Christ's Instructions

Tha:yo:nih

Member
.
143) Gal 5:25-26 . . Since we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us
not be conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

The sentient consciousness we have as our normal selves is dried up, i.e. it's
decrepit and infertile. (John 6:53 & Eph 2:1) whereas regeneration gives folks
something viable and sustainable. (John 3:3-8 & John 4:10-14)

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

To my knowledge, 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 complying with The Lord's instructions in regard to getting along
with fellow believers.

The Greek word translated "provoke" basically means to challenge; viz: to get in
somebody's face in an obnoxious, assertive, militant manner.

The Greek word for "envy" basically 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, political rivalry, financial rivalry, and
racial rivalry. Those kinds of rivalries are very destructive influences.
_
 

Tha:yo:nih

Member
.
144) 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;


NOTE: The instructions given in Gal 6:1 pertain only to spiritual Christians. The
garden variety-- the rank and file pew warmers --need not burden themselves with
it.

The Greek word for "trespass" is interesting. It can refer to willful misconduct
and/or unintentional misconduct.

For example the same Greek word at Rom 5:18 describes Adam's decision in the
forbidden fruit incident, which we know for sure wasn't due to either ignorance or
deception. (1Tim 2:14)

Seeing as how the willful variety is dealt with harshly and summarily per 1Cor 5:1
13, whereas 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.

A spirit of gentleness precludes the use of bullying, intimidation, rage. yelling,
demeaning comments, lecturing, scolding, biting sarcasm, ugly remarks, carping
criticism, brow beating, and such. Those methods aren't gentle, no, they're
abusive. They're also unwarranted when the accused has committed an
unintentional trespass.

In churches where people are conceited, assertive, confrontational, embroiled in
petty rivalries, debating, quarreling, and maybe even jostling for notoriety; the
spiritual ones are obviously going to be as scarce as California Condors

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 detrimental to congregational peace, trust, and
unity.
_
 

Tha:yo:nih

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

Human nature tends to shun people with problems as if they were lepers, 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 like this:

John 13:34-35 . . 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.

The love that is defined by "As I have loved you" is a kind of love willing to suffer
inconvenience, shame, humiliation, embarrassment, disgrace, and even death 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, too
busy, and too complex.
_
 

Tha:yo:nih

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

I suspect that this is a bit different than 1Cor 9:11-14 and 1Tim 5:17-18 where it's
required that full-time church officers be compensated for their work.

The Greek of the verse above is vague, but seems to focus upon ordinary laymen--
likely both men and women --who voluntarily teach Sunday school classes and/or
speak to Wednesday night prayer meetings.

Those folks appreciate feed-back, i.e. reports from their listeners how the
information they've received improves their lives; and quite possibly corrects their
thinking.
_
 

Tha:yo:nih

Member
.
147) 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 obsolete, i.e. no longer someone to fear since
Jesus came along. But as God was capable of withholding blessing for conduct
unbecoming back then; He still is.
_
 

Tha:yo:nih

Member
.
148) Gal 6:10 . . So then, whenever 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 practical 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.
_
 

Tha:yo:nih

Member
.
149) 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

Gentiles 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.

Isa 49:5-6 . . And now says The Lord, who formed me from the womb to be his
servant, To bring Jacob back to Him, in order that Israel might be gathered to Him
(For I am honored in the sight of The Lord, and my God is my strength). He says: It
is too small a thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob,
and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make you a light of the
nations so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth."

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

Tha:yo:nih

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

Some time long ago, a pastor in Arizona utilized a highway billboard to poll people's
opinion not of Christianity, rather; what people think of Christians. Here's the gist
of his message:

DESCRIBE CHRISTIANS WITH ONE WORD
Text Me @ xxxxxx-1152 (full number withheld for privacy considerations)

The results of the poll were open to view at iamlandonmacdonald on Instagram.

Some responses:

Hateful
Gullible
Ignorant
Satanist
Judgmental
Hypocritical

Not everybody despises Christians, but for sure everybody despises a phony. i.e.
Christians don't have to live the life of a saint to become a saint, but they do have
to life the life of a saint in order to merit the respect their religion deserves.
_
 

Tha:yo:nih

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

The Greek word translated "love" in that passage is fortunate in some ways
because it doesn't necessarily speak of affection. It mostly pertains to benevolence,
e.g. civility, courtesy, sympathy, thoughtfulness, tolerance, charity, kindness,
lenience, understanding, diplomacy, tact, etc. which are common social skills that
even the most insensitive clod on earth is capable of practicing if they'd only put
their mind to it.

Humility is relative to humbleness of mind, viz: modesty; defined by Webster's as
free from conceit and/or vanity. Humility is one of those virtues that people love to
talk about; but rarely ever seem to exemplify.

Conceit is defined as excessive appreciation of one's own worth or virtue, viz:
arrogance, i.e. a superiority complex and/or a master-race mentality. (A conceited
supervisor was a very key factor in the Chernobyl disaster. Had he been more
reasonable, and less arrogant, the disaster might've been easily averted.)

Vanity is defined as inflated pride in oneself, 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 goes way beyond just trying to look your
best.

Vanity is an ugly creature. It's self aggrandizing and it isn't gentle either, on the
contrary; vanity can be quite cruel and competitive, caring only what's best for
itself. 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 defined as the power, or capacity, to endure without complaint
something and/or someone difficult or disagreeable; especially when it comes to
certain folk who seem to have a natural aptitude for getting on people's nerves.
_
 

Tha:yo:nih

Member
.
152) Eph 4:3 . . Be diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

The Spirit baptizes believers into one body (1Cor 12:13) so that particular unity is
out of our hands. However, the manner in which we associate with each other is a
horse of another color.

Peace can be roughly defined as the absence of strife, e.g. hostility, grudging,
quarreling, and rivalry, etc.
_
 
Last edited:

Tha:yo:nih

Member
.
153) 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.

The Greek word translated "sensitivity" basically pertains to apathy; defined by
Webster's as a lack of feeling or emotion and/or a lack of interest or concern, i.e.
indifference. This is the only place in the entire New Testament where the word
appears so we can't compare its use in other contexts.

There are immoral people out there who wish they could stop themselves but can't.
I wouldn't call them indifferent.

Apathy, in this instance, applies to hard-core immoral folk who view themselves as
perfectly normal and satisfied with themselves just as they are; having neither wish
nor interest in revising their way of life.

The Ephesian church had a number of those hard-core progressives in their midst
that needed to wake up and realize that their attitude was maybe acceptable as
citizens in the Ephesian culture of that day, but thoroughly unacceptable as
Christians in any day.
_
 

Tha:yo:nih

Member
.
154) Eph 4:20-24 . .Surely you heard of Christ 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 Greek word translated "desire" basically means: a longing.

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

The kind of longings in view here are "deceitful" which is from a Greek word that
basically pertains to 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, a.k.a. pipe dreams.

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 pots of gold at the end of rainbows
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 pots and
they are steadily becoming more and more secular and unspiritual. Paul "insists"
that Christ's followers be practical, i.e. avoid squandering their time and energy
chasing after pipe dreams; viz: keep their feet on the ground and their heads out of
the clouds.
_
 

Tha:yo:nih

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

One's neighbor is not the same as one's brother; i.e. the former is an acquaintance,
the latter is kin.

Jews are required to be honest because dishonesty is prohibited by their law (Lev
19:11) whereas dishonesty is wrong for Christ's followers because the dishonesty of
one Christian causes outsiders to question the integrity of the whole.

Although dishonesty isn't curse-worthy for a Christian like it is for a Jew, still; the
behavior is unbecoming.


NOTE: Eph 4:25 is a bit of a challenge for transgendered Christians due to many of
them undergoing embarrassing forms of therapy, and experiencing side effects,
complications, negative public opinion, doubts, regrets, and mood swings that they
would rather not talk about. So be extra careful when dialoguing with
transgendered Christians so as not to squeeze them into a corner where they'll be
forced to maintain their dignity with fibs. A little empathy, and a whole lot of tact
and courtesy in this area, can be very useful in helping someone get thru the day.

Matt 7:12 . . So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.
_
 

Tha:yo:nih

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

Anger isn't eo ipso evil. It's how one manages their anger that matters. Indignation
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.

Everybody gets angry from time to time; but we shouldn't let it drive us to doing
something contrary to our better judgment, e.g. criminal violence, profanity,
malice, cruelty, uncivil behavior, spite, revenge, ugly remarks, emotional outbursts,
demeaning comments, grudging, slander, hysteria, shouting, shrieking, clamoring,
spraying spittle, slamming doors, and/or throwing things, etc.
_
 

Tha:yo:nih

Member
.
157) Eph 4:26-27 . . Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to
the Devil.

The Greek word translated "wrath" indicates rage; defined by Webster's as violent
and uncontrolled anger; and in this verse includes nursing a grudge.

People in that state of mind are susceptible to doing things, and saying things, that
they will very much regret later.

Apparently the Devil is quick to find uses for volcanic, seething Christians, i.e. they
become what's known in the spy business as assets.
_
 

Tha:yo:nih

Member
.
158) 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.

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

You'd think church would be the one place on earth where you'd be safe from
crime, but not so. Back in the latter part of the 1970's I sang bass in the choir of a
monster Baptist church in San Diego. The 90+ member choir met 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. No other door in
the hallway was damaged so the break-in wasn't random, viz: that burglary was an
inside job.
_
 

Tha:yo:nih

Member
.
159) 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 a Greek word that basically means: to build up (as opposed to
tearing down).

"foul or abusive" is from a word that basically 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, thoughtless remarks, demeaning comments, chafing, relentless fault
finding, sneering, ridicule, mean spirited rejoinders, mockery, and unnecessary
criticism.


FAQ: Why was it okay for Jesus and John the Baptist to sometimes speak to people
in an abusive manner?


REPLY: Special men of God-- e.g. prophets, priests, etc --operated under orders
differing from what's required of ordinary rank and file pew warmers. (e.g. John
3:34, John 8:26, John 8:28, John 12:49, and John 14:24)
_
 

Tha:yo:nih

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

The Greek word translated "grieve" basically means: to distress; to make sad; for
example:

"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)

And:

"But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit; so He turned Himself against them
as an enemy, and He fought against them." (Isa 63:10)

So then, we can safely conclude that the Holy Spirit of God is especially grieved
when one's conduct is unbecoming, and when every intent of the thoughts of one's
heart are only secular and/or impious, i.e. evil continually.

The Greek word translated "redemption" means to ransom fully. In short, those
sealed with the Spirit have their salvation locked in; however, it won't be finalized
until they step into a new, immortal body; which is yet a future event (Rom 8:23
25). So then; the "day of redemption" could be said to be speaking of closure.
_
 

Tha:yo:nih

Member
.
161) 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 Paul's intention that the 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; which implies their spiritual
condition, at the time of his writing, was in need of attention
_
 

Tha:yo:nih

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

"as in Christ God forgave you" speaks of generosity rather than a merit award.
(John 3:16-18, John 5:24, & Eph 2:5-10)

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 Christ's fraternity of 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 a house of
God from becoming a hostile worship environment.

The Greek word translated "kind" basically means employed; viz: useful. It's 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 to benefit one's
own self.

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 for "compassionate" basically 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".

The word translated "forgiving" basically 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; gratuitous 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.
_
 
Top