Skip to main content

Clearly Says...


          The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. (I Timothy 4:1-5)

         There are people who like to twist what Scripture says, and this a passage that is easily twisted. Take it to be the only place in Scripture where marriage is mentioned and you can claim that those who forbid any sort of marriage (include 45-year-old men marrying 2-year-old girls) are following things taught by demons.
Some other folks will take the statement that everything God created is good, and tie it with the fact that God created all that is, and proclaim that all that is, is good and acceptable to Him. If that’s the case, however, why does all of Scripture make such a big deal about sin? Why did Jesus come, and die, and rise again? Why does Paul in this same passage say that there are hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron? If we’re all good, then by what right do these people criticize us for criticizing them?
          Clearly, since both they and we can’t be right, we need to look a little harder at what Scripture says, and at what logic teaches. Since it seems obvious to most of us that there are some kinds of “marriage” that should be forbidden, it makes sense that we should explore further than this passage to understand what Paul was preaching against and what he wasn’t. What did Paul mean by “marriage?” It seems reasonable also to consider what “consecrated by the word of God and prayer” means.
           To consecrate is to “make or declare (something, typically a church) sacred; dedicate formally to a religious or divine purpose.” Marriage is consecrated. It is described as being a model of the relationship between Christ and the Church. That means the for the Christian, there are rules about what does and does not constitute a marriage. Those rules aren’t something they decided on.
          What may be more important is a distinction made within the text. There are two areas of restriction, marriage and “certain foods.” Does the “which” that follows the comma after “certain foods” refer to marriage and the certain foods, or only to the certain foods? My theory is that it refers only to the certain foods, because while God instituted marriage, I’m not sure that’s the same as creating it. But God clearly created food.
           The biggest thing I recognize in today’s passage is that we all need to be careful with ideas. Making sure that something fits with Scripture as a whole, and not with one or a few carefully chosen passages is always wise.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more