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Why Be
Religious? Meanings of
W hen we look around us at
the pain, suffering and
chaos created
religion, it’s natural to ask the
question, “Why be religious at all?”
by
F
nonsense. It’s nonsense that anyone
should have divorced because their purposes – all of them in some sense profound. Yet, for some, human life
mate preferred to attend a different is pointless – a mere chemical existence driven by the blind, intelligence-
spin off Church of God than they did. free “forces” of evolution. This approach leads only to the emptiness of
Yet it has happened. mere humanism – man beginning and ending with himself.
It’s nonsense that ministers
should be out to build personal For a humanist, meaning is decided on an individual basis and it is whatever
ecclesiastical empires by coveting the one says it is. If a hundred humanists get together and reach a consensus on
tithe and creating cults of personality meaning, it’s still arbitrary. Scientific humanism decides all on the basis of science
around themselves. Yet it keeps on which is limited to the empirical.
occurring.
None of these things is a The Christian operates on the basis of several assumptions (all of which of
manifestation of love. Yet love course are challenged by anti-Christians). First, he or she believes that God exists
should be the primary motivating
(Hebrews 11:6) and that He actively responds to those who make a real effort to
force for anyone connected with the
seek Him (same verse). God’s responses, whenever they happen, are proof enough
true God. After all, the apostle John
wrote, “Whoever does not love does of His existence for those who experience them. (Turn to page 3…)
not know God, because God is love”
(Turn to page 2)
1
Why Be Religious.,.? From Page 1
couldn’t care less about our internal (Ephesians 5:18) and producing its
(I John 4:8). The apostle Paul wrote, squabbles and doctrinal distinctions. fruits in abundance Galatians 5:22-23,
“Make love your aim…” (I Corinthians They see us either as “Crusaders” or John 15). It’s about preaching the
14:1, Moffatt). The Berkeley version disrupting influences in the kind of Gospel and making disciples for and of
translates it, “Make love your great societies their elites are trying to build. Yeshua ha Mashiach (Matthew 28:19-
quest…” Jesus taught that the second Whether communists of fanatical 20).
great commandment was to “Love your Moslems, they will persecute us, torture If the Church – and the
neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). us, enslave us, jail us, and kill us, Churches of God Pod – is to become a
He said that that is what the Bible is all simply because we bear the name of real light to the world, it’s going to have
about – loving God and loving neighbor Christ. For the political Left in this to repent of doing the works of darkness
(verse 40). country, Christians are the only group it begin actively pursuing the works, fruit
Why then isn’t so much of is politically correct to persecute and and manifestations of the Spirit. The
religion about love but rather hate? Is practice “hate speech” against. They time, apparently, is short. The night is
the manifestation of love the “great view us all as untouchables. coming on during which time it will be
quest” and goal of the Church? Or is the increasingly more difficult to do the
energy of the Church going into other Light or Darkness? works of God. The darkness is coming
things – i.e. works of the flesh Jesus taught us that his followers are on strong and the light of the Church is
(Galatians 5:19-21). What do we see supposed to be the light of the world – flickering. The Church is being attacked
most visibly manifested in the Churches but how much light are we shedding by it’s own “axis of evil” – Militant
of God – expressions of carnality or the these days? What does our example say Islam, communism and the political
fruit of the Spirit? How much love is about the worth of the Christian Left. At the practical level, the Left is
there (Galatians 5:22)? After all, love is lifestyle? Can we, with a straight face, doing more damage to freedom of
the first fruit of the Spirit. How much tell the world that our way of life is religious speech in this and other
joy? How much peace? How much better than it’s if we are filled with Western countries than any other
kindness and goodness? Think long and conflict and turmoil over everything source. As the political Left gears up for
hard about it. Something is clearly that comes along? Are we as the next Presidential campaign, the
wrong. individuals, or denominations, making religious Right is being targeted for a
Why can’t brothers and sisters things better wherever we have campaign of relentless demonization.
in Christ sit down as brethren and, influence – or worse? Do we have Every conservative Christian from the
prayerfully, led by the Holy Spirit, solve happier marriages, more obedient President on down will be characterized
the problem of who, if anyone, gets to children, better-kept homes, and good as a fanatic – akin to the Islamic
publish Herbert Armstrong’s books? reputations on our jobs? Are we part of fanatics that seek to destroy our culture.
Paul wrote, “If any of you has a dispute the solution, or part of the problem? Do This is not the time for the Church to
with another, dare he take it before the non-Christians see in us the answers to confirm the worst charges of its
ungodly for judgment instead of before life’s issues? Do they see the power of enemies. It is a time for repentance, and
the saints” (I Corinthians 6:1). God manifested? Do they see the love a major paradigm shift. It is time to
The idea of lawsuits going back of God shed abroad in our hearts? What begin seeking to build on common
and forth between Churches of God is do they see? ground, rather than dividing over
obscene. Why spend the illegitimately I have to confess that in the differences. It is a time to seek the Holy
collected tithe money of the brethren on past I have embraced many wrong ideas Spirit in greater measure. It is a time to
such ugliness? Isn’t there a more godly about what it means to be a Christian in restudy the Scriptures and learn just
way to resolve such disputes? the modern world. One by one, I’ve had what it is that God really expects of us
Of course I realize that all these to jettison those. I’ve had to realize that as individual Christians. It is a time to
things arise out of the modern the Christian faith is personal more than build faith for the difficult days ahead.
distortions of what the Church is it is corporate. It isn’t really about The Church has few friends in the
supposed to be in the first place. To hammering people about right doctrine. world, and it can’t even live in harmony
address the issue of lawsuits between It isn’t about building one’s life around within itself. That has to change. We’re
brethren, one must first examine all of the activities of a leader or of a shooting ourselves in the collective foot.
the presuppositions upon which they are denomination. It isn’t about tithing, We need a broader, deeper
launched. Who is the true Church these feast going or even Sabbath-keeping. view of what it means to be a Christian
days? Who really represents God and It’s about learning how to love in the modern world. We may soon be
who represents the devil? Who teaches God and neighbor (Matthew 22:37-40).
called upon to “put up or shut up” when
sound doctrine and who does not? Who It’s about learning how to fill up one’s
are the white hats and who are the black life with good works – works that it comes to our faith. Will we be up to
ones? At some point the discussion distribute the love of God in the real that ultimate challenge?/ Brian Knowles
descends into incoherent gibberish. world (Romans 5:5, I Peter 2:12, I
As I’ve been saying a lot lately, Timothy 6:18, Ephesians 2:10). It’s
the enemies of the Christian faith about being filled with the Holy Spirit
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Meanings of Life…From page 1 upon by God to be lights to the world (Isaiah 42:6;
Matthew 5:14 etc.). Whether we are Jews or Christians –
The Christian also openly acknowledges that he or she or both – we are called to live exemplary lives. This is
proceeds on the basis of faith, without which one cannot one meaning of our lives.
please God (Hebrews 11:6a). Faith is not blind: it is a
leap in the direction of the evidence. Our sense of Imitating God
meaning comes from a synthesis of factors including
common sense, sound science and Scripture. As we “do The way to exemplary living is to imitate God (Matthew
theology” (faith seeking understanding), meaning 5:48). If you’re a parent, you may recall turning around to
emerges. For Christians, meaning is not humanistically see your small son imitating your walk, or you may have
derived – it comes from above, from God. observed him standing on a chair in the bathroom
“shaving,” little face all lathered up. This is what our
Common Sense Abba – Father or “Daddy” wants us to do. Jesus did it
perfectly (John 14:9). We can learn to imitate God by
Does it make any sense that an omniscient, omnipotent thinking about what Jesus said about him, and by
Creator created the universe out of whimsy – for no following Jesus’ own pattern.
good reason? Psalm 8 offers us some thoughts that lead
to a sense of purpose in creation: “When I consider your The apostle John addresses this issue:
heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the “Whoever claims to live in him must walk [behave] as
stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you Jesus did,” (I John 2:6). Paul wrote, “Be imitators of God,
are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? as dearly beloved children, and live a life of love, just as
You made him a little lower the heavenly beings [Elohim] Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant
and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him offering and sacrifice to God,” (Ephesians 5:1-2).
ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything
under his feet…” (Psalm 8:3-6 NIV). Spiritual Boot Camp
The universe, as we observe it, is God’s “work” – For most Christians, this life is no cake walk – it’s Boot
the product of his mind and his hands. Man, created in Camp for eternity. A quick reading of II Corinthians 11
the divine image, stands at the pinnacle of creation. vividly depicts what Paul went through for the sake of the
Despite man’s biological commonality with the animals, Gospel. Hebrews 11:32-38 adds to the larger picture.
only man bears the stamp of the divine image. Man is Paul likened his life to that of an Olympic-style athlete
placed a little below the divine, but far above all other whipping his body into shape for competition (I
material life. Man was created to rule or have dominion Corinthians 9:24-27).
over the whole of creation.
The true Christian life is full of tests and obstacle
Need for Redemption courses. We are tempted by sin, tested by trials,
challenged by illness and sometimes threatened by
From the outset in Eden, mankind – in the form of Adam torture, imprisonment and martyrdom. We strive, through
and Eve – violated the divine trust through disobedience. the power of God and Jesus’ own example, to overcome
The first couple set the precedent for the whole of all obstacles. This too is part of our purpose.
humanity. The universality of sin necessitated a divine
redemptive plan. God is willing to forgive upon World, Flesh & Devil
repentance. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins in our
One of the purposes of this life for Christians is to follow
stead. That’s good news! Those of us who have
Christ’s example in overcoming the world, our own flesh,
experienced repentance and redemption have been
and the devil – that is to engage in spiritual warfare.
granted the privilege of spreading that news. It’s called
Ephesians 6:10-18 vividly describes the nature of that
preaching the Gospel – a collective purpose of the
warfare. In this war, our enemy uses live ammo!
church (Matthew 28:19-20).
The name Ha Satan (Hebrew) means “the
The Gospel is about what God has done in the
Adversary.” He opposes everything that is of God: the
face of Mankind’s sinfulness – it is “the Gospel of God” (I
Creation itself; mankind; Israel; Christ and the Church.
Thessalonians 2:2, 8, 9). It involves His redemptive plan
When you see these things under attack, you can
in which those who return to God are invited to
justifiably suspect the hand of the enemy. Only the
participate. Both Israel and the Church have been called
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power and authority of God keep him from utterly Overcoming the downward pull of our own nature
destroying the human race. Murder is in his heart (John and developing the mind and nature of God is a major
8:44). He is the ultimate anti-Semite and anti-Christ. purpose of life. Despite the battles with his own flesh,
Destruction and misery are in his ways and in the ways Paul felt that he was successfully developing the mind of
of those who follow him. Christ (I Corinthians 2:16 etc.). He was learning to think
like God and act like Christ.
Scripture is replete with examples of the
behaviors of Satan, his demonic armies, and his human To do good in the world
agents. It behooves all of us to study the tactics of our
most deadly enemy, recognize them in the real world, The human offspring of the devil do all the harm in the
and learn how to defeat them in Christ. Satan may world they can get away with. God’s children do all the
actually find ways to kill us through war, genocide, good they can get away with. Consider Paul’s
sickness or other means; but if we die in Christ, that is admonition to the congregations in Galatia: “Do not be
not a defeat. Jesus taught, “Do not be afraid of those deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows,
who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be that he will also reap [Christian version of “Karma”]. For
afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in he who sows to his flesh will of his flesh reap corruption,
hell [Gehenna],” (Matthew 10:28). but he who sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap
everlasting life.
Study 1 Corinthians 15 for the big picture – just
as Jesus defeated death through resurrection, so shall “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for
his people. Satan can kill but he cannot make alive. in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Jesus came that we might have life for “God is the God Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all,
of the living” (cf. Matthew 22:32b), not of the dead. Just especially to those who are of the household of faith,”
remember this one working principle: the things of Satan (Galatians 6:7-10, NKJV).
tend toward destruction (Revelation 9:11), sickness
Doing good involves meeting people at their real
(Luke 13:11), deception (John 8:44; II Thessalonians
points of need. Note for example: “He who despises his
2:9-12) and death (John 8:44). Everything about God
neighbor sins; but he who has mercy on the poor, happy
tends toward life, healing and redemption. God forgives
is he,” and: “He who oppresses the poor reproaches his
all our sins and heals all our diseases (Psalm 103:1-5). It
Maker, but he who honors him has mercy on the needy,”
is God’s wish that no one perish, but that all should
(Proverbs 14: 21 & 31).
return to God in repentance and find redemption (II Peter
3:9b). Our God is not the author of “cultures of death” Righteous Tabitha (Dorcas) was returned to life
but rather of life. after dying to continue making tunics for the needy (Acts
9:36-39).
Internal Struggles
Jesus himself set the example when he “went
Another purpose is to bring under subjection the drives
about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of
of our own flesh. The drives themselves are not evil –
the devil…” (Acts 10:38). Jesus loved people. He
they are built in by the Creator (Genesis 1:31). God
provided them with food and drink, with healing and
ordained heterosexual marriage as the means of
deliverance, with sound teaching and good counsel, and
reproduction. No sex drive, no mankind after the first
with compassion and affection. He was able to do all this
generation. Yet God commanded the first couple to have
because “God was with him” (ibid.). In love, Jesus gave
sex and reproduce. He did not ordain indiscriminate sex
for us the greatest sacrifice: his own life. We are called
with everything that moved!
to imitate Jesus’ good works and perhaps even exceed
All human drives were given by God – along with some of them (John 14:12).
“rules of usage.” When we violate those rules, we “miss
The good works that we do must be done with
the mark” and sin. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6;
humility and a servant’s heart (Matthew 23:11-12 &
23). We must rule over the drives of our flesh through
Matthew 10:15). And we must seek in them God’s glory,
the power of the Spirit of God. Even the mighty apostle
not our own. Christian writer Warren Wiersbe expressed
Paul daily wrestled with pulls of his flesh and mind
it beautifully when he wrote, “Ministry takes place when
(Romans 7:14-24). When he failed and fell, he rose up
divine resources meet human needs through loving
again and relied on the grace of God to get him through
channels to the glory of God,” On Being a Servant, p. 3.
(verses 24:25).
4
As Christians, we do not look for any reward or For some, God is an elusive, unfathomable mystery, at
recognition for our good works in this life (Matthew 6:1- best a mere intellectual abstraction utterly beyond the
4). We do them to follow the pattern of our Lord, and ken of mere mortals. From the fourth century to the
because they need to be done – not to earn salvation or twenty-first out theologians continue to debate the nature
any human payoff. Jesus admonished, “Be careful not to of the invisible God. Is He a trinity, a binity or a
do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men to be seen of singularity? One thing we do know: God is a Spirit (John
them…” Ostentatious giving is not the way to go 4:24) and no mortal truly understands the nature of spirit.
(Matthew 6:1-4). It is beyond the realm of human analysis.
Like our leader, Yeshua, we are light and salt in 1. Greatest handicap: fear 2. Greatest day: today 3.
a darkening, spiritually flavorless world. We must master Greatest mistake: giving up 4. Greatest stumbling block:
the world, the flesh and the devil on an ongoing basis. ego 5. Easiest thing to do: find fault 6. Greatest comfort:
work well done 7. Greatest need: common sense 8.
Collectively, we are here to disseminate the good Greatest gift: forgiveness
news about what God has done. We are also expected
to do all the good we can get away with, all the while
BIBLE STUDY:
6
The position taken by Jesus Christ and the New control their development. Surely someone designed
Testament in general is that mankind had its origin as a them to be the way they are?" He adds, "Increasingly I
direct creation by God. They quote liberally from the first am persuaded by Paley's arguments" [Dr Le Fanu:
chapters of Genesis for their "world view" of origins. All Sunday Telegraph, 1996]
their hearers had this same concept.
The notion of divine creation as opposed to the
The purpose of the Bible, and particularly the account of evolutionary development of the human race is more
creation in Genesis, is to explain who and why, not what than mere biology or dogma. It encompasses our
and when. The Theory of Evolution addresses what and approach to life itself.
when, not who and why. Was there a time when there
were no "men". Everyone agrees yes! Are there men - natural selection or the survival of the fittest is a
now? Yes! So there must have been a "first" man! Our concept that runs contrary to the divine law of love. This
purpose here is not primarily to discuss the numerous philosophy undergirds Hitler's justification for his "master
variants of the Theory of Evolution and then to poke race" policies. [Evolution is a system in which] "the
holes in each one. The evolutionists already do that message is always 'exploit your environment including
themselves. Our purpose is to discuss the "who", usually your friends and relatives so as to maximize our genes'
God (Gen. 1:1), and the "why", usually with the long term success" [George C. Williams, evolutionary biologist]
purpose of "bringing many sons to glory" (Heb. 2:10).
- the humanist philosophy of evolution leaves no room
The Theory of Evolution is only a theory. As with all for a divine Being, nor for life after death - the hope of
scientific theories, we use them where they are useful, the Christian and indeed of nearly all of mankind ... I
ignore them where they are not. Usually we ignore Corinthians 15:12-19
Einstein's Theory of Relativity. Usually we use Newton's
Theories (his scientific "Laws") of motion, even though it - leave God out of human existence and there is no
is straightforward to demonstrate that they are incorrect.
purpose in life beyond what we accomplish here and
When it comes to digging up dinosaurs, the Theory of
now. Leave God out, and we can do as we please - until
Evolution may be useful. When it comes to thinking
the inevitable Judgment ... Ecclesiastes 8:15, Luke
about the meaning of life, that same Theory (as usually
12:14-21
presented) is next to useless.
The scientific arguments for evolution need to be
How do Jesus and the Biblical writers perceive God's
constantly revised as old hypotheses are regularly
role in the appearance of the first man?
proved erroneous. Evolution has no sure answer to the
complexities of the living organism.
- Jesus refers to mankind as having "a beginning" ...
Matthew 19:4
- God condemns those who are willingly ignorant of the
clear evidence in nature that He is Creator ... Romans
- and states that man and woman were "made" in the 1:18-25. Rejection of self-evident truth (e.g., that design
beginning ... Mark 10:6 requires a Designer) undermines logical thought
processes. If unchecked, this perversion will destroy
- the apostle Paul refers to "the first man", and names mankind.
him Adam, as does the Old Testament ... 1 Corinthians
15:45, Genesis 2:19 etc. Adam derives from a word - mankind is the pinnacle of God's direct creative acts.
signifying rosy (cheek). It is often used for man, All of creation is in support of and to benefit mankind ...
mankind, and is related to earth. Eve (Heb. chavah) Genesis 1 & 2
signifies life-giving.
- we are created not only with the general form of the
- According to the Bible, the structure of creation divine Being, but also to come into His spiritual image ...
presupposes a Designer. The testimony of creation Genesis 1:26, II Peter 1:4
encodes a message about the divine Creator ... Psalm
19:1-4 The Living Soul
- others (e.g., in Mormon teaching) believe they receive "Biologists now recognize that the formation of life is
a "fresh" pre-existing soul from God when they first draw altogether harder than they originally thought.... One of
breath. Some mainstream theologians also held this the most radical suggestions...[is] that life began us a
view (e.g., Origen). "Souls are immortal. as God Himself form of clay" [1997 clipping]
is immortal and eternal" [Origen died c. 254 A.D.]
- birds, fish, animals are often "living souls" [nephesh] in
- Christians generally accept the immortal soul's the Scriptures. Do they also live beyond death?
presence with no fixed view as to when it becomes part Ecclesiastes 3:19-21.
of them. However, it has been a topic of dispute through
the centuries. Creationism for example, states God - all return to dust ... Ecclesiastes 3:20, Genesis 3:19
creates a new soul for each at birth (Jerome, Calvin).
Traducianism teaches that the soul and body are
- one of the clearest Bible texts emphatically declares
created by propagation (Tertullian, Leo, Luther). "I may that immortality belongs only to God. Our doctrine of
use the opinion of Plato when he declares 'every soul is
man must be set against this backdrop ... I Timothy 6:15-
immortal'" [Tertullian]
16: "...the King of kings and Lord of lords who alone has
immortality." Immortality here means 'deathlessness'.
The Lateran Council (1513) condemned to be punished Immortality is not our normal state, but is something that
as heretics those who "...assert that the intellectual soul must be 'put on' [I Corinthians 15:53, 54]
is mortal". It was a life and death matter to believe this!
- the term "immortal soul" does not appear at all in the
In our search for the truth, we clearly need to examine Scriptures of the Old or New Testament.
the Scriptures to see if this concept of an immortal soul -
or indeed of an immortal human spirit - is there - other direct statements declare "the soul [nephesh] that
confirmed. It is clear that within a couple of centuries of
sins shall die" ... Ezekiel 18:4, 20.
Jesus Christ, the idea that the soul its immortal had
"The belief that the soul continues its existence after the
become firmly embedded in Christianity. Was it so from dissolution of the body...[is] nowhere expressly taught in
the beginning? the Holy Scriptures" [Jewish Encyclopedia Art:
Immortality of the Soul]
When studying what may at first appear complex in the "Later Christian thinkers tended to downgrade anything
Scriptures, it is helpful to first sketch out a doctrine using physical and see the body as the prison of the soul.
apparently clear and unambiguous texts. However this is not a biblical idea. The Hebrews thought
of the human being as a unity, not as a body and soul."
Man was created from the natural elements, from "the (Peter Vardy and Mary Mills (Roman Catholics?), "The
dust of the ground" - earth. Into this complex physical Puzzle of the Gospels", 1997, Armonk, NY: M.E.
form God breathed "the breath of life". As a result man Sharpe, Inc. p. 201)
became alive. As the KJV puts it, he "became a living
soul". - Jesus held the same view ... John 3:16. Here he
contrasts eternal life and perishing - the terms are
- man is formed from the material elements found in the opposites. Without Jesus Christ, (which is the normal
physical creation, just like the whole of the non-human human condition), we will perish. When we have true
creation...Genesis 1:20, 24, 30; 7:21-22. belief in him, we are given a life that will never end ... 1
John 5:11, 12
"It's important to carefully study the tests quoted in your
own Bible, and in context!" - when we sin, the pay-off is death. It is not "eternal life
in hell-fire". In contrast, through Jesus Christ we receive
- Together with the "breath of life" he became "a living the gift of eternal life ... Romans 6:23. Note that Jesus
soul"...Genesis 2:7: "Then the Lord God formed man of said the soul [Gk. psuche=Heb nephesh] can be
dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the destroyed in 'hell' [Matthew 10:28]
breath of life: and man became a living soul."
- since all of us have sinned, we all reap the death
The "breath of life" is simply air a mix of vital gases - penalty - unless we have repented and had our sin
blown by God into Adam's lungs through his nose. covered by the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
Without it we are dead flesh!
8
- note that the soul of Jesus was sacrificed, killed - and those still living are experiencing, no opportunity to
his life blood poured out ...Isaiah 53:10-12, John 19:34, praise God...Psalm 6:5, 146:4, 104:23-30, Eccles 9:5,
Heb 9:22 Isaiah 63:16, Job 14:21
- we learn from God's recorded Word that the 'life' [soul, - but all mankind will be raised from the dead, each in a
nephesh] is in the blood ... Leviticus 17:11, 14; Deut. particular order, to face God ... Hebrews 9:27, I
12:23 Corinthians 15:22-26, John 5:21-29
- the apostle Peter gave the remedy for sin. On the first - for those who have repented of sin and been baptized,
Christian Pentecost he told his hearers: "Repent and be this resurrection coincides with the return of Christ as
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ King of kings ... Colossians 3:4, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52,
for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of Revelation 20:4-5. How God deals with those who lived
the Holy Spirit" ... Acts 2:38 without having heard the true Gospel will he the subject
of another lesson.
- it is through this gift of the Holy Spirit that God shares
with us His immortality. God is [Holy] Spirit, and His - the idea of resurrection is also implicit in the Old
purpose is to make us His dwelling-place ... John 4:24, Testament ... Hebrews 11:17-19, Job 14:14-15, Psalm
Ephesians 2:22 16:9-10
- recall that this gift is available only to those who obey - Daniel links the future "reward" for God's people with a
God ... Acts 5:32 resurrection in a distant future - following a future time of
tribulation ... Daniel 12:1-3: "Many of them that sleep in
Why A Resurrection? the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life
and some to shame and everlasting contempt."
A Christian funeral usually includes the words "in sure
and certain hope of the resurrection" Why? What need is - the LXX Greek version of the Old Testament (3rd cent
there for a resurrection if true believers are "with Christ" BC) uses the word aeonion for the Hebrew 'everlasting'
immediately they die? This, of course, is the established Jesus and the NT writers built on this. Eternal life: (Gk
view of mainstream Christianity. At death we either go to aeonion = pertaining to the age). "What appears in the
'heaven' or to 'hell' (or, to the intermediate 'purgatory' of English versions of the Bible as 'eternal life' or 'life
Roman Catholic theology). everlasting really means 'the life of the age to come'... It
is synonymous with the Kingdom of God... The chief
"In putting departed souls in heaven, hell or purgatory, implication of 'aeonian life' is...life pertaining to the age
to come". [Alan Richardson Intro to the Theology of the
you destroy the arguments wherewith Christ and Paul
New Testament] A future lesson will discuss the
prove the resurrection... If the soul be in heaven what
Kingdom of God and resurrection in more detail.
cause is there for the resurrection?" [William Tyndale]
'Soul Sleep': Technically known as psychopannychy(!), Occult Origins of the "Immortal Soul"
the term 'soul sleep' does not correctly express the Bible
teaching. The soul dies, but death itself is frequently Virtually all mankind believes in some form of existence
described as a 'sleep'. [Daniel 12:2, John 11:11-14 immediately following death. The idea trails many ugly
Matthew 27:52 etc] concepts: returning to life as an inferior being,
concern about infants and harmless, but unconverted,
It is a deadly mistake to assume that God will share adults burning in eternal fire,
His immortality with those who refuse to obey Him. Christians in heaven seeing the horrendous suffering of
However, in no way does this imply that salvation is loved ones on earth or in the 'hell' as portrayed in
Dante's Inferno,
anything but God's unearned and unmerited gift to
us. prayer to disembodied spirits of those who have 'passed
on', contact with the dead through mediums etc.
The Biblical view that man does not naturally have
The notion of "praying to the saints" is an idea drawn
immortality (an immortal soul) dovetails with the clear
from occult sources. The Bible rejects the idea
teaching of Scripture that the entrance to the Kingdom of
God is by means of a resurrection. There's no place in throughout. The idea was common among the
Babylonians. They believed their 5000 or so 'gods' were
the Scriptures for disembodied spirits - apart from 'devils'
once heroes on earth.
- in any location. The notion of such departed human
spirits is foreign to the Bible.
"There is no suggestion in the OT of the transmigration
- death ends everything until God raises us from the of the soul as an immaterial, immortal entity" [Marshall
Pickering Encyclopedia of the Bible v.2 2, art soul]
dead we have no memories, no knowledge of what
9
Given all this Scripture evidence that man is mortal and - mankind has swallowed this lie whole, and Satan, the
has to be given immortality (with conditions attached!) - occult power that seeks to thwart God's grand design for
how did the idea of an immortal soul become so widely mankind, has successfully deceived virtually the whole
accepted? human race in this as in so much else ... Revelation
12:9, I John 5:19, II Corinthians 4:4. "...the whole world
- tradition suggests that our first parents lived perfectly is in the power of the evil one"
for some seven years in Eden. [I John 5:19 RSV].
Then, according to the Plato's Thoughts On Immortality
Scriptures, their faith was What About the 'Spirit in
compromised by "the serpent" Death is defined by Plato (428-348 B.C.) as "the Man'?
... Genesis ch. 3 separation of the soul from the body"; but is not
the end of the soul. He believes in the Perceptive Bible students may
- this 'serpent' [Heb nachash, transmigration of souls from one living thing to wonder about the various
Gk ophis] is identified in the NT another, and in reincarnation, the rebirth of the references in Scripture to a
as "the Devil and Satan" ... soul in new bodies. In his book, the Phaedrus, he "human spirit". We have
Revelation 12:9, 20:2. The offers proof of the soul's immortality, by proving demonstrated by numerous
'king of Tyre' symbolizes Satan, the existence of gods from self-generating motion. clear passages that man's
once known as Lucifer (=light He claims that "All soul is immortal; for what is 'soul' is his physical life, and
bearer). Ezekiel tells us he was always in motion is immortal." How do we know doesn't survive death except by
once a created 'anointed that the soul is "always in motion?" Plato asserts a resurrection. So what about
cherub' present at God's that it is the nature of the soul to initiate its own this "spirit in man"?
throne. There will be a lesson changes, to be self-moving, rather than merely to
later in the Course on the be moved, and something that is self-moving "can Whatever it may be, the human
angelic world...see also Isaiah neither be destroyed nor come into being." spirit is not immortal. Let's see
14. what the Bible teaches about
based on The Philosopher's Lighthouse, the word used for 'spirit'
- he, the 'father of lies', library.thinkquest.org/18775/plato/mortp.htm (Hebrew/Aramaic ruach),
introduced the false idea that translated by a dozen or so
man is of himself immortal ... "But then, O my friends, he said, if the soul is English words in the KJV, and
Genesis 3:4, John 8:44 really immortal, what care should be taken of her, used some 380 times. The
not only in respect of the portion of time which is Greek equivalent (pneuma)
- God had warned our first called life, but of eternity! And the danger of appears in the NT a similar
parents that if they ate of a neglecting her from this point of view does indeed number of times.
particular tree (the 'tree of the appear to be awful. If death had only been the end
knowledge of good and evil') of all, the wicked would have had a good bargain - the words include both the
they would that day die. Did in dying, for they would have been happily quit not physical and the immaterial.
they? ... Genesis 2:15-17, 5:3- only of their body, but of their own evil together Their essential feature is that
5 with their souls. But now, as the soul plainly 'Spirit' is invisible - the Spirit of
appears to be immortal, there is no release or God, angels, wind, breath, the
salvation from evil except the attainment of the human spirit, the human mind,
- clearly, God was not speaking
highest virtue and wisdom. For the soul when on attitude etc.
of physical death. By their
her progress to the world below takes nothing with
disobedience, their
her but nurture and education; which are indeed
transgression of this divine - the human spirit is the aspect
said greatly to benefit or greatly to injure the
torah (= direction, teaching, of man with which God
departed, at the very beginning of its pilgrimage in
law), they sinned and would communicates and by which
the other world."
thus be denied aeonian we understand the world
Socrates in Plato's Phaedo, 107 in Jowett's
life...Romans 6:23,1 John 3:4, around us ... Romans 8:16, I
translation.
Hebrews 9:27 Corinthians 2:9-12
"The soul of man is immortal and
- only through repentance, - it is the 'spark of life' which
imperishable."
through ceasing to disobey divides life from death ...
Plato, The Republic,, Book X, 608-D
God as revealed in the Holy James 2:26, Ecclesiastes 12:7,
Scriptures, and through the Acts 7:59, Luke 23:46
acceptance of the shed blood of the Saviour Jesus
Christ to cover our sin, may any of us have that life of - the human spirit is an integral part of the whole man ...
the age to come. I Thessalonians 5:23
- Satan, man's adversary, sowed the subtle lie that man - animals, too, have a spirit, The original words are the
would live for ever, even when he disobeyed the Creator same (Heb. ruach) ... Ecclesiastes 3:18-22, Numbers
... Genesis 3:4 16:22, 27:16
10
- we may speculate that the human and animal spirit is a Just when each of us will be given the opportunity to
product of the marvelously intricate nervous systems perfect our character, through Christ, is God's choice.
with which each living creature is endowed. We share a But as a future lesson will reveal, ever human who has
pattern, but with man as the pinnacle - alone capable of lived will, in the end, have been given that opportunity.
rational thought, aesthetic appreciation, consciousness
of a world beyond the material, and the need to worship. Only by the yielding of our life to God, through Jesus
Man was created "in the image of God" with the capacity Christ who is the way to the Father, can that character
to manage earth and all its resources ... Genesis 1:26- be complete. Through Him, we may receive the very
30, 2:15. Spirit of God - our essential missing ingredient. Through
His Spirit, God can reside in us - but only in those who
- the spirit is capable of being depressed, revived, etc. It are willing to fully submit their life to Him ... Acts 5:32,
is in process of being fashioned through our life Romans 12:1-2.
experiences ... Isaiah 57:15, Zechariah 12:1, Isaiah 64:8,
Judges 15:19, I Kings 21:5 Hope of the Resurrection
- angels are also 'spirit'. Yet they are created beings. and It's against the background of the proven utter mortality
exist only as long as God permits Cherubs. too. are of man that we must set those texts in Scripture which
created angelic beings Recall that we read Satan was might otherwise, on superficial examination, imply man's
once 'an anointed cherub'...Colossians 1:16-17, Ezekiel survival, immediately after death, to heaven, hell,
28:12-17, Hebrews 1:7,14 purgatory. The Bible writers don't spell out their full
understanding every time they address a particular topic.
- no matter what our station in life every human being The underlying principles are assumed. This is
who has lived, whether converted or unconverted, will be especially so in the matter discussed in this lesson. Not
called to account for our lives before God ... Matthew one Bible writer subscribed to the notion of an immortal
12:36, Heb 9:27 soul.
- the functioning of our nervous system produces the - the apostle Paul is often cited as having the belief of
totality of the human persona - the whole person. Our immediate transport to heaven upon death. But as a
dominant traits, gifts, are special configurations of our 'Hebrew of the Hebrews' he knew man was mortal, that
neurons determined by our genetic inheritance - musical life beyond life depended on a resurrection...I
ability, physical traits, etc. Corinthians 15:50-56, Col 3:1-4, I Thessalonians 4:13-
18, 11 Corinthians 4:14
- God communicates with us, through the human spirit.
His special gifts (Gk. pneumatikoi derived from - Paul, filled with his love for God, longed for the time he
pneuma=spirit) to His sons and daughters may well act would go to be with Him and with Jesus Christ. This was
through the human spirit ...Romans 8:16, 1:11, I his cherished hope. But he knew his wish would only be
Corinthians 12:1. fulfilled at the return of Christ ... Philippians 1:23-24, 11
Timothy 4:6-8
A typical worm or slug brain has twenty nerve cells
(neurons), a bee several thousand, a frog four million. - now read the passage in II Corinthians 5:1-10 with this
Mammals show a great leap - a cat has 100 million. background concept in mind. Paul expected to appear
before Christ's 'judgment seat' for the purpose of reward
Human brains, however, ever, have ten billion intricately and correction (v.10) When would that happen? ...
interconnecting neurons - what has been described as Revelation 11:15-18, 22:12
"the most complicated machine in the known universe''
One neurologist estimates the number of The Bible is clear - man is mortal. We will, upon
interconnections at 'one followed by a million kilometers repentance, be given immortality through a resurrection,
of zeroes'! and at the return of Jesus Christ "at the last trumpet".
The Bible knows nothing of the perverted Greek
The complex "artificial intelligence" of computers is philosophical notion of an immortal soul!
based on the neurological structure and function of the
brain. In the Scriptures God has given us with perfect clarity all
we need to know about Him and His plan for our present
The purpose of our existence is not the gratification and life and for our eternal future. But we can't simply take
cosseting of the self. God has put us here with purpose - down our KJV or any version - and hope to resolve every
to develop into His spiritual image. This demands a theological nuance without some expert guidance.
lifetime of experience Every thought, every word we
utter, every action contributes to the ultimate "form" of Many factors can affect the meaning. Geography can be
our human spirit - our character. important for understanding. The focus of the writer. The
context. The underlying, but not always stated,theology.
11
Preconceived but unbiblical notions of the student. The 'time' can affect our ability to understand a particular
challenges of accurate translation from a strange passage.
language. And the prevailing culture - so different from
our own. For example, even the Biblical perception of Failure to account for such factors leads to much
misunderstanding of the Biblical text. James McBride
12
“Sapagkat ang kabayaran ng kasalanan ay kamatayan; pumirma sa isang kard, maglalakad-lakad sa pasilyo,
datapuwa’t ang kaloob na walang bayad ng Diyos ay buhay magdasal sa isang altar o anumang kahalintulad nito.
na walang hanggan kay Kristo Jesus na Panginoong natin”
Ang Biblia ay nagsasaad ng maliwanag na mga
(Roma 6:23).
halimbawa. Narito ang dalawa:
“Sapagkat gayon na lamang ang pagsinta ng Diyos sa
“At sila’y inilabas at sinabi, Mga ginoo, Ano ang
sanlibutan, na ibinigay niya ang kaniyang bugtong na Anak,
kinakailangan kong gawin upang maligtas? At kanilang
upang ang sinumang kaniya’y sumampalataya ay huwag
sinabi, manampalataya ka sa Panginoong Jesus at
mapahamak, kundi magkaroon ng buhay na walang
maliligtas ka, ikaw at ang iyong sambahayan. At sa
hanggan. Sapagkat hindi sinugo ng Diyos ang Anak sa
kaniya’y sinalita nila ang salita ng Panginoon, pati sa lahat
sanlibutan upang hatulan ang sanlibutan; kundi upang ang
ng nangasa kaniyang bahay.
sanlibutan ay maligtas sa pamamagitan niya” (Juan 3:16-
17). At sila’y kaniyang kinuha nang oras ding yaon ng gabi, at
hinugasan ang kanilang mga latay; at pagdaka’y
Ang bawat isa sa atin ay nagkasala. Ang Panginoong
binautismuhan siya at ang buong sambahayan niya. At
Diyos ay gumawa ng daan, sa pamamagitan ni Jesus ang
sila’y kaniyang ipinanhik sa kaniyang bahay at hinainan sila
Kristo, upang pagbayaran ang kasalanang iyan. (Ang
ng pagkain, at nagalak na totoo, pati ng buong
‘Kristo’ ay hindi apelyido ni Jesus. Ang ibig sabihin nito ay
samabahayan niya, na nagsisampalataya sa Diyos”
“pinili”. Hinangad Niyang iligtas ang lahat sa kanilang
kasalanan. (Gawa 16:30-34).
“Kaya’t kung ang sinuman ay na kay Kristo, siya’y “Nang marinig nga nila ito, ay nangasaktan ang
bagong nilalang; ang mga dating bagay ay nagsilipas na; kanilang puso at sinabi kay Pedro at sa ibang mga apostol,
narito, sila’y pawing naging mga bago” (2 Corinto 5:17). Mga kapatid , anong gagawin namin? At sinabi sa kanila ni
Pedro, Mangagsisi kayo, at mangagbautismo ang bawat
“…sa anumang paraan ay hindi kita papagkukulangin,
isa sa inyo sa pangalan ni JesuKristo sa ikapagpapatawad
sa anumang paraan ni hindi kita pababayaan” (Hebreo
ng inyong mga kasalanan: at tatanggapin ninyo ang kaloob
13:5).
ng Espiritu Santo.
“Sapagkat sa biyaya kayo’y nangaligtas sa
Sapagkat sa inyo ang pangako, at sa inyong mga anak,
pamamagitan ng pananampalataya; at ito’y hindi sa inyong
at sa lahat ng nangasa malayo, maging ilan man ang
sarili, ito’y kaloob ng Diyos; Hindi sa pamamagitan ng mga
tawagin ng Panginoon nating Diyos sa Kaniya”
gawa, upang ang sinuman ay huwag magmapuri. Sapagkat
tayo’y kaniyang gawa, na nilalang Kay Kristo Jesus para sa (Gawa 2:37-39).
mabubuting gawa, na mga inihanda ng Diyos nang una
Ang Espiritu Santo
upang siya nating lakaran” (Efeso 2:8-10).
Ano ang kaloob ng Espiritu Santo? Ano ang ginagawa
“Sumagot si Jesus at sinabi sa kaniya, kung ang nito? Maraming mga talata sa Banal na Kasulatan ang
sinuman ay umiibig sa akin, ay kaniyang tutuparin ang aking
dapat nating pag-aralan tungkol sa paksang ito. Maaaring
salita: at siya’y iibigin ng akin Ama, at Kami’y pasasa ka
mag-umpisa sa mga sumusunod:
niya at siya’y gagawin naming aming tahanan” (Juan
14:23). “Puspusin nga kayo ng Diyos ng pag-asa ng buong
kagalakan at kapayapaan sa pananampalataya upang
Ang pagsunod kay Jesu-Cristo ay hindi pagsunod sa
kayo’y managana sa pag-asa sa pamamagitan ng
bagong patakaran kundi isang ganap na pagbabago ng
kapangyarihan ng Espiritu Santo. At ako naman sa aking
buhay. Ito ay paghahanap ng pamumuhay ng gaya Niya at
sarili ay naniniwalang lubos tungkol sa inyo mga kapatid ko,
paggawa ng mga bagay-bagay na Kaniyang ginawa.
na kayo naman ay mangapuspos ng kabutihan, pinuspos ng
Si Jesu-Cristo ay nagbibigay ng ganap na kapatawaran lahat ng kaalaman na anupa’t makapagpapaalala naman
sa lahat ng mga nakaraang kasalanan – maging gaano man kayo sa isa’t isa” (Roma 15:13-14).
kasama ito – ang ating pananahan sa Kaniya upang tayo’y
“Na pawang sinasaksihan naman ng Diyos na kasama
lumakad na gaya ng inilakad niya. (1 Juan 2:6).
nila, sa pamamagitan ng mga tanda, at mga kababalaghan,
Ano Ang Dapat Mong Gawin? at ng saganang kapangyarihan at ng mga kaloob ng
Espiritu Santo, ayon sa kaniyang sariling kalooban”
May nararapat bang gawin ang isang tao kapag
(Hebreo 2:14).
gumawa siya ng desisyong mag-umpisang sundin ang
Panginoong Diyos at ang kaniyang gawi o Kaparaanan? “Gayon ma’y kung siya, ang Espiritu ng katotohanan na
dumating, ay papatnubayan niya kayo sa buong
Maraming mga Kristiyano ang humihikayat sa mga
katotohanan: sapagkat hindi siya magsasalita ng mula sa
bagong nanampalataya na sumapi sa isang iglesia,
13
kaniyang sarili; kundi ang ano mang bagay na magsidating” “At narinig ko ang isang malakas na tinig na mula sa
(Juan 16:13). luklukan, na nagsasabi, Narito ang tabernakulo ng Diyos
ay nasa mga tao, at siya’y mananahan sa kanila, at sila’y
“Na sa kaniya’y kayo rin naman, pagkarinig ng aral ng
magiging mga bayan niya, at ang Diyos din ay nasa kanila,
katotohanan, ng ebangelio ng inyong kaligtasan – na sa
at magiging Diyos nila:
kaniya rin naman, mula nang kayo’y magsisampalataya ay
kayo’y tinatakan ng Espiritu Santo na ipinangako, na At papahirin niya ang bawat luha sa kanilang mga
siyang patotoo sa ating mana, hanggang sa ikatutubos ng mata: at hindi na magkakaroon ng kamatayan; hindi na
sariling pag-aari ng Diyos, sa ikapupuri ng kaniyang magkakaroon pa ng dalamhati, o ng pananambitan man,
kaluwalhatian” (Efeso 1:13-14). o ng hirap pa man: ang mga bagay nang una ay naparaan
na. At yaong nakaluklok sa luklukan ay nagsabi.
Ang Espiritu Santo ay ibinibigay sa mga taong
naglalaan ng kanilang buhay sa Panginoong Diyos (Gawa Narito, ginagawa kong bago ang lahat ng mga
5:32). Kung minsan, ito’y ibinibigay na kaakibat ang bagay. At sinabi niya: Isulat mo sapagkat ang mga salitang
panlabas na mga tanda (Gawa 2:1-4; 19:6), sa ibang ito ay tapat at tunay” (Apocalipsis 21:3-5).
panahon nama’y nagbibigay ito ng malalim na paninindigan
Ano Ang Susunod Na Hakbang Tungo Sa Isang Bagong
at kaligayahan (1 Tesalonica 1:5-7).
Buhay?
Tulad nito ang “earnest money” na ating tinatanggap
Ang pag-aalay ng iyong buhay sa Panginoong Diyos ay ang
kapag tayo’y may ipinagbiling bahay – ito’y tanda na
unang hakbang patungo sa isang mahaba, kamangha-
talagang seryoso ang bumibili. Hindi ito ang kabuuang
mangha, makahulugan, ngunit kung minsan ay mahirap na
halaga, ni ang paunang bayad – ito ay isa lamang tanda sa
daan. Kailangan mong mag-umpisang magbasa ng
totoong bagay na magaganap.
Banal na Kasulatan at mamuhay sa bawat salitang
Ang katotohanan ay binili tayo ni Jesu-Cristo sa mamutawi sa bibig ng Panginoong Diyos (Mateo 4:4).
pamamagitan ng kaniyang hirap at pasakit.
Si Jesu-Cristo ang gagabay sa iyo, ang Espiritu Santo ay
“O hindi baga ninyo nalalaman na ang inyong katawan pasasa-iyo at makihalubilo ka sa ibang mananampalataya
ay templo ng Espiritu Santo na nasa inyo na tinanggap (Hebreo 10:25). Maaari mong pakiusapan ang iba sa kanila
ninyo sa Diyos? At hindi kayo sa inyong sarili; Sapagkat na ikaw ay bautismuhan, bilang tanda ng pag-aalay mo ng
kayo’y binili sa halaga: luwalhatiin nga ninyo ng inyong iyong buhay sa Panginoong Diyos.
katawan ang Diyos” (1 Corinto 6:19-20).
Pansinin na hindi namin sinasabing ikaw ay “sumali sa
Ano Ang Hinaharap Ng Manampalataya? isang iglesia”. Ang Apostol Pablo ay tinuruan ang mga
nananampalataya na huwag makiisa sa isang pinunong
Hinuhubog at tinuturuan tayo ng Panginoong Diyos
pang-relihiyon (1 Corinto 1:11-17; 3:1-11), kundi ituring nila
ngayon upang tayo’y maging “katulad Niya.” Matututunan
ang kanilang mga sarili bilang bahagi ng Katawan ni Jesu-
natin ito habang tayo’y nasa anyong pisikal upang
Cristo – ang kaisa-isang Iglesia o “Simbahan”.
maiwasan o malimitahan ang ating mga pagkakamali at
nang hindi natin mabulabog pa ang mga “bagay–bagay” lalo Sa kasalukuyan, marami pa ring mga denominasyong
na yaong patungkol sa Buhay na Walang Hanggan. Subalit pangrelihiyon ang nakikiisa sa isang pinunong pangrelihiyon
ang patutunguhan ng isang sumusunod sa Diyos ay o sa pangkat ng mga nagtuturo (ang iba’y buhay pa, ang
napakaganda na maging ang mga apostol ay nahirapan nila iba’y patay na).
ito isalarawan.
Hanapin ninyo ang mga kongregasyong local na binubuo ng
“Sapagkat ang ating pagkamamamayan ay nasa langit; mga Malaya at walang kinasasapiang denominasyong
mula roon ay hihintay naman natin ang Tagapagligtas, ang mananampalataya. Bumisita sa mahigit na isa.
Panginoong JesuKristo: Na siyang magbabago ng
Kung kami’y inyong tatanungin, tutulungan namin kayong
katawan ng ating pagkamababa, upang maging katulad
maghanap ng isang pangkat o padadalhan namin kayo ng
ng katawan ng Kaniyang kaluwalhatian ayon sa paggawa
mga babasahin upang matulungan kayong madagdagan
na maipagpapasuko Niya sa lahat ng mga bagay sa Kanya”
ang inyong kaalamanan at kamalayan. Wala tayong dapat
(Filemon 3:20-21).
na anibang isang organisasyong pangrelihiyon.
“Mga minamahal, ngayon ay mga anak tayo ng Diyos,
Nawa’y pagpalain kayo ng Poong Maykapal sa inyong
at hindi pa nahahayag kung magiging ano tayo. Nalalaman
pagsunod sa Kaniya!
natin na kung siya’y mahayag, tayo’y magiging katulad
niya: sapagkat siya’y ating makikitang gaya ng
kaniyang sarili” (1 Juan 3:2).
14
Commentary:
On Being Perfect
Be ye therefore perfect,
even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect
(Matthew 5:48 KJV).
The call for perfection that Jesus included in the Sermon on the Mount seems to ask
the impossible of us. How on earth can any man ever achieve perfection? One explanation I’ve heard is that perfection
is the goal, and we will only reach it only in the resurrection. We strive for perfection in this life, but there is no way we
can achieve it in the flesh. But if that is what Jesus meant, there were many ways he could have said precisely that.
There is an odd thing about this passage. Jesus did not speak of perfection here. What he said was, "Be ye therefore
teleios, even as your Father which is in heaven is teleios." Jesus, of course, spoke these words in Aramaic. Choosing
the best Greek word to convey the idea, Matthew used the word telios to tell us what Jesus said. With all the wonderful
Bible study programs now available, anyone can consult a Greek lexicon and do his own word search. The definition of
telios in the lexicon is "complete." You can do a word study through the New Testament to see how the word is used,
and you will find that "complete" works in every instance. Jesus said, "be you therefore complete." And there is a world
On Being Perfect…
of difference between "complete," One of the biggest problems we same piece by a genius, and even
and "perfect." The word "perfect" is face when tackling a subject like the untrained ear can hear the
defined as "being entirely without this is getting our semantics right. difference. Perfection and
fault or defect." I am sure that is an What do we mean by the words we excellence are two entirely different
accurate description of God. I am use? For most of us, the definition things. Once again, we fall back on
equally sure that it is an utterly of "perfect" I offered above is the meaning of words. Excellent
inaccurate description of any man perfectly accurate. Now I have to means "eminently good, first-class."
or woman alive. explain where perfection falls short Perfection means "being entirely
of what Jesus was saying. without fault or defect."
"Complete" is a different idea
entirely. I am a private pilot with Imagine a pianist in recital, It dawned on me out of the blue one
instrument, glider and multi-engine performing a difficult Chopin etude. day that the idea of perfection is a
ratings. When I completed my It is possible for him to do a flawless negative idea. It is negative in that it
instruction for the last rating, my performance, getting all the notes defines a thing in negative terms. It
instructor signed me off, shook my right, using the pedal as indicated does not have fault. It does not
hand, and said, "Congratulations. on the page, following the have a defect or blemish. All
Now you are a complete pilot." I instructions for loudness, and perfection describes is what is not
didn’t know exactly what he meant, softness. I have heard people, there. It says little about what is
because no one knew better than I listening to such a performance in there.
did how far I was from perfect. I recital comment on its perfection
think he meant that I now had a full saying that he "didn’t miss a single Once the idea had taken root, I had
set of the ratings available for a note." They were defining the to find out more, so I headed off to
private pilot. Of course, the fact is performance in terms of what did the Internet where you can find out
that there is no such thing as a not happen. There were no errors. anything about everything (or is it
perfect pilot. There are simply too everything about anything?) The
many variables that can arise in that Can we agree that it is possible to word I chose to search with was
complicated pursuit for anyone ever do a perfect, flawless performance, "perfectionism." I found two starkly
to claim perfection. In a way, it is a and yet have a performance that is opposing views on the subject. One
nice analogy with life. mediocre and uninspired? You can held that perfectionism is a good
have a flawless piano solo by one thing if its managed properly. That
pianist, and a performance of the view acknowledges that the
15
perfectionist can be neurotic, but by start writing. They can always come the faultless plateau, I am too
and large, it’s a good thing if back and rewrite. It is a curious flawed, I just can’t reach this level. I
handled properly. thing that most drafts of papers, might as well give up.
books, or novels, can be improved
The other holds that perfectionism merely by cutting off the first few Those perfectionists who can’t live
is entirely a neurotic condition and paragraphs. Once the block is with apathy tend to become
is harmful. Which view is right? The passed, the work gets better. workaholic. According to Peters,
difference between these views is they are "dependent on
superficial, and arises out of pure Putting things off until the last performance since self-esteem is
semantics, but it is instructive, minute, when a deadline is bearing tied to external rewards." Too often,
nonetheless. I found a helpful paper down on us, is a manifestation of it is tied to how we think others look
on the Web by Carol Peters which procrastination. It makes life harder at us. We can’t find satisfaction
outlines the various ways of on everyone connected with a inside ourselves. Workaholics don’t
approaching the subject. It seems project. But some people cannot delegate well, because no one can
that scholars in the field describe bring themselves to start until they achieve their high expectations—
two types of perfectionist—the absolutely must. not even themselves. They also
normal and the neurotic. Normal have a hard time saying "no" and
perfectionists are people who derive Apathy also keeps the writer from get over committed, losing any
real pleasure from painstaking work. starting, but that may be merely sense of balance in their lives.
Neurotic perfectionists are those another manifestation of Sometimes people don’t like to let
who are unable to find any perfectionism. He knows his work go of things because they are afraid
satisfaction because, in their own will never measure up, so he just of failure on the part of the person
eyes, nothing they do is ever good never starts. And thus, never has to to whom they have delegated the
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enough. face the lack of perfection. job. Perfectionists have a hard time
letting someone else do the job and
So Carol Peters is persuaded that then accepting the job when it is
I recall a sermon I gave years ago
perfectionism can be good or bad, it finished. Sometimes the person
in England. It was one of those fire
all depends. But she also notes that receiving the job simply can’t do the
and brimstone sermons that people
"A number of researchers . . . have job as well as the perfectionist
strangely seem to enjoy (mostly, I
linked perfectionism with think, because they are sure I am would like. Think of a perfectionist
depression, anorexia nervosa, talking about someone else). After mom and a five year old daughter
bulimia, migraine, personality and working together in the kitchen.
the sermon, and after the usual
psychosomatic disorders, Type A round of congratulations, which I
coronary-prone behaviour and always So we are left with a person who
suicide." Is it a good thing? Or is it either cannot delegate, or having
harmful? take with a grain of salt, a delegated cannot let go. We have a
person who can’t say no, because,
gentleman came to me and said
Peters cites another author who "If I don’t do it, who will?" or
something that shook me to my
lists five characteristics of "Nobody can do it the way I think it
roots.
perfectionist teachers and students: ought to be done." This hardly
"Procrastination, fear of failure, the seems to be what Jesus was
"My, Mr. Dart," he said, "when you advocating in the Sermon on the
all-or-nothing mindset, paralysed
2 preach like that, I just feel like I am Mount. But there is another side to
perfectionism, and workaholism."
never going to make it." He meant it the story.
These are said to contribute to
as a compliment, but it woke me up
underachievement on their part.
to one of the major errors of young
Procrastination affects all of us from preachers. The last thing I wanted At the end of the search, we find
time to time. The fear of being less one theorist telling us that
was to make people feel like they
than perfect, of not living up to one’s perfectionism is a neurosis and
could "never make it."
own expectations can produce another telling us that it is not. Now
overwhelming feelings that lead us how can this be? The answer?
to put things off. I don’t think many I have thought about this encounter Semantics. Read this paragraph
of us consciously go through this a great deal, and I have come to carefully:
line of thought, but the fear of see it in an entirely new light. When
making a mistake, of having a fault, you hold up unrealistically high
Students can be helped to
can prevent us from starting a standards for people, the end result
cope with perfectionism by
project in the first place. This is likely to be apathy. When a man
comes to feel that he "can’t make accepting it as a basic part
probably lies near the root of what of their giftedness, by
we call "writer’s block." Successful it," the natural response is "why
emphasizing its positive
writers have come to understand try?" I can never measure up to this
aspects, and by
that the blank page has to be standard. I can never do this without
acknowledging the anxiety
assaulted with words, so they just making a mistake. I can never reach
and frustration it provokes
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(Silverman, 1995, p. 4). is true even when it comes to the university life. They offered this
Difficult challenges Law of God. Perfection is not what warning about perfectionism.
generate anxieties which the law is about. People are fond of
require inner strength and a saying, "No one can keep the law Perfectionism refers to a set
great deal of persistence to perfectly." The statement is correct, of self-defeating thoughts
overcome. Gifted learners but irrelevant. God did not expect and behaviors aimed at
need support to persist anyone to keep the law perfectly. reaching excessively high
despite constant awareness Nor did he give us a law we couldn’t unrealistic goals.
of failure. Excellence takes obey and then punish us for not Perfectionism is often
more time and hard work obeying it. The law is not given for mistakenly seen in our
than mediocrity (emphasis perfection. It is given as a "lamp to society as desirable or even
mine). my feet And a light to my path" necessary for success.
(Psalm 119:105). However, recent studies
Did you catch it? The author have shown that
switched words on us in mid stride. Peters had this good advice: perfectionistic attitudes
What are they talking about, "Maintain high standards for actually interfere with
excellence or perfectionism? The yourself but don't impose them on success. The desire to be
author uses these words others - they will run the other way perfect can both rob you of
interchangeably, but they don’t fast!" Then she repeats the a sense of personal
mean the same thing. Excellence admonition: "Maintain high satisfaction and cause you
transcends perfection. Excellence standards for yourself, but don't to fail to achieve as much
can be imperfect, even flawed. impose them on others lest you as people who have more
1
Excellence may not be exactly what become a tyrant." realistic strivings.
is written in the score of a piece of
music. It is possible, after all, to That last sentence underscores I can see a Christian reading that
improve on Chopin, or even Bach. what too many Christians have had and balking. After all, Jesus said we
to endure. I can recall preaching should be perfect, and they are
A story is told of an organist in a sermons when I was very young in telling us that perfectionistic
German cathedral who, one day, which I held up a standard so high, attitudes can actually interfere with
encountered a stranger who was that no one could hope to measure success. But that wasn’t what Jesus
examining his organ. Learning that up to it—certainly I could not. I was was saying. He was calling on man
the visitor was also an organist, he asking the congregation to be, well, to be complete, to strive for
proposed that they play together. perfect. I think not a few preachers excellence. And the person who is
The Cathedral had two organs, so become tyrants because they are striving for excellence will almost
there began a kind of contest, perfectionists and they are always surpass the one who is
dueling organs, if you will. Each demanding things of the people that striving for mere perfection.
would propose a theme which they themselves cannot measure up
would be answered by the other. to. Not only that, their standards Many years ago, I was teaching
Step by step, they ascended into and God’s standards may not be public speaking in a small college in
ever more complex themes and the same. Imagine how terrible this England. All speeches were
variations. Finally, the visitor can become if the preacher creates evaluated and given a critique. It
proposed a theme that the other an organization that thinks it must was my custom to allow the
could not answer. The organist enforce his standards. This is the students to evaluate one another
walked over to the stranger and stuff that cults are made of. which, at times, got downright
said, "Either you are an angel from brutal. But the student evaluators
heaven, or you are Johann God’s standards, and you can focused on eradicating faults,
Sebastian Bach." Bach was a always count on this, are errors, and mistakes. Unfortunately
genius at the organ, they say, a administered with grace. Men’s the poor rascal who had given the
greater performer than he was a standards, unfortunately, are not. speech was often bombarded with a
composer. Genius transcends And that is precisely where the barrage of trivial imperfections. It
perfectionism, it goes beyond the divide came between the disciples took some work to get the students
music that is on the page. Yet of Jesus and those of the to give attention to the really
genius may be flawed. So we have Pharisees. important things. Did you
to be sure we know what is at issue understand what the speaker was
here. Is it excellence, or perfection? saying? Were you persuaded by his
In my research, I happened on a
publication of the University of arguments? Did he move you to do
And it is here that a major issue can Illinois counseling center. I presume something about his issue?
be addressed in Christian theology it was a kind of pamphlet for
and Christian conduct. Excellence incoming students and was It is a point often overlooked, but if
can be flawed. One can be attempting to help them adjust to you spend your lifetime working on
complete without being perfect. This your weaknesses, your faults, your
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mistakes, the best you can ever people's approval. Thus conversations. If all a person can do
hope for is mediocrity. How do you your self-esteem may have is find fault, they are telling you that
transcend that? You work on your come to be based primarily you aren’t perfect. But you already
strong points. You work on making on external standards. This know that, so listening is a waste of
your gifts and talents stronger. If can leave you vulnerable time.
you are a teacher, you look at what and excessively sensitive to
a student does well, and try to lift it the opinions and criticism of Without realizing it,
to the point of excellence. In that others. In attempting to perfectionists may also
way, you have a chance of taking a protect yourself from such apply their unrealistically
young person far beyond what he criticism, you may decide high standards to others,
thought he could do. He has a that being perfect is your becoming critical and
chance of excellence that the only defense. demanding of them.
pursuit of mere perfection would Furthermore, perfectionists
deny him. As a counselor, I have encountered may avoid letting others see
people in that situation. They value their mistakes, not realizing
There is an unexpected benefit of themselves entirely on the basis of that self-disclosure allows
this approach. A person’s faults and the approval of others, never others to perceive them as
weaknesses get drawn up into the realizing that being perfect will only more human and thus more
striving for excellence, and they get them more criticism. You will not likeable. Because of this
often as not take care of avoid criticism by being perfect. You vicious cycle perfectionists
themselves. I am talking in the will only get more of it. often have difficulty being
context of teaching speech, but it close to people and
applies in every aspect of life. If, Perfectionists tend to therefore have less than
when you are working with your anticipate or fear satisfactory interpersonal
children, all you do is work on faults, disapproval and rejection relationships.
weaknesses and mistakes, your from those around them.
kids are likely to grow up to be, at Given such fear, I have told you all this to explain
best, mediocre performers. At the perfectionists may react what Jesus meant when he told us
worst, they may end up neurotic defensively to criticism and to be "perfect as our Father in
perfectionists. in doing so frustrate and heaven is perfect." Perfectionism
alienate others. can be defined as the excessive
But if, when working with anyone, striving to be without fault or defect.
children, employees, students, wife, Sooner or later in life you must learn This is not to say that we shouldn’t
husband, your question should be, to avoid being defensive about try to overcome our faults or
"What is he good at?" What are the criticism. The more successful you defects. But there is an obsessive
strengths? How do we make them are, the more criticism you will striving that is unhealthy.
better and stronger so that the receive. I have under my desk a Perfectionism, then, is negative
strengths, the things a person is wastebasket, and whenever I read a because it defines what is not there
really good at, sweep up and carry letter that is harshly critical and rather than what is. And when it
along the mistakes and faults. lacking in constructive ideas, I rarely comes to the Law of God, that is not
get beyond the first two paragraphs. good enough, as Jesus will go on to
The University of Illinois pamphlet From long experience, I can explain in the Sermon on the Mount.
continued. recognize hostility quickly. The letter Ronald L. Dart
goes to the wastepaper basket. I
If you are a perfectionist, it once had a friend who, when he got _______________________________
is likely that you learned one of those letters would
early in life that other systematically tear it up. I don’t 1. Carol C. Peters, "Perfectionism,"
people valued you because even give the letter that much Excellence in Education, Perth,
attention. That is how we should 1996,http://www.nexus.edu.au/teachstu
of how much you
handle E-mails that do that. We d/gat/peters.htm
accomplished or achieved.
As a result you may have should quickly delete them and
2. Adderholt-Elliot, M. "Perfectionism
learned to value yourself ignore them. It is even how we and underachievement." Gifted Child
only on the basis of other should handle destructive Today, 12 (1), 19-21.
Gem:
The two great words of antiquity are ‘behold’ and ‘beware’. Behold the possibilities and beware the temptations. --
Anonymous
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Dr. Munroe is founder, president and senior pastor of
Bahamas Faith Ministries International, based in
Nassau, Bahamas. He is an international motivational
Kingdom? Dr. Munroe quickly begins to explain his point that many
people use religion as a replacement for an
understanding and a commitment to the Kingdom.
On page 18 he writes:
Recently I was preparing a sermon with the goal of "Jesus' first announcement was the arrival of the
helping people to see a glimpse of God's Kingdom in our Kingdom of Heaven. His solution to the malnourished
lives. and bankrupt human spirit was not a religion but the
Kingdom of Heaven. In other words, if you are spiritually
There are some professing believers (including some poor, only the Kingdom will satisfy and fulfill your hunger.
inside the Church of God movement) who claim to have The Kingdom is God's priority and must become our
more knowledge and insights than the rest of us. While I priority if we are to overcome the confusion of religions
acknowledge and appreciate any and all truth that God and the threat of self-destruction.
has given to us, I agree with the apostle Paul in 1
Corinthians 13:12. "The power of religion lies in its ability to serve as a
substitute for the Kingdom and thus hinder mankind from
• We see through a glass darkly. pursuing the genuine answer to the dilemma."
• We know only in part.
Then he lists the following conclusions.
If we (who claim to be believers) have a fuzzy picture of
God, how unclear does an unbeliever see? • Religion preoccupies man until he finds the
Kingdom.
And, if an unbeliever has only a fuzzy picture of the • Religion is what man does until he finds the
Kingdom, what are we doing to reflect the Kingdom of Kingdom.
God while we walk this earth? • Religion prepares man to leave earth; the
Kingdom empowers man to dominate earth.
Helpful book
• Religion focuses on heaven; the Kingdom
focuses on earth.
I found material in a book titled Kingdom Principles by
Myles Munroe to be helpful in my preparation. I thought I • Religion is reaching up to God: the Kingdom of
would share some of the information with you. God coming down to man.
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• Religion wants to escape earth; the Kingdom Yet He described how that seed would grow into a huge
impacts, influences and changes earth. tree to accommodate the birds.
• Religion seeks to take earth to heaven; the
Kingdom seeks to bring heaven to earth. The Kingdom of God begins with the least of all people:
me and you.
Nine helpful principles
Of and by ourselves we are not special. Yet God has
chosen to establish His Kingdom through us.
Dr. Munroe proceeds to give nine principles about the
Kingdom, hence the title of the book.
Is our religion getting in the way of our living the
principles of the Kingdom? Or do we as little ones reflect
Here are the nine Kingdom principles:
the glorious Kingdom of God? by Dave Havir/
www.thejournal.org
• The Kingdom concept of kings.
• The Kingdom concept of Lord. Poem: God’s Love
• The Kingdom concept of territory.
• The Kingdom concept of constitution. We can only see a little of the ocean,
• The Kingdom concept of law. A few miles distant from the rocky shore;
• The Kingdom concept of keys. But out there, beyond
• The Kingdom concept of citizenship. Beyond our eyes’ horizon,
• The Kingdom concept of culture. There’s more there’s more.
• The Kingdom concept of giving to the king. We can only see a little of God’s love
A few rich treasures from His mighty store;
Begins with us
But out there beyond,
Jesus Christ gave His disciples many parables about the Beyond our eyes’ horizon,
Kingdom during His life. They are edifying and inspiring. There’s more there’s more!
Notice one of His shorter Kingdom parables.
--Author Unknown
In Matthew 13:31-32 Jesus told about the Kingdom
being like a grain of mustard seed. He called it the least
of all seeds.
The Mustard Seed Newsletter is published free by The Mustard Seed Evangelistic Association –an affiliated
association committed to the publishing of the Gospel that Jesus Christ preached and as recorded for us in the Holy
Scriptures. This goal is to be within the framework of the Commission set forth to His believers and followers to "go
and make disciples of all nations ... teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). It is
our hope that the Mustard Seed and its other publications will become a shared-resource and vehicle for our readers
to come to know and understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ—the Kingdom of God. You are invited to join us in this
exciting and marvelous work!
"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is
grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches."
Matthew 13:31-32
For your question and/or comment, email us at mseedwork@yahoo.com/ peopletowin@gmail.com/ Raul deAsis Hipe/Editor
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