by Just Another Christian

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Chapter 4 (part 3) | Table of Contents | Chapter 5 (part 2)

THE GREAT DREAM
by Just Another Christian

 

Chapter 5 of : The Great Dream, part 1 of 2

 

2 SIGNS OF THE APOSTASY, part 1

1 Timothy 4:1-5

Dear Reader,
The following exposition on 1 Timothy 4:1-5 is written with the PRESUMPTION that the King James Version of The Bible is a RELIABLE translation of the Holy Scriptures from their original languages. However, by the word RELIABLE, I do not suggest that the KJV is perfectly accurate; for it is not. What protects the RELIABILITY of the KJV is that those who did the translating were fully convinced that THERE WAS SUCH A THING as an Inspired Written Record of Religious Truth AND that: their definition of INSPIRATION included PRESERVATION. In other words, they believed in a God Who INTENDED that CERTAIN and PARTICULAR words and phrases would be BOTH recorded and RELIABLY preserved until the End of the World, and in some way, on into Eternity. This writer agrees.
The Bible also protects it's own doctrines. The Divine Genius Who is the Composer and Preserver of The Christian Bible has designed it in such a way that occasional mistranslations of a word or phrase cannot obscure or change the IDEA that God INTENDED to be UNDERSTOOD by any HONEST reader. This preservation of DOCTRINE is accomplished by REITTERATION and by ALLUSION. The Bible is REDUNDANT: it SAYS the SAME THINGS over and over again in DIFFERENT WAYS; therefore, an incorrect understanding of any particular word or phrase cannot be harmonized with the other Scriptures that address or touch on the same doctrine.
The MASSIVENESS of The Bible protects it from purposeful meddling by SECTARIAN BUREAUCRATS. Most editions of the Christian Bible are more than 1000 pages in length. Direct addresses and allusions to the MOST IMPORTANT doctrines in The Bible are "sprinkled" throughout it's entirety. In order for any "translator" to COMPLETELY obscure or change a MAJOR doctrine of the Bible without being detected, he must undertake a task of such monumental proportions, that such an undertaking IS, HAS BEEN, and SHALL REMAIN completely beyond the limits of human intelligence. Even though the world is now being flooded with an ever increasing host of confusing and contradictory "versions", The Bible remains IMPERVIOUS to any attempt at obscuring or changing what it actually says. Jesus Christ Himself quotes from the Old Testament AS IF He is EXPECTING His hearers to agree that THOSE PARTICULAR WORDS are the uncontestable Truth: He quotes from Moses and the Prophets without qualification or apology, in the presumption that what He quotes from is true and accurate. When Jesus said, The scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35), He declared The Bible to be entirely self-consistant. This writer agrees.
The Christian Bible is SO consistant, that NO translation of it, no matter how biased or inadequate, is able to obscure what God intended for His Bible to SAY to the mind of any HONEST man. The reason that I chose to use the King James Version only is because it is a VERY GOOD translation, and because it wins more TRUST from it's reader than any other. There are several other translations currently available that I could use in writing this book, and have no problem demonstrating and supporting the same Truth. In many cases, appeal to the public authority of other translations would make my job easier. But I believe it has been the will of God for me to stick to the King James Bible throughout, and to NOT make appeal to ANY OTHER popular translation, even if it is more "perfectly accurate" in it's rendition of particular words or phrases. I am convinced that the King James Version of the Bible is sufficiently accurate to reliably communicate all of God's revealed truth, and that it needs neither support nor clarification from any other source. If and when I find it necessary to supply corrected renderings or precise definitions for certain words; it is NOT because I cannot present my case from the English Text as it stands; but because I have to confront and refute dishonest and wilfully ignorant minds that hunt and poke for loopholes, ratholes, and trivialities. This book is intended to condemn all who love to say, "Yea, Hath God said?" (Gen.3:1), whenever they are confronted by The Truth.
The subject matter that will be addressed in 2 SIGNS OF THE APOSTASY is of such an extremely controversial nature, that in order to avoid being bogged down in long discussions about Greek grammar and extended redefinitions of words, I have decided to supply my own paraphrase for the text. I am NOT going to defend my translation; but RATHER, I am CHALLENGING all who take exception to it to PROVE ME WRONG. AND THEN, there is this: I am fully convinced that I have personally received orders from The God Who Wrote the Christian Bible to declare in His Name that what you are going to read in this exposition on 1 Timothy 4:1-5 is THE VERY WORD of GOD for these Last Days; and that when Jesus Christ gets back here, and even before then, He will REPROVE, DENOUNCE, OR PUNISH everyone and ANYONE who resists, disagrees with, or contradicts THIS MESSAGE. Got it?
1Tim.4:1 From the King James Version of The Holy Bible Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith; giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils;
2. Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
3. Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
4. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
5. For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
You will find that my translation isn't MUCH different from the KJV, and that the rest of God's Bible is in agreement with what I am going to tell you. Some of you will wish you could murder me after you read THIS. EVEN IF YOU DO, I'll have the LAST LAUGH on you. YOU CAN BET ON IT. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21).
1 Timothy 4:1-5
1. The Holy Spirit just now spoke these words to me. He says, that in the final stages of this present age, some of those who apostasize from the faith will do so by giving heed to influences which mislead them into embracing teachings that are sponsored by demons;
2. Being incapable of realizing their error. Under the pretense of being experts, they will say a lot of things that seem right, but are false.
3. The effect of these demonic teachings will be to discourage people from getting or staying married; and to make the attainment of health, and the attainment of true holiness into matters of what you eat and drink; insisting on total abstinence from things that God created to be received with gratitude by those who trust Him, and yield allegiance to the truth.
4. For everything God made is good, and nothing is unclean that may be received with true thankfulness to God,
5. For it is then sanctified both by God's word, and by a readiness to check with God first.
The 2 SIGNS OF THE APOSTASY are doctrines of devils about MARRIAGE and about DIET. This is the only place in the Bible where you will find a term like doctrines of devils, which means, "teachings emanating from demons". The reason I have supplied my own translation (or paraphrase, which it really is), is because 2 important facts are lost in the KJV rendering of 1 Timothy 4:1-5 due to the impossibility of translating the grammatical construction of this phrase without completely reorganizing the order of the words, and repeating some words again to maintain the context. You will notice that in the KJV, the words and commanding are italicized; this is because there is nothing to correspond to them in the Greek Original. Take "and commanding" out of the KJV and read it again, and you will see what I mean.
The 2 important facts are:
  1. The doctrines are the SIGNS, not the people who teach them. These doctrines can be identified by their effects.
  2. The demons are doing most of the TEACHING, not the people who are giving heed to them. This is very important. A literal rendition of the bridge between verse 1 and verse 2 would read like this: teachings of demons. . . . . . . . . .through the stage acting of phony logic in the already seared to a scar tissue consciences of their's.
What cannot be seen in the KJV is that DEMONS are doing most of the teaching. These are doctrines that are occurring directly to the minds of those who embrace them. These doctrines then appear to arise spontaneously in the minds of different people, each one thinking he has `concluded a truth' on his own. When he meets someone else who has reached the same conclusions, this is seen as CONFIRMATION of these doctrines. These ideas appear to be "logical". The word translated to liars in the KJV is PSEUDOLOGON: "pseudo-facts, or pseudo-reasonings": PSEUDO-LOGIC. It is this type of `reasoning your way into error' that is anticipated by the following scripture:
2Cor.10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
The word for imaginations is literally REASONINGS. These are REASONINGS which exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. The knowledge of God is not a reference to the fact of God. These REASONINGS do not deny that God exists; they deny The Truth of God. That Truth is the Truth contained in the words of The Bible.

DOCTRINES OF APOSTASY
These doctrines of devils are embraced by people who have become unteachable. Their consciences are like the deadened skin of a scar. These doctrines are to appear in the latter times. The term, "latter times", is literally, "the later, as opposed to the earlier eras". Those who embrace these doctrines APOSTASIZE from the faith. This prophecy is spoken by the Holy Spirit in reference to an earlier prophecy, in which we are told that a GREAT and FINAL APOSTASY of Christendom would take place PRIOR to the return of Our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thess.2:3). These doctrines are SIGNS, and are CHARACTERISTIC doctrines of this APOSTASY. We are not told WHAT these doctrines are specifically; rather, we are told the EFFECT they will have. These doctrines of devils address MARRIAGE and DIET, and have these effects:
  1. MARRIAGE: these doctrines HINDER people from getting married or staying married. These doctrines do not "forbid" marriage in the way we understand the meaning of "forbid." These are NOT laws that prohibit marriage: they are IDEAS about marriage that are occurring DIRECTLY to the minds of those who embrace them; and these IDEAS hinder, restrain, inhibit, and shorten marriage. The prophecy describes the EFFECTS of these doctrines, NOT the "formula" of the doctrines.
  2. DIET: these doctrines teach people to abstain from meats. The word for meats is BROMATON, a term which always means anything and everything that one may consume for nutrition OR pleasure. When the Apostle says every creature of God is good, he is telling us why those who embrace these doctrines will abstain from whatever they abstain from. They abstain because they judge certain things to be ESSENTIALLY EVIL. They make lists of what is "alright to eat or drink" and lists of what is "not all right to eat or drink." When the Apostle says, For it IS sanctified by the word of God and prayer; he first of all declares that WHATEVER "it" is, IT has ALREADY been sanctified by the word of God: the words, "and prayer", are literally, "freely addressing", and have to with a READINESS to submit what one eats or drinks to the judgement of the Holy Spirit, on a CASE by CASE basis. One must be able to receive whatever they eat or drink as being GIVEN TO THEM by God Himself; and received with thanksgiving.
Romans.14:14,23 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
23. And he that doubteth is damned (feels condemned) if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
The Holy Spirit establishes the necessity of a "clear conscience" in every matter of eating or drinking. One MAY NOT presume a right to eat or drink ANYTHING that one cannot receive as from God, with thankfulness to God for having received it.
Again, these doctrines about WHAT YOU MAY or MAY NOT eat or drink are primarily taught by the seducing spirits. One may conclude these ideas on their own, without having been taught them by any other human being. Through a SHOW of FALSE LOGIC these ideas are made to appear as "reasonable" to the mind. The one who "concludes upon" these IDEAS has departed (apostasized) from the faith. Not every person who has departed from the faith embraces these particular doctrines. This is just ONE FORM of that GREAT and FINAL APOSTASY by the churches of Christendom, that has ALREADY begun and is well underway in the Year of Our Lord, 1991.

DOCTRINES OF DEVILS
No where else in all of God's Bible do we find such a term as doctrines of devils. This is because no other "false doctrines" can compare with these in their horrible and destructive effects. One can rightly suppose that any doctrine which ORIGINATES FROM, and is continually reinforced by whispering DEMONS, will have a more pernicious effect on the world than arguments about baptismal formulas and such like. These are IDEAS FROM HELL; that being accepted by "most of" the people in Christendom, have brought more misery into this world than ANY OTHER "twist on the gospel" in history. These IDEAS are NOT the exclusive property of professing Christians, but are IDEAS about marriage and diet that are now embraced by nearly everyone in the world. These are "NEW IDEAS": ideas that have no roots in the Ancient Church. As we examine them, you will see that they COULDN'T have become popular before now. These are "reasonings accommodated to present circumstances." You could NEVER have "sold" these ideas to the man of the 1st century Church. They NOT ONLY contradict The Bible, but they would have been downright IMPRACTICAL in the 1st century: they are products of the TIMES. These are IDEAS ABOUT MARRIAGE, and IDEAS ABOUT DIET. They shall each be considered separately. First, we will examine what The Bible teaches us about MARRIAGE, and discuss what these NEW IDEAS are by contrast. Then, we will examine what The Bible teaches us about DIET, and discuss what these NEW IDEAS are by contrast. Then, I will make some concluding remarks and illustrations. May God help you to face up to the Truth of what I am going to show you.

SIGN 1

THE BIBLE ON MARRIAGE
The FACT of MARRIAGE is self existent. There has never been a time in history when men and women didn't understand what it meant to "get married". Put simply: a promise of mutual faithfulness and physical intimacy are what constitutes a marriage. Ceremony is OPTIONAL; and even The State recognizes a "common law" marriage. PROMISE plus SEX = MARRIAGE. This PROMISE to "forsake all others AND till death never to part", may be implied or insinuated in the consent to engage in physical intimacy, WITHOUT being spoken. This "insinuating promises to obtain sexual favors" is STILL a pledge of marriage. When a girl says, "DO YOU REALLY LOVE ME?", and the boy says, "YOU KNOW I REALLY LOVE YOU": and this conversation becomes a precursor to a sexual act that otherwise would not have been permitted; they have made "the Promise" to each other. This transaction, where a promise is exchanged for sexual priveliges; may take place WITHOUT a word being spoken by EITHER party. A person may believe that the "promise" is UNDERSTOOD as being IMPLICIT in sexual intimacy, without words being spoken to that effect. Many a young girl has assured herself by thinking, "He wouldn't do this if he didn't love me." This PROMISE is always presumed by someone in the CONSENT to engage in sexual intimacy unless BOTH persons KNOW that it is not. It is this IMPLIED PROMISE that the Apostle is referring to in the following Scriptures:
1Thess.4:3 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
4. That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel (his own body) in sanctification and honor;
5. Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God:
6. That no man go beyond (ignore the restrictions) and defraud (take advantage of) his brother (a Hebrew term which in this context is meant to imply the opposite sex without provoking erotic images) in the matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.
The Lord is the avenger of all such: The Lord KNOWS who promised or IMPLIED what to whom in the matter; and He is the AVENGER of the one who is defrauded in the affair. The one who IMPLIES a commitment by words OR BY SILENCE in order to obtain sexual intimacy AND THEN does not follow through on that commitment is going to get PUNISHED by God.
The Bible NEVER gives us a "definition" for MARRIAGE. Everything it has to say about marriage PRESUMES that MARRIAGE is UNDERSTOOD. The 7th Commandment; which says, Thou shalt not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14), presumes that both MARRIAGE and ADULTERY are UNDERSTOOD.
The marriage of Isaac in Genesis 24 illustrates this PROMISE BY IMPLICATION in the consent to sexual intimacy. There is NO engagement, NO courtship, NO ceremony; but when Isaac brought her into his mothers tent, and took Rebekah. . .she became his wife (Genesis 24:67).

JESUS ON DIVORCE
Mark.10:9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
First of all, let us have it understood that there is no such thing as pledge of marriage that God does not affirm. Nowhere in the New Testament can you find a reference to a marriage that God hath not joined together. And, I am NOT going to review the Mosaic laws on divorce; as if it were in ANY WAY necessary that I account for them, or explain them. The Law of Moses allowed for divorce, but it also allowed for polygamy: and when Jesus was asked about these Mosaic permissions, His answer was, What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder; thereby REJECTING theMosaic permission. His disciples, like many people today, were shocked at this, and they asked Him again of the same matter (10:10).
Mark.10:11 And He saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.
12. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and marrieth another, she committeth adultery.
Nothing could be plainer than these statements. Anyone who divorces and remarries committeth adultery by doing so, for Jesus DOES NOT authorize the DIVORCE. Once married, ALWAYS MARRIED: till death do you part. This is EXACTLY how Jesus Christ sees it, and describes it.
Matt.5:31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
32. but I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
This is the same thing being said by Jesus Christ on a different occasion in a different way. Jesus does NOT approve of the divorce; He just says that if the wife commits fornication BEFORE the divorce, the husband is not at fault for THAT. If he divorces his wife, he becomes partly responsible for her adultery if she marrys another man. There is NO APPROVAL for divorce ANYWHERE in these Scriptures. Again, Jesus says that ANYONE who marries ANYONE that has been divorced, committeth adultery by doing so. The Apostle Paul is not the least bit confused about this, and he says THE SAME EXACT THING:
1Cor.7:10 And unto the married, I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband.
11. But and if she depart, LET HER REMAIN UNMARRIED, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
I can see "the snakes a' squirming" now; but that's all right. I don't have to defend this. There is One who will defend it. There is NO SUCH THING as a RECOMMENDED divorce in the New Testament. This denial of ANY right to an "approved divorce" is not subject to arguments about whether or not one of the partners is saved, either. Saved or unsaved, it's still the same:
1Cor.7:12 But to the rest, speak I, not the Lord: if any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away.
13. And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
Once again, there is NO PERMISSION to either get divorced AND remarried in any of this. Paul simply states that if the UNBELIEVER wants to go, you may let them go. The one who is left is still divorced, and whosoever shall marry her (or him) that is divorced COMMITTETH ADULTERY. Paul takes this fact; that marriage is BINDING as long as both partners shall live SO MUCH FOR GRANTED, that he uses it as an illustration of the permanency of the Law over a man until that man has realized and embraced the full significance of the death and resurrection of Christ:
Rom.7:1 Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law), how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?
2. For the woman that hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
3. So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
4. Wherefore my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that ye should bring forth fruit unto God.
I know that Paul is not trying to make a point about marriage in this verse; but he appeals to marriage as an example in THE PRESENT TENSE. He doesn't say she would have been called an adulteress; as if referring to something that ONCE WAS. He says she shall be called an adulteress, in the PRESENT TENSE. He is taking for granted what Jesus, and he himself, have said on other occasions. Read it again; said by the same Apostle, on a different occasion:
1Cor.7:39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be married to whom she will; but only in the Lord.
This is no "illustration", but a statement of policy. These teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostles that forbid divorce and remarriage have kept families together, by requiring professing Christians to learn how to love their spouse. We are warned that if we marry, we shall have trouble in the flesh: and that is indeed true, because our carnal natures are always at war with everyone else, including our spouse and our children. In any marriage, there may be times in which the husband and the wife are completely alienated from each other and dislike each other; they may even abhor each other: they see no way to rekindle the feelings that drew them together in the first place. For Christians, though, there are no "irreconcilable differences", For with God, nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37). There may be a time in which faithfulness and devotion to an unresponsive or unrepentant spouse becomes a self-denying service to Christ. Those who are willing to live in obedience to everything the New Testament says about marriage can expect God to work things out for them, one way or another. (See 1 Samuel 25:2-42).

"EXCEPT IT BE FOR FORNICATION"
Matt.19:8 And Jesus said unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
9. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
In no other place where Jesus discusses divorce does He ever present any "exceptions": but always asserts that if either of the divorced persons remarry, they commit adultery by doing so (Mark 10:11-12). The only way that except it be for fornication can be read in harmony with EVERYTHING ELSE that Jesus and the Apostles said about it, is to see that the reference is to the discovery that your 'fiance' is not a virgin before you actually come together. The word fornication describes sexual sin that does not explicitly violate a vow of marriage. In the Old Testament, people who were engaged were regarded as married until or unless the engagement was broken off.
Matt.1:18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
19. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privately.
Joseph is here called the husband of Mary before they came together, and, to put her way means to divorce her. Here, Joseph is considering whether or not to DIVORCE his FIANCEE. In other words, you may break off your engagement before you come together, and marry another, without committing adultery.
If however, you see an "exception" in this case, I will not debate you on the matter: for everyone who reads Matthew 19:9 will immediately see what appears to be an allowance for both divorce and remarriage. I will point out to you, that if Christ has made an exception, He has made ONLY ONE exception: there is no excuse or justification given for divorce and remarriage FOR ANY OTHER REASON WHATSOEVER. I will also bring to your attention the fact that God knows if you are responsible for driving your spouse into infidelity by abuse or indifference.
It is also noteable here, that Jesus Christ neither commands nor recommends divorce even when there has been infidelity. Jesus also said, But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matt.6:15).
Adultery is just one of the many sins that men and women may commit; and neither is adultery the biggest or the worst of sins. If you are already divorced and remarried, and you are born again, this particular adultery is not THE SIN that keeps you out of heaven. BUT, if you are willing to deny the Truth of God as revealed in the Bible in order to justify your deeds, you are guilty of a much greater sin than adultery.

THE AUTHORITY OF THE HUSBAND
Eph.5:22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
23. For the husband is head of the wife, even as Christ is head of the church: and He is the savior of the body.
24. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
Really, it shouldn't be necessary to comment on this. The God of the Bible grants the husband the right to have the last word: to make and enforce decisions without the consent of the wife or children IF NECESSARY. The possibility that the husband may not be saved is NOT made to be any exception to this rule: the husband has governing authority over the wife. The Apostle Peter addresses this directly:
1Peter.3:1 Likewise ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conduct of the wives;
5. For after this manner, in the old time, the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands.
6. Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
These are things that the God of the Christian Bible says about marriage. They are not the "opinions" of insecure men who are looking for an excuse to be bullies. Those who are tempted to excuse themselves by characterizing their spouse as "some kind of monster" ought to repent before they complain. First of all, if you had truly sought the will of God in the matter, you wouldn't have married the wrong person. Secondly, if you haven't obeyed the counsel of the Bible in how to conduct yourself towards your spouse, you may well have created your own "monster". Lastly, if you repent of your own sins in the matter, and humbly set out to do the right, honorable, and virtuous thing from now on, you can expect God to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled (2 Cor.10:6).

OBLIGATIONS OF HUSBANDS
Eph.5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it.
This ALSO is CRYSTAL CLEAR. The husband is commanded to love his wife with a sacrificial love; and to GIVE HIS LIFE FOR THE WELFARE OF HIS WIFE, just as Christ did for the church.
1Peter.3:7 Likewise ye husbands, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
If any man who claims to be a Christian does not show a continuous concern for the welfare and HAPPINESS of his wife, his prayers will be hindered. No one who despises or abuses his wife can possibly have a clear conscience before God.

MARITAL RELATIONS
1Cor.7:3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
4. The wife hath not power over her own body, but the husband: and likewise the husband hath not power over his own body, but the wife.
Neither partner is to deny their spouse intimate relations. The RIGHT to the "use" of the spouse is underscored by the PLAIN statement that the rightful authority over one's own body in these matters is TRANSFERRED to the spouse. Failure to observe this COMMAND has been the cause of many a divorce.

MAINTAINING CHASTITY
1Cor.7:9 But if they cannot contain (control themselves), let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn(with uncontrollable desire).
Celibacy is the superior condition from which to serve The Lord, and this is plainly stated: It is good for a man not to touch a woman (1 Cor. 7:1). Chastity and virginity are both HIGHLY praised in the Bible. There is no suggestion here that God "frowns" on intimate relations between a husband and his wife. It is a strictly practical matter; that those who are married become automatically more ENTRENCHED into obligations to the world around them (1 Cor. 7:32-35).
Heb.13:4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
There is NO REASON to believe that God "dislikes" or is in any way embarrassed by sanctified sexuality. God made it this way in the beginning, when He commanded Adam and Eve to be fruitful, and multiply (Gen. 1:28). God has made RULES for intimate relations, and those who violate those rules are sinning.

SEXUAL SIN
Matt.5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28. But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
By this statement, Jesus contradicts the popular notion that sexual sin doesn't take place until some "level" of physical intimacy is achieved. To even look upon someone you have no right to, in order to enjoy "imagining" anything sexual, is SIN. Sin begins when the fires of passion are allowed to encroach upon the mind. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? (Prov. 6:27) Everyone understands this.
James.1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
Everyone ALSO understands that once you have permitted sinful lusting to "get a grip" on your mind, that it is almost impossible to stop the process that finally turns into blatant sin. This is why we are told to flee also youthful lusts (2 Tim. 2:22). Very few men can endure any exposure to erotic images or suggestions without yielding to them. We are NOT to allow ourselves to be exposed to temptation in these matters; but we are commanded to Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body (1 Cor. 6:18). Every True Child of God that has been caught up in a whirlpool of lust KNOWS that it is IMPOSSIBLE to maintain a good conscience and ANY sense of security before God when enslaved by sinful desires. There are many who maintain a public appearance of virtue; but in the secrets of their hearts they drag this sin as it were with a cart rope (Isaiah 5:18) along behind them. God sees it all, and NO ONE is going to get away with anything. Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgement: and some men they follow after (1 Tim. 5:24).

WHO YOU MAY MARRY
2Cor.6:14 Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
2 Corinthians 6:14-21 addresses ALL the social relationships we may become engaged in while we are still in the world. We are COMMANDED to not become yoked (tied to) ANY unbelievers for ANY reason. Certainly, marriage; the most intimate of relationships; is CLEARLY in view here. The fact that someone makes a profession of Faith does NOT make them into a True Believer; especially when almost everyone around you thinks they are Christians by osmosis. You should be VERY SURE that the one you will marry is a True, born again (John 3:3) Child of God. Failure to be careful about THIS has brought misery into the lives of many Christians.

THE BIBLE ON MARRIAGE: SUMMARY
  1. Celibacy is both honorable and virtuous, and is recommended to those who are able to receive it (Matt.19:12).
  2. One who cannot control their desires is advised to marry.
  3. A Christian may not marry anyone who is not a True Believer.
  4. Marriage is for as long as both the husband and the wife shall live.
  5. Divorce is acknowledged, but NEVER recommended.
  6. Anyone who marries a divorced person commits adultery by doing so, except in the single case given in Matt.19:9.
  7. Any attempt to achieve sexual gratification outside of marriage is SIN.
  8. Those who are married may not use sexual denial as a means of coercion, or as way to punish their spouse.
  9. The wife is to allow the husband to have the last word in any matter where they finally do not and cannot agree.
  10. The husband is commanded to devote himself to securing the happiness of his wife, and to be ready to sacrifice his freedoms and privileges in order to do so.
Now I know how "unreasonable" this all appears to be in the light of the present conditions: but I will remind you that "once upon a time" ALL of Christendom accepted and understood these things. Only since the Industrial Revolution of the early 1800's, when the lifestyles of husbands and wives were dramatically changed, have the Historic Christian Doctrines on marriage, divorce, and chastity been challenged. When husbands began to work away from the home, both the husbands and the wives were faced with new temptations. The Women's Rights Movement also began in this period; during which it became popular for women to get an education and achieve financial independence BEFORE getting married. Thus, the average AGE for marriage in both men and women began to rise; and sexually mature young people were required to wait LONGER before they could get married. Young men and women began to leave home at an earlier age and BEFORE they were married in the pursuit of their careers; and this also increased both the temptation and the opportunity for sin. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, most people lived on farms, and their social circle was small. It was very difficult to get romantically involved without EVERYONE in your own family and ALL the surrounding neighbors knowing all about it. Parents were able to "police" the behavior of their children, and if the children were caught fornicating, they were rushed into a "shotgun wedding". The prospect of being forced to marry whoever they FIRST had sex with greatly restrained promiscuity among our forefathers, as it would today.
In that more isolated society, one could not lightly divorce their mate and find another; there may not be many "others" available. The consequences of divorce were more devastating; there being no "welfare system" to pick up the tab on the abandoned wife and children. And then, back then, divorce WAS universally frowned upon, and divorcees were regarded as flawed characters: bad prospects for a happy marriage. These changes in society: the DELAYING of marriage for financial considerations, and the increase in both OPPORTUNITY and PRIVACY for sexual sin; are at the BOTTOM of the TORRENT OF LUST and IMMORALITY that has swallowed up the world. In the early 1800's, most women were married by the age of 17; and marriage at the age of 14 was common. In 1991 in Christendom, the average age of marriage for women is the early 20s. This of course, has raised the age for the men, who usually prefer to marry someone who is younger than themselves. It is not honest to pretend that these young adult years, between puberty and marriage, are not FILLED with unrelenting sexual longings; and ESPECIALLY in a society that is INUNDATED with so-called "sex education" and pornography.

DOCTRINES OF DEVILS ABOUT MARRIAGE
he doctrines of devils which are predicted to arise in the latter times are known by their EFFECT on marriage. The word translated to forbid in the KJV is KOLOUONTON, which can mean to PREVENT: DELAY, HINDER, or FORESHORTEN. These doctrines have had all of these effects. They PREVENT or DELAY marriage by placing OBSTACLES before young people who wish to marry. They PREVENT or HINDER people from being happily married by substituting the products of "reason" for the Biblical description of the "rules" for marriage. They PREVENT or FORESHORTEN the permanence of marriage by encouraging and excusing divorce and remarriage. These IDEAS are not really "doctrines"; in that they are NOT the historic propositions of any denominational creed: they are EXCUSES; offered by those who wish to justify themselves or their friends; which are then ratified by clergymen who wish to keep their pews filled. The word for doctrines is the Greek word DIASKALAIS which means "things taught". These THINGS are being taught by seducing spirits. These spirits MISLEAD people into embracing IDEAS that have all these effects on marriage, through a STAGED DISPLAY of SO-CALLED LOGIC presented to the mind BY the spirit that is doing the MISLEADING. The one who embraces these IDEAS will see them as the products of their own internal REASONINGS, and they appear to be wise (pseudo-logical) to the one who "concludes" them, because by these "reasonings" they think to justify their disobedience to WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS. If they find that someone else ALSO agrees with these "conclusions", they accept that as sufficient confirmation that these IDEAS are approved by God. If confronted with the teachings of the Bible on these things, they show no disposition to give up these "conclusions" of their own REASONINGS. What the Bible says about these things, they say, is, "subject to interpretation". Thus, they display that their conscience is seared with a hot iron, and they give evidence that they have departed from the faith.
The problem that I expect to have in presenting this to you is that the whole world and MOST professing Christians have ALREADY fully embraced these "products of reason" which are really IDEAS sponsored by devils. These doctrines of devils are simply WHATEVER contradicts the PLAIN teachings of The Holy Bible on these matters; which teachings you have just now reviewed. I am not directed to reprove THE WORLD about these things, for the Bible says that what THE WORLD does is none of my business (1 Cor. 5:12). I speak to YOU: you who "profess" to be Christians: I am ACCUSING you of "selling out" the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 3). . .focusing your attention on what The Bible says about marriage. I am EXHORTING you at the behest of The Holy Spirit to realize your error and change your ways and your IDEAS. I am ANNOUNCING that those who embrace these IDEAS SPONSORED BY DEMONS are APOSTATES from the faith; and APOSTATES will end up in HELL.
BUT YOU SAY. . . . .
How have WE delayed marriage? The Bible says that it is better to marry than to burn with unfulfilled desire: BUT you say; it's better to burn for several years than to get married before you have your MONEY in order. You require that your children have their own house, their own car, and an established career before they get married: and WHY? Because you are too selfish and unloving to let them live in your home for a while, and you don't want to have to contribute to their support! You delay the marriage of your children for the sake of education; the "reason" for getting that education is to get a good job. The reason for seeking the "good job" is to get MORE MONEY. As I said, these TEACHINGS OF DEMONS APPEAR to be "just practical" to the minds of those who embrace them. You DELAY the marriage of your children by insisting on expensive and complicated weddings. MONEY decides if they will marry, who they will marry, and when. PROMISE plus INTIMACY = MARRIAGE in The Bible. By MISDEFINING marriage into a "ceremony", you deceive your children into a false definition for marriage. Thus, because MARRIAGE is MISDEFINED even by professing Christians, young men and women will do a lot of "promising and touching", or even LIVE TOGETHER, for months or even years while they wait to get ENOUGH MONEY to have "a wedding". Many people now think that years of sexual relations; EVEN AFTER THEY HAVE HAD CHILDREN; don't make for a real "marriage"; while they presume that a "ceremony" DOES! While your children are waiting for all those years to get OLD ENOUGH and to get FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT so they can "get married", you allow them to play "the dating game": thinking that if you allow them to participate in "a little foreplay", that this will "tide them over" until they are allowed to "go all the way". But, the "dating game" is just THE PRACTICE OF PROMISCUITY if there is ANY level of sexual contact that is not regarded as a pledge to be married immediately. Jesus said that even to look with lust at someone you have no right to is adultery. During those young adult years, your children may "fall in love" with SEVERAL people, and engage in "making out" or EVEN MORE than that. You MISDEFINE sexual sin so that anything short of "touching certain body parts" is NOT SIN. Therefore your children are SCHOOLED IN WHOREDOM. You don't mind if your daughter "holds hands" with a HUNDRED DIFFERENT BOYS; as long as that is all she does. You don't mind if your son kisses a HUNDRED DIFFERENT GIRLS; as long as he doesn't go much farther than that. During the high school and college years, your child may IMPLY or SPEAK "The Promise" to several different people: by the time they do "get married" they are ALREADY SCHOOLED IN ADULTERY, having "promised and touched": and then changed their mind and gone on to someone else, AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN.
BUT YOU SAY. . . .
How have WE hindered people from having happy marriages? The Bible says, The husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is head of the church (Eph. 5:23): but you have your "modern, democratic IDEAS" about "equality" and "rights", so you "explain" this in such a way that the husband does not end up with THE FINAL SAY about EVERYTHING in the home and family. You JUSTIFY rebellion against the AUTHORITY God has established in the family by CIRCUMSTANTIAL ETHICS: as if the husband has to first pass some "test" before he may have THE FINAL SAY in EVERY SINGLE MATTER pertaining to the family. You tell or listen to SOB STORIES that are supposed to EXCUSE disobedience to this PLAIN, CLEAR, and OFTEN REPEATED teaching of The Bible.
The Bible says that once you are married, you have LOST THE RIGHT to determine WHERE and WHEN there shall be intimate relations. YOUR SPOUSE has, by DIVINE COMMAND, the RIGHT at ANY and EVERY time to your FULL COOPERATION with their romantic needs and desires (1 Cor. 7:3-5). BUT NO! You have more to say about "rights and privacy" that EXCUSES "so called" Christians for their DISOBEDIENCE to this PLAIN, UNAMBIGUOUS, COMMANDMENT. Many an ADULTERY and DIVORCE has been the result of those who DISOBEY GOD in this matter; and many even use SEXUAL DENIAL as a way to FORCE their spouse to yield on OTHER THINGS. . . . . . . . .EVIL! EVIL! EVIL!
BUT YOU SAY. . . . .
How have WE foreshortened marriage? By not AGREEING WITH and TEACHING the SAME THINGS The Bible says about the conduct of marriage and sexual sin; you have UNDERMINED the PERMANENCE of marriage. You make EXCUSES for divorce that The Bible does not give; you make REASONS to justify both DIVORCE and REMARRIAGE in flat out contradiction to Jesus Christ, Who said: Whosoever shall marry her (or him) that is divorced, committeth ADULTERY (Matt. 5:32). Who among you will now show us how I have misrepresented what the Bible says about these things?

 

Chapter 4 (part 3) | Table of Contents | Chapter 5 (part 2)

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