ECT Gather 'Round Peter

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I was baptized an infant into the Roman Catholic Church in 1944. When old enough, my mom put me into Catechism where, in time. I managed to complete First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Our church attendance on Sunday was fairly regular. We didn't always make it, but most of the time did.

The liturgy incorporated homilies based upon the apostle Peter's epistles; which I sort of let go in one ear and out the other. It wasn't till years later when I caught on that Peter spoke for Christ, and that non compliance with Peter's instructions is all the same as non compliance with Christ's; it's a domino effect all the way to the top.

Luke 10:16 . .Whoever listens to you; listens to me. Whoever rejects you; rejects me. And whoever rejects me; rejects the one who sent me.

Paul's epistles have much to say about one's personal conduct, and Peter's do too; in point of fact: quite much. I've included a few of his instructions in this post which, if complied with, will make any Christian on either side of aisle better people; whether Catholic or non Catholic makes no difference.

First: say hello to the apostle Peter.

2Pet 1:2 . . Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

Now please; listen to some of Peter's knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

1Pet 1:14-16. . As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written: You shall be holy, for I am holy.

1Pet 1:17-18 . . And if you address as "Father" the one who impartially judges according to each man's work, conduct yourselves in reverential fear during the time of your stay upon earth

1Pet 2:21-24 . . For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps . . who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously

1Pet 1:22b . . See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently

1Pet 2:1-3 . .Lay aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking;

1Pet 2:17a . . Honor all men.

1Pet 3:8b-9 . . Having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous; not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing.

1Pet 3:10-11 . . Let him who means to love life and see good days refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile. And let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

2Pet 1:5-7 . . Make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

I should think it goes without saying that Peter's knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord is quite useless for the purpose of obtaining grace and peace in abundance unless it's put into practice.

Jas 1:22-25 . . Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-- he will be blessed in what he does. (cf. Matt 7:24-27)
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According to the apostle Peter, God does not practice favoritism.

1Pet 1:17 . . The Father, who judges each man's work impartially,

If Peter knew what he was talking about when he wrote that verse, then Catholics are not God's special pets, no; they are in just as much, if not more, danger of ending up in hell as all the rest of the world.

According to Luke 10:16, the apostle Peter's words are Christ's. Therefore, failure to comply with Peter's epistles is all the same as failure to comply with Christ's words, and Bible-trained Catholics are likely to be aware of what's been said about that.

Matt 7:26-27 . . And everyone who hears these words of mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall.

The word "everyone" in that passage allows for neither exemptions nor exceptions; so I do not recommend relying upon the Catholic label for protection.

John 3:36 . . He who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.

Just imagine the crushing chagrin that numbers of Catholics undergo who all their lives defended Peter's supremacy only to end up in hell for failing to comply with his epistles.
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Jerry Shugart

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Here is what Peter tells us about how he was saved as well as how the Gentiles were saved and are still being saved:

"We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are"
(Acts 15:11).​

That eliminates the idea that salvation cannot be secured apart from works because "grace" and "works" are mutually exclusive:

"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt"
(Ro.4:4).​

In the following passage Peter makes it plain that the end result of faith is the salvation of the soul:

"for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls"
(1 Pet.1:9).​

That matches perfectly the Lord Jesus' own words spoken here:

"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (Jn.6:63).​
 

Ktoyou

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I was baptized an infant into the Roman Catholic Church in 1944. When old enough, my mom put me into Catechism where, in time. I managed to complete First Holy Communion and Confirmation. Our church attendance on Sunday was fairly regular. We didn't always make it, but most of the time did.

The liturgy incorporated homilies based upon the apostle Peter's epistles; which I sort of let go in one ear and out the other. It wasn't till years later when I caught on that Peter spoke for Christ, and that non compliance with Peter's instructions is all the same as non compliance with Christ's; it's a domino effect all the way to the top.

Luke 10:16 . .Whoever listens to you; listens to me. Whoever rejects you; rejects me. And whoever rejects me; rejects the one who sent me.

Paul's epistles have much to say about one's personal conduct, and Peter's do too; in point of fact: quite much. I've included a few of his instructions in this post which, if complied with, will make any Christian on either side of aisle better people; whether Catholic or non Catholic makes no difference.

That is fine in itself, now you do know that no works done by man are good enough? Jesus did the works, now what you must do is believe in His works and God's love, be given Grace and life in the Spirit, being in the Body of Christ.

Then, and only then, you may do acts, but being guided by the Holy Spirit the acts done are in Grace, as such, the works of the Spirit.
 

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I started this thread because many of the Catholics I encounter online are quick to mount a defense of Peter's supremacy while failing to pay suitable attention to his knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. Consequently, their forum behavior is too often militant and unpleasant

Peter's Christianity is a very practical religion. It not only brings sinners into a right relationship with their creator, but it also makes them better people; viz: makes them more civil and humane.

1Pet 2:1 . . Lay aside all malice

The Greek word for "malice" is kakia (kak-ee'-ah) which basically refers to badness, i.e. depravity, malignity, and trouble.

Malignity commonly describes aggressive cancers, which tend to spread and produce death or deterioration, viz: malignant people are toxic, viz: poisonous.

There are at least seven types of toxic people out there.

1• The Conversational Narcissist

Have you ever been talking to someone who keeps interrupting you? Maybe I should revise that sentence: have you ever been trying to talk to someone who won’t let you get a word in? Conversational narcissists LOVE to talk about themselves-- or just hear themselves talk. They don’t ask you any questions, they don’t wait for your responses and they won’t shut up. In a relationship, these people will end up being completely self-centered and never be attentive to your needs.

2• The Straight Jacket

The straight jacket is someone who wants to control everything and everyone around them. They want to be in charge of what you do, what you say, and even what you think. You know the person I am talking about-- they freak out when you disagree with them and won’t stop trying to convince you that they are right and you should do what they say. In a relationship, this person will give you no breathing room and constantly will nag you until you are in complete alignment with them. Be careful, these people will go after your emotional, conversational and mental freedom until you have nothing left.

3• The Emotional Moocher

An emotional moocher also is known as a spiritual vampire because they tend to suction the positivity out of you or bleed you emotionally dry. These are the kinds of people who always have something sad, negative or pessimistic to say. In conversations and relationships, they never can see the positive and tend to bring everyone down with them; they only have bad things to say. (These folk tend to be perpetual fault-finders, i.e. they have a natural talent for tearing people down instead of building them up.)

4• The Drama Magnet

Some toxic people are magnets for drama. Something always is wrong. Always. And, of course, once a problem is solved, another one emerges. And they only want your empathy, sympathy and support-- but not your advice! You offer help and solutions, but they never seem to want to fix anything. Instead, they complain and complain. In a relationship, drama magnets are victims and thrive in a crisis because it makes them feel important. If someone is a beacon for adversity, watch out, you might one day become part of the drama.

5• The JJ

A JJ is a jealous/judgmental person. Jealous people are incredibly toxic because they have so much internal self-hate that they can’t be happy for anyone around them. And typically, their jealousy comes out as judgment, criticism or gossip. According to them, everyone else is awful, uncool or lacking in some way.

6• The Fibber

Habitual liars, fibbers, and exaggerators… it’s exhausting to have them in your life. Whether they tell little falsehoods or major lies, it’s impossible to trust dishonesty in a relationship. It drains us because we constantly are doubting their words.

7• The Tank

Tanks are intolerant. They crush everything in their path. A tank is always right, doesn’t take anyone else’s feelings or ideas into consideration, and constantly puts themselves first. In a relationship, tanks are incredibly arrogant and see their personal opinions as facts. This is because they often think they are the smartest person in the room. So, they see every conversation and person as a challenge that must be won over. They rarely see others as equals.

Thanks To: https://www.scienceofpeople.com/toxic-people/

NOTE: Peter's instructions don't say to avoid malice, they say lay malice aside, i.e. get rid of it; viz: malicious Christians are under orders to reform.
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The seven examples of malice listed are pretty good, but I would certainly include spite were it my list. Webster's defines it as petty ill will or hatred with the disposition to irritate, annoy, or thwart; i.e. just plain meanness.

A companion to spite is persecution; from the Greek word dioko (dee-o'-ko) which means to pursue; i.e. to hound, to harass. In other words; a persecuting personality is one whose mission in life is to ruin somebody's day at every opportunity; and they are pretty good at finding ways to do it.

Heaven is described in the Bible as a place of peace. I think it goes without saying that malicious people cannot be allowed to go there because they would soon turn heaven into a hellish world like they've made the Earth.
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Jerry Shugart

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Until those who follow the church at Rome actually believe the true "gospel of the grace of God" then nothing they do will allow them to go to heaven.

They need to put the teaching found in the Bible above what Rome teaches.
 

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1Pet 2:1 . . Lay aside all deceit (a.k.a. guile, cunning, and duplicity)

The Greek word for "deceit" is dolos (dol'-os) which basically refers to a decoy; defined by Webster's as someone or something used to lure or lead another into a trap.

Decoys can also be used as diversions, e.g. red herrings.

Dolos also refers to trickery; defined by Webster's as the practice of crafty underhanded ingenuity to deceive or cheat, for example Gen 3:1.

A very common form of deceit is something called dissembling; which basically means to conceal one's true feelings with pretense. I think it's pretty safe to say that everybody at one time or another practices dissembling; it's pretty much a natural propensity.

Peter's instructions don't say to avoid deceit, they say to lay it aside; viz: stop it.
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1Pet 2:1 . . Lay aside all hypocrisy

The Greek word for "hypocrisy" is hupokrisis (hoop-ok'-ree-sis) which is a mite ambiguous. It basically refers to acting under a feigned part.

Not all hypocrisy is bad; quite a few people earn an honest living by accepting parts in movies and plays. That we can live with.

But hypocrisy in religion is insufferable; for example Mark 12:13-15, which reads like this:

"Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. They came to him and said: Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn't we? But Jesus knew their hypocrisy."

Their inquiry was sensible and practical; but it was based upon a hidden agenda. They didn't care one whit about the taxes; they were only looking for a legitimate excuse to have Jesus arrested and put away where he could no longer influence public opinion.

Hypocrisy is also exemplified in double standards, for example Luke 6:41-42 and Matt 23:2-4

"And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother: Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye, when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye."

"The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses; therefore all that they tell you, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds; for they say things, and do not do them. And they tie up heavy loads, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves are unwilling to move them with so much as a finger."
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1Pet 2:1 . . Lay aside all envy

Webster's defines envy as painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another, coupled with a desire to possess the same advantage

There are musicians that I greatly admire for their talent and their creativity. But I don't hate them for it; no, I truly love their work, i.e. I'm a fan rather than a rival. For example; famed sessions musician Carol Kaye can lay down smooth jazz lines with an electric bass using nothing more than a flat guitar pick. I wish I could do what Carol does, and I would sincerely like for her to continue playing and teaching forever.

But when admiration is mixed with pain and resentment, it can become ugly and extremely dangerous.

For example, it was envy that motivated Cain to murder his kid brother, and it was envy that motivated Joseph's brothers to sell him into slavery, and it was envy that motivated Jesus' opponents to have him arrested and put to death.

People prone to envy share a very common denominator: they simply must be either equal to, or better than, others. It's that simple. And if they cannot be equal to, or better than others, then nothing would make them happier than to see those others failed, maimed, silenced, disfigured, dishonored, disgraced, humiliated, handicapped for life and/or deceased.
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1Pet 2:1 . . Lay aside all evil speaking

The Greek word for "evil speaking" is katalalia (kat-al-al-ee'-ah) which basically means defamation; defined by Webster's as the act of communicating false statements about a person that injures their reputation.

Talking about someone behind their back counts as defamation only when the statements are untrue; especially if the statements are deliberately untrue and calculated to assassinate someone's character and/or question their good name.

1Pet 2:2 . . As newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.

When Christians neglect to study Peter's epistles to learn what is, and what is not, appropriate behavior for Christ's followers, they are certain to end up stunting their spiritual growth; and quite naturally retain and practice all five of the ugly behaviors listed thus far; viz: malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and evil speaking.
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ttruscott

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Let's not forget the Virtue Signaller:
No matter that they agree with what is said, they must add their little bit that seems to make the offering small and forgetful, not quite adding up to their oh so much better virtue. This is often introduced with: be careful here, pay attention to ... etc etc as if they are the only ones to know this thing and you don't quite seem to measure up.
 

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1Pet 2:21-23 . . Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps . . who, when he was reviled, did not revile in return

There's a couple of Greek words translated "revile" in that passage. The first is loidoreo (loy-dor-eh'-o) which means to reproach, i.e. vilify; in other words: insult; defined by Webster's as to treat with insolence, indignity, or contempt.

The second word is antiloidoreo (an-tee-loy-dor-eh'-o) which means to rail in reply; i.e. toxic rejoinders.

What we're looking at is the apostle Peter testifying to Christ's practicing what he preached about turning the other cheek; which some apparently seem to honestly believe has gone out of vogue.
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1Pet 1:22b . . See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently

The Greek word translated "love" in that passage is agapao (ag-ap-ah'-o) which is actually a very easy love to practice because it doesn't consist of things like affection and/or sentiment; which are components of the other love in the New Testament translated from the Greek word phileo (fil-eh'-o).

Agapao is impersonal; commonly expressed in things like charity, kindness, sympathy, lenience, and tolerance; viz: agapao isn't expressed by liking people; rather, it's expressed by being nice to people, i.e. civil; defined by Webster's as adequate in courtesy and politeness: mannerly.

Phileo, on the other hand, is personal and not as common as agapao because phileo is felt rather than expressed; viz: phileo refers to emotional attachments.

An excellent contrast between the two loves is seen by comparing John 3:16 and John 16:27.

In the first; God is shown sympathetic.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

In the latter, God is shown affectionate.

"The Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God."

Obtaining God's sympathy is very easy because that's on Him; whereas winning His affections is not so easy because that's on us.

"If you obey my commands, you will abide in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and abide in His love." (John 15:10)

Anyway; 1Pet 1:22b only requires Christians to be civil, which I'm convinced is within every Christian's capabilities; even for Christians whose sensitivities are those of a catcher's mitt or a wooden nickel.

A pure fervent heart refers to taking Peter's requirement seriously enough to make a conscientious effort to comply with it; viz: every Christian, even the bi-polar ones, really ought to be doing their level best to be good people not just some of the time, nor even most of the time; but all the time-- at the very least among themselves and with each other.
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1Pet 2:17a . . Honor all men.

The Greek word translated "honor" is timao (tim-ah'-o) which basically means to prize, i.e. fix a valuation upon and/or to revere

The first place that timao shows up in the New Testament is Matt 15:4 which reads:

"God said: Honor your father and mother."

Right after the Flood, God outlawed murder; and the reason given for the ban was not because murder is necessarily wrong, but because people are made in the likeness of God. (Gen 9:5-6)

James criticizes the use of language that expresses a wish that someone be sent to hell. The reason given is not because that sort of language is necessarily wrong, but because people were made in the likeness of God. (Jas 3:8-9)

In other words; murder and cursing dishonors the likeness of God, and by extension dishonors God too.

From that I gather that failure to treat everyone with dignity-- regardless of age, race, or gender --not only dishonors men but by extension also dishonors God in whose likeness everyone was made.

FAQ: Does that mean even serial killers, mass murderers, and monsters like Osama Bin Laden, Robert Mugabe, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Saddam Hussein, and crooks like Al Capone and Bernie Madoff have to be treated humanely and with dignity the same as everyone else?

A: Yes, absolutely because the honor that Peter is talking about doesn't have to be earned, merited or otherwise deserved.

Take for example Lev 19:32 which reads like this:

"Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am The Lord"

The honor required for senior citizens doesn't have to be earned, merited or otherwise deserved. The only requirement is age; and failure to dignify senior citizens is all the same as failure to dignify God.

NOTE: You can tell a lot about people by the way they treat senior citizens. Now that I myself am old and gray-haired, I'm sensitive to things like that.
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1Pet 2:17c . . fear God, honor the king.

Webster's defines kings as 1) monarchs, 2) paramount chiefs and/or 3) one that holds a preeminent position; e.g. monarchs, sovereigns, presidents, prime ministers, czars, chairmen, etc.

There is currently throughout America a wave of hate, hysteria, and disrespect for the U.S. President the intensity of which is unlike anything I've ever seen in my 75 years on this planet. I should hope that none of Christ's followers get caught up in it.

Christians don't have to particularly like Mr. Trump as a person, but we do have to render him the dignity and the respect that a president's position has been given by God. Failure to do so not only fails to comply with the apostle Peter's instructions, but also fails to fear God.

Prov 24:21 . . My son, fear The Lord and the king; have nothing to do with those who hate them.
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1Pet 2:17b . . love the brotherhood

The Greek word translated "brotherhood" is adelphotes (ad-el-fot'-ace) which appears in only two places in the entire New Testament; both are in the apostle Peter's epistles: one here and the other in 1Pet 5:9.

It's a curious word because it essentially refers to a fraternity; defined by Webster's as a group of people associated or formally organized for a common purpose, interest, or pleasure; i.e. persons of the same class, profession, character, or tastes: for example leagues, guilds, societies, and trade unions.

"We're all in this together" pretty much sums up adelphotes; for example 1Pet 5:8-9 which reads:

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

But now; exactly who is in this frat about which Peter speaks? Well, the apostle identifies them by his greeting in 1Pet 1:1-2 which reads:

"To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood"

Just to be on the safe side, assume that Peter's greeting applies to anyone and everyone calling themselves a Christian regardless of their denominational affiliation. This can be done very easily just by following his instructions to honor all men. (see post No.15)

One thing to our advantage is that the Greek word for "love" in 1Pet 2:17 is impersonal, viz: it doesn't require affection, it only requires that we be humane, e.g. civil, courteous, friendly, peaceable, hospitable, sympathetic, tolerant, lenient, forgiving, charitable, and generous. In other words; we don't actually have to like our fellow Christians, we only have to allow them the dignity that the image and likeness of God deserves.
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1Pet 3:3-5 . . And let not your adornment be merely external-- braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses --but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

Some of the more ascetic Christians have attempted to use that passage to insist it's wrong for women to wear cosmetics. No, the apostle Peter is only reflecting an old Portuguese proverb that goes something like this: A beleza não ajusta a tabela. (Beauty doesn't set the table) which simply means a pretty girl might be amazing in yoga pants but quite ineffective as a homemaker.

Hollywood movies often portray "spirited" women as somehow desirable. No, they aren't desirable; they're feral, they demean men and make them miserable. Hollywood also commonly portrays women slapping men in the face and getting away with it. That is NOT what Peter means by a "gentle and quiet spirit" and besides, slapping is the criminal act of assault and battery-- not what I would call setting a good example for growing girls.

Matt 5:3 . . Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Matt 5:9 . . Blessed are the peaceable: for they shall be known as God's kin.

An assertive, confrontational woman is neither peaceable nor poor in spirit; no, in point of fact she's quite militant, obnoxious, chafing, critical, temperamental, impudent, and arrogant. Those might be desirable characteristics for strong females in television and movie roles but clearly not desirable in a Christian wife.

When a Christian wife gets all dressed up to her nines, but yet lacks a "gentle and quiet spirit" then her ensemble is incomplete. In point of fact, an assertive, confrontational wife is, in reality, nothing less than a barnyard animal.

Prov 11:22 . . As a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so is a fair woman which is without discretion.

So then, by all means Christian women should continue to shop at SEPHORA but at the same time make an effort to be agreeable too.
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1Pet 3:7a . . You husbands, dwell with your wives according to knowledge

The koiné Greek word for "knowledge" is gnosis (gno'-sis) which means knowing (as information) in other words: facts and/or ideas acquired by study, investigation, observation, or experience.

Gnosis is different than "intuition" which Webster's defines as: the power, or faculty, of attaining to direct knowledge or cognition without evident rational thought and inference.

Gnosis is different than "instinct" too, which Webster's defines as: (1) a natural or inherent aptitude, impulse, or capacity, (2) a largely inheritable and unalterable tendency of an organism to make a complex and specific response to environmental stimuli without involving reason, and (3) behavior that is mediated by reactions below the conscious level; viz: a mental and/or emotional knee-jerk reflex.

So then, Peter is talking about husbands applying instructed knowledge of Christian social skills to their marriages.

There are young boys being brought up by macho (a.k.a. toxic) fathers teaching their sons to "control their women". Well, that might be an acceptable marriage philosophy in the home of a Muslim fundamentalist and/or a club-toting Neanderthal, but not in the home of a man passing himself off as one of Christ's followers. In a pious home, Christian husbands are neither required nor expected to tame their Christian wives seeing as how the onus is upon the wives themselves to exercise self control.

NOTE: It's required of Christ's followers to love their enemies but it's not required of Christ's followers to like their enemies nor is it required to always have a good opinion about them. However, though a Christian husband's love need not include the elements of affection and/or fondness; his love does need to include the element of diplomacy; which Webster's defines as skill in handling affairs without arousing hostility, viz: tact.
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1Pet 3:7b . . Give honor unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel,

The koiné Greek word for "honor" is time (tee-may') which means: a value, i.e. money paid.

The word for "weaker" is asthenes (as-then-ace') which means: having no strength, i.e. fragile.

And the word for "vessel" is skeuos (skyoo'-os) which can indicate anything from a soup bowl to a file cabinet or a cardboard box; in other words: a container.

Peter isn't saying women are physically weaker than men; but that Christian husbands should exercise the same care with their wives as they would a fragile antique worth thousands of dollars like, say, a Ming vase. Nobody in their right mind handles a Ming vase like a farmer handles a 5-gallon bucket. Not that some women couldn't take that kind of handling; it's just that its unbecoming for a Christian man to lack sensitivity for his wife's feelings.

This Ming-vase value isn't an intrinsic value, nor is it a deserved value either; but rather, it's a gratuitous value. In other words: Christ commands Christian husbands to categorize their wives up there with Dresden china even if she's as tough as a female cop and/or a UFC mixed martial artist the likes of Rhonda Rousey-- and this is not a choice; no, it's not a choice; it's an order.

Christian husbands who treat their Skil saws and their tomato plants with more care and concern than they treat their wives can just forget about associating with God on any meaningful level.

1Pet 3:7c . . as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.

Note the word "together" which is quite the opposite of autonomy and/or independence.

Couples sometimes assert themselves with words like "What I do is between me and The Lord." No; not when you're married. Marriage changes everything between one's self and The Lord because people become one flesh in marriage: no longer two.
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