#453: “Christian Liberty”

Matthew Henry: Romans 15:1-7

Christian liberty was allowed, not for our pleasure, but for the glory of God, and the good of others. We must please our neighbour, for the good of his soul; not by serving his wicked will, and humouring him in a sinful way; if we thus seek to please men, we are not the servants of Christ. Christ's whole life was a self-denying, self-displeasing life. And he is the most advanced Christian, who is the most conformed to Christ.

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Matthew Henry’s Commentary: Bible Hub (Bold emphasis added.)
https://biblehub.com/commentaries/mhc/romans/15.htm | also as quoted in David R. Hocking’s The New Testament of Jesus Christ, Annotated Edition, p. 253)

Matthew Henry (18 October 1662 – 22 June 1714) was a British Nonconformist minister and author who was born in Wales but spent much of his life in England. He is best known for the six-volume biblical commentary Exposition of the Old and New Testaments.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Henry

#452: “Augmenting Satan’s Power”?

The early Christians were not unaware of our role in augmenting Satan’s power in the world. Chrysostom, for example, argued that the Devil “gained strength, not owing to his own power but from that of man’s slothfulness and carelessness.” The Devil “is even profitable to us, if we use him aright”; in 1 Cor. 5: 5 he is even “a cause of salvation, but not because of his own disposition, but because of the skill of the apostle” (Hom. on I Cor., 2: “Against those who object because the Devil has not been put out of the world,” in NPNF 9: 187). “Did [Paul] not oft times command the devil as a captive slave? Did he not carry him about as an executioner?” (Hom. on Phil., 7, NPNF 13: 216); “If we are fierce toward [the devil], he shall never be fierce towards us. If we are compliant, then he will be fierce” (Hom. on Eph., 22, NPNF 13: 163). See also Apoc. Ab. 23.*

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*Wink, Walter. Unmasking the Powers: The Invisible Forces That Determine Human Existence: 2 (Powers, Vol 2) (Kindle Locations 5466-5473 | Footnote 74). Fortress Press. Kindle Edition.

#451: The Power of Consciousness

Aphrodite is alive and well and inspiring a profitable sex industry grossing billions. Ares/ Mars is alive and well and devouring more money, material, scientific creativity, and human flesh for past, present, and future wars than all the gods combined. Dionysus is alive and well and staging a major revival in voodoo, Macumba, the charismatic movement, the drug culture, the rock scene, and generally mocking to derision the rigid etiquette and emotional sterility of the traditional religions. Christians have been afraid to admit the existence of gods for fear people would succumb to worshiping them. That danger is great, but no greater than the opposite danger of denying their existence and being unconsciously tyrannized by them. The only sane course would appear to be to acknowledge their reality, learn their characteristics, raise to consciousness their ineluctable workings in our depths, and subject them to the sovereignty of the God of gods.*

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*Wink, Walter. Unmasking the Powers: The Invisible Forces That Determine Human Existence: 2 (Powers, Vol 2) (Kindle Locations 3652-365p). Fortress Press. Kindle Edition.

#450: King Jacob – Americas circa 30 A.D.

Brief years before the resurrected Lord appeared in the Americas, the people were fighting again about kingship and had destroyed the government of the of land. Are we following a similar pattern of destroying our government?

1 NOW behold, I will show unto you that they did not establish a king over the land; but in this same year, yea, the thirtieth year, they did destroy upon the judgment–seat, yea, did murder the chief judge of the land.
2 And the people were divided one against another; and they did separate one from another into tribes, every man according to his family and his kindred and friends; and thus they did destroy the government of the land.
3 And every tribe did appoint a chief or a leader over them; and thus they became tribes and leaders of tribes.
4 Now behold, there was no man among them save he had much family and many kindreds and friends; therefore their tribes became exceedingly great.
5 Now all this was done, and there were no wars as yet among them; and all this iniquity had come upon the people because they did yield themselves unto the power of Satan.
6 And the regulations of the government were destroyed, because of the secret combination of the friends and kindreds of those who murdered the prophets.
7 And they did cause a great contention in the land, insomuch that the more righteous part of the people had nearly all become wicked; yea, there were but few righteous men among them.
8 And thus six years had not passed away since the more part of the people had turned from their righteousness, like the dog to his vomit, or like the sow to her wallowing in the mire.
9 Now this secret combination, which had brought so great iniquity upon the people, did gather themselves together, and did place at their head a man whom they did call Jacob;
10 And they did call him their king; therefore he became a king over this wicked band; and he was one of the chiefest who had given his voice against the prophets who testified of Jesus (Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 7:1–10).