Beyond The Four Spiritual Laws

[Webers_Home]

-
374) Titus 2:10b . . but showing all good faith that they may adorn the
doctrine of God our savior in every respect.

The koiné Greek word for "adorn" is kosmeo (kos-meh'-o) which means: to
put in proper order; viz: decorate

When women buy a pretty new dress, they usually get things to go with it;
things we call accessories; like a purse, shoes, stockings, necklace, earrings,
and/or a watch and a bracelet. In the old days, women usually bought some
gloves to go with their new dress too-- thus they create an "ensemble"
which gives them a complete look rather than an unfinished look as if they
just threw the dress on to work around the house or run down to a nearby
convenience store.

Well, a Christian who's a Christian in label only is like a pretty dress without
accessories. In point of fact, they are quite basic: just a house-dress
Christian. In other words; faith without piety is like leaving the house for
work in the morning half dressed.

375) Titus 2:15 . . These things speak and exhort and reprove with all
authority. Let no one disregard you.

I'm pretty sure this doesn't mean that pastors should speak with a bullying,
imperialistic, intimidating tone of voice. Pastors, after all, are supposed to be
shepherds rather than a bull o' the woods bossing a logging crew; so to
speak.

The koiné Greek word for "disregard" is periphroneo (per-ee-fron-eh'-o)
which basically means to depreciate; viz: to marginalize, i.e. consider
superfluous, expendable, and/or nonessential.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
376) Titus 3:1 . . Remind your people to submit to the government and its
officials. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good.

Civil disobedience, no matter the cause, is essentially criminal; it's the
active, professed refusal of a citizen to obey certain laws of the state, and/or
demands, orders, and commands of a government, or of an occupying
international power; i.e. non compliance with constituted law and order.

Henry David Thoreau insisted that individuals should not permit
governments to overrule or atrophy their consciences, and that they have a
duty to avoid allowing such acquiescence to enable the government to make
them the agents of injustice.

At first glance, Thoreau's ideas makes good sense. However; it's important
to take into account that Thoreau was a secular humanist indifferent to the
dictates of a supreme being whose commandments, laws, rules, statutes,
and edicts take priority over all other forms of government. Thoreau's
concept of civil disobedience foments anarchy which, according to Rom
13:1-5 and 1Pet 2:13-15, is strictly forbidden for Christ's followers.

Below are a couple of scriptural examples of civil disobedience that take into
account God's supremacy.

● Ex 1:15-17 . . The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose
names were Shiphrah and Puah, "When you help the Hebrew women in
childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but
if it is a girl, let her live." The midwives, however, feared God and did not do
what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.

From a strictly legal perspective, the midwives' conduct was criminal due to
their wanton refusal to comply with constituted authority. But God approved
the midwives conduct; and the reason He did so is because the women
defied Pharaoh due to their compliance with a constituted authority superior
to his. (Ex 1:20)

Though it would've been perfectly legal to exterminate the Hebrews' baby
boys, it would have been grossly impious to do so; the primary reason being
that according to Gen 9:5-6, Pharaoh's superior does not approve the taking
of innocent human life. Had the midwives complied with Pharaoh's edit, they
would've been murderers.

Take for another example the dilemma wherein Christian ministers find
themselves in Muslim countries where it's illegal to preach Christ and/or
teach the Bible.

According to Matt 28:18-20, and the pastoral epistles of 1&2 Timothy, Titus,
and to some degree 1Peter, Christian ministers are required by God to do
just exactly what the laws of those countries forbid them to do.

Christian ministers in those countries are in a Catch-22. No matter which
direction they take, it'll lead to trouble. If they comply with God's
requirements, they risk arrest on Earth for breaking the law. If they comply
with the State's requirements, they'll be shamed in Heaven for
insubordination and dereliction of duty. In those kinds of situations, Christian
ministers, faithful to Christ, are pretty much forced into breaking the law.

● Acts 5:29 . . Peter and the apostles answered and said: We must obey God
rather than men. (cf. Luke 10:27)

I highly recommend that Christ's followers NOT get themselves involved in
movements and/or protests, demonstrations, and marches, etc. You'll just
get yourself in trouble with the law in ways that do not follow the scriptural
pattern and thus get yourself in trouble with God too.

A bad example is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's activism wherein he was
arrested upwards of thirty times. His civil disobedience wasn't scriptural; it
was secular, i.e. patterned after Thoreau's philosophy with just enough
religion thrown in to give the impression that King was on a mission from
God. If you get arrested while following Thoreau's philosophy you will fully
deserve jail time; and don't expect God to applaud. You'll be on your own.
(cf. John 15:1-10)

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
376) Titus 3:1 . . Cont.

Seeing as how we're talking about the law of the land, what might be some
examples?

Well; I think should think that Titus 3:1 is talking about more than just
felonies; but includes lesser crimes like J walking, illegal U-turns, feeding
parking meters, drifting through stop signs without coming to a complete
halt, exceeding the speed limit, impeding traffic by driving too slow and
refusing to pull over, double parking, failure to yield the right of way, unsafe
lane changes, parking in a red zone, road rage, horn blowing, littering,
trespassing, fishing without a license, keeping illegal size fish, keeping too
many fish, feeding city-park ducks where it's prohibited, setting off fireworks
where they're prohibited, dumping radiator coolant into a storm drain,
ignoring water restrictions, removing a swallow's nest that has eggs in it,
killing a protected species, etc.

If there is one kind of person that God has always despised all the way
through the Bible it's a scofflaw. In point of fact, according to the covenant
that Yhvh's people agreed upon with God; scofflaws merit neither
forgiveness nor atonement; that's how serious it is.

● Num 15:30-31 . .The person, be he citizen or stranger, who acts defiantly
reviles The Lord; that person shall be cut off from among his people.
Because he has spurned the word of The Lord and violated His
commandment, that person shall be cut off— he bears his guilt.

377) Titus 3:2 . . malign no one, be non-contentious, gentle, showing
every consideration for all men.

The koiné Greek word for "malign" is blasphemeo (blas-fay-meh'-o) which
means: to vilify

Webster's defines vilify as: to lower in estimation or importance, and/or to
utter abusive statements against

Vilification is a clear violation of Php 2:3, which reads: Do nothing out of
selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than
yourselves.

Should I consider Bernard "Bernie" Madoff as better than myself? (chuckle)
No. It isn't vilification to say the man is a louse when he's been clearly
proven to be one. That's neither malignant nor malevolent. What we're
talking about here is mean-spirited, unwarranted vilification.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
378) Titus 3:8 . .This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these
things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God
may be careful to engage in good deeds.

To "speak confidently" implies speaking with an assertive, "no buts"
attitude; viz: the things a preacher teaches his congregation should not be
open to debate and/or perpetual bull sessions that never get to the bottom
of anything.

The koiné Greek word for "deeds" is very common throughout the New
Testament; more often translated "works" than deeds. We're not talking
about Boy Scout kinds of deeds but just simply the spiritual morality of one's
day to day conduct; viz: a life that pleases God instead of one that irritates
Him to no end.

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

379) Titus 3:9 . . Shun foolish controversies, and genealogies, and strife,
and disputes about the Law; for they are unprofitable and worthless.

The "law" in question is the covenant that Yhvh's people agreed upon with
God in the Old Testament. Disputes generally revolve around its
interpretation and its correct application. Yhvh stipulated the formation of a
panel of lawyers to interpret the law for those among His people who lacked
the wherewithal to do it for themselves (Deut 17:8-13). But since Christians
are outside the covenant's jurisdiction, then they can get by without those
lawyers to interpret it for them; and besides; when you consider there are
nine Justices on the US Supreme Court who seldom agree unanimously on
anything, how much chance do you reckon a panel of seventy has of
reaching a consensus?

One of the "foolish controversies and genealogies" I would highly
recommend that believers avoid is Rome's roster of so-called apostolic
successors. Don't even go there. It's unprofitable, futile, and pointless to
strive over something like that. Pick your battles, and make sure your
conflicts accomplish something truly useful for Christ. The Vatican has much
bigger problems within its walls and its dogmas than that one.

380) Titus 3:10-11 . . A man that is an heretic after the first and second
admonition reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth,
being condemned of himself.

The koiné Greek word for "heretic" is hairetikos (hahee-ret-ee-kos') which
means: a schismatic; which is someone in your very own church who causes
dissent, rebellion, division, discord, and disharmony.

Heretics are not outsiders; no, a true heretic goes to the same church you
go to and professes to believe and practice the very same religion that you
profess to believe and practice; viz: for Catholics, a heretic would be a
professing Catholic who openly disagrees with Rome, and attempts to
persuade other Catholics to join their cause in opposing Vatican Council II in
order to reform the Church.

Webster's defines a heretic as: 1) a dissenter from established church
dogma; especially one who disavows a revealed truth, and 2) one who
dissents from an accepted belief or doctrine; viz: a nonconformist.

I am an ex-Catholic and I oppose Rome. However, I don't fit the definition
of a heretic. I'm what's known in Christian circles as an apostate; viz: a
defector; which Webster's defines as a person who forsakes one's cause,
party, or nation for another often because of a change in ideology. Heretics
don't usually defect; but remain inside to foster insurrection: to undermine
hierarchy, to bring about reform, to weaken, and to cause division. Every
church has its fair share of heretics and they can be very disruptive in a
Sunday school class.

The koiné Greek word for "reject" is paraiteomai (par-ahee-teh'-om-ahee)
which means: to beg off; viz: deprecate, decline, and shun. In other words,
don't give heretics the time of day, nor be seen with them attending church.

Some religions, e.g. Jehovah's Witnesses, practice total shunning; viz: not
only in church, but outside too; even in homes and families. That's pretty
extreme and I really don't think Paul means we should go that far with it.

381) Titus 3:14 . . And let ours also learn to maintain good works for
necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful.

The pronoun "ours" obviously excludes the heretics. They don't need to
maintain good works since they're essentially toxic and nothing they do in
Christ's name is merit-worthy.

● Matt 7:22-23 . . Many will say to me in that day: Lord, Master, have we
not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in
thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them : I
never knew you. Depart from me, you that work iniquity.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
382) Titus 3:15 . . Greet them that love us in the faith.

Heretics are of course excluded from the group that Paul labeled "them that
love us in the faith". It would be a sin to require believers to say hello to
them for Paul; since his orders are to shun heretics. He he didn't want to
know them anymore. They were not his favorite kinds of Christians.

You know what that says to me? It says to me that heretics are even less
acceptable than a stranger because Christ instructed his disciples to greet
strangers.

● Matt 5:47 . . And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more
than others? Do not even the publicans do so?

So heresy is pretty serious.

383) Philemon

In the little communiqué to his friend Philemon, Paul went to bat for a
runaway slave named Onesimus. By all rights, Philemon could legally, under
Roman law, put Onesimus to death; but as Onesimus' fellow believer, and
his sibling around the table in God's home, Philemon was bound by a higher
sense of duty and association.

Onesimus ran away prior to his conversion to Christianity. Had he been a
Christian, he would have been mindful of Eph 6:5-8, Col 3:22-25, 1Tim 6:1-
2, and Titus 2:9-10a and not run away.

Now that Onesimus was a fellow believer, Philemon was obligated to comply
with Eph 6:9a, and Col 4:1.

You know, I keep using words like "obligated" but though that word is
appropriate, it shouldn't have to be emphasized because Christianity is
supposed to be a religion of devotion rather than obligation to duty.

● Gal 5:13 . . By love serve one another.

Israel's covenanted law requires people to love others as themselves; but
Jesus commands believers to love their fellow believers with the same
degree of love with which he himself loves them.

● John 15:12 . . My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

That being the case, it must have been very easy for Philemon to let
bygones be bygones and welcome Onesimus back into his home.

When Onesimus became Philemon's fellow believer, the nature of their
association took on a whole other dimension; viz: every one of the
commands that I've posted up till now, in regards to believers associating
with one another, came into play at the moment of Onesimus' conversion.

He and Philemon would never again relate to one another the same as
before Onesimus' conversion. Where once Onesimus and Philemon were
merely fellow men; in Christ they became siblings, and both will one day sit
side by side, shoulder to shoulder as equals around the table in God's home.

● Philem 1:15-16 . . For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that
thou shouldest receive him for ever; not now as a slave, but above a slave,
a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in
the flesh, and in The Lord?

As a conscientious Christian, Onesimus no doubt became a real asset
because it wouldn't be necessary for Philemon to ever again beat an honest
day's work out of him.

● 1Tim 6:1-2 . . All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their
masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not
be slandered. Those who have believing masters are not to show less
respect for them because they are brothers. Instead, they are to serve them
even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers, and
dear to them.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
● Heb 1:1-2 . . In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the
prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has
spoken to us by His son,

The epistle to Hebrews is a bit tricky to interpret because a large portion of it
falls into the category of evangelism; i.e. proselytizing.

The author-- unknown by either name or gender --was apparently Hebrew
because the pronouns "our" and "us" associate him with the people to whom
the prophets spoke.

Moving through the letter, I believe at least three categories are addressed.

Chapters 1 thru 4:13 addressed nondescript Jews.

Chapters 4:14 and thru to 10:39, addressed a special group of Jews that
I've labeled teetering Jews. Those were Jews who heard the Gospel, and
interested in finding out more, but not quite convinced yet to follow Jesus
whole-heartedly, and were in very real danger of turning completely away
from the Gospel and permanently clinging to Judaism.

Chapter 11, and thru to the end of the epistle, addressed Jews who were
past teetering: they made a solid commitment to become one of Christ's
believing followers.

My divisions of the epistle are no doubt amateurish and rough hewn, but
they do serve to help put the contents in some sort of useful perspective.

384) Heb 2:1-4 . .We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what
we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For if the message spoken by
angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just
punishment, how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This
salvation, which was first announced by The Lord, was confirmed to us by
those who heard him. God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various
miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

I don't think the words "drift away" imply apostasy; not in this case anyway.
No; it's more like a curious crowd that gathers around a soap box speaker,
and little by little, man by man, boredom sets in-- the audience begins
dispersing and people move on to find something else to do. That would be
akin to attending a Billy Graham crusade for its entertainment, and a month
later totally forgetting everything he talked about.

385) Heb 3:1 . .Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly
calling, consider the apostle and High Priest whom we acknowledge: Christ
Jesus

The "holy brethren" are Yhvh's people as per Deut 14:2 and Ps 135:4; and
the "heavenly calling" very likely refers to the nation that God promised to
make of Abraham as per Gen 12:1-2, Gen 13:14-16, and Gen 22:16-18.

The koiné Greek word for "consider" is katanoeo (kat-an-o-eh'-o) which
means: to observe fully; viz: to study; to examine.

Giving Christ a cursory glance as if he were a curiosity or a brief distraction
leads nowhere. His purpose and his mission are just too complicated for that
sort of once-over approach.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
386) Heb 3:7-11 . . So, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you hear His
voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time
of testing in the desert, where your fathers tested and tried Me and for forty
years saw what I did. That is why I was angry with that generation, and I
said: Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known My
ways. So I declared on oath in My anger; they shall never enter My rest.

That's a quote from Psalm 95; which pertains to the people of Israel whom
Yhvh rescued from Egyptian slavery. No doubt there are lots of modern Jews
who would say: Had I been out there with Moses in the desert, I would have
obeyed God and entered the promised land when Yhvh said to the first time.
Sure, sure, it's easy to be obedient in hindsight sans the added handicap of
peer pressure. But where's the average Jew today? The majority are hiloni
(secular). And if you were to take a poll of the more than twelve million Jews
resident on today's Earth, how many would you find who have ever even one
time read Psalm 95?

In point of fact, the generation that followed Joshua into Canaan didn't get
rest; no, they got warfare; years of it. And instead of obtaining a permanent
state of peace and prosperity, they wound up getting oppression, slavery,
poverty, environmental disasters, plagues, defeat, and dispersal.

● Heb 4:8-9 . . For if Joshua had given them rest, then would not Psalm 95
afterward have spoken of a different day. There remains therefore a rest to
the people of God.

I'm going to deliberately misquote that last sentence like this: There is
another rest for the people of God. No, it doesn't say "another" rest; it's the
same rest, the one they failed to obtain the first time; viz: it's been on hold
all these many long years; and observers only need look at the state of that
country today to easily perceive that Yhvh's people have yet to obtain rest of
any kind: either politically, environmentally, or economically.

387) Heb 3:12-13 . . Take heed, brothers, that none of you has a sinful,
unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But implore one
another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be
hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

That's a call to theocratic unity; Jewish theocratic unity. But good luck
getting the Jews to rally around Yhvh. Oh well, the author was duty-bound
to try; as all the prophets before him in the past were duty-bound to try;
usually to no avail.

● Heb 3:16-19 . .Who were they who heard and rebelled? Was it not all
those whom Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was Yhvh angry for
forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the
desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if
not to those who disobeyed? So then, we see that they were not able to
enter, because of their unbelief.

Belief is not only consent to a statement's truthfulness. No, Bible belief
contains the element of trust; the absence of which led to the Jews' downfall
in the Sinai. God told them to attack Palestine, but they didn't believe they
were strong enough to do it. Well, that part was true; they weren't.
However, Yhvh promised to be on their side. That part was true too, and had
they been as convinced of that second part as strongly as they were the
first, they would have been okay. But alas, they failed to rely upon Yhvh as a
man of His word; and subsequently, they missed out on their one and only
opportunity to enter an era of peace, prosperity, and providence.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
388) Heb 4:1-2 . .Therefore, let us fear lest, while a promise remains of
entering His rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it. For
indeed we have had the gospel preached to us, just as they also; but the
word they heard did not profit them, because it wasn't mixed with faith in
those who heard.

When reading the Bible; it's always important to pay close attention to
language, grammar, and syntax. In this passage we're looking at, the
pronouns us, you, we, they, and those don't refer to Gentiles; no, not at all.
They refer to the author's fellow Jewish countrymen. This is, after all, a
letter to Hebrews, not to the world.

The "gospel" spoken of in this instance is a concise version of the message
with which most Christians are familiar, and its focus was mainly upon the
kingdom of God rather than the grace of God. (e.g. Matt 4:23, Mark 1:14
15). The Jews' homeland would've been the center of the kingdom of God
back then just as it will be in the future. In other words: the kingdom of God
has been offered to the Jews at least twice already-- once by Moses and
once by Jesus --and will be offered to them yet a third time in the future.
But I rather suspect that next time the Jews won't have a say in the matter.

Jews are now in an era sometimes called the church age; which is an open
season opportunity for them to at least enroll in the kingdom as its future
citizens.

● Heb 4:6-7 . . It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who
formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their
disobedience. Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a
long time later He spoke through David, as was said before: "Today, if you
hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."

389) Heb 4:11 . . Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest
anyone fall through following the same example of disbelief.

The "fall" in that instance refers to the Jews' failure to enter the kingdom's
land when they were given the opportunity; which was indeed a very brief
open season.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
390) Heb 4:14 . . Since then we have a great high priest who has passed
through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us cling to what we
acknowledge

Prior to Christ, the closest proximity that Yhvh's people had to God was their
Aaonic priest. But even he was earth-bound and his own closest proximity to
the actual person of God was the holy place in either the tabernacle or the
Temple.

One of the advantages of Christ's priesthood is his immortality; in other
words: The Lord continues as a priest forever because he rose from the dead
impervious to death. Aaron and his sons were not so lucky.

● Rom 6:9 . . knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies
no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.

● Heb 7:23-25 . . Also there were many priests, because they were
prevented by death from continuing. But he, because he continues forever,
has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is also able to save to the
uttermost those who come to God through Him, since he always lives to
make intercession for them.

391) Heb 4:15-16 . . For we do not have a high priest who cannot
sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in all
things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence
to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace to
help in time of need.

The koiné Greek word for "confidence" in Heb 4:16 is parrhesia (par-rhay-see'-ah)
which means: all out-spokenness; viz: frankness, bluntness.

Since Jesus is a man who's been around the block a few times; there is no need to be
reticent with him. It's okay to speak our minds-- to be direct, to be candid --just as we
would share our thoughts with beer buddies and/or yoga pals. That is a huge
improvement over stuffing pieces of paper in the stone chinks of the so-called Wailing
Wall while rocking back and forth like a plastic bobble toy and reciting rote prayers from
a siddur.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
392) Heb 6:1-3 . . Let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and
go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts
that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying
on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God
permitting, we will do so.

A large section of Hebrews talks about a man named Melchizedek: a priest
of the Most High God who lived in Abraham's day. Mel is not a popular topic
on Christian internet forums; which is really a shame because his
priesthood, and its constituents, are above The Commandments and
thoroughly immune to prosecution for breaking them.

Discussions of Melchizedek are pretty much limited to the acumen of mature
believers; primarily because the average Jew is spiritually-challenged.
Another large section of Hebrews talks about the new covenant, but that
also is too advanced for the spiritual acumen of the average Jew.

Yhvh's people were spiritually-challenged when they came out of Egypt.

● Deut 29:2-5 . . And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them; You
have seen all that Yhvh did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh
and all his servants and all his land; the great trials which your eyes have
seen, those great signs and wonders. Yet to this day Yhvh has not given you
a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear.

The condition persisted to Isaiah's day,

● Isa 6:9-10 . . And Yhvh said; Go, and tell this people: Keep on listening,
but do not perceive; keep on looking, but do not understand. Render the
hearts of this people insensitive, their ears dull, and their eyes dim, lest they
see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and
come back to Me and be healed.

Continued in Ezekiel's day,

● Ezk 12:1-2 . .Then the word of Yhvh came to me saying; Son of man, you
live in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not
see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.

Was chronic in Christ's day,

● John 12:39-40 . . For this reason they could not believe, because, as
Isaiah says: He has blinded their eyes and deadened their hearts, so they
can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor repent
--and I would heal them.

And still a problem in Paul's day too.

● 2Cor 3:12-16 . . Since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not
like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at
it while the radiance was fading away. But their minds were made dull; for
to this day the same veil remains when Torah is read. It has not been
removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when
Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to The
Lord, the veil is taken away.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
393) Heb 10:21-22 . . Since we have a high priest over the house of God,
let us draw near to God with a sincere heart, in full assurance of faith,
having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience

Sprinkling was a common ritual in the Old Testament-- sometimes with
water, sometimes with oil, and sometimes with blood --for example: Ex
29:16, Ex 29:21, Lev 14:7, Lev 14 16, and Num 8:7, et al.

Sprinkling typically serves to de-contaminate someone or some thing in
order to make it suitable for God's purposes. Well, in point of fact; none of
the Old Testament's sprinklings served to cleanse people's conscience once
and for all time. They had to keep bringing one sacrifice after another in a
perpetual stream of sacrifices because each sacrifice cleansed their
conscience just that one time instead of for all time.

● Heb 10:10-14 . .We have been sanctified through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily ministering and
offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins;
but he, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right
hand of God, waiting from that time onward until his enemies be made a
footstool for His feet. For by one offering he has perfected for all time those
who are sanctified.

Christ sat down at the right hand of God; which is something the covenant
that Yhvh's people agreed upon with God does not allow for its high priest,
He dare not linger with God in the holy of holies behind the vail primarily
because the blood of a beast that the priest sprinkles on the mercy seat
doesn't suffice to permanently sanitize either himself or the people.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
394) Heb 10:23 . . Let us cling to the acknowledgment of our faith without
wavering; (for He is faithful that promised)

One can scarcely blame the author's Hebrew audience for wondering if
perchance they're making a really big mistake dumping the covenant that
Yhvh's people made with God as per Deut 29:9-15. A lot is at stake.

For one thing, the covenant is their sacred heritage and their cultural
identity; and for another, the covenant is a contract that obligates God to
lower the boom on His people with some pretty severe penalties for
breaching it: they're all on file at Lev 26:3-38, Deut 27:15-26, and Deut
28:1-69. When Hebrews convert to Christianity, they have to wonder if
maybe they're stepping off into an abyss from whence there is no return.

But the reality is: they have nothing to lose by taking that step because the
original covenant provides neither forgiveness nor atonement for willful sins;
which can be defined as deeds committed by someone knowing beforehand
that what they were about to do is wrong.

"The priest shall atone for the erring soul which sinned inadvertently before
The Lord, so as to atone on his behalf, and it shall be forgiven him. One law
shall apply to anyone who sins inadvertently from the native born of the
children of Israel and the proselyte who resides among them.

. . . But if a person should act highhandedly, whether he is a native born or
a proselyte, he is blaspheming The Lord, and that soul shall be cut off from
among its people. For he has scorned the word of The Lord and violated His
commandment; that soul shall be utterly cut off; for its iniquity is upon it."
(Num 12:28-31, cf. Heb 10:26)

I'm pretty sure it was Num 12:28-31 that Paul had in mind when he
informed his Jewish countrymen "through Jesus everyone who believes is
freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the law of
Moses" (Acts 13:39)

One of the more common willful sins is dishonesty. Everybody knows it's
wrong but go about it anyway. Well; dishonesty is forbidden by the original
covenant.

"You shall not lie, one man to his fellow." (Lev 19:11)

So then, when a Torah-trained Jew tells a lie; he acts highhandedly; viz: he
commits a willful sin for which the original covenant provides neither
forgiveness nor atonement. That man is a scofflaw and in desperate need of
a safety net.

Now, the author mentioned that "He is faithful that promised". So then, what
is the promise? Well; the promise relates, among other things, to God's
spirit; which began its journey to His people back in the Old Testament
thusly:

"This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: In the last days, God says, I
will pour out My spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on
my servants, both men and women, I will pour out My spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy." (Joel 2:28-29, cf. Acts 2:16-18)

And:

"I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries
and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you,
and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all
your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will
remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will
put My spirit in you and move you to follow My decrees and be careful to
keep My laws." (Ezek 36:24-27)

The promise is gold because the forgiveness it promises applies to "all your
impurities" i.e. willful sins just as much as inadvertent sins; viz; it's the
safety net that every Torah-trained Jew so desperately needs to get him out
from under the original covenant's terrible consequences for breaching it.

"Cursed be he who does not uphold the words of this Torah, to fulfill them."
(Deut 27:26)

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
395) Heb 10:24 . . And let us consider how we may spur one another on
toward love and good deeds.

Man is a species of life that is quite naturally, and comfortably, inclined to
provoke and annoy each other and bring out the worst in their fellow men. It
is Christ's wishes that his own make an effort to do just the opposite; viz:
bring out the best in each other.

396) Heb 10:25 . . Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the
habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-- and all the more as you
see the Day approaching.

When my brother and I were growing up, we shared the same bedroom.
Well, one day our parents decided to separate us, so they moved my brother
to another room. When I asked them why; they said it was because we egg
each other on. (I guess it was okay for my parents to egg themselves on but
not okay for us.)

Anyway, point being, the old strategy of divide and conquer still works even
to this day. It's much easier to be strong in a group of supportive friends
and allies than it is all alone when the only resources available are your own.
It's still true that two heads are better than one; plus, in a group, the right
kind of peer pressure can work to everyone's advantage.

For example, there was a time in America when it was mocked as hippy-ish
to subsist on organic food. But lately, organic has become so popular that
nobody feels weird anymore when they shop for it. That's what I mean by
the right kind of peer pressure.

Anyway; when people are isolated, they're much easier to suppress, and
prevent from conspiring against a common foe; which is why unions are
called "organized" labor. One or two workers alone against the front office
are probably going to get themselves crushed; but when the entire
workforce is united in a common cause, it's not so easy for corporate
bulldozers to abuse human rights.

NOTE: The "day" the author spoke of is the Day Of The Lord, in which
several judgments are scheduled to take place. The one most pertinent to
Christ's people is their performance evaluation as per 1Cor 3:5-15, and the
one most pertinent to the world is the Tribulation depicted in the book of
Revelation, and the one most pertinent to the lost is their day in court as per
Rev 20:11-15; and the one most pertinent to Yhvh's people is a sort of Ellis
Island as per Ezek 20:33-44.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
397) Heb 10:32-34 . . Remember the former days, when, after being
enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly, by being
made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by
becoming sharers with those who were so treated . . knowing in yourselves
that you have for yourselves a better possession: one that abides

I think one of the worst injuries to my feelings I had to endure when I was
an up-and-coming Bible believer was to be called a Jesus Freak; which is a
denigrating label once pinned on those involved in the Jesus movement of
the late 1960s and early 1970s.

It was quickly embraced by some, and soon broadened to describe a
Christian subculture throughout the hippie and back-to-the-land movements
that focused on universal love and pacifism, and relished the supposed
"radical" nature of Jesus' message.

Well, I was neither a hippie nor an organic gardener; I was just a simple guy
very interested in Christianity. The heck of it was that the people who called
me Jesus Freak were (I thought) my friends.

Another term I was labeled was Mr. Clean; and that was by a girl I had
known in high school as (I thought) a close personal friend. Well, later in
life, after she divorced and began sleeping around, my "friend" got ticked off
at me because I had no intention of getting in her pants so she called me
that name. There I was the best friend and role model she knew of for her
four fatherless children and she ridiculed me for being a decent man. (I can't
help but wonder if a life of promiscuity was the goal she had in mind for her
little ones.)

398) Heb 10:35-36 . .Therefore, do not throw away your confidence,
which has a great reward. For you have need of perseverance, so that when
you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

The kind of perseverance the author is talking about is not the dogged
determination of US Navy SEALS; which are a group of military guys who
absolutely refuse to be beaten at anything you might name. If SEALS were
to play hop-scotch it would turn violent.

I would liken the kind of perseverance in mind here as that of a farmer. The
hard rock band ACDC says it's a long ways to the top if you wanna rock and
roll. Well, farmers have a long ways to harvest if they wanna make it to
market. First they have to till the soil, then rake it, then plant seeds, then
wait on mother nature to irrigate them with rain, then they have to wait
more yet for their crops to grow to maturity before harvesting.

Farmers look forward to their harvests; they anticipate them otherwise who
would plow, rake, and plant if there were nothing to expect later on down
the road?

That kind of perseverance anticipates a benefit. Webster's defines anticipate
as: to look forward to as certain; viz: to expect. As a rule, farmers don't
begin the planting season expecting their fields to produce nothing. No, they
plan on going to market because they expect to see crops in the fields at
harvest time. It would be a very strange farmer indeed who looked forward
to the ravages of drought, disease, and insect plagues every year.

399) Heb 12:1 . .Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses all
around us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so
easily entangles us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before
us,

Whether it's meant that all the heroes of faith listed in the 11th chapter are
in some sort of celestial grandstand as an audience watching those of us
who are still alive, is uncertain. But if they are . . . . . .!

Believers aren't Christians for a short distance as if their life of faith is only a
50-yard dash. No, they're in a marathon not a dash; so they have to hang in
there if they expect to win an at-a-boy at the end.

The Greek word for "encumbrance" means weight; which athletes competing
in track and field generally do their best to keep to a minimum, including the
shoes they wear; if any.

400) Heb 12:3-4 . . For consider him who has endured such hostility by
sinners against himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. You
have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against
sin

I'm pretty sure the "sin' spoken of in that passage encompasses a whole lot
more than merely something of your own; it's the entire sphere of evil in
this world.

The Jews to whom the author wrote must have had it pretty good because it
was only a matter of time before Christians were targets for arrows, swords,
lances, pyres, and the teeth of beasts in the coliseum at Rome. Even today,
it is very dangerous to be a Christian in Muslim countries.

Saturday, August 03, 2009, a frenzied mob of 3,000 Muslims stormed the
tiny Pakistani Christian village of Gojra. Enflamed by (unconfirmed) charges
that a Christian had incinerated pages of the Koran, the mob burned down
fifty homes, cremated eight Christians alive, and wounded twenty others.
Thousands of Christians fled the area.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
401) Heb 12:5-6 . . My son, do not despise The Lord's chastening, nor
detest His correction; for whom The Lord loves He corrects, just as a father
the son in whom he delights.

Correcting a son that a father loves is quite a bit different than correcting a
son that a father despises.

Father's correct the sons they love to make better people out of them.
Father's the sons they despise to dominate them and get them to mind;
which often results in those unloved sons becoming resentful and rebellious;
if they weren't already that way to begin with.

402) Heb 12:7-11 . . If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with
sons; for what son is there whom a father does not discipline? But if you are
without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are
illegitimate and not sons.

. . . Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid
them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father
of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed
best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

. . . Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful;
nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to
those who have been trained by it.

Child training is quite a bit different than child abuse; training builds
character, while abuse breaks the spirit.

NOTE: Seeing as how most of us lack a red phone line to Heaven's front desk;
there's really no way to know for sure when God is chastening us or if life
in general is just being its usual unpleasant self. That being the case I
suggest we reckon all unpleasantness to be providential in one way or
another; and follow job's example.

● Job 1:22 . . In all this Job did not sin, nor charge God with wrong.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
403) Heb 12:12-13 . .Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak,
and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet,
so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather
be healed.

That almost sounds like physical therapy; which of course it is. When I had
my first knee replaced, the therapist had to teach me how to walk all over
again-- how to walk properly because with the bad knee, I couldn't; and that
had gone on for more than a decade. And not only that, but the leg with the
bad knee had become feeble because I favored it and wasn't using it
properly. So a large percentage of my therapy involved getting that game
leg strong again by means of an exercise regimen.

The Greek word for "straight" is orthos (or-thos') which doesn't necessarily
define the shortest distance between two points. It can also mean smooth
and level; in other words: free of tripping hazards; which someone
undergoing treatment for a joint problem (e.g. hips, knees, and ankles) has
to really watch out for. In other words: an orthos path is a therapeutic path
- in this case in respect of one's spiritual conditioning rather than their
physical conditioning.

404) Heb 12:14a . . Pursue peace with all men,

The word for "peace" is eirene (i-ray'-nay) and means not only a lack of
strife, but also the presence of prosperity; which implies always seeking the
good of others rather than only your own.

People of peace are in an advantageous category.

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

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
405) Heb 12:14b . . Pursue holiness, without which no one will see The
Lord.

The Greek word translated "pursue" is sometimes translated persecute;
which implies persistence, doggedness, and/or stalking.

Holiness-- a.k.a. piety --is really not all that difficult to obtain. It's just a
matter of complying with Christ's wishes; which we've been listing right here
day by day on this very thread.

The word "see" is somewhat ambiguous. It can relate to physical eyesight
and it can also relate to mental perception. I'm inclined to believe it's related
to mental perception in this case.

As an allegory: at one time I had cataracts in both eyes. As a result, my
vision was really blurry because the cataracts scattered light, thus
preventing the natural lenses in my eyes from bringing things into sharp
focus. After surgery to replace the natural lenses with artificial lenses, I can
now see sharply; i.e. my vision's clarity was greatly improved and I'm able
to notice details that were virtually invisible before.

In other words; people with no interest in complying with Christ's wishes
lack clarity; i.e. their perception of The Lord is fuzzy at best because there
are details in view that they are unable to make out due to their mind's
mental cataracts, so to speak.

● John 14:21 . . Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one
who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will
love him and show myself to him.

406) Heb 12:15a . . See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God

The Greek word for "comes short" also means destitute; defined by
Webster's as lacking possessions and resources; especially suffering extreme
poverty.

I think it's pretty much a given that there are always going to be members
in every congregation that are spiritually destitute. The idea here is that
their spiritual destitution not be due to negligence.

In other words, the spiritual element in congregations should take it upon
themselves to make an effort to be sure that the non spiritual element at
least knows how to obtain the grace of God, i.e. congregations are
responsible to police themselves, so to speak, rather than leave this aspect
of church life entirely up to ministers.

The answer to Cain's question "Am I my brother's keeper?" was NO to his
way of thinking, but it's supposed to be YES to the spiritual Christian's way
of thinking.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
407) Heb 12:15b . . that no root of a bitter plant, sprouting up, causes
trouble, and by it many be defiled;

It's interesting the author didn't say "seed" rather than root. The seeds of
noxious plants are prevalent: they're everywhere at all times; like cold
germs. Farmers, gardeners, and landscape maintenance personnel have to
stay alert for those that germinate and hit them with a shot of herbicide to
keep them under control. Left unchecked, those noxious plants will dominate
the surface of the soil and muscle out the plants you want to keep.

One example of a "root of bitterness" is heresy; which is defined as a belief
or opinion that does not agree with the official dogma of a particular
religion; viz: an heretic is a dissident. They don't defect and go outside; no,
they remain inside and stir up discontent with the hierarchy and campaign
for reform. Those kinds of church members are invasive species that have to
be dealt with in a summary manner lest they succeed in destroying a
church's unity.

A toxic root that's far more common is tolerance. For example: it's very easy
to get used to someone's profanity, vulgar language and/or off-color humor
to the point where we think it's acceptable Christian behavior and start doing
it ourselves because there's no one to say otherwise.

Another toxic root is political activism; for example civil rights and/or Native
American affairs. If somebody wants to get involved in that sort of thing,
more power to them as long as they do it on their own dime, on their own
time, and within the confines of the law. But God forbid they use their
church as a soap box because that is definitely inappropriate and an
intolerable misuse of resources.

408) Heb 12:16-17 . . that there be no immoral or secular person like
Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. For you know that even
afterwards, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he
found no place for repentance, though he sought for it with tears.

Webster's defines "secular" as not overtly or specifically religious, viz:
irreverent, which can be roughly defined as having little or no respect for
sacred things.

Esau is a good example of the limits of God's patience. Another example is
located at 1Cor 11:27-30

I think it's nigh unto impossible to fix all the secular people attending
churches, but at least they can be warned of the consequences so they don't
go around with the false assumption that God is flexible with their behavior.
Same goes for the immoral people.

A long habit of not thinking a thing wrong;
Gives it a superficial appearance of being right.
(Thomas Paine)

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
409) Heb 12:25-29 . . See that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if
they did not escape who refused Him who spoke on Mt. Sinai, much more
shall we not escape if we turn away from Him who speaks from heaven,
whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying: Yet
once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.

Jehovah is sometimes called the god of the second chance. Well; this epistle
is basically an open letter to the Jews so it's appropriate to remind them that
their ancestors, as a corporate body, failed to take advantage of their
privileges and ended staring down the wrong end of a rifle barrel, so to
speak. The Jews of today are in the very same danger.

"Yet once more" indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken,
as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may
remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be
shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with
reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. (Heb 12:27-29)

The "kingdom that cannot be shaken" is very likely a reference to Dan 7:9-22.

410) Heb 13:1 . . Let brotherly love continue.

Brotherly love is way different than neighborly love. Brothers are kin, while
neighbors are outsiders; ergo: one's kin in Christ should always have the
priority when forced to make a choice between a brother and a neighbor.
The directives are different too. Christians love their neighbors as they love
themselves (Matt 19:19) while loving their brothers as Christ loves them.
(John 13:34)

411) Heb 13:2 . . Do not neglect to be hospitable with strangers; for by
this some have entertained angels without knowing it.

Webster's defines "hospitable" as: given to generous and cordial reception of
guests, promising or suggesting generous and friendly welcome, offering a
pleasant or sustaining environment.

Inviting strangers into one's own home could easily result in the murder of
your entire family, along with the theft of your belongings. So, I'm thinking
Heb 13:2 is not saying that; rather, it's talking about congregational homes;
viz: churches.

I think it's very important to make non members-- visitors --feel at home in
church: make them feel welcome to return. Not only is that the neighborly
thing to do, but you just never know if that next stranger through the door
was guided there by providence and has the potential to increase your
church's spiritual value to God. I say that because the Greek word for angels
doesn't necessarily indicate celestial beings.

412) Heb 13:3 . . Remember prisoners, as though in prison with them; and
those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.

"the body" isn't referring to the overall, worldwide Christian fraternity. No,
it's a specific human body: the one in which Christ was crucified.

● Eph 5:30-32 . .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.

The prisoners mentioned are not just any jailbird in lock-up; but rather, it's
limited to those who are "in the body" viz: in Christ.

● 1Cor 12:12-13 . . For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all
the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body

The tenor of the command is, I think, restricted to Christians mistreated
and/or confined for their religious beliefs and practices rather than actual
crimes. There's a lot of that sort of thing going on today in Muslim countries.
America is well-known for its religious tolerance; other countries, not so
much.

/

 

[Webers_Home]

-
413) Heb 13:4 . . Let marriages be respected: and the bed kept unsoiled;
for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

A number of despicable behaviors are listed in the 18th chapter of Leviticus;
and one of them-- listed right along with incest and LGBT --is adultery.

Rom 1:18 says that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all
ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, and goes on to list not only LGBT
as one of those ungodly, unrighteous behaviors worthy of the wrath of God,
but also sexual impurity and the degrading of people's bodies with one
another. Sexual impurity and degradation includes not only sleeping around
and/or cohabitating, but also adultery.

Some Christians don't know the meaning of "respect" when it comes to
marriage. It means to treat someone else's spouse as a sacred object. I've
seen for myself how some Christians think it's terrible to trespass on private
property and/or steal the silverware when they're invited over for dinner;
but at the same time get just a bit too chummy with their host's spouse.

There's a popular song going around with the words "you don't own me".
Well, if the "me" in that song is married then they very certainly are owned.

There is no Hebrew word for either husband or wife in the Old Testament.
No, the English words for husband and wife are derived from the presence of
gender-sensitive possessive pronouns; viz: her man and/or his woman.

● Gen 2:24 . . Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be
joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

The Hebrew word for "wife" in that passage is 'ishshah (ish-shaw') which just
simply indicates a female; regardless of age. The possessive pronoun "his"
makes the 'ishshah somebody's wife; same goes for the men.

● Gen 3:6 . . And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and
that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise,
she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband
with her; and he did eat.

The Hebrew word for "husband" in that verse is 'enowsh (en-oshe') which
just simply indicates a mortal; viz: a guy, a male; regardless of age. The
possessive pronoun "her" makes the 'enowsh somebody's husband.

So the aspect of possession is a key element in marriage; and adulterers are
nothing in the world but thieves. In point of fact, in 2007, when a suburban
Chicago man, Arthur Friedman, found out his wife was cheating on him with
another man named German Blinov, he was heartbroken. But unlike many
other people, Friedman didn't "get over" it. Instead, he filed a lawsuit
against Mr. Blinov for stealing the love and affections of his wife. A Cook
County jury ordered Blinov to pay a total $4,802 to Mr. Friedman for stealing
his wife.

While the idea of suing your wife's or husband's lover for stealing their
affections might sound ridiculous, it is indeed quite legal to do so. Mr.
Friedman used a lesser-known state law to attack and sue his wife's lover.
The law is called the "alienation of affection" law. In fact, there are eight of
these types of laws across the United States. It allows violated spouses to
seek damages for the loss of love to a wife or husband's lover.

● 1Cor 7:4 . . The wife does not have authority over her own body, but the
husband does; and likewise also the husband does not have authority over
his own body, but the wife.

A wedding vow then, could be said to be a transfer of ownership just like
signing over the pink slip to a car or the deed to real estate. So then, always
keep those possessive pronouns in mind when associating with somebody
else's spouse; and keep your pea-pickin' hands off the merchandise!

/