Friday, January 1, 2016
Are We Religious?
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you.
Revenge
"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.' But now I tell you: do not take revenge on someone who wrongs you. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, let him slap your left cheek too. Matthew 5:38-39
Anybody who takes revenge is not obeying all that Jesus commanded.i Not taking revenge, is not a new concept introduced by Jesus:
"Do not bear a grudge against others, but settle your differences with them, so that you will not commit a sin because of them. Do not take revenge on others or continue to hate them, but love your neighbors as you love yourself. I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:17-18
David spent a lot of time on the run from king Saul, it would've been natural to want to kill the man who was trying to kill him. On 2 occasions while king Saul was hunting for David, (later to become king David) to kill him, David could have killed Saul but refused to do so. When king Saul was pursuing David to kill him, with 3,000 soldiers he went to the toilet in the cave where David and his men were hiding. David refused to kill Saul.ii Again king Saul was hunting for David with 3,000 soldiers in order to kill him. David took one of his men and sneaked into the camp at night, though the other man wanted to kill Saul David would not allow it but he took the king's spear and water jug before they left.iii On both occasions David refused to kill,iv or allow to be killed,v the man God had chosen as king. In both cases David demonstrated to the king that he had no intention of harming the king and the king went home.
Don't try to get even. Trust the LORD, and he will help you. Proverbs 20:22
That's not as far as it goes:
"If you happen to see your enemy's cow or donkey running loose, take it back to him. If his donkey has fallen under its load, help him get the donkey to its feet again; don't just walk off. Exodus 23:4-5
Syria was at war with Israel. With God's help Elisha captured a large number of Syrians, rather than telling the king of Israel to kill them he said to give them food and drink then send them home.vi
“If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink. You will make them burn with shame, and the LORD will reward you.” Proberbs 25:21-22
Whenever a person believes they have been wronged there is a natural urge to seek revenge, Jesus says to do good to those who are bad to us.
"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone hits you on one cheek, let him hit the other one too; if someone takes your coat, let him have your shirt as well. Luke 6:27-29
"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your friends, hate your enemies.' But now I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may become the children of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun to shine on bad and good people alike, and gives rain to those who do good and to those who do evil. Why should God reward you if you love only the people who love you? Even the tax collectors do that! Matthew 5:43-46
When Stephen, the first martyr in the early church, was being stoned: “He knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, 'Lord! Do not remember this sin against them!' He said this and died.” Acts 7:60vii
Ask God to bless those who persecute you---yes, ask him to bless, not to curse... If someone has done you wrong, do not repay him with a wrong. Try to do what everyone considers to be good. Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody. Never take revenge, my friends, but instead let God's anger do it. For the scripture says, "I will take revenge, I will pay back, says the Lord." Instead, as the scripture says: "If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink; for by doing this you will make them burn with shame." Do not let evil defeat you; instead, conquer evil with good. Romans 12:14 & 17-21
When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; when we are insulted, we answer back with kind words. 1Corinthians 4:12b-13a
See that no one pays back wrong for wrong, but at all times make it your aim to do good to one another and to all people. 1 Thessalonians 5:15
Do not pay back evil with evil or cursing with cursing; instead, pay back with a blessing, because a blessing is what God promised to give you when he called you. 1Peter 3:9
It was to this that God called you, for Christ himself suffered for you and left you an example, so that you would follow in his steps. He committed no sin, and no one ever heard a lie come from his lips. When he was insulted, he did not answer back with an insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but placed his hopes in God, the righteous Judge. Christ himself carried our sins in his body to the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. It is by his wounds that you have been healed. You were like sheep that had lost their way, but now you have been brought back to follow the Shepherd and Keeper of your souls. 1Peter 2:21-25
When Jesus was crucified, he not only took no revenge but on the cross he said: "Forgive them, Father! They don't know what they are doing."viii
© Ken Glasgow 2014 Last edited 14 March 2021
This page was written using Open Office 3.3.0, open source software from the www.openoffice.org this software is available to download for free.
iSee Matthew 28:18-20 especially verse 20
iiSee 1Samuel 24
iiiSee 1Samuel 26
ivDavid said to his men: "May the LORD keep me from doing any harm to my master, whom the LORD chose as king! I must not harm him in the least, because he is the king chosen by the LORD!" 1Samuel 24:6
vBut David said, 'You must not harm him! The LORD will certainly punish whoever harms his chosen king.' ” 1Samuel 26:9 Good News Bible
viSee 2Kings 6:8-23
viiSee also: Acts 6:8-7:59
viiiLuke 23:34 Good News Bible
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Remarkable speech: Not only Jews & Israel suffer due to hatred of the Jewish nation.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Saudi Arabia, one of the most oppressive nations in the world for Christians.
Saudi Arabia.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Keeping your word.
Keeping your Word.
"You have also heard that people were told in the past, 'Do not break your promise, but do what you have vowed to the Lord to do.' But now I tell you: do not use any vow when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by earth, for it is the resting place for his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. Just say 'Yes' or 'No'---anything else you say comes from the Evil One. Matthew 5:33-37 Good News Bible.
"How terrible for you, blind guides! You teach, 'If someone swears by the Temple, he isn't bound by his vow; but if he swears by the gold in the Temple, he is bound.' Blind fools! Which is more important, the gold or the Temple which makes the gold holy? You also teach, 'If someone swears by the altar, he isn't bound by his vow; but if he swears by the gift on the altar, he is bound.' How blind you are! Which is the more important, the gift or the altar which makes the gift holy? So then, when a person swears by the altar, he is swearing by it and by all the gifts on it; and when he swears by the Temple, he is swearing by it and by God, who lives there; and when someone swears by heaven, he is swearing by God's throne and by him who sits on it. Matthew 23:16-22 Good News Bible.
“It appears, however, from this passage, as well as from the ancient writings of the Jewish rabbins, that while the Jews professedly adhered to the law, they had introduced a number of oaths in common conversation, and oaths which they by no means considered to be binding. For example, they would swear by the temple, by the head, by heaven, by the earth. So long as they kept from swearing by the name Yahweh, and so long as they observed the oaths publicly taken, they seemed to consider all others as allowable, and allowedly broken.”i
Jesus is teaching that every oath carries an appeal to God, whether He is named in it or not.ii
"Never steal, lie, or deceive your neighbor. "Never swear by my name in order to deceive anyone. This dishonors the name of your God. I am the LORD. Leviticus 19:11-12, God's Word translation of the Bible.
"Do not use my name for evil purposes, for I, the LORD your God, will punish anyone who misuses my name. Exodus 20:7, Good News Bible.
It appears that any commitment that one intends not to fulfil is misusing the name of God.
If you didn't make a vow, you would not be guilty. Make sure you do what you said you would do in your vow. You freely chose to make your vow to the LORD your God. Deuteronomy 23:22-23, God's Word translation of the Bible.
I have referred to several English translations of the Bible and commentaries in writing this which is made easy by e-sword, a free downloadable program. For further information I recommend reading the Bible.
© Ken Glasgow 2013 Last edited 14 March 2021
This page was written using Open Office 3.3.0, open source software from the www.openoffice.org this software is available to download for free.
iAlbert Barnes' notes on the Bible for Matthew 5:33
iiJamieson Fausset and Brown Commentary notes on Matthew 5:33-37
Friday, January 25, 2013
Jesus taught on divorce and so I'm going to do a post on it.
Divorce.
This is a difficult subject and unpleasant by it's nature. Though I know some people who have been divorced I have no personal experience of it. But Jesus taught on divorce and so I'm going to do a post on it.
Some Pharisees came to him and tried to trap him by asking, "Does our Law allow a man to divorce his wife for whatever reason he wishes?" Jesus answered, "Haven't you read the scripture that says that in the beginning the Creator made people male and female? And God said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.'1 So they are no longer two, but one. No human being must separate, then, what God has joined together." The Pharisees asked him, "Why, then, did Moses give the law for a man to hand his wife a divorce notice and send her away?" Jesus answered, "Moses gave you permission to divorce your wives because you are so hard to teach. But it was not like that at the time of creation. I tell you, then, that any man who divorces his wife for any cause other than her unfaithfulness, commits adultery if he marries some other woman." His disciples said to him, "If this is how it is between a man and his wife, it is better not to marry." Jesus answered, "This teaching does not apply to everyone, but only to those to whom God has given it. For there are different reasons why men cannot marry: some, because they were born that way; others, because men made them that way; and others do not marry for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Let him who can accept this teaching do so." Matthew 19:3-12 Good News Bible2
According to Jesus, there is only one Scriptural reason or excuse for divorce, if the other partner commits adultery.
When a man has taken a wife and married her, and it happens that she finds no favor in his eyes, because he has found some uncleanness in her, then let him write her a bill of divorce and put it in her hand, and send her out of his house. And when she has departed from his house, she goes and becomes another man's; and the latter husband hates her and writes her a bill of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house; or if the latter husband dies, he who took her to be his wife her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife after she is defiled. For that is hateful before Jehovah. And you shall not cause the land to sin, which Jehovah your God gives you for an inheritance. Deuteronomy 24:1-4 Modern King James Version
Jesus makes it clearer:
"It was also said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a written notice of divorce.' But now I tell you: if a man divorces his wife for any cause other than her unfaithfulness, then he is guilty of making her commit adultery3 if she marries again; and the man who marries her commits adultery also. Matthew 5:31-32 Good News Bible
The Greek word translated as “unfaithfulness” here is: πορνεία, porneia, pronounced as: por-ni'-ah From πορνεύω, (porneuō, pronounced as: porn-yoo'-o); harlotry (including adultery and incest); figuratively idolatry: - fornication.4
Other translations of the Bible use different expressions in verse 32 including:
“except for a matter of sexual sin...” Analytical Literal Translation.
“unless she has committed some terrible sexual sin...” Contemporary English Version.
“except for a matter of sexual sin...” English Standard Version.
“saving for the cause of fornication...” King James Version.
The Message adds: “You can't use legal cover to mask a moral failure.”
The LORD says, "If a man divorces his wife, and she leaves him and becomes another man's wife, he cannot take her back again. This would completely defile the land. Isaiah 3:1a Good News Bible
Isaiah and Deuteronomy also make it clear that according to the Scriptures, once divorced there's no remarriage to the same person.
Regardless of whether one has been divorced or not Jesus said: "I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again."
I have referred to several English translations of the Bible and commentaries in writing this which is made easy by e-sword, a free downloadable program. For further information I recommend reading the Bible.
© Ken Glasgow 2013 Last edited 14 March 2021
This page was written using Open Office 3.3.0, open source software from the www.openoffice.org this software is available to download for free.
1Then the LORD God made the man fall into a deep sleep, and while he was sleeping, he took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the flesh. He formed a woman out of the rib and brought her to him. Then the man said, "At last, here is one of my own kind--- Bone taken from my bone, and flesh from my flesh. 'Woman' is her name because she was taken out of man." That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united with his wife, and they become one. Genesis 2:21-24 Good News Bible
2See also: Mark 10:2-12.
3Jesus makes it clear that causing another to sin is a serious matter, see also: Matthew 18:6-7, Mark 9:42 & Luke 17:1-2
4Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries.
Monday, January 21, 2013
North Korea is first on Open Doors International's “World Watch List”
North Korea.
North Korea is first on Open Doors International's “World Watch List”... Read more...