a mature adult.

The word for "coarse joking" is eutrapelia (yoo-trap-el-ee'-ah) which means
witticism in a vulgar sense; viz: ribaldry. Double entendres would probably
fall into that category along with suggestive remarks.

The word for "thanksgiving" is eucharistia (yoo-khar-is-tee'-ah) which
means: gratitude; viz: grateful language.

You know "thank you" is not a dirty word. Christ's people should never take
the attitude that just because somebody is doing their job that they don't
deserve recognition.

One of my favorite romantic comedies is "No Reservations" starring
Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart. Prior to filming, Catherine took a
job waiting tables to get a feel for working in a restaurant.

On several occasions, patrons didn't even look up at her nor speak in a
cordial, courteous tone when they ordered. It struck her as remarkable that
some of the people whom she was serving totally took her for granted and
displayed not the slightest inclination to even so much as acknowledge her
as a fellow human being, let alone express any gratitude for her taking care
of them.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
181) Eph 5:5-7 . . For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or
greedy person-- such a man is an idolater --has any inheritance in the
kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with futile words, for
because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient.
Therefore do not be numbered among them.

Christ's believing followers are joint heirs with him in his Father's estate.
(Eph 1:11, Rom 8:16-17)

A joint-heir is different than a regular heir. Regular heirs are apportioned an
individual percentage of their benefactor's estate. But joint-heirs inherit, not
a percentage, but the entire estate, as community property. According to
Peter, this is already set up and beneficiaries are safe to feel confident they
won't lose it. (1Pet 1:3-5)

Christ's believing followers are in no danger of the sum of all fears.

"I assure you; those who listen to my message, and believe in God who sent
me, have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they
have already passed from death into life." (John 5:24, cf. Heb 8:6-12)

"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through
our Lord Jesus Christ; who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep,
we may live together with Him." (1Thess 5:9-10)

"He has rescued us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the
kingdom of His dear son." (Col 1:13)

In addition, none of the sins committed by Christ's believing followers go on
an indictment against them.

"God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their
trespasses unto them" (2Cor 5:19, cf. Jer 31:31-34)

The Greek word in that passage for "imputing" is logizomai (log-id'-zom
ahee) which means to keep an inventory; in other words: an indictment.

At the great white throne event depicted at Rev 20:11-15, the dead's
personnel files will be opened. Well, were one of Christ's believing followers
to appear before God at that event, their file would contain not one single
sin: zero; viz: nothing with which to charge them.

"Blessed is the man whose sin The Lord will never count against him." (Rom
4:8)

So then, in light of the fact that Jesus' believing followers are citizens of the
kingdom, and joint heirs with Christ in his Father's estate; then things like
immorality, impurity, and greed are 110% inappropriate for them, i.e. those
behaviors are unbecoming for a people whose status is so far above any on
Earth.

182) Eph 5:8-9 . . For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the
Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all
goodness, righteousness and truth)

Some Christians just can't seem to get it through their thick skulls that when
somebody pins the Christian label on themselves, they're expected to act
like one.

● Matt 5:16 . . Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may
see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

● Rom 6:1-2 . . Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? God
forbid! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

● 2Tim 2:19 . . Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from
iniquity.

● 1John 1:6 . . If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in
darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.

NOTE: An example of the dread opposite of Matt 5:16 is David's tryst with
Bathsheba that resulted in the death of her husband. Nathan the prophet
informed David that his conduct reflected on The Lord so that instead of
bringing glory to God, his conduct brought God disgrace. (2Sam 12:14).

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
183) Eph 5:10 . . Find out what pleases the Lord.

People depending upon their intuition to know what pleases the Lord are of
course doomed to failure because the information isn't available like that,
no, it's something to "find out" which involves learning by means of books,
sermons, lectures, seminars, radio Bible teachers, Sunday school classes,
and personal Bible study.

This particular process of discovery has to include researching the Old
Testament or one's finding will be incomplete.

● Rom 15:4 . . For whatever things were written before were written for our
learning

● 1Cor 10:11 . . Now all these things happened to them as examples, and
they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have
come.

184) Eph 5:11-12 . . Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of
darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of what
the disobedient do in secret.

For an example of this directive, Genesis is mute about the despicable things
that the Sodomites lusted to do to the two men lodging at Lot's house. It's
as if the author drew a curtain over Sodom and said: This is just too
shocking. I'm not going to spell out what the people of Sodom had in mind
that night. You will just have to use your imagination.

Jude simply, and concisely, says that they were utterly unchaste; even to
the point of having their way with innocent visitors. (Jude 1:7)

I think it's fair to ask just exactly how one might "expose" shameful deeds
without at least identifying them and/or describing them to some degree.

The koiné Greek word for "shameful" is aischron (ahee-skhron') which
means: indecorum.

Webster's defines "indecorum" as: impropriety. In other words, despicable
acts should never be described explicitly in polite company, nor in the
presence of children; which quite obviously precludes the use of a pulpit for
explicit descriptions since congregations are an amalgam of men, women,
wives, husbands, dads, moms, and underage children.

I don't think the Lord's directive forbids any and all mention of despicable
acts. In other words, his directive doesn't say that I cannot tell polite
company that the Bible condemns the conduct of pedophiles, gays, lesbians,
transvestites, and porn stars just so long as I don't start describing, in all
their lurid detail, the revolting things they do to, and with, each other in
private and/or on film or in view of an audience.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
185) Eph 5:14 . .Wake up, O sleeper! . . rise from the dead, and Christ will
shine on you.

The word "rise" is translated from the Greek anistemi (an-is'-tay-mee) which
basically means to stand up (literally or figuratively -- transitive or
intransitive)

A corpse cannot stand up on its own, viz: once people die, they're stuck--
the jaws of death are very strong and very tight --people, as a rule, cannot
will themselves back to life. So I think it's pretty safe to assume Eph 5:14
isn't talking about the kind of death that populates cemeteries.

Death is sometimes depicted as sleep, e.g. Matt 9:24, John 11:11, 1Cor
15:51, and 1Thess 4:14. So the command to "rise from the dead" is
appropriate for Christians who honestly think obedience to their master's
commandments is not all that important.

"Brothers, we have an obligation-- but it is not to the sinful nature, to live
according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die"
(Rom 8:12-13)

Christianity is not only a faith to believe, but it's also a faith to live by; as
James wrote:

"Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (Jas 2:17)

Dead faith is still faith, but it's not a healthy faith, viz: dead faith lacks vigor
and vitality.

186) Eph 5:15 . . So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who
are wise.

"Wise" of course meaning to live your life in such a way that it counts for
Christ instead of only counting for yourself and/or counting for the world. For
example: if you get pulled into the worlds of corporate management,
political activism and/or civil disobedience; I can just about guarantee that
your life is not counting for Christ because those are really big distractions
and sometimes its players have to play dirty to be effective.

The "fools" then can justly be described as people who live with little regard
for scruples; defined by Webster's as an ethical consideration or principle
that inhibits action. For example, the pioneer of FaceBook stole the idea.
Though the theft was legal, it was unethical.

187) Eph 5:17 . .Therefore do not be uninformed, but understand what The
Lord's will is.

In other words: Christians are not supposed to fly by the seat of their pants,
but rather, fly by instruments: viz: fly intelligently; and that entails reading
a driver's manual before attempting to operate a car, so to speak.

Moses instructed his people that there is no need to go on a special "golden
fleece" quest to discover what The Lord's will is; either out in space nor
across the ocean in a foreign land. No, The Lord's will is easily accessible
between the covers of even the cheapest second-hand Bible on the shelves
of a thrift store.

However; no Bible-- no matter how cheap, nor how expensive, nor what
version-- is of any real use if it's not studied. But even systematic Bible
study is quite thwarted when the information isn't heeded.

● Jas 1:22-25 . . Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive
yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do
what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking
at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the
man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and
continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be
blessed in what he does.

188) Eph 5:18 . . Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.
Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Webster's defines "debauchery" as extreme indulgence in bodily pleasures;
e.g. sex, drugs, and alcohol. In this case alcohol. People that can limit
themselves to one drink are very fortunate. For many, that one drink is only
the beginning of the road to AA.

I've heard of studies indicating that some people have a genetic weakness
for alcohol, viz: a natural-born predilection. Nevertheless, drunkenness is sin
and Christians are under orders to subdue it.

● Col 3:5 . . So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you.

Eph 5:18 doesn't forbid drinking; only getting drunk. Why do people get
plastered anyway? Isn't it to make themselves feel good and better able to
cope with life's difficulties? Alcohol therefore could be said to be a sedative,
i.e. an antidote to one's existence.

● Prv 31:6-7 . . Liquor is for the dying, and wine for those in deep
depression. Let them drink to forget their poverty and remember their
troubles no more.

Some of us seem born with a melancholy disposition but that's really not the
same. Real depression literally drives people to suicide. I know because I've
been there.

So in that respect, pills and alcohol are a crutch. I'm not saying a crutch is a
bad thing; I mean, after all, God created Eve as a crutch for Adam so then if
all crutches are bad, then women are bad too. No, crutches per se are not
bad; it's one's choice of crutch that matters; e.g. cocaine,
methamphetamine, alcohol, valium, Prozac, overeating, etc.

God's Spirit is supposed to be a crutch for believers; but His effectiveness as
a crutch is found only in something called the fruit of the Spirit.

● Gal 5:22-23 . . The fruit of the Spirit is joy, peace, and self control.

Two elements of the Spirit's fruit that have a powerful influence on a
believer's well-being in life are Joy and Peace; which are obtained out of a
bottle for only a short time; and are actually chemically dependent rather
than supernaturally dependent.

But joy and peace require initiative.

● Rom 8:13 . . If you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if
by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,

In other words; Christ's followers should expect to neither obtain, nor to
retain, the Spirit's joy and peace when their conduct is unbecoming.

189) Eph 5:19 . . Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs: singing and making melody with your heart to The Lord

That verse is actually pretty good justification for a church choir; but I really
think it should also be used to justify hymn books in the pews too so the
congregation can sing together. And make very sure the object of your
music is Christ and/or his Father rather than other kinds of celestial
personages; e.g. saints and angels.

190) Eph 5:20 . . Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Moses' people were so accustomed to God's providence that they began to
take it for granted, and would get upset with Him when He failed to produce.
Be on your guard; don't let that happen.

"We should not test the Lord, as some of them did-- and were killed by
snakes. And do not grumble, as some of them did-and were killed by the
destroying angel.

. . .These things happened to them as examples and were written down as
warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you
think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! (1 Cor 10:9-12)

"in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" indicates that any and all providence
that comes our way is due to Christ's work on the cross. It was his sacrifice
for the sins of the world that makes it possible for God to come alongside
and bless rather than curse. We don't ever want to forget that.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
191) Eph 5:21 . . Submit to one another out of respect for Christ.

The koiné Greek word for "submit" is hupotasso (hoop-ot-as'-so) which
means: to subordinate (as a verb) which is just the opposite of dominance,
equality, and/or rivalry and competition.

A workable synonym for the kind of submission we're talking about here is
"deference" which Webster's defines as: (1) respect and esteem due a
superior or an elder, and (2) affected, or ingratiating, regard for another's
wishes; viz: honor.

This isn't about a pecking order. What we're talking about here is a Christian
social skill; it's about regarding others as not equal to yourself, but actually
better than yourself; and it pleases Christ to do so; besides being just plain
all around good manners.

● Matt 18:3-4 . . Whoever humbles himself as a little child is the greatest in
the kingdom of heaven.

Little children in that day were minors who had little or no social status at all
to speak of. If somebody abused a minor; it was just too bad since there
were no Child Services bureaus to defend them. Minors were typically among
the ruled rather than among those who do the ruling; and they got like zero
respect from their elders.

In other words, an imperious believer-- one that's assertive, bossy, take
charge, demanding, argumentative, quarrelsome, impudent, conceited,
domineering, confrontational, manipulative, reactive, independent, non
negotiable, opinionated, obstinately or intolerantly devoted to their own
opinions and prejudices, stubborn, and insistent upon their own way --is
definitely a failure at subordinating themselves to their fellow believers in a
manner consistent with The Lord's instructions.

192) Eph 5:22 . .Wives, submit to your husbands as to The Lord.

The koiné word for "submit" in this verse is the very same for submit in Eph
5:21, and never means that wives take orders from their husbands like in
some sort of despotic monarchy. We haven't changed the subject; in point of
fact we're actually being redundant because what we're talking about here is
deference rather than obedience. An attitude of deference is mandatory for
Christians on both sides of the gender aisle-- both men and women.

We should emphasize that these instruction are only for Spirit-filled couples.
They're not for the average rank and file pew-warming couple, nor for the
world's couples at large.

First of all; Spirit-filled wives walk in the fruit of the Spirit; which is love, joy,
peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and self
control. That alone filters out most wives. And they also speak to themselves
with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs; making music in their hearts to The
Lord rather than going around with a grumpy disposition all the time with a
cross look on their face.

Spirit-filled wives don't strive for equality, nor do they compete with their
husbands as rivals for supremacy, nor do they have to be right all the time.
And most importantly, a Spirit-filled wife treads lightly on her husband's
feelings.

A wife that's independent, quarrelsome, complaining, fault-finding, chafing,
hostile, violent, carping, dominating, manipulating, critical, thin-skinned,
defensive, assertive, aggressive, thoughtless, insensitive, loud, stubborn,
difficult, cruel, gender-biased, confrontational, always clamoring about
empowerment, and harboring a "I am woman! Hear me roar!" mentality is
not The Lord's concept of deference.

A deferent wife is diplomatic: she's gracious, cordial, affable, approachable,
temperate, genial, sociable, ready to turn the other cheek, generous,
charitable, altruistic, tactful, sensitive, sympathetic; and above all coherent,
reasonable, and rational rather than incoherent, emotional, and reactive.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
193) Eph 5:23-24 . . For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the
head of the church, his body, of which he is the savior. Now as the church
submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in
everything.

People-- Christians, no less --have tried to circumvent that commandment
by quoting Paul to refute Paul; for example:

● Gal 3:26-28 . . For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with
Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man,
there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

But if we were to make Gal 3:26-28 a rule in civil affairs; then Christian
marriages would be same-sex unions; and that, to say the least, is quite
laughable.

If a Christian wife cannot treat her husband with the respect due him in
accordance with Eph 5:21 then she should at least try to treat him with
respect in accordance with Eph 5:23-24; in other words; treat her husband
the way she would treat Christ were he the one sharing a home with her.

Though both husband and wife are equals as believers, and equally Christ's
subjects, they are definitely not equals as man and wife though they be one
flesh; just as Christ and his Father are not equals though they be one God.
A Christian wife who humiliates her husband in any way literally humiliates
Christ when she does so; and gives herself away that she's neither walking
in the Spirit, nor filled with the Spirit, nor loyal to the lord and master of
Christianity.

NOTE: They say familiarity breeds contempt; and I'm afraid that a good
number of Christians have gotten so accustomed to thinking of Christ as a
sibling that they've forgotten he's primarily a monarch.

Men and women have very different needs as regards to respect. Shaunti
Feldhahn, author of "For Women Only" relates a survey taken among
segregated groups of men and women with this question: Given a choice;
would you rather be disrespected, or would you rather be alone and unloved
in the world? The majority of the ladies chose disrespect rather than living
alone and unloved in the world while the majority of the men chose to live
alone and unloved rather than be disrespected.

A young bride just starting out, with a head full of feminism and a heart
infected with contempt for males; not caring how important respect is to
men, will have no trouble turning her husband's marriage into a living hell
for him without even half trying.

So then, what's one thing that every Spirit-filled wife can do to please
Christ? Simple. Respect her husband. And don't respect him only if he earns
your respect: no, respect him all the time just as you'd respect Christ all the
time were he your husband. A wife cannot expect a husband to love her
unconditionally when she won't make an effort to respect him
unconditionally.

A very disturbing display of husband-wife disrespect took place in my own
home. My wife and I used to baby-sit for a couple at church whenever they
were away. When they came over one night to pick up their kids, my son
and theirs were playing a really good Nintendo game. The daddy informed
the kids it was time to go, and in customary kid-fashion they ignored him
and kept playing their game. So he became gruff and ordered them out to
the car.

His wife then proceeded to come down on him like the wrath of God and
exclaimed: You're yelling at them in front of the Webers! Well, guess what?
Mrs. Self-Righteous-Christianette was lecturing her husband in front of the
Webers; and if you could have seen the look on his face you'd know that her
husband was not going to get over the effects of his wife's public scolding for
a long while to come; if ever.

You know, kids get used to their parents demeaning them in front of others.
To kids, it's just a fact of life. However, I seriously doubt there's a husband
on earth who can get used to a wife that demeans him in front of others.

● Prv 14:1 . . A wise woman builds her home; a foolish woman tears her
home down with her own hands.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
194) Eph 5:25-27 . . Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved
the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it
with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a
glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it
should be holy and without blemish.

Christ's love for the church is expressed in the grammatical past tense,
which indicates he loved his own even before they existed in real life; which
makes sense seeing as how the Bible says that Christ was the lamb slain
before the cosmos was completed; and the names of the people in his
church were already on record. (1Pet 1:19-20 and Rev 13:8 cf. Eph 1:4 and
Rev 17:8)

Though Christ went to the cross for the whole world's benefit, it was the
church that he had in mind all along. (1Tim 4:10)

I suppose any number of sermons could be written based upon Eph 5:25-27
but we need to keep moving.

195) Eph 5:28-33a . . In this same way, husbands ought to love their
wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no
one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ
does the church-- for we are members of his body.

. . ."For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to
his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery--
but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also
must love his wife as he loves himself,

That, of course, is a practical application of the so-called golden rule; which
first shows up in the Bible at Lev 19:18, applied at Lev 19:34, and reiterated
at Matt 7:12 and Luke 6:31.

The very opposite of the golden rule would be for a husband to do unto his
wife the very things that he does do not enjoy being done to himself; either
by word or by deed.

I'm not a qualified marriage counselor, but in my unprofessional opinion,
were couples to practice the golden rule in their association with each other,
it would go a long ways towards preventing their homes from becoming the
semblance of a cold war.

There are toxic wives out there who do not deserve their husband's
affections; and in fact have done all in their power to destroy them.
Nevertheless, it is his Christian duty to continue looking after her, and to
treat her well as if his very life depended upon it in spite of the fact that she
may be someone he'd prefer avoiding.

NOTE: If a man finds it impossible within himself to practice the golden rule
with a witch, then maybe he should reconsider getting himself shackled to
one. Choose wisely.

196) Eph 5:33b . . and the wife must respect her husband.

This is not about admiration. The Greek verb for "respect" is phobeo (fob-
eh'-o) which essentially refers to fright; and is used just that way in
numerous places throughout the New Testament.

Some translators render phobeo as "reverence" which Webster's defines as
honor or respect; felt or shown; which means that wives don't especially
have to like their husbands in order to respect them. A show of respect will
do in lieu of felt respect. In other words: the Christian wife would do well to
stifle the disgust she feels for her husband and be civil.

I overheard a female caller on radio imperiously announcing to Dr. Laura
that she couldn't respect her husband. So Dr. Laura asked her why. The
caller responded: Because he hasn't earned my respect. So Laura asked the
caller: Have you earned your husband's love? The caller retorted: I don't
have to earn his love. It's a husband's duty to love his wife just as she is.

So Laura pointed out that the caller was practicing a double standard. She
demanded that her husband love her unconditionally, while refusing to
respect him unconditionally. And on top of that; had the despotic chutzpah
to dictate the rules of engagement regardless of how her husband might feel
about it.

That is not The Lord's concept of a Spirit-filled relationship. It doesn't even
exemplify the Beatitudes and/or the Sermon On The Mount let alone the
quality of humanitarian love that Christ exemplified on the cross.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
197) Eph 6:1 . . Children, obey your parents in The Lord, for this is right.

The koiné Greek word for "obey" in that verse is interesting. It's hupakouo
(hoop-ak-oo'-o) which means to pay attention; viz: to heed; to mind.

The primary reason given for children minding their parents is simply that
it's the right thing to do.

The parents of the command are "in The Lord" in other words, this rule
doesn't pertain to kids with secular parents; which is a good loop hole
because there may come times for kids to disobey their parents out of
loyalty to a higher power. (cf. Matt 4:10, Matt 10:37)

Incidentally, have you noticed how little respect that parents get from their
insolent progeny in modern television sit-coms, Hollywood movies, and
advertising? It's a reflection of modern American culture's attitude towards
doing what's right. Kids today are encouraged to do what's wrong in their
homes instead of doing what's right. Modern entertainment trains children
how to be demonic instead of divine.

Kids that mind their parents are usually much the happier for it. The
rebellious ones typically end up living in a home from hell; i.e. dysfunctional.

198) Eph 6:2-3 . . Honor your father and mother-- which is the first
commandment with a promise --that it may go well with you and that you
may enjoy long life on the earth.

The promise doesn't guarantee long life; it promises that, should you
perchance survive to a ripe old age, they'll be good years. In other words;
though a demon seed may live long and prosper, that doesn't necessarily
mean they'll have a pleasant time of it. Things like happiness, peace, love,
understanding, and contentment may end up eluding them every step of the
way.

The koiné Greek word for "honor" in Eph 6:2 is timao (tim-ah'-o) which
means to prize, viz: to fix a valuation upon; to revere, to think highly of.

The very same word is used at Matt 15:4-6 where Jesus related the fifth
commandment to caring for one's dependent parents. Compare that to 1Tim
5:4 where it's said:

"If a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to
put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying
their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God."

I should point out that one's parents need not be deserving of honor. They
only need to be one's parents; whether good parents or bad parents makes
no difference.

/