ROMANS EPISTLE #2

 

 

Chapter Seventy:

Paul writes Romans - Part two

CHAPTER ONE Paul opens by declaring he is a "slave" of Jesus Christ, and then an apostle called to the Gospel of Christ. Jesus was born physical from the seed of David, but made a Son of God with POWER and the holiness of the Spirit, by a resurrection from the dead. He says the Roman Christians are called by Jesus, and gives them peace and grace form God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We notice, as we do in nearly all of Paul's epistles that the Holy Spirit is not mentioned as with the Father and Christ. The simple reason is that the Holy Spirit is NOT a "person" or a bodied being of the Godhead, as are the Father and Christ. If the Spirit was, then Paul was surely giving and insult in not recognizing the fact in the "greeting" of grace and peace from the Godhead (verses 1-7). In verses 8-15 Paul tells them he is and was mindful to come to them there in Rome. He wants to impart some spiritual gift to edify them. He has a commission to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, and so he was ready to preach it at Rome also. He is not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, it is the POWER of God unto salvation to all believers, and the righteousness of God is revealed in it, as it is "from faith to faith" for it was written (Hab.2:4) that "The just shall live by faith." From faith to faith is first the faith we must have in the sacrifice of Jesus to atone for our sins, and then we receive the Spirit of God, which is Jesus living IN us, and so the life we now live we live by the faith OF Christ (Gal.2:20). And as we shall see in chapter 3:31, faith does NOT abolish God's law, but establishes it. The Gospel is salvation, but there will be a time of the wrath of God upon all unrighteousness and ungodliness. Some know the truth but hold it back in unrighteousness, for God is manifested and many of His invisible truths are seen in His creation. Some knew God but did not glorify Him or were not thankful to Him, and became vain in their own ideas and so their hearts were darkened. They professed to be "wise" but actually they became fools, and ended up making idols and physical things into gods. They changed the glory of God into worshipping corruptible men and birds, and beasts. So it was that God just let them go ahead with all this and they moved into all kinds of uncleanness through the lusts of their mind. They changed the truth of God into lies and served the creation more than the one who cerated it (verses 18-25). The vile things that mankind got into, for leaving the truths of God, were sexual evils such as homosexuality and lesbianism. As they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, their schools, their Universities, they were given over to a mind void of true judgment. Paul now lists many different kinds of reprobate practices, thoughts, and ways of living. Greed, hate, envy, murder, fighting, deception, malicious behavior, gossip, backstabbers, haters of God, proudness, boastful. He says they are forever inventing new ways of sin and evil, which include ways to be disobedient to parents, ways to not understand truth, ways to break promises, and ways to be heartless and unforgiving. Paul says they know that death is the penalty for those who live like this, yet they go ahead and live that way, and they have pleasure in those that also live like they do (verses 18-32). CHAPTER TWO Paul now talks about those who "judge" or "condemn" others, but they themselves do the same kind of wrong things they are condemning others about. Those who do commit such things as he just mentioned have a sure judgment of God coming upon them. If you do the same things that you condemn others for, then be sure that God will one day bring judgment upon you. You may think God is not looking, so not going to do anything about your sins, but this patience and longsuffering and goodness of God in not dealing with you swiftly is to allow you to come to repentance. If you do not, then you store up for yourself even more wrath for that coming day of wrath and judgment of God (verses 1-5). God is one day going to render to every person what they deserve to have, according to their deeds or the way they have lived. To those who patiently continue in well doing, and seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life will be given. But for those who do not OBEY the TRUTH, but obey UN-righteousness, there will be indignation and wrath (verses 6-8). These two verses are packed with great truths. Salvation is more than JUST "believing on" Jesus Christ. It is moving on from that point to full repentance from sin, and to serving and seeking, to do "well" or in other words to do God's will, as Jesus once said, "Not my will be done, but your will be done." True Christianity is "seeking" for glory and immortality. It is not gaining salvation by "works" but it is having the right mind-set to walk the straight and narrow pathway that leads to life, and Jesus Himself said, there are few who find that path and will walk it, but He said, that it was the wide pathway that led to destruction and death. This is all in the very words of Jesus if we will but read all His words as recorded in the Gospels. For those who have the true mind that the Lord wants to see, there will be eternal life at the end of the trail. But to those who will not obey the truth (and God's word is truth - John 17:17) but obey UN-righteousness (and righteousness is the keeping of God's commandments - see Ps.119:172), there will be indignation and wrath from God, at the end of their trail. Paul thinks this very important for he repeats it again in verses 9-11. Those that do or live a life of evil, no matter who you are, and you never repent of it, there will be anguish for them. You may remember Jesus saying that some would be on the outside of the Kingdom of God looking in, never having made it, and they would be weeping and crying. You may remember Jesus also saying that some would say, "Lord, Lord, have we not done miracles in your name, but I will answer them, that I never knew you, depart from me you that work iniquity" (Greek is "lawlessness" - see Mat.5:21-27). A willingness to serve and obey God is a PART of salvation. Those who will not do good and obey God, will not be in His Kingdom. Those who will work good, will obey the truth, will be willing to follow righteousness, will have glory, honor, peace. There is no respecter of persons with God, all, whoever you are, will be treated under those two overall headings of a willingness to follow "righteousness" or who follow "un-righteousness." Paul then puts emphasis on those who "know better" - who do NOT know the law and ways of God (for they have not in this life time had their blindness to God removed, they have never been called to salvation) will die this physical dead (they will in the future be raised in a resurrection to have a chance of salvation. I covered this in great detail as we went through the Gospels). But for those who DO KNOW the law, have been called to salvation, shall be judged by the word of God and the law of God, were they WILLING to have the mind-set of WANTING to follow the truth of God and obey His law, or were they NOT willing to do so? Paul now gives a verse/s (which are to be understood in a "parenthesis" to verse 15) that many do not want to read, or they ignore it, because of false teachers that have taught them false doctrines of the FULL way of salvation. Paul say, "For not the hearers (only) of the law, are justified before God, but the DOERS of the law shall be justified" (verses 12-13). It is not that we "earn" justification" by "law keeping" - but we are justified or forgiven our sins and made at-one with God, through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus and His shed blood on the cross for our sins. But ONLY those who will then move on and will have the attitude of mind as to want to obey truth and righteousness, will God apply the blood sacrifice of Jesus' death to their sins. God sees the heart, He wants REPENTANCE from sin and the wrong way of living, to an attitude of mind that will want to serve and live His way of life. Only those with that change of heart and mind will God justify through Jesus Christ. Paul here demonstrates that even the Gentiles which did not have a direct revelation from God, like Israel did, concerning His law, often enacted some of God's laws, as through human logic - many without the knowledge of God can see that "stealing from each other" is not a good thing to do, nor is going around "killing" people good for their society. So, Paul is arguing, if this is the case with those who did not "know" God, then it is more important for those who have had God's "law" revealed to them. You must be willing to be a law abiding person if you want to be granted forgiveness of justification. It is like this, if the judge forgives you for a traffic violation (say, going through a red light), he is not declaring you can go through all the red light you like from then on out. To have his pardon you must be willing to live within the law. Verse 16 is connected to verse 12. Those who have the way of the Lord revealed to them, the revealed law of God, will be judged by that law, "in the day" when God shall judge all people by Jesus Christ. You may recall Jesus saying in the Gospels that "all judgment" had been given to Him by the Father. Paul now gets specific towards "Jews" who often boasted that they had an "inner circle" position with God, so they could instruct others of His ways. It was not much good teaching others not to steal if they were themselves stealing, or teaching others not to practice adultery if they were guilty of doing it. If they were boasting by having God's law, then that very law convicted them of breaking that law. They were being hypocrites and so the Gentiles would then blaspheme God, laugh at the God the Jews held up as being the one and only true God (verses 16-24). For the Jews to put their confidence and trust in physical circumcision, as somehow showing they were the children of God, was to Paul, utter falsehood and meaningless. For, some physical act on some skin of the body could not possibly make one who is living in conflict to God's law, a child of God, or put them in "spiritual" at-one-ment with the Almighty. A true spiritual Jew, Paul said, was not of the physical flesh but of the mind and heart and spirit of a person. God indeed looks at the heart not the flesh (verses 25-29). Let me put it all another way: (adding this in April 2011) Verse 12. Paul is simply saying if you sin not knowing the law (not being called to salvation) you will just die not being called. But if you know the law (being called to salvation) and you sin in the law (just refuse God's calling, or believe you can live practicing sin) you are then judge by the law (sin remains - you are unforgiven - you face the second death). As Paul goes on to say if you just hear the law (hear the Gospel but it goes in one ear and out the other - not being called - blindness still not taken away) but do not act - you ain't going to be forgiven - come under grace. Only those who act upon the law or gospel - who live or practice the way of life of God - who go on to be chosen - will be forgiven and justified - come under grace. Paul continues - so some Gentiles just from natural nature know it is not wise to kill others (say from another tribe) as the other tribe will kill in revenge. Oh, now verses 13-15 should be in ( ) it is a parenthetical thought. Paul showing that just hearing or having some points of the law in your natural society does not justify you, in salvation, although you at least follow those laws you know, at least your not a hypocrite). He is telling his readers who are supposed to be Christians that the only way you can be saved, justified - forgive - under grace - is to PRACTICE the law. If you have been called and you KNOW the law (law and grace truth) and you do not practice it - you will be judged by that law. He is correcting the idea that some were already having that grace did away with law - you did not have to practice it and could sin willfully. See the previous verses 1-11. Verse 12 should be connected to verse 16. "....and as many as have sinned in the law (being called - blindness removed) shall be judged by the law. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel." He is talking to the Jews of Rome (who have said they are Christians) and have vanity in being Jews, because they had some knowledge of God's truth, were given the law, saying they knew His will, boasting in God; BUT they (these Christian Jews at Rome) were turning God's grace into a license to live in sin. Knowing one thing, but doing another, saying one thing but doing another (which even the Gentiles at least observed some of the laws of God, from natural common sense knowledge and were not hypocrites). But here were Christian Jews, having a past history of God's word, truths and knowledge, but they were saying one thing and doing another, they were proud in God but were really hypocrites. The context of the whole chapter is to correct Christian Jewish hypocrites. Just because they were Jews, given knowledge of God and His law, and had some vanity in all that, really meant NOTHING if they were not LIVING, PRACTICING, the law and truths of God. Notice --- verse 18 "...knowing his will, ...being instructed out of the law" and "Confident that you are a guide to the blind, a light of them which are in darkness. And an instructor of the foolish, teacher of babes, which have a FORM of knowledge and of the truth in the law." So Paul goes on to say, okay if you want to teacher others do you not teach yourself at the same time. The rest of the verses show they were claiming to teach others of this law or that law but all the time they were living, PRACTICING, breaking the law (note it in verses 23,24). These Christian Jews at Rome were already turning the grace of God into a license to sin. It's the same old Catholic and Protestant teaching we have today - grace does away with law, or the law has been abolished. Paul spent chapter upon chapter in Romans to prove such a teaching was as false a doctrine as you could possibly get. And in this chapter he brings in that even some pagan people had more sense about law, than some of the Christian Jews at Rome. Those Gentiles would simply die without being called - they were not going to be judged by the law, because they really did not know the full truths of God, were not being called, were still in blindness per se. But the Christian Jews at Rome.....wow they were in some deep trouble, because first they had a past history of knowing God in a much greater way than pagan Gentiles, and now that they were called and claimed to be Christians, and had some proudness being Jews, Paul was aware that many of such, were not LIVING, PRACTICING, what they preached. They were turning the grace of God into a license to live in sin. And other chapters in Romans, Paul comes back to the same topic, over and over - being under grace does not mean we can practice living in sin. And using your Jewishness or being Jewish made such a teaching even more disgraceful. Paul was combating Jewish vanity of Christian Jews, at Rome, who were thinking they could teach others the right way of God while they themselves were living, practicing as a way of life, sin. As Jude later said, turning the grace of God into a license to sin. (This was added in April 2011) CHAPTER THREE So the argument would possibly come back to Paul, "What advantage then had the Jews, why did God call a specific people to Himself and reveal to them His ways and laws, if it was of the heart that God looked and not in any way to the physical people He had chosen so long ago?" Ah, there was an advantage said the apostle, not really anything spiritual per se, but to them, the Jews, the oracles or ways of God had been committed. They had them and they were intended by God to preserve them, which they certainly had done by writing them down or passing them on from generation to generation. Even if some did not believe in God and His righteousness and laws, did that mean they could not preserve the oracles of God? Paul answers by saying, "God forbid!" It was to be a divine miracle shall we say, that the oracles of God would be preserved through the Jews, the Lord would make sure they preserved it all correctly, as to the nuts and bolts in a figure of speech, but not the "added traditions" that the Jewish leaders invented at times. But God would make sure that the nuts and bolts of His truth would be preserved through human people, in this instance the Jews, who have preserved the Old Testament. Then some argued that Paul taught a kind of "grace of God which was amplified by sin" - given more glory because of sin, so they argued Paul was teaching that you should sin MORE so God's grace and goodness to forgive through Christ, could be even more glorious. To them Paul was saying, "Let us to evil that good may come of it." Paul taught NO such idea or doctrine (verses 1-8). Now Paul precedes to go into a LONG explanation of sin, the law, justification, Christ's sacrifice, and the spiritual symbolism of water baptism. He precedes to show that the teaching of "works to justification by law observance" is an incorrect theology, but at the same time, the theology of teaching that justification through Christ's sacrifice does AWAY with having to obey the law, is just as incorrect. In verses 9-19 he uses the familiar Scriptures to them then, the Old Testament, to prove that no matter who you are, EVERYONE on earth, now and before, were and are sinners. The Scriptures used are: Ps. 14:1-3; 5:9; Jer. 5:16; Ps.140:3; Ps. 10:7; Prov. 1:16; Isaiah 59:7,8; Ps. 36:1; Job.5:16; Ps.107:42. All the world is guilty of breaking God's law, and those who then have God's law and word, to read and study, should know clearly that this is the truth of the matter. It is from looking into the law, letting it be a looking glass for us, that we can ascertain what sin IS. And so as Paul says in verse 20, by doing the deeds of the law, after we look into it, no one can be justified or forgiven sins, or made at-one with God. The law does not "acquit" you - "forgive" you - it only reveals to you where you have missed the mark, where you have broken the law, and so shows that you are guilty. If you break a number of traffic laws, and you see the laws written on the books so to speak, you realize you are a law breaker, and are under the penalty of breaking those laws. Just because you now start to obey them, does not automatically cancel and make void, the penalty you have incurred for breaking those laws. So it is with God's law. It shows you that you are a sinner, and have the penalty of sin hanging over you for breaking those laws. Turning around and observing them, doing the deeds of the law, does not justify or forgive the penalty of breaking them. Paul then explains what the "law and the prophets" (Old Testament) always said and foretold, that justification or forgiveness of sins, and being righteous in God's sight, would be accomplished not by "law works" or "law obedience" but by "faith of Jesus Christ" to those who believe that sins are forgiven by His sacrifice for sins on the cross. Because all have sinned and so incurred the penalty for sin, no amount of law keeping can cancel those sins, just as I explained above. So, justification or being righteous in the sight of the Lord, can only be by His grace through the redemption work of Christ Jesus (verses 21-24). It is like this. You have broken the traffic laws, you have a penalty hanging over you for those transgressions. The laws have condemned you to face the penalty for breaking them. The judge of the land has a son who is willing to take the penalties upon himself, hence you can have those transgressions forgiven, by having faith in the judge's son that he has indeed taken your broken laws upon himself and paid the penalty. So, it is through the judge's grace you can be forgiven and be declared righteous, be looked upon as if you had never broken those laws. Paul says in verse 25 and 26, that God set forth Christ to be that atoning work, by having faith in His shed blood for your sins, and so the goodness of God is thus manifested for the cancelling of the past sins you did. Now you are looked upon by the judge (the heavenly Father) as being sinless and righteous, just as if you had never broken any laws in the first place. Under that system, that was always the plan of God, for your justification, there can never be any boasting, for it was truly only by the judge's grace you are forgiven, and not in any way by working at law-keeping to EARN your forgiveness of sins. So the simple conclusion to it all is that forgiveness of sins, being justified, is done without the deeds of the law (verses 27,28). Going back to our example of traffic violations on your part, you cannot come to the judge and say that you have now obeyed the law of not going through red lights, say a thousand times, and have so earned the right to be forgiven of the one time you disobeyed that law before you kept it a thousand times. The laws of the land, breaking them, incurring a penalty, and then obeying them, do NOT work in any automatic way to cancel the transgressions, just because you obeyed them. A "murderer" is not automatically forgiven of the one murder he did, just because he kept the law of not murdering, ten thousand times after he deliberately killed someone. Hence it is not possible that law keeping can forgive you of the penalty you deserve for the times you broke the law. God is one God of ALL people, Paul argues, and so His way of forgiving you of sins is the same for all people. So if you were of the circumcision people - Jews, or if of the un-circumcised people - Gentiles, both are justified, forgiven sins, and so righteous in His sight, by FAITH in and through Jesus as the judge's son who took all sins of all people, upon himself. The Judge and the Son make it possible for your sins to be cancelled, and so it is indeed by grace you can be righteous in God's sight, and not by working at the deeds of the law to amass more "good points" than bad ones, and so somehow automatically earn forgiveness of sins (verses 29-30). Naturally, this truth that Paul is explaining, would be jumped upon by some to say that this theology of Paul's would mean you do not need to OBEY the law. Paul answers this anticipated argument right away by stating, "Do we then make VOID the law through faith? GOD FORBID! No, we ESTABLISH the law" (verse 31). The faith we exhibit towards God, must be a faith that LEADS to a mind-set that is willing to OBEY or establish the law. After you are forgiven by the judge through his son, all your traffic violations, both of them expect you will go forth with that faith and OBEY the traffic laws. That is how the law, transgression of the law, and forgiveness of those transgressions, would work in any normal country in our world today, if in the context of what we are leaning here from Paul. Grace, and faith in that grace or mercy, does NOT mean you can henceforth live as a law breaker, not at all, in fact it means the very opposite - you go forth with that faith and OBEY the law. This was the END result of what Paul said was the true understanding of justification by faith. He then wanted to hammer home more about the truth of justification by faith, and went to the example of one of the Jew's fathers - the great servant of God - Abraham. .......................... May 2004 TO BE CONTINUED

ROMANS EPISTLE #1

 

Chapter Sixty-nine:

Paul writes Romans - Part one

From Albert Barnes' "Notes on the New Testament." WRITTEN IN GREEK The Epistle has been, with great uniformity, attributed to the apostle Paul, and received as a part of the sacred canon.... It is agreed by all, that this epistle was written in Greek. Though addressed to a people whose language was the Latin, yet this epistle to them, like those to other churches, was in Greek. On this point, also, there is no debate. The reasons why this language was chosen were probably the following. (1.) The epistle was designed, doubtless, to be read by other churches as well as the Roman, Compare Col.4:16. Yet the Greek language, being generally known and spoken, was more adapted to this design than the Latin. (2.) The Greek language was then understood at Rome, and extensively spoken. It was a part of polite education to learn it. The Roman youth were taught it; and it was the fashion of the times to study it, even so much so as to make it matter of complaint that the Latin was neglected for it by the Roman youth. Thus Cicero (Pro. Arch.) says, 'The Greek language is spoken in almost all nations; the Latin is confined to our comparatively narrow borders.' Tacitus(Orat.29) says, 'An infant born now is committed to a Greek nurse.' Juvenal (6.185) speaks of its being considered as an indispensable part of polite education, to be acquainted with the Greek. (3.) It is not impossible that the Jews at Rome, who constituted a separate colony, were better acquainted with the Greek than the Latin. They had Greek, but no Latin translation of the Scriptures: and it is very possible that they used the language in which they were accustomed to read their Scriptures, and which was extensively spoken by their brethren throughout the world. (4.) The apostle was himself probably more familiar with the Greek than the Latin. He was a native of Cilicia, where the Greek was doubtless spoken, and he not infrequently quotes the Greek poets in his addresses and epistles, Acts 21:37; 17:28; Tit.1:12; I Cor.15:33. This epistle is placed first among Paul's epistles, not because it was the first written, but because of the length and importance of the epistle itself, and the importance of the church in the imperial city. It has uniformly had this place in the sacred canon, though there is reason to believe that the Epistle to the Galatians, the first to the Corinthians, and perhaps the two to the Thessalonians, were written before this. WHEN WRITTEN? Of the time when it was written there can be little doubt. About the year 52 or 54 the emperor Claudius banished all Jews from Rome. In Acts 18:2, we have an account of the first acquaintance of Paul with Aquila and Priscilla, who had departed from Rome in consequence of that decree. This acquaintance was formed in Corinth; and we are told that Paul abode with them, and worked at the same occupation, Acts 18:3. In Rom.16:3,4, he directs the church to greet Priscilla and Aquila, who had for his life laid down their own necks. This service which they rendered him must have been, therefore, after the decree of Claudius; and of course the epistle must have been written after the year 52. In Acts 18:19, we are told that he left Aquila and Priscilla at Ephesus. Paul made a journey through the neighbouring regions, and then returned to Ephesus, Acts 19:1. Paul remained at Ephesus at least two years, (Acts 19:8,9,10,) and while here probably wrote the first Epistle to the Corinthians. In that epistle (16:19) he sends the salutation of Priscilla and Aquila, who were of course still at Ephesus. The Epistle to the Romans, therefore, in which he sends his salutation to Aquila and Priscilla, as being then at Rome, could not be written until they had left Ephesus and returned to Rome; that is, until three years, at least, after the decree of Claudius in 52 or 54. Still further. When Paul wrote this epistle, he was about to depart for Jerusalem to convey a collection which had been made for the poor saints there, by the churches in Macedonia and Achaia, Rom.15:25,26. When he had done this, he intended to go to Rome, Rom.15:28. Now, by looking at the Acts of the Apostles, we can determine when this occurred. At this time he sent Timotheus and Erastus before him, into Macedonia, while he remained in Asia for a season, Acts 19:22. After this, (Acts 20:1,2) Paul himself went into Macedonia, passed through Greece, and remained about three months there. In this journey it is almost certain that he went to Corinth, the capital of Achaia, at which time it is supposed this epistle was written. From this place he set out for Jerusalem, where he was made a prisoner; and after remaining a prisoner two years, (Acts 24:27,) he was sent to Rome about A.D. 60. Allowing for the time of his travelling and his imprisonment, it must have been about three years from the time that he purposed to go to Jerusalem; that is, from the time that he finished the epistle,(Rom.15:25-29,) to the time when he reached Rome, and thus the epistle must have been written about A.D.57. It is clear, that the epistle was written from Corinth. In ch.16:1, Phebe, a member of the church at Cenchrea, is commended to the Romans. She probably had charge of the epistle, or accompanied those who had it. Cenchrea was the port of the city of Corinth, about seven or eight miles from the city. In ch.16: 23, Gaius is spoken of as the host of Paul, or he of whose hospitality Paul partook; but Gaius was baptized by Paul at Corinth, and Corinth was manifestly his place of residence, 1 Cor.1:14. Erastus is also mentioned as the chamberlain of the city where the epistle was written; but this Erastus is mentioned as having his abode at Corinth, 2 Tim.4:20. From all this it is manifest that the epistle was written at Corinth, about the year 57. THE DISCIPLES IN ROME? Of the state of the church at Rome at that time it is not easy to form a precise opinion. From this epistle it is evident that it was composed of Jews and Gentiles, and that one design of writing to it was to reconcile their jarring opinions, particularly about the obligation of the Jewish law; the advantage of the Jew; and the way of justification. It is probable that the two parties in the church were endeavouring to defend each their peculiar opinions, and that the apostle took this opportunity and mode to state to his converted countrymen the great doctrines of Christianity, and the relation of the law of Moses to the Christian system. The epistle itself is full proof that the church to whom it was addressed was composed of Jews and Gentiles. No small part of it is an argument expressly with the Jews, chs.2;3;4;9;10;11. And no small part of the epistle also is designed to state the true doctrine about the character of the Gentiles, and the way in which they could be justified before God. At this time there was a large number of Jews at Rome. When Pompey the Great overran Judea, he sent a large number of Jews prisoners to Rome, to be sold as slaves. But it was not easy to control them. They persevered resolutely and obstinately in adhering to the rites of their nation, in keeping the Sabbath, etc.; so that the Romans chose at last to give them their freedom, and assigned them a place in the vicinity of the city across the Tiber. Here a town was built, which was principally in habited by Jews. Josephus mentions that 4000 Jews were banished from Rome at one time to Sardinia, and that a still greater number were punished who were unwilling to become soldiers, Ant. 18.ch.3,5. Philo (Legat.ad Caium) says, that many of the Jews at Rome had obtained their freedom ; for, says he, being made captive in war, and brought into Italy, they were set at liberty by their masters, neither were they compelled to change the rites of their fathers.... GOSPEL IN ROME? At what time, or by whom, the gospel was first preached at Rome has been a matter of controversy, The Roman Catholic Church have maintained that it was founded by Peter, and have thence drawn an argument for their high claims and infallibility. On this subject they make a confident appeal to some of the fathers. There is strong evidence to be derived from this epistle itself, and from the Acts, that Paul did not regard Peter as having any such primacy and ascendancy in the Roman church as are claimed for him by the papists. (1.) In this whole epistle there is no mention of Peter at all. It is not suggested that he had been, or was then, at Rome. If he had been, and the church had been founded by him, it is incredible that Paul did not make mention of that fact. This is the more striking, as it was done in other cases where churches had been founded by other men. See 1 Cor.1: 12,13,14,15. Especially is Peter, or Cephas, mentioned repeatedly by the apostle Paul in his other epistles, 1 Cor.3:22;9:5;15:5; Gal.2:9;1:18;2:7,8,14. In these places Peter is mentioned in connexion with the churches at Corinth and Galatia, yet never there as appealing to his authority, but, in regard to the latter, expressly calling it in question. Now, it is incredible that if Peter had been then at Rome, and bad founded the church there, and was regarded as invested with any peculiar authority over it, that Paul should never once have even suggested his name. (2.) It is clear that Peter was not there when Paul wrote this epistle. If he had been, he could not have failed to have sent him a salutation, amid the numbers that he saluted in the sixteenth chapter. (3.) In the Acts of the Apostles there is no mention of Peter's having been at Rome; but the presumption, from that history, is almost conclusive that he had not been. In Acts 12:3,4, we have an account of his having been imprisoned by Herod Agrippa near the close of his reign, (comp.v.23.). This occurred about the third or fourth year of the reign of Claudius, who began to reign A.D.41. It is altogether improbable that he had been at Rome before this. Claudius had not reigned more than three years; and all the testimony that the fathers give is, that Peter came to Rome in his reign. (4.) Peter was at Jerusalem still in the ninth or tenth year of the reign of Claudius, Acts 15:6, etc. Nor is there any mention made then of his having been at Rome. (5.) Paul went to Rome about A.D. 60. There is no mention made then of Peter's being with him, or being there. If he had been, it could hardly have failed of being recorded. Especially is this remarkable when Paul's meeting with the brethren is expressly mentioned, (Acts 28:14,15;) and when it is recorded that he met the Jews, and abode with them, and spent at Rome no less than two years. If Peter had been there, such a fact could not fail to have been recorded, or alluded to, either in the Acts or the Epistle to the Romans. (6.) The epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, to Philemon, and the second Epistle to Timothy, (Lardner, 6.235,) were written from Rome during the residence Paul as a prisoner; and the Epistle to the Hebrews probably also while he was still in Italy. In none of thes epistles is there any note that Peter was then, or had been, in Rome; a fact that cannot he accounted for if he was regarded as the founder of that church, and especially if he was then in that city. Yet in those epistles there are the salutations of a number to those churches. In particular, Epaphras, Luke the beloved physician, (Col.4:12,14,) and the saints of the household of Caesar are mentioned, Phil.4:22. In 2 Tim.4:11, Paul expressly affirms that Luke only was with him - a declaration utterly irreconcilable with the supposition that Peter was then at Rome. (7.) If Peter was ever at Rome, therefore, of which indeed there is no reason to doubt, he must have come there after Paul: at what time is unknown. That he was there cannot be doubted, without calling in question the truth of all history. When, or by whom, the gospel was preached first at Rome, it is not easy, perhaps not possible, to determine. In the account of the day of Pentecost, (Acts 2:10,) we find, among others, that there were present strangers of Rome, and it is not improbable that they carried back the knowledge of Jesus Christ, and became the founders of the Roman church. One design and effect of that miracle was doubtless to spread the knowledge of the Saviour among all nations. In the list of persons who are mentioned in Rom.16 it is not improbable that some of those early converts are included; and that Paul thus intended to show honour to their early conversion and zeal in the cause of Christianity.... That the church at Rome was founded early, is evident from the celebrity which it had acquired. At the time when Paul wrote this epistle, (A.D.57,) their faith was spoken of throughout the world, chap. 1:3. The character of the church at Rome cannot be clearly ascertained. Yet it is clear that it was not made up merely of the lower classes of the community. In Phil.4:22, it appears that the gospel had made its way to the family of Caesar, and that a part of his household had been converted to the Christian faith.... But little on this subject can be known. While it is probable that the great mass of believers in all the early churches was of obscure and plebeian origin, it is also certain that some who were rich, and noble, and learned, became members of the church of Christ. See 1 Tim.2:9; 1 Pet.3:3; 1 Tim.6:20; Col.2:3; 1 Cor.1:26; Acts 7:34. THE THEOLOGY OF ROMANS This epistle has been usually deemed the most difficult of interpretation of any part of the New Testament; and no small part of the controversies in the Christian church have grown out of discussions about its meaning. Early in the history of the church, even before the death of the apostles, we learn from 2 Pet.3:16, that the writings of Paul were some of them regarded as being hard to be understood; and that the unlearned and unstable wrested them to their own destruction. It is probable that Peter has reference here to the high and mysterious doctrines about justification and the sovereignty of God, and the doctrines of election and decrees. From the epistle of James, it would seem probable also, that a ready the apostle Paul's doctrine of justification by faith had been perverted and abused. It seems to have been inferred that good works were unnecessary; and here was the beginning of the cheerless and withering system of Antinomianism (against law) which a more destructive or pestilential heresy never found its way into the Christian church. Several reasons might be assigned for the controversies which have grown out of this epistle. (1.) The very structure of the argument, and the peculiarity of the apostle's manner of writing. He, is rapid; mighty; profound; often involved; readily following a new thought; leaving the regular subject, and returning again after a considerable interval. Hence his writings abound with parentheses, and with complicated paragraphs. (2.) Objections, are often introduced, so that it requires close attention to determine their precise bearing. Though he employs no small part of the epistle in answering objections, yet an objector is never once formally introduced or mentioned. (3.) His expressions and phrases are many of them liable to be misunderstood, and capable of perversion. Of this class were such expressions as the 'righteousness of faith,' the 'righteousness of God,' etc. (4.) The doctrines themselves are high and mysterious.... (5.) It cannot be denied, that one reason why the epistles of Paul have been regarded as so difficult has been an unwillingness to admit the truth of the plain doctrines which he teaches. The heart is by nature opposed to them, and comes to believe them with great reluctance. This feeling will account for no small part of the difficulties felt in regard to this epistle. There is one great maxim in interpreting the Scriptures that can never be departed from. It is, that men can never understand them aright, until they are willing to suffer them to speak out their fair and proper meaning. When men are determined not to find certain doctrines in the Bible, nothing is more natural than that they should find difficulties in it, and complain much of its great obscurity and mystery. I add, (6,) that one principal reason why so much difficulty has been felt here, has been an unwillingness to stop where the apostle does. Men have desired to advance farther, and penetrate the mysteries which the Spirit of inspiration has not disclosed. Where Paul states a simple fact, men often advance a theory. The fact may be clear and plain; their theory is obscure, involved, mysterious, or absurd.... Perhaps, on the whole, there is no book of the New Testament that more demands a humble, docile, and prayerful disposition in its interpretation than this epistle. Its profound doctrines; its abstruse inquiries; and the opposition of many of those doctrines to the views of the unrenewed and unsubdued heart of man, make a spirit of docility and prayer peculiarly needful in its investigation. No man ever yet understood the reasonings and views of the apostle Paul but under the influence of elevated piety. None ever found opposition to his doctrines recede, and difficulties vanish, who did not bring the mind in a humble frame to receive all that has been revealed; and that, in a spirit of humble prayer, did not purpose to lay aside all bias, and open the heart to the full influence of the elevated truths which he inculcates. Where there is a willingness that God should reign and do all his pleasure, this epistle may be, in its general character, easily understood. Where this is wanting, it will appear full of mystery and perplexity; the mind will be embarrassed, and the heart dissatisfied with its doctrines; and the unhumbled spirit will rise from its study only confused, irritated, perplexed, and dissatisfied. End of quotes from Albert Barnes' "Notes on the New Testament." OUTLINE OF ROMANS 1. Introduction 1:1-17 A. Salutation 1:1-7 B. Proposed visit 1:8-15 C. Theme: the righteousness of God 1:16-,17 2. Righteous in judging sinners 1:18-3:20 A. Gentile sinners 1:18-32 B. Jewish sinners 2:1-3:20 3. Righteous in justifying believers 3:21-5:21 A. God's provision 3:21-31 B. Illustrated by Abraham 4:1-25 C. Death in Adam, life in Christ 5:1-21 4. Righteous in sanctifying believers 6:1-8:39 A. Freed from sin, slaves to God 6:1-23 B. Life in the flesh 7:1-25 C. Life in the Spirit 8:1-39 5. Righteousness manifested in history 9:1-11:36 A. Spiritual Israel will inherit the promise 9:1-29 B. Seeking righteousness by works 9:30-10:21 C. God's mercy on Israel 11:1-36 6. Righteousness exhibited in daily life 12:1-15:13 A. The Christian's commitment 12:1,2 B. Living with Christians and non-Christians 12:3-13:14 C. Guidance for weak and strong Christians 14:1-15:13 7. Personal notes and conclusion 15:14-16:27 A. Paul's plans for future ministry 15:14-33 B. Praise and greetings 16:1-27 ............................ The epistle to Romans is not hard to understand when we read all  the Bible, and understand God's plan of salvation.   When we understand justification/forgiveness of sins is through faith in Christ's sacrifice, as our sin bearer, when we know that in it all the holy, righteous law of God is not abolished by faith, but established by it.   And when we understand the plan of salvation that God has purposed   for every person who has ever lived - Keith Hunt. TO BE CONTINUED

BOOK OF REVELATION #14 - CHAP. 21 and 22 - END

 

 

Chapter One hundred-forty-three:

The REVELATION of Jesus Christ #14

Chapters 21 and 22 CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE The plan of salvation for human kind is OVER! It is all finally finished. Satan the Devil and all his host of demons are cast away. No sin, no evil, no wickedness, no impurity, no deception, no falsehoods, no death, will ever be. It is all finished and glorious eternity lies ahead for the Family of God and the righteous angels. John sees a NEW heaven and a NEW earth, and there is no more sea. And why should there be any more sea. Stop and think, what do we humans see inside the sea, just about nothing, unless you dive down into it with some fancy man-made under water suits to keep you alive. For most of us we would not really miss having the sea. And when we are all in the eternal Family of God, we would miss it even less. For now, in the present, God created THIS earth as it is to NEED the sea. But when this age of physical mankind is gone, then there really is no need for the sea. The NEW earth that the Lord will make, will not require the sea. So there just will not be one (verse 1). Here is what John sees: "And I John saw the HOLY CITY, NEW JERUSALEM, coming DOWN from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying: Behold the TABERNACLE OF GOD is WITH MEN, and HE will DWELL with THEM, and they shall be His people, and GOD HIMSELF shall be WITH THEM, and shall be their God." (verses 2,3). Now, how about that! You've probably been told all your life that it is YOU who will GO to be with God in heaven. The truth of the matter, from all the evidence of the WHOLE Bible is just the OPPOSITE! When anyone dies they go into the ground, they return to dust, for from dust they are made. It is true, the "spirit in man" goes to God in heaven (Eccl.12:7) but the spirit in man does not see, hear, talk, think, walk, play on a harp, or DO ANYTHING, by its self, without a body. This is proved very simply by human experience. If your physical eyes go blind, the "spirit in man" does not take over and see for you. The spirit in man is the CD, it records your personality and your character, but is not functional without the rest of you. God does take your DNA CD character/personality disc on your death, and does bring it up to heaven for the future RESURRECTION, when you will also have a NEW GLORIFIED "spirit" body, and so we are back in Paul's famous resurrection chapter of 1 Corinthians 15. The truth is WE are NOT going to heaven, heaven and God ARE COMING TO US! How Satan has twisted things up-side-down and in-side-out through false Babylon Mystery religion dressed in the "Christian" cloak. The voice in heaven that John hears goes on to say: "And God shall wipe away ALL TEARS from their eyes; and there shall be NO MORE DEATH, neither SORROW, nor CRYING, neither shall there be ANY MORE PAIN: for the former things are passed away" (verse 4). What a GLORIOUS TIME, what a WONDERFUL eternity for us humans who were once subject to all the above. It is ALL FINALLY GONE! All that has been so many times our enemy, is vanquished, and destroyed, never to be again. The HE that sits on the throne says: "Behold I MAKE ALL THINGS NEW" And He tells John to "Write, for these words ARE TRUE and FAITHFUL" (verse 5). And He further said, "It IS DONE! I Am Alpha and Omega, the BEGINNING and the END (eternal). I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life FREELY. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my SON!" (verses 5-7). Do you REALLY UNDERSTAND that, do you really BELIEVE it? The purpose you were created for, that God created mankind, was not to make them into the "angel" kind - NO, it was to make them into the God kind! Into the very SONS and DAUGHTERS of God the Father. Popular Christianity talks about being sons and daughters of God, but with such phrases, do they REALLY understand what it means. If they do, they do not tell their audience. But the truth of it all IS found in your Bible. God the Father and Jesus your Elder Brother, WANT YOU TO KNOW THIS TRUTH! It's all over the New Testament Story. If you have not yet discovered it by reading the New Testament, then you can see it all expounded for you in my study called "A Christian's Destiny." The One sitting on the throne, goes on to say: "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" (verse 8). In other language from the New Testament, God is saying UNREPENTANT SINNERS shall be destroyed in the lake of fire, they shall not have eternal life. THE NEW JERUSALEM And there came one of the angels who had the seven vials of the seven last plagues, and said to John, "Come with me, and I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife." John is carried away to a high mountain and is shown the HOLY JERUSALEM, DESCENDING OUT OF HEAVEN FROM GOD (verses 9 and 10). The Holy City with is PURE GLORIOUS SPENDER, is representative of the pure, clean, glorious righteousness, of the saints, who are the Lamb's wife, as we had seen back in chapter 19:7,8. The city has the glory of God, I guess so, for God has lived in it for .... the eternity past? We are not told. It has a clear as crystal, stone most precious, look. It has a wall, great and high, with TWELVE gates, and at the gates, twelve angels, and names on the gates, the names each of the TWELVE tribes of Israel. Three gates to each side, north, south, east, and west. The wall foundations were TWELVE, in each foundation, the name of one of the TWELVE apostles of the Lamb (verses 11-14). Does God use NUMBERS? I think He does! We have a study of God's use of numbers on this Website. I will add more to it when I can. Think about how important God's plan was to Him, for the TWELVE TRIBES of Israel (what He would do through them) and the TWELVE APOSTLES (the work through them also) - they will be imprinted on the Holy City for ALL eternity! The angel that talks with John, had a golden reed to measure the city, the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. The city lies FOUR SQUARE. The length and the breadth and the height are EQUAL. It is an astounding 1,500 miles. Each side then was 1,500 miles and the height was also 1,500 miles. An AMAZING CITY, but can we expect less from a God that is also AMAZING? No, we can not. It is fitting that our heavenly Father would have such a MAGNIFICENT CITY to live in, we should expect no less. The wall is 144 cubits, as man measure a cubit. We can not be exactly sure of that height, for cubits were different in different ages. No big deal, after being told the city is 1,500 miles in any direction, what's a wall height, we can wait to see that. John has to put what he sees in human terms so we can have some idea in our minds-eye. The wall was like jasper; the city like pure gold, like unto clear glass. The foundations of the wall filled or decorated with all kinds of precious stones. We are told what structure likeness were the TWELVE foundations. I leave that for the reader to look up, if they desire in a good Bible Dictionary. Needless to say it would be "out of this world" - the pun is of course quite real. The TWELVE GATES were twelve Pearls. Each gate one whole pearl: and the streets of the city - pure gold, again as transparent glass (verses 15-21). This is SOME CITY, the like of course has never been seen on earth before. It is the city headquarters of the Great Eternal God. This section of Revelation is to be taken literally, there is nothing wrong with God living in such a GLORIOUS CITY, and wanting to bring it to the NEW earth. Those who try to teach and say that God cannot be defined in such a natural way, as indeed having form and shape, a spirit body, who can live in a spirit city ... well are they going to be in for a shock, when they see their "spiritual NOTHING God" shows Himself to be SOMETHING, not NOTHING. Ah, yes, could it be anything else, the City has NO temple, FOR the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb (Jesus) ARE THE TEMPLE of the city! There was at one time a Temple in that City, for Moses was told to build the Tabernacle according to what was in heaven. But NOW, all has been completed for salvation, and the Temple of heaven is needed no more (verse 22). This heavenly city has no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the GLORY of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof (verse 23). Oh, I guess so, what more light could there be than God the Father and Jesus His Son, they are PERFECT GLORIOUS LIGHT! Verse 24 is very interesting. The nations (Greek can be "peoples") of them who are saved walk in the light of the city, and "kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it." It would seem from this verse, that the sons of God will inhabit all over, this new earth, and will from time to time come with their glory (resurrection chapter of 1 Corinthians 15) into the city. Not all of God's children will live inside the city. We get a small glimpse into that new age, by this verse. The whole universe is out there, trillions of light years in distance. God's children will explore it, maybe watch over it, keep it, and so be living in different parts of the universe, and certainly, in different parts of this earth. For as we have seen, God's people of various glory and positions of responsibility, shall come to the city and walk in its light. Eternity is not going to be "playing a harp and gazing on Jesus' face all the time." Eternity will be INTERESTING and FUN, and we just do not know a millionth of what it will all be, only this verses gives us a little clue. The GATES of this city will not be shut at all. There will be NO NIGHT there. And again we are told the peoples (God's children) will bring their glory and honor into it. We are told (telling us if we want to be there to come into this city) that no one can be there who is defiled, or works abominations, or is a liar, but only they whose names are written in the book of life (verses 26,27). We saw in the epistles of John who was a liar. He who says "I know Him, and KEEPETH NOT HIS COMMANDMENTS, is a liar, and the TRUTH is NOT in him" (1 John 2:4). Pretty simple indeed, the simplicity that is in Christ, is that simple, a child can understand it. It is not the PhDs of theology, it is not all those who are super good at English prose and write all those "Christian books" by the dozens out there. It is THOSE who KEEP the COMMANDMENTS of God, are yes, saved by grace, but still have the mind-set, the attitude, to OBEY God, who want to do His will, follow His way of life, and I will say it once more, for you Roman Catholic, and all you Protestant people in the world, serving God, includes the FOURTH commandment of the big Ten! CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO John sees a wonderful pure river, as clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, on either side of the river there was the tree of life. Trees that bare TWELVE fruits, and yielded her fruit by the month; and the leaves of the trees were for the healing of the peoples. This is I'm sure very real! Do you get the picture of the world that God lives in? It is not drab, just a kind of "nothing." It is in God's realm of living, just as diverse and interesting, just as much pleasing and fun, as ours is. Why our physical world and things in it, were created very much after the type of world God lives in. These trees represent "LIFE" and "HEALING" - they will always REMIND us through eternity what the Father did with physical human kind - He gave them LIFE and HEALING - salvation - GLORY as He has, but not as BRIGHT as He and Jesus His first born Son have (read carefully 1 Corinthians 15 - there will be different glory and brightness, as pleases the Father, when we are resurrected or changed from mortal to immortal). (verses 1-2). There will never be any more curse of any kind. The THRONE of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and God's children, shall serve Him. They SHALL SEE HIS FACE, and His name shall be in their foreheads (verse 3,4). We as His children shall always look up to the Father, He will always be the one we serve and respect, just as the Son Jesus does, did respect and follow when on earth and still respects and follows today and forever more. It will be a WONDERFUL FAMILY relationship for all eternity. And we are given the absolute PROMISE that when this time of Revelation 21 and 22 is here, we SHALL SEE THE FATHER'S FACE! This is not a God of NOTHINGNESS, as some deceived nutty minded "teachers of theology" preach. God the Father is a REAL PERSON, with FORM AND SHAPE, and one day His true faithful children WILL SEE HIS FACE. Moses asked God to show Himself to him, in the glory form. God replied to Moses, that he would show Himself, but Moses could only see God's back-parts, as no physical human man could look upon God and live. This HAPPENED, this took place my friends, it was a REALITY. When we are glorified we SHALL be able to look upon the face of God. Oh, what wonderful reality, you just have to read it and as a child, BELIEVE IT! Yes children can understand the clear things of God, the simple to understand things, are written just that simply, so children can read the Bible and understand some of the very basics of what the Father WANTS you to understand! Let the "wise" in their own minds, get confused, get mixed up, come up with all kinds of silly and crazy doctrines about the Bible and God, let them alone, they are BLIND LEADERS OF THE BLIND, as Jesus cried out to them in His time on earth. ONE DAY, if you are faithful to God, if you love Him with all your heart, mind, and life, if you will but DO HIS WILL, humble yourself, hunger and thirst for righteousness, YOU WILL SEE THE VERY FACE OF GOD. Do tears of joy fill your eyes as you read these words in this chapter? They do mine! Here we are, us physical weak in the flesh, sinners, saved only by the love and grace of God, through the love and service of Jesus the Christ, and we can be one day given the HONOR to look upon the very face of the MOST HOLY AND PERFECT ONE, the One we can even now call FATHER. This should make us willing to GIVE UP ANYTHING we need to give up, to be the true children of God. Jesus did say that to LOVE HIM, we must be willing to give up, if we have too, our mother, our father, our brothers, our sisters, our job, our friends, our .... WHATEVER, to serve Him in spirit and in truth. If we are willing to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God, holy, acceptable unto Him (Romans 12:1) we shall LIVE WITH HIM AND SEE HIS FACE!! Also, do not miss it, we shall HAVE GOD'S VERY NAME in our foreheads, in our VERY BEING! There literally will be called Enoch God, Abraham God, Moses God, David God, Paul God, Peter God, John God and whatever our first name is now. We shall have God's name, it will be our sir-name. If you have not done so, please read my study "A Christian's Destiny" and learn the wonderful truth of why God created human beings. There will BE NO NIGHT THERE in that great heavenly city. No need for candles, neither the sun, FOR THE LORD GOD GIVES THE LIGHT, and we shall reign WITH Him for ever and ever (verses 3-5). The angel told John that all these things ARE FAITHFUL AND ARE TRUE. The Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to John to show him and us the things which "must shortly be." Obviously such phrases as "must shortly be" does not mean to God what to us in our time frame, means to us. As I've said, two thousand years to God, in the frame of eternity past and eternity future, is but the millionth of the blink of an eye, to try and put it in some kind of language that our minds can imperfectly recognize (verse 6). Jesus cries out to us of any age since this book was written down by John, "BEHOLD I COME QUICKLY: BLESSED IS HE THAT KEEPS THE SAYING OF THE PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK" (verse 7). There are SAYINGS, there are sentences, in this book, that we need to KEEP! Have you seen some of them? Let me give you one - Chapter 14:12. and we'll be given it again in a few verses from this one. When John heard all these things, his reaction was to fall down and worship at the angels' feet. He was told NOT to do so, because the angel was but a servant of the Lord, just as John was and all children of the Most High. John was to WORSHIP GOD! That is our calling also, it has never changed since man was upon this earth (verses 8,9). The angel said to John, "SEAL NOT THE SAYINGS OF THIS PROPHECY OF THIS BOOK: FOR THE TIME IS AT HAND. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; he that is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is holy, let him be holy stil." (verse10,11). The time is short brethren, the prophecy of this book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ CAN BE UNDERSTOOD. I understand it! And I have expounded its truth to YOU, SO YOU CAN UNDERSTAND IT! When all these things come to pass, as they will, whoever is alive when they do, will have A VERY SHORT TIME, before Jesus comes in glory to reign on earth. He that is HOLY at that time, when this prophecy is taking place, had better continue to be HOLY. Jesus again cries out: "Behold, I COME QUICKLY; and my reward is with Me, to give every man according to as his work shall be. I Am the Alpha and Omega, the BEGINNING and the END, the FIRST and the LAST (the Eternal One). BLESSED ARE THEY WHICH DO HIS COMMANDMENTS, THAT THEY MAY HAVE THE RIGHT TO THE TREE OF LIFE, AND MAY ENTER IN THROUGH THE GATES INTO THE CITY."               The ones who will not make it to enter the city, will be sinners who will not REPENT and the LIARS (verses 12-15 - my paraphrase). Jesus continues: "I Jesus have sent my angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, the BRIGHT and MORNING STAR. The spirit and bride say, Come, and let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take of the WATER OF LIFE FREELY" (verses 16,17). Yes, salvation is yours my friend, it is FREE! You are saved by GRACE, but that does not mean, as Jesus has just stated, that you DO NOT have to keep God's commandments. The teaching that tells you that grace ABOLISHES the commandments of God, is a LIE, it is a cunning DECEPTION of Satan the Devil who would like to see YOU killed in the lake of fire which is the second death. Jesus continues: "For I testify unto every person that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall ADD unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. and if any person shall TAKE AWAY from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of LIFE, and out of the HOLY CITY, and from the things which are written in this book. HE that testifies to these things says, SURELY I COME QUICKLY" (verses 18-20). The above words are all the words that Jesus concluded with in this book of this prophecy. John after hearing them said: "AMEN - so be it. Even so come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen" (verses 20,21). It's impossible to get around it. The last words of Jesus in this book, at the time of the close of the first century A.D. when false teachers had already come into the Church of God, and were perverting the Gospel of Christ. They were turning the grace of God into a license to sin! They were already leaving the faith once delivered to the saints. They were already wanting to get away from being called or being associated with the Jews. Just about anything that was thought of as "Jewish" like the 7th day weekly Sabbath, and the Festivals of Leviticus 23, was being changed or "done away with" in the theology of these new false teachers. It was already under way to adopt Easter instead of Passover in the church at Rome. By the end of the second century A.D. Easter had come to stay. Sunday observance was being kept more and more in the Christian world, it would finally be officially law by the time of Constantine in 321 A.D. The observance of Christ-mass would soon be adopted by the growing powerful Roman church, and so faster and faster was the rise of MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT. And so it is that through that MOTHER of HARLOTS, Satan has DECEIVED THE WHOLE CHRISTIAN WORLD (and many other deceptions for the other parts of the world), only the very ELECT will not be deceived! WHAT A BIBLE STORY IS THE NEW TESTAMENT. I had no time limit on doing all of this study on the New Testament. It was not until November of 2007 that I decided to look back and see when I started this study. I was surprised to see I started it in November of 2000. It has taken me SEVEN years to the month to bring it to completion. Interesting when you know how God uses numbers, and how number SEVEN is completion. But numbers aside, the main thing is that all of this study has HELPED, INSPIRED, EDIFIED, ENCOURAGED, CORRECTED, and brought YOU personally to a CLOSER WALK WITH GOD. It has been a wonderful experience for me. I thank the Lord for giving me the INSPIRATION I needed and the TIME I needed to finish this work of the New Testament Bible Story. I pray the Lord will give me the time to now start and finish expounding to you all the prophetic books of the Old Testament, as they relate to today and beyond, for the nations of Israel, Judah, and the whole world. As the apostle John finished so I use his words: "THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOU ALL. AMEN." ..................... Revelation chapters 21 and 22 written November 2007 The New Testament Bible Story started November 2000 and completed November 2007

SONG OF SONGS-- GOD'S INSTRUCTIONS ON SEX IN MARRIAGE #6 - WEDDING NIGHT #2

 

The Wedding Night - Part two

Keeping romance alive

Continuing with part two of Dillow's book and chapter on "The Wedding Night." By calling her "garden" an orchard of pomegranates, he says her garden contains the most delicious of fruits. Thus, he speaks of the pleasure awaiting him there. The remainder of the verse refers to exotic, fragrant plants, most of which Solomon imported to Palestine. They constitute Solomon's erotic and poetic description of her "garden." Nard is a fragrance-giving plant; saffron, a yellow plant; calainus, a plant of reedlike stem and tawny color which grows in wild marshes; cinnamon, a plant grown in the East Indies which grows to thirty feet in height. The perfumed oil obtained from the myrrh plant is called myrrh and was used in gargles to scent the breath's. The ancients were very fond of sweet perfumes of all kinds, and perfumed oils were rubbed on the body and feet. Small pellets of dried mixed spice and resins or resinous woods were burned in special censers. Perfume was used to scent the breath (Song 7:8). Clothing was perfumed (Ps.45:8; Song 3:6; 4:11). Couches and beds were sprinkled (Prov.7:17). Frankincense was sometimes chewed to give the mouth a fresh odors. The aloes plant grows in India; its wood is very aromatic and was held in veneration by the natives. The association of fragrant odor with the vagina is perplexing to many women. For various reasons many wives consider their genitals repulsive and cannot imagine how their husbands find them attractive. God created husbands to enjoy their wives bodies, including the genitals. When the genitals have been thoroughly cleaned with soap and water, and when a woman is sexually aroused, there is a faint and very stimulating odor associated with the moistness. When he says her garden contains "the finest spices," he means it is as rare and as much to be valued as the most precious of aromatic herbs. It is interesting again to see how some of the commentators avoid the obvious implications of Solomon's praises of the "scent" of her "garden." For example, Zockler in Lange's commentary says, "A particular explanation of the individual products of the garden is, on the whole, impossible, and leads to what is a variance with good taste." But why is it "in variance with good taste" if God included it in Scripture and sanctioned it as beautiful and holy? 4:15 SOLOMON: You are a garden spring, A well of fresh water, And streams flowing from Lebanon. To him, she is not a sealed garden. Her garden is an open well from which he can draw refreshment as a tired and thirsty traveller could at a fountain. To what do the "streams flowing from Lebanon" refer? This phrase is used in Prov. 5:16 in a similar sexual context of male semen: Drink water from your own cistern And fresh water from your own well. That is, have sexual intercourse only with your own wife; Should your springs be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets? McKane says, "It is the male semen which constitutes the 'springs'and channels of water..." Let them be yours alone, And not for strangers with you. "...intercourse with a strange woman is a waste of semen, since it is the fathering of children from a strange household and a consequent neglect of the building up of one's own house and posterity." McKane could have added that it is also immoral! There seems to be a parallel thought here with Song 4:15; both passages are written by the same author, Solomon. The wife in Prov.5:15,16. The husband in Prov.5:16 waters out of a cistern lest thy fountains be dispersed running waters out of thine own well rivers of water If the "fountains" and waters of the male refer to his semen, then what do the rivers of waters of the wife refer to? As semen is the product of his sexual excitement, so running waters must be the product of hers. Thus, the running waters would refer to the juices which lubricate the vagina during intercourse. Since these streams were also a symbol of refreshment, the reference speaks of the sexual refreshment her garden provided. It is worth noting she doesn't request sexual intercourse (4:16) until she is already well-lubricated. Too many husbands tend to start their lovemaking by direct genital stimulation, or they begin intercourse before the wife specifically indicates she is close to a climax and well lubricated. The mere fact that she is lubricated, however, does not mean she is ready for intercourse. Let her tell you when she's ready like Shulamith told Solomon. 4:16 SHULAMITH: Awake, O north wind And come, wind of the south. She now responds to Solomon's praises. She calls him the north and south winds. The north wind brings clear weather and removes clouds, and the south brings warmth and moisture. When they blew across a garden in Palestine, coolness and sultriness, cold and heat, would promote the growth of the garden. She is asking Solomon to stimulate her garden with caresses to promote the growth of her sexual passion. Make my garden breathe out fragrance, Let its spices be wafted abroad. As the "winds" blow through her garden, first from one direction and then from another, Shulamith's sexual passion grows and grows until all the fragrance of the garden rises in waves to become a sea of incense. She wants everything in her which pleases her lover to show itself to him in full power and loveliness. As a traveller passed by an Eastern garden its scent would draw him to enter it. Shulamith wants her garden to become more and more "enticing" to Solomon as a result of his caresses. She wants a "sea of incense" to draw his interest to her garden until his passion is great! She completely accepts her femininity and is anxious that Solomon fully experience what she has to offer. She relishes the fact that Solomon is highly aroused by the sight of her garden and by caressing it. What a healthy attitude! Now that she is fully aroused, she requests that Solomon enter her. 4:16 SHULAMITH: May my beloved come into his garden And eat its choice fruits! 5:1 SOLOMON: I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride I have gathered my myrrh along with my balsam. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk. To gather, eat, and drink are all terms that speak of sexual enjoyment. Delitzsch says, "It supposes a union of love, such as is the conclusion of marriage following the betrothal, the God-ordained aim of sexual love within the limits of morality." These references to wine and milk would be readily understood in that culture as fertility symbols. Thus the poet sings of the mixture of his love with hers, of his semen with her vaginal moistness at the climax of their love. After their love is consummated, a new speaker is introduced: 5:1 Eat, Friends, Drink and imbibe deeply, O lovers. The commentators have differed widely on the identity of this speaker. The intimacies of the scene make consideration of a real human observer impossible. It cannot be the lovers who are speaking, for they are the ones being addressed. The poet seems to say this is the voice of God Himself. Only the Lord could pronounce such an affirmation. He, of course, was the most intimate observer of all. Their love came from Him (Song 8:7). Thus, the Lord pronounces His full approval on everything that has taken place. He encourages them to drink deeply of the gift of sexual love. There is a beautiful unity to this chapter. It opens with Solomon's praise and his concern for the emotional state of his bride (4:1-7). Their lovep-lay pauses while he promises her a honeymoon in the Lebanon mountains to the north (4:8). They then resume their love play and his heart beats faster and faster (4:9-11). He begins to caress her garden and stimulate her passion (4:12-15). She then invites him to enter her (4:16): they consummate their love (5:1), and the Lord pronounces His approval on everything that has taken place. COMMENT Bedroom language Notice the very erotic and sensual language they use to stimulate each other as they are making love. She speaks of the spices of her garden being wafted abroad. She asks him to eat of her garden's fruit. He calls her vagina a fruit orchard and describes her vaginal moistness as streams flowing from Lebanon (her home town). His genitals are called "fruit" in Song 2:3 and hers a "garden" in 4:12-16. The song has dealt very delicately with some extremely erotic and personal subjects, and yet one can read it and not take offense. Robert Gordis discusses the value of poetic symbolism in subjects like this very well. It is characteristic of the delicacy of the songs that the woman in each case expresses her desire for love by indirection. While a blunt avowal would repel by its crassness, the use of symbolism, which conceals as it reveals, heightens by its subtlety the charm of the sentiments expressed. Psychoanalytic theory has offered a highly plausible explanation for this powerful appeal of symbolism to the human spirit. According to psychoanalysis the unconscious persistently seeks some avenue of expression which will elude the 'censor' who stands guard over the conscious mind. Symbolism performs this liberating function for the unconscious admirably, because, in its very nature, it expresses far more than it says; its nuances are at best as significant as its explications. Its overt meaning has nothing in it to arouse the vigilance of the censor, and meanwhile its deeper context is able to cross the threshold of consciousness. In translating the symbolism, one risks the danger of appearing crass. This is the ever-present danger in this book! When God spoke of personal aspects of sex, He could have used the slang terms; however, they would tend to raise up that psychological censor. He could have used the medical terms, but that leaves a feeling of "mechanics" and science and often a sense of awkwardness. The Lord avoided both problems by using poetic symbolism. It is impossible, however, for the interpreter of the Song to leave it in poetry; to do so leaves it without interpretation to modern readers unfamiliar with ancient oriental symbols. It is the job of a commentator to explain the symbols just as an expositor of the book of Revelation must do. On "dressing up" for your mate While it is certainly true that God looks on the heart, and that the focus on clothes and appearance can be overdone, it is also true that the letters M-R-S (Mrs.) before your name do not stand for Miserable Rut of Sloppiness, or Miss Rummage Sale. But judging from the looks of the typical housewife, you would never know it. Take a look at nine out of ten women pushing carts in a supermarket. They look like survivors of a shipwreck wearing clothes distributed by the Red Cross. They spend more time selecting a head of cabbage than a new shade of lipstick. The next time you go shopping, count the number of women you feel the average man would find sexy. The aisles of a supermarket offer a horrifying potpourri of feminine ugliness. The 'Girl Scout Leader' types with their pulled-back run-a-quick-comb-through-it hair and hem lines that are never quite right. The 'good mother' types with their cracked fingernails and broken-zippered Bermudas (hair forever in plastic curlers) Ask yourself this question, ladies: "Would I have wanted him to see me looking this way before we were married?" If you cannot answer yes, you need to make some changes. When your husband leaves for work, he carries a picture of you in his mind. Is that image likely to give him romantic thoughts during his afternoon coffee break? Solomon says the image of the Shulamite left these kinds of thoughts in his mind! It seems strange that wives and husbands often save their best for comparative strangers while their mate must settle for what he (she) can get. After you collapse on the couch completely "exhausted" from a "hard day," he's supposed to understand, right? He ought to; you have explained it to him in tiresome detail. Yet let an insurance salesman or a friend drop by, and instantly you become all smiles, coffee, and conversation. What do you look like when he comes home from work? Do you get the house ready, and more importantly do you get yourself ready? A man needs a "magnet" at home that keeps drawing him back. If he does not find that magnet at home, there are hundreds of them out in the business world. The girls at the office always appear to him at their best! The way Shulamith dresses has a definite effect on her sex appeal to her husband. Note in 4:11 where Solomon comments on the "fragrance of her garments." She is skilled in the use of perfumes and cosmetics which make her as attractive to her husband as possible (see 1:9,10,15; 4:1-7; 6:4-9; 7:1-7). These comments need some qualification. No woman should be expected to appear as if she stepped out of a beauty parlor twenty-four hours a day. The home should be a place where one can relax and "let your hair down." All we are suggesting is that often we let too much hair down and the result is very thoughtless. Men are no less guilty of sloppiness than many women. Too many husbands lay around the house in sweat-shirts or dirty work clothes. They lounge in front of the TV set watching football with their overweight bellies hanging over their belts and wonder why their wives are not sexually responsive to them. Do you make her feel needed? Solomon did! When he gazed at her body and referred to the stately carriage of her neck (4:4), he was poetically telling her, "My darling, you are a constant source of encouragement and strength for me. I need you desperately to carry out my responsibilities as King of Israel." Have you ever told your wife something like that? She needs to feel needed. You also need to feel needed. If your boss continually communicated to you that you were unnecessary to the function of the company, your motivations to do a good job would rapidly disappear. You and the family are her world. She needs to know she's succeeding at her "job" just as much as you need that assurance on yours. The problem is she often has a difficult time trying to determine exactly what you need her for. She pleasures you in bed, takes care of your things, keeps the place attractive for you and sees that there are three meals on the table every day. But what else? She wants to know how much you appreciate her encouragement. Tell her what her support does to give you the incentive to go on. Tell her you need to know she believes in you, trusts you, and has faith in you. She needs to know you recognize that need and rely on her faith. Resident Ford in his acceptance speech said, "I am indebted to no man and to only one woman." He was telling the world she contributed to his success. He was giving her honor (1 Peter 3:7). If it is difficult for you to express this to her, work on your inhibitions; you might try writing it all out in loving detail and sending it to her in a special delivery letter! She may tend to evaluate herself in terms of dishwashing, floor scrubbing, and all those other "busy" charm and believe me, it isn't these things that make her feel important in your life! The biblical definition of "romance" Women are incurable romantics with no discernable interest in being cured. If you ever wrote her any love letters, chances are she has kept every one of them. Men are harmed by a lack of romantic love to a much less degree than importance to her. If a man is denied this, he generally throws himself into his work and finds fulfilment there. Not so a woman; since her life is more directly focused in the home she probably feels this lack more deeply than a man. A man once told his wife on their wedding day, "I want you to know I love you. If I didn't I wouldn't have married you. I expect to continue to love you, but don't expect me to say any more about it. Remember, I have already said it." The wife was speechless and, guided by instinct, said, "Oh, I can't remember something like that. I think you will have to remind me again and again." As plants need sunshine and water, so a woman needs romantic love if she is to flourish and bloom. In chapter 4 we see a beautiful illustration of romantic love. In fact, the whole book illustrates this point and defines it for us in tangible ways. Many women complain that their husbands are not romantic enough, but they never seem to be able to define exactly this mysterious substance called "romance." Listen carefully, men, you are at least going to get a definition, and from the Bible, no less! The Song of Solomon seems to teach that "romance" has at least FOUR ingredients. (1) It includes an element of the unexpected. When Solomon constructs a bedroom with cedars from Lebanon (1:16,17) to surprise his bride, he's being romantic. When he springs a surprise vacation in the Lebanon mountains on her, he's being romantic. The element of surprise is important to romance. A single long-stemmed rose when there is no special occasion is romantic. Anything that repeats itself over and over again loses its romantic value, such as always having dinner at the same restaurant, with movies always to follow. (2) It includes dating. We find Solomon taking his wife-to-be on a date in 2:8-17. After they are married, he still takes her on dates (7:11-8:14). Do you regularly date your wife like Solomon did? Let me carefully define what I do not mean by a "date." It is not hurling a newspaper her way some evening while you are laying in front of a boring TV show and saying, "Honey, why don't you see if there is anything on at the movies and call and get a babysitter?" A date is when you plan the evening, you get the babysitter, and YOU TAKE HER. You remember, like you did before you married her. You might get a list of the names and phone numbers of all the babysitters she uses. Something is missing if you have to ask her where to go. When you were dating her before you married her, you didn't wait for her to come up with the ideas. Also, a date is one husband and one wife, not a crowd. Double dates went out with the junior prom. Going out with another couple is great, do it often, but that's not a date. Generally, what happens is that you spend the evening talking to him, and your wife spends the evening talking to her, and a week later she says, "Why don't you ever take me out?" You reply, "I just took you out last week!" But you didn't take her out. You were "out" with the other wife's husband! Call going out with another couple "Christian fellowship" or something ... but that's not what we're talking about when we speak of a "date." Sometimes your dates should involve pre-planning that appears spontaneous. For example, let's say you are going window-shopping with your wife on an evening downtown. You casually pass by a restaurant and say, "Why don't we go in and get a bite to eat." When you enter the restaurant, there are twenty-five people waiting to be seated, and the waiter informs you it will be about an hour and a half before you can get a table. Just at that moment the head waiter arrives and says, "Good evening, Mr.Jones, we have your table for two right over here overlooking the lights of the city." That's romance! That's pre-planning that appears spontaneous. What can you do on a date? Here are some suggestions. -Take a window-shopping stroll after the stores have closed. -Go river bank fishing by moonlight without too much attention to fishing. -Find a secluded spot and build a fire. -Go for a drive in the car and just talk. -Go bicycling. -Go ice or roller skating. -Visit a zoo. -Visit the airport (you might even "watch the airplanes" like you did before you married her). -Go on a camp-out. -Go to a rodeo. -Visit a museum. -Visit a library some evening and browse through all the books on sex, love, and marriage. -Spend an evening sharing mutual goals and planning family objectives. -Locate an unusual and different restaurant and spend the evening there in loving conversation. -Spend an evening making love in a motel, away from the children and the phone. Be home by midnight. -Go to the drive-in. -Visit a convalescent home and take some presents to cheer up the patients and elderly people. (3) It includes the impractical. Cedars from Lebanon are very impractical for bedroom construction! Furthermore, kings can't afford time frivolously spent wandering through the forests of Lebanon mountains with their wives (7:11). How impractical! Our emphasis of "being practical" is a major killer of romance. There is a beautiful illustration of impracticality in the Old Testament. David and his mighty men were at war with the Philistines. One day David casually remarked that he desired a drink of water out of the well of Bethlehem (1 Sam.23:13-17). The problem was this well was now located behind enemy lines and in the middle of the Philistine camp! Three of David's "Five Star Generals," the chiefs of the mighty men, overheard his remark. That night they crept away from the camp and secretly crossed enemy lines and crept right into the Philistine campsite. After securing a pitcher of water from the well, they returned to the Israelite camp completely undetected. When they gave their gift to David, he was so overwhelmed that he said, "I am not worthy to drink this water," and he poured it out on an altar - a sacrifice to the Lord. What utter nonsense! The three top men in David's army risk their own lives and therefore the future of David's military operations against the Philistines for a pitcher of water! It may be impractical nonsense, but it is this kind of nonsense that makes the world go around. Creative romantic love is often stifled by the desire to be reasonable and practical. "This isn't a strategic way to spend money." "We're too old for that sort of thing." "Why don't we wait until we have fulfilled all of these other responsibilities." I'm not advocating irresponsibility. I'm simply observing that practicality can sometimes squelch love. Don't hesitate to be impractical once in a while. Your wife may need an ironing board to the point of desperation. That would be a very "practical" gift but it rates quite low in the romance department. When I was a child I always bought my mother practical gifts for Christmas like knives, plates, placemats, etc. Those gifts are necessary, but we are supposed to be men now. Buy her some perfume, scented soap, a record, lingerie, a basket of fruit, a new plant for the house, or the new outfit she wanted but couldn't afford. (4) It includes creativity. Solomon is a very creative lover. We find this illustrated profusely throughout the Song. It takes creativity to design that kind of bedroom (1:16,17); he speaks to her in poetry to describe her beauty (4:1-7); he takes her for walks in the forests and they make love outdoors (7:11-13); he buys her little trinkets and pieces of jewelry (1:11); he encourages variety in their loveplay (7:1-11). How creative are you toward your wife? Men tend to think in categories and settle down into the rut of marriage very quickly. We use a systematic and categorized approach to our jobs and unfortunately often carry it over into our relationships with our wives. I once talked to a woman who told me of her husband's lovemaking: "I can tell you exactly what my husband will do next, how long he will linger on that part of my body to the second. He hasn't changed the routine in twenty years." She doesn't want a tired old man who treats her to a "good-old-reliable-mother-to-my-children" kind of affection. It has been said the only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth of it. If you have fallen into that nine-to-five, sex-only-after-the-late-news, camping-vacation- always-with-the-children-along rut, don't expect her to be a very exciting lover. Introduce creativity into your lovemaking and your total relationship like Solomon did. To find out just how creative you are as a husband, may I suggest you take the following "Lover's Quotient Test." Give yourself ten points for each item on the following list if you have done it once in the past six months. If you have done any item on the list two or more times, you get twenty points. -Have you phoned her during the week and asked her out for one evening that weekend without telling her where you are taking her? A mystery date. -Have you given her an evening completely off? You clean up the kitchen; you put the kids to bed. -Have you gone parking with her at some safe and secluded spot and kissed and talked for an evening? -Have you drawn a bath for her after dinner? Put a scented candle in the bathroom; add bath oil to the bath; send her there right after dinner, and then you clean up and put the kids to bed while she relaxes. (My wife says in order to get any points for this you must also clean up the tub!) -Have you phoned her from work to tell her you were thinking nice thoughts about her?( (You get no points for this one if you asked what was in the mail.) -Have you written her a love letter and sent it special delivery? (First class mail will do.) -Have you made a tape recording of all the reasons you have for loving her? Give it to her wrapped in a sheer negligee! -Have you given her a day off? Send her out to do what she wants. You clean the house, fix the meals, and take care of the kids. (My wife says you ought to get thirty points for this one.) -Have you put a special effect stereo recording of ocean waves on tape and played it while you had a nude luau on the living room floor? (If this seems a little far out for your tastes, you could substitute a by either removing the stereo effects tape or having a popcorn party in the privacy of the bedroom.) -Have you spent a whole evening (more than two hours) sharing mutual goals and planning family objectives with her and the children? -Have you ever planned a surprise weekend? You make the reservations and arrange for someone to keep the children for two days. Tell her to pack her suitcase, but don't tell her where you are going. (Just be sure it's not the Super Bowl.) Make it someplace romantic. -Have you picked up your clothes just one time in the past six months and put them on hangers? -Have you given her an all-over body massage with scented lotion and a vibrator? -Have you spent a session of making love to her that included at least two hours of romantic conversation, shared dreams, many positions of intercourse, and much variety of approach and caresses? -Have you repaired something around the house which she has not requested? -Have you kissed her passionately for at least thirty seconds one morning just before you left for work, or one evening when you walked in the door? -Have you brought her an unexpected little gift like perfume, a ring, or an item of clothing? -Have you replaced her old negligee? I have given this ridiculous test to men all over the country. Let's see? how your scores compare with theirs. 200-360-LOVER - You undoubtably have one of the most satisfied wives in the country. 150-200-GOOD - Very few make this category. 100-150-AVERAGE - This husband is somewhat typical and usually not very exciting as a lover. 50-100-KLUTZ - Too many score in this category. I hope you'll begin to move up soon. 0-50-HUSBAND - There is a difference between a "husband" and a "lover." The only reason your wife is still married to you is that she's a Christian; she has unusual capacity for unconditional acceptance, and there are some verses in the Bible against divorce. While the test shouldn't be taken too seriously, it does outline a plan of attack to increase your creativity level. I realize that many things on the list may not fit your temperament and your marriage relationship. Make up your own list. The idea is simply to encourage creativity in a fun way. After giving this test as a humorous conclusion to messages on sex for men, I find varied reactions. Most of the men seem to like it and leave encouraged to break the routine of the marriage. One man wrote me and said the whole thing was silly and ridiculous! Furthermore, everyone he had talked to agreed. This test may be ridiculous as far as its application to your marriage relationship is concerned. Fine. Furthermore, there are many sincere, godly men who are very creative in their approach to their wives, but who scored poorly on the test. The issue is what is appropriate in your particular and unique marriage relationship that will bring new zest and vitality. At the conclusion of one seminar, a man rated in the lover category. He had a score of 340! Another man on the front row laughed out loud when he heard the score and blurted, "How long has he been married?" He was implying that the man who scored so highly must have been only recently married. Once you settle down in the daily routine and have been married for a number of years, he reasoned, these things are no longer expected as a regular part of married life, they are for "young couples." If you are responding this way, let me ask you a question. Does your relationship with the Lord Jesus become more and more "settled" with time? Does it automatically loose its creativity and zest the longer you know Him? If it does, then you have a definite spiritual problem in your relationship with Him. It is not growing. The Bible says the believer's relationship to Christ is to illustrate the husband's relationship to his wife physically. Just as a lack of spiritual vitality reflects a spiritual problem, a lack of growth in the vitality of your marriage relationship reveals a marriage problem. If your marriage is truly an illustration of Christ and the church, it should become more and more vital, free, and exciting as the years go by. The other side of this is, creativity as a wife. We will pick up some suggestions in that area when we discuss Song 7:13 in another chapter. For now, this brings the first part of the Song to a dose. We must now turn our attention to the second half, in which we glean insight into resolving marital problems. ...................... To be continued