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Author Topic: Christ's Ways  (Read 10748 times)

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guest8

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #208 on: August 22, 2019, 09:32:44 pm »
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Phil 1:27 . . Let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel

"let your conversation" is from the Greek word politeuomai (pol-it-yoo'-om-ahee) which means to behave as a citizen. It appears to me that Paul is talking about something akin to the lyrics below:

No man is an island,
Entire of itself,
Every man is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.

-- John Donne --

In other words: politeuomai speaks of a unified community rather than random independent individuals.

"as it becometh the gospel of Christ" likely has reference to the Lord's wishes that his followers be as united together in purpose as he is with his Father. (John 10:30, John 17:22)

Phil 1:28 . . And in nothing terrified by your adversaries: which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.

Adversity's goal is to thwart and/or discourage. This is not to say that Christ's followers are forbidden to be at all intimidated by adversity. It's all in how they cope with it.

Take for instance king Hezekiah in the 18th and 19th chapters of the book of 2Kings. When Sennacherib's army threatened to take Jerusalem, Hezekiah got scared but he also got to praying. Even had his prayers been futile, it was still the right thing to do.

Ezra also encountered adversity when he returned to Israel to oversee reconstruction of the Temple but stood tall and prayed his way through all of it.

When churches are effective for Christ, they have to expect bumps in the road; but bumps in the road aren't the end of the road; they're just inconvenient.
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keep it up

Blade

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #209 on: August 23, 2019, 09:27:25 am »
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Phil 2:1-2 . . If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

"unity" is a buzz word among ecumenicals; but Christ's directive in no way pertains to ecumenicals whose core belief it is that no one's wrong, and everyone's a Christian if they say so. No, The Lord's directive only pertains to a very narrow cross section of Christians whom he labeled: "those you have given me" (John 17:9). It is they for whom The Lord prayed for unity. (John 17:11, John 17:21-22)
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guest8

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #210 on: August 23, 2019, 07:02:40 pm »
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Phil 2:1-2 . . If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.

"unity" is a buzz word among ecumenicals; but Christ's directive in no way pertains to ecumenicals whose core belief it is that no one's wrong, and everyone's a Christian if they say so. No, The Lord's directive only pertains to a very narrow cross section of Christians whom he labeled: "those you have given me" (John 17:9). It is they for whom The Lord prayed for unity. (John 17:11, John 17:21-22)
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Your kidding

Blade

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #211 on: August 24, 2019, 07:55:23 am »
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Phil 2:2-3 . . Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 

If there is at least one place on earth where believers should be on the same plane with each other it's church; but that's not always the case as human beings are just naturally prone to status; especially among pastors, choir members, Sunday school teachers, Deacons, Deaconesses, etc.

Some people aren't content with mediocrity; no, they have to be head and shoulders above the crowd, they have to be admired: they have to be feted, they have to be heard, they have to be noticed, they have to be somebody, they have to be a mover and a shaker, they have to be up in an ivory tower; they have to have their finger on the pulse; they have to be in the limelight. And above all; they have to be right because it is totally contrary to conceit's nature to be wrong about anything; even superfluous minutiae.

If you should find yourself in a position around your church, whether as an usher or a cook for men's Saturday morning prayer breakfast, make sure you're your heart's in the right place because there is coming a performance evaluation for the Lord's sheep where some of the elite are going to be very embarrassed when they're exposed for the ambitious achievers they really are.

"He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness, and will expose the motives of men's hearts." (1Cor 4:5)

An especially bad case of conceit is on display at 3John 1:9-10
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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #212 on: August 25, 2019, 08:13:51 am »
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Phil 2:4 . . Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The "others" in that verse are exclusive. Paul's directive pertains only to the classification of people to whom he penned his letter; viz: "saints in Christ Jesus . . together with the overseers and deacons" (Phil 1:1)

Seeing as how The Lord expressly forbids selfish ambition amongst his own; therefore, before proceeding with your ideas, be very sure to ponder all the possible ramifications of your actions first.

Stepping on people's toes, and or thwarting their ideas so that yours prevails, fails to satisfy the law of Christ; which requires believers to love their fellow believers as Christ loves them (John 15:12). It also fails to satisfy the Golden Rule which says: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. (Matt 7:12). Always looking out for No.1 just simply isn't very nice.
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guest8

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #213 on: August 25, 2019, 07:43:38 pm »
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Phil 2:4 . . Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.

The "others" in that verse are exclusive. Paul's directive pertains only to the classification of people to whom he penned his letter; viz: "saints in Christ Jesus . . together with the overseers and deacons" (Phil 1:1)

Seeing as how The Lord expressly forbids selfish ambition amongst his own; therefore, before proceeding with your ideas, be very sure to ponder all the possible ramifications of your actions first.

Stepping on people's toes, and or thwarting their ideas so that yours prevails, fails to satisfy the law of Christ; which requires believers to love their fellow believers as Christ loves them (John 15:12). It also fails to satisfy the Golden Rule which says: So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. (Matt 7:12). Always looking out for No.1 just simply isn't very nice.
_


ok,?

Bloade

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #214 on: August 26, 2019, 07:48:39 am »
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Phil 2:5-8 . .Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross.

That's an interesting contrast between Christ and Adam. He and his wife made a definite grab for equality with God. (Gen 3:4-5)

It's just amazing how well Christ played down his divine origin and conducted himself as a regular guy. Even the people with whom Jesus grew up in his home town were highly doubtful he was so well connected.

"They said: Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say: I came down from heaven?" (John 6:42)

Even his cousin John had no clue that Jesus was the very person for whom he was the forerunner.

"I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me: The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." (John 1:32-34)

But there is always that one "king of the mountain" in church who just has to be head and shoulders above everybody else; for example:

"I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not." (3John 1:9)

Diotrephes not only opposed the apostles; but also excommunicated people who dared to ally with them. And to think that guy operated not in a Devil-worship church, but in a Christ-worship church. (3John 1:10)

(chuckle) Mr. Diotrephes apparently was on, what we today would label, an ego trip.
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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #215 on: August 27, 2019, 08:35:10 am »
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Phil 2:12 . . As you have always obeyed-- work out your own salvation with fear and trembling

Some people's interpretation of that passage pretty much echoes Santa Claus' holiday practices. For example the lyrics from the classic jingle: Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.

You better watch out, you better not cry,
Better not pout, I'm telling you why:
Santa Claus is coming to town

He's making a list, and checking it twice;
Gonna find out who's naughty and nice:
Santa Claus is coming to town.

He sees you when you're sleeping,
He knows when you're awake,
He knows if you've been bad or good,
So be good for goodness sake!

There's no grace in that song-- none at all --no generosity, no altruism, no kindness, no charity, no love, no peace, no understanding, no sympathy, no patience, no tolerance, no courtesy, no compassion, no forgiveness, viz: there are no gifts in Santa's bag; only merit awards for those who prove themselves worthy enough to deserve them.

But we know from other passages that an exemption from the sum of all fears isn't a merit award, rather; it's a totally free-of-charge rescue from the wrath of God by means of the ransom that Christ himself paid with his own life's blood rather than out of the sinner's pockets, so to speak. In point of fact the Greek word soteria, from which is translated "salvation" means rescue, i.e. remove from peril.

But now once the sinner is removed from the peril of the sum of all fears, he's expected to begin developing a life of piety (a.k.a. holiness) which serves an altogether different purpose in the plan of salvation than escaping the wrath of God.

The phrase "fear and trembling" was one of Paul's favorite colloquialisms; for example:

"For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling." (1Cor 2:3-4)

And another:

"Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, with goodwill doing service, as to The Lord, and not to men" (Eph 6:5-8)

"fear, and in trembling" doesn't mean Paul recommends shivering in terror and anxiety like a frightened gerbil; but that a believer's attitude should be free of pride, arrogance, and conceit, i.e. free of a superiority complex and/or a master-race mentality; for example:

Paul was very courteous to the Corinthians, and made himself of no reputation at all, even though he was one of The Lord's hand-picked apostles and they were a bunch of pagan heathens at the time who deserved nothing but the cold shoulder. Paul's attitude rubbed off on the Corinthians because they in turn deferred to Paul's associates with fear and trembling just as he had treated them all at one time.

"I had boasted to [Titus] about you, and you have not embarrassed me. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting about you to Titus has proved to be true as well. And his affection for you is all the greater when he remembers that you were all obedient, receiving him with fear and trembling." (2Cor 7:14-15)

So then, what we're talking about here with "fear and trembling" is honor, respect, submission, deference, and reverence rather than terror and anxiety; and it's actually one of the Beatitudes.

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matt 5:3)
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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #216 on: August 28, 2019, 07:59:52 am »
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Phil 2:14 . . Do everything without grumbling or debating

 It used to be an unwritten rule in the US Army that GIs could complain all they wanted just so long as they did what they were told. Well; Christ isn't pleased with that.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." (Col 3:23)

The problem with grumbling is that it's an attitude of rebellion; for example:

"And the people spoke against God and Moses saying: Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food." (Num 21:5-6)

Well; long story short, God punished the people's grumbling by sending a swarm of deadly vipers among them, and many bitten by the vipers died because the venom was very lethal.

The word for "debating" is dialogismos (dee-al-og-is-mos') which is sometimes translated "evil thoughts" for example:

"For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." (Matt 15:19)

Dialogismos sometimes keeps people awake at night as they obsessively re-wind and re-play a conflict with somebody over, and over, and over again in their heads.
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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #217 on: August 29, 2019, 08:05:25 am »
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Phil 3:1 . . Finally, my brethren, rejoice in The Lord!

The koiné Greek word for "brethren" is adelphos (ad-el-fos') which is a masculine noun for a male relative. But it's use is flexible. Adelphos can also include one's female relatives too; I mean; after all, men and women are all siblings around the table in God's home. And when Paul wrote to a church, he oftentimes used the word adelphos to address the entire congregation.

Rejoicing "in The Lord" is way different than rejoicing in yourself; which is vulnerable to one's mood and/or circumstances. The Lord once told his disciples that they shouldn't rejoice that demons obeyed them; but that their names were written in Heaven. (Luke 10:20)

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Col 3:1-4)

When peace like a river attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say:
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

(Horatio P. Spafford, 1828-1888)
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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #218 on: August 31, 2019, 08:16:20 am »
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Phil 3:2a . . Beware of dogs,

Dogs in ancient Israel were regarded with the same degree of abhorrence that we in the west regard rats. They weren't your average domesticated pet, but rather, feral, homeless curs that prowled city streets and landfills, feeding on garbage, road kill, and the corpses of low income folk who died without proper burial  A study of the dogs of the Old Testament reveals just how low in one's estimation is the person regarded as one (e.g. 1Kgs 14:11, 1Kgs 21:19, 1Kgs 21:24, 2Kgs 9:29-37; cf. Luke 16:21).

Feral dogs were not only unsanitary, but treacherous too.

"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." (Matt 7:6)

There are also guard dogs; which would correspond to people so passionate and protective of their religion of choice that they will literally kill people who refuse to agree with them; for example:

"Dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil men has encircled me, they have pierced my hands and my feet." (Ps 22:16)

The "dogs" in that passage were Israel's religious elite; the very ones who had Jesus arrested and put to death on trumped up charges. Pilate caught on right quick that the Jews weren't after Christ's blood on account of crime; but because of envy (Matt 27:18). In other words: Christ was an effective rival that had to be eliminated. Christians have really got to watch their backs around zealots like that crazy enough to murder people who dare to oppose and/or criticize their belief systems.

A "dog" can be categorized as someone who is spiritually feral; which Webster's defines as: (1) of, relating to, or suggestive of an animal; viz: savage, (2) not domesticated or cultivated; viz: wild, untamed, (3) having escaped from domestication and become wild, and (4) beastly.

A dog then, in the spiritual sense, is little more than a brutish human scavenger. Human dogs are destined for a very unpleasant future in the same category as witches, fornicators, murderers, idolaters, and liars. (Rev 22:13-15)
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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #219 on: September 01, 2019, 08:16:01 am »
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Phil 3:2b . . Beware of evil workers,

"evil workers" probably refers to ersatz missionaries like Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses. In that day, it was followers of Judaism going about disputing with Christians; e.g. Acts 15:1.
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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #220 on: September 02, 2019, 07:06:45 am »
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Phil 3:2c . . Beware of mutilation.

Mutilation in this particular instance isn't criminal mutilation, rather; it refers to voluntary ritual circumcision; viz: initiation into Judaism and the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God as per Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. There were Jews in various cities back in those days telling Christians that their salvation depended upon circumcision.

"And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." (Acts 15:1)

The apostles disagreed.

"Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:" (Acts 15:24)

Hence; Paul's warning.

"So Christ has really set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don't get tied up again in slavery to the law. Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ cannot help you. I'll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey all of the regulations in the whole law of Moses. For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace." (Gal 5:1-4)

The law represented by ritual circumcision is a good law: there's nothing intrinsically wrong with it.

"Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law." (Rom 3:3)

"The law itself is holy and right and good." (Rom 7:12)

"We know these laws are good when they are used as God intended." (1Tim 1:8)

The problem is: it's very difficult to satisfy the law's requirements.

"For Moses wrote that the law's way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands." (Rom 10:5)

Obedience to all the law's commands has to be consistent in order to obtain righteousness by it. In other words: obeying all the law some of the time, or all the law most of the time; isn't good enough. It's necessary to be consistent, i.e. obey all the law all the time: no let up.

"To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality; He will give eternal life." (Rom 2:7)

"Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." (Gal 3:10, cf. Deut 27:26)
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