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Sound Doctrine
by Don Costello 1 Timothy 1:8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully. 1 Timothy 1:9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers or fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, a. lawless [459 * anomos; a-without; nomos-law] [Zodhiates: Not having, knowing or acknowledging the lawlawless in the sense of transgressing the law, a transgressor.] b. disobedient [506 * anupotaktos; a-without; hupotasso-to subject, sit under in an orderly manner] [Zodhiates: disobedient to authority.] c. ungodly [765 * asebes; a-without; sebomai-to worship, venerate] [Zodhiates: godless, without fear and reverence for Godone who actively practices the opposite of what the fear of God demands.] d. sinners [268 * hamartolos] [Zodhaites: to deviate, miss the mark, sin, erring from the way.] e. unholy [462 * anosios; a-without; hosios-consecrated, hallowed, unpolluted with wickedness] [Zodhiates: no regard of duty to God or man.] f. profane [952 * bebelos] [Zodhiates: properly denoted one who either was or ought to have been debarred from the threshold or, entrance of the temple. Lacks all relationship or affinity to God.] 1). Some of the early laws that were on the books in this nation that mention the word profane or a derivative of it are very enlightening on how far we have moved away from godliness in our national culture. a). Act Against Drunkenness, Blasphemy, Connecticut, 1737; Act for the Punishment of Profane Cursing and Swearing, New Hampshire, 1791; Act to Prevent the Grievous Sins of Cursing and Swearing, North Carolina, 1700; Act for the More Effectual Suppressing of Blasphemy and Prophaneness, Rhode Island, 1703." 2). In Roth v. United States, a 1956 Supreme Court case that dealt with obscenity , Justice Brennan wrote: a). "The guaranties of freedom of expression in effect in 10 of the 14 States which by 1792 had ratified the Constitution, gave no absolute protection for every utterance. Thirteen of the 14 States provided for the prosecution of libel, and all of those States made either blasphemy or profanity, or both, statutory crimes. As early as 1712, Massachusetts made it criminal to publish "any filthy, obscene, or profane song, pamphlet, libel or mock sermon" in imitation or mimicking of religious servicesThus, profanity and obscenity were related offences." b). Do you realize that under those restrictions most of the movie and television programs produced in this country would be outlawed? g. murderers of fathers [3964 * patraloas] [Zodhiates: one who murders his father.] [Marvin Vincent's Word Studies: More literally, smiters of fathers and mothers, though used in Class. [classical Greek and Roman authors]of parricides and matricides. Derived from aloan-to smite or thresh.] f. Personally I tend to believe it be more in line with a verse in Exodus where it specifically mentions hitting a father or mother. 1). Exodus 21:15 "And he that smiteth his father, or mother, shall be surely put to death." h. murderers of mothers [3389 * metraloas] [Zodhiates; one who physically abuses his own mother.] 1). Perhaps though this is somehow a prophetic interjection, how many times in recent memory have we heard of instances of children who murdered their fathers or mothers. 2). In September 1992, Psychology Today published an article by Kathleen M Heide that reported between 1977 and 1986, 300 parents were murdered each year by their own children. i. manslayers [409 * androphonos; aner-man; phonos-murder] [Zodhiates: a murderer]. 1). In this day we have different kinds of manslayers. There are those who murder once, and then there are people who murder more than once. In that group there are different classifications of people who murder more than once. There are mass murderers, spree killers, and serial killers. Such is the last days. 1 Timothy 1:10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; a. whoremonger [4205 * pornos] [Strongs: to sell; a male prostitute, a debauchee, fornicator, whoremonger.] [Zodhiates: to sell, which is from perao (n.f.), to pass through, carry over (particularly as merchants) and thence to sell, which in the N.T. appears piprasko (4097). A whoremonger or male prostitute.] [Thayer: a man who prostitutes his body to another's lust for hire, a male prostitute.] [Vines: denotes a man who indulges in fornication.] [Bullinger: a sodomite, a catamite.] [D.C. Note: Four of the five Greek Dictionaries define the word as a homosexual prostitute.] 1). On a side note, this Greek word is where we get the prefix to the compound English word, pornography. Actually the word graph is also of Greek orgin. b. them that defile themselves with mankind [733 * arsenokoites; arsen-a male; koite-a bed][Zodhaites: a man who lies in bed with another male, a homosexual.] [James B. De Young, Professor of NT, Western Conservative Baptist Seminary: Paul coined the term arsenkoitai, deriving it from the LXX translation of Leviticus 20:13 (cf. 18:22) and using it for homosexual orientation and behavior, the latter of which should be an occasion for church discipline (1 Corinthians 5-6), and legislation in society (1 Timothy 1:8-11). 1). In the beginning of our republic, the framers of the Constitution never intended for that document to protect the right to engage in homosexual acts. We know this by using simple common sense: If committing an act is against the law, it is not possible to give someone a right to commit that act. In Bowers v. Hardwick, the 1986 Supreme Court decision that upheld state laws that prohibited homosexual sodomy, Bryon White, writing for the majority said, "Sodomy was a criminal offense at common law and was forbidden by the laws of the original 13 states when they ratified the Bill of RightsIn fact, until 1961, all 50 states outlawed sodomy" This is such a prophetic development. When our nation started, homosexual behavior was forbidden in every state and up until 1961 in all 50 states, homosexual behavior was against the law. Now remember, the Apostle Paul writing under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, wrote that such laws were "according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God". They were "sound doctrine." Then here we are in 2004, 43 years later, not only is homosexual behavior a protected right, but we are fighting to preserve the God given institution of marriage between a man and a woman. Jesus is coming soon. In 1961 Illinois became the first state to drop its sodomy laws. Between then and 2003 there was a relentless effort by individuals and groups to repeal all sodomy laws until by the time Lawrence v. Texas came about in 2003 there was only a small number of states that still had laws on the books to prosecute homosexual behavior. Montana dropped their state ban on homosexual conduct in 1997. The Associated Press reporting on the lifting of the ban said, "Although no one has been prosecuted under the law, a 1993 lawsuit by six homosexuals claimed that gays and lesbians live in fear of being charged with a crime and that takes an emotional and psychological toll." Romans 13:3 & 4 says, "For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil." These six people were afraid of the civil authorities because their works were evil. This one of the God ordained purposes for law and civil government. This is what it's supposed to do. What the state government of Montana did is basically tell God, "Though we are your ministers, we don't believe homosexuality is evil and we will not execute wrath upon them." c. menstealers [405 * andrapodistes] [Zodhiates: a manstealer, kednapper, one who steals men to make them slaves or sells them into slavery.] d. liars [5583 * pseutes] to lie, a liar. e. perjured persons [1965 * epiorkos; epi-against; horkos-an oath] [Zodhiates: a perjurer.] f. sound [5198 * hugiaino] [Zodhiates: to be sound, healthy, physically well. (English: hygiene)] g. One of the messages the Apostle Paul is saying in these verses: Laws that forbid among other things, lying, murder, kidnapping, and homosexuality are not only "good" and "sound doctrine" they are also according "to the glorious gospel of the blessed God". One reason that makes these verses vitally important to our time is the definitions of a couple words. The Greek word for whoremonger means a male prostitute. The other phrase, "them that defile themselves with mankind", means "a man that lies in bed with another man". These definitions are important to our present time in light of the warning the Apostle Paul writes in his second epistle to Timothy. 1). 2 Timothy 4:2-4 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. h. The Apostle Paul warns that the time was coming when people would no longer believe sound doctrine, i.e. laws that forbid homosexuality, but they would gather around and listen to teachers who would accommodate their lusts. There are denominations out there that proclaim homosexuality to be simply one of the varied orientations that make up human sexuality. There are people who flock to these teachers to have their ears tickled. They turn away from the truth of the word of God concerning homosexuality and turn to listen to myths rather than God's Word. i. The warning is not just about homosexuality, he also mentioned "menstealers", which when the Greek definition is examined, is exactly what some of the early American colonists did to African-American ancestors. These corruptible men stole these innocent people and forced them into slavery in the new world. Hello? He mentions "manslayers". Let me ask the question, What kind of justice is it when a murderer sentences his victim to death by murdering them and then our court system sentences the murderer "to life". Punishment of crime is supposed to be a deterrent. In this case it is not. The word profane use to be a common word in our system of laws in early America to define what used to be unlawful, now profanity is protected speech. Bowers v. Hardwick, Supreme Court, 1986. Bob Anez, Associate Press, 1997 "Montana high court lifts ban on homosexual sex." 1 Timothy 1:11 According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. a. The laws that forbid the conduct listed above are according to the gospel. My name is Don Costello. Ever since I received Christ in November of 1976 I have had a passion to study and know God's word.My wife Melissa and I have 5 children. My e-mail address is [email protected] I have a blog located at: www.theophilus-loverofgodsword.blogspot.com/ Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |