What are his commandments?

[Webers.Home]

.
249» 1Thess 5:5-6 . . We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So
then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self
controlled.

Christians walk a strange path. On the one hand they have to be ready to
leave this Earth and face Christ on a moment's notice, while on the other
hand ready for a long stay, i.e. live like there's no tomorrow, and yet live
like there are years to come.

Those two dissimilar expectations balance each other so that we don't live to
extremes in either direction: always keeping in mind that as we came into
this world empty-handed we will leave it empty-handed. So be prepared to
suffer the loss of every personal item in your possession that you hold dear;
along with every project, every pastime, and every endeavor. (1Tim 6:7)
_

 

[Webers.Home]

.
250» 1Thess 5:8 . . Since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled,
putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a
helmet.

There's likely any number of explanations for "the day" and probably all are
useful. However, we can narrow them all down to just saying that we who
belong to the day are alive to God as opposed to when we were at one time
in darkness and dead to God.

When someone is dead to you, then you're saying that they are someone
with whom you do not care to associate; and as far as you're concerned they
don't even exist.

● Rom 6:11-14 . . Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ
Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its
evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of
wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been
brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as
instruments of righteousness.

According to Rom 8:23-25 the "hope" of salvation regards another body.

"We ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we
wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in
this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes
for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we
wait for it patiently."

This hope isn't a wishing hope, nor is it a hope-for-the-best hope, nor a
cross-your-fingers hope. The Greek word is elpis (el-pece') which means to
anticipate with pleasure and confident expectation.

Anticipation is way different than wishful thinking. When a daddy loads up
the car with wife and kids for a day at Six Flags, his family is no longer
wishing he'd take them there. No, they're in the car and on the way. They
no longer wish, but are now looking forward to having a day of great fun,
food, and excitement. That's elpis hope; and when people have it, they have
peace of mind as regards their afterlife future.

When I was young and strong, the resurrection of the dead wasn't very
meaningful. But now that I am old and my body is deteriorating and dying
from esophageal cancer; resurrection is very meaningful; along with being
very comforting to know that there is a day coming when I will be young
again.
_

 

[Webers.Home]

.
251» 1Thess 5:11 . . Encourage one another, and build each other up, just
as in fact you are doing.

Building up is just the opposite of tearing down. Christians in Galatia were
busy doing just that.

● Gal 5:15 . . But if you bite and devour one another, take heed that you be
not consumed one of another!

Biting and devouring one another describes cannibals and carnivorous
beasts.
_

 

[Rapture]

The Greatest Commandment
…29Jesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

 

[Webers.Home]

.
252» 1Thess 5:12-13a . . Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who
work hard among you, who are over you in The Lord and who admonish you.
Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.

I would say that if the officers in your church are just too impossible for you
to respect then it's time to abandon ship. Don't mutiny though because
mutiny is just as much a sin as heresy. The rank and file aren't called to
reform church officers; but to cooperate with them. (Heb 13:17)

If they can't cooperate with them; then I sincerely believe the rank and file
should leave and find a church where they can because Christ isn't pleased
with grudging cooperation; rather, with whole-hearted cooperation. (cf. Mark
12:30)
_

 

[Webers.Home]

.
253» 1Thess 5:13b . . Live in peace with each other.

In this instance, "each other" likely refers to the fraternity of believers to
whom Paul penned the letter, i.e. Christ's body rather than the world at
large.

The category of peace Paul is talking about is social; viz: harmony in
personal relations. The hippies failed to achieve peace primarily because they
couldn't be civil among themselves unless they were high on mood altering
drugs.

Peace can be defined as: calm, pacific, tranquil, at rest, quiet, and free of
trouble, friction, and strife.

A lack of peace is characterized by war, quarrelling, debating, vendettas,
hostility, grudging, fault finding, nit picking, chafing, competition, rivalry,
cold shouldering, factions, taking sides, cliques, hostility, militancy, disorder,
antagonism, fighting, conflict, struggles, et al.
_

 

[TMS]

What are His commandments?

The 10 commandments are easy to find and so are the 2 commandments of love.

Both in the new and old testament.

These laws do not change and are a reflection of God's character.

Deu 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Lev 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Ex 20 and Deu 5 has the 10 commandments and you can find all ten of them in the new Testament.

 

[Webers.Home]

.
254» 1Thess 5:14a . . We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly

The "brothers" in this case likely addresses church managers.

The Greek word translated "unruly" basically means irregular; viz: out of
order; disorderly.

Unruly people are like kindergartners. Little kids are disruptive, boisterous,
and impulsive. They go off-subject and say whatever they want right out of
the blue. They provoke and antagonize each other, they don't listen, they
talk out of turn, can't stay in their seats, and they meddle and can't mind
their own business: but that's to be expected from their age group.

When I hear of four supposedly adults on a television talk show throwing
hissy fits and walking off the set, and/or talking out of turn; and
spontaneously interrupting each other in mid sentence-- sometimes all four
speaking at once --I have to wonder.

And so-called Presidential debates where again two supposedly mature
adults, competing for the power to run the country, are hurling accusations
and recriminations: assassinating each other's character, and calling each
other names; I get disgusted. God forbid that Christ's followers act like that
either in church or out in the world.
_

 

[Webers.Home]

.
255» 1Thess 5:14b . . Comfort the discouraged

A discouraged person is someone who's given up all expectation that a
situation will improve or change; viz: they're in despair.

In order to obey that directive, it's necessary to become personal with the
people with whom you attend church. Too many Christians are like little
islands of humanity in church. They warm a pew on Sunday morning and
then get up and leave without bothering to spend even one minute mingling.
They don't attend Sunday school because in Sunday school you meet
people-- you associate with them; you get to know them, and they get to
know you.

As disagreeable as that might be for private types of Christians, Sunday
school is the best place in church to go for sympathy, for encouragement,
and for support. Unfortunately, not many Christians are comfortable with
negativity; and tend to distance themselves from people down in the dumps.

Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot released a sentimental song back in
1975 that speaks volumes about sympathy. Its lyrics are very touching.
Here's a few that we feel especially appropriate.

Rainy day people always seem to know when it's time to call.
Rainy day people don't talk, they just listen till they've heard it all.
Rainy day lovers don't lie when they tell 'ya they've been down like you.
Rainy day people don't mind if you're cryin' a tear or two.

NOTE: In Dr. Laura Schlessinger's book "Ten Stupid Things That Men Do To
Mess Up Their Lives" she lists men's propensity to fix things. In other words:
instead of simply lending a sympathetic ear to people's problems, some men
tend to see people with problems as "broken" and in need of repair-- i.e.
damaged --and then of course they take the initiative to begin offering
unsolicited remedies. No; the idea is to console the discouraged rather than
talk them out of their low state of mind.

FYI: There're quite a few sites online offering helpful lists of Sympathy Do's
and Don'ts that are pretty easy to find via search engine query.
_

 

[Webers.Home]

.
256» 1Thess 5:14d . . Be patient with everyone.

The Greek word translated "patient" speaks of giving things space to happen
in their own good time. (cf. Jas 5:7-8)

I would say that in this case, it speaks of giving people a chance to either
catch on or catch up. For example: we all perfectly understand what we're
saying while those listening may need to have us restate ourselves in
different words in order to clarify a misunderstanding.

And there are occasions when we need to give people time to get used to a
new idea or a new method, etc. which at first they robustly resist.
_

 

[Webers.Home]

.
257» 1Thess 5:15a . . See that none render evil for evil unto any man;

Reciprocation is a normal response to abuse, injustice, and ill will but it isn't
an acceptable response; unless of course turning the other cheek is
somehow no longer in vogue for Christ's followers.

● 1Thess 5:15b . . but ever follow that which is good, both among
yourselves, and to all men.

Christian conduct isn't a temporary uniform kept in the closet just for
Sunday mornings like the rather odd patrons who wear costumes at Star
Trek conventions. No, Christian conduct is every-day wear: in the home, on
the job, at school, at the beach, at the mall, at the park, at the beach, in
restaurants, at the dentist, in amusement centers, at the zoo, at the circus,
on the internet, et al; in other words: ever-followed; not just at church on
Sunday morning; which makes ever-following that which is good somewhat
stressful at first; until it becomes second nature, i.e. a habit.
_

 

[Webers.Home]

.
257» 1Thess 5:16 . . Rejoice evermore.

I think we'd better include the passage below with the one above.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy
he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish,
spoil or fade-- kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by
God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in
the last time.

. . . In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have
had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--
of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire --may
be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus
Christ is revealed. (1Pet 1:3-7)

In other words: regardless of the severity of our misery, we're supposed to
take heart in the fact that it's temporary, that it serves a divine purpose;
and that there's the reality of something much, much better in store for us
down at the light at the end of the tunnel.

NOTE: The salvation ready to be revealed in the last time is most likely the
resurrection that Paul spoke of in Rom 8:23-25, 1Cor 15:12-57, and 1Thess
4:13-18. In other words; had not Jesus' crucified dead body been restored
to life, his followers would've had no hope of bouncing back from death, i.e.
his made theirs possible.
_

 

[Webers.Home]

.
258» 1Thess 5:17 . . pray continually

The Greek word for "continually" basically means: uninterruptedly; viz:
without omission. Webster's defines omission as: 1) something neglected or
left undone, and 2) apathy toward, or neglect of, duty.

Believers who pray seldom, or not at all, are like a young man in the military
who never writes home until his parents complain about his silence. (I wrote
home so infrequently when I was in the US Army back in the 1960's that my
dad finally threatened to contact my company commander about it.)

You know, I have to admit, that even if I had a red phone installed in my
home with a direct connection to God's desk, it would gather dust and
cobwebs from lack of use. I sometimes suspect that's one of the reasons
trouble comes our way. It's to motivate some of us to call home.

It's not that I don't like God; it's just that all my life I've been conditioned to
feel peripheral, i.e. marginalized; important to no one. My natural siblings
are just the opposite. They have always perceived themselves at the center
of the universe-- essential to its existence --while I have always perceived
myself as not even belonging in the universe; let alone being at its center
and/or having anything to do with its existence.

But feelings of unimportance are a handicap: not just in life, but in the
spiritual realm too. It is just about nigh unbearable for believers like myself
to comply with 1Thess 5:17 since we simply cannot believe ourselves missed
by anyone; especially Christ's Father who we believe in our hearts must
certainly prefer the company of people far more interesting than ourselves.
But that command applies to everybody whether we think God cares or not.
All must comply; no exceptions.

● Luke 18:1-2 . .Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that
they should always pray and not lose heart.
_

 

[Webers.Home]

.
259» 1Thess 5:18 . . Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will
for you in Christ Jesus.

The Greek word for "give thanks" means to be grateful. This goes much
deeper than just common courtesy. Appreciation is an attitude; which
Webster's defines as: to value or admire highly.

They say every cloud has a silver lining. Whether that's so or not matters
little as one should never let disagreeable circumstances make them bitter
and resentful towards God; for example:

● Job 1:20-22 . .Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and
he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: Naked I came from my
mother's womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and The Lord
has taken away. Blessed be the name of The Lord. Through all this Job did
not sin nor did he condemn God.

● Hab 3:17-18 . . Although the fig tree fails to blossom, neither shall fruit be
in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no
food; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in
the stalls: yet I will rejoice in The Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.

Regardless of what the unbelieving world may say, think, or feel about God,
the one thing He's done for me that I will always sincerely appreciate is
donate His one and only next of kin towards rescuing my soul from a terrible
future.

● John 3:16-17 . . For God so loved the world, that He gave His only
begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have
eternal life. For God did not send His son into the world to judge the world,
but that the world should be saved through him.

● Rom 5:6-8 . . Christ died for the impious. Very rarely will anyone die for a
righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us.
_

 

[Beckworth]

1 John 2:3-5
King James Version
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

So what are his commandments?[/QUOTE


I Corinthians 2:16 tells us that we have the mind of the Lord (in the scriptures.).the New Testament is called the last will and testament of Jesus Christ; therefore, we can expect His commandments to be in His “will.”
That would include everything He has asked us to do. But be careful; it’s important to know who is doing the talking and to whom the commandment is being given. In other words, some commandments weren’t given to everyone (us) but to a specific group of people—like the 12 apostles. Jesus gave several commands to his apostles. That doesn’t mean I am to take all of those commands and apply them to people today. Some, maybe, yes. It’s important to read the context, the circumstances surrounding the command. And know to whom the command is being given. Scholars say the Bible is written on a 6th grade level, and God is not trying to trick us or make it hard for us. Just use some common sense and read BEFORE the command and AFTER the command and try to figure out the context.
2Timothy 2:15 tells us to study and to “rightly divide the Word of God.” Here’s an example: In the Old Jewish law given by Moses, the Jews were told to “tithe”, give a 10th of everything. Genesis 28:22; Deut. 14:22. But in the last “will and Testament of Jesus Christ”, He tells the churches to give as they have been prospered. 1 Cor. 16:1-2 so you must decide which commandment you are going to obey. Many people are confused and many are teaching we must still “tithe”. But,the scriptures teach that the Old law ( of Moses) has been replaced with the new law of Christ. Colossians 2:14, Galations 2:16, 3:2,10,11; 5:4. We must “rightly divide” the Bible.
If you are studying “salvation”, to find out Christ’s commandments for that subject look at all God has to say about salvation. Be sure to look at everything to get the whole picture, and then Psalns 119:160 tells us we should take all that God says and add it all up (the sum) and there you have God’s TRUTH on Salvation. That applies to ANY Bible subject. God has commandments that govern every aspect of our lives. Remember that 1 Timothy 3:16 tells us that the Bible is complete and furnishes us with everything we need to be saved. We just need to know what it says. Please feel free to ask me any questions.

 

[Webers.Home]

.
260» 1Thess 5:19 . . Quench not the Spirit.

People were quenching the Spirit long before there was any such thing as a
Christian; even before the Flood.

"Then the Lord said: My Spirit will not contend with man forever" (Gen 6:2)

The Spirit's contention was accomplished by means of preachers, e.g. Abel
(Luke 11:50-51), Enoch (Jude 1:14) and Noah (2Pet 2:5)

Had the antediluvians listened to the preaching that the Spirit made
available to them, the Flood might have been averted.

Nowadays when Christians fail to listen to the preaching and/or teaching
that the Spirit makes available to them, they end up drifting away from God
instead of working with Him

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

 

[Webers.Home]

.
261» 1Thess 5:20 . . Do not despise prophecies.

The Greek word translated "prophecies" basically refers to predicting the
future; for example: Matt 25:31-46, 1Cor 15:51-52, 1Thess 4:13-17, 2Pet
3:10, Rev 16:18-20, Rev 20:11-15, and Rev 21:1.

Webster's defines "despise" as (1) to look down on with contempt, loathing,
or aversion, (2) to regard as negligible, worthless, or distasteful, and (3) to
regard as unworthy of one's notice or consideration.

Just the opposite of relegating prophecy to the status of a superfluous field
of study below one's dignity and/or likely not to hold one's interest; is a
morbid fascination with it to the extent of construing prophecy to mean all
sorts of things except what it actually says in writing.

I'm pretty sure that the prophecies Paul means for us to avoid despising are
bona fide scriptural prophecies rather than crazy stuff that's likely not to be
inspired but rather, the product of some crackpot's fertile imagination.
_

 

[Bita-lucky]

Me I call them Principles

 

[Webers.Home]

.
262» 1Thess 5:21-22 . . Evaluate everything carefully; hold fast to that
which is good; abstain from every form of evil.

In this instance: every form of evil pertains to the wild utterances of
prophesy mongers. They seem to show up most often whenever there's a
major crisis; e.g. insane government policies, economic collapses, massive
earthquakes, tsunamis, and diseases like the Black Plague, Spanish flu, and
the Corona Virus.
_

 

[Webers.Home]

.
263» 1Thess 5:26 . . Greet all the brethren with a holy kiss.

I honestly doubt that Paul actually meant that the hierarchy should
physically kiss the congregation, rather, in a manner of speaking, to say "hi"
for Paul, from him to them.

In America, it's common for friends to end a letter, or a cell text, or an
instagram with xoxo; which means hugs and kisses; which aren't literal,
rather, they're non physical expressions of affection; which are harmless
enough, and certainly far more sanitary; but if your congregation does go in
for kisses, be very sure your contact is holy rather than sensual.

"All the brethren" would include those on the autism spectrum. Some of
them don't even like to be hugged, let alone bussed; and if you should
perchance try to make physical contact with an autistic Christian, you're
liable to cause them a panic attack.
_