Elders who do their work well should be respected. 1Timothy 5:17-25

 With this post, I am finishing the fifth chapter of Paul's letter to Timothy, with a few interjections and thoughts.

1 Timothy 5:17 NLT Elders who do their work well should be respected and paid well, especially those who work hard at both preaching and teaching.

Elder is the Greek word presbuteros. To the Jews hearing this, it was directly associated with members of the Jewish council or Sanhedrin. In early times, the rulers of the people, judges, etc., were selected from older men.) From: Thayer’s Greek Definitions

I cannot merely say this is talking about older church members, although the more senior members will probably have sage wisdom and expertise because of time and experience. The mere fact that Paul refers to these persons preaching and teaching tends to point to church leadership. Just saying the phrase “church leadership” leaves a bad taste in my mouth, as several church leaders caused me great emotional harm. Others are clearly into leadership because it holds the opportunity for significant monetary gain within the mega-churches. Apparently, with COVID 19, those days are gone.

Let’s talk about the monetary aspect for a moment. Though relatively simple in this translation, the passage tells us that those who do their work well should get paid well, especially if they are also teaching and preaching.

Can you be a teacher or preacher and be bad at it?

That seems to have possibilities, but why wouldn't others, such as church leadership or the audience in general, weed you out if you were terrible at what you were doing?

In my own experience, our former church deacon board voted to bring on a pastor, who was primarily a Christian school administrator before coming to the church I was at back then. We know this about him because he boasted about the paddling board that hung in the Principal's office and how often he used it. As a pastor, he was lousy. His teachings were all oriented toward acceptable business practices and principles. He refused, for at least two years, to speak of salvation and the price Christ paid for our sins at Easter. He maintained his position as the pastor for at least 15 years, and by the time he left, the church had dwindled from about 250 people to about 80.

Considered worthy is the same Greek word said twice, now go figure that out. It is the word axioō and carries the meanings of 1) to think meet, fit, right. 2) to judge worthy, deem, deserving

Double is the Greek word diplous and means two-fold: - double.

Honor means value or money paid.

The NASB tells us, all this should happen, especially for those who work hard at preaching and teaching.

Now, look once again at what I witnessed; that pastor may well feel that he was working hard. And I would never dispute that he put together a satisfactory harvest festival, but he was NOT a good preacher, nor was he a bible teacher.

1 Timothy 5:18 NLT For the Scripture says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.”

So the result is, the elder who is doing their job well should get paid twice what the others get paid.

Does anyone else see the potential for conflict?

Well, even if you don't see it, it is there, for what do you use as the standard for what is good, and there were plenty of people at that little church, 80 to be precise, that thought he did a fine job.

1 Timothy 5:19 Moffatt NT (19) Never let any charge be brought against a presbyter unless it is certified by two or three witnesses.

Do you see a dominant word in this sentence?

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Well, I do, and it is the word NEVER.

The NASB puts it this way, “Do not receive an accusation against.” It almost comes across as though the pastor and the elders are somehow protected.

Only days ago, the current date is 11/13/2020, the pastor of Hillsong New York was removed and effectively fired. Wisely, they did not tell us the details but simply stated that he had a moral failure.

Another of the churches I attended announced that a particular man was coming to try out as pastor. When they mentioned his name, I retorted, I know that man. He, too, had been removed from his pulpit for a moral failure; actually, it was a rather public and catastrophic failure. Several of the men I sat with at Bible study said, we will never have this man here. I said in response, you will. In doing that, I was merely telling them what I heard the Holy Spirit say. And guess what, he was voted in, even after having an open forum and telling the audience, in response to a couple of questions, that he had passed naked pictures of himself across the internet while he was pastor at the other church. It almost seems as if the current twisted Congress had voted him, despite common sense.

The idea of never letting a charge be brought against someone like this seems absurd. Ah, but there is a reasonable solution, and it has everything to being supported by two or three witnesses (CJB.)

1 Timothy 5:20 NASB Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.

Do you get the impression that this church is out of control?

Remind yourself why Paul wrote this letter.

1 Timothy 1:3-4 NASB As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, (4) nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith.

Obviously, this was happening, and YOUNG Timothy has been ordained to straighten out these people in Paul's absence. By the way, Paul may never be back.

Strange doctrines are anything we teach in opposition to what Paul taught. This makes me think that Paul was the standard for what teaching looked like. I wonder how many people actually experienced that?

“so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.”

In the last few years, there has been a cry from the 80+ crowd for sound preaching that convicts people of their sins. Having sat under this style of preaching for what seemed like forever, I can see images in my head of what that sounds like. For me, a focus on hell tends to focus you on hell. Does that make sense? Focus on the mercy and grace of God, and maybe you would long for the mercy and grace of God. In 1 Timothy 5:20, where Paul tells Timothy to rebuke them openly so that the rest will be fearful of sinning, tends to imply that the public embarrassment would be enough to stop others from sinning. I will add that the word sinning is italicized in the NASB, but if you look up the word fearful, you will find that fear is the Greek word's intended meaning.

Wasn't that the purpose of the stocks, public torture, meant to bring about pain and humiliation. If it is so effective, why not return to the stocks once again?

Because, as Paul told Timothy, be gentle with them. Rebuking someone publicly doesn’t sound so gentle; it is for this reason that we need to revert to the origins of the words being used, for these words were the interpreter's idea of what was being said; that and, they were under pressure to produce a product that suited the king and the “state church.”

The word rebuke is the Greek elegchō, and it also means to confuse, admonish, convince, and reprove.

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Confute, according to Webster’s, is to disprove; to prove to be false, defective, or invalid. By argument or proof.

It sounds like this is not so much meant to humiliate, but to instruct; this is what Christian Apologists do, they confute. In this heated political atmosphere of 2020, we here in America have a young man named Charlie Kirk. He is an apologist on so many levels, including history, religion, and law. You will rarely find him losing ground in a rational argument. I used the word sane because many will try to argue, but they are merely screaming and have NO intelligent debate.

If you are going to be honest, many of these concepts and instructions seem harsh. Perhaps the rest of Paul's instructions will relieve that tension.

1 Timothy 5:21 NLT I solemnly command you in the presence of God and Christ Jesus and the highest angels to obey these instructions without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone.

So all this is to be done without taking sides or showing favoritism to anyone. No one gets an advantage, and NO ONE should be abused simply because they disagree. On that note, Paul, with no other written word but the Law and the Prophets. Consider that the Holy Spirit taught him mercy and grace from those books, books that many learned to hate (I have since unlearned that hatred.) God, in the Law, did not show favorites. He was kind and showed mercy to those who followed after the Law. Alright, many have stated bickering already, as they only see God killing so many those who followed Moses out of Egypt. The problem is that “God’s people” brought Egypt along with them, which included offering their children to a made-up god called Moloch. Notice that the slaughtering of innocent babies is detestable to God, and He promised to make those who do such things pay.

Simply stated,

“You must not murder.” Deuteronomy 5:17 NLT

The more direct approach.

Deuteronomy 18:10a NASB "There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire,”

What was God talking about?

Roasting your children as sacrifices, specifically to Moloch.

How do we do it today?

We murder babies and call it women's reproductive health.

1 Timothy 5:22 GW Don't be in a hurry to place your hands on anyone to ordain him. Don't participate in the sins of others. Keep yourself morally pure.

Keep in mind the story I told you of the pastor who had the moral failure. Although he went through rehab for two years under the watchful eye of a proven older pastor named Tommy Barnett, how do you know the pastor with the moral failure is right in his head? I don't know a man that does not struggle with sexual sin in some way. If they tell you they don't, they are lying. It is that simple. The problem is that we who have been in religion for any length of time develop an attitude that says crush them and don't waste your time trying to get them healed up; that tends to make us want to cover up our sins with lies and deception. However, like an alcoholic, or a smoker, the drive to do those sinful things rarely leaves (By the way, gluttony is a sin, so we all need to calm down.)

Going through recovery helps, mostly because it gives you tools to fend off such problems – one of those tools is a sponsor. Sponsors come in all shapes and sizes – I am trying to make a point here, as some, from what I have been told, are harsh and demanding, while others will not press you to make right decisions.

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I am a huge man, and I often see myself as a Grizzly bear which no one wants to get near. Appearances can be deceiving, as I have lived my life as a scared human being that tries to keep unsafe people at a distance; therefore, no one would ask me to sponsor them for a couple of years.

When a young man finally did ask me to sponsor him, I told him, you know what I am like; to that, he responded, “you are exactly what I need.” I met with him weekly for several years and watched him grow in spiritual strength. Yes, he had a lot of emotional damage, but he began to learn to give it over to the Lord and set it aside.

The truth is we are all like this young man in some ways, trying to hide behind from damage that afflicts us. Is it possible then that our sins (weaknesses) could erupt to the surface?

Well certainly, and it is just a matter of patiently watching people to see if the Life in Christ is feeding the tree (we are each a tree that needs some pruning, feeding, and care.) An appropriately cared for grove of apple trees will produce good fruit, consistently, for years – well into your old age. To the point that those who know you will say you have always been stable and full of wisdom, even though the truth is, you have had your slip-ups. This is precisely what the grace and mercy of God do for us.

Now, just because you came to know the Lord doesn’t mean that junk goes away. Sin, unfortunately, is like some genetic damage, and we all have it. It motivates all of us. This inability to free ourselves of sin is why Jesus gave Himself for us, poured out His blood for us, and now sits on the right hand of the Father, continually making intercession for us. Dear Lord, we need it. He brought forgiveness before you ever accepted it, but you did, and now you eternally belong in His loving arms – no matter what the enemy does to you. Once you ask Him, He never lets you go, even if you think He did.

1 Timothy 5:24-25 GW The sins of some people are obvious, going ahead of them to judgment. The sins of others follow them there. (25) In the same way, the good things that people do are obvious, and those that aren't obvious can't remain hidden.

“The sins of some people are obvious, going ahead of them to judgment.” What a peculiar statement. You might think that if these people were destined for hell, their sins would precede them, which opens the door to the idea that God will destroy all evil.

If the above statement were a question, then the answer would be yes, but when will that happen?

At some point during the last battle of Revelation.

Watch this process starting in Revelation 20.

Revelation 20:3 MSG (God has dumped Satan) dumped him into the Abyss, slammed it shut, and sealed it tight. No more trouble out of him, deceiving the nations—until the thousand years are up. After that, he has to be let loose briefly.

So Satan, the Antichrist, and the false prophet are locked up and unable to influence people for a thousand years. You might think that there will be no sin at all during this time, but there is, and here is the proof.

Blessed are those who wash their robes so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.
(Revelation 22:14-15 NASB)

Notice that this happens during the thousand-year reign of Christ. Does this mean that these people will be bullying and killing just like before? No, because this is the time of peace. Judges and this includes Jesus, will sit upon thrones judging cases and dispatching rapid justice. It is, finally, a time of peace that will reign from the beginning and throughout eternity. Isaiah 9 speaks of this.

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There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. (Isaiah 9:7 NASB)

All those fools and there will be myriads of them because people have been reproducing for a thousand years, not having turned their hearts to Jesus, will be deceived by Satan, just as before.

Revelation 20:7-9 NLT When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison. He will go out to deceive the nations—called Gog and Magog—in every corner of the earth. He will gather them together for battle—a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore. And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them.

The passage above mentions those “magic” words, Gog, and Magog. Since Ezekiel 38 and 39 also speak of Gog and Magog, and the destruction or death of Gog on the hillsides of Israel, is Revelation 22 merely depicting what Ezekiel talks about?

The answer is NO, as Ezekiel, for all practical purposes, describes what appears to be a nuclear war. The reason for this thinking comes from Israel NOT touching the bodies but merely placing a marker to indicate one fallen in battle. Those who tend to the bodies do not touch them until six months is passed. I am not sure that makes sense, but then I am not a nuclear waste removal expert. There is one other thing about what Ezekiel describes; the citizens of Israel use the weapons to heat their homes for seven years. This arouses many questions, but no one has been able to answer these questions for me adequately.

This attempt at a battle against God, His city, and His people are resolved hastily once it starts.

And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:9-10 NASB)

Let's finish off chapter five.

1 Timothy 5:25 NLT In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light.

If your bad deed can follow you, much like a reputation, then so can your good deeds. It seems that no one cares about the good things you did anymore. God does, and He will bring them to light – not for people to pat you on the back, but then that might happen during the millennial reign. There, we are to be rewarded, not punished as some would tell you; and there would be an appropriate place to make sure those deeds you did in private will come to light as a beacon of mercy and grace.

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My notes as I prepared to teach on the Discipline of Fasting by Richard Foster.

I had been asked by my pastor to teach a couple of sessions out of one of the books from which he was yet to pick. When he named off the potential authors, I cringed internally as my pastor can turn anything into legalism. He settled on The Discipline of Fasting by Richard Foster.

Considering my understanding of discipline and the belt my father used to administer that obedience, my stomach was turning. Add to that a verbal image portrayed by the pastor, in which he told us that the shepherd would snap the leg of the sheep which kept running astray. I can't remember anything about that story that would help to give it a redeeming quality. However, in relating this story to a friend recently, I pointed out how it was the shepherd's purpose and intent to sale unblemished lambs to the surrounding Jewish community, a necessity for sacrifices. Having broken the lamb's leg, it was now a cripple and unable to survive on its own. The shepherd was now responsible for this offending little one and would have to carry it to water, food, and set it down to do its normal business as all lambs do. In the process of holding and caring for this lamb, the shepherd and the lamb build a tight bond, one in which the lamb becomes fondly and permanently attached to the shepherd. I image that the shepherd could develop a strong attachment for that particular sheep. You should not have to dig that deep to figure out that the shepherd is Jesus in the larger picture, and, the pastor in the smaller picture. We are the "offending" sheep. I can remember thinking that this is not the God that I have come to know, and, I did not want this pastor to ever get that close to me, and yet he has. Most recently, he asked me to lead this book study.

Under the pretense of discussing the lesson that I was to teach, the pastor asked me a question that he did not want an answer to. The question was: Why do you teach on Eschatology so much, and where do you get your conclusions. (I suppose it is important to note that pastor has never heard me speak, nor does he know what I teach, therefore these questions were really based upon things I shared with him personally in a previous meeting.)

Considering that he never gave me the chance to refute his assertions I will defend my actions now. I teach on end times and eschatology because (1.) I have always wanted to understand. (2.) Having sat under a false teacher for about three years, during which time, he would focus on one thing for as much as six months. I would make notes and then go home and research his assertions to find out if they are in scripture; I could rarely find anything he claimed to be the truth. (3.) Having spent the majority of my life in churches, I became thoroughly disgusted with religion. The solution was to take my bible and read it for myself. I started doing this with a strong determination in 2007 when I started working for a building materials store. I cannot remember a day when I did not spend at least 30 to 45 minutes each day reading and writing. In writing I would make notes; challenge what I read, and ask God questions. Not surprisingly, God began to speak to me. In addition to reading my bible, I ran across an author named Joel Richardson. He had written a book called the Islamic Antichrist. After reading that book the bible just started to come alive; there was not a book of the Bible that gave me trouble after that. My friends, perhaps sarcastically, began to call me the expert on end times things. I don't buy into that, but I am not afraid to answer questions, although some questions require a little research.

As to the concept of only teaching on Eschatology, my pastor, was himself in a semi-retirement, as I taught for almost a year on the book of John at another church.
So, with that introduction, I was supposed to lead the group discussion on Chapter 4, The Discipline of Fasting this last Wednesday. When I walked into the room pastor is the only one there. He had taken the seat at the center of the table, and I could not help but notice that he had notes on the same topic. An aspect I failed to mention, I gave him a copy of my notes, to which he blurted out, you can't teach this, it's too much. Again, he had no interest in asking my intent. He repeatedly said he was worried about what I was going to say and would I offend everyone. Apparently, he took actions into his own hands and pushed me out; blindsided, I said nothing. 

Here is what I believe I would have taught.
On the subject of Fasting, can I speak from experience?
Yes, but for only three days.

In the second paragraph of chapter 4, Richard Foster tells us one of the reasons why there is a disregard of fasting.
“With the decline of the inward reality of the Christian faith, an increasing tendency to stress the only thing left, the outward form, developed.” Foster goes on to say, “And whenever there is a form devoid of spiritual power, the law will take over because law always carries with it a sense of security and manipulative power. Hence, fasting was subjected to the most rigid regulations and practiced with extreme self-mortification and flagellation.”

There is another aspect of this world that has distracted us from fasting, and that is Hedonism. Hedonism, according to the dictionary, is the pursuit of pleasure - sensual self-indulgence. It is the ethical theory that pleasure (in the sense of the satisfaction of desires) is the highest good and proper aim of human life.
Food falls into this category.

It almost sounds like I am advocating the law. However, operating under the law or laws is not what we are trying to convey.
Jesus, speaking to men under the law, said in Matthew 6:16-18

"Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17) "But you when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 18) so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. [NASB]

As Richard Foster explains, “these words of Jesus do not constitute a command. Jesus was giving instruction on the proper exercise of a common practice of his day.”

When we start to emphasize a discipline, a common argument heard within the church might be, we are not under the law and therefore have no clear mandate to fast. And yet, Richard Foster makes a good point when he says, “Our freedom in the gospel, however, does not mean license; it means opportunity. Since there are no laws to bind us, we are then free to fast on any day.”

Then what Biblical direction and encouragement do we have?
Jonah – The prophet eventually delivers a prophetic word to a hated people, hoping that they will be destroyed by God. God, however, had other plans.

Jonah 3:4-10 NASB Then Jonah began to go through the city one day's walk; and he cried out and said, "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown." 5) Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them. 6) When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes. 7) He issued a proclamation and it said, "In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. 8) "But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. 9) "Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish." 10) When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.

Richard Foster told us of Britain in 1756. The King of Britain called for a day of solemn prayer and fasting because of a threatened invasion by the French. John Wesley tells us "that every church in the city was more than full, and a solemn seriousness sat on every face." That invasion wrote Wesley in one of his footnotes, was averted.

Look up the word fasting in the New Testament, and you will find instances such as this:

Matthew 17:21 Where Jesus said, "..this kind (of demon) does not go out except by prayer and fasting."

Whether the act of fasting makes you fearless, gives you power, or perhaps an insight into what is going on in peoples lives, or merely the knowledge that God has your back, I don't know. What gave the disciples the skills or abilities to cast out demons; perhaps Jesus had been schooling them in prayer and fasting. The evidence for this comes from Mark's gospel, chapter 6, where we see Jesus sending out the disciples with the instructions that they had power over unclean spirits. What we don't see is the fasting. However, we can safely assume that those who went out were equipped by example, for upon their return, they reported that the demons responded to their commands.

Mark 6:13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.

Luke 10:17 KJV And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.

Acts 13:2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

While fasting may have been a standard within the Jewish community from which they came, it still played a part in the clarity of decision, and prophetic word, that caused Barnabas and Saul to be sent out.

I want to point out 1 Corinthians 7:5 independently because translations have become part of the problem as we try to understand and perhaps integrate fasting back into our lives. The context of the verse is an admonition for marriages. In this case, the separation, perhaps under the guise of fasting (a Jewish tradition,) has been used to deprive the other of some relational aspect of the marriage. Paul, who knew too well that this takes place, instructed that in doing such, with the intent of punishing the other, opens the door to Satan because of their lack of self-control. Self-control? Yes, as this would push you to overflow your own rivers banks into areas that you should not go. The problem is that you do not get the word fasting when you use most newer translations.

1 Corinthians 7:5 NASB “Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”

The King James version, as well as several literal translations, used the word fasting.

From the Word Study Dictionary - The Greek word is nēsteía; to fast. A fasting, fast, abstinence from eating, generally for want of food (2Co_6:5; 2Co_11:27). In a religious sense of the private fastings of the Jews (Mat_17:21; Mar_9:29 [TR]; Luk_2:37) to which great merit was attributed, the Pharisees practiced often, sometimes twice a week (cf. Luk_18:12; Sept.: Isa_58:3 ff.; Dan_9:3). In their longer fastings, they abstained only from better kinds of food. The Jews used to call such a fast "The great annual public fast of the great Day of Atonement" which occurred in the month Tisri, corresponding to the new moon of October.

Now, look at the KJV which did include the word fasting.

1 Corinthians 7:5 KJV Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

The point is that we do have an example of fasting in the New Testament, although with a negative spin.

Richard Foster, under the heading of “The Purpose of Fasting” states, “It is sobering to realize that the very first statement Jesus made about fasting dealt with the question of motive.” We are given Matthew 6:16-18

"Whenever you fast, do not put on a gloomy face as the hypocrites do, for they neglect their appearance so that they will be noticed by men when they are fasting. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. 17) "But you when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face 18) so that your fasting will not be noticed by men, but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. NASB

Foster goes on to say, Fasting must forever center on God.

• It must be God initiated, and God ordained.
• Every other purpose must be subservient to God.

"Our avoidance of fasting has much to do with the condition of the heart; the heart, therefore, needs to be firmly fixed before you go there." There are secondary purposes in fasting, and fasting, according to Foster, reveals the things that control us. We are very good at covering up what is inside of us. We do it with food and other “good” things, but in fasting these things surface. If pride controls us, it will be revealed almost immediately."
Things you might expect to find:

• Anger
• bitterness
• jealousy
• strife
• fear

If they are within, they will surface during fasting. Foster explains, “At first we will rationalize that our anger is due to our hunger; then we will realize that are angry because the spirit of anger is within us. We can rejoice even with this knowledge as we know that healing is available through the power of Christ."

Concerning direction and instruction, few passages speak more clearly than Isaiah 58:1-14
Yes, I get it, the generalized idea is that the Old Testament represents the law, and some act as though it should be avoided, but do not forget that our freedom sets us free to fast. It is not, therefore, a law to us, but an addition to our lives which are increasingly beset with troubles. I might also add that fasting is a tool and a weapon, as we are that thing that restrains in the last days, and if fasting assists in that battle, then so be it (Amen.)

2 Thessalonians 2:7 AMPC For the mystery of lawlessness (that hidden principle of rebellion against constituted authority) is already at work in the world, [but it is] restrained only until he who restrains is taken out of the way.

I am convinced that this is the faith-filled church, standing against the enemies onslaughts. You do not have to look far to see how this is playing out around you. On a daily basis, our freedoms are progressively being stripped away, even to the point where your thoughts, expressed on social media, can and will be used against you. All someone has to do is say, that offends me, and you can find yourself in handcuffs for hate speech. Can you see why we need every arrow in our quivers; fasting is one of those arrows, and, as you will see from Isaiah, it is a powerful one.

Isaiah 58:5, in the NASB, begins with:
"Is it a fast like this which I choose,
a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it for bowing one's head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed?
Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD? 6)
"Is this not the fast which I choose,
To loosen the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the bands of the yoke,
And to let the oppressed go free
And break every yoke?
Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry
And bring the homeless poor into the house;
When you see the naked, to cover him;
And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

The word flesh means just that in the Hebrew but can also mean blood relations. Albert Barnes commentary explains, To hide oneself from them may denote either, first, to be ashamed of them on account of their poverty or humble rank in life; or, secondly, to withhold from them the just supply of their needs.

Values and benefits of Fasting (from Foster's book.)
Fasting helps us keep our balance in life. “How easily we begin to allow non-essentials to take precedence in our lives. How quickly we crave things, we do not need until we are enslaved by them.” Paul wrote, “All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything” 1 Cor. 6:12.
Foster again, “Our human cravings and desires are like rivers that tend to overflow their banks; fasting helps keep them in their proper channels.” Others, according to Foster, have written that fasting gives us an increased effectiveness in intercessory prayer.

• Guidance in decisions
• Increased concentration
• Physical well being

Let's camp here for a minute. What do we ingest in our bodies? A few ingredients from an instant macaroni and cheese product: Glyceral monostearate; Calcium carbonate; Sodium triphosphate; Sodium phosphate, and medium chain triglycerides. Perhaps the occasional purging of some of these cryptic products would be a benefit to us.

• RevelationIn this case, Revelation is primarily referring to Godly insights, but it could mean other things as well.

The Practice of Fasting
We are admonished by Foster to walk before we run. With that said, I cannot imagine trying to take on a water or juice fast for seven days, while continuing to work as a high voltage electrical worker. Having fasted for three days, I know how those three days felt. On day two, I can assure you that no one needed to be around me; and on day three, I was so weak I felt like all I could do was lie in bed and rest; everything exhausted me. In no way was I in any condition to deal with the outside world, let alone my wife.

Could I accomplish much if I merely fasted a meal? With purpose, of course, I could. I do it frequently with television and now the cell phone. You have to keep in mind that the body is, as Foster puts it, like a spoiled child, and a spoiled child does not need indulgence. So, perhaps then, you can understand Paul a little better when he says, “I pommel my body and subdue it. 1 Cor. 9:27.
Foster states, "If family obligations permit it, devote the time you would normally use eating to meditation and prayer."

Let me end with some wisdom from Richard Foster.
“Although the physical aspects of fasting intrigue us, we must never forget that the major work of scriptural fasting is in the realm of the spirit. What goes on spiritually is much more important than what is happening bodily. You will be engaging in spiritual warfare that will necessitate using all the weapons of Ephesians 6.” Foster goes on to say, “I do not want to leave the impression that all fasting is a heavy spiritual struggle.”

“Fasting can bring breakthroughs in the spiritual realm that will never happen in any other way.”
We all seem to understand that Jesus would get alone, in the garden, apparently for the purposes of finding the nature, and character of the Father; and to, commune with Him. In so doing he could come to know the Father's heart. Some would argue that Jesus, whose relationship with the Father has always been, would have known the Father's heart already, and merely drawn from that knowledge. The problem with that is that we forget that Jesus set aside the glory he had with the Father to become a man. Another way of putting this, Jesus willingly stripped himself of heaven's advantages and continued to remain in that state, as a man. That would mean He had to sort this out, just as we have to. He had one small advantage that we don't have, no Monday night football to distract him.
While changing the world around us is a good thing, I need to seek to learn His voice. You see, in Proverbs, we are told that wisdom cries aloud in the streets. The impression I get from that is, the Holy Spirit/the Father is talking all the time. If I am not hearing Him, then I need to get in tune.

The Ten Virgins – A parable; A commentary.

I made this in response to the so called "teaching" that we get every week in our men's Bible study. We just spent two weeks destroying the parable of the ten virgins, assigning every possible maladjusted idea to each of its components, that our leader could come up with. 

I needed to set things straight, to the best of my knowledge.

Matthew 25:1-13 AMP

THEN THE kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. (2) Five of them were foolish (thoughtless, without forethought) and five were wise (sensible, intelligent, and prudent). (3) For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take any [extra] oil with them; (4) But the wise took flasks of oil along with them [also] with their lamps. (5) While the bridegroom lingered and was slow in coming, they all began nodding their heads, and they fell asleep. (6) But at midnight there was a shout, Behold, the bridegroom! Go out to meet him! (7) Then all those virgins got up and put their own lamps in order. (8) And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. (9) But the wise replied, There will not be enough for us and for you; go instead to the dealers and buy for yourselves. (10) But while they were going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were prepared went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. (11) Later the other virgins also came and said, Lord, Lord, open [the door] to us! (12) But He replied, I solemnly declare to you, I do not know you [I am not acquainted with you]. (13) Watch therefore [give strict attention and be cautious and active], for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come.

Unless otherwise specified I will be using the NASB translation.

The astute should immediately pick up on the fact that this parable comes mid-thought. We call that thought process context. Jesus responses come out of this regard.

After riding triumphantly into Jerusalem on the unridden colt (the dignitary vehicle of the day,) Jesus did not do what everyone was now anticipating, that is to take control, overthrow the oppressor government, and reign as the Messiah. What he did do was overturn the tables of the vendors and money changers, and chase everyone out of the gentile court area. This action on Jesus part initiated a two-day barrage of questions and accusations from the elders and chief priests.

Finally, Jesus and the disciples get a chance to get out of there, out of harm's way, to somewhere peaceful; the Mount of Olives. You see this in Matthew 24.

Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. (2) And He said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down." (Matthew 24:1-2 NASB)

There are other things that were said as they were never alone, and, they were never alone. Asking embarrassing questions would only subject them to more ridicule.

While He was seated on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately and said, Tell us, when will this take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end (the completion, the consummation) of the age? (Matthew 24:3 AMP)

As an aspect of His response, we get Matthew 25 and the parable of the ten virgins.

The first premise for understanding any of the parables is what Jesus said to His own disciples – it is for you to know.

You want proof?

Matthew 13:10-12 NASB And the disciples came and said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" (11) Jesus answered them, "To you, it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them, it has not been granted. (12) "For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

If understanding has been granted and you are not then whose fault is that? We choose to apply so many things to the church that do not belong, will you disregard this passage. We were grafted in and are family. Adopted children are not second-class strangers and actually, have more rights.

The second premise for understanding is context and more specifically, words.

It is time for a breakdown.

25:1a) - CJB "The Kingdom of Heaven at that time will be like ..”

• Who has Jesus been talking to? The Disciples; Jews; Jews who are asking Him a specific question about, the destruction of Jerusalem, and, what will be the sign of His coming (as the Messiah), and the end of the age.
• So, when Jesus says, “The kingdom of Heaven at that time, ” He is talking about - the beginning of the Millennial reign when Jesus will sit on the throne as the Messiah.

  You see, the Jews had no concept of a rapture - the snatching away of the church, because there was no church, and any devout Jew is supposed to see Jesus as an unacceptable creation of the Gentiles.)

  Can this be related to the church? Only as a pointed lesson, as is the case with any passage. The verse for this covers the entire Bible:

   2 Timothy 3:16 NASB All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

Therefore, it is safe to say, this has nothing to do with the church.

25:1b) “the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins,..”

• The word kingdom is basileia and means royalty, that is, (abstractly) rule, or (concretely) a realm.
  

  While it is true that Jesus is now seated on the throne, that it seems is more of a spiritual reality. The physical reality is yet to come and will be seen by many when He touches down on the Mount of Olives.In what way does any of this look like ten virgins? The only thing that makes any sense is the Jewish people themselves.The Dake's Bible comments suggest that this indicates faithfulness and it also conveys that these are friends of the Bride. Since we have nothing to pursue scripturally, this is little more than conjecture and a futile pursuit.

  Since we are talking about Jews and their ways the reality is that Jesus is talking about a male dominated society.

• To be a virgin in a Jewish community is more likely because all eyes are upon you.

  This does not have to be women and would have had implications for the men as well.What is a virgin? One who has kept themselves pure. In this case, the ideal condition has to do with their relationship to Jehovah/God.Note: All then maintained this status, and yet, as we shall see, there is a 50% difference. Is it possible to be legalistically committed and yet have no heart investment? Absolutely, and this is the case here. I will show you how in this paper.

• “ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.”

  They all got the same invitation, and, they all went. There is nothing, as yet, that gives us any basis for judgment.Here is something to take note of. We, as a Christian community, constantly say, no man can know the day or the hour. And yet, these all, in unison it seems knew exactly the day. Now it is important to note that they had little clue about the hour, but the day was known to all. How and why did they know that information? As yet, they have only gone to meet the bridegroom.While it is a good thing to be expectant, what is not good is to put your demands and timings upon the bridegroom.One last thing before I move on. We have nothing to indicate that they have done anything out of the ordinary. This will change quickly.

25:2a) "Five of them were foolish, ..”

• Now we have a distinction. The word foolish is the Greek word moros. It carries the implications of being a MORON. Therefore, we can figure out that half of the number are foolish, thoughtless, and morons.

  What makes them a moron? The GK word also conveys a person who is dull, stupid, heedless, and absurd. All of these can be thought to have made the foolish assumption that the bridegroom will operate according to their standards.

25:2b) “..and five were prudent.”

• Prudent, on the other hand, is the Greek word phronimos; thoughtful, that is, sagacious or discreet (implying a cautious character; to think, have a mindset. Prudent, sensible, practically wise in relationships with others

  Sagacious, as defined by Webster's means: wise, foreseeing, to perceive readily, and prudent.

25:3) "For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,

• We already understand the dull nature of the five foolish virgins. Now we focus on the word took. The Greek word is lambánō and means to take in whatever manner. The implications are that they grabbed the lamps in whatever state they found them.

  The oil is irrelevant except that it makes the lamps work.

25:4) “but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps.”

• We already know the characteristics of the prudent: thoughtful, discreet, prudent, sensible, practically wise in relationships with others. Their character motivates them to take extra, not just what is unknown, in the lamp, like the foolish.

25:5) "Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep.”

• Delaying; the Greek word chronízō; To while away time, linger, delay, defer, tarry.

  I have heard so-called believers say, you are wasting your time waiting for the Lord's return. We have been waiting for over 2000 years. Evidence that this would happen is found in scripture.

  Matthew 24:48 NASB ''But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not coming for a long time,'

  2 Peter 3:3-4 NASB Know this first of all, that in the last days' mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, (4) and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation."

  But isn't that what we have been called to do, wait expectantly?
  One might think that sleeping would be exclusive to the foolish, but it is common for any human. There is NO condemnation for sleeping.

25:6) "But at midnight there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'

• A shout? This is the Greek word kraugē and means an outcry (in notification, tumult or grief): - clamor, cry (-ing). This is loud and there is no holding back. It is meant to catch attention.
• Behold means to look.
• “Come out.” The word for come is exerchomai and means to issue (literally or figuratively): - come-(forth, out), depart (out of
• “to meet him.” Meet means to encounter.

25:7) "Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.”

• Prudent and foolish, all arose and trimmed their lamps.

  It was then that the foolish discovered that they were out of oil and unable to see.

25:8) "The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps, are going out.'

• “The foolish said.” Said is the Greek word legō; an aspect of the word is an extended or random harangue.

  Webster's dictionary states, this word seems to imply loudness or declamation. Declamation; a noisy, pompous or irregular address.This tells me that the foolish began to demand loudly that the others give them of the oil that they had.

25:9a) "But the prudent answered, 'No, there will not be enough for us and you too;..”

• Wisdom knows how to say NO.

25:9b) “..go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.'

• Dealers? It's the middle of the night. Dealers are the Greek word pōleō to be busy, to trade; to barter.

25:10) "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.”

• Ready – hetoimos, adjusted, that is, ready: - prepared, made ready.
• Door - thura; a portal or entrance.

25:11) "Later the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.'

• The foolish ones.
• Came saying – again the Greek word legō, an extended or random harangue.

  They foolish, once again, are demanding.

• Lord, lord – The word is kurios; supreme in authority, that is, (as noun) controller; by implication Mr.

  The implications are that there was no personal relationship and that is what we saw at the beginning of this commentary.

25:12) "But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.'

• know - oida; to have seen or perceived, hence to know:

  Imagine God telling you, I have never seen or perceived you.

Jesus finishes this phase of His discourse with:

25:13) "Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

• And yet they did, the foolish and the prudent.
  What aspect could they not know? The hour and minute. And why is that? Because the groom, working hard, taking care of last minute issues, seemed to be hesitating.

Keep in mind that Jesus was talking to Jews, therefore all of this was meant for their understanding, and, He expected the disciples to understand it.