To visit orphans and widows in their tribulation, James 1:27

What does the Christian life look like, according to God's Word?

"Religion pure and undefiled before the God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their tribulation; to keep oneself unstained by the world." (James 1:27)

It would make sense and follow Christ's example to understand "visit orphans and widows" literally and spiritually:
- A "literal" orphan or widow is one who lacks people protecting and helping them.
- A "spiritual" orphan or widow is one who has lost their spiritual relationship with the spiritual Father Almighty in Heaven, and the spiritual husband of the Church, Jesus Christ.

Imagine if every Christian would practice their religion this way: visiting orphans and widows (literal and spiritual ones) in their situation of tremendous difficulty. Let's pray for it for the glory of God in Jesus's name.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, Psalm 111:10

This means that without fear of the Lord, a person cannot even begin to be a little wise. 

It also means that a person without fear of God will not make a great discussion partner on the topic of God's merciful rescue through Christ Jesus. If you are preaching the Gospel to people who don't fear God, it would make sense to help them first of all with learning to fear God. 

Why can't a person become even a little wise if they do not fear God? A good explanation is provided in the New Testament, in the Letter to the Romans. Paul describes that God deprives wisdom from those who do not properly honor God. The foolishness and unintelligence of the ungodly is one of 20+ proofs of God's wrath "over all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness", listed in Romans 1:18-31. 

Christians must still honor all people, and all earthly authorities, whether they are godly or ungodly. There is no license to point out any manifestation of unwisdom in for example a government authority, for whom instead Christians are to give thanks, prayers, petitions and intercessions before God (1 Timothy 2:1). 

How can people come to fear God? Recognizing the evidence of God's wrath is a good start. A person lacking fear of God will manifest in their own lives one or all of the types of wrath listed in Romans 1:18-31. 

God's wrath shown on earth ought to act as a forewarning of God's eternal wrath, which is promised at the time of God's eternal judgement for all who have not believed in Jesus.

Scripture provides an orthodox, protestant and catholic principle

Update: I am sceptical that these three movements have not long dwelt in dreadful apostasy (with very few exceptions of individual members of these movements). Please see my articles at christrescues.substack.com and my Translator's Preface to The Christ Family Bible.

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It is a blessed thing to see that in Holy Scripture, an orthodox, catholic and protestant principle are all clearly described and set forth as principles to follow.

An orthodox principle: All churches must conform to what is the established practice (doxa) of the churches. This is the clear witness of the New Testament, e.g. in 1 Corinthians 11:16.

A protestant principle: All churches must protest against sinful, i.e. mistaken, behaviour, especially by church leaders, even bishops. This is the clear witness of the New Testament, e.g. in Galatians 2.

A catholic principle: All churches must submit to the decisions of a single council led by the Holy Spirit and a single presiding bishop. This is the clear witness of the New Testament, e.g. in Acts 15.


 

How dependable and trustworthy is the practice of theology today?

How dependable and trustworthy is the practice of theology today? 

(1) Its basis as a largely empirical science is almost completely missing from current-day preaching.[1]

(2) Its main texts are widely read in highly misleading translations.[2]

(3) Normal preaching is unbiblical, in opposition to God's Word (even the well translated parts of the Bible).[3] 

Other sciences, like biology or physics, have also gone through long periods of confusion: for centuries, people seen as experts made assertions without a basis in empirical-scientific method, and with little or no connection to actual facts. The field of medicine has likely been populated over its history mainly by quacks, who gave advice and performed operations without the proper scientific basis. Even up to our day, physicians (medical doctors) have been causing tremendous injury to others when they lose their grasp of the basic principles of medical science.[4] 

These facts provide powerful reasons not to give up on a science just because of current-day darkness:
(a) The history of natural sciences proves that earnest devotion to good methodology yields progress.
(b) It is immoral to stand by while a science is improperly practiced to the injury of many people.

Another reason to press onward with theology, is that the widespread confusion, even corruption, in theological practice today are predicted and described in the Holy Bible.[5] That means that we should recognize it as false preaching, rather than confusing it with theology rightly practiced. Otherwise we have only ourselves to blame: the Holy Bible gives us fair warning that people will need to discern (i.e. distinguish) between genuine preaching and false preaching. 

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[1] A very brief introduction to the empirical-scientific character of the Bible is provided here. 

[2] Brief treatments of this topics are provided in these articles: "The most important misreadings of the Bible?", and "New solutions for New Testament verses".

[3] See for example "Early warnings of grave misunderstandings of Christianity".

[4] An outstanding example of quackery among elite medical institutions has been widely recognized just this year at Karolinska Institute and Hospital in Sweden: the "invention" of synthetic thoracic transplants, which were essentially untested before they began maiming and killing transplant recipients, a tragedy that in its turn was covered up through false assertions allowed into leading publications like The Lancet.

[5] Matthew 24:10-12, 24; Acts 20:29-30; 2 Timothy 3:1-9, 4:3-4; 2 Peter 2:1-3; 3:16-17.

Jesus demands works but prohibits boasting: how?

Jesus's speech recorded in Luke 17 (in the Authorized King James Version):

5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.6 And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. 7 But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat? 8 And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? 9 Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not. 10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.



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AKJV: Scripture quotations from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

Bad theology versus God's rescue systems

Update: I wish to question the endorsement of hierarchies in this article. Yes, Jesus is recorded as having named 12 apostles, who would in future judge the 12 tribes of Israel. But is any earthly hierarchy given by Jesus? Instead, Jesus can be understood to prohibit hierarchy in Matthew 23. Likewise, in John 21, the commission to Peter can be read without any permission for a hierarchy (authorities within the Church/Flock of Christ). This is because the two Ancient Greek verbs used there, bosko and poimaino, had several senses each, such as "feed" and "tend" respectively.

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It is wonderful to find God's amazing systems* of rescue described in the Christian Bible. It's also surprising, although it shouldn't be so: God is the creator of the entire Universe, a proof of which is the astounding fine-tuning of the systems of the universe.

One divine system could be called sanctification for glorification for salvation. 

(1) Christians are enabled by God to do good works (Ephesians 2:10; 2 Corinthians 9:8).

(2) Those good works cause other people to glorify God (Matthew 5:16).

(3) People who glorify God take one key step closer to receiving God's salvation (Acts 10:1-48; 1 Corinthians 14:19-25; 1 Peter 2:12).

Bad theology works against these systems. Consider, for example, the theological mistake that says—in contradiction to Matthew 5:16 and James 2:14-26—that Christians do not need to do good works because Christ's righteousness is counted as theirs. Such bad theology will disrupt the system of sanctification for glorification for salvation. 

Or consider another divine system described in the New Testament: it could be called chastizement for sanctification, witness and unity.

(1) God sends illnesses on Christians to save them from condemnation (1 Corinthians 11:30-32). 

(2) If a Christian has an illness (James 5:14-18), he or she should
- confess his or her sins to another Christian; 
and
- have the elders of the church pray for them and anoint them with oil.

What does such a system achieve? 
(A) Sanctification. 
Christians are led away from sinful behaviors.

(B) Witnesses to God. 
Being healed by God provides proof to unbelievers of God's existence and character, and builds up the faith of Christians. 

(C) Church-building. 
Healing requires a church with elders. This gives a powerful incentive for Christians to build up and care for churches (rather than trying to practice Christianity independently).

Bad theology undermines this system, for example 
- when preachers and pastors are teaching that God does not send illnesses on Christians;
- when preachers and pastors are teaching that Christians with illnesses do not need to confess their sins; 
- when preachers and pastors fail to teach that God demands holiness from His children (1 Peter 1:13-20).

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* A system is where different parts work together to achieve something.

What the New Testament actually says about anger

Enough of Christians praising what they dangerously label "holy anger" in themselves or other Christians!

Please listen to what the New Testament actually says:

(1) Christians are to put away all anger / wrath—in Ancient Greek, "orge" (Ephesians 4:31).

(2) The anger / wrath ("orge") of human beings does not produce the righteousness of God (James 1:20).

(3) Fits of passion, akin to wrath—in Ancient Greek, "thumoi"—are among "the works of the flesh" that prevent a person from inheriting the Kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).

(4) Christ Jesus is not described as being angry—that is, with the words "orge" or "thumoi", except once, when Christ is described as having looked with anger at people who refused to deal with basic questions of justice and compassion (Mark 3:5). But even in that single instance, Christ did not act towards those with whom He was angry!   

(5) Christ was greatly irritated—the verb "aganakteo" referred firstly to physical effects, such as of cold on the human body (see LSJ)—when the disciples censured people bringing their children to Jesus (Mark 10:14). Unfortunately, many Bible translations misleadingly describe Christ as "angry".

(6) Paul instructs Timothy and Titus to rebuke ("elegcho") elders who are sinning and false teachers (respectively).

(7) It appears fair to conclude from these NT texts, then, that Christians are required to use reason, for example when powerfully irritated or when confronting misbehavior, and naturally this cannot be done when in anger / wrath / fits of passion.