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What does 2 Timothy 2:4 mean? | Eric Gilmour

2 Timothy 2:4 | ⁴ A soldier refrains from entangling himself in civilian affairs—in order to please the ONE WHO enlisted him.

Paul continues his word picture of a soldier who shares in suffering for CHRIST from the last verse.

Points out that soldiers don't concern themselves with non-military matters: they have a job to do.

Nor do they worry about issues unrelated to their specific Mission.

In other words, a Roman soldier would not be distracted by "civilian" concerns: entertainment, politics, or weather, for example.

Instead, his focus was entirely on fulfilling the orders of his Commander. In this word picture, CHRIST is the ONE WHO has enlisted Timothy.

His goal was not the trivial issues of life, but the Mission for which GOD had called him.

Paul elsewhere used the concept of a soldier in relation to the discipline required in the Christian life [Philippians 2:25].

Believers who serve together are considered "fellow soldiers," a phrase Paul used as a positive reference to those who worked with him.

[Philippians 2:25; Philemon 1:2]

• Philippians 2:25 [Berean] ²⁵ But I thought it necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, & fellow soldier, who is also your messenger & minister to my needs. • Philemon 1:2 | to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, & to the Church that meets at your house:

In modern terms, this is like saying Christians are to be well trained & disciplined, like an experienced Marine who is prepared for any battle.

Context Summary

2 Timothy 2:1–13 presents a series of examples Paul wants Timothy to consider. Among these are soldiers, athletes, farmers, JESUS CHRIST, & Paul himself.

Rather than give extensive details, Paul encourages Timothy to consider how each of these applies to his own life.

The context for all of this is ''suffering,'' meaning the hardships endured for the sake of CHRIST.

Those who endure do so by the power of GOD, not their own efforts.

CH Summary

Paul introduces himself, then recaps Timothy's path to becoming a minister.

He reminds Timothy of how his family brought him up in the faith, & then how Timothy served faithfully with Paul in the past.

Paul then focuses on two primary ideas.

[1] Timothy's background in the faith should give him the courage to stand fast against hard times.

[2] Second, that Timothy should use that courage to defend the truth of the Gospel Message.

Paul will use these points & examples as the foundation for the rest of his letter.

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Geneva: M. Coverdale & J. Knox, Baptist [1557] | 2 Timothy 2:4

No man that wars entangles with the affairs of [b] this life; that he may please who have chosen him to be a soldier.

[b] With affairs of household, or other things that belong to other ordinary businesses.

Matthew Poole, Nonconformist [1624-1679] | 2 Timothy 2:4

Having told Timothy that his life was to be the life of a soldier, in which he would be exposed to many difficulties, & dangers, & hazards, he here mindeth him of the law & custom of soldiers, who being once entered in the muster-roll, use to sequester themselves from other employments in trading, husbandry, or the like, that thereby they might be at the command of their general, or captain, to be called out upon what service he pleaseth.

So he who is a minister of the Gospel ought not voluntarily & of choice engag[q] in secular employments, but give u[ab] wholly to the ministerial work, that so he might please the LORD JESUS CHRIST, who have chosen him to be his soldier.

Matthew Henry, Nonconformist [1662-1714] | 2 Timothy 2:1-7

2:1-7 As our trials increase, we need to grow stronger in that which is good;

our faith stronger, our resolution stronger, our love to GOD & CHRIST stronger.

This is opposed to our being strong in our own strength.

All Christians, but especially ministers, must be faithful to their Captain, & resolute in his cause.

The great care of a Christian must be to please CHRIST.[j]are to strive to get the mastery of our lusts & corruptions, but we cannot expect the prize unless we observe the laws.[j]must take care that we do good in a right manner, that our good may not be spoken evil of.

Some who are active, spend their zeal about outward forms & doubtful disputations.

But those who strive lawfully shall be crowned at last.

If we would partake the fruits, we must labour; if we would gain the prize, we must run the race.[j]must do the will of GOD, before we receive the promises, for which reason we have need of patience.

Together with our prayers for others, that the LORD would give them understanding in all things, we must exhort & stir them up to consider what they hear or read.

Johann Albrecht Bengel, Lutheran [1734] | 2 Timothy 2:4

2 Timothy 2:4. οὐδεὶς, no man] The word abstain [abstinence] is recommended in this verse: sustain[3] [endurance] is added to the recommendation in the next—στρατευόμενος, warring] Do with all YOUR might what you are doing—πραγματείαις, with the affairs [matters of business] of this life] in which merchants & workmen are involved—ἀρέσῃ, may please] being entirely devoted to the duties of a soldier.

[3] It is here in the sense of withstand.

It was thought right to use it to give the reader an idea of the antithesis in the original—TR.

John Gills, English Baptist [1748] | 2 Timothy 2:4

No man that warreth,....

Who is a soldier, & give[ae] up to military service, in a literal sense: the Vulgate Latin version, without any authority, adds, “to GOD";

as if the Apostle was speaking of a spiritual warfare;

whereas he is illustrating a spiritual warfare by a corporeal one; & observes, that no one, that is in a military state,

entanglet[t] with the affairs of this life;

with civil affairs, in distinction from military ones.

The Roman soldiers might not follow any trade or business of life, or be concerned in husbandry, or merchandise of any sort, but were wholly to attend to military exercises, & to the orders of their general;

for to be employed in any secular business was reckoned an entangling of them, a taking of them off from, & an hindrance to their military discipline: & by this the Apostle suggests that CHRIST's people, his soldiers, & especially his ministers, should not he involved & implicated in worldly affairs & cares;

for no man can serve two masters, GOD & mammon;

but should wholly give up themselves to the work & service to which they are called; & be ready to part with all worldly enjoyments, & cheerfully suffer the loss of all things, when called to it, for the sake of CHRIST & his Gospel:

that he may pleas who have chosen him to be a soldier;

his captain, or general, who has enliste, enrolled & registere among his soldiers;

whom to please should be his chief concern;

as it should be the principal thing attended to by a Christian soldier, or minister of the Gospel, not to please men, nor to pleas[q], by seeking his own ease & rest, his worldly emoluments & advantages, but to please the LORD CHRIST, in whose book his name is written.

Charles John Ellicott, Theologian [1749–1905] | 2 Timothy 2:4

[4] No man that warreth . . —Better rendered, while engaged on military service, or serving as a soldier. The first picture is suggested by the last simile [in 2Timothy 2:3].

It was one very familiar to the numerous peoples dwelling under the shadow of the Roman power, this picture of the soldier concerned only in the military affairs of the great empire—the legionary wrapped up in his service, with no thought or care outside the profession of which he was so proud.

None of these sworn legionaries have aught to do with buying or selling, with the Forum, or any of the many employments of civil life.

So should it be with the earnest & faithful Christian;

paramount & above any earthly considerations ever must rank his Master’s service, his Master’s commands.

The soldier of CHRIST should never allo[ai] to be entangled in any earthly business which would interfere with his duty to his own General.

But while this general reference to all members of the Church lies on the outside, beneath the surface a solemn injunction may surely be read, addressed to Timothy & to others lik in after times specially engaged in the ministry of the Word & in matters connected with the government of the Church of CHRIST. & so the Catholic Church has generally understood this direction to Timothy as warning her ministers from engaging in secular pursuits, either connected with business or pleasure.

That he may pleas who have chosen him to be a soldier—More accurately rendered, who enrolle as a soldier. Only those soldiers who with heart & soul devote themselves to their military work win the heart of their commander.

The question has been asked, What of Paul’s own example & that of other of the early Christian teachers, such as Aquila? did not they, at all events from time to time, pursue a secular calling—that of tent-makers? The reply here is not a difficult one.

The Jewish life in those days contemplated & even desired that its rabbis & teachers should be acquainted with, & even, if necessary, practise some handicraft.

The well-known HEbrew saying, “HE that teacheth not his son a trade teacheth him to be a thief,” is a proof of this.

In the case of these early teachers, this occasional practice of an industry or a trade brought them more directly into contact with their Jewish brethren.

It was thus among the Jewish people that the HEbrew rabbi often passed imperceptibly into a Christian teacher.

It must also be borne in mind that in Paul’s case, & also in the case of the presbyters of the first & second age, especially if missionaries, it was impossible always to ensure subsistence, unless by some exertions of their own they maintained themselves.

It was, too, most desirable that these pioneers of Christianity should ever be above all reproach of covetousness, or even of the suspicion that they wished for any earthly thing from their converts.

That however, it was not intended that any such combination of work—at once for the Church & for the world—should be the rule of ecclesiastical order in coming days, the positive & very plain directions of 1Corinthians 9:1 -15 are decisive, & incapable of being misunderstood.

Albert Barnes, American Theologian [1798-1870] | 2 Timothy 2:4

No man that warreth entanglet[t] with the affairs of this life—Having alluded to the soldier, & stated one thing in which the Christian minister is to resembl, another point of resemblance is suggested to the mind of the Apostle.

Neither the minister nor the soldier is to be encumbered with the affairs of this life, & the one should not be more than the other.

This is always a condition in becoming a soldier.

HE gives up his own business during the time for which he is enlisted, & devote[ae] to the service of his country.

The farmer leaves his plow, & the mechanic his shop, & the merchant his store, & the student his books, & the lawyer his brief; & neither of them expect to pursue these things while engaged in the service of their country.

It would be wholly impracticable to carry on the plans of a campaign, if each one of these classes should undertake to prosecute his private business.

See this fully illustrated from the Rules of War among the Romans, by Grotius, “in loc.” Roman soldiers were not allowed to marry, or to engage in any husbandry or trade; & they were forbidden to act as tutors to any person, or curators to any man's estate, or proctors in the cause of other men.

The general principle was, that they were excluded from those relations, agencies, & engagements, which it was thought would divert their minds from that which was to be the sole object of pursuit.

So with the ministers of the Gospel.

It is equally improper for them to “entangle” themselves with the business of a farm or plantation;

with plans of speculation & gain, & with any purpose of worldly aggrandizement.

The minister of the Gospel accomplishes the design of his appointment only when he can say in sincerity, that he “is not entangled with the affairs of this life;” compare the notes at 1 Corinthians 9:25-27.

That he may pleas who have chosen him to be a soldier—That is, him who has enliste, or in whose employ he is.

HIS great object is to approv[q] to him.

It is not to pursue his own plans, or to have his own will, or to accumulate property or fame fo[ad].

HIS will is absorbed in the will of his commander, & his purpose is accomplished if he meet with his approbation.

Nowhere else is it so true that the will of one becomes lost in that of another, as in the case of the soldier.

In an army it is contemplated that there shall be but one mind, one heart, one purpose—that of the commander; & that the whole army shall be as obedient to that as the members of the human body are to the one will that controls all.

The application of this is obvious.

The grand purpose of the minister of the Gospel is to please CHRIST.

HE is to pursue no separate plans, & to have no separate will, of his own; & it is contemplated that the whole “Corps” of Christian ministers & members of the Churches shall be as entirely subordinate to the will of CHRIST, as an army is to the orders of its chief.

Heinrich A.W. Meyer, German Protestant [1832 ] | 2 Timothy 2:4

2 Timothy 2:4. “Hoc versu commendatur τό abstine;

accedit versu seq. τό sustine” [Bengel].

οὐδεὶς στρατευόμενος] alludes to στρατιώτης: “no one serving as a soldier” [de Wette];

comp. 1 Timothy 1:18.

ἐμπλέκεται ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματείαις[22]] ἐμπλέκεσθαι elsewhere only in 2 Peter 2:20.

πραγματείαι] occurs only here in the N.

T. [the verb πραγματεύεσθαι, Luke 19:13]; αἱ τοῦ βίου πραγμ. are the occupations which form means of livelihood; Heydenreich: “the occupations of the working class as opposed to those of the soldier class.”

From these the στρατευόμενος abstains ἵνα τῷ στρατολογήσαντι ἀρέσῃ] στρατολογήσας [only here], from στρατολογεῖν: “gather an army, raise troops,” is a term for a general.

Only that soldier who give[ae] up entirely to military service, & does not permi[af] to be distracted by other things, only he fulfils the general’s will.

The application to the στρατιώτης Ἰησ. Χρ. is self-evident; he, too, is to devot[q] entirely to his service, & not to involv[q] in other matters which might hinder him in his proper calling.

The literal interpretation, according to which the Apostle or preacher should take no concern whatever in civil affairs, is contradicted by Paul’s own example;

according to the precept here given, he is to avoid them only when they are a hindrance to the duties of his office.

[22] Ambros. de Offic. i. 1 : is, qui imperatori militat, a susceptionibus litium, actu negotiorum forensium, venditione mercium prohibetur humanis legibus—Athan. Dict. et Interpr.

Parab.S.Ev. qu. 119: εἰ γὰρ ἐπιγείῳ βασιλεῖ ὁ μέλλων στρατεύεσθαι οὐκ ἀρέσει, ἐὰν μὴ ἀφήσῃ πάσας τὰς τοῦ βίου φροντίδας, πόσῳ μᾶλλον μέλλων στρατευθῆναι τῷ ἐπουρανίῳ βασιλεῖ;

A.R. Fausset & D.Brown, Church of Scotland [1871] | 2 Timothy 2:4

4. “No one while serving as a soldier."

the affairs of [this] life—"the businesses of life” [Alford];

mercantile, or other than military.

him who have chosen him—the general who at the first enliste as a soldier.

Pau[x] worked at tent-making [Ac 18:3].

Therefore what is prohibited here is, not all other save religious occupation, but the becoming entangled, or over-engrossed therewith.

Marvin R. Vincent, Presbyterian [1887] | 2 Timothy 2:4

That warreth [στρατευόμενος]

Better, when engaged in warfare.

Rev. no soldier on service.

In Paul, 1 Corinthians 9:7; 2 Corinthians 10:3.

In Pastorals only here and 1 Timothy 1:18.

Entanglet[t] [ἐμπλέκεται]

Only here and 2 Peter 2:20 [see note].

This has been made an argument for clerical celibacy.

In the affairs of this life [ταῖς τοῦ βίου πραγματίαις]

Better, affairs of life.

Not as A.V. v.implies, in contrast with the affairs of the next life, but simply the ordinary occupations of life.

In N.T., βίος means either means of subsistence, as Mark 12:44; Luke 8:43; 1 John 3:1 7;

or course of life, as Luke 8:14. Βίος Po.

Him who have chosen him to be a soldier [τῷ στρατολογήσαντι]

N.T.o. olxx.

Better, enrolle as a soldier.

William R. Nicoll, Scottish Free Church [1897] | 2 Timothy 2:4

2 Timothy 2:4. στρατευόμενος: militans Deo [Vulg]. Soldier, in the sense of a person belonging to the army, not soldier on service, as R.V., which makes the same error in Luke 3:14 marg. [See Expositor, vi., vii. 120].

ἐμπλέκεται: implicat se [Vulg].

The verb is used in a similar metaphor, 2 Peter 2:2 0, but in a more adverse sense than here.

A soldier, who is bound to go anywhere & do any thing at the bidding of his captain, must have no ties of home or business.

The implied counsel is the same as that given in 1 Corinthians 7:26-34, with its warnings against distraction between the possibly conflicting interests of the LORD & of this life.

Note the use of ἀρέσκω in 1 Corinthians 7:32-34.

ἀρέσῃ: that he may be of use to [see Milligan on 1 Thessalonians 2:4].

J.S. Exell & HDM Spence-Jones, Anglican [1897] | 2 Timothy 2:4

Verse 4. - Soldier on service for man that warreth, A.V.; in for with, A.V.; enrolle as for hath chosen him to be, A.V. Soldier on service [στρατευόμενος];

as 1 Corinthians 9:7 [see, too. 1 Timothy 1:18].

In Luke 3:14 στρατευόμενοι is rendered simply “soldiers,” with margin, “Greek, soldiers on service." There is no difference in meaning between the “man that warreth” in the A.V., & the “soldier on service” of the R.V. Affairs [πραγματείσις];

only here in the NT, but common in the LXX. & in classical Greek, where it means, as here, “business,” “affairs,” “occupation,” “trade,” & the like, with the accessory idea of its being an “absorbing, engrossing pursuit." Enrolle, etc. [στρατολογήσαντι];

only here in the NT, not found in the LXX., but common in classical Greek for “to levy an army,” “to enlist soldiers.” The great lesson here taught is that the warfare of the Christian soldier requires the same concentration of purpose as that of the earthly warrior, if he would win the victory. 2 Timothy 2:4

Alexander MacLaren, Baptist Minister [1826-1910] | 2 Timothy 2:4

The True Aim of Life: Pleasing CHRIST

Paul had enough to do to infuse some of his own vigor into the feebler nature of Timothy.

If we may judge from the prevailing tone of the Apostle’s letters to him, his young assistant lacked courage & energy;

• was easily beaten down, • needed tonics for the ‘often infirmities’ of his mind as well as of his body.

The delicate ingenuity which this letter accumulates all conceivable encouragements for the drooping heart that was to take up the old lion-heart’s nearly finished work, is very beautiful.

One topic of encouragement is conspicuous by its absence. There is no rosy painting of the Christian life, or of a Christian teacher’s life, as easy or even pleasant to flesh & blood.

On the contrary, none of Paul’s letters give more emphatic utterance to the fact that suffering is the law of both.

That is wise;

best way to-brace people for difficult work & hardship is to tell them fairly what they'll have to face.

It will act as a filter & Gideon’s test, no doubt, but it will only filter out impure matter, & it will evoke latent enthusiasm;

......................................................................................... for there is always fascination to generous natures or fervent Disciples in the thought of danger & toil, undertaken for a beloved cause or favourite pursuit. .........................................................................................

Boys are made sailors by the stories of wreck and hardship told them to keep them ashore.

So Paul encourages’ son Timothy’ by putting before all the toil & the peril which are the conditions of the work to which he has set his hand.

In this context we have a number of illustrations & analogies, according to all of which self-denial & persistent work are indispensable.

The wrestler has not only to brace every limb in his struggle till the muscles stand out like whipcord, but he has to abide by the laws of the arena.

The farmer has to exercise long patience, & to labour hard in the field & wild weather—before he can sit down & eat of the fruit of the harvest.

The soldier has not only to take his life in hand, but to abandon his civil pursuits & make the pleasure of his commander the law of his life.

The diligence of other people in their worldly callings may well put us to shame; & if that is not enough, our own diligence in the one half of our life may shame our laziness in the other.

All fire there, & all ice here !

Ready for any sacrifice of time & pains in that, grudging every such sacrifice in this!

Our text constitutes the first of that series of illustrative metaphors, each of which adds something of its own to the general idea.

In it we have a whole series of striking thoughts suggested, which can be but imperfectly worked out in the brief space at our disposal.

I. Conduct of a Christian

The first thing that strikes one in the words is their grand statement of the all-comprehensive life’s aim of the Christian soldier.

There is savagery and devilry enough about the soldiers’ trade to make it remarkable that it should be so constantly chosen to illustrate the life of the servants of the Prince of Peace.

But there are grand qualities brought out in warfare, which need but to be transferred to their most worthy object; & for the sake of these, metaphor is used here.

The one great peculiarity of military discipline is prompt, unquestioning obedience.

Wheresoever inferiors may discuss their superiors’ will, or reason on the limits of obedience, or allow themselves a margin of delay, all that is mutiny in the army, & short & sharp work will be made of it, if it appear.

‘Their’s not to reason why,’ but to do what they are bid, when they are bid, as they are bid.

Their only standard of duty is their commander’s will, and men have been shot as mutineers for doing grand deeds of heroism contrary to orders.

The highest guerdon of courage and faithfulness is the general’s praise, & men have gladly flung away their lives for a smile or a ‘well done’ from some Alexander or Napoleon — counting the gain far greater than the price paid.

Such an attitude towards a fellow-man makes men machines, & yet there is something in that absolute obedience and out-and-out submission to authority very noble in itself—& going a long way to ennoble even warfare.

To obey may he bad or good, according to the master and the service;

but obedience is fitting for a man, & there can be no attainment of the highest dignity, beauty, or force of character in lawless ‘self-pleasing, but only in the willing submission to a law & a lawgiver,

—discerned by the will to be authoritative, by the conscience to be morally good, & by the heart to love-worthy.

If, then, we can find one ruler, leader, & commander of the people, whose authority is rightfully supreme, whose commands coincide with our highest wisdom and lead to our purest felicity, to obey HIM must lift a life into dignity.

Then we’ll have found the secret which make little things great & great things small; which will dignify all life, & make the most absolute service the truest freedom, the Kingliest rule.

.......................................................................................... So our text lays hold of the great central peculiarity of Christian morals, when it makes pleasing CHRIST to be great, all-comprehensive aim of a Christian soldier. ..........................................................................................

It is this which makes the law of morality, as re-fashioned by Christianity, altogether new & blessed.

How entirely different a thing it is to give a poor, feeble, solitary man a living, loving LORD to serve & to please, & to set him down before a cold, impersonal ‘ideal’;

and say to HIM, ‘There! live up to that, or it will be the worse for you.’ The Gospel sets forth JESUS CHRIST as the Pattern & Law of duty, in WHOM all the statues -que purity of the marble is changed into the warm, breathing flesh & blood of a brother.

It sets HIM forth as the power for duty, WHO stoops down from HIS height to reach forth a helping hand to us poor strugglers in the bogs at the mountain’s foot, while Law but looks on with pure & icy eyes at our flounderings, & counts the splashes on our dress.

It sets HIM forth as the Motive for duty, WHO draws us to what is right by ‘the cords of love & the bands of a man,’ while the world’s morality knows only how to appeal either to low motives of whips & pay or to fine-spun considerations of right & obligation that melt like October’s morning ice before the faintest heat of temptation.

1.1] JESUS Our Reward

Finally, it sets HIM forth as the Reward of obedience, teaching us that the true recompense of well-doing lies in pleasing HIM, & that to win a smile, or an ‘honourable mention,’ from the General, life itself would be wisely paid.

Such are the great characteristics of Christian morality.

Everything clusters round a living Person.

All the coldness & remoteness & powerlessness which incurably weaken all law, whether it be that of a statute-book, or of conscience, or of moralists, are changed into their very opposites.

• CHRIST is duty; Love is law. • CHRIST is power; CHRIST is impulse. • CHRIST is motive; CHRIST is reward.

Therefore the hearts & wills that found no attraction, nor owned any constraining authority in any tables of stone or any voice of conscience or any systems of ethics —yield glad obedience to HIM who makes HIS law love;

feeble hands are strengthened to do HIS will by HIS OWN power breathed into them; and the hope of recompense is freed from selfishness when its highest object is HIS Word of praise & HIS look of pleasure?

This alone, is the morality that will work.

This is the new thing in Christianity, not so much the contents of the conception of duty, though even these have been changed, but the new form in which duty appears, in a Person WHO being what all men should be, is the new power for its fulfilment which HE brings, & the new motive whose touch moves all our conduct.

How much more powerful this thought of pleasing CHRIST is, as a motive, than that of a bare Theism, needs scarcely be named. ‘Thou, GOD, see me’ grandly restraining & stimulating as it is, may easily become a trembling before ‘the great Taskmaster’s eye,’ or may fade into a very dim thought of a very far-off GOD.

But when we think that the divine eye which rests upon us wept over the sinful city, & sought the denier with the look of sorrowing reproach, untarnished by one glitter of anger, we need not fear HIS knowledge, nor doubt that HE is as near to each of us, as glad at our obedience, & as grieved by our hardness of heart, as ever HE was to the little group that lived on HIS smile long ago.

It is no remote GOD whom we have to please, but our very Brother, the Captain of the LORD’s host, who knows all the conditions of the fight.

The thought implies the reality of CHRIST’s present knowledge of each of us.

Who, then, is this, who is supposed to know so accurately the true characters—not only the actions, but the motives which determine the worth of the actions—of men in every age & country to the world’s end? Who can exercise such an office, & be the centre of such observance, but ONE only? This must be GOD manifest in the flesh.

Else it is stark nonsense for people, nineteen centuries after HIS death, to think of pleasing HIM; & it is blasphemy worse than nonsense, to set aside all other law & commandments in order to take our duty from HIS life, & our reward from HIS approbation.

But when we see in CHRIST the Word made flesh, then it is reasonable to believe that HE knoweth the hearts of all men, & reasonable to ‘labour that, whether present or absent, we may be well-pleasing to HIM.’

Such singleness of aim contributes in many ways to make life blessed & noble.

It simplifies motives & aims, because, instead of being dragged hither & thither by smaller attractions, & so having our days broken up into fragments, we have one great object which can be pursued through all the variety of our occupations, making them all co-operant to one end—& there is blessedness in that.

It lifts us above many temptations, which cease to be temptations to a heart intent on pleasing CHRIST, as glacial plants & animals fled to the north when cosmic changes put an end to the ice age in England.

It delivers from care for men’s judgment, for the opinion of the crowd matters very little to the soldier whose fame is to be praised by his commander.

It gives energy for work, & turns hard, dry duty into a joy, for it is ever blessed to toil for ONE we love, & the work that is done with love for its motive, & with the hope of giving HIM pleasure for its inspiration, will not be wearisome, though it may be long; nor grievous, though it may be hard.

Freedom & dignity, & happiness & buoyancy, all flow from this one transfiguring thought, that the one all-sufficient aim for life is—pleasing CHRIST, the Captain of the LORD’s host.

II. Focus on Pleasing JESUS

But our text employs a significant form of speech to designate JESUS CHRIST: ‘Him who have called us to be a soldier’;

or per the Revised Version, ‘enrolled as a soldier.’

And that phrase is used, I suppose, instead of the simple name, in order to bring out the reference to the great act of CHRIST’s, on which the duty of making HIS pleasure our sovereign aim rests.

In old-world times when war broke out each chief would summon his clansmen to his standard & enrol them as his force.

To raise a troop was the act of the leader, who then took command of the men he had raised, & did so because he had raised them.

CHRIST has enrolled us as HIS soldiers, & because HE has done so, he has the right of command.

Now, while there are many ways by which our LORD summons us to HIS service, we shall, I think, be true to the usual current of NT representations, if we see here mainly a reference to the great act by which HE draws us to HIMSELF.

The fiery cross used to be the signal which summoned the tribesmen to the fray.

So CHRIST’s men are summoned by the Cross.

HIS great work for us, HIS life of sympathy & sorrow, HIS death of sacrifice & shame, HIS resurrection of glory—these are the call which HE sends out to all the world, to gather loving souls to HIS side whom HE may honour by using as HIS servants & soldiers.

The Cross is the magnet by which HE will ‘draw all men unto HIM’;

or in other words, the one power which will draw men away from a life of self & sin, & hearten them to fight against the evils in themselves & the world which they used to serve, is the fact of CHRIST’s death, believed & rested on.

This, & this alone, changes our tastes & makes us deserters from our old colours, to take service under a new Commander.

That mighty & unspeakable proof of Love will bend our hearts to obedience when nothing else will, & the voice of endless pity for us, & awful suffering for our sake, which sounds out from CHRIST on the Cross, is HIS heart-reaching call to us all to enlist in HIS service.

The message of the Cross is not only a message of forgiveness & blessedness for ourselves, but it is as a trumpet-note of defiance to all the powers of evil, & a call to us to take our part in the fight, which in one aspect was finished when HE overcame by death, but in another will last till that far-off future day when HE that is called King of Kings shall ride forth, followed by all the armies of those who on earth were his soldiers, to fight the last fight, & win the final victory.

He has given HIMSELF wholly for us, therefore HE has absolute right of authority over us.

Not merely because of HIS divine nature, not merely because, as we believe, HE has been from the beginning the divine agent of all creation & of all providence, but because of HIS great love & of HIS utter & bitter sacrifice for us men, does HE possess the right to their absolute obedience.

HIS dominion is a dominion founded on suffering;

the many crowns are twined round the crown of thorns, as the iron crown of Monza has for foundation a bit of iron said to be a nail of the cross beaten into a circlet, & covered now with gold & jewels.

Nothing but entire self-surrender for us can warrant entire authority over us, & only HE who tasted death for every man has the right to assume the captainship over men.

HE gave HIMSELF for us, therefore are we to give ourselves to HIM.

HE dies for us, & then living, turns to us with,’ Will you not serve ME?’[j]owe HIM lives, souls—all.

They are ours by the purchase of HIS exceeding bitter pains & death.

Surely we shall not refuse HIS summons to service, which is also a merciful invitation to joy & blessing, but yield ourselves to the attraction of HIS cross & the magic of HIS love.

Let HIM take the command of YOUR lives, & give HIM all the secret springs of nature & desire to control.

HE has called you to be HIS soldiers, & YOUR plain duty is to please HIM. ‘I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of GOD,’ & most chiefly by that chiefest mercy, the sacrifice of CHRIST, ‘that you all present YOUR bodies a living sacrifice, acceptable unto GOD.’

III.

Finally, the text brings prominently forward the discipline of abstinence which this warfare requires.

In Paul’s time there were no standing armies, but men were summoned from their ordinary avocations & sent into the field.

When the hasty call went forth, the plough was left in the furrow, & the web in the loom;

the bridegroom hurried from his bride, & the mourner from the bier.

All home industries were paralysed while the manhood of the nation were in the field.

That state of things suggests the language here.

The Word rendered ‘that warreth’ might be more vividly translated, as the Revised Version has it, ‘on service’—the idea being that as long as a man is on a campaign, he can do nothing else but soldiering.

When peace is proclaimed, he may go back to farm or merchandise;

but in the field, he has but one thing to do—& that is to fight, HE will scarcely win the general’s good Word on other things.

What, then, is the corresponding Christian duty? Of course our text, though originally spoken in reference to Christian teachers’ devotion to their work, is not to be confined to them.

The sort of work which a Timothy or a Paul may have to do may be peculiar to their offices, but the spirit in which it is to be done, & the conditions of faithfulness, are the same for all doers of all sorts of work for CHRIST.

If the Apostle & the teacher need non-entanglement ‘with the affairs of this life,’ all Christians need it just as much.

Now it is to be noticed that the parallel of the soldier on service & the Christian in his warfare fails in this one r

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welidot · 1 year

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Kamal Sidhu

This Biography is about one of the best Actor of the world Kamal Sidhu including her Height, weight, Age & Other Detail… Express info Real Name Kamal Sidhu Nickname Not Known Profession Actor, TV Presenter Age (as in 2023) 55 Years old Physical Stats & More Info Height in centimeters- 175 cm in meters- 1.75 m in Feet Inches- 5’ 9” Weight in Kilograms- 50 kg in Pounds- 110 lbs Figure Measurements 30-28-34 Eye Colour Dark Brown Hair Colour Black Personal Life of Kamal Sidhu Date of Birth 24 February 1968 Birth Place Philippines Zodiac sign/Sun sign Pisces Nationality Indian, Canadian Hometown Ottawa, Ontario School Philemon Wright High School College/University University of Ottawa, Canada Educational Qualification B.Sc Human Kinetics Family Not Known Religion Sikhism Hobbies Travelling, Shopping, Partying Boys, Affairs and More of Kamal Sidhu Marital Status Married/Unmarried Affairs/Boyfriends VJ Danny McGill Husband/Spouse Nico Goghavala (Owner of B.A.R Company) Children Son- 1 Daughter- N/A This Biography Written By www.welidot.com Read the full article

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thegrapeandthefig · 4 years

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cw: sex work

do you have any recs for how I could go about looking into Aphrodite as the patron of sex workers? I'm a sw'er & I'd like to set up an altar for my job specifically (I'm thinking Aphrodite & Peitho, any other suggestions are fully welcome!!) & everyone always talks about her as the patron of SW'ers but beyond being the goddess of love and procreation no one seems to talk about how or why. (Idr who posted it but I saw the recent post about Aphrodite & Sailors and that connection to prostitutes and really appreciated that but I want more 🥺🥺)

Briefly put: she’s the patron of sex workers because she’s the patron of sex and pleasure, not only for procreation. As stated in the Aphrodite of the Sea post (yup, it was me), the link between prostitution and the sea is a very down-to-earth one. Harbours were perfect spots for sex workers and sailors have always been an important pool of clients. To cite Denise Demetriou in Tῆς πάσης ναυτιλίης φύλαξ: Aphrodite and the Sea :

Aphrodite guided men and women’s sexual maturation or sexual adventures, whether these were legitimate or not, as she would if they had been traveling on sea. The interplay between love and the metaphor of sailing, however, works precisely because Aphrodite is the patron of both sex and seafaring.

Now, outside of the realm of the sea and stricly about sex work, there is this version of the origin of Aphrodite Pandemos that I think would be interesting for you:

Others tell us it was Solon who erected the sanctuary of Aphrodite Pandemos, with the money accumulated from brothel keepers:

[...]

“And Philemon, in his Brothers, records incidentally that Solon, impelled by the crisis which comes in young men’s lives, purchased and established wenches in houses of resort; just so Nicander of Colophon records the same in the third book of his History of the Affairs of Colophon; Nicander alleges that Solon was the first to found a temple of Aphrodite Pandemos from the profits taken in by the women in charge of the houses.”

In spite of the comic and perhaps polemical tone, this statement puts the same Aphrodite, who was guarantor of the unity of “all the people,” in connection with prostitution.This ambivalence can be explained, as Vincianne Pirenne-Delforge says, because “she is the deity of mixis, of the ‘mixing’ between creatures, that she is called upon to intervene in the cohesion of the ‘body’ politic.

- Elisabetta Pala, Aphrodite of the Akropolis: evidence from attic pottery In: Brill’s Companion to Aphrodite

I suggest you look into general books about prositution in the Ancient world and material about Aphrodite. There’s usually at least a mention of it somewhere. I should warn you however, that a lot of the scholarly interest in sex-work relating to Aphrodite is centered around the debate regarding the city of Corinth and its so-called sacred prostitution. I have written a summary of the debate here, which would probably be good to read first so you know what you’re getting into.

To be honest, I find it very worrying that you mention having only seen Aphrodite being portrayed as the goddess of love and procreation. To me it only seems symptomatic of how many modern worshippers are erasing this aspect of hers, despite being historically attested.

#Anonymous #aphroditedeity

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edgyearring · 4 years

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‘ it’s alright, i’ll keep you safe. they won’t be able to hurt you any more.’ ( Philemon )

@crzynight

Naoya is clutching a wound on his side as he looks up to see the butterfly man himself, Philemon.

“Y.. you saved me?” He blinked a few times and then winced as he tried to sit up. “I thought you couldn’t get involved with human affairs?”

#naoya vc: wow phil ilu #crzynight

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jpaulfontan · 3 years

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Living in Grace

and I just want to say you are free! Hello, you’ve found the Senior Adult Sunday School Class of Corinth Baptist Church in Singleton, Ms. The title of our lesson for today is: Living in Grace

This will be our 3rd

In a 5-lesson series under the general heading of:

Facing Adversity

We’ll be drawing Scripture from the Book of Philemon

Let’s start this lesson off with a question:

What is your initial

response to the word,

slavery?

Does that word dredge up an emotional response in you

at all?

If so, why?

Well, that really depends

on a number of factors,

now, doesn't it?

Here in the United States

in the 21st century,

most people would associate slavery with that

evil and racist institution that was in place in this country

during the era of the

Civil War and the two

centuries that led up to it.

It is for this very reason,

as we look at Paul's letter to Philemon, we need to be

careful with our understanding

of slavery in this book of

the Bible.

It's important to understand the context of the words as well as the

context of the culture

as much as possible

when interpreting Scripture.

Though some things about humanity never changes, we need to understand that life in the time of the Apostles was very different when compared to today.

Slavery in the first century

was based primarily on economics, not skin color.

When Paul wrote his letter

to Philemon,

roughly a quarter of the population of the Roman Empire were slaves of one sort or another…. as the economy of Rome was based on

slave labor.

People were enslaved for

a number of reasons:

being prisoners of war,

defaulting on a debt,

being born into a slave

family,

and some people even voluntarily

indentured themselves to

make ends meet.

But, freedom for slaves was possible... and common,

being granted by masters

or purchased through

personal savings.

Seems to me the slavery that so many of us look

back to 150 years ago in this land was considerably different

than in Roman days.

I've never heard of slaves

being able to earn any money at all

during the slave days

of the Americas.

It really was an entirely different

world during Roman days.

Paul was under house arrest

in Rome when he wrote this

letter to Philemon.

Philemon was a wealthy man and a

believer in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and obviously

a friend of Paul's.

I don't know how many

slaves Philemon owned.

But, one of them, a man

named Onesimus, (OH-nes-e-mus), had run

away from Philemon, his

master.

I've read in other places

that Onesimus had robbed Philemon in order to have

the funds he'd need to

flee as far away from his

master as possible.

I've also read that there

was a good chance that Onesimus could have possibly stumbled across

Epaphroditus, (EE-pie-froh-die-tus), en route to

Rome.

Epaphroditus was an envoy of the Philippian church who traveled to Rome to assist the Apostle Paul while he awaited his audience with Caesar.

And, it's entirely possible

that Epaphroditus may have encouraged the run-away slave to seek out Paul in order to gain advice.

Regardless of how he found

his way to Paul, he also found his way to Jesus,

for Paul calls him "his son" in this letter.

Onesimus became a Christian

while in the company of Paul.

Under his tutelage

Onesimus became convicted of

his own wrongdoing toward

his master and was willing

to go back to Colossae.

It was 1200 miles from Rome

to Colossae.

Onesimus had it made as he could have easily concealed himself in the population

of Rome; there were over

a million people there at that time. With this understanding, let’s get into the 1st section of our lesson for today.

Section 1: God’s People are Compelled by Love

Philemon 8-14;

8. For this reason, although I have great boldness in Christ to command you to do what is right,

9. I appeal to you, instead, on the basis of love. I, Paul, as an elderly man and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus,

10. appeal to you for my son, Onesimus.

I fathered him while I was in chains.

11. Once he was useless to you, but now he is useful both to you and to me.

12. I am sending him back to you as a part of myself. Receive him as a part of myself.

13. I wanted to keep him with me, so that in my imprisonment for the gospel he might serve me in your place.

14. But I didn’t want to do anything without your consent, so that your good deed might not be out of obligation, but of your own free will.

What we're seeing here

is another example of

God working all things

for the good of believers.

We have no way of

knowing for sure that Onesimus robbed his master when he ran away.

What we do know

is that Philemon

now had the opportunity

to receive something back

that was much more than a slave.

Onesimus, through faith in

Jesus Christ,

had become a brother in Christ to his master.

In verse 10,

Paul used the descriptive

terms, "son" and "father"

in a spiritual sense to show his deep affection for Onesimus, and to show that their relationship was more as that of

family.

It's obvious in his letter to Philemon that Paul and Onesimus had become

especially close.

And, this is reflected

in the tone of Paul's

letter to Philemon;

that Paul wished for Philemon to now treat Onesimus as a family member in Christ.

Paul, thanks to his own

"Damascus moment,"

knew first hand about

the transforming power

of God to take even enemies and make them

family.

Paul had had a front-row seat seeing what God could do and

how His grace triumphs over sin.

God had taken Paul,

a persecutor of the church,

and made him a son,

a brother with Christ,

a brother in the church,

and now,

a father in the faith

to others, including

both Philemon and Onesimus.

We Christians are described

in the Bible as

"the people of God."

As the people of God,

we're brothers and sisters

in Christ; we are family!

Because of the atoning death of Christ on the cross,

the church was created for

both Jews and Gentiles to become this single

"people of God."

We are a people who strive to live under

God's ruling care

while we're protected and

cared for by Him.

Now, how was Philemon

going to receive

Onesimus when he returned

to his master?

His options were to follow that gracious and forgiving

option that Paul presented to him

in the letter,

or to deal with Onesimus

according to the harsh

societal standard that

was in place for dealing

with runaway slaves.

Here in North America,

some of the Indian tribes,

like the Souix,

would capture slaves from their neighboring tribes.

If a slave ran away and

was re-captured,

it wasn't uncommon for them

to be hobbled,

made lame,

by cutting their hamstrings.

As for the Romans

concerning slavery;

it was perfectly legal to even

sell their own children

into slavery,

(talk about an incentive

to be a good child!).

The Romans most often beat

their re-captured slaves;

but they also had a brand

that was burned into their

foreheads that marked

them for life as a runaway.

Besides that, killing a slave

wasn't considered murder.

? So don't you know how much

faith and trust Onesimus must have had to do the right thing and return to

his master, Philemon?

So, what were Paul's

views on slavery?

To understand that,

we've got to take a

closer look at the

convention of slavery

during the 1st century.

In considering the church's practice and perspective on slavery, let's look at

some things about it at the time.

Slavery was an embedded

part of the social structure,

welfare system, and

economic activity of the

ancient world.

The absence of a modern democracy made it practically impossible to launch any sort

of effective political

revolution against it.

The most effective means of

improving the life of a slave

was for the master

to treat him or her kindly

with the prospect of

future freedom.

Paul addressed the slaves

in 1st Corinthians 7:21 to pursue their freedom when

it was feasible.

He also wrote in

1st Timothy 1:9-10, that slave traders were being immoral.

In 1st Corinthians 12:13,

Galatians 3:28,

Ephesians 6:8,

and Colossians 3:11,

Paul declared that both the slave and the free were equal in Christ.

And, as we've seen in

this letter to Philemon,

Paul was gently "strong-arming"

Philemon to accept Onesimus in a radically different way than was typical between masters and

slaves.

It was descriptive of a mind-set that, when practiced

more widely,

would cultivate an

ethic and a culture

that would effectively

undermine the practice

of slavery.

Section 2:

God’s People are Related as Family

Philemon 15-17;

15. For perhaps this is why he was separated from you for a brief time, so that you might get him back permanently,

16. no longer as a slave, but more than a slave , as a dearly loved brother.

He is especially so to me, but even more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17. So if you consider me a partner, accept him as you would me.

It's obvious from

these Scriptures that

Paul had pondered....

contemplated the reasons

about why Onesimus had

been separated from

Philemon.

Paul had come to the

inescapable conclusion

that God had wanted for

Onesimus to join His family.

We don't know, for sure,

all of the details that

led Onesimus to run away

from his master.

We don't even know for a

fact that Onesimus had

robbed Philemon.

But what we do know

is that God's sovereign

grace works through

human affairs.

Though Paul understood well

this business of slavery,

he focused on the redemptive

aspect of the cross in

Onesimus's life.

Since being born again,

Onesimus was no longer

merely a slave;

now he was a brother

in Christ

among the people

of God.

Now look;

I don't know of any

direct evidence of

what Philemon did

concerning the returned

slave, Onesimus.

But wouldn't it be

reasonable to assume

that if Philemon

preserved and even

circulated that letter

among the churches,

that he did, in fact,

do as Paul had asked

him to do?

Did he set Onesimus

free?

Who knows?

But I truly believe

that the relationship

between the master and

the slave was

greatly altered.

And, in my opinion,

Philemon most likely

did grant Onesimus'

freedom.

And....And....

I also believe that

Onesimus' response to

his probable freedom,

was to stay on in the

service of Philemon....

as a brother-in-Christ.

Section 3:51

God’s People are Gracious With Each Other

Philemon 18-22;

18. And if he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.

19. I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it, not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self.

20. Yes, brother, may I have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

21. Since I am confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

22. But meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I hope that through your prayers I will be restored to you.

The

"Book"

of Philemon

is the

3rd shortest book

in the Bible.

And yet,

there is a

wealth of wisdom,

teaching,

and knowledge

to be had

from it's mere

335 words.

In it,

Paul extends

a fitting ...

Christ like gesture

toward Philemon

in that,

he offers to take on

any burden

Onesimus had

caused his master.

He did this

in an effort

to reconcile

these two men

to each other.

This is

a picture of

"gospel grace!"

Paul was simply

doing exactly the

same thing

Jesus Christ did.

He was willing to

take on

the penalty for

Onesimus

just as

Jesus did for us.

In this way,

Paul's effort was

to reconcile these

men,

and Jesus...well,

He did what He did

to reconcile us to

the Father.

Like I said,

it's a picture of

gospel grace.

What Paul was doing,

essentially, was asking

Philemon to forgive

Onesimus.

Forgiveness is an

interesting thing, though.

You might ask,

"What's so hard about it?

It doesn't

cost you anything."

More often than not,

it does have a cost.

In the first place,

it means letting go

of the past.

It means letting go

of the anger.

It means letting go

of the sense of

moral superiority.

It really does

require sacrifice.

But, it IS a noble act;

and, it's expected of

Christians.

!We Christians have

received the

grace and forgiveness

of God!

For this very reason,

Paul felt confident that

Philemon would obey

his request and

welcome Onesimus home

as a beloved brother

in Christ. Now, if you’ve watched the past few lessons, you’ve watched me as I learned something about Paul’s imprisonment. A 4th missionary journey undertaken by Paul, AFTER his release from house arrest in Rome, was something I had been completely ignorant of. And yet, it did happen. Everything points to the fact that Paul did get to stand before Caesar and answer to the charges he’d been under arrest for…. for the previous four years. In fact, the final verse in this letter to Philemon, Paul even goes so far as to request that his friend prepare a guestroom for him, as he was anticipating his release from Roman custody. (Tongue-in-cheek; Now, how do you suppose he could have known that?)

In closing,

I'd just like to

point out this.

The gospel is the

story of Christ dying

in our place and

being raised for us,

and this story is to

affect

and to shape the

way Christians live.

The gospel is the

story the Holy Spirit

uses to radically

transform not only

the way we think,

but also the way we

treat others,

especially those

within the church.

Let's pray.....

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governmentofuganda · 3 years

Photo

Hon. Philemon MATEKE, the outgoing Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in charge of Regional Cooperation handed over office to Hon. John MULIMBA the incoming Minister. The handover ceremony which took place at @ministryofforeignaffairsug was attended by Hon. Okello Oyrem. https://www.instagram.com/p/CRMVPZsr4mY/?utm_medium=tumblr

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mybeautifulchristianjourney · 4 years

Photo

Encouragement to Be Strong

1 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 Entrust the things you heard from me, in the presence of many witnesses, to faithful men who will also be able to teach others.

3 Share hardships as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in the affairs of everyday life. If he does, he will not please the one who enlisted him. 5 Also, if someone competes as an athlete, he does not receive a crown unless he competes according to the rules. 6 The hardworking farmer should receive a share of the crops first. — 2 Timothy 2:1-6 | Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV) The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved. Cross References: Proverbs 27:18; Ephesians 6:10; 1 Corinthians 9:7; 1 Corinthians 9:10; 1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 3:5; Galatians 5:1; 1 Timothy 1:18; 2 Timothy 1:8; 2 Timothy 4:8; Hebrews 6:7; Philemon 1:2; 2 Peter 2:20

#labor #reward #harvest #encouragement #strength #Book of Second Timothy #2 Timothy 2:1-6 #New Testament #Evangelical Heritage Version Bible #EHV #Wartburg Project Inc

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yhwhrulz · 3 years

Text

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behindthegoddess · 3 years

Text

Bandits Raid Kaduna Communities, Kill three, Kidnap Many, Including Women, Children

Some bandits have attacked Giwa and Zango-Kataf local government areas of Kaduna, killing three persons and injuring three others. Mr Samuel Aruwa, the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, said in a statement on Monday that those injured are Fidelix Jacob, Abraham Isah and Philemon Adamu. According to Aruwa, security agents recovered two AK-47 rifles with over 40 rounds of…

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#Featured #Nigeria News Headlines

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affirmationtrain · 4 years

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What you need to do today is acknowledge that you have the wisdom of God functioning in you. The Bible says “That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus” (Philemon 1:6). Christ has brought the Spirit of wisdom into your life; therefore every day, declare that you have wisdom! Every once in a while, as you go about your endeavours, say ‘The wisdom of God is in my heart and in my mouth, therefore my choices, actions and words are in sync with God’s plan for my life today!” . When you acknowledge wisdom, wisdom will promote you and change everything about you. You’ll have divine insight into mysteries and secrets, and be able to deal circumspectly in the affairs of life, knowing the right steps to take in everything you do. Ephesians 1:7-8 says the Lord has gloriously lavished on us grace together with all wisdom. Often times we hear people say, “God’s grace did this and that for me,” in the same way, we ought to also be quick to acknowledge the work of wisdom in our lives. When you do, the Spirit of wisdom will promote you and bring more beauty into your life. ~ Pastor Chris Oyakhilome. . • To Get More Pastor Chris's Teachings, Prophecies And Prayers, Kindly DOWNLOAD the "Cloveworld" App from the Android or Apple store, and register with the reference code: Affirm01 Kindly Follow @affirmation_train & Also Remember To TAG Your Friends. #wisdom #miracles #faith #revelations #Insight #prophecy #place #lightoflife #affirmationtrain #goodness #talkingsession #mercy #shining #reigning #knowledhe #reality #godpresence #victory #joyfulnoise #holyghost #completeness #rejoice #kingdom #praisenworship #wisdomwednesday https://www.instagram.com/p/B94CohnJrdV/?igshid=1kd3nm8p1gwgd

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tinagw1 · 5 years

Photo

By Charles Spurgeon "The Church in thy house." — Philemon 1:2 Is there a Church in this house? Are parents, children, friends, servants, all members of it? or are some still unconverted? Let us pause here and let the question go round-Am I a member of the Church in this house? How would father's heart leap for joy, and mother's eyes fill with holy tears if from the eldest to the youngest all were saved! Let us pray for this great mercy until the Lord shall grant it to us. Probably it had been the dearest object of Philemon's desires to have all his household saved; but it was not at first granted him in its fulness. He had a wicked servant, Onesimus, who, having wronged him, ran away from his service. His master's prayers followed him, and at last, as God would have it, Onesimus was led to hear Paul preach; his heart was touched, and he returned to Philemon, not only to be a faithful servant, but a brother beloved, adding another member to the Church in Philemon's house. Is there an unconverted servant or child absent this morning? Make special supplication that such may, on their return to their home, gladden all hearts with good news of what grace has done! Is there one present? Let him partake in the same earnest entreaty. If there be such a Church in our house, let us order it well, and let all act as in the sight of God. Let us move in the common affairs of life with studied holiness, diligence, kindness, and integrity. More is expected of a Church than of an ordinary household; family worship must, in such a case, be more devout and hearty; internal love must be more warm and unbroken, and external conduct must be more sanctified and Christlike. We need not fear that the smallness of our number will put us out of the list of Churches, for the Holy Spirit has here enrolled a family-church in the inspired book of remembrance. As a Church let us now draw nigh to the great head of the one Church universal, and let us beseech Him to give us grace to shine before men to the glory of His name. https://www.instagram.com/p/B4VTvVzFTPh/?igshid=1gci66en7cvon

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icephas · 5 years

Text

Generosity

Tuesday, September 17

“God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7), and generous giving is an important aspect of the Christian life. While we must allow the Bible to challenge our giving and financial priorities, generosity is more than just throwing money at a cause, no matter how worthy.

Instead, generosity is one of the largest of life attitudes and a key quality of “those who fear the LORD”, as noted a number of times in Psalm 112: “A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion.” (Psalms 112:5).

What do the following texts teach about generosity toward those in need? Leviticus 25:35-37, Psalms 119:36, 2 Corinthians 8:12-15, 1 John 3:16-18, 1 Timothy 6:17-19.

In his New Testament letters, Paul regularly cited the generosity of God—expressed most fully in Jesus’ giving His life for us—as the source of the Christian hope. In turn, His death for us was also the motivation for our living a life of generosity toward others: “that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus” (Philemon 1:6).

Generosity is an attitude toward life that is large, bold, and embracing. So much in our individual lives, societies, and cultures prompts us to focus on ourselves, to keep as much as we can for ourselves. And let’s face it, for most of us the default mode is always self, self, self anyway.

If it is real, our faith will cause us to die to self and live more for others. Our faith helps us imagine the world and its people as God sees them, in both their goodness and their brokenness, and it impels us to seek to help those in need, to whatever degree possible.

As a quality of living, generosity is readily appreciated by fundraisers and charities. Such generosity is measurable and directly practical. But large donations do not necessarily indicate a generous life (see Mark 12:41-44). A generous life is larger and more valuable than any donation. We need better to appreciate and cultivate a generous spirit in all that we do. For most people, generosity doesn’t come naturally; it is grace that we need to express in our lives proactively and purposely, regardless of the pull of our sinful, selfish humanity.

Besides giving money, even generously, what are other ways that we should manifest a generous spirit?

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loneliness-in-pain · 5 years

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For my family and friends that love my stories. Inspired by Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles.

Introduction

Philemon Campbell is a young man born on February 20, 1698, to one of the well to do families in Pennsylvania. His father was a successful merchant who married Marian, the daughter of another successful merchant, Giles Holeman. Marian was a sickly woman and her father hoped James Campbell, Philemon’s father, would take care of her after his death. They managed to have two children before Marian died in 1703 leaving James a widower with two kids. They’re second child had died by what is now known as an ‘epileptic seizure’ in 1705 at the age of four years old. A year after Marian’s death, James decided to remarry an older woman who was a widow herself, Harriet Combs, wife of the late Reverend in the early city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She was no holy woman, despite being a wife of an elderly reverend for the first half of her life, she was quite rapacious and egocentric; and she had multiple affairs with younger men giving her the reputation of a harlot and an adulterer, yet it was always bulderized by the Reverend, doesn’t mean it wasn’t the rumor along the streets of Lancaster.

Philemon and Harriet had an unpleasant relationship, Harriet never wanted children and Philemon was what she never wanted. Though she acted like a mother in front of James, she never truly was and she took advantage of that since Philemon was a child. He never told his father how she treated him and he remains silent about it. He was fourteen years of age to go to Oxford University in Great Britain, coming back four and a half years later. James began to push him to be a merchant like him and his father before him which Philemon refused, enraging his father. Philemon soon told his father that he wished to be a writer and his father told him that if he wishes to be a writer, he should live somewhere else or consider the family business over his dream.

(WANNABE AUTHOR) Presents: A New Vampire Story, a first person novel in young Philemon Campbell’s point of view that takes place in the year 1718 and forwards, stating all he goes through after the most hated of The Vampire Diadems arrives to him the first night he is in the Massachusetts Tavern ran by Tobias Kilgore and his wife, Catherine. He meets many interesting creatures and people while trying to understand what the diadem is and where it came from and who created it.

September 21, 1718

I am Philemon Campbell. I have read up on interesting creatures; but in Reverend Jonathan Hale’s book about such topic he wrote after the Salem Witch Trials, I have never understood.

I am renting a room at a tavern in Massachusetts, because the family I was living with… well, I had to leave them. I asked for room 12 out of the remaining rooms on the second floor for two weeks, and that room was a scene like a natural disaster went through it. I had to fix it to look like a decent living space. This tavern wasn’t just any tavern and stupidly I just let it be for the night. I will question the tavern owner about it at daybreak.

While I was getting ready for bed after cleaning, I found a crucifix necklace hidden in the covers of the bed and I picked it up, looked at it, twirled it in my fingers gently as it’s silver color shined with the candlelight on the side table. I questioned why it was left here, [under my breath] but I put it on and decided that I’d find the owner of it in the morning as well.

I was too tired to go out looking for anyone, so I laid down and slept until I felt something biting into my flesh on my stomach, and long nails going across my skin… I opened my eyes and stared at the two in front as they released their teeth from me and their eyes glew for a second as blood the one took from me is on the bottom of their sharp teeth, and chin. I couldn’t scream… I just jumped up, and went to the other side of the bed that was against the wall.

“Stay away from me!” I yelled, and the other went behind me and bit into my neck. I gasped, the bite felt like nothing was hurting me… I don’t know how. I got them off me somehow and I moved off my bed and to my door. They were walking to me, quicker than the average being. I hid my neck with my hand; and when they tried to attack me again, I could only think about one thing...the crucifix around my neck. Within the amount of time I had, I grabbed the crucifix lightly in hand from my neck and pointed it in their direction. I have read that Crucifixes would stop any creature that attacks you.

Of course it wouldn’t work for a murderer or a rapist, but I’ve understood that it will help when they are attacking you with their fangs like the demonic entity of a Vampire!

The crucifix didn’t seem to alter them at all until they saw what it looked like, they muttered, “It is Reality…” I looked at them with a cocked brow, this name bewildered me. As they step back, I take the crucifix off from around my neck and held it carefully in hand, putting it close to them. This alarmed them it seems, as they back up like they are terrified of it.

When I realized they were too intimidated to chase me, I decided that this was the time I should run and get help. As I put the crucifix back around my neck, I ran to the tavern owner and cried out, “Help help! Somebody help me!” the tavern owner looked up from the glass they were cleaning and asked in a serene manner, “What is it, sir?” The man was tall and thin, pale and clear from freckles and all markings on the skin. His eyes were a light blue that could be seen as grey, and he always showed a calm look. Other than a pair of black pants and black boots, he wore small black gloves hiding his hands for some odd reason, and he had a black button up that he folded the sleeves to the middle of his arms. Two buttons at the top were unbuttoned and the shirt seems to be tucked into a white apron. His hair was a length down to the middle of his back, that was black, straight, and released from a ribbon. I ran to him and yelled, “I was attacked!” as I revealed how bad I was bleeding.

The tavern owner’s eyes widened as he went over to me to look at the wounds I was given. “Get me some first aid, and quick!” I plead, lowering my blood-stained hand from my neck, holding onto the bar stool. He nods and runs to get me first aid before I bled more. After I am given emergency first aid, I sit on the stool. The tavern owner hands me a glass of beer, and I take a sip from it and I wipe my lip from the remaining alcohol on it; after a moment of silence, Tobias Kilgore, the tavern owner, asks me “Those markings… they were explained in Reverend Jonathan Hale’s book, weren’t they?” I nod, and I answer through my exhaustion “Yes... as I remember from what I understood in the past, they were.” Tobias nods, and I add onto my statement a question after another sip of beer. “Tobias, is that book still in the library a block down from here?” Tobias stands straight from kneeling down a bit to get another bottle of beer to put in my glass because it became empty, “After eighteen years of his death, yes.” he answers.

As Tobias pours some more beer in my glass, I look at him with a look of inquisitiveness, “Did you know him, Tobias?” I decided to ask because I saw how shaky and albeit, slightly despondent he became when he mentioned the Reverend.

Tobias placed the bottle down with a sigh, “Barely, but yes. I knew him… back in the 1690s when he visited here.” I nodded, and took a sip of the newly poured beer in my glass, “Wow… you met the reverend from the Witch Trials. How’d that go for you?” I joke with a grin and I exaggerate ‘the’ slightly, this seemed to suddenly give Tobias a look that showed slight disappointment, “The true Reverend of the Witch Trials was Reverend Samuel Parris.” he said, slightly defensively and my grin disappeared from my lips.

After a pause, he sighed and added, “But yes, I’ve met Hale… he was a lovely man. Very calm… collected… caring…” he seems to be longing for his friend so his voice trailed off a little.

Now another moment of silence, he shook his head and placed the bottle back in its spot, “...he was smart, and he became my friend, close friend. I miss him, but everything’s gone well. I have my family by my side, and that is all I need.” he comes out of the little bar area and starts to clean up the tables. I realized I brought up a sensitive topic and I bit my bottom lip in discomfort and slight regret. “Sorry for mentioning the Reverend Jonathan Hale in that way…” I say as I turned on the bar stool and placed the glass down. Tobias shook his head, “It’s fine, it doesn’t matter. He’s dead, and I still have an involuntary feeling to protect him and his name.”

“Because he was your friend, it’s fine.” I try to assure Tobias, but he stopped what he was doing and looked in the direction he was facing like he was lost in thought; but finally, after a moment of silence, he nods and says, “I suppose.” and he went back to cleaning the tables.

“Was he closer to you than that, Tobias?” I ask, and Tobias scoffed in amusement for a moment and said, “He was more like a brother to me than just a friend.”

“That makes more sense, actually.” I say after a moment of process, and as he continues to clean the tables, I clear my throat awkwardly and decide to change the subject. “Where’s your wife?” I ask, watching Tobias as he cleans the tables. “In the back, she’s looking after our son.” he answers, back to his serene tone.

“That’s nice, I haven’t gotten a wife yet. But hey, I’ve only been on this land since 1698.” I say, then I laugh a bit quietly, I believe I said too much, and I finish it all off with, “Anyway, Tobias… I’m going out to get Reverend Hale’s book… I must understand all he spoke about… especially about my attackers.” Tobias nods, “Goodnight, Philemon. I’ll keep the tavern open for you.” he says as he finishes up cleaning the tables and goes back to the bar area to go in his home. I nod, getting up from the bar stool, and as I button up my shirt I go upstairs to my room to get my vest and jacket on. I’m glad to see my room is empty and those creatures aren’t in it anymore, so I grab my vest after tucking my shirt in the top of my breeches. My stockings have slid down, so I rise them back up and tie them in place with a ribbon hooked to my breeches.

The crucifix around my neck has a big red circle in the middle that’s glowing dimly. I stop for a moment and look at it, “They called this Reality… and it’s glowing dimly… what even is this crucifix?” I question to myself as I stare at it. The ends pointed a little like the tusks on a baby elephant. The silver is a mirror if you look closely, the gems on each side give it a very unique look.

I shook my head once I realized I was stuck in my own thought process, and I grab my jacket after buttoning up my vest. I keep my jacket on my arm as I fix my ascot, and I step out my rented room, and go downstairs putting on my black jacket along with my satchel bag in hold of my money.

When I get down there, I notice Tobias is still in his home because no one is downstairs, and I hear a baby crying and a motherly voice singing in a different language. I smile partially as I get my hat that’s hanging on the rack beside the door. I leave the tavern, and I start walking down a block to get to the library. Once I got to the library, I ask for Reverend Hale’s book on supernatural creatures. The man I asked looks at me with a cocked brow, he looks older than I am and his face seems to have gained some wrinkles at the sight of me. His hair seemed a little fraized, and his body was small and old. He looks at me with his dark eyes that showed slight annoyance. He must not like the reverend’s book so he might not have it, I told myself in fear so I can feel I can leave, but I don’t. I get quiet within my anxiety, he gets up shakily and goes to find the book that’s apparently behind the desk. He was muttering something to himself in his raspy voice as he looks for it. When he finds it, he hands it to me and I take it.

I was silent the entire time he was looking because I was worried that if I speak, he wouldn’t find it for me. His aura is not all that welcoming with my experience. I know my fear is ridiculous but once he hands the book to me, I look at it and lightly pet the front to get some dust off it. “Could I possibly… purchase this to keep?” I ask without thinking, for the reason that apparently no one borrows this book.

The man looked at me in disbelief as he says, “Why would you want to keep this book?”

I shrug, “It looks like no one wants it, not even you so I’d take it off your hands.” I say trying to act nonchalant.

“No one wants it because it’s a little too extreme for them. They honestly don’t like the reverend at all.” The man replies as he sits back in his chair behind the desk, “So why do you want to purchase it to keep? Are you that one-percent that actually like this insane reverend?” He scoffs.

I bite my bottom lip, “Will you give it to me to keep or not?” I ask, getting slightly impatient so I’ve thought to ignore my fear.

“I wish you could, but honestly… It’s a copy of Reverend Jonathan Hale’s book. I sadly cannot allow you to purchase it especially when it is here.”

“Right… what if I gave you… twenty pence for it?”

“No.”

“Thirty pence?”

“No.”

“Forty pence?”

“Do you even have forty pence?”

“Yes. I do, actually. See?” I take out forty pence from my satchel, and place them on the desk. The man looks closely at them, and he nods. “Very well.” he says, taking the money.

I sigh in slight relief. “Thank you good sir.” I say with a polite smile. The man nods, “I shouldn’t allow one to buy books from here, especially when the man that wrote this one happily died and became ashes.”

“R i g h t… thank you.” I take the book, and leave. But I stop in front of the store and looked at it.

“He called him insane… but what’s the reason behind it..?” I ask myself as I look through the inside. “Very interesting… this copy is actually a good copy…” I mutter. “Jonathan Hale… the insane reverend of Massachusetts’ history.” I sigh, “Poor man, getting dragged through the mud even after his death…” I finish.

I let out a sigh of annoyance this time because of how rude the man was. I wasn’t scared anymore, I was slightly disappointed. I put the book carefully in my satchel, and as I fix my hat I start on my way back to the Tavern.

Once I get back to the tavern, I step in and lock up for Tobias since the keys were nearby the door, and I place the key on the bar for him to see. “I’m back Tobias and I locked up for you!” I call, not even expecting a response, and I go to the staircase back to my room.

As I go upstairs, I could hear a violin being played beautifully. I walk over, and knock on the door where I hear it. “H-hello?” I question, the violin’s song faded as I began to hear footsteps.

I get anxiety as I hear the person on the other side opening the door. It was a man, a man with brown hair in a bun, I’d say if he took it out it would be wavy and down to his shoulders that has some silver pieces of hair in it. He was about six foot three, and his build was very masculine with just about no femininity. His face was a little long and his cheekbones were the first thing I saw on his face. They are not too emphasized, but they were emphasized enough to be seen. He had a long sleeved button up, and a black vest along with his breeches and white stockings, he had no ascot on and his shirt was buttoned down a little. Then as I glance down, I see his shoes were black and have fake silver buckles on them; I look back up to his face and I noticed his sleeves were folded up to the middle of his arms, and he looked a little exhausted.

I’m only five foot nine and my build is very feminine; after looking at him I noticed he was confused on what I was doing at his door so I decide this is the time to say something, “Oh hello… sorry to bug you, but I just couldn’t help but listen to your music playing… I wasn’t meaning to interrupt it.” I realized how stupid I was for knocking on the door if I couldn’t help but listen to his music and ‘didn’t mean to interrupt’. I felt my face get warm in embarrassment. But within luck and to my surprise, the man only smiles, he doesn’t yell. In fact, he asked me, “Would you like to hear some more?” I gulped and nodded. “Y-yes… of course. I didn’t mean to interrupt- I’m sorry…”

The man laughs a bit, “No need for apologies, good sir. You’ll only end up repeating yourself; I’m Landen. Landen Hillman.” he introduces himself, I try and stop the heat from staying on my face as I introduce myself, “Philemon… Philemon Campbell…” holding my hand out for a handshake, he takes it gently, and shakes my hand. I couldn’t seem to move. So I smiled awkwardly as we shook hands, and he laughed a bit quietly again. “You alright, sir?” He asks.

My mind starts freaking out, ‘why is he calling me sir? Did I say or do something?’ since usually, when someone calls me sir my mind thinks I’m in trouble with them. I try and play it normal, and stutter out, “N-no need for sir...” I say, after a pause of me trying to calm my mind down to process on what to say now. I can’t seem to look him in the eye, because his height and build honestly frightens me a bit.

“Alright Campbell, now for that song you wish to hear?” Landen’s voice is mysterious and low. He seems calm and delicate, but of course, my mind thinks I’m in danger.

“Yes, of course.” I answer with a small smile. I wish to go back to my room and hide, but then again I don’t want to actually upset a man I just met. You never know what people will do to teach you a lesson.

“Come in and take a seat, there’s not much but you can sit at my desk. Ignore the papers.” Landen tells me as he steps aside to let me in, I nod and enter his room; as I sit at his desk, I see a ton of musical notes scratched out and re-written on the scattered papers, and an overflowed trash bin under the desk. I just look away from the papers, and pay attention to Landen as he begins to play again. The song is a melody I recognize all too well, and I hum along quietly while not even noticing that I am. As it got a little louder, I knew he was almost finished. Then at being finished, he stops and looks at me with a thankful smile.

Once I noticed he was done, I smiled and applauded him, it truly was a beautiful melody. “That was lovely, Hillman.” I say, standing up and looking at his violin. “How long have you practiced?” I asked, looking back at him.

“Ever since I could pick up a violin and use it properly.” Landen says, placing the violin down delicately and standing beside me at his desk.

I nodded and asked, “So right around when you were a child?” he nodded and answered “Yes, I was ten when I got my first violin… I started with the piano at seven.” Landen explains to me, he seems to be in his late thirties-mid forties.

“I used to be the youngest of a rich family, so I could do what I pleased.” He adds.

“What happened to it?” I ask without thinking; but when I realize what I asked, I covered my mouth and looked down as I got up from the desk. But Landen answers after he himself pauses for a moment, and walks over to the other side of his room, “My parents were killed by a creature I could never help to explain.” He sounds like he wishes not to talk about this, but he will.

“Y-you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to… but was there anything left? Like a bite or anything?”

“Nothing was left but the blood on their bodies, floor, and open window. I was sixteen when I found them…”

I nodded, I was going to change the subject but I didn’t know what to change it to so I said as I walked over to him, “I lost my mother from an illness… my father remarried a year after… and I ran away from my step mom. She… wasn’t that pleasant persay.” He cocks a brow at me, and I back up, looking away. “Not as bad as what you went through, Hillman…I’m sorry…” I backed up into the door of his bedroom. “...I’m going to go… have a good day, lovely song… keep up the good work…” I add as I tried to get to the door handle. I had a lot of fear, this man was a tall masculine man and I feel I upset him by talking too much so I feel I might need to go. But I heard his kind tone say, “No. No. No. Campbell, you’re fine.” right then, going over to me. He leaned on the door while looking down at me, “Listen, I’m sorry if I scared you. But I’m not going to hurt you, don’t you worry yourself.” He adds, I look up at him and blush in embarrassment, now I feel that I’ve made a fool of myself. “R-right.”

Landen laughs a bit quietly, “Alright. Hopefully we’ll see each other again later. It was a pleasure meeting you.” He says, smiling partially at me, and leaving the door to go over to look at the papers on his desk. I nod, “P-pleasure meeting you too…” I say before I leave. I sigh in relief as I lean on the other side of Landen’s door. I can’t believe I made a fool of myself… I think, and I go to my room across the way, I shut my door and take my satchel off and place it on my desk in the room. I held my head and said to myself, “Why must I act like this… this is why people don’t like you, Philemon…” I shook my head, and took the Reverend’s book out of the satchel and I start to read it while walking around my room. Then I stop for a moment as I look at my quill and paper on my desk. “I guess I should write a journal at this rate…” I say to myself, memorizing the number of the page I’m on in the book and walking over to my desk. I place the book down beside my papers and moved my satchel, and I write and write everything that was important and I’m eager to speak about from today.

#vampire #vampire story #author #ocs #characters

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