Can I Be a Christian if I Occasionally Smoke Cigarettes

[TheLearner]

2 Corinthians 6:14-7:5

Easy-to-Read Version



We Are God’s Temple
14 You are not the same as those who don’t believe. So don’t join yourselves to them. Good and evil don’t belong together. Light and darkness cannot share the same room. 15 How can there be any unity between Christ and the devil[a]? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 God’s temple[b] cannot have anything to do with idols, and we are the temple of the living God. As God said,
“I will live with them
and walk with them;
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”
17 “So come away from those people
and separate yourselves from them, says the Lord.
Don’t touch anything that is not clean,
and I will accept you.”
18 “I will be your father,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord All-Powerful.”
7 Dear friends, we have these promises from God. So we should make ourselves pure—free from anything that makes our body or our soul unclean. Our respect for God should make us try to be completely holy in the way we live.
Paul’s Joy
2 Open your hearts to us. We have not done wrong to anyone or caused harm to anyone. And we have not cheated anyone. 3 I do not say this to blame you. I told you before that we love you so much we would live or die with you. 4 I feel that I can tell you anything. I am very proud of you. Even with all the troubles we have had, I am greatly encouraged and feel very happy.
5 When we came into Macedonia, we had no rest. We found trouble all around us. We had fighting on the outside and fear on the inside.
Footnotes

1. 2 Corinthians 6:15 the devil Literally, “ beliar,” one form of the Hebrew word “ belial,” which means “worthlessness” and was used to refer to the devil or the enemy of Christ.
2. 2 Corinthians 6:16 God’s temple God’s house—the place where God’s people worship him. Here, it means that believers are the spiritual temple where God lives.

What makes our body spiritually unclean?

 

[TheLearner]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymology_of_cannabis

The word 'gan-zi-gun-nu' is referenced from stone tablets (dating 700 BCE) that indicate a connection with eastern and near-eastern terms for the plant (gan-zi > ganja, gun-nu > qaneh). This substance was used for witchcraft and prescribed as a useful remedy for a variety of ailments including depression and impotence.[11]

Hebrew קַנַּבּוֹס (qannabbôs) from קְנֵה בֹּשֶׂם (qěnēh bośem) may derive from Sumerian kunibu,[12] though the final -s does not seem to be present in Akkadian (Assyrian) or Sumerian forms. Leading authorities on the etymology of both the German and Russian languages list a Sumerian cognate.[13]

Raphael Mechoulam and co-workers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem suggest an alternative etymology for cannabis: Greek cannabis < Arabic kunnab < Syriac qunnappa < Hebrew pannag (= bhanga in Sanskrit and bang in Persian). They explain that in Hebrew, only the consonants form the basis of a word and the letters p and b are frequently interchangeable. The authors think it probable that 'pannag', mentioned in the Bible by the prophet Ezekiel (27:17), is in fact Cannabis.[14] The Biblical Hebrew term qěnēh bośem, literally "aromatic reed" (qěnēh- "reed", bośem- "aromatic"), probably[15] refers to cannabis according to some etymologists,[10] but is more commonly thought to be lemon grass, calamus, or even sweet cane, due to widespread translation issues.[16] The Hebrew Bible mentions it in Exodus 30:23 where God commands Moses to make a holy oil of myrrh, cinnamon, qěnēh bośem and cassia to anoint the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle (and thus God's Temple in Jerusalem).[17] Notably, this anointing oil is a special herbal formula that functions as a kind of polish and fragrance for the Ark and Tabernacle, and the Bible forbids its manufacture and use to anoint people (Exodus 30:31–33) with the exception of the Aaronic priesthood (Exodus 30:30).

Elsewhere, the Hebrew Bible simply uses "reed" qānēh as the name of a plant in four places whose context seems to mean "reed of balm" as a fragrant resin, Isaiah 43:24, Jeremiah 6:20, Ezekiel 27:19 and Song of Songs 4:14. The Hebrew name "reed of balm" comes from qěnēh (the noun construct form of qāneh) means a "reed" or "cane" and bośem means "balm" or "aromatic" resin. Hebrew may have adapted the name qannabbôs from "reed of balm" qěnēh bośem as a substitute for the ambiguous name "reed".

Unambiguous Hebrew or Aramaic references to cannabis are rare and obscure[citation needed]. Syriac has qanpa (a loan from kannabis) and tanuma (see the Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon.) but neither is found in the Peshitta, the Syriac Bible. Late Syriac Ahiqar texts include qanpa as "ropes of hemp" (tunbei de-qanpa). The Hebrew word qanbes, a loan word from kannabis, is used in the Mishnah as hemp [Kilaim 2:5; 5:8; 9:1,7; Negaim 11:2] in the sense of a constituent of clothing or other items.

Cannabis was a common material among the Hebrews. The hempen frock called "Simlah" in Hebrew[18] was worn as a mark of the lowly. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia also asserts the following:

• "The usual material for ropes was certainly flax (hemp)"[19]
• That the cloth for tents called bait sha`r, meaning "house of hair" were stretched over poles by ropes of goats hair or hemp.[20]
• "The poorer classes probably wore wrappers made either of unbleached flax or hemp"[21] (the hempen, again, being the Simlah).[18]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etymology_of_cannabis

 

[TheLearner]

Bible verses related to Marijuana from the King James Version (KJV) by Relevance

- Sort By Book Order




Genesis 1:29 - And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Genesis 9:3 - Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Ephesians 5:18 - And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Galatians 5:19-25 - Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, (Read More...)

Romans 13:13-14 - Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. (Read More...)

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 - Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, (Read More...)

1 Peter 4:1-6 - Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; (Read More...)

Titus 2:1-8 - But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: (Read More...)

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (Read More...)

1 Peter 5:7 - Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

1 Peter 1:13-16 - Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; (Read More...)

2 Timothy 4:5 - But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

Titus 1:5-9 - For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: (Read More...)

1 Thessalonians 5:4-8 - But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. (Read More...)

1 John 3:4-10 - Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (Read More...)

Proverbs 26:13-16 - The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets. (Read More...)

Matthew 15:11 - Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

Genesis 1:12 - And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Romans 14:1-23 - Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. (Read More...)

1 Timothy 4:1-6 - Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; (Read More...)


https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Bible-Verses-About-Marijuana/

 

[TheLearner]

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/pro...iscovered-at-ancient-biblical-site-in-israel/

https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...9e4b076c29fad1af4/1421253289077/bible.001.pdf

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-52847175

 

[TheLearner]

Precious friend, so then the "first-hand smoke [ defiled black lungs? ]"
is not a sin, even though we have "What Saith The Scripture?":

"Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit​

of God Dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God,​

him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which​

temple ye are." (1 Corinthians 3:16-17 AV)​

​

Amen.

Brother, friend, The defilment of your proof text is sexual sin, context matters.

We agree that smoking anything is a health problem.

Second Hand Smoke is harmful to others ( love your neighbor principle can apply on that).

One needs to pray for wisdom and get treatment to stop smoking.

I do not see how one can smoke to the glory of G_d.

A main issue is self control. See II Peter 1

There is no command in the Scriptures that says, "thou shall not smoke".

We must not preach the gospel of legalism by taking texts out of context.

 

[TheLearner]

This is also how we know suicide is a sin.

The part that tells us "If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy"

Self murder is the ultimate defiling of the body, which is why even Christians who self murder go to hell.

 

[TheLearner]

No! Those that6 love the Lord understand they have been bought with a price and are called to glorify God in their body

1 Corinthians 6:19-20
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

The Holy Spirit NEVER leads anybody to smoke. Are ya trying to get cancer? It's a well established fact that tobacco causes cancer and smoking is a great way to get you some cancer. They why they call them cancer sticks!

Call it was it is, a sin and ask the Lord to forgive you.

Going forward, understand that this is a sin and turn away from it.

I don't think G-d leads us to over eat, fall off roofs or wear shoes.

 

[TheLearner]

If God wanted you to smoke He would have put a chimney coming out of your back.

He certainly doesn't appreciate smoke being blown in to His living room View attachment 261724

 

[Stan_the_Man]

I already showed that 1 Corinthians 6 has to do with sexual sin. There is no comand, not to smoke.

False again buddy.

We are called to glorify God in our body and that means abstaining from sexual sin as well as abstaining from things proven to be damaging to the body such as cigarettes. Jesus did not smoke the cigarettes and we shouldn't either.

Turns out there actually IS a command to abstain from ALL things that defile the body, dude. (see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 )

I'm so glad people that claim it's OK for Christians to smoke were not counseling me back when I was a baby Christian! They would claim there's no specific command against smoking crack, shoot heroin, taking fentenal, snorting cocaine, smoking the weed, etc, etc.

People making these kinds of claim are false teachers and fake Christians who should be ignored!

 

[Stan_the_Man]

The Greek historian Herodotos wrote that the Scythians vaporized cannabis seeds as part of their cultural rituals

And they went to hell for not being Christians and rejecting the leading of the Holy Spirit who never leads anybody to inhale smoke of any kind simply because our lung are made for the purpose of breathing in air which we all learned like in kindergarten!

This substance was used for witchcraft and prescribed as a useful remedy for a variety of ailments including depression and impotence.[11]

The lesson here is don't be a witch and don't partake of their witches brew

I don't think G-d leads us to over eat, fall off roofs or wear shoes.

First off, it OK to type out GOD - He's not going to strike you dead if you do.

The Lord actually does lead us to eat as this is something built in to our bodies naturally that comes from Him, for us to eat to fuel out body so we can you know KEEP ON LIVING and stuff.

Here's one that those who want to LEARNER God's Word need to learn:

1 Corinthians 6:9-13
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

Drunkards includes all forms of intoxication - it's all sinful behavior so REPENT!

 

[TheLearner]

False again buddy.

We are called to glorify God in our body and that means abstaining from sexual sin as well as abstaining from things proven to be damaging to the body such as cigarettes. Jesus did not smoke the cigarettes and we shouldn't either.

Turns out there actually IS a command to abstain from ALL things that defile the body, dude. (see 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 )

I'm so glad people that claim it's OK for Christians to smoke were not counseling me back when I was a baby Christian! They would claim there's no specific command against smoking crack, shoot heroin, taking fentenal, snorting cocaine, smoking the weed, etc, etc.

People making these kinds of claim are false teachers and fake Christians who should be ignored!

Let's not be leaglistic, we are under grace by faith.
The text does not cover food, smoking, etc See Romans 14 for that.
Context does matter.
I respect your personal opion, but disagree.
Also, I posted links to weed being used by Israalites too.
I did exposed the poor interpretation claiming weed was in the Bible.

 

[TheLearner]

And they went to hell for not being Christians and rejecting the leading of the Holy Spirit who never leads anybody to inhale smoke of any kind simply because our lung are made for the purpose of breathing in air which we all learned like in kindergarten!





The lesson here is don't be a witch and don't partake of their witches brew






First off, it OK to type out GOD - He's not going to strike you dead if you do.

The Lord actually does lead us to eat as this is something built in to our bodies naturally that comes from Him, for us to eat to fuel out body so we can you know KEEP ON LIVING and stuff.

Here's one that those who want to LEARNER God's Word need to learn:

1 Corinthians 6:9-13
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.

Drunkards includes all forms of intoxication - it's all sinful behavior so REPENT!

I agree we likde Jesus are to avoid getting high. Smokes do not get one high. Good use of a general principle of Scripture Friend.

I think smoking is a health issue to be approached by common sense and wisdom. Not to lay a guilt trip on fellow believers who suffer from the deases caused by smoking. We should walk along with our Brothern as a good example in kindness and respect.

 

[Stan_the_Man]

Let's not be leaglistic, we are under grace by faith.

License to sin much?

The false teachers claim we can live in sin and it's all good, but they be mistaken and are leading people to hell.

Also, I posted links to weed being used by Israalites too.
I did exposed the poor interpretation claiming weed was in the Bible.

Intoxication is on the list of those that do these things shall not inherit the Kingdom, so those folk be on they way to hell that like to get stoned along with the drunks

Not to lay a guilt trip on fellow believers who suffer from the deases caused by smoking.

Smoking is not a "disease" any more than molesting children or robbing banks is a "disease"

Smoking is nothing more than sinful behavior some people do because they could care less what the Lord thinks as they choose to live after the pleasure of the flesh, to live for self and not for the Lord.

What part of God created the lungs to breath air and not smoke is hard to understand???

 

[TheLearner]

License to sin much?

The false teachers claim we can live in sin and it's all good, but they be mistaken and are leading people to hell.






Intoxication is on the list of those that do these things shall not inherit the Kingdom, so those folk be on they way to hell that like to get stoned along with the drunks





Smoking is not a "disease" any more than molesting children or robbing banks is a "disease"

Smoking is nothing more than sinful behavior some people do because they could care less what the Lord thinks as they choose to live after the pleasure of the flesh, to live for self and not for the Lord.

What part of God created the lungs to breath air and not smoke is hard to understand???

Smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking also increases risk for tuberculosis, certain eye diseases, and problems of the immune system, including rheumatoid arthritis.

Most smokers use tobacco regularly because they are addicted to nicotine.

Drug Misuse and Addiction

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) (.gov)
https://nida.nih.gov › publications › drug-misuse-addict...



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Is Addiction Really a Disease?

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Is Addiction a Disease?

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Are addictions diseases or choices? - PMC

National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › articles › PMC3692718



by M Leyton · 2013 · Cited by 21 — ... addiction is not only a mental illness, but also a prototypical one. Although substance use disorders are unique in that disease expression (as an addiction) ...

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Feb 7, 2024 — Drug addiction, like many diseases, is marked by periods of recovery and symptom recurrence (relapse) and often require continual effort to ...

 

[I_am_Canadian]

Where is the commandment concerning tobacco use?
(I looked, there isn't one)

However....
Considering fully the New Testament commands about having faith in Jesus and loving each other....how does smoking prohibit or interfere with those things?

Asking because you said it was a sin.

Because it falls under defiling the temple of God. Where it says your body is the temple of God.

 

[Stan_the_Man]

Where is the commandment concerning tobacco use?

There's no command saying to not smoke crack so reckon it's OK to be a crackhead?

Maybe start a new movement - Crackheads for Jesus!

Because it falls under defiling the temple of God. Where it says your body is the temple of God.

Exactly!

 

[JohnDB]

Because it falls under defiling the temple of God. Where it says your body is the temple of God.

It's not what goes into the body that makes one unclean but what comes out of the heart.

People don't get inebriated from tobacco use like they do from recreational drugs or alcohol.

And...
if your logic was actually true if you ever eat a meal that is not perfectly balanced or fail to follow a perfect exercise plan or have a job that degenerates your physical body....you are living a life of sin.

 

[TheLearner]

There's no command saying to not smoke crack so reckon it's OK to be a crackhead?

Maybe start a new movement - Crackheads for Jesus!






Exactly!

Off topic and you refused to answer a simple question, thus making everything you post a joke.

II Hesitations 13:13 "thou shall not smoke crack, cigs are ok" lol

 

[JohnDB]

Maybe we should stick to the Jesus diet of Bread, Wine, Fish, lamb, and honeycomb. These are the only things Jesus was recorded as eating....

Or the John the Baptist diet of Locust and Wild honey.

Poor old Sampson didn't get any grapes.

 

[I_am_Canadian]

It's not what goes into the body that makes one unclean but what comes out of the heart.

People don't get inebriated from tobacco use like they do from recreational drugs or alcohol.

And...
if your logic was actually true if you ever eat a meal that is not perfectly balanced or fail to follow a perfect exercise plan or have a job that degenerates your physical body....you are living a life of sin.

Read, enjoy,

1. Canadian Cancer Society
There are 4000 chemicals in every cigarette | Canadian Lung Association

2. American Lung Association
What's In a Cigarette? | American Lung Association

3. Healthline
What's in a Cigarette? And Other FAQs (healthline.com)

4. Cancer Research UK
What chemicals are in a cigarette? | What does smoking do to your body? (cancerresearchuk.org)

5. Food and Drug Administration #1
Chemicals in Every Cigarette | FDA

6. Food and Drug Administation #2
Chemicals in Tobacco Products and Your Health | FDA

7. National Library of Medicine from the National Center for Biotechnology Information
Carcinogenic Components of Tobacco and Tobacco Smoke: A 2022 Update - PMC (nih.gov)

8. Irish Cancer Society
What's in a cigarette? | Irish Cancer Society

9. World Health Organization
WHO_NMH_PND_15.2_eng.pdf

10. Department of Health and Aged Care
Australian cigarette ingredient information | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care