Christianity's Commandments

Christianity's Commandments (07)

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74) 1Cor 7:10-11 . . A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband.

NOTE: supposing one of the spouses sleeps around during the separation? Is the other spouse supposed to still make an effort to reconcile? NO! According to the lord and master of New Testament Christianity; unfaithfulness dissolves the marriage bond.

†. Mtt 5:31 . . I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress; and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

The "divorced woman" in that instance isn't just any divorcé; no it's one divorced from her husband for a cause other than unfaithfulness. An innocent Christian woman divorced under those conditions would really be in a pickle. What's the remedy? Easy. Just bide her time till Mr.Loser sleeps with somebody; that way she'll be biblically free from her ex and can remarry with a clear conscience.

Before meeting my wife in 1979, I was active in a very large single's group in a church in San Diego. One of the girls in the group had supported her ex while he was in medical school. You know the story. After graduation, Mr. Gray's Anatomy dumped her.

That girl was level-headed, young and pretty (though quite a bit too tall for me) had no children from a previous marriage, drove her own car and had a job. In other words, she was a good bet; but her conscience wouldn't permit dating since she was convinced that Christians are married forever. Wishing to be helpful, I pointed out that if her ex was sleeping with somebody, then Mtt 5:31 made her available. (No, she couldn't accept it; at least not right then anyway. I sincerely hope she changed her mind some day before it was too late.)

75) 1Cor 7:11 . . A husband must not divorce his wife.

NOTE: there is of course an exception to that rule.

†. Mtt 5:32 . . I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for promiscuity

Promiscuity in the case of a married woman is adultery; which, in the economy of God, is a death offense.

†. Lev 20:10 . . If a man commits adultery with another man's wife— with the wife of his neighbor —both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.

†. Deut 22:22 . . If a man be found lying with a woman married to an husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman

Additionally, if a girl marries a guy under the false pretense of being a virgin, that too is a death offense. (Deut 22:13-21)

Even though there is no death penalty in the USA for either adultery or promiscuity, the Bible accounts the offender to be a dead-man-walking, leaving the victim of infidelity free to divorce and remarry.

76) 1Cor 7:12 . . If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.

77) 1Cor 7:13 . . If a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.

NOTE: marrying an unbeliever is of course forbidden (1Cor 7:39, 2Cor 6:14-18). However, it is very common for households to become religiously divided during marriage; like for instance when one of the spouses later gets converted at a Billy Graham crusade. As long as this situation doesn't cause intolerable friction in the home, they should stay together. However, if the believer has to compromise their religious principles in order to keep the peace at home, then that would be justifiable cause for separation.

78) 1Cor 7:15 . . If the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances.

79) 1Cor 7:17 . . Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches.

80) 1Cor 7:18a . . Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised.

NOTE: it was of course impossible to literally reverse circumcision in Paul's day. However, there did exist a procedure to ceremoniously reverse it. (cf. 1Mcc 1:15)

81) 1Cor 7:20 . . Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him.

82) 1Cor 7:21 . .Were you a slave when you were called? Don't let it trouble you— although if you can gain your freedom, do so.

83) 1Cor 7:23 . .You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.

NOTE: though literal slavery is no longer legal in America, it's still possible for U.S. citizens to sell their souls, if you know what I mean.

84) 1Cor 7:24 . . Brethren, each individual, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to.

85) 1Cor 7:25-28 . . 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. 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.

NOTE: The "present crisis" relates to circumstances that make it difficult and/or inadvisable to settle down and raise a family; for example Jer 16:1-4 and Mtt 24:19-22.

86) 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.

NOTE: we have a saying in America that goes like this: So and so married what's her name and made an honest woman of her. Well, most grown-ups know what that means without me having to say so. If a man and his significant other have exceeded the limits of propriety, it's time to tie the knot.

87) 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.

NOTE: 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. Well, obviously they can, under certain circumstances.

C.L.I.F.F.
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Response to Trotter

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RE: This thread is legalism at its best.

Christianity's commandments are not the commandments of a legalist; on the contrary, they are the commandments of the Bible's Christ.

†. 1Cor 14:37 . . If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of The Lord.

†. 1Ths 2:13 . .When you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God.

†. 1Ths 4:1-2 . . We beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus.

One's disdain for Christianity's commandments, evidences their dislike of God's son.

†. John 14:15 . . If you love me, you will comply with what I command.

†. John 14:21 . .Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.

†. John 14:23-24 . . If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching . . He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.

†. John 15:14 . .You are my friends if you do as I wish.

One's disdain for Christianity's commandments not only evidences their dislike of God's son, but also short-circuits their prayers.

†. John 15:7 . . If you abide in me, and my words abide in you: you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.

†. 1John 3:22 . . And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

Some Christians passing themselves off as Christ's followers need to sharpen their grooming skills.

†. Jas 1:22-25 . . And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself. For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law— the law that sets you free —and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.

†. Luke 6:46 . .And why do you call me Lord and Master and do not what I say?

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

C.L.I.F.F.
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Christianity's Commandments (08)

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88) 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.

NOTE: 1Cor 8:4-13 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 portion of the tavern is a bar, and another portion is dedicated to dining. The bars usually host State-sanctioned gambling machines too. Suppose you have Christian friends who seriously feel it's wrong to patronize 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 principles; and you would be committing sin by putting them in a situation that causes them to make that compromise.

A 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 sex and alcohol. Supposing your Christian buddy seriously feels it's wrong to patronize 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 causes him to compromise his principles.

The Bible says that Christians should please others to their edification . Well, when we please ourselves to their detriment; that's being selfish. Some guys feel that buxom girls 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 the individual to be convinced in their own mind whether Hooters is wrong for himself or okay (Rom 14:5) and God forbid you should criticize a fellow Christian who patronizes Hooters because this is indeed one of those gray areas and just who are you to pontificate the rules. (Rom 14:3-4). It's unfortunate that there are some very imperious Christians out and about who see nothing wrong with pressuring others to compromise their principles just so long as they get their own way.

†. Rom 15:1-3 . .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.

89) 1Cor 9:7-12 . .Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? Do I say this merely from a human point of view? Doesn't the Law say the same thing? For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain." Is it about oxen that God is concerned?

. . . Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in anticipation of sharing in the harvest. If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?

NOTE: detractors sometimes find it necessary to criticize the Bible's Jesus for free-loading and imposing on people wherever he went. But when you think about it; the Lord earned every so-called free meal he ever got. Jesus' miracles healed thousands of people in Israel during a time when health care and medical technology were all but non-existent. His countrymen owed the Lord a huge national debt of gratitude; just as the Hmong family next door owed Walt Kowalski a debt of gratitude for protecting them from gang-bangers in Clint Eastwood's movie: Gran Torino.

(Walt is funny. He's a hard-bitten old war veteran who cares little for Asian food, and even less for the Asians that cook it; but when his Hmong neighbors brought him dumplings; Walt caved: proving yet once again the old adage that the way to a man's heart is through his tummy.)

90) 1Cor 9:12-14 . . 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.

NOTE: Paul's reference is to the Levitical priests in the Old Testament. A number of the sacrifices and offerings their constituents brought to the Temple were dedicated to not just sustaining a friendly association with God, but also to nourishing the priests; for example: Ex 29:31-32, Lev 2:1-10, Lev 7:11-15

In other words: pitch in and help provide your church's pastor with a decent standard of living. This is not optional; no, it is something that "the Lord has commanded."

C.L.I.F.F.
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Christianity's Commandments (09)

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91) 1Cor 9:24 . . 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 obtain the prize.

NOTE: this race isn't for people struggling to become Olympians; but rather, for people who are already Olympians; they're in the games; they've qualified. Note that the grammatical tense of the verb "saved" in the verse below is past tense rather than future.

†. 2Tim 1:8-9 . . But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, who has saved us and called us to a holy life

When somebody is already saved, then the race to be run is the "holy life" because that's what the saved are called to.

†. Eph 2:10 . . For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

92) 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.

NOTE: 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. The Hebrew word for "play" at Ex 32:6 is tsachaq (tsaw-khak') which means: merriment. It's the very same word at Gen 26:8 depicting Isaac's sport with his wife Rebecca; which is a kind of sporting that unmistakably says people are lovers. In other words, the people indulged in a kind of golden-calf revelry that included wild parties, gluttony, and orgies. If you're a fan of True Blood you know what I'm talking about from the carnal mixers instigated by the vibrations of earth goddess Maryann Forrester.

93) 1Cor 10:8 . .We should not commit promiscuous sins, as some of them did— and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.

NOTE: that event took place at Num 25:1-9

94) 1Cor 10:9 . .We should not test the Lord, as some of them did— and were slain by deadly vipers.

NOTE: that event took place at Num 21:5-9. It's noteworthy due to the fact that Christ appropriated it at John 3:14-18 to illustrate the necessity, and the efficacy, of his crucifixion. But anyway, the lesson is that it's potentially fatal to complain about the quality of God's providence.

95) 1Cor 10:10 . . And do not grumble, as some of them did— and were slain by the destroying angel.

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

96) 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!

NOTE: I think one of the more serious temptations is for Christians to take God for granted; and to forget that first and foremost the Bible's God is a monarch who does not tolerate insurrection in His kingdom. He may be your Father, but He's still your God too— don’t ever forget that or the retributions meted in the above incidents just may befall you too.

NOTE: the conduct of Yhvh's people didn't bring about their return to Egypt because they were a "redeemed" people and God can't go back on that. However, their conduct did cause them to "fall" that is: fall out of favor with God; resulting in a number of them to dying before their time. That's still a risk.

†. Rom 8:13 . . For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

†. 1John 5:16-17 . . If somebody sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that somebody should pray about that. All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

Sin that leads to death isn't a specific sin. It's different for everybody. What might be a lethal sin for me, may not be all that serious for you. I mean, look at David; he committed the awful sins of premeditated murder and adultery, yet God allowed him to live (2Sam 11:1-2Sam 12:14). But when Ananias and his wife Sapphira lied about the money they got for the sale of their property, they were executed. (Acts 5:1-10)

97) 1Cor 10:14 . .Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

NOTE: from the passages above, it's apparent that there's far more to idolatry than just bowing to figurines and statues. Obviously it's possible to be an idolater without the use of artworks.

The koiné Greek word for "flee" is pheugo (fyoo'-go) which in many of its applications in the New Testament means to run for your life.

C.L.I.F.F.
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Christianity's Commandments (10)

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98) 1Cor 10:24 . . Nobody should seek only his own good, but also the good of others.

99) 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.

NOTE: quite a bit of the meat sold by vendors in Corinth was "kosher" that is: it was either blessed by, or dedicated to, non-Christian deities. But not all the meat was kosher. Paul instructed his friends to avoid asking which was which since it really doesn't make any difference to Christians if the meat they purchase is religiously tainted.

100) 1Cor 10:27 . . If an unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience.

NOTE: in other words, this is one of those "don't ask, don't tell" situations.

101) 1Cor 10:27-29 . . 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.

NOTE: religiously tainted foods make a difference only if you know in advance that they are religiously tainted. In the case above, one's testimony is at stake. If you go ahead and dine in a friend's home where you know in advance the food is either dedicated to, or blessed by, a non-Christian deity, or that when they say grace around the table it's to a God other than your own; then your host is quite possibly going to come to the conclusion that his religion is just as valid as yours.

This is not saying that Catholics and Protestants can't eat together and pray together around the table; nor is it saying that Christians and Jews can't eat together and pray together around the table: not when Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Christians are all praying to the same God: just from a different perspective. I will say this though: if you are a Catholic host, and your guests are either Protestants or Jews; for God's sake DO NOT pray to Jesus' mom around the table. That is extremely offensive to Protestants and Jews, and totally unnecessary anyway when you can just as easily say grace to the one God who is common to both you and your non-Catholic guests.

(102) 1Cor 10:31 . . So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

103) 1Cor 10:32 . . Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Gentiles, or the church of God.

NOTE: When Jews scour their homes of chametz (leavened bread) in preparation for the week-long Feast of Unleavened Bread (a.k.a. Passover) they not only dispose of the chametz, but sometimes even the utensils that were used to prepare it. Oddly, they may, if they choose, sell the utensils to non-Jews instead of throwing them out.

As a conscientious Christian; I would never sell something I considered a sin to have in one's possession during a certain time of the year. That would be the principle of causing someone to stumble— and that's regardless of whether they would actually stumble by it or not.

104) 1Cor 11:1 . . Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

NOTE: looking for a good Christian role model? Well, there's two for starters.

C.L.I.F.F.
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Response to annsni

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RE: Can I ask what your purpose is in this thread?

Before I answer your question; I would like to first remind everyone that the word private in "private message" means confidential; and that you don't gossip on the open forum what someone has written to you in a pm.

That said; here's the answer to your question:

Posting Christianity's commandments on a world-wide Christian forum is in compliance with the Lord's so-called great commission.

†. Mtt 28:19-20 . . Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all nations . . .teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.

Ergo: what I am doing here in the name of Christ is a sacred mission beyond words; and all I can say is: most of you people out there are supposedly mature adults who should not need to be told that if you don't like: then don't click. Nobody is holding a gun to your heads forcing you to hang out on my topics and make it your mission in life to harass me day after day with heckling, ridicule, gossip, demeaning comments, and pokes at my IQ.

Of all the various forums I've been on in the past 13 years, very few permitted posts discussing another community member; yet some of you people have discussed me among yourselves on BaptistForums.com a number of times already. That, my friends (and I use that term loosely) is very, very poor netiquette. If you cannot contribute to the topic in a positive way, then I would prefer you take your business elsewhere and leave me and the Lord to his Father's business.

†. Rev 2:4-5 . . I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

C.L.I.F.F.
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