Christ's Commandments

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Heb 13:5b . . and be content with such things as ye have.

Since the writer connected this directive with avarice, I would have to say his focus in that verse is on moderation; defined by Webster's as reasonable limits and/or average; viz: avoiding extremes.

"He himself has said: I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can Man do to me?" (Heb 13:5-6)

Well, I think the mortgage crisis in 2008, the stock market crash, the 401K meltdowns, the ENRON collapse, the decline in oil production, the GM financial mess, the national debt, massive nationwide lay-offs, the proliferation of Islamic terrorism, and Mr. Bernard Lawrence Madoff easily demonstrate that Man can hurt me quite a bit.

I lost an appreciable amount from my retirement account when the housing bubble burst, and the market crashed due to the bankruptcy of Bear Sterns, Lehman Brothers, and AIG; thus proving the Lord's words that thieves break in and steal (Matt 6:49-21) and some of those thieves are managing banks and innocent people's investments!

However, in spite of all those threats to my peace of mind, I still believe in providence; i.e. the Lord will get me through it all somehow. Well; so far so good.
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Heb 13:7 . . Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

The "leaders" of that particular verse refer to the ones who captained Moses' people over the centuries; e.g. Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samuel, David. Elijah, Ezra, and Nehemiah; and the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah; et al. about whom the Bible says:

"Who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies." (Heb 11:33-34)

"Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated-- the world was not worthy of them." (Heb 11:35-38)

"They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." (Heb 11:39-40)

There was once an advertisement for a beer on television that said, in so many words: "You only go around once, so do it with all the gusto you can get!" Well; Christ's believing followers should not be thinking like that. They don't go around once; the real gusto is yet to come.
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Heb 13:9 . . Do not be carried away by strange and varied teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace rather than foods, through which those who were thus occupied were not benefited.

The words "carried away" weren't translated from Greek words. They're arbitrary insertions; viz: they're words that a translating committee penciled into the English text so as to make the passage say what they guessed it's supposed to be saying. Arbitrary insertions are pretty common and nobody seems to fear they might be adulterating the Bible.

The word "strange" is translated from the Greek word xenos (xen'-os) which essentially refers to someone or something with which Christians are unfamiliar. For example; though most Christians are familiar with the dietary laws contained in the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God, Christ's followers are under no obligation to comply with them for the simple reason that those laws are contractual. Well; Christians per se, are not contracted with God to comply with those laws. Hence those dietary laws amount to "strange" teachings; viz: they're unchristian.

Now, what I find curious about Heb 13:9 is the fact that the anointing spoken of in 1John 2:26-27 is supposed to steer those who have it away from deception while at the same time aligning them with the truth. So then, that being the case, then it's clearly possible for those with the anointing to ignore its guidance and buy into strange and varied teachings.

Another thing I should point out is that according to 1Thess 5:19, it's possible to quench the anointing's guidance; viz: snuff it out like one would snuff a candle so that it no longer produces light to illuminate one's path: and that's not a good thing.

"This is the message we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth." (1John 1:5-6)
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Heb 13:16 . . And do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

Doing good and sharing are bloodless sacrifices; and in point of fact are far more likely to be accepted by God than the death of birds and beasts.

In the first chapter of the book of Isaiah, God lambasted Moses' people for bringing all the correct, God-mandated sacrifices to the Temple. Why? Because those sacrifices were insulting while His people were not only crooks; but also lacking the milk of human kindness. The sacrifices that God preferred over and above the Temple offerings were the below:

"Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." (Isa 1:17)

"For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." (Hos 6:6)

So "doing good" consists of doing what's right, and seeking kindness and fairness across the board for everyone; including the disadvantaged and the disenfranchised.

The US Government has been notoriously negligent in doing good by its chronic failure to honor its treaties with Native Americans. Not long ago I read in my local paper about 50 years of Federal foot-dragging in respect to honoring its commitment to provide tribes situated along the Columbia River with fishing villages to replace the ones that were obliterated due to construction of The Dalles dam. Well; God takes note of that sort of thing; nobody is getting by with anything.
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Heb 13:17 . . Heed those who lead you, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

Christianity is not a democracy. No; it is a theocracy with a monarch at its head-- a monarch who regards dissent and disobedience as insurrection.

"Has Yhvh as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of Yhvh? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry." (1Sam 15:22-23)

I knew a Christian that actually started a web site for the express purpose of criticizing his church's leadership. Please don't ever do something like that.

If perchance Christ's believing followers should find themselves under church leadership that they cannot-- in all good conscience --respect, follow, and obey; and/or simply cannot give their whole-hearted, unreserved support; then it's time to abandon ship and move on rather than remain and rack up negative points against themselves that will most certainly erode their reward when they stand before the King for their personal evaluation.
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Heb 13:22-23 . . I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation, for I have written to you briefly.

The letter to Hebrews doesn't seem brief to me, but according to the author it's a concise version of his thoughts, i.e. to the point; free of elaboration and/or unnecessary details.

Christ's teachings as per the epistles are sometimes regarded as recommendations; viz: as advice, rather than law. That's not the way his thoughts are supposed to be taken; no, not at all. The writer of Hebrews didn't say his word is a collection of suggestions, rather, as exhortation; which Webster's defines as language intended to incite and encourage. In other words: the teachings in Hebrews are meant to be taken seriously rather than with a grain of salt; if you know what I mean.

Exhortation is taken from the Greek word paraklesis (par-ak'-lay-sis) which is an ambiguous word that not only means exhortation, but also solace; which Webster's defines as a source of relief and/or consolation; viz: encouragement. In other words; the letter to Hebrews is for the reader's own good; in more ways than just rules and laws.

It's interesting how various people perceive the Bible. Some see it as a threat to human safety and dignity; while others see it as a source of friendship and mentoring.

"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being rescued and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life." (2Cor 2:14-17)
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The epistle of James is another like the epistle to Hebrews whose target audience is the author's "brethren" viz: the twelve tribes of Israel; a.k.a. the Diaspora (Jas 1:1). So then, the epistle is probably best interpreted from the perspective of a Jewish Christian rather than that of a Gentile Christian.

Jas 1:2-4 . . Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

It is so frustrating to open a package supposedly containing all the parts needed to assemble a complicated device only to discover that some of the pieces are missing. Well, a lot of Christians are like that. They might be really good at church attendance, while at work committing theft by using their employer's computers for personal purposes without authorization and/or in the habit of breaking the law by J-walking and driving too fast, drifting through STOP signs without bringing their vehicle to a complete halt; and given to outbursts of road rage. That's not a complete Christian; no, that's a half-baked Christian.

Not all tests of faith are intended for behavior modification; but rather, for proof-testing. Take for example Abraham's test in the 22nd chapter of Genesis; which he passed to God's 110% satisfaction.

Other testing is the kind that engineers do with things like machines, toys, cribs, printers, flashlights, guns, tools, pumps, motors, cars, etc. Before putting a new idea into production, they subject it to a series of tests to determine if it will perform under the circumstances for which it is designed. Nowadays, not all testing is destructive testing, but rather via computer models. But the purpose is the same: to reveal any weaknesses in the design and function of the part; which are then addressed and rectified.

"Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes material for the silversmith" (Prov 25:4)
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Jas 1:5 . . If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Within the context of James' epistle, the phrase "any of you" pertains to the recipients of his letter; viz: the Diaspora-- specifically those among the Diaspora whose religion is Christianity. So then, the phrase "gives to all men" has to be interpreted with that in mind; which means that "all men" doesn't pertain to just any and all men on earth.
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Jas 1:6-8 . . But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from The Lord: he is a vacillating man, unstable in all he does.

Christians should never begin a prayer by saying "God; if you're out there".

"Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is" (Heb 11:6)

Note the words "impossible" and "must" in that verse. A vacillating Christian who's not sure there's a God out there is an unbelieving Christian, and can just forget a reply from the Bible's God-- the instant the words of a vacillating prayer leaves somebody's lips it goes directly to the dead-letter office.
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Jas 1:9 . . Let the brother of humble circumstances glory in his high position;

According to 1Cor 1:26-29, relatively few prominent people make it to safety when they cross over to the others side.

What is this "high position" that James wrote about? Well, I can think of no higher position than being legal kin to the Bible's God and a family member around the table in His own home. In my book, that beats an invitation to the White House any day of the year.

The koiné Greek word for "glory" in Jas 1:9 is kauchaomai (kow-khah'-om-ahee) which means: to vaunt; which Webster's defines as: to make a vain display of one's own worth or attainments; viz: to brag; to call attention to with pride and often boastfully.
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Jas 1:10 . . The rich should glory in that he is made low:

Jesus once remarked that it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

The rich generally get above-average respect from the world due to their riches, but God isn't influenced by wealth. No, with God wealth gets no red carpets, no comps, and no VIP preferences; everyone is a commoner.

When the rich come before God with hat in hand and their heads down low instead of held up high, then they have done something worthy of an attaboy because that is a really, really big accomplishment for pampered people accustomed to better.
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Jas 1:13 . . No one who wants to do wrong should ever say: God is tempting me. God cannot be tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else to do wrong either.

Human nature has a dastardly propensity to blame others for its own faults. A prime example is right in the beginning of the Bible in the book of Genesis. Adam blamed the woman God gave him for his part in eating the forbidden fruit (Gen 3:12) and Eve blamed the Devil for her part in the act (Gen 3:13). It takes really big men and women to admit their culpability and say: The buck stops here! No recriminations!

However, though God tempts no one to evil, He does put certain ones through the ringer to see what they're made of-- even His own kin --to test and/or prove their resilience to temptation; e.g. the Lord himself.

"Then was Jesus led up of The Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil." (Matt 4:1)

"While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could protect him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his reverence for God. So even though Jesus was God's son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered." (Heb 5:7-8)

In other words, a truly righteousness person retains their innocence in the presence of temptation.

Criminals often gripe about entrapment when the cops catch them red handed in a sting. But if the crooks were truly righteous, entrapment wouldn't work on them.

Another popular excuse is enabling. For example some folks insist it's God fault that Adam and Eve tasted the forbidden tree because He put it in the garden where they could find it.

President Clinton was once asked in an interview why he messed around with Monica Lewinski. He answered: Because I could. In other words: Ms Lewinski wasn't a temptation; no, she was available, i.e. an opportunity.

And alcoholics blame their habit on genetic predilection.

I once heard it said that locks were invented to keep an honest man honest. (chuckle) I think there's a lot of truth in that statement.

"Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. So don't be misled, my dear brothers and sisters." (Jas 1:14-16)
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Re: Christ's Commandments

Jas 1:19 . . Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;

I can't help but wonder how many Christian parents have children whom-- in teaching them good manners --they taught that it's impolite to interrupt when others are speaking, but yet allow themselves liberty to practice just the opposite.

Anger per se isn't evil; I mean after all, The Lord himself wasn't immune to anger (Mark 3:5). And neither is the Bible's God immune to anger. (Ex 4:14, Num 11:1, Rom 1:18, Rom 2:8)

Non-sinful anger can be a valuable tool if it's administered intelligently. However, human anger is often spontaneous, impulsive, unfair, unjustified, inappropriate, irrational, unnecessary, controlling, violent, emotional, petulant, selfish, and reactive.

"Man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." (Jas 1:20)
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Jas 1:21 . .Therefore, get rid of all moral filth, and the evil that is so prevalent; and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

"moral filth and evil" in this case pertains especially to the wrong kind of anger; which only leads to more and more actions the likes of which The Lord cannot approve.

Christians are sometimes victims of a sort of knee-jerk reflex whenever they encounter a word like "save". The koiné Greek word for it is sozo (sode'-zo) which is another ambiguous word that can mean save, rescue, protect, and/or spare.

Ambiguous words are not only a nuisance at times; but worse, they can be misleading. James isn't talking about saving yourself from Hell and eternal suffering by eliminating "all moral filth". No, that part of a believer's association with God is past tense rather than future (John 5:24, Rom 6:3, Rom 6:6, Gal 2:20, Col 3:3, 1Thes 1:10, 1Thes 5:9, 2Tim 1:9, Titus 3:5).

"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are . . hatred, contentions, and outbursts of wrath" (Gal 5:19-21)

People whose anger easily flares up are slaves to their anger and enjoy far less peace than somebody whose anger is under control: thus peaceable souls succumb to temptation with much less frequency than angry ones.

There's a guy up here in Oregon who founded a bread factory with his brother that became very successful. You might know it as Dave's Killer Bread. Well; Dave has rage issues. He was paroled from prison not all that long ago and his life was on easy street until he lost his temper and got in a bucket of trouble with law enforcement.
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Jas 1:22 . . Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Some Christians need to hone-up on their spiritual grooming habits.

"Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-- he will be blessed in what he does." (Jas 1:23-25)

I believe that "the perfect law that gives freedom" is the whole Bible from cover to cover; as Paul said:

"For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Rom 15:4).

He also told his friend Timothy that all Scripture is inspired by God, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2Tim 3:16-17)

Back in those days "all Scripture" was pretty much limited to the Old Testament. Today it includes the New Testament canon.

People who make a life-long habit of studying the Bible from cover to cover for its spiritual content can't help but be improved by it a least a little bit. The easiest, and the best way I know to do this is by listening to a ½ hour program on radio called Thru The Bible; hosted by a now-deceased minister named J.Vernon McGee. His program takes five years to go through the entire Bible practically verse by verse. The program loops; viz: when McGee gets to the end; the program starts all over again. His method is pretty cool. When he gets done with an Old Testament book, he starts one in the New Testament, and vice versa. Program information is online at TTB.org
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Jas 2:1 . . My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ-- The Lord of glory --with respect of persons.

The koiné Greek word for "respect of persons" is prosopolepsia (pros-o-pol-ape-see’-ah) which means: partiality.

Webster’s defines "partiality" as: partisan, prejudiced, biased, and/or granting one person more value as a human being than another in regards to particulars like age, race, gender, looks, size, education, intellect, bank account, career, clothing, popularity, neighborhood, and social status.

"For instance, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in flashy clothing and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is low-income and dressed in shabby clothes. If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, "You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor" --well, doesn’t this kind of discrimination show that you are guided by wrong motives?" (Jas 2:2-4)

When I first began attending church as an adult back in the decade of the 1970's, my wardrobe consisted entirely of shirts and trousers that I bought on the cheap at Value Village-- a popular second hand store on the west coast the same as Salvation Army and Goodwill.

I never told anybody where I shopped, although I've no doubt that some of the folk I encountered in church could tell that my fashions were a tad out of date because there were some upper income people attending that looked a whole lot nicer than me; but I figured: what the hay; I had as much right to attend in my previously-owned clothing as they did in their untainted high-end threads. Some of them had gold watches too while I sported a simple Timex with an imitation leather strap; and I drove an aging 1968 VW Beetle that needed paint. You know, looking back on that era, I sometimes wonder how many people avoided me without my knowing it because of all that.
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Jas 2:12 . . So speak and so act, as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty.

The "law of liberty" includes, but isn't limited to, loving your Christian brother as Christ loves him (John 15:12). So then, treating a low income believer with less regard than a high income believer fails to fulfill the law of liberty.

"Do not be conceited, nor regard yourself as better than others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than you." (Phil 2:3-4)

There were these four 20-something girls in the singles group at the church where I met my wife, who were a little clique of fashion-conscious females that never associated with anyone but themselves. One of the guys, disgusted with their elitist attitudes, named them the Holy Four. (chuckle) That label was certainly apropos. Those four girls were so into themselves that they were of no earthly use to anyone; and I never saw one of them with a boy; no doubt because nobody was good enough for them. It was kind of ironic in a way. All the normal girls were popular with the boys while the boys kept their distance from the four stuck-up fashion mavens. I never once saw them in mixed company.

One evening, as I walked down the aisle in church to find myself a seat, I attempted to cordially greet one of the Holy Four walking past me in the opposite direction. Ms. Fashion Statement didn't even so much as look in my direction or utter a single sound. All she did was reach up to one of her shoulders, the one that was towards me, and execute a brushing gesture with her fingers. Can you imagine somebody in a church that represents Christ practicing that kind of snobbery? Unthinkable. (cf. Luke 7:36-47)

Leafing through the September 2009 issue of VOGUE, I couldn't help but notice that the photographers posed many of their models with the most assertive, arrogant, confrontational, and indifferent expressions and postures imaginable. What in God's name is with that industry anyway? Some of the VOGUE models reminded me of the hostile extras in the INXS 1988 rock video of "The Devil Inside". The Holy Four no doubt regarded VOGUE as their Bible.

Well, that was over forty years ago as of this writing. All four of those snob-ettes are now old enough to be grandmas. I can't help but wonder if they aren't still trying to fit into fashions appropriate for 20-somethings. (chuckle) They say time and tide wait for no man. Well, neither does the aging process.
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Re: Christ's Commandments

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Jas 3:1 . . Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you realize that we will be judged more strictly.

I've seen people actually boast of leading a Sunday school class; as if the position were an achievement. Let me warn those people about something. If they accept a position to teach Sunday school for the prestige, their heart is definitely in the wrong place; they are not fully aware of just how frightening a responsibility it is to stand in for Christ.
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[Catholic Crusader]

You kinda' got the whole thread to yourself dontcha'.

You're welcome to stay here if you like. Christ's commands pertain to all Christians all over the world regardless of denominational affiliation; both Catholic and non Catholic.

I only ask that you not provoke people with flaming remarks like the one quoted above, nor start quarrels and/or off-topic discussions. That ruins perfectly good threads faster than anything........_

Me noting that you kinda' got the whole thread to yourself is flaming? Really? You're pretty sensitive. Well, okay, so be it. On to the topic then....

To the topic: I can tic off the commands of Christ that I think are of upmost importance regarding the Eucharist and Baptism and others, but I am always intrigued by this overlooked command:

Matthew 6:9-14,15: For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins

One thing that is interesting here is that these two verses immediately follow the Lords Prayer, Matthew 6:9-13, but they are ignored. (Perhaps they should have been added on.) The Lord's Prayer is known by all, but these two verses, not so much.

What is more interesting is that your very salvation depends on performing these works. Christ is as clear as can be: If you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins, and I believe we all know what happens if you die and you are not forgiven.

Yes... ...indeed.

 

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Re: Christ's Commandments

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Jas 3:13-18 . .Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter rivalry and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where rivalry and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.

. . . But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of compassion and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

The "seed whose fruit is righteousness" is oftentimes not sown in peace on internet forums; nor is it sown on internet forums by people who make peace. It's sown by flaming, competitive, assertive, confrontational people-- toxic, impulsive, mean-spirited personalities given to rejoinders, demeaning comments, recriminations and fault finding. And if there's a problem, it's never them; no, you are the problem, and for them; turning the other cheek is no longer in vogue.

Those kinds of people do not like to be wrong, nor can they even think of themselves as wrong, nor are they likely to admit when they're wrong because they're really not all that interested in the truth; but only in defending their version of the truth; viz: their truth is far more important to them than even the God's truth; and should you not accept their truth, then it's because you have no understanding and need to come to your senses. These people are neither wise nor gentle. They'll ride rough-shod over your feelings like a skate-boarder barreling through Autumn leaves on the sidewalk. It's just awful how little they care for the injuries their attitude and their choice of words cause others.

People who take it upon themselves to teach, preach, and/or discuss the Bible ought to be sensible, and they ought to exemplify the Gospel. They can't be doing it for the prestige, showing off, impressing their friends, and/or competing with a rival. They have to be honest and forthright. They have to have a heart, they have to be dedicated and reliable: they cannot be vacillating, they have to practice what they preach, and they cannot be sarcastic, obtuse, difficult, contrary, quarrelsome, snobby, pretentious, demeaning, domineering, despotic, assertive, confrontational, stubborn, pernicious, or pugnacious.

Christians that teach and/or discuss the Bible with others really ought to be someone they can trust, and someone with whom they may speak their minds without fear of reprisals instead of someone in whose presence everybody has to walk on egg shells all the time.
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