Hi all,
Last
week I shared how Paul laid out some pretty reasonable and logical
instructions; Christians who have unbelieving bosses need to show the
proper honor and respect to those bosses, and Christians who have
Christian bosses need to show all the more respect because they are also
brethren.
Yet
some reject that advice in favor of their own ideas - And thus begins
the road to emotional illness, through the rejection of reasonable and
logical beliefs. I'm not talking about those with genuine
chemical imbalances in the brain which cause unusual behavior, I'm
talking about Christians where physically everything functions normally,
but they are as Paul outlined, emotionally or mentally ill in an area
of life.
But
don't think Paul is talking about people who would openly teach it is
wrong to be aware how we carry ourselves in public or how an employee
should have a good attitude towards a boss - the people rejecting
healthy words first do so privately, in their hearts, and then to others
who they think may be open to what they believe.
They may find
the anonymity of the Internet a safe place to find others with their
same focus on the unhealthy. They may try to dominate a small group or
make sure no matter the topic, insert their unhealthy view. They
may write emails to strangers telling them about their belief, or how
what those strangers believe is wrong. They may tell their spouse until
either their spouse agrees or rejects their ideas as so laughable and
sad it becomes off limits in the marriage to talk of it. But they won't
allow anyone close enough to influence them toward change. This
subtle rejection of common sense and maintaining a good attitude within
healthy relationships is the first step in one's sliding towards
emotional illness in an area of life.
Last
week we only made it through the first 3 verses, where Paul said they
reject 'clean' or 'healthy' teaching, and we pick it up from there, in I
Timothy 6:4:
Verse 4: "He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words..."
The word 'proud' Paul uses is 'tuphoo', meaning 'wrapped in smoke'.
It is where we get typhoon, the word used in our time for hurricanes in
the Pacific Ocean - that circular storm is what Paul used to describe
these people, translated into English as 'proud'.
They
are wrapped in a swirling smoke screen, hiding the real person of who
they are behind the smoke. A person who is 'tuphoo' is a swirl of words
and self righteousness often leaving a path of confusion and destruction
in their relationships with loved ones especially, while at the same
time because of the wrapped in smoke nature they present to others, seem
to be righteous and godly.
Paul
said in the previous verse the gospel and words of the Lord Jesus
Christ lead us to godliness. Godliness flows from Christian
character rooted in love and manifest in a lifestyle of wholeness in
every area. But these people are actually dysfunctional in relationships
as Paul stated in his first 2 verses.
The nature of pride
Pride
isn't always the peacock strutting around asking all to pay attention
to him, pride is very subtle and at its root is stubbornness, an
insistence of sticking to one's way, one's own thoughts.
For
instance, when talking of the origin of Satan, where the cherub named
Lucifer rejected God, his sin of pride was manifest in stubbornness -
insisting on his way. Ezekiel 28:16-17 tells us he was lifted up because
of his authority and beauty, and internally he was filled with violence - there was a war in his heart and mind, a battle between God's way versus what he wanted.
Only the proud can change themselves
If
you do a study on 'proud' or 'pride' you'll find that it is a sin that
only the proud person can change - God cannot "make" them humble, He
can't remove pride from them by an act of His will. As we saw with
Satan, pride is about an internal battle for recognition.
He
can and will however, turn them over to face the consequences of their
actions - closed off or greatly limited relationships, even loss of job
and more...in the hopes that in suffering the consequences of their
actions they will look at themselves and humble themselves before Him in
admission of their error, thus regaining emotional and mental health.
Of
all the sins, pride is the only one the Bible states God is actively
'resists'. The word here is 'antitasso', from 'anti', 'against', and
'tasso', meaning 'to arrange'. It was a military term to describe
an army actively arranged in battle against another - and it is used of
God arranging Himself against the proud Christian in a particular area
of life - He loves them and blesses them in other areas in which they
walk with Him - but in this one area, He is like a military commander arranged in battle against them.
Paul continues: "...knowing nothing, doting about questions and strifes of words..."
Paul's
whole teaching revolves around this line - what goes before leads up to
it, what comes after directs the reader to the end result. We are at
the middle point of the teeter totter in Paul's teaching.
'Knowing
nothing' is 'epistamai' meaning 'to understand' and 'meden' from 'no
one' - these people know nothing as they should. The same phrase is used
in Hebrews 11:8 to speak of Abraham going out to sacrifice Isaac 'not
knowing' where he was going. Same concept, but in the negative here -
they've started on a walk down this unhealthy path and they don't know
where they are going - they say they do, they may honestly think they
do, but scripture says they don't know, they don't understand.
This is where Paul calls them sick
"...doting
about questions and strifes of words..." The word 'dote' is 'noseo',
'sick', 'ill', used in the time to describe mental and/or emotional
illness, specifically for someone having a morbid interest or craving
for unhealthy things. Paul uses it is a spiritual and emotional craving
for the unhealthy.
The
term 'strifes of words' is literally 'word battles'. They are so off
balance they seek out 'word battles' with other people. The
English phrase "strifes of words" is in Greek, 'logomachia'. It comes
from logos, 'word', and 'machia', meaning, strife, battles, working, and
warring.
Think
about the root 'machia' and the English word 'machine' - something that
works using friction and hard work - this person works like a machine
with questions and warring about words. These are people who actively
search out others to have 'word battles' with, and he calls them sick
for it.
Again,
these can include people with 'pet' doctrines, but also those who
withdraw for emotional reasons from healthy relationships and thoughts -
the person obsessed with thoughts of depression perhaps, or thoughts of
hurting themselves or others, or focused on a 'move of God' or leader.
In the same way a 'stalker' might stalk a celebrity in singular focus,
so too is this person singularly focused, and in this area, emotionally
ill.
The
summary of today is these people who have withdrawn from healthy
relationships and healthy teaching, have dug in their heels insisting on
going their own way. Outwardly they may appear godly, but in their
heart a battle is raging, for their private lives don't match their
outward expression of godliness. They are wrapped in smoke, focusing on
wars of words, even actively seeking others to pick a word fight with -
all of it a smokescreen - they are spiritual islands, using word fights
to distract a person from their real issues.
And
God is actively resisting them - in this area - He is all for them,
will bless them in work, in life, in protection and provision. But in
this one area, He has set the battle against them in resistance. They
need to give up the internal battle and humble themselves, submitting to
God purely and with their whole heart...
I've run out of room for today - next week the conclusion, and what the healthy can do to help.
Until then, Blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com
New CD/MP3 Series
This
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periods in his life: Before being king, during his reign, and in exile.
Part 1 looks at the Psalms he wrote before becoming king, studying each
event that led him to pour out his emotions in the Psalm related to an
event or challenge, with the result being the listener will know David
much better, and be better able to walk through the pressures in their
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When
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changing challenges that don't make sense. This series deals with those
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physically and mentally handicapped oldest son. Having walked through it
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through all the standard answers, including having their faith largely
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to those struggling with these issues, or for those who know someone
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