What are his commandments?

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329» 2Tim 2:24b-26 . . The Lord's servant must . . be kind to all, apt to
teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in
opposition, if perhaps God may grant them a change of heart leading to the
knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from
the snare of the Devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

The all in "be kind to all" really should be taken to mean all in Christian
congregations rather than all in the world. The reason being, according to
Eph 4:11-16, Christ doesn't dispense his servants for the world's benefit,
rather, for his body's benefit.

For the above reason; Sunday school teachers need to treat the people in
church who oppose them with the same sympathy and consideration as they
would patients in a mental hospital who lack the faculties to know what
they're doing and/or to think for themselves; hence the instructions to be
kind, gentle, and patient because according to the last words in that
passage, those folks are entangled in a bit of paranormal activity not easily
overcome by argument.

* Compare Heb 5:2 where it's said that a high priest is able to deal gently
with those who are ignorant and are going astray.
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330» 2Tim 3:12-15 . .You, however, continue in the things you have learned
and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them; and
that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to
give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ
Jesus.

The "sacred writings" upon which Timothy cut his teeth are of course the Old
Testament's collection; which Paul affirms is useful to Christians.

● Rom 15:4 . .Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our
instruction that we, through patience and the encouragement of the
scriptures, might have hope.

NOTE: The Greek word translated "hope" means to anticipate (usually with
pleasure and confidence). In other words: this kind of hope doesn't cross its
fingers and pray for the best while in the back of its mind dreading the
worst. No; this hope speaks of having something to look forward to with the
bold unreserved expectation of obtaining it.
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330» 2Tim 4:1-2 . . I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of
Christ Jesus-- who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing
and His kingdom --preach the word; be ready in season and out of season;
reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

Preaching and teaching are areas where pastors must take the reins. They
can't wait until their boards take a vote on it. No, the pastor's vote is the
only one that counts because left to themselves, congregations (and boards)
are just like any other flock of dim-witted sheep: they're prone to wander.

● 2Tim 4:3-4 . . For the time will come when they will not endure sound
doctrine; but wanting to have their ears rubbed, they will accumulate for
themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires; and will turn
away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to fiction.

Once somebody adopts an error for themselves as the God's truth, they like
to hear it reinforced, over and over again so they feel good about
themselves rather than feeling like a fool for thinking a certain way.

That mindset is very difficult to correct. So, like it's said; the best remedy is
prevention; hence the instruction to "preach the word' lest by preaching
something else a pastor's congregation gets their heads full of wrong ideas,
and from then on they tune out everything that opposes those ideas and/or
fails to reinforce them.
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1 John 2:3-5
King James Version
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

So what are his commandments?

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him
nothing was made that has been made. John 1:1-3

One must mature in Christ to become able to rightly handle the entire Word of God to know His commandments.

Jesus did not say to his disciples.... "Keep the commandments that I specifically gave to you all."
But, said, keep my commandments!

He is the entire Word that was made flesh! (John 1:14)


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331» 2Tim 4:5a . . Be discreet

Webster's defines "discreet" as: using good judgment, caution, and
prudence.

Human nature can be so inconsistent. Though most adults have fairly good
judgment, they oftentimes do things that are contrary to their better
judgment and make foolish choices (especially on Black Friday) because they
don't always use their heads but instead yield to their feelings; and
everybody knows that one's feelings, by and large, are mostly incoherent.
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333» 2Tim 4:5b . . endure hardship

Some of the aspects of hardship are adversity, mischance, misfortune,
danger, hazard, peril; affliction, trial, betrayal, drudgery, toil, travail,
anxiety, fear, discomfort, hunger, thirst, illness, and distress. Feelings of
isolation and loneliness are a part of that too. Nobody really cares to
sympathize with somebody when they're at the top of the food chain.
Pastors comfort others, but who comforts the pastors?

The lives of Christ's pastors are not supposed to be a piece of cake. If
they're doing their jobs in a way that pleases The Lord, pastors will have
some struggles. Hardship comes with the turf; it's a given when Christ's
pastors serve him faithfully and effectively.

The reason being that a pastor is essentially a shepherd. Well; according to
Jacob, that job was a rough career path back in the day.

● Gen 31:40 . .Thus I was: by day the heat consumed me, and the frost by
night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.

Part of the reason that tending sheep was rough in Jacob's day is because a
shepherd was essentially a security guard, constantly keeping an eye out for
rustlers and predators. That part alone was a 24-7 task; not to mention
monitoring the herd so none of them wandered off as sheep are prone to do.
It's no wonder Jacob lost a lot of sleep outside in the fields; and when you
throw in exposure to the elements; a shepherd's life was really not one to be
desired.
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334» 2Tim 4:5c . . do the work of an evangelist

The Greek word translated "evangelist" means a preacher of the gospel.

Here in America, we typically think of evangelists as guys like Billy Graham
and Louis Palau. But according to Paul, pastors are supposed to be
evangelists within the walls of their own churches rather than on the road.

My ex-Catholic wife begged and cajoled her Catholic father to accompany
her to a Protestant church back in the 1970's before we met. On that
particular Sunday, of all days, the pastor spoke about money; especially
giving it to support his church and its programs.

My father-in-law was disgusted, and commented afterwards: Protestants are
no different than Catholics; all they care about is money. He never went
back. Had that pastor spoken about Christ instead of money, my father-in
law might have returned.

The same goes for tongue services, political activism, and people dancing
with rattlesnakes, shouting, shrieking, rolling on the floor and fainting in the
aisles. That kind of stuff is entertaining but certainly not conducive to
fulfilling Christ's command to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matt 28:18-20)

Sunday morning services are a mission field right here at home. A sharp
pastor will make sure that visitors leave his church with a full hour of real
gospel preaching to think about.

* Paul described evangelism as pastors fulfilling their ministry. (2Tim 4:5)
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335» Titus 2:2 . . Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound
in faith, in love, in perseverance.

I used to get my watches serviced by an aging repairman at a local mall
until the day finally came when I could no longer tolerate his manners. He
was around seventy-five years old, cantankerous as can be, and perpetually
cross. I often felt like asking him if he ever gave any thought to his future.
You know, heaven is a place of peace. A hateful man like that repairman
would not only never fit in there, but it wouldn't be fair to the others to
permit him in their world.

"Cantankerous" can be defined as: habitually ill-humored, irritable,
disagreeable, bearish, cankered, cranky, cross-grained, dour, morose, sour;
crabby, cross, crusty, huffy, petulant, prickly, snappish; dyspeptic, ill
conditioned, thin-skinned, complaining, and ill-natured.

A Christian man in old age really ought to be a sweet, mellow guy: a pal and
a big brother for the younger ones rather than somebody they'd prefer do
the world a favor by stepping in front of a bus.
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336» Titus 2:3a . . The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as
becomes holiness: not traducers,

Traducers are particularly ugly human beings; especially the kind that
misrepresent their own friends and say things about them that their friends
would never approve; thus needlessly disparaging their friends' reputations
save for the pure pleasure of having something to say about somebody.

Traducers aren't regular gossips, no, they're malicious gossips. Webster's
defines malice as: a deep-seated, often unexplainable desire to see another
suffer. In other words, traducers like to hurt people for no reason other than
that it's gratifying.
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337» Titus 2:3b . . The aged women: that they be not addicted to
much wine

A tolerable amount of wine isn't forbidden. It's the habitual consumption of
wine that's a no-no.

One of the problems associated with booze is it's negative effect upon the
heavy drinker's judgment, and also the way that alcohol sometimes
influences their mind's interpretation of reality.
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338» Titus 2:3c-5 . . The aged women: teach what is good, that they
may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their
children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their
own husbands, that the word of God may not be dishonored.

Far from teaching younger women to respect their husbands, feminism
encourages them to stand up to their husbands; and rather than be keepers
at home, feminism has them out seeking means to compete with men and
break the so-called glass ceiling; and rather than love their children,
feminism has them dominating their offspring in a domestic society
structured on divisions of labor, command and control, tyranny, and
regimentation. Those behaviors certainly can never be categorized as
honoring the word of God.

At the heart of women's hostility towards men is the drive to resist male
supremacy. Yet the very lord and master of Christianity, the supreme male
in the universe; demands death to a woman's self interests, and her
subordination to His monarchy.

"If you want to be my follower you must love me more than your own father
and mother, wife and children brothers and sisters-- yes, more than your
own life. And you cannot be my disciple if you do take up your own cross
and follow me." (Luke 14:26)

In The Lord's era, crosses were for executions. So when he told his disciples
to "take up their own cross" it meant stifling their own way; viz: it was a call
to abandon self interests, and comply with their Master's wishes.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies
as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of
worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and
approve what God's will is-- His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Rom 12:1-2)

That mandate runs 180° counter to modern feminism's self-aggrandizing
attitude that homemaking is oppressive and demeaning to women, and that
respect for one's husband is somehow abusive; which is obviously an
attitude that vilifies the word of God instead of honoring it.
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339» Titus 2:6 . . Similarly, encourage the young men to be sensible.

Just in case the young women were feeling a bit persecuted; Paul switches
over to the guys and urges them to be just as sensible as the girls; in other
words: to love their wives, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste,
keepers at home, and good; that the word of God not be dishonored.

Chastity is getting to be almost non-existent in America as more and more
male celebrities engage in extra-marital affairs. Not all that long ago
Governor Kitzhaber here in the state of Oregon was shacking up with a
woman right in broad daylight in the governor's mansion and cared not what
anybody thought about it. Former US President Clinton was naughty with a
women while he was in office, and former New York Governor Elliot Spitzer
was discovered to be seeing expensive escorts.

Paul urged Titus to "encourage" the young men in his church to be sensible;
which is quite a bit different than hounding them or getting on their backs.
There's an awful lot of young men out there today with metal pinned in their
faces and tattoos on their necks, taking ecstasy, smoking pot, joining gangs,
using meth, shoplifting, and missing school because the adults in their lives
refuse to let them grow up at their own pace.

Many years ago, before I was even interested in having a family of my own,
there was a cartoon in the newspaper comics called Rick-O-Shay. Rick was
sheriff in a small town out in the olde west. Well, he had a son that was a bit
immature and Rick was concerned the boy was never going to amount to
anything and he didn't know what to do about it.

So, while he was complaining about his son to his good friend Hipshot
Percussion (a local gunfighter) Hipshot interrupted and gave Rick some very
good words of wisdom. He said (in so many words): Instead of frettin' about
turning your son into someone you can admire, why not instead try and find
out who he is and go with that?

Relentless criticism and ridicule, unreasonable expectations, zero sympathy,
and disapproving everything they think, say, or do are the surest ways I
know to ruin a young man's attitude and drive him far, far from home.
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340» Titus 2:7-8 . . In all things show yourself to be an example of good
deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond
reproach, in order that those who oppose us may be put to shame, having
nothing bad to say.

Young men today desperately need morally sound, grown-up role models
because you can't just disapprove their life-style and not show them an
alternative; and the best way to do that is by your own example; viz:
instead of preaching to youngsters with words; preach to them with your
lifestyle.

NOTE: It's very important for church officers to practice what they preach
because conduct unbecoming reflects on Christ. (cf. 2Sam 12:14)
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341» Titus 2:9-10a . . Bond slaves are to be subject to their own masters in
everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering;

A bond slave is someone who has sold themselves into slavery for any
number of reasons. But the one aspect I would like to dwell on is pilfering
because this is a serious problem for employers here in the USA.

The Greek word translated "pilfering" basically means to squirrel something
aside for one's self, viz: embezzle; which Webster's defines as: to
appropriate (as property entrusted to one's care) fraudulently to one's own
use.

Embezzling isn't limited to strictly stealing money; no, it's also the misuse of
an employer's property such as company cars, office materials and office
equipment, and/or shop materials and shop equipment; including water and
electricity.

My last job before retiring was as a civilian employee with the US Army
Corps of Engineers in the Portland Oregon district. It was a violation of
Federal law for us to even take anything out of a dumpster, or use a battery
charger to jump-start our cars, or even to so much as pump up a low tire on
our cars with the air produced by a government air compressor. We were
definitely not supposed to use the government's computers for surfing the
web or composing personal e-mails.

Everything on the facility where I worked was US Government property,
including the trash, and could not be used in an unofficial capacity without
first obtaining special permission. Violators were subject to prosecution for
Fraud, Waste, and Abuse.

Unofficial use of office computers alone is costing employers multiplied
thousands of hours of wages and benefits paid to employees who are online
during working hours for personal reasons. The most outrageous case I
heard of at work was a lady downtown in the district office who was caught
conducting her Mary Kay cosmetics business via a US Government
computer; and on official time no less.

Those are examples of things from which Christ's followers are ordered to
cease and desist.
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342» Titus 2:10b . . but showing all good faith that they may adorn the
doctrine of God our savior in every respect.

When women buy a pretty new dress, they usually get things to go with it;
things we call accessories; like a purse, shoes, stockings, necklace, earrings,
and/or a watch and a bracelet. In the old days, women usually bought some
gloves to go with their new dress too-- thus they create an "ensemble"
which gives them a complete look rather than an unfinished look as if they
just threw the dress on to work around the house or run down to a nearby
convenience store.

Well, a believer who's merely a card-carrying Christian is like a pretty dress
without accessories. In point of fact, they are quite basic: just a house-dress
Christian. In other words; religion without piety is like leaving the house for
work in the morning half dressed.

NOTE: This touches on the very thing that hampered Cain's association with
God. Cain had religion, that much is evident (Gen 4:3) but he didn't have
piety. That much is evident too (Gen 4:7). In other words: Cain had a faith,
but his wasn't an "all good faith" like Abel's.
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343» Titus 2:15 . . These things speak and exhort and reprove with all
authority. Let no one disregard you.

I'm pretty sure this doesn't mean that pastors should speak with a bullying,
imperialistic, intimidating tone of voice. Pastors, after all, are supposed to be
shepherds rather than a bull o' the woods bossing a logging crew; so to
speak.

The Greek word for "disregard" basically means to depreciate; viz: to marginalize,
i.e. to consider superfluous, expendable, and/or nonessential.

Once a minister has been made to feel that he's weak and ineffective and/or
that in the grand scheme of things he doesn't really matter; then for sure
he'll lose heart in his vocation and likely won't give it his best effort. The
ministers with whom I've been in contact over the years all agree that one of
their most difficult personal obstacles to overcome is discouragement.
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344» Titus 3:1 . . Remind your people to submit to the government and its
officials. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good.

A popular form of anarchy here in the USA is something called civil
disobedience-- defined as the active, professed refusal of a citizen to obey
certain laws of the state, and/or demands, orders, and commands of a
government, or of an occupying international power; i.e. non compliance
with constituted law and order. In other words: civil disobedience is criminal.

Henry David Thoreau insisted that individuals should not permit
governments to overrule or atrophy their consciences, and that they have a
duty to avoid allowing such acquiescence to enable the government to make
them the agents of injustice.

At first glance, Thoreau's ideas makes good sense. However; it's important
to take into account that Thoreau was a secular humanist indifferent to the
dictates of a supreme being whose commandments, laws, rules, statutes,
and edicts trump all other forms of control. (cf. Rom 13:1-5)

Self-rule in accord with one's own standards got its start in the garden of Eden.

● Gen 3:22 . .Then the Lord God said: Behold, the man has become like one
of us, knowing good and evil.

Unfortunately the conscience that Adam obtained via tasting the forbidden
fruit transformed himself into a tin God guided by his intuition instead taking
directions from his maker.

Self-rule was the primary form of government during the Judges' era of
spiritual decadence in the land of Israel.

● Judg 17:6 . . In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did
that which was right in his own eyes.
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345» Titus 3:2 . . malign no one, be non-contentious, gentle, showing every
consideration for all men.

The Greek word translated "malign" means: to vilify, defined by Webster's
as: to lower in estimation or importance, and/or to utter abusive statements
against. In other words; it's is talking about tearing someone down and
changing people's impression of them; mostly for the worse. There's a lot of
that goes on in the world of politics.

It probably goes without saying that the kind of vilification were talking
about here is mean-spirited and unwarranted. For example; is it tearing a
Ponzi scheme mogul like Bernie Madoff down to say that he's a louse of
marginal integrity who can't be trusted with other people's money? No; the
man has been proven to be exactly that.

"non-contentious" refers to peaceable; i.e. not ready to fight at the drop of a
hat.

"gentle" actually means mild, i.e. temperate: exercising self restraint; viz:
controlling one's impulses.

"showing every consideration" is simply making an effort to avoid hurting
people's feelings for no good reason. This no doubt includes common
courtesy along with keeping a civil tongue in one's head.
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346» Titus 3:8 . .This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these
things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God
may be careful to engage in good deeds.

To "speak confidently" implies speaking with an assertive, "no buts"
attitude; viz: the things a preacher teaches his congregation should not be
open to debate and/or perpetual questions that never get to the bottom
of anything.

The Greek word for "deeds" is very common throughout the New Testament;
more often translated "works" than deeds. We're not talking about Boy
Scout kinds of deeds but just simply the spiritual morality of one's day to
day conduct; viz: a life that pleases God instead of one that irritates Him to
no end.

● Eph 4:30 . . Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were
sealed for the day of redemption.

NOTE: The protection from retribution afforded folks unified with Christ is a
done deal (1Cor 7:19-20 & Gal 3:13) The day of redemption likely refers to
redemption's entails, i.e. taking possession of something packaged but not
yet delivered. For example a new body (Rom 8:23-25) and a share in Jesus'
inheritance. (Rom 8:16-18)
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347» Titus 3:9 . . Shun foolish controversies, and genealogies, and strife,
and disputes about the Law; for they are unprofitable and worthless.

The "law" in question is the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with
God in the Old Testament. Disputes generally revolve around its
interpretation and its correct application. The Lord stipulated the formation
of a panel of lawyers to interpret the law for those among His people who
lacked the wherewithal to do it for themselves. (Deut 17:8-13, cf. Neh 8:7-8)

But since Christians are outside the covenant's jurisdiction, then they can
get by without those lawyers to interpret it for them; and besides; when you
consider there are nine Justices on the US Supreme Court who seldom agree
unanimously on anything, how much chance do you reckon a panel of
seventy has of reaching a consensus?

One of the "foolish controversies and genealogies" I would highly
recommend that believers avoid is Rome's roster of so-called apostolic
successors. Don't even go there. It's unprofitable, futile, and pointless to
strive over something like that. Pick your battles, and make sure your
conflicts accomplish something truly useful for Christ. And besides; the
Vatican has much bigger problems within its walls and its dogmas than that
one.
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