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Study #1 / Santiago 1:1-4, Part 1

« Last post by Hidden In Him on August 11, 2023, 11:29:48 PM »

1 Santiago, siervo de Dios y del Señor Jesucristo, a las doce tribus que están en la dispersión: Salud. 2 Hermanos míos, tened por sumo gozo cuando os halléis en diversas pruebas, 3 sabiendo que la prueba de vuestra fe produce aguante. 4 Mas tenga el aguante su obra completa, para que seáis perfectos y cabales, sin que os falte cosa alguna. (Santiago 1:1-4)

Welcome / Happy Birthday / Happy Birthday Naomi25 !

« Last post by MoreBloodWine on March 14, 2023, 12:14:34 AM »

Guess what everybody, today is Naomi25's birthday so lets wish them a happy birthday with lots of presents !

Study #6 / 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

« Last post by Hidden In Him on March 08, 2023, 02:55:11 PM »

The Spiritual Dangers Inherent In Being "Ruled Over By The Flesh"

The teaching of the early church was that the flesh was essentially at war with the Spirit, for the two led believers to do two opposite things. The flesh would lead one to commit things like fornication and idolatry, whereas the Spirit would lead them to walk in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. Therefore, those who allowed themselves to be ruled by the flesh would not inherit eternal life, for they were giving themselves to what was essentially the enemy of the Spirit.

Walk by the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. They oppose each other, such that you cannot simply do whatever you wish.... The works of the flesh are obvious, which are sexual immorality, uncleanness, licentiousness, idolatry, witchcraft... and I warn you, as I said before, that those practicing such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God... But those who belong to Christ Jesus crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts. (Galatians 5:16-17, 19-20, 24)

What then was the method by which the early church "crucified" the flesh with its passions and lusts? Some regard this merely as a theological construct, but Paul spoke frequently of the practical means by which they were doing this: Through fasting. It is what he was talking about in Colossians 2-3, where he exhorted the believers there to "mortify their members" or in other wards "put them to death," which was the same imagery as crucifixion.

If you died with Christ from the elementary principles of the world, why as though living in the world do you subject yourself to decrees? "Touch not, taste not," neither handle such things as are all coming to decomposition with the using, in accordance with the injunctions and teachings of men; teachings which indeed have an appearance of wisdom in advocating voluntary subservience, self-abasement and neglect of the body, yet do not have any value against gratification of the flesh. If therefore you were raised with Christ... Mortify your members upon the earth: Sexual immorality, uncleanness, physical passion, evil lust, and sexual covetousness, which is idolatry, on account of which things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, amongst whom you also walked when you were once living among them. (Colossians 2:20-23, 3:5-7)

Judaisers were among the Colossians, and trying to tell them that eating unclean foods was against Jewish Law, but Paul's response was that simply refraining from eating unclean foods yet not actually disciplining the body through a more limited diet would not have any real effect in bringing the body under submission. It had an appearance of advocating neglect of the body, but in reality was not. Christians, however, needed to fully "mortify their members upon the earth," and the Greek word Paul used here was μέλος, which was literally used in Classical and Old Testament Greek of "bodily limbs" or "body parts." Thus he meant mortifying the literal members of the physical body, and while using discretion, was talking about the sexual members, given the specific sins he mentioned to start with in Galatians, and now emphasized even more so in Colossians: sexual immorality, sexual uncleanness, physical passion, evil lust, and sexual covetousness.
How was this done? It was understood during New Testament times that the means of bringing the sex drive more under control was through fasting. This is why Paul stated in other places that he "engaged in fasting often" (2 Corinthians 11:25-27, 6:4-5), and why he told the Corinthians, "I pummel my body, and bring it under submission, lest when I have preached to others I myself might become disqualified." (1 Corinthians 9:24, 26-27). He was comparing himself to a boxer here who regularly conditioned himself to take blows by beating himself in the stomach. In doing so he was not simply "shadow-boxing" or beating the air, but training his flesh to be brought under submission, and according to Ambrosiaster, Paul was teaching here that "To 'pommel the body' meant to fast, and avoid any kind of luxury. Paul shows that he disciplines his own body so that he will not miss out on the reward which he preaches to others." (Ambrosiaster, Commentary On Paul's Epistles)..
Unfortunately, there were now some in Corinth who were teaching the opposite, and it appears they were justifying doing so by citing Peter's vision in the Book of Acts, where he was told to "take and eat" after he saw a curtain lowered from Heaven with all sorts of unclean foods on it, the implication being that it would now be considered lawful or permissible for believers in Christ to eat meats considered unclean under Jewish Law. The heretics, however, were perverting this message into a license to "pig out," if you will, which now led Paul to clarify that while all things were now lawful for Christians to eat, this did not mean they should let bodily urges gain the rule over them.

"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are beneficial. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be brought under the rule of any. Foods for the belly and the belly for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. And the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? May it not be! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “the two shall become one flesh.” But he who is joined to the Lord is one Spirit with Him. Flee sexual immorality. Every sin which a man may practice is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit who is within you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price, therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Corinthians 6:12-20)

It was not a long jump from saying , "foods for the belly, and the belly for foods" to saying "sex for the body, and the body for sex," and Paul understood it, which is why he immediately added, "but the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord." This is the direction their thinking was heading in, and Paul's answer was that while it was true that the flesh had needs, Christians were not simply to give themselves over to bodily urges. Foods were for the belly and the belly for foods, but God would destroy both it and them because the mode of this life was passing
But as we shall see, there were more dangers inherent in being ruled over by the flesh than simply falling into sexual sin. The spiritual danger existed of potentially allowing demonic spirits into your body by engaging in sex with those who had demons in them, for as the scripture stated, those who engaged in sex with the demon-infested became "one flesh" with them, and thereby gave legal ground for any demons their sexual partner had to transfer into them as well. This is why Paul said that those who committed such sins were sinning against their own body.

Were The Heretics In Corinth Gnostics?

Later in this letter, Paul will bring up how the Israelites fell into sin because they did not bring their flesh under submission but let it gain the rule over them as well:

1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things just as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell. 9 Neither should we put the Lord to the test, as some of them tested Him, and were being destroyed by serpents. 10 Neither let us murmur as some of them also murmured, and perished by the destroyer. 11 And these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:1-12)

All these examples from Israel's history involved lusting after food in some way, and the first two also dealt with falling into idolatry, sexual immorality or the early stages of it, and the worship of other gods. Paul was using these examples to drive home that "we should not lust after evil things as some of them lusted," or more specifically that believers needed to "flee from sexual immorality" (1 Corinthians 6:18), and "flee from idolatry" (1 Corinthians 10:14). What must be noticed here is that it is likely not coincidental that these are the exact same two sins which the early Gnostics were notorious for. Eating meats sacrificed to idols and engaging in sexual immorality were their calling cards, if you will, as is clear from the letters to the seven churches in the Book of Revelation.

And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, "‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword... I have a few things against you, because you have those there who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality." (Revelation 2:12-14)

And to the angel of the church at Thyatira write, "These things saith the Son of God… I know your works, and love, and service, and faith, and your endurance, and that your last works are more than your first. But I have against you that you suffer the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and teaches and misleads My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed unto idols." (Revelation 2:18-20)

There was also another ancient document circulating during the first century which states that Simon the Magician - the founder of early Gnosticism - actually visited Corinth himself at one point, and was spreading Gnostic doctrines among them openly. It is purported to have been a letter sent from the Corinthians to the apostle Paul, in which they informed him that Simon and one of his disciples Cleobius had come to Corinth and were misleading the uninformed, and they wanted Paul to refute them. This letter and Paul's response to them bear marks of authenticity which I won't go into here, but suffice it to say the letter gives credence to the notion that Gnostics were attempting to pervert the church in Corinth:

Stephanus and the presbyters who are with him, Daphnus, Eubulus, Theophilus, and Xenon, to Paul their brother in the Lord, greetings. Two men have come to Corinth, Simon and Cleobius, who pervert the faith of many through corrupt words we want you to respond to. We have never heard such words from you or the other apostles...
What they teach is as follows: "We must not study the Old Testament prophets. God is not Almighty. There is no resurrection of the flesh but only of the spirit. Creation is not God's work. The Lord did not come in the flesh. The Lord was not born of Mary. The world was created by angels and not God. Jesus Christ was not crucified, but someone who looked like Him took His place. Jesus was not of the lineage of King David."
So brother, hurry and come here, that the church here in Corinth may reman pure, and the foolishness of these men may be made known to all. Farewell in the Lord. (3rd Corinthians 1:1-13)

Some might object that no specific reference is actually made to the Gnostics in 1st or 2nd Corinthians, but what must be considered is that this was still very early in the New Testament era, before many even knew what Gnosticism was yet, and scripture records that the Gnostics were deliberately deceptive in their methods, and "crept into the churches unawares" as the later epistles would state. They hid behind the name of "Christ" and used Christian language but were ruled by their flesh, so the sure way of identifying them was by their conduct, which became increasingly apparent the longer they were present among Christian congregations. By the time Second Peter and Jude were being written, it had become blatantly obvious what was going on.

These are blemishes in the midst of your Agapes, fearlessly shepherding themselves while feasting together among you; waterless clouds, being carried away by winds; unfruitful autumn trees that have died twice over, having been uprooted; wild waves of the sea, frothing up their shames; wayward stars, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever. (Jude 1:12-13)

Jude was here using symbolism to say that although they showed up at Christian feasts posing as believers, it was becoming apparent that they were not true Christians because they never brought forth any true spiritual fruit or spiritual "water," but instead only manifested their "shame" by their conduct, and likewise never gave forth any true spiritual Light but only spoke falsehoods. The apostle Peter was more direct in his language, spelling out plainly what they were usually up to whenever they showed up:

These are spots and blemishes, lounging about with deceitful intentions while feasting together among you, having eyes preoccupied with an adulteress, and incessant sin, alluring unstable souls, having a heart trained upon sexual covetousness… [and] through the lusts of the flesh they allure into sexually licentiousness those nearly escaping from among the ones living in error, promising them "freedom" yet themselves being slaves of moral corruption. For by whatsoever a man has been overcome, by this he is also kept enslaved. For if having once escaped the corruption that is in the world through the recognition of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ but again getting entangled in these things they are subdued, their last state has become worse than the first. For it was better for them not to have recognized the way of righteousness than having recognized it to have turned from the holy commandant given unto them. But a realization of the true proverb has happened unto them: "The dog has returned to his own vomit, and the sow once washed to rolling in the mud." (2 Peter 2:13-14, 18-22)

Becoming "One" With The Demon-Infested

It was this latter sin - potentially committing fornication with unbelievers - that actually poses the greatest threat to Christians if they allow themselves to increasingly be ruled over by the flesh, the reason being that it gives legal ground for the transference of demonic spirits from one partner to another if the two are not married. Paul alluded to this principle in Chapter 7, where he told the Corinthians the following:

12 But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. 13 And a woman who has a husband who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him. 14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. (1 Corinthians 7:12-14)

"Uncleanness" was a consistent reference to the presence of unclean spirits in the New Testament. Paul understood the principle that those who engaged in sexual intercourse became "one flesh" with one another, yet so long as they were legally married in keeping with the commandments of God, even should one spouse be unsaved and plagued by evil spirits, the Holy Spirit would sanctify the marriage for the sake of the believer, because it was lawful intercourse in the sight of God.
For the rest of this study, I will quote from Rebecca Brown, who helped deliver a former High Priestess out of Satanism back in the 1970s, and frequently had to field questions from others on issues related to saving Satanists out of darkness into Light. The following excerpts are what she had to say on the topic of sexual intercourse between married and unmarried couples:

I have frequently been asked about problems arising from sexual intercourse between a man and wife when one of the spouses is unsaved and participating in blatant sin. In these cases, I firmly believe that the believing spouse can stand on the promises given in 1 Corinthians 7:12-16... In such cases, the Christian spouse only need ask the Lord to sanctify their marriage bed and their unbelieving spouse and close that doorway with the blood of Jesus so that the believing spouse will not become infested with demons through their sexual intercourse. (Brown, Prepare For War, P.138-139)

But what if the person one was having sexual intercourse with was NOT his or her spouse? This is where the danger comes in for a believer in Christ, for as she also went on to add:

Sexual intercourse is another big doorway [through which demons enter]. Demons are passed from one person to another through sexual intercourse. This is because the two people involved become "one flesh." As scripture says, "Know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? For two, saith He, shall be one flesh... Flee fornication. Every sin that a man does is without the body, but he who commits fornication sins against his own body." The word fornication means sexual intercourse between a man and a woman who are not married to each other (Definition from Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, P.465).
This is why God has given His people so many commands not to have sexual intercourse between anyone who is not man and wife. It is for our protection from this source of demonic infestation. Rape and violent sexual assault, particularly in children, is a doorway that I have come across repeatedly in my medical practice. This results in the demonic entrance of some of the strongest demons I have ever met. Incest within a family and any participation in homosexuality always leads to demonic infestation. (Brown, He Came To Set The Captives Free, P.138-139)

The particular danger, however, was if a believer managed to get seduced into engaging in sexual sin with a practicing Satanist, a witch, or someone deeply involved in the occult. As she also stated, this is where the same spirits that seduced the Satanist into his religion could then be transferred, and used to lead the unsuspecting Christian away from the faith and into occultism:

Fornication is a hedge-breaking sin. Demons are a "venereal disease" much more devastating than herpes or AIDS. They are passed from one person to another through sexual intercourse. That is why the most effective tool for recruitment into Satanism is through sexual encounters. This is why all the pagan temples today and down through history have had temple prostitutes. The demons placed in the unsuspecting person through intercourse with a Satanist then influence that person into Satanism (Brown, Prepare For War, P.108)

This becomes a tremendous problem for born again Christians in whom the Spirit of God dwells, for God will not inhabit the same temple with demons and will eventually depart, thereafter leaving a believer wide open to deception from evil spirits. Thus, the ultimate danger was in being led astray by demons to depart from the faith and turn aside into darkness instead, which applied directly to New Testament times. It is why many were being led astray into Gnosticism in the late first century and throughout the second century, as Irenaeus would record.
Speaking of some of the Gnostics who were operating during his time:

Wherefore it also comes to pass that the "most perfect" among them addict themselves without fear to all those kinds of forbidden deeds of which the scripture assures us that "they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." They make no scruple about eating meats offered in sacrifice to idols, imagining that in this way they can contract no defilement. Then, again, at every heathen festival celebrated in honor of the idols, these men are the first to assemble... Others of them yield themselves up to the lusts of the flesh with the utmost greediness, maintaining that carnal things should be allowed to the carnal nature, while spiritual things are provided for the spiritual. Some of them, moreover, are in the habit of defiling those women to whom they have taught the above doctrine, as has been frequently confessed by those women who have been led astray by certain of them, on their returning to the church of God, and acknowledging this along with the rest of their errors. Others of them, too, openly and without a blush, having become passionately attached to certain woman, seduce them away from their husbands, and contract marriages of their own with them. Others of them, again, who pretend at first to live in modesty with them as with sisters, have in course of time been revealed in their true colors, when the sister has been found with child by her [pretended] brother. (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 1, VI, 3)

There is another of these heretics, Marcus by name... He is a perfect adept in magical impostures, and by this means drawing away a great number of men, and not a few women, has induced them to join themselves to him, as to one who is possessed of the greatest "knowledge" and perfection... this Marcus compounds philters and love-potions to insult the persons of some of these women, if not of all, of those of them who have returned to the church of God - a thing which frequently occurs - who have acknowledged, confessing too, that they have been defiled by him, and were filled with a burning passion for him... but such [evil] spirits as are commanded by these men are sent forth by Satan for the seduction and perdition of those who do not hold fast that well-compacted faith which they received at first through the church.
A sad example of this occurred in the case of a certain Asiatic, one of our deacons, who had received him [Marcus] into his house. His wife, a woman of remarkable beauty, fell victim both in mind and body to this magician, and for a long time traveled about with him. At last, when with no small difficulty the brethren had converted her, she spent her whole time in the exercise of public confession, weeping over and lamenting the defilement she received from this magician. Some of his disciples too, addicting themselves to the same practices, have deceived many silly women and defiled them. They proclaim themselves as being "perfect," so that no one can be compared to them with respect to the immensity of their "knowledge," nor were you even to mention Paul or Peter or any of the other apostles.
Such are the words and deeds by which, in our own district of Rhone, they have deluded many women, who have their consciences seared as with a hot iron. Some of them, indeed, make a public confession of their sins. But others of them are ashamed to do this, and in a tacit kind of way, despairing of attaining to the Life of God, have apostatized altogether, while others hesitate between the two courses, and incur that which is implied in the proverb, "Neither without, nor within," possessing this as the fruit from the seed of the children of "knowledge." (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 1, XIII, 4-7)

As will be shown in later studies, when Paul alluded to "taking one's members and making them the members of a prostitute," he was actually referring to temple prostitution in Corinth, since it was the center of Aphrodite worship in the ancient world. This posed essentially the same dangers, for as Paul would say in another place, "the gods which the Gentiles worship are demons," which meant that becoming "one flesh" with temple prostitutes was paramount to getting seduced into apostasy just as much as becoming one flesh with a Gnostic magician was.

Study #6 / 1 Corinthians 10:1-12, Part 3

« Last post by Hidden In Him on March 06, 2023, 01:26:52 PM »

Christ Jesus: The Old Testament God Of War And Judgment, Part 3

In warning the Corinthians not to eat meat sacrificed to idols, the apostle Paul gave them four examples from Israel's history of why "lusting after evil things" could bring judgement from the Lord, and that they would not be exempted from similar judgments if they foolishly chose to do the same things. It was a serious matter before the Lord to essentially reject Him and turn to worshipping other gods after He had manifested Himself so powerfully on the Israelites' behalf, and the Corinthians were here essentially flirting with committing the same kinds of sins.
But in these last two examples Paul will give, the sin was less about worshipping other gods and more about simply coming to a place of despising Him, though food was essentially still the reason. They were not living for the things of the Spirit but the things of the flesh, which put them automatically at odds with the God of Heaven.
Returning to our passage, Paul will add these last two examples, and why turning against God because He wasn't providing enough gratification of the flesh was not a wise move to make:

10 Brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things just as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell. Neither should we put the Lord to the test, as some of them tested Him, and were being destroyed by serpents. Neither let us murmur as some of them also murmured, and perished by the destroyer. These things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:1-7, 11-12)

Paul now added two more examples from Israel's history, telling the Corinthians, "Neither should we put the Lord to the test, as some of them tested Him, and were destroyed by serpents. Nor let us murmur as some of them also murmured, and perished by the destroyer." The first of these accounts was given in Numbers 21, which recorded the events as follows:

4 Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. 5 And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” 6 So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. 7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. 8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. (Numbers 21:4-8)

According to Paul's description, this was actually a test. The Israelites wanted to see just how much they could get away with in criticizing the Lord over the food He was providing, despite being delivering out of slavery and bondage in Egypt by His supernatural power. This is why they quickly turned repentant when they found out He wasn't playing their childish games.
Why the serpent on the stick? It was God's way of reminding the Israelites that His power had been greater than that of the gods of the Egyptians. Jesus prophesied that He would be lifted up from the earth just as the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness (John 3:14). This meant the serpent lifted up on the pole represented Christ Jesus, the "Rock" Paul stated was following the Israelites in the desert. But snakes were also used by the Egyptians to represented a couple of their goddesses named Renenutet and Wadjet, who served as protectors over the very region the Israelites had settled in, in Lower Egypt. According to Wikipedia, "as a snake goddess worshiped over the whole of Lower Egypt (i.e. Northern Egypt, where Goshen was located), Renenutet was increasingly associated with Wadjet, Lower Egypt's powerful protector and another snake goddess represented as a cobra." (Reneutet, Wikipedia.com)

Sometimes Renenutet appeared on Egyptian base reliefs and paintings as a half snake, half woman, and on other occasions purely as a snake but wearing a double-plumed headdress and a solar disk to represent her. As was the case with the Egyptians, however, the fact that she sometimes took on a half human form suggests she was merely another demonic spirit the Egyptians were worshipping, one charged by the Devil with leading them into occultism, false religion and spiritual oppression.

Thus, the supernatural dual which took place before Pharaoh was for all intents and purposes a battle to see which god had more power. And as stated in Exodus, the staff of Moses - i.e. the Lord Himself - turned into a serpent just like the staffs of the magicians did, only He proceeded to swallow their staffs alive, proving He was more powerful than the gods the Egyptians were summoning through occult magic.
Thus, the message to the Israelites was that the Lord was likewise more powerful than real snakes in a desert, and could and would heal all who trusted in Him. Unfortunately, however, this would not be the last time the Israelites murmured against the Lord concerning such matters, for Paul's next example was of how they turned against Him many years later, and were again complaining they had supposedly had things better when they lived in the land of Egypt. Once again, the compliant was over food in that they wanted to gratify the flesh, and missed the variety they once had when they were back in Egypt, apparently forgetting that they were being scourged half to death to make sure they performed enough work. But still they complained anyway, wanting to satisfy the lusts of their flesh.

4 Now the mixed multitude who were among them yielded to intense craving, so the children of Israel also wept again and said, “Who will give us meat to eat? 5 We remember the fish which we ate freely in Egypt, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic; 6 but now our whole being is dried up; there is nothing at all except this manna before our eyes!” 7 Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its color like the color of bdellium. 8 The people went about and gathered it, ground it on millstones or beat it in the mortar, cooked it in pans, and made cakes of it; and its taste was like the taste of pastry prepared with oil. 9 And when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it.
10 Then Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, everyone at the door of his tent, and the anger of the Lord was greatly aroused. Moses also was displeased... (Numbers 11:4-10)

The text here goes on to describe how the Lord then instructed Moses to choose seventy men from among the Israelites to serve as elders, and how the Lord poured out His Spirit upon them and they began to prophesy to the people (Numbers 11:11-15). No mention is made of what they prophesied specifically, but the context suggests they likely began warning the Israelites not to lust after things they had back in Egypt, but be satisfied with what God was providing them and not grumble against Him. But from what happened next, the suggestion is that they had already come to a place of despising God, and were determined not to come back to Him no matter what He did for them:

16 So the Lord said to Moses... “You shall say to the people, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, and you shall eat meat, for you have wept in the hearing of the Lord, saying, 'Who will give us meat to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt." Therefore the Lord will give you meat, and you shall eat. 19 You shall eat, not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, 20 but for a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have despised the Lord who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, 'Why did we ever come up out of Egypt?'"
21 And Moses said, “The people whom I am among are six hundred thousand men on foot; yet You have said, ‘I will give them meat, that they may eat for a whole month.’ 22 Shall flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to provide enough for them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to provide enough for them?” 23 And the Lord said to Moses, “Has the Lord’s arm been shortened? Now you shall see whether what I say will happen to you or not”... 31 And a wind went out from the Lord, and it brought quail from the sea and left them fluttering near the camp, about a day’s journey on this side and about a day’s journey on the other side, all around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the ground. 32 And the people stayed up all that day, all night, and all the next day, and gathered the quail (he who gathered least gathered ten homers); and they spread them out for themselves all around the camp. 33 But while the meat was still between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was aroused against the people, and the Lord struck the people with a very great plague. 34 So he called the name of that place Kibroth Hattaavah, because there they buried the people who had yielded to craving. (Numbers 11:4-34)

What did they murmur about on both of these occasions? Food. They were displeased with what God was providing, and secretly despised Him over it rather than simply ask Him to provide them with some meat as a break from the manna they were normally eating. But they restored to a huge pity party instead, and the Lord knew what was in their hearts, and that all the crying actually masked a secret disdain for Him. As a result, He demonstrated that He was fully capable of providing anything they needed if they asked. Yet even after supernaturally providing a million and a half people with more quail than they could eat in a month, many of the Israelites were still ungrateful and still secretly despised the Lord, which eventually led to their downfall.
Paul added these stories to illustrate what the Corinthians should NOT be doing before the Lord. Were some now likewise disdaining Him over the commandment not to eat meat sacrificed to idols? The context seems to suggest this was possible, for that is what both these last two stories emphasized was the Israelites' principle mistake. And again, it must be understood that one could not just find meat anywhere back then. Those who wanted it could usually only find it being offered in the temples, and thus some appear to have been complaining they should be allowed to eat it, and were therefore making up theological arguments for why doing so should not be considered a sin.

Murmuring, Fornication, Idolatry And Gnosticism

Though I have not discussed in until now, it's possible that those spreading the false teachings in Corinth could have actually been Gnostics, as is evident from the fact that they were advocating for the exact same practices the Gnostics became notorious for; the eating of meats sacrificed to idols and engaging in sexual immorality. Such was the case in the church at Pergamos in the Book of Revelation:

I have a few things against you, because you have those there who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. 15 So you also have there those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 16 Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. (Revelation 2:14-16)

The Nicolaitans were early Gnostics, which means Gnosticism was clearly infiltrating the churches during the New Testament era, and later church writers would be replete with similar statements about how idolatry and fornication were the principle sins the Gnostics engaged in. Speaking in regard to Basilides, a Gnostic magician and heretic from his own time, Irenaeus would state:

He attaches no importance to eating meats offered in sacrifice to idols, thinks them of no consequence, and makes use of them without hesitation. He also holds the use of other things (i.e. prostitutes), and the practice of every kind of lust, as a matter of perfect indifference. These men, moreover, practice magic, and use images, incantations, invocations, and every other kind of curious art. (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 1, XXIV, 5)

The Gnostics were notorious for committing these two sins in combination because feasting and sexual immorality naturally went together in the ancient world, and their relation to one another is made all the more obvious in passages like in Jude and 2nd Peter. They were described in these letters as likewise frequently attending the Christian Agapes as "brethren," but were doing so with the secret intention of preying upon Christian women sexually, even the married Christian women:

But there were false prophets among the people, as there will also be false teachers among you, who will stealthily bring in destructive heresies, denying the Master who purchased them, and bring swift destruction upon themselves. And many will follow their sexually licentious ways, through whom the way of truth will be blasphemed… These are spots and blemishes, lounging about with deceitful intentions while feasting together among you, having eyes preoccupied with an adulteress and with incessant sin, alluring unstable souls, having a heart which has become trained upon sexual covetousness. (2 Peter 2:1-2, 13-14)

I had need to write to you, exhorting you to lay stress upon that faith originally delivered to the saints. For certain men crept in secretly, those of old having been proscribed unto this condemnation: They are "ungodly ones," transforming the grace of our God into sexual licentiousness... These are blemishes in the midst of your Agapes, fearlessly shepherding themselves while feasting together among you. (Jude 1:2b-4a, 12)

Not coincidentally concerning the current study, the Gnostics were also known to be murmurers against God, and secretly despised the Old Testament God just as some of the Israelites did:

But Enoch, the seventh-generation descendant from Adam, also prophesied to these men, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy angels to execute judgment upon all, and reprove all the ungodly concerning all their ungodly deeds which they committed in ungodliness, and concerning all the harsh words these ungodly sinners spoke against Him." These are murmurers and complainers, walking in accordance with their lusts… (Jude 1:14-16a)

And why exactly would they profess to follow "Christ" yet harbor a hatred for the God of the Old Testament at the same time? Because the "gods" who gave them their religion were demons, as ls readily apparent from the amulets which were used by them. The principle and highest "god" of the Gnostics was Abraxas, and he was usually depicted as a demon with the body of a man, but the head of a chicken and snakes for legs:

Some could say there is no specific mention of the Gnostics in this letter, but again as both Peter and Jude had stated, the Gnostics were expert at infiltrating congregations covertly by pretending to be something they were not, thereby entering in "stealthily" and "secretly" as the New Testament writers put it, or as the King James rendered it, they "crept in unawares." Had the Gnostics infiltrated the church at Corinth, and were secretly the ones advocating for eating the meats sacrificed to idols and engaging in temple prostitution? There is insufficient evidence to prove it beyond doubt, but the Gnostics also professed to walk in "Gnosis," or special "knowledge" others were not aware of, and the fact that Paul kept refuting the virtues of "knowledge" in this letter suggests he may have actually been refuting some of the earliest manifestations of Gnostic doctrines in church history. (1 Corinthians 8:1, 10-11)

Flee Fleshly Lusts, Which War Against The Soul

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself was Israel's Champion during the Exodus. He overpowered the gods of the Egyptians and then destroyed Pharaoh's armies, supernaturally drowning them by letting the waters of the Red Sea close in around them to set His people free from spiritual and military oppression. As Paul shared in our passage, He also performed other wonders for them, causing water to flow from rocks in the desert, and not just on one occasion but on several (Exodus 17:5-7; Numbers 20:6-13), and supernaturally providing food for them by raining manna down upon them as they traveled.

This had direct correlation to New Testament times, for just as He had in the wilderness, Christ Jesus was now manifesting Himself supernaturally on behalf of His followers, feeding entire multitudes with just two fishes and five loaves of bread. He was again healing the sick just as when He was lifted up on a pole in the wilderness, and the early church fully understood that He was the True Passover Lamb who had now been slain for their atonement, and was again leading a people - this time the New Testament church - through their own spiritual wilderness on their way to the True Promised Land awaiting them in Heaven.
But if they were to make it, one major thing stood in their way: They would have to flee fleshly lusts, and stand against the temptations the Devil would send their way. There was little the Lord Jesus Christ could do if His people succumbed to Satan's temptations and aroused His jealousy just as the Israelites had, which was Paul's primary point in our passage:

All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink... 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 And these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. (1 Corinthians 10:2b-6)

What had they lusted after in the wilderness, and what did every single example Paul gave from Israel's history have in common? Food, and the temptation to eat what God had forbidden. The apostle John likewise declared this to be a primary strategy used by the Devil against believers, citing the temptation of Eve in the garden, who was lured through "the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life." In other words, she was seduced through what looked good to eat, what she believed would bring physical pleasure by eating, and the deception that doing so would also supposedly make her "like God, knowing good and evil."
Such were the temptations now also being presented to Christians in the early church as a result of Gnostic infiltration. And among the Corinthians, it is likely no accident that teachings which espoused indulgence in food and drink were coinciding with an increase in sexual sin among them, for as Irenaeus stated a hundred years later, these sins commonly went together among the Gnostics, and such temptations were still ultimately coming from the Devil himself, whom the Lord described in the Book of Revelation as "the Serpent of old," i.e. the serpent in the garden (Revelation 20:2; Genesis 3:1-15).

Wherefore it also comes to pass that the "most perfect" among them addict themselves without fear to all those kinds of forbidden deeds of which the scripture assures us that "they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." They make no scruple about eating meats offered in sacrifice to idols, imagining that in this way they can contract no defilement. Then, again, at every heathen festival celebrated in honor of the idols, these men are the first to assemble... Others of them yield themselves up to the lusts of the flesh with the utmost greediness, maintaining that carnal things should be allowed to the carnal nature, while spiritual things are provided for the spiritual. Some of them, moreover, are in the habit of defiling those women to whom they have taught the above doctrine, as has been frequently confessed by those women who have been led astray by certain of them, on their returning to the church of God, and acknowledging this along with the rest of their errors. Others of them, too, openly and without a blush, having become passionately attached to certain woman, seduce them away from their husbands, and contract marriages of their own with them. Others of them, again, who pretend at first to live in modesty with them as with sisters, have in course of time been revealed in their true colors, when the sister has been found with child by her [pretended] brother. (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 1, VI, 3)

All those who in any way corrupt the truth, and injuriously affect the preaching of the church, are the disciples and successors of Simon Magus of Samaria... They set forth indeed the name of Christ Jesus as a sort of lure, but in various ways they introduce the impieties of Simon. And thus they destroy multitudes, wickedly disseminating their own doctrines by the use of a good name, and, through means of its sweetness and beauty, extending to their hearers the bitter and malignant poison of the Serpent, the great author of apostasy. (irenaeus, Against Heresies, 1, XXVII, 4)

Thus, instead of attaining to eternal life, the early church teaching was that those who succumbed to these heresies and never repented of it would suffer destruction from the Lord, often bringing swift judgment upon themselves even in this life, just as the Israelites had in the wilderness:

But there were false prophets among the people, as there will also be false teachers among you, who will stealthily bring in destructive heresies, denying the Master who purchased them, and bring swift destruction upon themselves. And many will follow their sexually licentious ways, through whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. (2 Peter 2:1-2)

And to the angel of the church at Thyatira write: "These things saith the Son of God… I know your works, and love, and service, and faith, and your endurance, and that your last works are more than [your] first. But I have against you that you suffer the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and misleads My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her time that she might repent of her sexual immorality, but she does not want to repent of it. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great affliction if they will not repent of their works. And I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the reins and hearts, and will give to each of you according to your works. (Revelation 2:18-23)

How do these things relate to the end-times? As I have taught for more than a decade now, Gnosticism is returning in the earth, and with it there will come an increasing need to separate ourselves from the lusts of the flesh. Those who cannot flee from fleshly lusts which war against the soul may find themselves fighting against the very God of Heaven and earth Himself, who has long demonstrated He is a victorious God of war, and a God who brings judgment upon all who reject Him, and turn to serving evil instead.

Links to sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renenutet#:~:text=Renenūtet%20%28also%20transliterated%20Ernūtet%2C%20Renen-wetet%2C%20Renenet%29%20was%20a,time.%20Initially%2C%20her%20cult%20was%20centered%20in%20Terenuthis.

Welcome / Happy Birthday / Happy Birthday Heart2Soul !

« Last post by MoreBloodWine on February 24, 2023, 01:44:53 AM »

Guess what everybody, today is Heart2Soul's birthday so lets wish them a happy birthday with lots of presents !

Study #5 / 1 Corinthians 10:1-12, Part 2

« Last post by Hidden In Him on February 19, 2023, 04:58:48 PM »

Christ Jesus: The Old Testament God Of War And Judgment, Part 2

Were the Lord Jesus Christ and the God of the Old Testament two different Gods, or One and the same? The apostle Paul's contention in our current passage was that Christ Jesus was in fact the God of the Old Testament Himself, the same God who led the Israelites through the wilderness, and brought judgment and destruction upon their enemies, as well as all who turned against Him to worship other gods and therefore incur His wrath.
Is there any evidence in scripture for Paul's contention? Depending upon who you ask, some will cite certain passages and some others. For my own part, I find the following to be the most compelling evidence for why Jesus and the Old Testament God of necessity had to have been the same God. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ was described in both the Old and New Testaments as He who would tread the great winepress of God's wrath on the Day of Judgment. And the way He was described in these passages leads one to the conclusion that He could have only been God.
What "winepress" am I referring to? The expression referred to a large region of mountainous territory located just South of the Dead Sea called Idumea, where the corpses of all who served the Antichrist during the end-times would be cast into, being thereafter drained of their blood in preparation for being burned in the Lake of Fire.
In describing the Battle of Armageddon, the prophet Isaiah referred to this winepress using the following words:

The wrath of the Lord is upon all nations, and His anger upon the number of them, to destroy them and give them up to slaughter. And their slain shall be cast forth, and the stench of their corpses shall arise, and the mountains shall be made wet with their blood. And all the powers of the heavens shall melt, and the sky shall be rolled up like a scroll… "My sword has been made drunk in heaven. Behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and with judgment upon a people doomed to destruction…" for the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in Idumea… and the land shall be soaked with blood, and shall be filled with their fat (i.e. dead flesh). For it is the Day of the Lord's judgment, and the year of the recompense of Zion in judgment. (Isaiah 34:2-8 LXX)

Later in his life Isaiah would again prophesy that the Lord would stain His robes red the blood of the wicked in Idumea, which was the Grecko-Roman name for Edom. In the following passage, the prophet depicted a back and forth conversation between himself and the Lord, where He who would tread the winepress explained to him what would come to pass in "the year of His redeemed." Isaiah started by asking:

"Who is this who comes from Edom, with garments dyed from Bozrah? He who is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength?"
"I who speak in righteousness, Mighty to save."
"Why are You red in Your apparel, and Your garments like he who treads in the wine vat?"
"I have trodden the winepress alone… I will tread them in My anger, and trample them in My fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My raiment. For the Day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come." (Isaiah 63:1–4)

Bozrah is located in the mountains of Edom overlooking the Northern Arabah, a massive valley that essentially forms a huge bowl surrounded by mountains on both the east and the west, and the Lord was here proclaiming through Isaiah that the day was coming when this huge valley would be turned into a giant vat, if you will, where the angels of God would cast the carcasses of hundreds of millions, and essentially trample them down until their blood drained out.

The massive amount of blood released in this "winepress" is described in the Book of Revelations. It will rise as high as 5 feet in some places, and flow "for a distance of 1,600 stadia," or roughly 180 miles:

The angel swung his sickle on the earth, and gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia. (Revelation 14:19-20)

So what then suggests our Lord would have to be God here? Because in Isaiah He vowed that He would do these things in His anger and in His fury, and do so "in the Day of His vengeance." If He were a man, He would sin by doing such things, for scripture says that the wrath of man does not cultivate the righteousness of God, and that men are NOT to take revenge on their enemies, for vengeance belongs to God alone and HE will repay (James 1:19-20; Romans 12:19-21). If Christ Jesus were God, however, everything fits, for He would be just in executing judgment upon the wicked in the Day of His vengeance, and treading out the winepress of God's wrath in His anger and in His fury. And scripture states that it is clearly the Lord Jesus Christ who will tread the winepress of God's wrath alone, for the same imagery is used of Him in the Book of Revelations:

11 In righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 And out of His mouth went a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself will tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (Revelation 19:11-15)

This revelation, then, confirms what Paul was teaching the Corinthians. Christ Jesus was the same God who followed the Israelites in the wilderness and led them to victory, defeating the Egyptians and then the Canaanites, who both worshipped demons as "gods." Tragically, however, some of His people were seduced by the Devil into worshipping these demons as gods as well, and thus became examples to the New Testament church of how the God of Heaven would not tolerate anyone giving themselves to the worship of other "gods," including them:

10 Brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things just as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell... these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the ages have come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:1-7, 11-12)

I covered the first incident Paul mentioned from Israel's history in our previous study, and will now cover the second, where he went on to say, "Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell." Paul was specifically talking here about events that transpired after the Israelites got seduced into worshipping the god Ba'al-Peor, where not only did they began eating meats sacrificed to idols but engaging in temple prostitution with the daughters of Moab as well. This brought death upon them, serving as probably the most perfect example of all those Paul will give them of why the Corinthians needed to not "lust after evil things as they also lusted."

The Incredibly Wicked Gods Of Canaan

The incident Paul was referring to was right here, as recorded in the Book of Numbers:

1 Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab. 2 These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and hang the offenders before the Lord, out in the sun, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel”... 9 those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand... 16 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 17 “Harass the Midianites, and attack them; 18 for they harassed you with their schemes by which they seduced you in the matter of Peor...” (Numbers 25:1-4, 9, 17-18)

This is the account Paul was telling the Corinthians about. The Numbers account describes 24,000 dying whereas Paul described only 23,000 doing so that day, but Deuteronomy 4:3 states that all those connected with Baal-Peor were under God's judgment, so it appears that 23,000 died from the plague itself in one day, whereas an additional 1,000 were later executed in Numbers 25:5, accounting for the discrepancy in the numbers here.
But the important question is this: Why was God so angry as to kill 23,000 people in one day? Yes, He was a Jealous God who would have no other gods before Him, but He also knew how evil the Baal gods were whom the Israelites were now turning to, for their wickedness made that of even the gods of Egyptian look tame by comparison. For starters, the temple prostitution they practiced was a type of imitate magic, where they enacted rites to mimic how their "god" supposedly brought fertility to the land.

In particular the Ugarit tablets are explicitly concerned with fertility, cast in terms of human sexuality. Worship of Baal involved imitative magic, the performance of rituals, including sacred prostitution. Sexual acts by both male and female temple prostitutes were understood to arouse Baal who then brought rain to make Mother Earth fertile when crops were abundant; Baal was praised and thanked for his abundant rain.

This is what the Israelite men also got seduced into participating in, for reference to engaging in temple prostitution is made where it says, "These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. So Israel was joined to Baal of Peor, and the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel."

"Joined themselves to Baal-Peor" was here a reference to engaging to temple prostitution. But the Ba'al gods were even more famous for instituting one of the most evil practices known to the ancient world, and I am talking here about human sacrifice; extremely cruel and sadistic practice that took the lives of infants and children by burning them alive in the fires in homage to these "gods."
As scripture itself records:

They [the Israelites] mingled with the Gentile and learned their works. They served their idols, which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons and shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. And the land was polluted with blood. (Psalms 106:35-38)

The Ba'al-Peor incident appears to have been Israel's first encounter with these "gods," but it would not be their last. For centuries into the future the inhabitants of Israel and then Judah would be engaging in human sacrifice to these gods, as is clear from later passages like those in Jeremiah where the prophet was told to warn the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Even many years later they would still be offering human sacrifices to these gods.

3 Go to them, and say, "Hear ye the word of the Lord, O kings of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, the which whosoever hears, his ears shall tingle. 4 Because they have forsaken Me, and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers have known, nor the kings of Judah, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents. 5 They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not, nor spake it, neither came it into my mind.'" (Jeremiah 19:3-5)

Studies from archeology confirm these things took place, and have connected Ba'al worship with other gods in the Mediterranean who likewise demanded child sacrifice, as mentioned by several ancient writers who gave rather gruesome details about how these sacrifices were actually carried out:

“Out of reverence for Kronos [the Greek equivalent of Ba'al Hammon], the Phoenicians, and especially the Carthaginians, whenever they seek to obtain some great favor, vow one of their children, burning it as a sacrifice to the deity if they are especially eager to gain success. There stands in their midst a bronze statue of Kronos, its hands extended over a bronze brazier, the flames of which engulf the child” (Kleitarchos, 4th century B.C., translated by P. G. Mosca, 22).

“In their zeal to make amends for their omission, they selected two hundred of the noblest children and sacrificed them publicly; and others who were under suspicion sacrificed themselves voluntarily, in number not less than three hundred. There was in their city a bronze image of Kronus, extending its hands, palms up and sloping toward the ground, so that each of the children when placed thereon rolled down and fell into a sort of gaping pit filled with fire” (Diodorus Siculus, The Library of History, Book 20, 14:4-7, Loeb Classical Library, 1954, 153).

“With full knowledge and understanding they themselves offered up their own children, and those who had no children would buy little ones from poor people and cut their throats as if they were so many lambs or young birds; meanwhile the mother stood by without a tear or moan; but should she utter a single moan or let fall a single tear, she had to forfeit the money, and her child was sacrificed nevertheless; and the whole area before the statue was filled with a loud noise of flutes and drums [so that] the cries of wailing should not reach the ears of the people” (Plutarch, On Superstition, Loeb Classical Library, 1928, 2:495)

Studies also connect Ba'al-Hadad with the Canaanite god Molech as being one and the same, which is why Molech worship is depicted in artist renditions as having contained all these same elements.

One can therefore see why the Lord Jesus Christ, as the God of the Old Testament, was commanding the Israelites to destroy such peoples, and not allow their worship to be incorporated into the worship of the nation. Unfortunately the Israelites did not listen, beginning with the incident involving Ba'al-Peor, where 24,000 ended up dead for forsaking the Lord and turning instead to the worship of an exceedingly wicked and evil god.

The Greek Gods: Just Sanitized Versions

Though somewhat more sanitized for public consumption, the gods of the Greeks were in many respects little different, one reason being that the Greeks assimilated several of the Canaanite and Egyptian gods into their pantheons by simply renaming them with Grecko-Roman names to make them more approachable. Such was the case with the god Ba'al-Hadad, who as mentioned above was assimilated into Greek worship under the new name "Kronos." Moreover, some of the most famous gods in all of Greece were themselves not above asking for human sacrifice, including Zeus, the most powerful of them all, as recent excavations have unearthed:

The discovery of a 3,000-year-old skeleton in Greece may confirm one of the darkest legends of antiquity. Greece’s culture ministry announced on Wednesday that a Greek-American team of researchers had discovered the skeleton of a teenager on the side of Mount Lykaion – known to be the site of animal sacrifices to Zeus. “Much later, sources talk about human sacrifices taking place on Lykaion,” Anna Karapanagiotou, the head of the local archeological service, told a local municipal radio. “All this will be studied.” Mount Lykaion was associated with human sacrifice by many ancient writers, including Plato, and while it may be too early to speculate on how the teenager died, the location adds a strong connection...
David Gilman Romano, professor of Greek archaeology at the University of Arizona, who participated in the dig on Mount Lykaion said classical writers linked the remote peak with human sacrifice. According to legend, a young boy would be sacrificed with animals, before the human and animal meat was cooked and eaten. “Several ancient literary sources mention rumors that human sacrifice took place at the altar [of Zeus, located on the mountain’s southern peak] but up until a few weeks ago there had been no trace whatsoever of human bones discovered at the site,” said Romano. “Whether it’s a sacrifice or not, this is a sacrificial altar ... so it’s not a place where you would bury an individual,” he said. “It’s not a cemetery.”
He noted that the fact that the upper part of the skull was missing, while the body was laid among two lines of stones on an east-west axis, with stone slabs covering the pelvis was also interesting... “On the one hand there’s this picture of Greece as the cradle of civilization, the birthplace of democracy, of philosophy, of rational thinking – but on the other hand we have these cruel cruel myths,” he said. (Skeletal Remains Confirm Ancient Greeks Engaged In Human Sacrifice, The Guardian.com)

These, then, are among the reasons why the apostle Paul warned the believers in Corinth about worshipping the gods of their pagan culture now that they had turned to the True and Living God. The circumstances were similar, for as Paul and the other New Testament writers understood, the gods of the Greeks were demonic spirits as well, and worshipping them could arouse the Lord's jealousy just as worshipping demonic gods had long ago during the time of the Exodus.

14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry... the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? (1 Corinthians 10:14, 20-22)

Thus, Paul's teaching was that Jesus Christ was not just another god, but the God of the Old Testament, and at war with all the demons being worshipped by the Greeks just as He had been with the gods worshipped by the Egyptians and Canaanites. It is why Paul was here giving them examples from Israel's history of why they needed to avoid eating meats sacrificed to idols. They could likewise bring judgment upon themselves if the Lord viewed their actions as having the potential to lure weaker believers into sin and even spiritual death as a result (1 Corinthians 8:8-13).

Links to sources:
https://biblearchaeology.org/images/Child-Sacrifice-and-Abortion/4---Canaanite-Child-Sacrifice---Smith-90-125.pdf
https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-asia/identity-moloch-0011457
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/aug/10/skeletal-remains-confirm-ancient-greeks-engaged-in-human-sacrifice

Study #4 / 1 Corinthians 10:1-12, Part 1

« Last post by Hidden In Him on February 15, 2023, 02:51:55 PM »

Christ Jesus: The Old Testament God Of War And Judgment, Part 1

Ever heard someone say, “The God of the Old Testament is a God of wrath, but the God of the New Testament is a God of love.” Though it sounds reasonable, this is actually a Gnostic teaching that originated from the mind of Satan himself in order to separate Christianity from its holy foundations. If the two were supposedly "different" Gods and contradictory to one another, Christ could be reinvented as less judgmental of sin, and even be presented as an enemy of the God of the Jews, as the Gnostics would go on to teach.
But this whole notion that the Two were somehow different Gods gets exposed as fraudulent by our next passage, for Paul will soon describe Jesus, not as lenient on sin, but as the God of the Old Testament Himself; the same God who waged war against Israel's enemies and brought judgment upon those who turned against Him and became enemies as well, by giving themselves to evil gods and evil practices instead.
This is why the Lord was described as a God of war in scripture. Certainly the Bible taught that He was a “compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and abounding in love and faithfulness,” in particular towards the faithful (Exodus 34:6; Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 4:31; Nehemiah 9:17; Psalm 86:5, 15; 108:4; 145:8; Joel 2:13). But to His enemies, the God of the Old Testament could become a nightmare, as was proven out on numerous occasions when pagan nations found themselves at war with Him. This is why military language and imagery was often used to describe Him:

3 The Lord is a man of war. Jehovah is His name. 4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He cast into the sea. His chosen captains are also drowned in the Red Sea. 5 The depths have covered them. They sank to the bottom like a stone. (Exodus 15:3-5)

15 Behold, the Lord will come with fire, and with His chariots like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire. 16 For by fire and by His sword the Lord will judge all flesh, and the slain of the Lord shall be many. (Isaiah 66:15-16)

As is about to become apparent from Paul's teachings, it's no coincidence that the Lord Jesus Christ would be described using much the same language in the New Testament:

It is a just thing with God to repay affliction to those afflicting you, and to you who are being afflicted rest together with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from Heaven together with the angels of His power, who in flaming fire will inflict vengeance upon those who do not know God, and those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These will pay the penalty, everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His strength, when He comes to be glorified among His saints, and admired amongst all those who have believed. (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10a)

In fact, the imagery used in the Book of Revelation regarding the Lord Jesus Christ is more bloody and graphic than virtually anything stated in the Old Testament regarding the God of Israel:

11 In righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 And out of His mouth went a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself will tread the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (Revelation 19:11-15)

This, then, is the God the apostle Paul now warned the Corinthians they were dealing with, for just as He had not tolerated it in the wilderness, Christ would not tolerate the early church worshipping His enemies, nor would He tolerate them leading others astray into sin, rebellion and death. He had brought judgment upon the Israelites in the wilderness, and so too would He bring judgment upon them if they chose to engage in the same kinds of transgressions that led to the spiritual demise of many in the desert:

10 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things just as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play”... these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:1-7, 11-12)

A few verses later, the apostle Paul will make his point even more clearly, telling the Corinthians in no uncertain terms:

14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry... the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He? (1 Corinthians 10:14, 20-22)

This, then, is why Paul will now set out to give several specific examples from Israel's history to show why they needed to avoid eating meats sacrificed to demons, beginning with the worship of the golden calf in the wilderness. In all these examples which Paul will provide, the Lord did not tolerate such sins among the Israelites, with the implication being that He would not tolerate them among the Corinthians either. They might even bring death to some if the Lord viewed their actions as having the potential to lead weaker believers into sin and spiritual death.

The Golden Calf, And Demon Worship In Egypt

According to Paul's teaching, it was the Lord Jesus Christ who was leading the Israelites through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land via a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. This presented complications, however, for it meant leading them into a land they would have to take by force, for the Canaanites took control over the territory Abraham once inhabited when the Israelites stayed in Egypt. Now it would have to be retaken by conquest, and during this conquest not all the Israelites would make it, for as Paul said, some "lusted after evil things" and were destroyed.
What did the Israelites "lust after" that ultimately ended many of their lives? Partaking of meats sacrificed to idols, and the sexual immorality that came with such worship, as becomes apparent through the first two examples Paul will give from Israel's history; the worship of the golden calf, and the worship of Baal-Peor. Paul was thus urging the Corinthians to not lust after similar things by referring to the former, telling them, "and do not become idolaters as some of them were. For as it is written, 'The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.'”
The account of the Israelites worshipping the golden calf is given in the Book of Exodus, which Paul was quoting directly from in 1 Corinthians 10:7:

32 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed coming down from the mountain, the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make us gods that shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 And Aaron said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 4 And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf. Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!” 5 So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.” 6 Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 7 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves. 8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’... 33 And the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. 34 Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.” 35 So the Lord plagued the people because of what they did with the calf which Aaron made (Exodus 32:1-2, 4-8, 33-35)

What exactly was meant by the phrase, "and they rose up to play"? Some have argued that it simply referred to engaging in religious revelry, such as dancing and singing in honor of the idol, accompanied by music. This much of the story is certainly confirmed by scripture, for Exodus states that this is what Moses witnessed when he came down from the mountain:

15 And Moses turned and went down from the mountain... 17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.” 18 But Moses said, “It is not the noise of the shout of victory nor the noise of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing I hear.” 19 So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses’ anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. (Exodus 32:15-19)

But things may have also been taking a subtle turn towards sexual immorality as well, for the Hebrew word for "play" here was “tsakhaq,” and related to the name Isaac, which meant “laughter.” This same word is used in Genesis 26:8, where it says, “Isaac was caressing Rebekah his wife.” If this was sexual innuendo, it suggests sexually suggestive "play" may have also been involved. Sexual immorality was indeed commonly associated with pagan worship during ancient times, especially in the land of Canaan into which the Israelites were now traveling.

Why did the Israelites fashion gold into the image of a calf? They just spent close to 400 years in Egypt, and one could argue they were simply recreating their own version of the god Apis, the Egyptian god pictured above. But there was likely more going on than just happenstance. The likelihood is that they were receiving some "help" if you will, and from all the wrong places. It is highly likely that a demonic spirit was at work trying to transfer the worship of Jehovah unto himself, and in the process doom the Israelites to destruction. This is because Egyptian worship was demonically-inspired throughout, and most of their gods revealed themselves as such, as is illustrated by the fact that they did not even hide behind statues of beautiful human forms like among the Greeks, but exposed their true nature. When taken up in spirit to witness the inner workings of Satan's kingdom back in the 1980s, Harold Pittman described seeing a number of classes of demons that he was told would play a pivotal role in ushering in the kingdom of the Antichrist in the coming end-times. One of these was specifically tasked with deceiving humanity through witchcraft, Satanism, occultism and false religions, and this class of demons often took the form of half human, half animal-like creatures, which is exactly how most of Egypt's "gods" are depicted on their wall paintings and base reliefs.

But in turn, these demons encouraged the Egyptians to worship even the animals they bore a strong resemblance to, and venerate them as their living representatives on earth. Such was the case with Banebdejet, the god worshipped in the city of Mendes. He was depicted as half man, half animal much like Mnevis was, only Banebdjedet had the head of a ram instead of a bull. With Banebdjedet, however, this "god" was associated with some of the most perverse sexual practices known to the ancient world. A "holy ram" was designated to represent him, kept in a sacred enclosure by the temple priests, and treated like the god himself. This ram was "supped 'with unfailing regularity [upon] the finest wheaten flour . . . seethed in milk, every kind of confection made with honey, and fowl either boiled or baked." It was also bathed regularly in warm water, anointed in sacred oils, fumigated with fine incense and bedecked with jewels, and then brought forth on certain occasions to copulate with human females in public.
As one article states:

Foreigners, among them Hellenic and Roman chroniclers, penned salacious stories about the cult of the Living Ram, which may or may not have had a grain of truth to them. Banebdjedet and His ram had the epithet “Fornicating Ram Who Mounts the Beauties.” This not only refers to the fertile aspects of the god, but suggested something perverse about the Ram Lord and His living avatar’s sexual proclivities. In addition to mounting ewes from his harem, the Living Ram, it was rumored, also had sex with human women. Pindar refers to “Mendes, on the overhanging sea-cliff, at the farthest horn of the Nile, where the he-goats fornicate with women.” And when Herodotus visited the city during the mid-5th century BCE, he heard report of a recent public spectacle in which a ram had intercourse with a woman. And based on a mould from the site itself which Donald B. Redford helped to excavate, such coitus a tergo had become a motif in the art of the day. (Shadows of the Sun, Rssing.com)

As a result, bestiality was common in Egypt, including sex with cattle, dogs, and even crocodiles. This is because their "gods" were demons and endorsed such behavior, likely to encourage them to engage in acts that they knew would be an abomination to the True and Living God. Thus, it's likely that a demonic spirit was at work behind the scenes instigating things, and attempting to lead the Israelites into idolatry, fornication and potentially even sexual depravity, given how they immediately gravitated to the practices of sitting down to eat and rising up to play with the commencement of worship unto the golden calf.

It should be noted in closing that this particular Egyptian god perpetuated itself, becoming a manifestation of Amen-Ra in later Egyptian dynasties, and then surviving to become the inspiration behind the "goat of Mendes" which Satanists associate with their deity today, and the Sigil of Baphomet used in Satanic magick. Not coincidentally, Satanists are even more given over to sexual immorality than their ancient counterparts, and practice not only sex with animals but sex with demons, sex with children and infants, and every other form of sexual perversion and abomination known to man, with the full endorsement of their god. Satanists think the world would be a better place if it were under the rule of the Devil, but in reality it would be a horror story, and devolve quickly into the most oppressive, evil and perverted form of government this planet has ever seen.

These Things Were Written For Their Admonition

Was the worship of Aphrodite, the principle god of Corinth, just as depraved? Maybe not where perversion was concerned, but the city was being influenced to engage in a culture of sexual immorality that surpassed anything in Egypt. There were said to be a thousand temple prostitutes serving the goddess, and every woman in Corinth was required to give herself to the service of the goddess at least once in her life. Thus, prostitution was the city's main attraction, and the services that these women provided drew men from all over the ancient world. But most of them were professional, religious courtesans who for all intents and purposes were serving the will of an unclean and evil spirit.
This is why the story of the golden calf was preserved for the Corinthian's admonition. The Greek "gods" were demons just as the gods of the Egyptians were, and although they were more sanitized and portrayed using statues that represented them in beautiful human forms, as discussed in previous studies, the real "gods" hiding behind these statues were actually grotesque and evil, and intent only on bringing the inhabitants of the land into spiritual bondage, deception and suffering.
It was for such reasons that the Corinthians should have gone to WAR against these evil spirits, not endorsed their worship. Christ had delivered Israel out of the power of Egypt, and out from under the power of their gods, putting their magicians to an open shame before the Pharaoh and his court (Exodus 7-8). But some of the believers in Corinth were practically acquiescing to similar demons of their region. Had things changed so much to where Christ had now reconciled Himself with demonic spirits? At the very least, the Corinthians should have shunned these "gods" as the evil beings they were, but instead some were not only partaking of their sacrifices but even citing bodily needs as a potential justification for fornicating with the Temple prostitutes (1 Corinthians 6:12-16). Both these practices - the eating of meats sacrificed to idols, and engaging in temple prostitution - were associated with worshipping these "gods," not denouncing and exposing them, so one can understand Paul's concern. Those committing these sins were in danger of making the same mistakes the Israelites had when they "sat down to eat, and rose up to play." It was likely demons or possibly even Satan himself who incited the Israelites to do these things, seeking to usurp the worship of Jehovah in the wilderness and draw them unto himself. As a result, many who had been delivered by the Lord from Egypt died in the wilderness, never living to see length of days, let alone enjoy the land the True God was promising to bring them to.
This is why Paul said that such stories had been recorded for their "admonition." This was just a fancy word for saying they had been written to warn them not to make the same mistakes the Israelites had. As Paul had already warned them and would again in the next Chapter, the same judgments potentially awaited them if they made the same mistakes.

Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells within you? If anyone brings the temple of God to corruption, God shall bring him to corruption, for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17)

Let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For the one who eats and drinks, not discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment unto himself. Because of this, many among you are weak and sick, and many have fallen asleep. But if we would discern ourselves we would not be judged. But being judged, we are chastised by the Lord, that we not be condemned with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:28-32)

Links to sources:
https://shadows337.rssing.com/chan-6329316/all_p4.html

Study #3 / 1 Corinthians 9:13-27

« Last post by Hidden In Him on February 08, 2023, 03:37:07 PM »

Making Ever-Greater Sacrifices For The Glories Of War, Part 2

In Part 1 I covered how Paul and Barnabas were warriors for the Lord, and how Paul believed that glory in eternity awaited those who fought hard in the spiritual war and refused to denounce Christ in the face of terrible adversity. As a result, both were making great sacrifices for the gospel's sake. Both were foregoing marriage, and both refused to receive material compensation for ministry:

Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Do we have no right to eat and drink? 5 Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? Whoever goes to war at his own expense? (1 Corinthians 9:1-7)

It's no accident that Paul would here lead off with a military analogy. That soldiers did not entangle themselves in earthly affairs was an analogy he used elsewhere, and here he was also relating their refusal to receive material compensation to solders "going to war" without pay. Why exactly were they doing these things? As becomes clear on closer analysis, it was not just for the sake of the gospel. Paul understood that the more sacrifices he made in serving the Lord Jesus Christ, the more glory awaited him in the next life. As he would say to the Corinthians in his next letter:

Though our outward man is being destroyed, yet our inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is only momentary, is building for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen but at those which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but those which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16b-18)

As I also explained, this was apparently the teaching of all the apostles. Peter would likewise teach that the prophets had foretold how the saints would experience great sufferings at the hands of the Antichrist, but would also attain to great glory at the Lord's return, telling his readers:

You are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls, regarding which salvation the prophets, who prophesied of the grace predestined for you, undertook research and investigation, searching into the time and circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was disclosing when He testified beforehand of the sufferings that would take place until the coming of Christ, and the glories that would follow afterwards. (1 Peter 1:9-11)

Peter was speaking here about passages in the Book of Daniel, where he is described as inquiring into the timing of the "time of trouble" that would come upon the nation of Israel, after which God's kingdom would finally be established on earth (Daniel 12:1-8). Daniel described this "time of trouble" a few Chapters earlier when he said:

[The Antichrist] shall speak pompous words against the Most High, and persecute the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and law. And they shall be given into his hand for a time, and times, and half a time. But the judgment has sat, and they shall remove his dominion to abolish it and destroy it utterly. And the kingdom, and the power, and the greatness of the kings under the whole heaven were given to the saints of the Most High, and His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all powers shall serve and obey Him. (Daniel 7:25-27 LXX)

These, then, were among the "glories" the saints would enjoy in the coming kingdom. The power and greatness of the kings of the earth would become theirs, for as Jesus Himself said, the meek would inherit the earth. The above was actually a pattern that Jesus Himself laid down for the saints to follow. He humbled Himself even unto death by crucifixion, and as a result sat down at the right hand of the throne of God, who exulted His name above every name in Heaven or on earth. This is why Jesus would be referred to as the "Author and Perfecter" of our faith:

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself lest you grow weary and faint in your minds. 4 For you have not yet resisted unto bloodshed, striving against sin... (Hebrews 12:1-4)

Paul here used the analogy of running a marathon in the Greek games. A great audience in Heaven was watching us run our spiritual race, and encouraging us on. Thus, his point was that the saints needed to endure the agonies and sufferings that came with serving Christ. The analogy was very fitting, because just as in a marathon, the longer they ran this race the harder it would become, and they would need to prepare themselves not to "faint in their minds." The times were coming when they might very well pay for their opposition to the Devil with their own blood, just as Jesus did on the cross, and the apostle Paul did when he was beaten with thirty-nine stripes on five different occasions by the authorities. But Paul's teaching was that glory would be awaiting them in eternity for it, just as awaited marathon winners in the games if they "competed lawfully" and won the race by legitimate means.

Paul's Converts: His "Crown Of Boasting"

In First Corinthians, Paul used the runner's analogy as well, only here they could "win the prize" by yet another means: By sacrificing their personal rights in order to save the lost. As he would tell them in our next passage:

19 Though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more. 20 And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews. To those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law. 21 To those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law. 22 To the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be a partaker of it with you.
24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:13-27)

His reference to an "imperishable crown" here was an allusion to attaining glory in the next life by achieving victory in the spiritual war as well as the great spiritual race they were running. Runners, boxers, and all in fact who achieved victory in the games were given wreaths made of pine leaves that would be placed in the temple of their respective home cities upon their return. Many also got rewarded with other honors, such as having statues made of them, or songs written about them.

Paul also likened himself to a boxer in this passage, one not "beating the air" but striking himself in the stomach. In literal terms, Paul meant that he was conditioning his body through fasting to withstand the temptation to eat meat sacrificed to idols, so as to win the lost rather than potentially lose them by influencing them to eat idol sacrifices that led them to cast down their faith, worrying in retrospect that they had committed an unforgivable sin. And as is clear from an examination of other letters he wrote, Paul clearly viewed winning souls to Christ as a means by which he hoped to attain glory in eternity. It's why he told the Thessalonians that they too would be his "crown of boasting."

We, brothers, having been bereaved of you for an hour of time - in person, not in heart - were more abundantly diligent having a great desire to see your face, to which end we wished to come to you not once but twice, but Satan hindered us. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of boasting? Are not even you before [the Presence of] our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and our joy. (1 Thessalonians 2:17-20)

This passage referred to the exact same thing. Paul believed those he was bringing to Christ would bring him glory in eternity, so he told the Corinthians that he was becoming a Jew to the Jews, a Gentile to the Gentiles, a weaker brother to the weak, and sacrificing his body like a marathon runner to make sure they all made it to Heaven.
Not every letter the apostles wrote would make it into the New Testament, which means that for this theme to keep appearing regularly in the epistles suggests that it was one of Paul's standard teachings, and a type of motivational technique he was using to encourage the brethren. Great rewards awaited them in eternity if they put the spiritual welfare of others above their own physical wants and needs, and set aside their fleshly "rights" for the sake of wining the lost. And what must be understood about Paul's example was that he was a highly ambitious man, not just before he got saved but afterwards. He went from being a Pharisee of Pharisees with a long list of credentials, to declaring himself "not the least of the apostles," and developing an even longer list of things he was enduring for the gospel's sake, to win as many as possible to the Lord.

I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea. In traveling frequently I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea, in danger from false brethren, [serving God] amid labor and toil, frequent sleeplessness, hunger and thirst, frequent fastings, and cold and nakedness. (2 Corinthians 11:23-27)

The Glories Awaiting The Soulwinner

Psalms 84 ends with the following words, which are an encouragement to the people of God that He holds glory in His hands, and awards it to whomever He chooses:

God will give grace and glory. The Lord will not withhold good things from them that walk in innocence. O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You. (Psalms 84:11-12)

The same was taught in a vision given to Kathryn Baxter back in the 1970s. During the period when she was caught up to Third Heaven, she related seeing one of the rewards being granted to soulwinners. Diamonds are apparently created in their honor, as a form of eternal remembrance of their having brought a soul to Christ in their former life:

I could see diamonds - glittering, glistening, exquisite diamonds - diamonds everywhere. Some were as large as blocks of concrete. Some of these diamonds seemed to be for the mansions of those who were soulwinners on earth. It seemed that every time someone led a soul to Christ, Heaven provided a diamond for that faithful Christian. The Bible says, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise" (Proverbs 11:30). And also, "Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever" (Daniel 12:3).
As I stood drinking in the splendor and grandeur of that glorious place, I saw an immense, beautiful angel coming down a path. In his hands he held a scroll, which had gold edging in it. The angel laid the scroll on a pedestal table, which was made of a slivery material unlike anything I had ever seen before. The oblong table literally glistened with light.
The scroll had a name written on it. One of the saints picked it up and began to read it.
"Jesus is the Master Builder," the saint in Heaven told me. "He determines who deserves the diamonds and where they go. This scroll I hold is a report from earth of a person who has led someone to Jesus, who fed the poor, who clothed the naked - who did great things for God." (Baxter, A Divine Revelation Of Heaven, P.27-28)

I will end this two Part study with an antidote, using the same analogy the apostle Paul was using when he described the saints as "more than conquerers, through Christ who loves us." Alexander the Great was arguably the greatest conquerer in human history, and without question an exceedingly ambitious man. He had a violent temper and could be rash and stubborn, but could also be perceptive, logical, calculating, and charismatic, all of which helped make him a great leader. He conquered virtually the entire known world of his time and made no bones about actively seeking glory in doing so, being remembered as once saying, "Toil and risk are the price of glory, but it is a lovely thing to live with courage and die leaving an everlasting fame." He also once remarked, "I would rather live a short life of glory than a long one of obscurity." He would eventually fulfill this wish, dying of disease before he ever got to enjoy the rewards of world conquest.
But along with being highly ambitious, Alexander had another quality not unlike that of the apostle Paul. He had a knack for winning people over to his cause, and it was actually his diplomatic skills which won him the title "Great." Rather than slaying the rulers of those nations he conquered, Alexander showed them mercy and often sought out their friendship.
A classic example of this is the story of how he befriended the Queen of Persia after the conquest of that empire was finally complete:

In September 331, Alexander destroyed the Persian army in the Battle of Gaugamela. King Darius was heavily wounded and died soon after the battle. Sisygambis and her relatives were kept in the baggage train following Alexander’s army. The Achaemenid queens and their children were unsure of the future following Darius’ demise. Nevertheless, Alexander treated them quite well, and liked to talk with the Achaemenid queens and princesses. He was a man who loved smart women. After Darius’ death, he sent the man's body to Sisygambis, to which the queen said that she now had only one son, Alexander. These actions showed the surprising bond that existed between them...
In fact, Sisygambis had a good life thanks to Alexander’s provisions. Ancient resources claim that he treated her like his own mother and respected her. The bond became so strong between the two that the Persian queen died soon after Alexander took his last breath. Legends say that when she heard about his death, she sealed herself in one of her rooms and stopped eating. Sisygambis was grieving, and lost the will to live. She apparently died just four days after the message of Alexander’s death arrived. (Royal Bonds: How the Mother, Wife, and Daughter of Darius III Became Family of Alexander the Great, Ancient Origins.net)

Alexander the Great attained to great glory in the earth, not only because he conquered virtually the entire known world but because he won over even many of those who were once his enemies in war. But his glory was only short-lived, and limited to this earth. We will attain unto an eternal glory if we spend our lives winning over the lost to the Lord Jesus Christ, and bringing even our enemies to salvation and eternal life.

Links to sources:
https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people/royal-bonds-how-mother-wife-and-daughter-darius-iii-became-family-alexander-021139

Study #2 / 1 Corinthians 9:1-12

« Last post by Hidden In Him on February 05, 2023, 04:31:48 PM »

Making Ever-Greater Sacrifices For The Glories Of War, Part 1

History is filled with military leaders who made immense sacrifices for their countries, and went on to be honored with great glory after the war was done. In the United States, men like George Washington and Andrew Jackson risked everything, making tremendous sacrifices to lead the nation to victory, and they preserved liberty for all who would come after them.
Glory and honor was also awarded to the great conquerors of antiquity, and yet the apostle Paul declared that the saints would be remembered as even "more than conquerors," implying that their glory would surpass even the glory of men like Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great, for it would be eternal:

I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is about to be revealed to us... As it has been written, "For your sake we are being put to death all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." But in all these things we are more than conquerors, through Him who loved us. (Romans 8:18, 36-37)

Granted, it is clear the apostle Paul was not seeking glory in this life, nor did he recommend it (Matthew 6:2, 1 Thessalonians 2:6). In fact, he had already embraced that the opposite would be true, and that the Devil would make him and the other apostles out to be among the most despised human beings on earth, telling the Corinthians:

I suppose that God set us forth the apostles last, as appointed unto death. For we became a spectacle to the world, both to angels and men... To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, are insufficiently clothed, receive beatings, and wander homeless. But we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless. Being persecuted, we forbear. Being defamed, we encourage. We became as the scapegoats of the world, the expiation of everyone until now. (1 Corinthians 4:9, 11-13)

Nevertheless, scripture suggests that despite how the world viewed them, the apostles knew they would be attaining glory in eternity. As Peter would teach, the trials and sufferings they were now enduring were actually serving to purify their faith like gold tried in the fire, and concerning the future he went on to add that the prophets had promised that glory awaited the saints when God's kingdom was finally established on earth, after the reign of the Antichrist had finally been brought to an end:

You are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls, regarding which salvation the prophets, who prophesied of the grace predestined for you, undertook research and investigation, searching into the time and circumstances the Spirit of Christ within them was disclosing when He testified beforehand of the sufferings that would take place until the coming of Christ, and the glories that would follow afterwards. (1 Peter 1:9-11)

Peter was speaking here specifically about prophecies in the Book of Daniel, where the prophet inquired of the Lord about the timing of the "time of trouble" that would come upon the nation of Israel, after which time the Messiah would deliver them from spiritual and religious oppression (Daniel 12:1-13). Daniel described these "times of trouble" more specifically a few Chapters earlier when he said:

[The Antichrist] shall speak pompous words against the Most High, and persecute the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and law. And they shall be given into his hand for a time, and times, and half a time. But the judgment has sat, and they shall remove his dominion to abolish it and destroy it utterly. And the kingdom, and the power, and the greatness of the kings under the whole heaven were given to the saints of the Most High, and His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all powers shall serve and obey Him. (Daniel 7:25-27 LXX)

These, then, were among the "glories" the saints would walk in after Christ's return in power. After enduring exceedingly great oppression at the hands of the Antichrist, the greatness and glory of the kings of this world would become theirs for refusing to deny the Lord despite enduring some of the worst atrocities in human history.
Paul also knew of this promise, for he likewise taught that the saints would be attaining glory in the next life if they endured persecution and persevered until the end:

Though our outward man is being destroyed, yet our inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is only momentary, is building for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen but at those things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16b-18)

Regarding himself, the apostle Paul even kept a list of "light" afflictions he had suffered through, and it's clear he was putting something of a positive spin on things by calling them "light." But Paul was constantly encouraging the faithful that the rewards would be worth it all in the end:

I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea. In traveling frequently I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles, in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea, in danger from false brethren, [serving God] amid labor and toil, frequent sleeplessness, hunger and thirst, frequent fastings, and cold and nakedness. (2 Corinthians 11:23-27)

But it is a just thing with God to repay affliction to those afflicting you, and to you who are being afflicted rest together with us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from Heaven together with the angels of His power, who in flaming fire will inflict vengeance upon those who do not know God, and those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These will pay the penalty, everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His strength, when He comes to be glorified among His saints, and admired amongst all those who have believed, in that our testimony unto you was believed in that Day. (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10a)

Thus, the teaching of the apostles was that glories awaited those who persevered in the spiritual war, and as we shall see, Paul was actively encouraging the early church that they too could attain unto great glory in eternity. Consequently, his advice to the Corinthians was that they "run the race to obtain it," and compete with him and Barnabas to see who might ultimately attain the most in the next life.

Paul And Barnabas: Warriors For The Lord

Though these two would eventually split and go their separate ways, Barnabas and Paul were both fully dedicated soldiers of the Lord Jesus Christ, and this becomes immediately apparent in the opening verses of First Corinthians, Chapter 9. Both were foregoing marriage so as not to entangle themselves in earthly affairs, and both were "going to war free of charge" as it were, and refusing compensation even should it have been offered, lest they hinder the gospel of Christ from being received and cherished.

Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 Do we have no right to eat and drink? 5 Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working? (1 Corinthians 9:1-6)

Aside from making such sacrifices that the gospel not be hindered, it appears Paul and Barnabas also believed glory awaited them in eternity for refusing compensation. As Paul would now admit, he was deliberately foregoing support in ministry in order to have a boast about it:

7 Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock? 8 Do I say these things as a man, or does not the law say the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10 Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes this is written, no doubt, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 12 If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ... 15 nor have I written these things that it should be done so for me. For it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. (1 Corinthians 9:7-12, 15)

As will be explained more in Part 2, Paul will soon use other analogies to encourage the Corinthians that they too should live in such a way as to be seeking glory in the next life, telling them:

24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain. 25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26 Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27 But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)

Like athletes today, the Olympians obtained financial rewards from their victories, but their primary reward was the glory they received. They were given a victor's wreath made of pine branches which would be placed in the temple in their city, and sometimes statues were made of them, and songs written in their honor. And like today's athletes, they were greatly honored by their home towns when they returned home after the games.

When an athlete won at the games, his home town shared in his glory. The city was proclaimed with the name of the athlete, and upon his return the winner dedicated his victory crown in the temple of his home town. Athletes who had won at the crown-games were also rewarded financially upon return in their home town. At these games, victors were usually not awarded a material prize by the organizing city, but the rewards of the hometown were at least as valuable. (Ancient Olympics, Kuleuven)

Paul lived in Corinth where the Isthmian Games - second only to the Olympic Games - were held in honor of Poseidon every other year. Thus, he was using analogies the Corinthians were well-familiar with to teach that they likewise needed to run their spiritual race with the intention of obtaining glory in eternity. As stated elsewhere, Paul compared how athletes trained their bodies to withstand abuse to how Christians needed to discipline their bodies through fasting to avoid being overcome by the temptation to eat meats sacrificed to idols. The reason for this was because his concern was with winning souls to Christ, not losing them. And as will be explained more in Part 2, Paul's teaching was that saving souls was likewise something that would bring glory to the saints in eternity.

The Army Of God Today: Mostly Mercenaries

How many forego marriage for the sake of God's kingdom today? How many operate in ministry yet do not allow anyone to compensate them financially for it? These days, you can't even apply for a Christian education without someone immediately encouraging you about how much money you will be making, which is indicative of just how materialistic the modern church has become. We are materially rich but spiritually poor, just as the Lord prophesied 2,000 years ago when He described conditions that would exist in the church prior to His return. As He Himself said to the church of Laodicea:

Unto the angel of the church in Laodicea write: "The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Ruler of God’s creation, says these words to you... 'You say, "I am rich. I have acquired wealth, and have need of nothing," and do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I advise you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, so that you may be [truly] rich, and white garments, so that you may clothe yourself, and the shame of your nakedness not be made manifest, and eye salve to anoint your eyes with, so that you may see. As many as I love I rebuke and discipline. Be zealous, therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone will hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. I will grant to the one who overcomes the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I also overcame, and sat down with My Father on His throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'” (Revelation 3:14-22)

Gold refined in the fire is precisely what we have been discussing in this study. It refers to a faith that has been tested in the fires of adversity, and unfortunately most Christians in the West have never been tested in this manner. One might argue they haven't had the chance to prove themselves yet since there simply hasn't been much resistance to the faith in the West in modern times. But for those who think this, the church in the West will eventually have its chance. Persecution and opposition is prophesied to come, and when it does the Spirit is warning that many will not be able to withstand it:

Before the great ingathering, Christianity will experience a great humiliation… The "accuser of the brethren" will go forth with unprecedented rage against the Body of Christ. The "revelations" of immoral and unethical behavior by hundreds of highly visible ministries will bring about a loathing of Christianity throughout the world, for a time. These "revelations" will include child molesting, rape, and the most vile forms of perversion. Some of these will be true, but most will not be true...
After an atmosphere of revulsion has been created, the enemy will then move against even the most respected Evangelical, Pentecostal, Protestant, Charismatic and Catholic leaders with charges of the most base forms of perversion and ethical failures... [and] this humiliation will ultimately reduce many congregations and movements in the church to a figurative Gideon's three hundred.
There are many sincere and devoted men of God presently serving in positions of leadership, but there are also many who have attained such positions through political manipulation and self-promotion. To these church leadership is merely another profession rather than a calling. These will not be able to stand the humiliation which is coming; they will flee, demonstrating that they were in fact hirelings, not serving in devotion to the Lord but for their own personal interests. (Joyner, The Harvest, P.139-142)

Why will many flee when this time comes? Because Paul's teaching in passages like these have been largely abandoned by the church, and the result is we walk in an entirely different mindset today. When will Christians again aspire to glory in eternity, and strive to be "more than conquerors"? When will they make the kinds of sacrifices Paul and Barnabas were making for the gospel's sake? In my opinion, it will only come when the leadership returns to preaching the message Paul preached. Until then, the majority of Christians in the West will continue placing more interested in earthly rewards, whether they are willing to admit to it or not. The original message of the early church must be preached again before it will ever be lived out.

Links to sources:
http://ancientolympics.arts.kuleuven.be/eng/TD008EN.html

Study #1 / 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

« Last post by Hidden In Him on February 01, 2023, 03:06:16 PM »

Endorsing The Worship Of Demons, Just To Gratify The Flesh

We now come to yet another way in which some members in Corinth were letting their flesh once again dictate their "theology," and cause them to engage in practices that were leading their own brethren to potentially fall from the faith. Regurgitating axioms like "foods for the belly, and the belly for foods" was not just leading some deeper into sexual sin, it was also influencing some to sin against their own God directly, and leave them stricken in conscience over it.
It was widely known throughout the ancient world that the God of Jews and Christians was a jealous God, and would have no other gods before Him. Nevertheless, some in Corinth were entering the pagan temples and eating meats sacrificed to the Greek gods. While their theology justified doing so without conviction, it appears that those with weaker consciences whom they had influenced to do likewise now feared that they might have committed an unforgivable sin before God, and were guilt-ridden over it in retrospect. Yet again, the biggest problem here was that some in Corinth were attempting to fashion a version of "Christianity" in their own image; one which conformed to the indulgence and carnality of their own culture.
Modern archeology shows that ancient Corinth was extremely religious, and worshipped a pantheon of gods. As one source puts it:

The Corinthians were exceptionally pious, as excavation finds testify. Archaeological excavations have brought to light the ruins of temples and sanctuaries, ceremonial vessels and votive offerings that “revive” the city’s religious life. The Corinthians worshiped Aphrodite, Athena, Apollo, Demeter and Kore, Hera, Poseidon, and Asklepios. They even venerated the city’s mythical heroes, such as Bellerophon and the children of the sorceress Medea, Mermeros and Pheres. (Venerating Gods And Heroes, Corinth Museum.Gr)

To set the stage and give context to what Paul will teach, it was believed that blessings could be obtained from these various gods if they were appeased. Since the three largest temples in the area surrounding Corinth were to the gods Aphrodite, Apollo and Poseidon, I will give details for these in particular as examples.
Poseidon was appealed to for obvious reasons. He supposedly had the power to tame the seas of the Mediterranean, but could also destroy humanity by stirring them up if they angered him:

Poseidon was god of the sea... He possessed the power of causing at will, mighty and destructive tempests, in which the billows could rise mountains high, the winds become a hurricane, land and sea become enveloped in thick mists, and destruction assail the unfortunate mariners exposed to their fury. On the other hand, his alone was the power of stilling the angry waves, of soothing the troubled waters, and granting safe voyages to mariners. For this reason, Poseidon was always invoked and propitiated by a libation before a voyage was undertaken, and sacrifices and thanksgivings were gratefully offered to him after a safe and prosperous journey by sea. (Poseidon, Ancient Greece.org)

Aphrodite could supposedly grant beauty to women, the power to win over someone's hand in marriage, and even provide things like sexual fulfillment, hence the use of the term, "aphrodisiacs" to this day. As one source put it, sensual and romantic fulfillment was her "business," if you will. Below is a recreation of the temple as it might have looked back then, based on what remains of the ancient ruins:

The essence of Aphrodite's power was her ability to provoke desire. Sexual allure was long an intrinsic aspect of Aphrodite, and erotic pleasures were referred to as ta Aphrodisia, "the business of Aphrodite." (Aphrodite, Getty Education, Art, and Exhibits)

Apollo in turn was the god of prophecy. His cult grew out of the city of Delphi, which became the most famous and frequently visited oracle in the ancient world. The prophecies given there were said to be inspired by Apollo himself and delivered by a local woman he used as his vessel. His priests interpreted these utterances and translated them for the people. Thus, in practical terms, Apollo had the ability to tell you if you would have good fortune in earthly affairs or not, and also the ability to grant the gift of prophecy to anyone whom he chose:

Apollo gave some mortals the gift of prophecy or the ability to see the future. As Apollo was capable of seeing the future, he would grant this to some mortals, although often this ''gift'' came with severe consequences, typical of Greek mythology and tragedy. (What Gift Did Apollo Give To Some Mortals, Homework Study.com).

The way a person identified as a worshipper of one of these gods was to partake of their sacrifices. Unlike in modern society, meat was primarily served only in the temples, so for those who loved to eat meat, partaking of the sacrifices was virtually unavoidable. And each god had his or her own specific offerings they preferred. Doves were sacrificed to Aphrodite, bulls to Poseidon, piglets to Demeter, cows to Athena, ewe-lambs to Hera, and so on. But these gods rarely manifested themselves to the people in visible form for reasons I will get into later, and because they could not be seen by mortal eyes, statues of metal and stone were built to represent them, and placed within the inner sanctums of their respective temples and shrines.
Even the Greeks fully understood that these idols were nothing but representations of the gods, but as Paul would point out to the Corinthians, for a Christian to use this "knowledge" as an excuse to partake of their sacrifices was to make a gross error in judgment, and walk very irresponsibly towards their own brethren in Christ:

Regarding meat sacrificed to idols, we know, for we all have knowledge. Yet knowledge [only] egotistically inflates, but love edifies. If anyone presumes to know anything, he has known nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. Concerning the eating of meats sacrificed to idols, then, we know that an idol is actually nothing in the world, and that there is no God but one. For even if there are those called "gods," whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many "gods" and many "lords"), to us there is one God, the Father, the Source of all things, and we submit to Him, and one Lord Jesus Christ through whom all were created, and we exist through Him. Not all walk in [this] knowledge, however. Some out of custom still eat the meat as something sacrificed to an idol until now, and their conscience being weak is being defiled. (1 Corinthians 8:1-7)

There were some in Corinth who once worshipped these "gods," and always believed themselves to be engaging in acts of worship whenever they ate their sacrifices. And because meat was such a delicacy in ancient times, seeing another brother reclining in a pagan temple to eat it was such a temptation that it pushed some over the edge into thinking, "Maybe it's ok." Thus, they too began entering the temples and eating the sacrifices as well, only to afterwards become stricken in conscience for having let the flesh get the better of them. Though they had once given themselves to the True and Living God (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10), they had now in effect returned to worshipping the old gods, and in the process rejected the True God of Heaven and Earth.
This is why Paul now warned that the faith of some was being destroyed by it, for they were being "scandalized" in conscience, and worked over by the Devil for having committed what they feared might now be an unforgivable sin. So Paul was now scolding those who had been influencing them irresponsibly, for while it was true that Old Testament sacrifices like the Passover were no longer relevant to God's people, sending someone to Hell by indirectly tempting them to eat pagan sacrifices, as if these too were now also irrelevant, could result in them having blood on their hands in eternity:

Meat will not commend us to God, for we do not fall short if we do not eat, neither do we excel if we do eat. But beware lest this right of yours becomes a stumbling block to the weak. If anyone sees you who have knowledge reclining in an idol temple, will not his conscience, being weak, be emboldened to eat things sacrificed to idols? And by your knowledge the brother whom Christ died for is being destroyed, being weak. But by sinning against the brethren in this way, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if meat scandalizes my brother, I will not eat meat till the end of the age, that I not scandalize my brother. (1 Corinthians 8:8-13)

As will be shown, what made matters worse was that it was being demonstrated by the early church that the "gods" the Greeks worshipped were actually demons, and nothing like the beautiful and handsome beings the great artisans of the ancient world were making them out to be.

The Hideousness Of The "Gods"

It had been long understood by the Jews that the "gods" operating behind the idols whom the Gentiles worshipped were actually demons. As the Psalmist wrote even back during Old Testament times, when the Israelites served the gods of Canaan, they were actually just serving demonic spirits:

They yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor, and ate sacrifices offered to lifeless gods... They did not destroy the peoples as the Lord had commanded them, but mingled with the nations and adopted their customs... They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. They poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan. (Psalm 106:28, 34–38)

Paul will reiterate this point to the Corinthians, telling them, "the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I would not that you should have fellowship with demons." (1 Corinthians 10:20). But if the legends are true, the early church was doing more than simply preaching this. When God sent the apostles out to evangelize the known world, some eventually proved it out to the nations by exposing these demons for all to see.
Such was the case with Bartholomew, listed as one of the twelve in the Gospels and in Acts (Matthew 10:3, Mark 3:18, Luke 6:14, John 1:45–49, John 21:2, Acts 1:13). Bartholomew is believed to have had extraordinary gifts in the area of casting out demons, and the following is the early church account of what transpired in India just before his death:

Bartholomew took up his quarters in the temple of Astaruth, and lived there as one of the pilgrims and the poor. In this temple there was an idol called Astaruth, which was supposed to heal the infirm, but rather the more injured all... But it came to pass that while Bartholomew stayed there, Astaruth gave no response and was not able to do curing. And when the temple was full of sick people, who were sacrificing to him daily, Astaruth could give no response, and sick persons who had come from far countries were lying there. When therefore not even one of the idols was able to give a response in that temple, and was of no benefit to those that sacrificed to them nor to those who were in the agonies of death, they were compelled to go to another city where there was a temple of idols, where their great and most eminent god was called Becher. And having there sacrificed, they demanded, asking why their god Astaruth had not responded to them. And the demon Becher answered and said unto them, "From the day and hour that the true God, who dwells in the heavens, sent His apostle Bartholomew into the regions here, your god Astaruth is held fast by chains of fire, and can no longer speak nor breathe."

Bartholomew also healed the demon-possessed in this region, and when word of it eventually got back to the king, he called for Bartholomew because he also had a daughter who was demon-possessed and cutting herself, and thus in severe need of deliverance.

And Polymius, the king of that country... had a daughter who was a demoniac, that is to say, a lunatic. And he heard about the demoniac that had been healed and sent messengers to the apostle, saying, "My daughter is grievously torn. Therefore I implore you, as you have delivered the man who suffered for many years, so also order my daughter to be set free." And the apostle rose up and went with them. And he saw the king's daughter bound with chains, for she used to tear all her limbs in pieces, and if anyone came near her she used to bite, so no one dared to come near her. The servants said unto him, "Who is it that dares to touch her?" The apostle answered them, saying, "Loose her, and let her go." But they say to him again, "We have her in our power when she is bound with all our force, and you bid us to loose her?" Yet the apostle said unto them, "Behold, I keep her enemy bound, and are you even now afraid of her? Go and loose her, and when she has partaken of food, let her rest. Early tomorrow bring her to me." And they went and did as the apostle had commanded, and thereafter the demon was not able to come near her.

Because his daughter had been miraculously healed through the power of God, the king thereafter sought out Bartholomew to reward him with silver and gold, but could not find him. When Bartholomew finally appeared, he told the king that he had no interest in earthly things, but wanted him to hear the gospel. Upon sharing it, he informed the king that God would confirm it to him by ridding his city of the demon that had been controlling his people, telling him:

"The demon sitting in your temple, who makes responses to you, is kept in chains through the angel of the Lord who has sent me. If you shall be baptized, and wish yourself to be enlightened, I will make you behold Him, and learn from how great evils you have been redeemed. At the same time hear also by what means he injures all those who are lying sick in the temple. The demon himself by his own art causes the men to be sick and then again to be healed, in order that they may the more believe in the idols, and in order that he may have place the more in their souls, in order that they may say to the stock and the stone, "You are our God." But that demon who dwells in the idol is held in subjection, conquered by me, and is able to give no response to those who sacrifice and pray there. And if you wish me to prove it is so, I will order him to return into the idol, and make him confess with his own mouth that he is bound, and able to give no response."
The king said to him, "Tomorrow, at the first hour of the day, the priests are ready to sacrifice in the temple, and I shall come there, and be able to see this wonderful work."
And it came to pass on the following day, as they were sacrificing, the demon began to cry out, "Refrain you wretched souls from sacrificing to me, lest you suffer worse for my sake, because I am bound in fiery chains and kept in subjection by an angel of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, whom the Jews crucified... I implore you, therefore, supplicate Him on my account, that He may set me free to go into other habitations"...
Then the king gave orders, and all the people brought ropes and crowbars, but were not at all able to take down the idol. Then the apostle said to them, "Unfasten the ropes." And when they had unfastened them, he said to the demon dwelling in it, "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, come out of this idol, and go into a desert place, where neither winged creature utters a cry, nor voice of man has ever been heard." And straightway he arose at the word of the apostle, and lifted up the temple from its foundations, and in that same hour all the idols that were in that place were broken to pieces...
And suddenly there appeared an angel of the Lord, shining brighter than the sun... and said, "Thus says the Lord who has sent me, 'As you have all been purified from all your infirmity, so also shall this temple be purified from all uncleanness, and from the demons dwelling in it, whom the apostle of God has ordered to go into a desert place,' for so has God commanded me, that I may manifest Him to you. And when you behold Him, fear nothing..." Then he showed them the demon who dwelt in the temple, who was black as soot like an Ethiopian. His face was sharp like a dog's face, thin-cheeked, with hair down to his feet, eyes like fire, and flames coming out of his mouth. And out of his nostrils came forth smoke like sulphur, with wings that were spiked like a porcupine, and his hands were bound with fiery chains and he was firmly kept in. And the angel of the Lord said to him, "As also the apostle has commanded, I release you. Go where no voice of man is heard, and remain there until the Great Day of Judgment."
And when he let him go, he flew away, groaning and weeping, and disappeared. And the angel of the Lord went up into Heaven in the sight of all. (The Martyrdom of Bartholomew, New Advent.com)

Though some might doubt the veracity of this account, it matches well with a similar account given in modern times by Rebecca Brown, whom the Lord used to deliver a former Bride of Satan out of the Brotherhood back in the seventies. This woman related that while she was still a High Priestess, she was ordered to participate in a ceremony where she was to invite a demonic spirit to enter her body, and how this demon at first appeared to be one thing on the surface, but manifested as something far different when the mask was finally taken off.

The next major demon I summoned was Mann-Chan... I drew on the floor with chalk a very large pentagram, then drew a circle around it. Carefully I placed a back candle in each corner of the pentagram, and then a much larger candle in the center. All six were lit. A table with a hot plate on it was set up close to the side of the pentagram. The contents of a kettle had been prepared earlier by the high priest. It was filled with desecrated holy water, that is holy water from the Catholic Church which the high priest then urinated into. He had also taken a dog and killed it and drained its blood into a special jar...
I sat on the floor staring into the black candle in the center of the pentagram, murmuring, "Oh great Satan the power and builder and creator of the universe, I beg thee, give me a demon to be the guide and light of my life - to give me all wisdom and knowledge. My beloved, Oh master, grant to me my tosh!" At that point the high priest spoke the name Mann-Chan to me.
I then said, "Mann-Chan come, you are welcome into my body. I bid thee arise from your hiding place"... there was a woos and a huge flame. The candle disappeared in blinding white light. As the flame died down over the next few seconds, I could see the figure of what appeared to be a handsome young man He had coal black hair and piercing black eyes that radiated intelligence. I hurried to my knees beside the pentagram. With a rag, I wiped away the chalk to form a clear path through the pentagram.
The young man, who was actually the demon Mann-Chan in a physical form, stepped through to the outside of the pentagram on the pathway I had made. He spoke to me in perfect English in a gentle manner and with what seemed to be great love. He told me that I was to be inhabited by him and he promised that no harm would come to me... I agreed, very much awed by his beautiful countenance. He then walked straight into me. But in the instant before he entered, he changed from the human form to the demon he really was. HIDEOUS!
He was naked, and his face had changed from beauty to hideous cruelty. The beautiful coal black locks of hair had become dull brown, and were course and sparse and stubby like pig bristles. His eyes were incredibly dark and evil, his mouth open to show long sharp dirty yellow fangs. He had very long arms, and his hands had stubby fingers tipped with long sharply-pointed nails. He uttered a horrible hideous loud laugh of triumph as he stepped directly into my body. (Brown, He Came To Set The Captives Free, P.44-46)

Eating And Drinking Judgment, And For What?

All things considered, instead of binding these "gods" and exposing them before all as demonic spirits bent on deceiving humanity, members of the church in Corinth were reclining in their temples and partaking of their sacrifices, and for what? A belly of meat? And what made matters even worse was that by doing this they were essentially making the God of Heaven out to be just another "god" in the eyes of onlookers. They were eating doves at the temple of Aphrodite one day, bulls at the temple to Poseidon the next, and then taking communion with the church of the Living God the following week. What exactly was this saying to those who were watching? It said that Jesus Christ was essentially just another god, and you could partake of His body and blood just as you could the meats sacrificed to Apollo, Poseidon, Aphrodite, Demeter, and any other of the Greek "gods" in Corinth.
This explains why Paul warned them that they were eating and drinking judgment upon themselves when they were taking communion in sin. They were making themselves liable to the church of the Lord, yet "not discerning the body of Christ." Paul said this was causing many among them to become sick, and some were even dying because of it.
As will be shown in a later study, part of the reason for it is because they were also inciting divisions within the church, but as Paul had already warned, influencing others to eat meats sacrificed to demons was "destroying" the faith of some, and this could bring destruction from God in return:

Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells within you? If anyone brings the temple of God to corruption (i.e. destroys it), God will bring him to corruption, for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. (1 Corinthians 3:12-17)

By partaking of demon sacrifices and the Lord's supper, some were in effect eating and drinking judgment upon themselves, not realizing the price they could pay for taking both to be mere superficialities. Their actions were revealing an utter ignorance of the situation, and just how far off their thinking actually was. And as Paul would eventually warn them in the letter, they needed to take better account of their actions before daring to partake of the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were communicating by this act that they were part of the body of Christ on earth, and as such would be held accountable for it:

Let a man prove himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For the one who eats and drinks, not discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment unto himself. Because of this, many among you are weak and sick, and many have fallen asleep. But if we would discern ourselves we would not be judged. But being judged, we are chastised by the Lord, that we not be condemned with the world. (1 Corinthians 11:28-32)

Again, the problem in Corinth essentially went back to the fact that some in the congregation were attempting to develop a "theology" that made room for their pagan culture, and made excuses for indulging in the pleasures of the flesh rather than bringing the body under submission, in particular through fasting. It is why Paul already warned them twice in this letter that idolaters would not be inheriting the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 5:11, 6:9), and why he would soon be reminding them again in no uncertain terms that they must "flee from idolatry" (1 Corinthians 10:14-11:1).

Links to sources:
https://www.corinth-museum.gr/en/museum/glancing-in-the-city-state-of-corinth/venerating-gods-and-heroes/
https://ancient-greece.org/culture/mythology/poseidon.html
https://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/aphrodite/goddess.html
https://homework.study.com/explanation/what-gift-did-apollo-give-to-some-mortals.html
https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0825.htm

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