Walking With Christ

Webers.Home · Mar 15, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:21-22 . . Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned
about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. For he who is called in
The Lord while a slave is The Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called
while free is Christ's slave.

Were this the only life, then slavery would be a terrible fate because there
would be nothing better to look forward to; viz: Christian slaves should think
of their situation as only a temporary set-back. They're missing out on the
best that life has to offer for now, but I'm pretty sure they can look forward
to Christ making it up to them in the next life.

The situation of Christians behind bars, without possibility of either release
or parole, is little different than that of slaves. However, though their time
inside may be for life, it isn't permanent. No, their time inside is just a bump
in the road: it's not the end of the road.

As I was watching a prison documentary on NetFlix some time ago, one of
the inmates interviewed-- an elderly man sweeping with a broom out in the
yard --said, in so many words: Guys come in here thinking their life is over.
It ain't over, it's just different.

That old guy was a lifer, but he was at peace with his situation-- an amazing
attitude for an institutionalized man with no hope of ever again having a
normal life on the outside.
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Webers.Home · Mar 16, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:23 . .You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.

In other words; selling your body is one thing, while selling your soul is quite
another; Christ has first dibs on that so don't even think about it.

The point is; whether bonded or free, every believer is indentured to The
Lord. But it is his wish that believers remain free rather than make a habit of
indenturing themselves to humans primarily because a free man's labor
earns him wages: a portion of which can be donated towards The Lord's
work; while a slave earns no wages to donate towards The Lord's work.

Also; a free man is at liberty to move about and make himself useful to The
Lord, while a slave's movements are pretty much limited to their human
master's jurisdiction.
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Webers.Home · Mar 17, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:24 . . Brethren, let each one remain with God in the situation in
which he was called.

If you're a slave; don't become a runaway slave. If you're a secretary, don't
quit your job and/or abandon your husband to run off and become another
Joan of Arc. Stay put; always keeping in mind that whether slave, free, or
crusader; will make no difference in your association with God.
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Webers.Home · Mar 18, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:25 . . Now about virgins: I have no command from The Lord, but I
give a judgment as one who by The Lord's mercy is trustworthy.

The Greek word for "virgins" is parthenos (par-then'-os) which basically
refers to maidens and/or unmarried daughters.

There's an ancient temple in Greece called the Parthenon; which was at one
time a sort of shrine to the goddess Athena (a.k.a. Minerva). Apparently it
was common for Athena's followers to donate their young girls to her
service.

I'm guessing that the Christians in ancient Corinth, influenced by Greek and
Roman culture, were curious whether they were supposed to donate their
young girls to Christ's service; viz: make nuns of them; which of course
would seal them into celibacy and thus preclude the possibility of ever
having a man and a family of their own.

Paul's claim to be "trustworthy" is saying that he could be relied upon to
speak as Christ and for Christ on certain issues without having to first
inquire his mind about them.

That's a pretty advanced degree of inspiration when somebody is 110%
confident that their thoughts on a matter are God's thoughts.

Too many Christians are wishy-washy. They have an annoying habit of
pontificating their opinions as the God's truth; when in reality they have
neither the confidence nor the integrity to stand up and announce
themselves trustworthy, i.e. infallible; the meanwhile quick to call others
heretics for disagreeing with them.

NOTE: Be circumspect with your choice of words lest the hapless day arrives
when you are forced to eat them. Never call someone a heretic because it
just may be that your own beliefs are heretical without your knowing. It's
okay to be positive, but for heaven's sake don't be conceited: leave yourself
some room for error.
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Webers.Home · Mar 19, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:26-28 . . Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for
you to remain as you are. Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you
unmarried? Do not look for a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned;
and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned.

The "present crisis" probably relates to circumstances that make it difficult
and/or inadvisable to settle down and raise a family, e.g. Jer 16:1-4 and
Matt 24:19-22.

However, marriage, overall, doesn't displease God; and best of all, the
Corinthian Christians didn't have to donate their maidens to Christ as nuns;
rather, the girls were perfectly at liberty to settle down with a man.
_

Webers.Home · Mar 20, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:36 . . If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he
is engaged to, and if she is getting along in years and he feels he ought to
marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get
married.

We have a saying in America that goes like this: So and so married what's
her name and made a decent woman out of her. Well, most grown-ups
know what that means without me having to say so. The point is: if a
Christian man finds himself on the brink of exceeding the limits of propriety
with his best girl; it's time to either break up or tie the knot.

And then too there's the so-called biological clock that stalks women during
their productive years. It's cruel, unthinkable, and utterly selfish and
psychopathic of a man to keep a girl on hold during those years if and when
he's fully aware that she's longing to settle down and have a family of her
own. A man who does that has no clue as the the meaning of words like love
and honor.
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Webers.Home · Mar 21, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:39 . . A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if
her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must be in
The Lord.

When people sound-bite a verse like that one out of context, they run the
risk of coming to some very false conclusions; and one of those is that
Christians can never, under any circumstances, divorce and remarry while
their spouses are alive. Well, obviously they can, under certain
circumstances (e.g. Matt 5:32).

However, a Christian ex-wife has to be careful not to re-marry outside her
faith as that would be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. (cf.
2Cor 6:14-18)
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Webers.Home · Mar 22, 2021

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• 1Cor 8:4-13 . .We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that
there is no God but one. For even if there are so-called gods, whether in
heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet
for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for
whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all
things came and through whom we live.

. . . But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to
idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed
to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not
bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we
do.

. . . Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become
a stumbling block to the weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees
you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be
emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother,
for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against
your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against
Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never
eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.

That passage can be said to be a codicil to the 14th chapter of Romans.

Putting this into a modern context is pretty simple; e.g. here in Oregon we
have tavern-style restaurants; viz: a section of the tavern is a bar, and
another section is dedicated to dining. The bar sections usually host State
sanctioned gambling machines too and typically off-limits to minors.

Suppose you have Christian friends who sincerely feel it's wrong to dine in a
tavern-style restaurant because of the alcohol and the gambling. Though
you yourself might be comfortable in your own mind that there is no sin in
dining at taverns, your friends are not so sure. So if you were to take them
to a tavern, they would be committing sin in compromising their conscience;
and you would be committing sin by knowingly leading them into a situation
that causes them to make that compromise.

"We may know that these things make no difference, but we cannot just go
ahead and do them to please ourselves. We must be considerate of the
doubts and fears of those who think these things are wrong. We should
please others. If we do what helps them, we will build them up in The Lord.
(Rom 15:1-2)

Another pertinent example is Hooters; where the waitresses are cute buxom
girls filled out in all the right places clothed in short shorts, and clingy tops;
so that the situation is a double whammy of babes and alcohol. Supposing
your Christian buddy sincerely feels it's wrong for Christian men to dine at
Hooters? Then you would be wrong in taking him there for a burger even if
you were convinced in your own mind there is nothing wrong with Hooters
because you would be leading your Christian buddy into a situation that's
below him and causes him to feel guilty and/or less of himself.

The Bible says that Christians should accommodate others to their
edification (edification means to build someone up as opposed to tearing
them down), Well, when we please ourselves to their detriment; that's being
selfish. Some guys feel that cute buxom girls and yummy gams are a God
send, while other guys regard them as the Devil in disguise. The correct
route here is to accommodate the more sensitive conscience.

This is one of those situations that requires that each individual to be
convinced in their own mind whether Hooters is wrong for themselves or
okay for themselves (Rom 14:5) and God forbid that Christians should
criticize a fellow Christian who frequents Hooters because this is indeed one
of those gray areas; and just who are you to legislate the rules for others in
gray areas (Rom 14:3-4). It's unfortunate that there are some very
imperious, domineering Christians out and about who see nothing wrong
with bullying others to compromise their convictions just so long as they get
their own way and everybody conforms to their way of thinking.

For example: it is my own personal feelings that Luke 22:35-36 makes it
okay for Christ's followers to own firearms for self defense. Well; a rather
opinionated Christian in one of my Sunday school classes sneered at me for
feeling that way and proceeded to pontificate that Jesus' instructions were
only "preparatory" for the upcoming confrontation with Judas and the crowd
that came with him that night to arrest Jesus. Okay; that's fine with me if
that's the way he feels about it; but sneering at me for feeling my way about
it was not only improper, but thoughtless too.
_

Webers.Home · Mar 23, 2021

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• 1Cor 9:13-14 . . Don't you know that those who work in the Temple get
their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is
offered on the altar? In the same way, The Lord has commanded that those
who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

The covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God in the Old Testament
doesn't allow Levitical priests to own land where they can provide
themselves sustenance by working their own farms. It's God's decree that a
number of the sacrifices and offerings that the priesthood's constituents
bring are dedicated to not just sustaining a friendly association with God, but
also to nourishing the priests. (e.g. Ex 29:31-32, Lev 2:1-10, Lev 7:11-15)

Obviously then, 1Cor 9:13-14 is saying that Christian congregations ought to
pitch in and help provide their churches' full-time officers with a decent
standard of living. This is not optional; no, it's something that "The Lord has
commanded."

NOTE: I would say that Christians whose officers rarely, if ever, preach the
gospel are exempt; they're preacher should be required to support himself.
_

Webers.Home · Mar 24, 2021

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• 1Cor 9:24-25 . . Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but
only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who
competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown
that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

The prize that Olympians won back in those days wasn't much. No medals:
just a simple garland for the head consisting of a wreath made with wild
olive leaves from a sacred tree near the temple of Zeus at Olympia. In time
the leaves dried out and crumbled.

The important thing to note about 1Cor 9:24-25 is that the prize isn't a pass
into the kingdom of God. No; the prize is an award rather than a wage; and
there is more than one kind; e.g. Phil 4:1, 1Tim 4:8, Jas 1:12, 1Pet 5:4, Rev
14:14.
_

Webers.Home · Mar 25, 2021

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• 1Cor 10:6-7 . . Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written:
The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to play.

The Bible doesn't provide much detail at Ex 32:1-6 as to what went on in
camp while Moses was up on the mountain. But one thing we know for sure
is that there was a golden calf; and the "eat and drink" to which the apostle
refers was a ritual where people sacrificed to the calf and afterwards
consumed the sacrifice as an act of communion with it; as a sort of
unlicensed Passover celebration:

"Aaron answered them: Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your
sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me. So all the
people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. He took what they
handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it
with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you
up out of Egypt. (Ex 32:2-4)

Though the idol is singular, the grammar refers to it in the plural and that's
likely because the Hebrew word translated "gods" is a plural noun. That last
sentence really should say "this is your God, O Israel, who brought you up
out of Egypt" because the next two verses say that their celebration was in
honor of Jehovah. (vs. 5 and 6)

Now, it's true that Jesus is the captain of our salvation in a manner similar to
how Jehovah was the captain of their salvation; but I think we need to be
careful how we honor him in that capacity. In other words: it's probably a
good idea to avoid building a shrine for Jesus because sure enough people
will begin kneeling before it and praying to it and maybe even kissing its feet
so often that they wear one of its big toes down like Peter's in Rome.
_

Webers.Home · Mar 26, 2021

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• 1Cor 10:8 . . Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them
committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

That event took place at Num 25:1-9. The fornication he's talking about
wasn't believers with believers. It was believers with unbelievers. In other
words; Christ's followers need to avoid getting romantic with unbelievers lest
unbelievers lead his followers down the primrose path into something
shameful and very unbecoming.

"Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character. (1Cor 15:33)
_

Webers.Home · Mar 27, 2021

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• 1Cor 10:9 . .We should not test The Lord, as some of them did-- and were
slain by snakes.

That event took place at Num 21:5-9.

The obvious lesson is that it's risky to complain about the quality, the
quantity, the nature, and/or the absence of God's providence.
_

Webers.Home · Mar 28, 2021

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• 1Cor 10:10 . . Do not grumble, as some of them did-- and were killed by
the destroying angel.

That incident took place at Num 14:2-38. The "grumbling" grew into a pretty
large anti-God protest. Anon it became violent and within a hair's breadth of
culminating in Joshua's and Caleb's assassination. That was a very grave
moment in Israel's history.

Anyway, Moses' people were of the opinion that God had led them out of the
frying pan into the fire by assigning them an impossible task; one that would
result in everybody's deaths had they attempted to obey His orders; viz: a
suicide mission. Joshua and Caleb tried to convince them it wasn't a suicide
mission; and that with God on their side; they would not only survive; but
easily succeed. They refused to listen; and thus became resolutely
insubordinate.

Now; the obvious fatal error in their thinking was simply a lack of belief that
God would assist them to conquer the land. In point of fact, they didn't
believe God was able to in spite of all His amazing displays of supernatural
power in rescuing them from Egyptian slavery; and that's what made their
unbelief all the more inexcusable. Most of us today have never seen God in
action; we've only heard tell of His exploits; but Moses' people were
eyewitnesses.

Putting this in a modern context:

New Christians are often led to believe that accepting Christ will improve
their mood and remedy their circumstances. Well; apparently somebody
neglected to tell them that they would have to fight for it, i.e. in order to
obtain the fruit of the Spirit spoken of at Gal 5:22-23 they would have to
knuckle down and live a life pleasing to both God and Christ; viz: comply
with their wishes. (John 14:23, John 15:11)

I'm sure you can see how easy it would be for a new Christian to become
disillusioned, disappointed, and somewhat bitter at being seemingly tricked
into something that turns out to be too good to be true-- then they get to
complaining that a number of Christ's commandments are too difficult;
nobody can keep them so what's the point in even trying.

Well; that complaint is reasonable, I'll admit; but it's also insubordinate; and
worse; it's contagious. If they want to give up trying to comply with The
Lord's wishes; fine; but they really ought to keep their discontent with his
wishes to themselves in order to avoid kindling large-scale rebellion and
discontent in the ranks.
_

Webers.Home · Mar 29, 2021

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• 1Cor 10:11-12 . .These things happened to them as examples and were
written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has
come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!

Moths that circle too close to the flame sometimes end up scorching their
wings. That's an old proverb that pretty much echoes Paul's warning.
Christians should never think that their favored position in Christ's body
somehow insulates them from God's oversight.

The substandard compliance of Moses' people with God's expectations didn't
bring about their return to Egypt; no, "once saved always saved" applied to
them as well as to us. However, their conduct did cause them to "fall" that
is: fall out of favor with God.

That's a risk even for Christ's followers whose destiny in heaven is a sure
thing; iron clad and set in concrete. The good shepherd's sheep will never
again be in danger of eternal suffering; but they are always in danger of
losing out on the benefits of providence due to conduct unbecoming.

"If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love; even as I have
kept my Father's commandments, and abide in His love." (John 15:10)
_

Webers.Home · Mar 30, 2021

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• 1Cor 10:14 . .Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

There's that word "flee" again; which in many of its applications in the New
Testament means to run for your life.

There's more to idolatry than just bowing and/or praying to sculptures,
shrines, and paintings. It's possible to be an idolater without even being
especially religious.

"Don't be greedy for the good things of this life; for that is idolatry." (Col
3:5)

Greed then, is one of the characteristics of an idolater. In other words:
idolatry is a personality disorder rather than only a religious issue. Even
atheists qualify as idolaters if they have a greedy personality; e.g. Wall
Street's investment bankers and commodities traders. Their "golden calf" is
capital gains

It's okay to want the good things in life: after all; God has given us richly all
things to enjoy (1Tim 6:17). It's the insatiable desire for good things that
makes people idolaters; in other words avarice; which is never content; no,
avarice always wants more, more, more, more, and then some. Nowhere is
that more rampant than corporate practices that walk over the dead bodies
of their employees if that's what it takes for a better quarterly report.

I'm not exaggerating. Made-in-China outlet WALMART used to take out life
insurance policies on its employees-- not for the families; but for itself. In
other words; it named itself the beneficiary so that when an employee died,
the big-box chain recovered some of the wages and benefits they had to pay
the employee while they were on the job.

The policies are called COLI (corporate-owned life insurance) policies. But
they're better known in the insurance industry as "dead peasant" and/or
"dead janitor" policies. WALMART isn't the only big business doing this sort
of thing. An attorney for the Hartford Life Insurance Co. estimates that one
fourth of the Fortune 500 companies have them; which cover the lives of
between 5 million and 6 million workers.

COLI policies seem to me a ghoulish way to make a buck; but then it
shouldn't surprise us that idolaters have no soul to speak of seeing
as how they revere profitability rather than God.
_

Webers.Home · Mar 31, 2021

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• Cor 10:24 . . Nobody should seek only his own good, but also the good of
others.

That's not saying it's wrong to seek your own good; just wrong to seek it at
the expense of another's good; viz: selfish ambition might be an acceptable
modus operandi in professional sports, politics, and big business; but it's
totally unacceptable in one's association with fellow believers for whom
Christ died.

And there's nothing new in that; I mean after all; it's just another way of
expressing the so-called golden rule; which states: "All things whatsoever ye
would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." (Matt 7:12)
_

Webers.Home · Apr 1, 2021

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• 1Cor 10:25-26 . . Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising
questions of conscience, for the earth is The Lord's, and everything in it.

Seeing as how God owns everything in existence, and answers to no one
how He goes about managing it; then what He says goes because nobody
can stop Him from making and/or enforcing whatever rules He wishes.

Whether God's rules are loving, moral, just, and/or right and wise is
irrelevant. It's as futile to criticize lightning for being so bright, and thunder
for being so loud, as it is to criticize God's rules because no matter how
much people complain about thunder and lightning; there is nothing they
can do to get them exterminated.

One of the Greek words translated "lord" in the New Testament is despotes
(des-pot'-ace) from which we get our English word despot; defined by
Webster's as a ruler with absolute power and authority.

A percentage of the meat sold by vendors in Corinth was either blessed by,
or dedicated to, pagan deities. Paul instructed his friends to avoid asking
which was which since it doesn't matter to God if the foods Christians ingest
are religiously tainted without their knowledge: and since it's The Lord's
earth, then if He says it's okay; then it's okay; but again, only if we're
unaware of the meat's religious significance.
_

Webers.Home · Apr 3, 2021

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• 1Cor 10:27-29 . . If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to
go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience.
But if anyone says to you "This has been offered in sacrifice" then do not eat
it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake— the
other man's conscience, I mean, not yours.

If we go ahead and dine in someone's home knowing in advance the food is
either dedicated to, or blessed by, a pagan deity, or that when they say
grace around the table it will be to a god other than our own, or to a sacred
personage that we do not accept; then our host is quite possibly going to
come to the conclusion that his religion is just as valid as ours if we don't
decline.

» But please, when declining; be kind, gentle, thoughtful, tactful, and
diplomatic about it, i.e. considerate of the other person's feelings about their
religion just as we wish for them to be considerate of ours.
_

Webers.Home · Apr 4, 2021

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• 1Cor 10:31 . . So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for
the glory of God.

One of the meanings of the Greek word for glory is "honor" which in this
case can be defined as conducting one's self in a manner that's thoughtful of
the principles and moral values of someone admired and/or held in high
esteem.
_

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