Exploring Christ's Spiritual Laws

Webers.Home · May 7, 2019

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2Tim 2:14 . . Command them in God's name to stop quarrelling over trifles.

In a Sean Connery movie titled "The Name Of The Rose" church
dignitaries assembled a meeting of the minds to reach a resolution on a
theological question which was: Did the Christ own the clothes that he wore
or not?

Well, needless to say, the discussion turned into bickering wherein nothing
was resolved. Tempers flared, shouting ensued, feelings were hurt, and
people were alienated over the issue-- a rather trifling issue; which is
precisely what it means to fiddle while Rome burns down around you.
Christians are often embroiled in arguments over things that in the grand
scheme of things have almost zero importance while all around them are
weightier issues needing attention.

It's interesting that Paul didn't want Timothy's flock instructed to avoid
quarrelling over trifles but to stop quarrelling. I can't help but wonder how
many Christians think to seek absolution for the sin of quarrelling over trifles
when they go to confession.
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Webers.Home · May 8, 2019

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2Tim 2:15 . . Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who
does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Some folks construe rightly dividing the truth as instructions to keep the Old
Testament completely separate from the New. But that's not even close to
what Paul is instructing.

Paul was a blue collar tradesman: he fabricated portable shelters for a living
(Acts 18:3). The koiné Greek word for "rightly dividing" is orthotomeo (or
thot-om-eh'-o) which means: to make a straight cut-- as opposed to a
crooked cut --or a cut that misses the line and yields a piece of material
that's either too long, too short, or the wrong contour; thus resulting in a
tent whose pieces won't join properly when it comes time to sew them
together. The results? A distorted tent and a black mark for the craftsman.

The intent is not one of severing the Bible in half and treating each as a
separate book; but to be accurate in the whole's interpretations and
applications so that it all fits together perfectly from first to last, like a well
made armoire instead of a hastily constructed rabbit hutch.
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Webers.Home · May 9, 2019

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2Tim 2:16 . . Avoid worldly, empty chatter; for it will lead to further
impiety.

What he's talking about there are bull sessions wherein people discussing
the Bible haven't a clue what they're talking about; and their perpetual
deliberations-- consisting of sophistry, conjecture, theory, and personal
opinions --never get to the bottom of anything.

Well, the Bible isn't meant to be learned by means of discussion; it's meant
to be learned by instruction, taught by someone enabled by God for that
purpose. (Eph 4:11-14)

"Are all teachers?" (1Cor 12:29)

The answer to that is a great big NO.

Some years ago I was invited to a home Bible study. Before considering his
invitation; I asked the man if his group was led by a competent Bible
teacher. He said "No; we don't have a teacher. The group teaches itself. In
other words: we speak as the Spirit leads us to speak."

They say iron sharpeneth iron. But that doesn't work when both irons are
soft. That's why files are hardened and tempered. Well; that man's group
lacked a file, so to speak; so I declined.
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Webers.Home · May 10, 2019

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2Tim 2:19 . . Let everyone who names the name of The Lord abstain
From wickedness.

The wickedness he's talking about in this particular instance regards
unskilled use of the Bible; and sophistry, conjecture, wild-eyed posits,
theories, flimsy science, and lines of spiritual rhetoric that sound very
convincing but are nevertheless quite spurious.
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posthuman · May 10, 2019

Webers.Home said:

this verse is amazing -- throughout the chapter, "dead" is in past tense. this is a finished thing

and it is the first imperative statement in all of Romans -- 6 chapters in, the apostle finally tells us to 'do' something -- and that thing we must do is to recognize something that has already been done. you who have believed have died with Christ. finis. completed. secured. it is not, 'put yourself to death' -- it is, you have died, acknowledge it. live in keeping with it. your life is hid in Him ((re: Col. 3:3)) -- it is a work He has already accomplished through your faith, which He graciously has given

so often we think, i must fight the fight. i must accomplish; i must do. but your redemption is His work, as Moses said to the children of Israel at the sea of reeds: the LORD will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

don't let go of your peace; cling to it. He did not fail to purchase you with His blood: consider yourself dead to sin, and alive to God in Christ Jesus . . !!

now guess why i have the avatar i do, lol

Webers.Home · May 11, 2019

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2Tim 2:22 . . Flee from youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love
and peace, with those who call on The Lord from a pure heart.

Hippies pursued love and peace but failed because they could obtain neither
except by means of promiscuity and mood-enhancing drugs like marijuana
and LSD.

A "pure" heart is one that's unadulterated; in other words: it's not an
amalgam of good and bad; viz: it's a heart that's whole-heartedly devoted to
pleasing God rather than half-hearted.

Righteousness, Love, Peace, and Purity are all blessing-worthy attributes.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness" (Matt 5:6)

"Blessed are the compassionate" (Matt 5:7)

"Blessed are the pure in heart" (Matt 5:8)

"Blessed are the peaceable" Matt 5:9)

The Greek word for "blessed" means fortunate. In other words; people
lacking those attributes are unfortunate; i.e. in a regrettable state of mind.
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Webers.Home · May 12, 2019

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2Tim 2:23 . . But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that
they produce debating.

Not all speculation is forbidden; only the kind that's absurd and uneducated;
i.e. way out in the Kuiper Belt, so to speak.

I seriously doubt that 2Tim 2:23 is addressing one's IQ, but rather, the
propensity of some to shoot from the lip without really knowing what they're
talking about and/or having the slightest basis for their perspective.
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Webers.Home · May 13, 2019

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2Tim 2:24a . . The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome

Sometimes it's best to follow Han Solo's advice and "let the Wookie win
one". In other words; when one is wise; two are happy. Be the wise one and
pick your fights carefully. Don't expend your energies on hot button topics;
they'll just lead to anger, demeaning comments, and flaming remarks.

Especially avoid getting into discussions with obtuse individuals driven by a
rather annoying propensity to disagree with everything you say simply
because they love to argue. I call them the "yes, but" people. Those kind
refuse to believe that anybody really knows the truth; least of all you.
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Webers.Home · May 14, 2019

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2Tim 2:24b-26 . . The Lord's servant must . . be kind to all, apt to teach,
patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in
opposition, if perhaps God may grant them a change of heart leading to the
knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from
the snare of the Devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

The all in "be kind to all" really should be taken to mean all in Christian
congregations rather than all in the world. The reason being, according to
Eph 4:11-16, Christ doesn't dispense his teachers for the world's benefit,
rather, for his body's benefit.

For that reason; Christ's teachers need to treat the people in church who
oppose them as they would patients in a mental hospital who lack the
faculties to know what they're doing and/or to think for themselves; hence
the instructions to be kind, gentle, and patient.
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Webers.Home · May 15, 2019

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2Tim 3:12-15 . .You, however, continue in the things you have learned and
become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; and that
from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give
you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

The "sacred writings" upon which Timothy cut his teeth are of course the Old
Testament's collection; which Paul affirms is useful to Christians.

"Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction that
we, through patience and the encouragement of the scriptures, might have
hope." (Rom 15:4)

NOTE: The Greek word for "hope" in that passage is elpis (el-pece') which
means: to anticipate (usually with pleasure and confidence). In other words:
elpis hope doesn't entail crossing your fingers and praying for the best while
in the back of your mind dreading the worst. No; elpis hope entails having
something to look forward to with the bold unreserved expectation of
obtaining it.
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Webers.Home · May 16, 2019

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2Tim 4:1-2 . . I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ
Jesus-- who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and
His kingdom --preach the word; be ready in season and out of season;
reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

Preaching and teaching are areas where pastors must take the reins. They
can't wait until their boards take a vote on it. No, the pastor's vote is the
only one that counts because left to themselves, congregations (and boards)
are just like any other flock of dim-witted sheep: they're prone to wander.

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but
wanting to have their ears rubbed, they will accumulate for themselves
teachers in accordance with their own desires; and will turn away their ears
from the truth, and will turn aside to fiction." (2Tim 4:3-4)

Gently caressing your pet's ears sometimes soothes them and has a marked
calming effect; especially when they're itching from mites and fleas. The
truth actually does hurt sometimes-- with or without mites and fleas.
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Webers.Home · May 18, 2019

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2Tim 4:5a . . Be discreet

Webster's defines "discreet" as: using good judgment, caution, and
prudence.

Human nature can be so inconsistent. Though most adults have fairly good
judgment, they oftentimes do things that are contrary to their better
judgment and make foolish choices (especially on Black Friday) because they
don't always use their heads but instead yield to their feelings; and
everybody knows that one's feelings, by and large, are mostly incoherent.
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Webers.Home · May 20, 2019

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2Tim 4:5b . . endure hardship

Some of the aspects of hardship are adversity, mischance, misfortune;
danger, hazard, peril; affliction, trial, tribulation; drudgery, toil, travail;
discomfort, and distress. Feelings of isolation and loneliness are a part of
that too. Nobody really cares to sympathize with somebody when they're at
the top of the food chain. Pastors comfort others, but who comforts the
pastors? Hardly anybody; though maybe his wife; if she's the type.

The lives of Christ's pastors are not supposed to be a piece of cake. If
they're doing their jobs in a way that pleases The Lord, pastors will have
some struggles. Hardship comes with the turf; it's a given when Christ's
pastors serve him faithfully and effectively.

The reason being that a pastor is essentially a shepherd. Well; according to
Jacob, that job was a rough career path back in the day.

"Thus I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the frost by night, and my
sleep fled from my eyes." (Gen 31:40)

Part of the reason that tending sheep was rough in Jacob's day is because a
shepherd was essentially a security guard, constantly keeping an eye out for
rustlers and predators. That part alone was a 24-7 task; not to mention
monitoring the herd so none of them wandered off; as sheep are prone to
do. It's no wonder Jacob lost a lot of sleep outside in the fields; and when
you throw in exposure to the elements; a shepherd's life was really not one
to be desired.
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Webers.Home · May 21, 2019

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2Tim 4:5c . . do the work of an evangelist

The koiné Greek word for "evangelist" is euaggelistes (yoo-ang-ghel-is
tace') which means: a preacher of the gospel.

Here in America, we typically think of evangelists as guys like Billy Graham
and Louis Palau. But according to Paul, pastors are supposed to be
evangelists within the walls of their own churches rather than on the road.

My ex-Catholic wife begged and cajoled her Catholic father to accompany
her to a Baptist church back in the 1970's before we met. On that particular
Sunday, of all days, the pastor spoke about money; especially giving it to
support his church and its programs.

My father-in-law was disgusted, and commented afterwards: Baptists are no
different than Catholics; all they care about is money. He never went back.
Had that pastor spoken about Christ instead of money, my father-in-law
might have returned.

The same goes for tongue services, political activism, and people dancing
with rattlesnakes, shouting, shrieking, rolling on the floor and fainting in the
aisles. That kind of stuff is entertaining but certainly not conducive to
fulfilling Christ's command to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matt 28:18-20)

Sunday morning services are a mission field right here at home. A sharp
pastor will make sure that visitors leave his church with a full hour of real
gospel preaching to think about.

Paul described pastoral evangelism as: fulfilling their ministry. (2Tim 4:5)
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Webers.Home · May 23, 2019

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Titus 2:2 . . Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in
faith, in love, in perseverance.

The koiné Greek word for "older men" is presbutes (pres-boo'-tace) which
means: an old man. Presbutes is different than presbuteros, which refers to
church officers; e.g. deacons (1Tim 5:17).

I used to get my watches serviced by an aging repairman at a local mall
until the day finally came when I could no longer tolerate his manners. He
was around seventy-five years old, cantankerous as can be, and perpetually
cross. I often felt like asking him if he ever gave any thought to his future.
You know, heaven is a place of peace. A hateful man like that repairman
would not only never fit in there, but it wouldn't be fair to the others to
permit him in their world.

"Cantankerous" can be defined as: habitually ill-humored, irritable,
disagreeable, bearish, cankered, cranky, cross-grained, dour, morose, sour;
crabby, cross, crusty, huffy, petulant, prickly, snappish; dyspeptic, ill
conditioned, thin-skinned, complaining, and ill-natured.

A Christian man in old age really ought to be a sweet, mellow guy: a pal and
a big brother for the younger ones rather than somebody they'd prefer do
the world a favor by stepping in front of a bus.
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Webers.Home · May 24, 2019

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Titus 2:3-5 . . The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as
becomes holiness: not traducers, not given to much wine, teachers of right;
that they may train the young women to be sensible, to love their husbands,
to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, and
subordinate to their own husbands; that the word of God not be dishonored.

Traducers are particularly ugly human beings; especially the kind that
misrepresent their own friends and say things about them that their friends
would never approve; thus needlessly disparaging their friends' reputations
save for the pure pleasure of gossip. Traducers aren't regular gossips, no,
they're malicious gossips. Webster's defines malice as: a deep-seated, often
unexplainable desire to see another suffer. In other words, traducers like to
hurt people for no reason other than that it's gratifying. One could hardly
characterize malicious gossips as either good or discreet.

Too many women in America have been trained for marriage by feminism.
Far from teaching younger women to respect their husbands, feminism
teaches the younger women to stand up to their husbands; and rather than
be keepers at home, feminism has them out seeking means to compete with
men and break the so-called glass ceiling; and rather than love their
children, feminism has them dominating their offspring in a home-life society
structured on divisions of labor, command and control, tyranny, and
regimentation. Those behaviors certainly can never be categorized as
honoring the word of God.

The biggest road block to feminism-trained women becoming true disciples
is The Lord's gender. You see, at the heart of women's hostility towards men
is the drive to be independent of males. Yet the very lord and master of
Christianity, the supreme male in the universe; demands death to a
woman's self interests, and submission to His monarchy.

"If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father
and mother, wife and children brothers and sisters-- yes, more than your
own life. And you cannot be my disciple if you do take up your own cross
and follow me." (Luke 14:26)

In The Lord's era, crosses were for executions. So when he told his disciples
to "take up their own cross" it meant stifling their own way; viz: it was a call
to abandon self interests, and comply with their Master's wishes.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies
as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of
worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and
approve what God's will is-- His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Rom 12:1
2)

That mandate runs 180° counter to modern feminism's self-aggrandizing
attitude that homemaking is oppressive and demeaning to women, and that
respect for one's husband is somehow abusive; which is obviously an
attitude that vilifies the word of God instead of honoring it.

Christian marriage and motherhood are not for militant females; no,
marriage and motherhood are for grown-up, mature, emotionally stable
women; and I'm not talking about years of life; no, even some 35 and 40
year-old women often fall short of being grown-up. Their association with
men is on no higher a level now than when they were the 17 year-old, self
absorbed brats they were in high school. Christian women like that seriously
need to read, and heed, the guidance offered in the three books
recommended below.

For Women Only
By Shaunti Feldhahn
ISBN 1-59052-317-2

The Proper Care And Feeding Of Husbands
By Dr. Laura Schlessinger
ISBN 0-06-052061-2

What Our Mothers Didn't Tell Us
By Danielle Crittenden
ISBN 0-684-83219-4
ISBN 0-684-85959-9 (paper back)
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Webers.Home · May 25, 2019

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Titus 2:6 . . Similarly, encourage the young men to be sensible.

Just in case the young women were feeling a bit persecuted; Paul switches
over to the guys and urges them to be just as sensible as the girls; in other
words: to love their wives, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste,
keepers at home, and good; that the word of God not be dishonored.

Chastity is getting to be almost non-existent in America as more and more
male celebrities engage in extra-marital affairs. Not all that long ago
Governor Kitzhaber here in the state of Oregon was shacking up with a
woman right in broad daylight in the governor's mansion and cared not what
anybody thought about it. President Clinton messed around with women
while he was in office, and former New York Governor Elliot Spitzer was
discovered to be seeing expensive escorts which eventuated in his
resignation. So Christians really can't depend upon America's leaders to set
the example for young men.

Paul urged Titus to "encourage" the young men in his church to be sensible;
which is quite a bit different than hounding them or getting on their backs.
There's an awful lot of young men out there today with metal pinned in their
faces and tattoos on their necks, taking ecstasy, smoking pot, joining gangs,
using meth, shoplifting, and missing school because the adults in their lives
refuse to let them grow up at their own pace.

Many years ago, before I was even interested in having a family of my own,
there was a cartoon in the newspaper comics called Rick-O-Shay. Rick was
sheriff in a small town out in the olde west. Well, he had a son that was a bit
immature and Rick was concerned the boy was never going to amount to
anything and he didn't know what to do about it.

So, while he was complaining about his son to his good friend Hipshot
Percussion (a local gunfighter) Hipshot interrupted and gave Rick some very
good words of wisdom. He said (in so many words): Instead of frettin' about
turning your son into someone you can admire, why not instead try and find
out who he is and go with that?

Relentless criticism and ridicule, unreasonable expectations, zero sympathy,
and disapproving everything they think, say, or do are the surest ways I
know to ruin a young man's attitude and drive him far, far from home and
God.
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Webers.Home · May 27, 2019

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Titus 2:7-8 . . In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds,
with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach,
in order that those who oppose us may be put to shame, having nothing bad
to say.

Young men today desperately need morally sound role models because you
can't just disapprove their life-style and not show them an alternative; and
the best way to do that is by your own example; viz: instead of preaching to
youngsters with words; preach to them with your conduct.
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Webers.Home · May 28, 2019

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Titus 2:9-10a . . Bond slaves are to be subject to their own masters in
everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering;

A bond slave is someone who has sold themselves into slavery for any
number of reasons. But the one aspect I would like to dwell on is pilfering
because this is a serious problem for employers here in the USA.

The koiné Greek word for "pilfering" is nosphizomai (nos-fid'-zom-ahee)
which means to squirrel something aside for one's self: viz: embezzle; which
Webster's defines as: to appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care)
fraudulently to one's own use.

Embezzling isn't limited to strictly stealing money; no, it's also the misuse of
an employer's property such as company cars, office materials and office
equipment, and/or shop materials and shop equipment; including water and
electricity.

My last job before retiring was as a civilian employee with the US Army
Corps of Engineers in the Portland Oregon district. It was a violation of
Federal law for us to even take anything out of a dumpster, or use a battery
charger to jump-start our cars, or even to so much as pump up a low tire on
our cars with the air produced by a government air compressor. We were
definitely not supposed to use the government's computers for surfing the
web or composing personal e-mails.

Everything on the facility where I worked was US Government property,
including the trash, and could not be used in an unofficial capacity without
first obtaining special permission. Violators were subject to prosecution for
Fraud, Waste, and Abuse.

Unofficial use of office computers alone is costing employers multiplied
thousands of hours of wages and benefits paid to employees who are online
during the work day for personal reasons. The most outrageous case I heard
of at work was a lady downtown in the district office who was caught
conducting her Mary K cosmetics business via a US Government computer;
and on official time no less.

Those are things from which Christ's believing followers are ordered to cease
and desist.
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Webers.Home · May 29, 2019

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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.
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