Walking With Christ

Webers.Home · May 30, 2021

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• 1Cor 5:6b . . Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump
of dough?

The first few chapters of the book of Revelation list several of Jesus'
complaints about specific churches. It's unlikely that every member of those
churches deserved criticism, but Jesus slammed them all as corporate bodies
rather than individuals. So then if, and/or when, those churches failed to
correct their shortcomings; the whole church-- the good and the bad --went
to the gallows, so to speak.

"Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in
fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Let us
therefore celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of
malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

. . . I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not
at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and
swindlers, or with idolaters; for then you would have to go out of the world.

. . . But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if
he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or
a drunkard, or a swindler-- not even to eat with such a one. For what have I
to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the
church? But those who are outside, God judges. Remove the wicked man
from among yourselves." (1Cor 5:7-13)

This is a good argument against church expansion. The bigger a
congregation gets, the more difficult it is to keep an eye on everyone's
conduct.

However; it's unreasonable to expect a perfectly sinless congregation, so we
should probably limit this culling business to outrageous insolence; for
example:

"For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen, because their speech
and their actions are against The Lord, to rebel against His glorious
presence. The expression of their faces bears witness against them, and
they display their sin like Sodom; they do not even conceal it." (Isa 3:8-9)

NOTE: If there's an old leaven, then there must be a new leaven; which, I
believe, requires an explanation.

Well; biblical leaven has practically nothing to do with yeast; after all, even
freshly milled flour contains an amount of naturally-occurring fungi so it's
just about impossible to find flour that doesn't contain some. But the
presence of fungi isn't the focus in leaven. It's all about age rather than
ingredients.

Naturally-occurring fungi will, in time, spoil even the very freshest lump of
dough. Old leaven then, probably speaks of dough that has been allowed to
spoil. Prior to cultured yeast; cooks would set aside some of their spoiled
dough as a starter for the next baking. (cf. Matt 13:33 & Luke 13:20-21)
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Webers.Home · May 31, 2021

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• 1Cor 5:6a . .Your boasting is not good.

The Corinthian church was liberal in its attitudes about intimacy. That's no
surprise considering that particular city's culture in their day and age.

Then, as now, liberals tend to think of themselves as sophisticated and
progressive; and vastly superior to stodgy, inflexible conservatives.

NOTE: An article recently in the Epoch Times shares some of the secrets of a
former KGB agent whose standard plan for moving countries towards
communism includes demoralization. He said that Americans make the task
easy because they were, and are, corrupting themselves on their own; and
actually accomplishing the task much quicker than the KGB could even
dream.

America's moral decadence began gaining momentum with the counter
culture back in the 1960s -- it continues to this day and, sort of like the
expansion of the cosmos, is picking up speed instead of slowing down as
might be expected.

» Years ago it wasn't unusual to be called a religious fanatic for believing the
Genesis account of the creation of Man and his two physical genders. Well;
here recently somebody online didn't call me a religious fanatic for believing;
instead they called me a bigot because I defend the Bible's physical gender
designations and refuse to accept the new political designations, e.g.
transgender and non binary.
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Webers.Home · Jun 1, 2021

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• 1Cor 6:1-6 . . If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it
before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do you not
know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world,
are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will
judge angels? How much more the things of this life!

. . .Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges
even men of little account in the church! I say this to shame you. Is it
possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute
between believers? But instead, one brother goes to law against another-and
this in front of unbelievers!

Apparently some of the Christians in the church at Corinth let the Sermon
On The Mount go in one ear and out the other.

"But I say unto you: That ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee
on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee
at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also." (Matt 5:39
40)

"Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? As you are going with
your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the
way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to
the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. I tell you, you will not get
out until you have paid the last penny." (Luke 12:57-59)

The Lord began his teaching in Luke with the words "Why don't you judge
for yourselves what is right?" In other words; if someone threatens to take
you to court over a tort matter, and you know good and well he's in the
right; don't force him to go to law. Instead, admit to your wrong and settle
out of court. According to The Lord, it’s unrighteous to tie up the courts
when you know your own self that you are the one who's in the wrong.
There's just simply no righteous reason why Christian defendants and
plaintiffs can't be their own judge and jury in tort matters.

"Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one
with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer
yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your
brethren." (1Cor 6:7-8)

The Greek word for "defraud" is apostereo (ap-os-ter-eh'-o) which is an
ambiguous word with more than one meaning, and more than one
application. The meaning that seems appropriate in this instance is
"deprive".

It works like this: Were I to trip and fall because of a crack in the walk
leading up to the front door of the home of one of my kin; I wouldn't haul
them into court over it because we're related; viz: any injury I might incur
by tripping and falling because of a crack in their walk would be a family
matter rather than a legal matter; and they have a right to be treated by me
as family rather than foes. Were I to sue them for tripping and falling due to
a crack in their walk; I would be depriving them of the lenience that kin
have a right to expect from one another.

"We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the
brethren. . . We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we
ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." (1John 3:14-16)

I think it's safe to say that if somebody is comfortable taking a fellow
Christian to court; then they certainly are not prepared to lay down their life
for the brethren.

It's sad to see relatives suing each other in court; but it happens all the
time. When the world does it; well, that's to be expected; but when
Christians sue each other; that's dysfunctional.
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Webers.Home · Jun 2, 2021

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• 1Cor 6:18 . . Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the
body; but he that commits fornication sins against his own body.

The Greek word for "fornication" is porneia (por-ni'-ah) which doesn't
especially mean pornography; it means harlotry; a term that Webster's
defines as sexual profligacy. Porneia would include things like prostitution,
adultery, promiscuity, date sex, free love, shacking up, one-night stands,
swingers, wife swapping, and that sort of thing.

The command is not to walk away from fornication; but to run away from it
as if your very life depends upon putting distance between you and it. The
same Greek word is used at Matt 2:13 where an angel instructed Joseph to
flee into Egypt in order to save his little boy's life.

Fleeing is different than shunning. I think what we're talking about here are
the times when a golden opportunity comes along to mess around with
somebody who is absolutely irresistible. Some people would call that getting
lucky; but in God's estimation, it's getting stupid if you play along and see
what happens.

Young Christian couples often want to know how far they can go with their
dates before they're into forbidden territory. Well, we all instinctively know
the upper limits, but since the lower limits aren't chipped in stone then I
would have to say let your own conscience be your guide in accordance with
The Lord's principles stipulated in the 14th chapter of Romans regulating
gray areas. The key principles are:

"Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." (Rom 14:5)

"Happy is he that feels no guilt in that thing which he allows." (Rom 14:22)

"He that doubts is guilty if he eats, because he eats not of faith: for
whatsoever is not of faith is sin." (Rom 14:23)

However, as an old senior guy of 72 who's been around the block a time or
two: I must forewarn youngsters that the human conscience is trainable.
What I mean is, if you manage to suppress your first-time pangs of guilt, the
second time will be easier; and each succeeding suppression of your
conscience gets easier and easier till the day comes when you feel no guilt at
all. In other words: you will eventually succeed in cauterizing your
conscience. (cf. 1Tim 4:1-2)

The phrase "sins against his own body" is sort of the same wording as at
1Cor 11:27 where it's said "whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of The
Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and
blood of The Lord."

Some Christians construe 1Cor 11:27 as murder. Well if so, then sinning
against one's own body would be suicide. But actually, what we're talking
about here is gross contempt and disrespect. In other words; Christian
fornicators are treating their body like a chamber pot instead of a holy
vessel; and all the while dragging God's Spirit into situations that He finds
extremely unbecoming.

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in
you, whom you have received from God?" (1Cor 6:19)

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

They're also dragging Christ into shame and disgrace too.

"Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I
then take the members of Christ and unite them with an harlot? Never! Do
you not know that he who unites himself with an harlot is one with her in
body? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh." (1Cor 6:14-16)
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Webers.Home · Jun 3, 2021

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• 1Cor 6:20 . . For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your
body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Christ's crucifixion and resurrection ransomed his followers from facing
justice and the second death in the scene depicted at Rev 20:11-15. That
was a mighty big favor, and I should think it earns him the right to expect a
favor in return. All things considered; conducting ourselves in ways that
honor God is really not too much to ask seeing as how it was He who
donated His No.1 son's life to pay the price for people's ransom. (1Pet 1:18
19)

"in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." (1Cor 6:20b)

Human life consists of not only body and spirit, but also soul. (1Thess 5:23,
Heb 4:12). So, that being the case; why isn't soul mentioned in 1Cor 6:20?
Well; I'm pretty sure it's implied by the pronoun "ye". In other words: soul
speaks of the person as a conscious, sentient being.

"Soul" is somewhat ambiguous. In the very beginning, the Hebrew word for
soul (nephesh) simply distinguished between fauna life and flora life.

It shows up first at Gen 1:20-21 as sea creatures and winged creatures.
Then again at Gen 1:24 as terra creatures; again at Gen 2:7 as the human
creature; again at Gen 2:19-20 as the creatures to whom Adam gave
names; and again at Gen 9:8-16 as all creatures aboard the ark, including
Noah and his family.

NOTE: Speaking of conscious, sentient beings: God's spirit is viewed by
some not as a person, but as a force. However, according to Isa 63:10 it's
possible to vex God's spirit. The Hebrew word for "vex" is 'atsab (aw-tsab')
which means distress, worry, pain, or anger. 'Atsab's first appearance in the
Bible is located at Gen 6:6, where it's stated:

"Jehovah was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him
to his heart."

'Atsab's equivalent in the New Testament is lupeo (loo-peh'-o). For example:

"Do not grieve the holy spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day
of redemption." (Eph 4:30)
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Webers.Home · Jun 4, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:2 . . To avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let
every woman have her own husband.

The above is especially pertinent in 2014 America. Fornication is
everywhere: on a pandemic scale. It's in our music, in our schools, in the
White House, in our offices, on our televisions, in our movies, in our novels,
and in our conversations. People are even sleeping together on their very
first dates.

Even Congressmen, Senators, and US Presidents are indulging in forbidden
love. A former Governor of Oregon was openly shacking up with a girlfriend.

According to the 2020 World Almanac and Book of Facts, there was a total of
3,855,500 live births in 2017. Of those, 1,534,000 were illegitimate (a.k.a.
non-marital) which means that nearly 40% of 2017's live births were the
result of immoral activity. Back in 1970, the ratio was only 10%.

This country is in a state of moral decadence, and steadily becoming more
and more like the ancient city of Pompeii just prior to its destruction by the
volcanism of Mt. Vesuvius.

It's important to note that 1Cor 7:2 makes it okay to marry for carnal
knowledge. My childhood religion taught me that it's a sin to marry for any
other reason except procreation and that couples who decide to remain
childless are living in sin. They get that from Genesis 1:28 where it's says:
"God blessed them; and God said to them: Be fruitful and multiply". But that
is clearly a blessing rather than a law. It's always best to regard blessings as
benefits and/or empowerment unless clearly indicated otherwise.

Ironically the original purpose of marriage was neither carnal knowledge nor
procreation; it was companionship. (Gen 2:18)
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Webers.Home · Jun 5, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:3-4 . . Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and
likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not authority of her
own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not
authority of his own body, but the wife.

What we're talking about in that verse is the principle of private property in
marriage that was established right from the get-go.

"And Adam said: This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she
shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a
man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and
they shall be one flesh." (Gen 2:23-24)

There are no specific Hebrew words for "wife". The word for wife in that
passage comes from the very same word as woman-- 'ishshah. The
possessive pronoun "his" identifies an 'ishshah as somebody's wife. The
same grammar works for husbands too, for example:

"And Leah said: God hath endued me with a good dowry; now will my
husband dwell with me, because I have born him six sons." (Gen 30:20)

The Hebrew word for "husband" in that verse is 'iysh which is a nondescript
word for males. The possessive pronoun "my" identifies a male as
somebody's husband.

So Eve became Adam's woman; and Adam of course became Eve's man.
They quite literally owned each other: consequently they had a right to all
that a conjugal relationship with each other implies.
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Webers.Home · Jun 6, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:5 . . Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a
time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together
again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

I think it goes without saying that spouses have an inalienable right to
expect their need for companionship to be satisfied in marriage; and if one,
or both, is feeling lonely and marginalized at home, then they will be
vulnerable outside the home when someone comes along with whom they
click.

I heard a story some time ago about a rather conniving Christian woman
who wanted a divorce from her Christian husband; but seeing as how God
only allows death or adultery to dissolve the marital bond; she deliberately
began shunning her husband in order to force him to think about finding an
alternative; and when he did; she proceeded to divorce him on the grounds
of unfaithfulness. That way, in her mind's eye, she was the victim and he the
villain. (chuckle) What people won't do to circumvent the laws of God.
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Webers.Home · Jun 7, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:8-9 . . Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for
them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves, they
should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn.

Paul said it's good to remain single; but he didn't say it's best.

The Greek word for "burn" is puroo (poo-ro'-o) which means: to kindle, to
ignite, to glow, and/or to be inflamed. I seriously doubt Paul meant to
convey the thought that the believers who lacked self control at Corinth
were in grave danger of the flames of hell since he had already assured
them in 1Cor 6:9-11 that they were washed, sanctified, and justified in the
name of The Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.

Paul was one of those kinds of men with a very low-powered libido. But not
everyone is like him; nor is everyone cut out to live alone.

Webster's defines "celibacy" as (1) the state of not being married, (2)
abstention from sexual intercourse, and (3) abstention by vow from
marriage. Celibacy then, isn't limited to zero carnal activity; it includes zero
marriage; even platonic unions.

Not long ago, a Catholic priest here in Oregon quit the priesthood after
serving more than 30 years in order to get married because he couldn't
stand being alone anymore. He wasn't especially looking to get naked with
somebody, he just wanted a companion; which is exactly how normal guys
are designed.

"The Lord God said: It's not good for Adam to be solitary" (Gen 2:18)

The problem with a vow of celibacy is that although it may hinder a priest
from getting married, it does nothing to prevent him from pining for a
female companion. 1Cor 7:9 should suffice to silence the mouths of ascetics
who preach it's holy to abstain from every form of earthly pleasure; and also
the mouths of those who preach it's a sin to marry solely to obtain someone
to sleep with.

NOTE: Typical wedding vows are unconditional, i.e. couples, as a rule, don't
promise to love each other in proportion to the amount of love they get from
the other. It would be educational for couples to review their vows now and
again to see just how conscientious they've been in complying with the
unconditional portions of their vows.
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Webers.Home · Jun 9, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:10-11a . . Unto the married I command— yet not I, but The Lord
let not the wife depart from her husband: but and if she depart, let her
remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband.

Divorcing a man for any cause other than infidelity is unacceptable (Mat
5:32). However, according to Christ's sabbath teachings, the safety and
welfare of human life takes priority over strict observance of religious laws
and customs; which tells me that women can, and no doubt should, walk out
on abusive husbands and get away from them.
_

Webers.Home · Jun 10, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:11b . . and let not the husband put away his wife.

A man doesn't have sufficient scriptural grounds for divorce just by his wife
walking out on him. Now should his estranged wife take up with a lover
during their separation; that would definitely be sufficient. (Matt 19:9)
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Webers.Home · Jun 11, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:12-13 . . If any brother hath a wife that believeth not, and she be
pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And the woman which
hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her,
let her not leave him.

It's very common for marriages to start off on common ground, and then
later on to become religiously divided; like for instance when one of the
spouses gets converted at a Luis Palau crusade. As long as the situation
doesn't cause intolerable friction in the home, the couple should stay
together.

"For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving
wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean,
but now they are holy." (1Cor 7:14-15)

According to Matt 5:32 and Matt 19:9, divorce and remarriage are holy only
if one of the spouses has been unfaithful. So; if a believing spouse divorces
their unbelieving spouse on the grounds of religious differences, and
remarries; then as far as the New Testament is concerned, any children
produced in a second marriage will be illegitimate.
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Webers.Home · Jun 12, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:15 . . But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a
sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

In this situation, Christians are neither required, nor encouraged, nor under
even the slightest obligation to attempt reconciliation; rather, "let him
depart" strictly forbids getting back together with the unbeliever.

The unbeliever's departure is a golden opportunity, to permanently resolve a
difficult situation, that Christ's followers would be foolish to let slip through
their fingers.
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Webers.Home · Jun 13, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:17 . . But as God hath distributed to every man, as The Lord hath
called every one, so let him walk.

"distribution" is likely talking about spiritual gifts. All of Christ's believing
followers are supposed to have at least one.

"Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are
differences of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities
of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the
manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one
is given by the Spirit, yada, yada, yada." (1Cor 12:5-8)

The "call" is likely the venue where each individual's gift is put to good use
for The Lord. I don't think we need to worry about how to find that venue;
it'll find us. Thing is, stay in your own zone; don't crash somebody else's
party and/or stick your nose into something that's none of your spiritual
business.
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Webers.Home · Jun 14, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:18a . . Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become
uncircumcised.

It was of course impossible to literally reverse circumcision in Paul's day.
However, there did exist a procedure to ceremoniously reverse it. (cf.
1Maccabees 1:15)

"Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised." (1Cor 7:18b)

The circumcision in question is ritual circumcision; specifically the initiation
rite into Judaism.

Paul's advice is very practical because when men undergo Judaism's
circumcision rite, they obligate themselves to comply with the covenant that
Moses' people agreed upon with God on oath per Exodus, Leviticus,
Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

As a result; they put themselves in danger of God slamming them with the
curses for noncompliance listed at Lev 26:3-38, Deut 27:15-26, and Deut
28:1-69. (cf. Gal 3:10)

All one has to do is research the last 3,500 years of the Jews' history, up to
and including the Holocaust, to see for themselves that God is serious about
those curses.

FAQ: If 1Cor 7:18b is a hard and fast rule, then why did Paul circumcise
Timothy at Acts 16:1-3?

A: The procedure wasn't done to initiate Timothy into Judaism, but rather,
so that the Jews wouldn't make an issue of Paul associating with an
uncircumcised Gentile which, in their minds, would effectively invalidate his
message.

A similar problem exists today among Christians fixated on the King James
translation of the Bible. They will not listen to a teacher, not even a Spirit
empowered teacher, unless he quotes from the KJV. In their minds; all who
use any other version are heretics right from the get-go.
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Webers.Home · Jun 15, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:20 . . Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when
God called him.

I once knew a really good Catholic man who felt guilty never going out as a
missionary to a foreign land to help people less fortunate than himself. Well,
I assured him that somebody has to stay back here in the States and hold
down a job in order to earn the money needed to finance missions already in
place.

The ratio of soldiers in the rear compared to the ones at the front is
something like six to one. It takes a massive support base to keep our guys
on the line out there facing off with the other guys; all the way from workers
in state-side factories manufacturing war materiel, to the sailors, soldiers,
and airmen moving men and materiel over land and seas, to the doctors and
nurses staffing MASH facilities, to the guys and girls driving supply trucks to
the front. We can't all be in the doo-doo. Somebody has to be in the rear
with the gear.

So take comfort in knowing that if you're involved in the effort, then you're a
part of the effort; and will be rewarded accordingly. (cf. 1Sam 30:1-25 and
Matt 20:1-16)
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Webers.Home · Jun 16, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:21-22 . . Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about
it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. For he who is called in The
Lord while a slave is The Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while
free is Christ's slave.

Were this the only life, then slavery would be a terrible fate because there
would be nothing better to look forward to; viz: Christian slaves should think
of their situation as only a temporary set-back. They're missing out on the
best that life has to offer for now, but I'm pretty sure they can look forward
to Christ making it up to them in the next life.

The situation of Christians behind bars, without possibility of either release
or parole, is little different than that of slaves. However, though their time
inside may be for life, it isn't permanent. No, their time inside is just a bump
in the road: it's not the end of the road.

As I was watching a prison documentary on NetFlix some time ago, one of
the inmates interviewed-- an elderly man sweeping with a broom out in the
yard --said, in so many words: Guys come in here thinking their life is over.
It ain't over, it's just different.

That old guy was a lifer, but he was at peace with his situation-- an amazing
attitude for an institutionalized man with no hope of ever again having a
normal life on the outside.
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Webers.Home · Jun 17, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:23 . .You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men.

In other words; selling your body is one thing, while selling your soul is quite
another; Christ has first dibs on that so don't even think about it.

The point is; whether bonded or free, every believer is indentured to The
Lord. But it is his wish that believers remain free rather than make a habit of
indenturing themselves to humans primarily because a free man's labor
earns him wages: a portion of which can be donated towards The Lord's
work; while a slave earns no wages to donate towards The Lord's work.
Also; a free man is at liberty to move about and make himself useful to The
Lord, while a slave's movements are pretty much limited to their human
master's jurisdiction.
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Webers.Home · Jun 18, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:24 . . Brethren, let each one remain with God in the situation in
which he was called.

If you're a slave; don't become a runaway slave. If you're a secretary, don't
quit your job and/or abandon your husband to run off and become another
Joan of Arc. Stay put; always keeping in mind that whether slave, free, or
crusader; will make no difference in your association with God.
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Webers.Home · Jun 19, 2021

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• 1Cor 7:25 . . Now about virgins: I have no command from The Lord, but I
give a judgment as one who by The Lord's mercy is trustworthy.

The Greek word for "virgins" is parthenos (par-then'-os) which basically
refers to maidens and/or unmarried daughters.

There's an ancient temple in Greece called the Parthenon; which was at one
time a sort of shrine to the goddess Athena (a.k.a. Minerva). Apparently it
was common for Athena's followers to donate their young girls to her
service.

I'm guessing that the Christians in ancient Corinth, influenced by Greek and
Roman culture, were curious whether they were supposed to donate their
young girls to Christ's service; viz: make nuns of them; which of course
would seal them into celibacy and thus preclude the possibility of ever
having a man and a family of their own.

» Paul's claim to be "trustworthy" is saying that he could be relied upon to
speak as Christ and for Christ on certain issues without having to first
inquire The Lord's mind about them.

That's a pretty advanced degree of inspiration when somebody is 110%
confident that their thoughts on a matter are God's thoughts.
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Walking With Christ

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