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Romans 14:11-23 - Corps - April 30,1980

3rdburglar by Wordburglar
Topic: Rom 14:11-23,logospedia,lp
Format: mp3
Publication Date: April 30, 1980

On Ephesians 4:25 where I want to begin tonight, or where we will begin tonight , the first part of what the Research Team gave me is the work that Walter Cummins published in our wonderful Way Magazine on "The Spoken Word." Also, as we cover Ephesians 4:28 tonight, I had all the information in front of me from another article that Walter Cummins has in the... has had in the Magazine. The first article on Ephesians 4:25 is entitled "The Spoken Word." The one on Ephesians 4:28 is "Workers for God." Both of these pieces of work by Walter are absolutely superb. And I believe that they should appear and will appear in our research journal GMIR whenever we begin publishing that. {GMIR Aramaic word meaning ' to perfect, accomplish , mature, complete, arithmetically to be divisible without any remainder.}

And I noticed again that some of the things that were stated are just so beautifully and logically presented, I'm truly thankful for, not only Walter, but the whole Research Department. I think our Biblical Research Department is just second to none. And it' s even going to be better by God' s mercy and grace next year and in years to come than it is at this time. And right now I do not believe that our Biblical Research Department needs to take a back seat for any academic institution or work in the world.

And I thought today, I have never... I've never thought of Walter Cummins in any other capacity than to be my assistant. I know Vince Finnegan, you know, on the books is my assistant. And that' s great. But I've never thought of Walter Cummins in any other capacity for so many years as always being my assistant. And I think he' s just the most wonderful person that any president could have as his assistant. And also to be chairmen of the Department of Greek, and then the coordinator of the Biblical research of The Way International. For any one man to have that position and that responsibility is an awesome reality and I'm real proud of Walter and real thankful for him. But I am also thankful for the rest of our wonderful men and women in the Research Department.

I would like for the Corps all over the country to go to the Magazine and find "The Spoken_Word," that's the title of it, dealing with Ephesians 4:25 and other scriptures, and before the next Corps meeting next week, you endeavor to master that great piece of work by Walter Cummins. It's just, you know, the spoken Word. Over fifty Greek words are used in the New Testament in connection with the faculties of utterance. Over fifty. And then he takes the most important ones and he lists them and it' s just. .. it' s just a piece of research work that you should really as a Corps master in your heart and in your life.

Ephesians 4:25 in the King James reads, Wherefore put away lyin g, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.

The ' putting away' was interesting to me again because of the Greek word aniko, a-n-i-k-o.

And this word is ' the putting away,' this word ' put away,' aniko, is the same root word as in 4:22, where we use the word ' rest,' meaning ' to rest.' Is that right? Yep, that is right. I taught you that,

didn't I? Did I or didn't I? Doesn't look right to me. It is the same root. What chapter am I missing? Am I missing anything? I don't know. Right now I'm screwed up, ha ha. First time today. You check the word again and I'll do that, too and see what I'm missing here.

But a-n-i-k-o is the word for ' putting away from you. ' To put away. And it' s the same root as the word ' rest.' I don't know where the word appears, but it's got to be in there.

Now, that word ' speak,' every man speak. That word ' speak ' is from the Greek word

laleo, l-a-l-e-long-o. And that' s where Walter' s article on "The Spoken Word"_c omes in because that is.. .he uses that word laleo in here, which I teach in Corinthians when I teach the Foundational Class. And he says the word is employed 24 times in I Corinthians chapter 14. I had forgotten that.

This word is truly significant. I couldn' t quite understand it Research Department, what  you said on page 26B 16, where you defined it ' to make vocal utterance,' ' to babble,' 'to talk,'  'to  exercise the faculty of speech without reference to the words spoken.' I just wondered if there might not be another word that could be substituted or utilized at this point. I know that Zachariah 8:16 is the quotation that is used here, or spoken of. And that Zachariah 8:16 adds force to what is said by using a quote, a quotation. That' s why my question to the Research Department is, How can it be without reference to what is spoken if it is truth plus the quotation of the Word of God that's given. It doesn't quite fit for me.

'With his neighbor' has to be a believing neighbor. This 'speak truth with his neighbor' is a figure of speech gnome, g-n-o-m-e, which simply is a citation. And that' s a citation from Zachariah 8:16.

There are a series of figures of speech, Corps, in chapter four which just put the 00mph, the highlight, to the particular things that are set whereby you put off the old man. This phrase here 'speak every man truth with his neighbor'  is one of them. The other one appears in verse 26, 'be  angry and sin not.' ' Steal no more' is another one. 'Corrupt communication' is the fourth one.  'Grieve not the  holy spirit' is the fifth one. ' All bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, evil speaking' is  the sixth. And  then  ' be kind' and so forth, is the seventh.

You see, the last phrase in that verse, in King James, For we' re members one of what? [Another] And it' s relative to the neighbor. Now you just look at that. Wherefore put away  lying, speak  every  man truth with his what? [Neighbor] For we are members  one of  another.  That  doesn't  mean just  a neighbor who lives next door, but it has to be a believing neighbor because  we are members  one of what? [Another]. You could not be a member ' one of another' ifhe  was an  unbeliever.  That's how I know this is going to  work. This tells me that the neighbor  is  a  believer.  And  this  ' we' re members one of another' continues the imagery of the Body of Christ.

The literal  according  to  usage of this verse is as follows:   Wherefore  put away the  lie... and I believe in my heart, before I go on with the literal that until man is born again, it's all a lie anyways. And that' s why I believe that this translation will fit in the light of that knowledge. Because when  a man is not born again, his whole  life is just a  lie. Now you're  born again,  and that ' s  why  I think the text states it ' wherefore put away the lie,' the life you' ve been living , the screwed up life you have lived outside of God. It' s been just a life of a lie. It' s not truth. It' s just the opposite of truth and that's my reason for translating it this way... Wherefore put away the lie.

You've got to go with that translation. You have no other text to go by both from Aramaic and Greek it's 'lie.' Not 'lying.' If the Research Department has anything to share in the light of that, I'd be blessed to hear, but you' ve heard my reasons for translating it, Research Department, this way.

Now since they're born again, their whole life is changed, so the life of lying, and living a lie, and being a lie, and being false, is to be put away.

And every man... this is the translation ... and everyone, everyone. The word ' man' you could use because it's an inclusive noun, but I prefer to use the word ' one.'

Wherefore put away the lie and everyone speak the truth with his neighbor for we are members one of another. That is literal according to usage.

Now for the expanded according to understanding. It's not bad. Because of this... What we coughing for? Everybody sick?...Because of this... and the reason I went in the expanded along this line is because verse 24 last week told us that we are created by God in righteousness and in true purity, through holiness. Twenty four.

That's why 25, Wherefore ... 'wherefore' can be translated 'because of this.' Because of this what? Being created in righteousness and truly pure. See it's an inside job.

Because of this being created in righteousness and truly pure by the grace and the love of

God.. .Because of this being created in righteousness and truly pure, you put away, completely lay to rest the lie that you have been and were living and each one of you speak the truth using a quotation from the Word with his believing neighbor for we are members one of another in the Body of the Church.

Robinson {Edward} said, he translated, 'speak every man truth with his neighbor' and he said it's from Zachariah 8:16 which adds force to what is said by using a quote. That's why I translated that. I think that' s great. It adds force to what is said. If you're speaking to someone, it adds force to what you say by using a quote, a quotation from God's Word. In other words, ' you share the Word with them.' That' s why I went with that translation. I want to give it to you again in this sense.

Speak the truth using a quotation from the Word, which means 'share the Word.' Quote the Word to them. Tell them what the Word says, with his believing neighbor. Why? For we are members one of another in the Body of the Church. This verse is just mind blowing.

Here, you have a born-again believer neighbor who needs to grow up a little more. So what do you do? Each one speak the truth to that neighbor, that believer, using the Word, quoting the Word because we' re members one of another in the Body of the Church. It's a real positive thing to do.

Verse 26 in King James reads, Be angry.. .ha ha... we like that one, don't we. Be ye angry and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath.

Here is a verse of Scripture that' s very, very difficult for most people. And it' s not too easy for us either. But I think we are able to share the truth of the greatness of this and it's been burning in my heart for a long time to do this with our people.

Everybody has problems with ' how can you be angry and not sin?' You know, how can raise hell with something and not be sinful in doing it? Teed off and not be sinful. And how can you go... and what does it mean 'don't let the sun go down upon your wrath?' See.

In the context, here, verses 26 and 27 deal with your believing neighbor, specifically. Then the Greek word for ' anger' which is from the root orge, o-r-g-long-e means 'anger together with the desire of revenge .' That' s bad. That' s a heavy. The Hebrew word means ' to kill, and all the tumults of passion that terminate in killing.' So it's a real heavy word when it said ' be angry.'

And the way I believe it's used in God' s Word, ' be ye angry' means ' it's a long time anger with your believing neighbor until a change has ensued.' The desire to... of revenge is a change. And I, knowing the Word in the light of the new birth, it's where a change finally comes about. Until that time, you just, long-term, you just stay put witnessing the Word, sharing the Word. You do not dislike the believing neighbor; you simply dislike that he is not fully accepting the Word and walking on it. So it' s a long-term anger until a change has ensued. You just stay faithful.

I don't know what else to do with those words. It is a righteous anger. Yet it is a righteous anger without sin.

Among the scholars, there is a disagreement on these words. Well, I don't know about my being a scholar; that I don' t anything about being about. But it's simple to me because righteous anger is commanded by God's Word when it says ' be ye angry.' Well, the scholars can fight about it. I don' t care. It' s a command. Not just permitted to get teed once in a while when somebody' s off of God' s Word, a believer is off of God's Word. You' re always teed off righteously at any believer, born-again believer, who is off of God' s Word. And for those of us in the Way Ministry, it' s been a lifetime.

Get into it with them on... Oh what subject do you want to talk about? Baptism? Food? One God? See. All that stuff.

The Aramaic is accurate in the words ' and sin not.' It literally translates ' and you will not sin.' Again, this ' be angry and sin not' is that figure gnome. Quotation. A citation from the Old Testament. It' s from Psalm 4:4. But in King James, Psalm 4:4, it's translated 'stand in awe.' The real sense of the Hebrew is ' one of admonition;' sin not. Where we' re admonished to not sin. Sin not.

' Let not the sun go down on your wrath. ' Ha ha. That again is beautiful. People went to bed when the sun went down, when it got dark. That's when they went to bed. So what that simply is saying, ha ha, ' don't go to bed teed off.' Don' t let the sun go down on your wrath. In other words, go to bed; don' t go to bed mad. ' When you go to bed' is what it means. Let not the sun go down when you go to bed. And they went to bed when the sun went down. When it got dark, they went to bed, see.

' Upon your wrath.' And the word ' wrath' here is basically ' irritation.' Ha ha. Previously when I taught Ephesians, I made mention of this fact, ' don' t let righteous anger shake you, wondering if it was right on. When you go to bed, go to sleep.'

Now, this is what we have done with it in the literal, ha ha, according to usage. I got more papers up here than Carter has liver pills, or something. Then, I can' t find my... whatever it is I take off of it.

Okay, verse 26. You be righteously angry.. .this is literal according to usage.. .and you will not be sinning. Don't go to bed even with a momentary irritation, ha ha.

I don't think you get nearly as much fun out of this as I do. It's neat. It's absolutely scrumptious, see. At the opening, is that heavy word, remember? Anger. So it's a real heavy time. So what he is saying, in the heavy time, when your standing on God' s Word  and sharing that with the  believing  neighbor, you' re righteously angry... you're not sinning. And  you don't  even go to  bed with a momentary irritation. In other Words, when you go to bed, thank God the day is over. Say your last prayer and start snoring.

Boy, that would save a lot of sleeping pills, wouldn' t it? Practicing that principle. Boy, oh boy, what a tremendous Word. And hardly anybody understands verse 26. They argue about it, but they don' t get the understanding.

Now this is the expanded one according to understanding, I hope. And again, I would like to just lay some things before the Corps, and especially before the Research Department. I translated the first part of verse 26, You always stay angry with an all-out desire to have them to change which anger will not be sin on your part.

Then I have another translation of that first part of it: You be righteously angry, 'teed off' with sin... 'Teed off' I put in quotes. But don't  you sin  by acting  ' holier than thou'  vaunting  yourself  by acting so righteously like you never sin.

I do not know which one of those two the Research Department feels would be the better. The last part of the phrase that I translated which would go with both of these that I have given you here on the expanded one for understanding. This, the last part, goes with that first one and with the second ... also.. .even if it is only a momentary irritation.  When you go to  bed, go to sleep. That's what I did with it.

Now, verse 27. King James says, Neither (or neither) give place to the Devil. The word 'place' is simply a portion, a part. No believer will give full place to the Devil, but he may be giving a part, a portion. He' ll mark off a spot, ' this is Devil' s permission over here, over here, no permission, you know. And you really give the Devil a portion or a spot if you stew about it after you go to bed and you toss and you tum and can' t sleep.

This word 'the Devil,' ' the Devil' in the Aramaic is a very interesting and exciting Word to me and it blesses my heart. It' s a compound word where the first part means ' to eat' or ' to devour.' The latter

' to slander' or ' to accuse. '  So when I got to translating  this, literally according  to usage, verse 27 reads: Do not give any portion or space or an opportunity to the Devil. So I used those three words synonymously: portion, space, opportunity. Do not give any portion or space or an opportunity to the Devil.

The expanded according to understanding: And you will not give a toehold, an opportunity or an occasion for the Devil to eat you. Ha ha. I get more fun than you ever will out of working this stuff, huh.

You see, and to me, that communicates to my understanding. John 10:10. The thief cometh not but for to what? [Steal, kill, and destroy] Right. To eat you out. To beat you. And that's why that Aramaic word, on the word ' Devil' really thrilled me.

And that ' s why I put it into the expanded translation: And you will not give a ' toehold.' Now, at L.E.A.D., you know how important it is to get a what? [Toehold] Ha ha. And when you' re really climbing in, you' re blessed for a toehold. How thankful you are when you get a foothold. Now the adversary can never get a foothold in a believer' s life until he first has a toehold. That's why I translated it that way.

Do not give... and you will not give a toehold ... shave all the rocks off... an opportunity or an occasion for the Devil to eat you. And that' s exactly what he likes to do to believers.

Now we go to verse 28. King James says, Let him that stole steal not more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. And here again, is another great work that I believe should be in our research journal GMIR, Walter' s work on " Workers for God."

It' s just tremendous where he... you know... he just goes into God' s men are called many things in the Word. They' re called: fellow workers, ministers, or servants, slaves, fellow slaves, partners, messengers, soldiers, fellow soldiers, athletes, fellow athletes, stewards, ambassadors, witnesses, all of those. And he covers them so beautifully. And I love very much how he covered the word ' slave,' because it' s a much stronger word than to be a minister, or to be a servant. It is to be one who is branded, marked out, sold out. And baby, from that day on, there are no ifs, and' s, or but' s. You never budge on it. You are branded. Most believers are never branded. They may be servants, they may be ministers, but they are not branded. When you' re branded, you stay faithful. You do not budge. You do not change. You stay put. If all hell breaks loose, you still live the believing Word.

I think the prophet once said, If I was in the midst of hell, God I know you' d be there. (Psalm 139:8) He' d be there. That' s the doulos. That, of course, is just a tremendous piece of work.

And the other great part that I think... and this is a second piece that I want the Corps to master before next Wednesday night, " Workers for God," the work on ' witness.' You see, it's the same word basically that's translated ' martyr,' see. And we got a lot of those canonized. That's not at all what a witness is. A witness is a living example, not a dead one. The word 'martyr' simply means that you lay down your life in witnessing. And boy, when you put the doulos together with ' witness,' then you' ve got power for abundant living. It's just a fantastic work by Walter and I' m real grateful that it was published. Because once it' s in print, people can take a look at it if they want to.

I'd like a cup of coffee, please.

Now, we are in verse 28. The Aramaic translation is ' and he who was stealing.' I understand it from the English, ' let him that stole,' past tense. The Aramaic is real simple, real strong. ' And he, the one who is born again, who was, past tense, stealing.'

Thank you.

His whole life was one of those before he was born again.

Whenever you bring a cup of coffee to a right-hand man, you put the handle to the right. When you serve a cup of coffee to a left-hand man, you put it on the left-hand side and put the handle to the left. Corps principle number seven or something, ha ha. Mrs. Wierwille would say, Well, be thankful you even get a cup of coffee. [Laughter] Ah, you're wonderful.

See, ' let him who stole, steal no more.' 'Stole and steal,' that' s a figure of speech and is polyptoton p-o-l-y-p-t-o-t-o-n. It' s a repetition of the same root word in different parts of speech or reflections. But, that's not earth shaking right now in my heart.

You see, in some Eastern culture, it was not considered a sin or a shame to steal because that's the way they lived, the only way they lived. Somebody told me... or not only told me, one of our people, but it was in a national magazine, that the basic culture of Russia today is to steal. And in some respects I can understand this. If you don't have anything and you're starving to death and there' s a loaf of bread you can get a hold of... steal the dam thing. I understand that.

So this verse is really sharp, really sharp. Let him who stole, even though that man previously considered it the way to live and there was no shame in it, no sin in it. He said, Well, let that fellow who stole, steal no more. Something has happened on the inside of that man. Something that happened, where He is able to meet all of our need according to His riches in glory. Christ in you, the hope of glory. More than conquerors.

A record in the Old Testament, I forget where it is, but it's in there, that it' s never, you never need to borrow or steal bread or... what is that in the Old Testament? Begging bread. One person stand and tell me. {Psalm 37:25, I have been young and now am old; yet have I seen the righteous forsaken, nor His seed begging bread.} Psalm 27:25 who? {Psalm 37:25} 37:25. All the years, he's never seen the righteous to have to do what? {Beg bread} Beg bread.

First of all, I wish the Christian world could hear this. Secondly, I wish our government in the United States could understand it. The Word says, If you don't work, you don' t eat. A lot of that stuff. Well, what we've been doing is stealing from the people who are willing to work to give to the people who don' t want to work. That's a bunch of crap. That's stealing. That's why this verse is so hot in my soul tonight. Let him who stole, quit stealing, dang it. See.

Many years ago I was really knocked for a loop along some of this line in India, from Dr. Williams. I think he loved India maybe like I love the United States, I don' t know. Because only a man knows how much he loves his own country, I guess.

But... as we were traveling together, he said to me, Dr. Wierwille, I hear you have whores in the United States.

You know, I never had given it a thought. I just took it for granted. [Laughter] And I said, yeah. He said, Why does a rich country like the United States have whores?

And I said, I don't know.

And he said, I can't understand it. Cannot your women make enough money to live? Yeah, but they figure that' s cheaper and more pleasurable or something, I don' t know. And he said, Well, I think it's sinful that the United States has whores.

And I said, What do you mean?

And he said to me, why, I can understand India. He said we don' t enough food, we don' t have enough of anything hardly for a lot of people. And we have whores because that' s the only way they can continue to live physically.

And I thought to myself, well boy, that' s slapping me in the face good. And I took it as a wonderful lesson. There is no excuse in the United States for any women being a whore because she doesn' t need to get screwed and paid for it in order to get money so she can live. There's plenty of work available and if there isn' t she ought to get born again, then there' s a guarantee of work. ..other work, available. I tell you, when you' re honest, some of these men in other countries have some real logic behind their thinking. How would you have liked to have handled that? I just simply admitted, Well, I think we' re wrong in the United States. But I said, I think you' re wrong in India, too, because no reason to have whores here if you get them born again.

So I don' t know. But this verse today as I worked the final working on this verse 28 is when my heart really went back and burned with that truth that Dr. Williams had stated. Because in many Eastern cultures, it was not considered as sin or as shame to steal, if it was a matter of livelihood. You sometimes wonder who will live in the greatest condemnation before God and justice and judgment when the time comes.

For in most of what are called poor countries even, there is sufficient money, food, and other things for the people to live if those in positions of authority were not so selfish and egotistical, and want it for themselves , and let the rest of the world die... or a country die.

The word ' labor' in verse 28 is the word which literally means ' hard work resulting in fatigue.' That's how I felt coming from the woods last night. And I didn' t do anything. It was just hard work being there with the rest of you. Today I got so tired of being with some, I came home. Ah, you' re wonderful.

' Working with his hands' is an Eastern cultural type of thing. Today in our culture, you could have it, you know, the truth is working with your mind or working with your hand, whatever you' re working at. But in Eastern culture, every son was to be trained to work with his hands, even if he was the son of a king. Had to learn a trade, a profession of business.

Jesus Christ was a saddle maker. He made them to ride, I guess, what do you want? Tennessee Walkers , or? See. I think not only did he do that, Paul did it, too, you know. Someday I'm going to find a...or Walter, or some of those, are going to find me a manuscript to prove it. .. and a wonderful carpenter by trade. Many times doing carpentry work and being a saddle maker were sort of in the same household, because building carpentry and having saddles to use for their business and carrying on, were very, very closely aligned. Well, I won' t argue the point, but I wish we' d keep looking.

II Thessalonians.. .Do your hands ever get so dry you can hardly hold anything? Golly, mine are so dry tonight, I wonder why? II Thessalonians, chapter 3:10... this we commanded you that if any would not work, neither should he what? [Eat] Right. Even unemployment is no excuse for stealing. He just doesn' t eat. Goes and gets work. Boy, when I first saw the greatness of these principles many years ago, and then of course, I uniquely by God' s grace, inculcated that into our W.O.W. program and very dynamically in the Corps leadership.

ROMANS 14:11-23
April 30, 1980
We closed out last session with Verse 10, and I’d like to open with that closing part there
especially. But I’d like to say to you that you always have to check yourself to see what is
your motive in judgement when you make a judgement. What is your motive behind it? Is
it the love of God in the renewed mind without hypocrisy? If it’s that, you’ll always be
right on. There really is no judgement that any man can make of any other man except to
sit down and to show him the Word. It’s the Word that has to be presented.
Romans 14:10
Romans 14:11
Romans 14:12
This “account of himself to God” has a great deal to do with the phrase “we shall all stand
before the judgement seat of God.” The word “Christ” is in the King James, but all the
major texts have the word “God” in it, and that’s what it ought to be.
There’s a matter I want to share with the Corps tonight in all the depth that I can get into to
bless you and give you an understanding as completely as possible of the judgement seat.
There is no condemnation for the born again believer. His trial was held in Christ as dead
with him. The believer’s sentence was rendered and subsequently endured in the person of
another, Christ Jesus. The judgement seat for every believer where he shall give account of
himself before God, is for rewards not condemnation.
The word bēma, translated judgement seat, must be understood and it must be rightly
divided or you’ll be in confusion a lifetime.
Acts 7:5
“set his foot on” – two words, bēma podos; The podos we can all understand from
podiatry, foot specialist. You wonder how they got to those words.
Bēma is used, at times, in the sense of a place where someone stands up on. It’s just wide
enough for someone to stand on. In other words, I could stand on a platform where I would
be speaking to you tonight and if that is just wide enough for me to stand upon, it would be
called a bēma. At other times it is wide enough to place a chair on it, and the individual
may be seated. Like I’m seated here teaching you tonight.
This I can illustrate to you and clarify for you considerably if you’ll remember the word
cathedra, from which we get the English word “cathedral.” Cathedra means chair. We got
the word cathedral from this word because a cathedral is considered to be the bishop’s
church in an area. Whenever you have a cathedral, you have a bishop’s church. And the
reason it was called a cathedral is because that was where the bishop had his chair,
cathedra. That illustration will help you to understand bēma too, because the bishop’s
chair is in the cathedral, the word cathedral has a broader meaning than just the bishop’s
chair. The word bēma comes from the word bainō. Bainō means to tread.
Joshua 1:3
“tread” – bainō
The Greek word bēma or judgement seat comes from bainō. That’s why “set his foot on” I
can understand from Acts 7:5.
The word bēma is to stand in judgement of. In a cathedral, all the people would stand.
Later on, the bishop, when he would speak, then he would sit down in the chair, for then he
represents judgement. Otherwise, he is simply making an oration or declaration. The word
bēma is to stand in judgement of condemnation or rewards.
Nehemiah 8:4
It’s a platform of wood. The Septuagint reads a bēma of wood. A judgement seat, a
judgement standing place. And the thing he did there was he opened the book and all the
people stood and he read the Word to them.
Acts 12:21
“judgement seat” – bēma; made an oration, or political speech
So the bēma, in its tightly knit meaning, is always a judgement seat of either condemnation
or rewards, or a larger meaning of a place where anyone would stand and make a
declaration or oration or read the Word. That specially prepared place is called a bēma.
So in the light of that, wherever the Word of God is taught, whether a man is seated or
standing, in the light of all that, that’s a bēma.
Matthew 16:27
This is the personal presence of the return of Christ upon the earth after the gathering of
the saints.
Matthew 19:28
“in the regeneration” – This is the new birth. Titus 3:5.
That’s the bēma again.
Matthew 25:31, 32
That is judgement. Same throne we’ve been reading about.
John 5:22
I think we’ll hold that a minute, because I want to check II Corinthians 5 with you.
II Corinthians 5:10
I Corinthians 4:3-5
John 5:22, along with the next scriptures I’ve read have been some of the arguments that
Trinitarians have used to prove the deity of Jesus Christ, saying that in Romans, it’s the
judgement seat of God. Yes. But that judgement seat is identical with the judgement seat of
Christ. They use this one from John 5:22. There has to be something wrong in the logic of
that statement that they utilize. For it says He committed all judgement to the son. Then the
son cannot be God, nor can God be the son.
Romans 14:11
“It is written” – Let’s go find where it is written.
Isaiah 45:21, 22
“Have not I the Lord?”
“There is none beside me.”
If Jesus Christ is God, then the Lord is a second God and God is a first God. Then you’ve
got three gods.
Isaiah 45:23
Romans 14:11
It’s a quotation from what I’ve just read from Isaiah. The Lord is Jehovah in relationship to
His people. Jehovah is always God in relationship to His people. In one sense, class, here’s
the Word of God; the declaration of this Word is Jehovah to you and to me, God’s Word in
relationship to His people. Jesus Christ, as the son of God, was God’s only begotten son
representing the Jehovah in relationship to God. Jesus Christ was God’s only begotten son
on the level of the senses always doing the will of the Father in carrying out God’s will and
establishing judgement by what he declared as God’s Word. So the judgement seat of
Christ with the return are after the gathering together, with the final return of Christ upon
earth, is not the identical as the appearance before God in judgement. This is a judgement
upon the earth for which Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten son, will be taking the place of
God in the judgement of the nations and others who have to appear before him.
“It is written” – The reason it’s stated “it is written” is that you can go right back and read
it, and that’s exactly what I mean.
“As I live, saith the Lord” – the Lord God, Jehovah, Elohim
“God” – Elohim, the Creator
Jesus Christ represented God upon earth, communicating God to people on the senses level
as God’s only begotten son. Unto God every knee shall bow through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 2:6-11
This is a build up and expansion of the record in Isaiah 45:23 that I read a while ago. Here
in Philippians, the Word of God speaks regarding the prize, while in II Timothy, the Word
of God speaks regarding the crown, the righteous judge.
In Romans 14:13-16, it gives the attitude of the believer and the effect of his action on
others.
Romans 14:13-16
Reading these verses, you can clearly see again that renewed mind love without hypocrisy
is far more important than my stubbornness to exercise my privileges, even though I have
the legitimate liberty to do so.
Romans 14:14
That’s the first great principle.
Romans 14:19
That’s the second great principle.
Two great principles of truth set forth here. The first one is nothing unclean of itself. The
second is follow after things that make for peace and edify.
Frequently these great truths are missed when people read Romans 14. Perhaps because of
our wrong teaching or previous Sunday school training or theological.
By the way, Corps, if it’s at all possible this Sunday morning, find yourself a TV Guide
before Sunday morning and sit down for at least one or two hours and watch every
religious telecast on television. So get yourself in front of the boob tube Sunday morning
and see how they handle the Word of God.
Romans 14:14
I Corinthians 6:12
lawful – doesn’t say profitable, but lawful
“I will not be brought under the power of any.” – Remember that, for we may be coming
back to it later.
I Corinthians 6:13
“body” – talking about the church body
This great principle I read to you from Romans 14 is brought to light not only in Verse 14,
but Verse 16.
Romans 14:16
“good” – freedom
Romans 14:20
“meat” – food
Romans 14:22
“Hast thou believing” – the mature Christian believing, an initiated one.
Romans 14:23
“faith” – believing
Let’s compare Mark with all of this.
Mark 7:18, 19
“purging all meats” – cleansing all meats
The Revised Version of Mark 7, I want to read to you.
Mark 7:18 (Revised Version)
“And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Perceive ye not that
whatsoever from without goeth into a man, it cannot defile him;”
Mark 7:19 (Revised Version)
“Because it goeth not into his heart, but into his belly, and goeth out in the draught. This he
said making all meats clean.”
This making all meats clean deals primarily with the ceremonial usage.
Titus 1:15
I Corinthians 6:12
“expedient” – sumpherō; It’s literal meaning according to usage is “all things do not bring
together” or “bring together justly.” In our day it had the connotation many times of being
polite. That is not the context of the literal of that word. Expedient means all things do not
bring together, bring together justly.
Romans 14:19
The second great principle, and it’s inherent in I Corinthians 6:12, is the statement “ I will
not be brought under the power of any.”
I Corinthians 6:12
“brought under the power of any” – one Greek word, exousiazō
This was interesting to me. “Brought under the power of” is exousiazō, while “all things
are lawful,” the word “lawful” is the word existin, from which we get the word exousia.
Exousia is from the root word existin, meaning “authority.” “Bring under the power of” is
the exercised authority. All things are lawful, existin, authority, powerful, right on for me.
But I will not be exousiazō, brought under the power of any because it is not expedient. It
will not bring together justly and rightly.
The Weymouth New Testament in Modern Speech, I’d like to read you Chapter 8 from I
Corinthians to give you a flavor that I think will bless you.
“Now as to things which have been sacrificed to idols, this is a subject which we already
understand, because we all have knowledge of it. Knowledge, however, tends to make
people conceited. It is love that builds up. If any man imagines that he already possesses
any true knowledge, he has as yet attained to no knowledge of the kind to which he ought
to have, attained. But if any one loves God, that man is known by God. As to eating things
which have been sacrifices to idols, we are fully aware that an idol is nothing in the world
and that there is no God but one. For if so-called gods do exist either in heaven or on earth,
and in fact, there are many such gods and many such lords, yet we have but one God, the
Father, who is the source of all things and for whose service we exist. But one Lord, Jesus
Christ, through whom we and all things exist. But all believers do not recognize these
facts. Some from force of habit in relation to the idol even now eat idol sacrifices as such
and their conscience being weak are polluted. It is true that a particular kind of food will
not brings us into God’s presence. We are neither inferior to others if we abstain from it
nor superior to them if we eat it. But take care lest this liberty of yours should prove a
hindrance to the gospel of weak believers. For if any one were to see you who’d know the
real truth of this matter reclining at tables in an idol’s temple, would not his conscience,
supposing him to be a weak believer, be enbolded to eat the food that has been sacrificed to
the idol? Why your knowledge becomes the ruin of the weak believer, your brother for
whom Christ died. Moreover, when thus sin against a brethren and ruin their weak
conscience, you are in reality sinning against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my
brother to fall, never again to the end of my days will I touch any kind of animal food for
fear I should cause my brother to fall.”
It is also interesting to read the translation from the New English Bible, of Chapter 8.
“Now about food consecrated to heathen deities, of course we all have knowledge as you
say. This knowledge breeds conceit. It is love that builds. If any one fancies that he knows,
he knows nothing yet in the true sense of knowing. But if a man loves, he is acknowledged
by God. Well then, about eating this consecrated food. Of course as you say a false god has
no existence in the real world. There is no God but one, for indeed if there be so-called
gods, whether in heaven or on earth, as indeed there are many gods and many lords, yet for
us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things toward whom we move and there
is one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom all things came to be and we through him. But not
everyone knows this. There are some who have been accustomed to idolatry, that even now
they eat food with a sense of heathen consecration and their conscience being weak is
polluted by the eating. Certain food will not bring us into God’s presence. If we do not eat,
we are none the worse, and if we eat, we are not the better. But be careful that this liberty
of yours does not become a pitfall for the weak. If a weak character sees you sitting down
to a meal in the heathen temple, you who have knowledge, will not his conscience
embolden to eat foods consecrated to the heathen deity? This knowledge of yours is utter
disaster to the weak, the brother for wham Christ died. In thus sinning against your
brothers and wounding their conscience, you sin against Christ. And therefore, if food be
the downfall of my brother, I will never eat meat anymore, for I will not be the cause of my
brother’s downfall.”
See, the record so clearly indicates that it would not be the love of God in the renewed
mind in manifestation without hypocrisy if a strong believer does this in the presence of a
weak believer.
Romans 14:15
“charitably” – the love of God in the renewed mind in manifestation
“destroy not him” – You couldn’t destroy a brother, for he too has eternal life. Right? So
immediately you know there has to be something wrong. The word is “separate” or “put
away.” The strongest word that could be used is “ruin.” At this point where the word
“destroy” is, I have a manuscript notation that I could give you because the oldest
manuscript (known as D.3) uses the word “separate” or “put away” instead of “destroy.”
Romans 14:16
“good” – freedom
Romans 14:17
Romans 14:18
“acceptable” – well pleasing
“approved of men” – men believers who are mature, as well as believers who are not as
mature
Romans 14:19
Romans 14:20
“destroy not” – do not put away, separate, or ruin
But it is evil for that man who eats that to be offensive to show his liberty or the freedom
he has in Christ to do as he fool pleases.. That’s sin.
Romans 14:21
Romans 14:22
If you have mature believing, you should have the love of God in the renewed mind
without any hypocrisy. If you’ve got that great maturity, you have it to yourself before
God. You don’t go out among the other believers who are weaker and flaunt your liberty or
the freedom you have in Christ Jesus. Happy is he that condemeth not himself in the thing
which he alloweth, because of his maturity in Christ.
Romans 14:23
“And” – but
“doubteth” – questions
“damned” – hurt, wounded
He’s hurt, wounded, because his head can’t take it, because he eateth not of faith, because
it is not out of believing. He’s just putting on a front, not really out of believing. Therefore,
his head can’t take it and he will feel condemned.
“For whatsoever is not of faith is sin” – For whatsoever is not out of believing, or from
believing, that is sin.
So you quit boasting about having liberty and freedom in Christ Jesus when in reality that
thing which you are doing really exercises authority over you.
I wrote the following this afternoon:
As a believer you may scream, yell or cry saying, this invades my sacred right as a son of
God in my standing with Him. Things which I’ve taught you here in Romans 14, which I
believe the Word of God plainly teaches, and we’ve had people in The Way Corps, as well
as The Way Ministry who have screamed, yelled and cried, saying that our teaching or
what we stand for and believe Romans 14 says invades their sacred right as sons of God
standing before Him. But I believe you’re stopped dead in your tracks and you have to
became silent and reverent if you say that in the presence of him who pleased not himself.
That record is the one from Philippians 2:3.
Philippians 2:3
I’m so thankful that in this year of the renewed mind, we can do Romans 14.
Philippians 2:6-8
That’s why you don’t scream, yell or cry saying this invades you sacred rights as a son of
God in your standing with Him. You absolutely stop dead in your tracks and become silent
and reverent in the presence of God’s only begotten son who pleased not himself.
Years ago I belonged to a fraternity. There was a road coming from Lakeland College
going to Wisconsin. One night we were going along and somebody said, Boy, this is like a
female road. And I said, “What do you mean, female road?” He said it’s got more curves
than a bath towel going around a sorority house. So that’s for the religiosity of the Corps.
This fraternity I belonged to was called Mu Lambda Sigma. Today I’m tremendously
blessed that I once had the privilege of belonging to it and also being president of it. We
had a real great principle, and this was it; God first, others second, I am willing to be third.
That was the great basic principle of the fraternity. Thinking about this tonight, it came
back to my consciousness where we put God first, others second, and I am willing to be
third. That is Romans 14.
Now in the light of all this, I’d like to conclude tonight in reading you I Corinthians,
Chapter 9.
I Corinthians 9
“Am I not an apostle?” – That’s pretty good. This was Paul, the greatest man who had the
revelation of the mystery. Nobody’s fool. Right at the top echelon as an apostle. Of all the
men that lived, he’s the only one that received the revelation of the mystery. Right? He’s
not a second rate Christian. He’s mature, mature.
(Dr. Wierwille reads I Corinthians 9 from the King James Version.)
I Corinthians 9:2-26
I Corinthians 9:27
“subjection” – Make that body, that mind that controls that body, adhere to the revelation
of the Word, to bring that into subjection, which is the love of God in the renewed mind in
manifestation without hypocrisy.
“castaway” – castaway from the rewards
Romans 14:12
The account for us, the born again believers, is to receive the rewards. That’s why we walk
in the renewed mind love of God without any hypocrisy and without any criticism of any
other immature Christian.
I’d like to close where I began this evening with you, in that which I wrote and used
Sunday night at the close of the teaching.
If a million people love you, I would be one of them. If only a thousand people love you, I
will be one of the thousand who cares. If only a hundred people love you, I will be the one
who cries. If only two people love you, I’ll be the one on your right side. But if no one else
is left on earth to love you, you’ll know that I have died. But God is still alive.
That’s the Corps for this Wednesday night. Thank you.