Romans 14

Romans 14 lists SPHERES OF LIFE not part of the doubtful disputations of the church of Christ which is the ekklesia, synagogue or school of the Bible. It has no structure, staff or "funding means" to go beyond and build humanistic institutions. This provides some background to the three SECTS in Rome: they were all identified by diet which would be recognized in the marketplace when people normally gathered.  The only elements included are DIET and the DAYS they obsserved.  Neither of these had any relationship to the kingdom. The Christians assembled or synagogued as a "school of the Bible" which is defined in Romans 15 both inclusively.  Neither the diversities of private life nor predjuices should prevent everyone assemblying "uncomtaminated" because the only purpose was to read and teach the Word of God.

Gal. 4:3 Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: kosmos , ho, A.order, kata kosmon in order, duly, 4. of states, order, government II. ornament, decoration, esp. of women, Il.14.187, Hes.Op. 76, Hdt.5.92.“ē; gunaikeios k.” Pl.R.373c  metaph., of ornaments of speech, such as epithets, Id.9.9 (pl.), Arist.Rh.1408a14, Po.1457b2, 1458a33; hadumelē k. keladein to sing sweet songs of praise, Pi.O.11 (10).13 kela^d-eō, 2. of persons, shout aloud, atar keladēsan Akhaioi, in applause, Il.23.869; “eme dei k.” Pratin. Lyr. 1.3, cf. B.l.c.; “keladeonti amphi Kinuran phamai” Pi.P.2.15: c. acc. cogn., “k. humnous” II. trans., sing of, celebrate loudly, t kosm-eō ,  2. metaph., adorn, embellish, “logous” E.Med.576; “logous rhēmasi te kai onomasi kekosmēmenous 2. generally, arrange, prepare, “dorpon ekosmei” Od. 7.13; “k. aoidēn ē” Bacch.59; “erga” Hes.Op.306; aoid-ē 1. art of song, “autar aoidēn thespesiēn aphelonto” 2. act of singing, song, with S.Ant.883; “luras a.” E.Med. 425(lyr.). 5. = eppsdē, spell, incantation, “okhēes ōkeiais . . anathrōskontes aoidais” A.R.4.42, cf. 59. ōdē ,  Opposite. lexis, 2. = epōdos, magic song, spell, Longus 2.7. lexis , eōs, hē, (legō B) A.speech, Opposite ōdē, Pl.Lg.816d 4. text of an author, opposite. exegesis, autais lexesi or kata lexin word for word, Hes. WD 306 Both gods and men are angry with a man who lives idle, [305] for in nature he is like the stingless drones who waste the labor of the bees, eating without working; but let it be your care to order your work properly, that in the right season your barns may be full of victual. Gal. 4:4 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son,         made of a woman, made under the law, Gal. 4:5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Matt. 17:25 He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Matt. 17:26 Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free. Gal. 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit OF his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Gal. 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Gal. 4:8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. Gal. 4:9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? THE WEAK GREEK;  asthen-ēs , es, INFIRMO To invalidate, disprove, refute To annul, make void contradict 5. [select] insignificant, “ouk asthenestatos sophistēs Hellēnōn” Hdt.4.95; paltry, “a. sophisma” A.Pr.1011; THOSE WHO ARE WEAK:--Sophis-tēs , ou, ho, A. master of one's craft, adept, expert, of diviners, Hdt.2.49; of poets, “meletan sophistais prosbalon” Pi.I.5(4).28, cf. Cratin.2; of musicians, “sophistēs . . parapaiōn khelun” with modal words added, Prietly person Making Melody in the Assembly “hoi s. tōn hierōn melōn”Ael.NA11.1   Apollōnos [Apollo, Abaddon, Apollyon]  poiētai, humnous idekaisuggrapheis, compose a speech The WEAK Latinin-firmus   less nourishing,  Of things, of no weight or consequence, weak, trivial, inconclusive: II.    Trop., weak in mind or character, superstitious, pusillanimous, inconstant, light-minded: “tenuis atque infirmi haec animi videri,” Caes. B. C. 1, 32: “quippe minuti Semper et infirmi est animi voluptas ultio,” [passonate] Juv. 13, 190: vŏluptas, satisfaction, enjoyment, pleasure, delight  an officer in the imperial household,” master of the revels, Suet. Tib. 42 fin.— A. Of persons, as a term of endearment: “mea voluptas,” my joy, my charmer, B. Voluptates, sports, shows, spectacles, given to the people, Cic. Mur. 35, 74: “ne    "Are you asking employment as a pimp from a band of luxurious youths"  minimo quidem temporis voluptates intermissae,” Tac. H. 3, 83; C. The desire for pleasure, bent, passion: “suam voluptatem explere,” Ter. Hec. 1, 1, 12; cf. Plaut. Am. prol. 19;

Paul's TWO THREADS is parallel to those of Jesus:
As the Spirit of Christ He commanded the Holy Convovations on special days and the Sabbath.

By direct command the Spirit of Christ defined the assembly in Numbers 10 and elsewhere as a Holy Convocation. Both vocal and instrumental rejoicing were outlawed because the Qahal, synagogue or church in the wilderness was a school of the Bible.  No one every thought of a "praise service" in the synagoguge.

Miqra (h4744) mik-raw'; from 7121; something called out, i. e. a public meeting (the act, the persons, or the place); also a rehearsal: - assembly, calling, convocation, reading.

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. Ne.8:8

As examples:

1. Jesus grew up and attended the synagogue: He stood up to read the Scriptures and then sat down for dialog.
2. He cast out the musical minstrels "like cung} before His healing work.
3. He consigned the pipers, singers and dancers to the marketplace where Paul left the sects in Romans 14

Heb. 10:24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
Heb. 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,
        as the manner of some is;
        but exhorting one another:
        and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

1997. episunagoge, ep-ee-soon-ag-o-gay´; from 1996; a complete collection; especially a Christian meeting (for worship):  assembling (gathering) together.
1996. episunago, ep-ee-soon-ag´-o; from 1909 and 4863; to collect upon the same place:
4863.  sunago, soon-ag´-o; from 4862 and 71; to lead together, i.e. collect or convene; specially, to entertain (hospitably): + accompany, assemble (selves, together), bestow, come together, gather (selves together, up, together), lead into, resort, take in.
4864.  sunagoge, soon-ag-o-gay´; from (the reduplicated form of) 4863; an assemblage of persons; specially, a Jewish “synagogue” (the meeting or the place); by analogy, a Christian church:  assembly, congregation, synagogue.

It is not possible to suppose that the diversities Paul excludes can be imposed on the assembly in the name of Christian liberty.

Tertullian: "After the immediate sense of Scripture has been exhausted, it fortifies the practice of the religious life."

When God pours out His WRATH the Greek word is ORGE: This is marked by PLEASURING forms of music which Paul OUTLAWS for the synagogue in Romans 15.

Paul always POINTS to some existing practice in order to correct it. Pagan religionism attempted to regulate people and burdened them with real "taxes" and with "spiritual anxiety created by religious rituals.'

Jesus died to give us REST which is a highly dedicated Greek word which means: "stop the performance speaking, stop the singing, stop the singing" and just STOP whatever you are doing. "Come to ME and I will rive you Rest" or "Come learn of Me.

Jesus built His ekklesia or synagogue or school of the Bible: just as the synagogue under the Law was to quarantine the general population from the sacrificial system, the Lord's Day quarantines us from the practices of religionism.

DIETARY PRACTICES NOT PART OF THE ASSEMBLY

Romans 14:1 HIM that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

Astheneo (g770) as-then-eh'-o; from 772; to be feeble (in any sense): - be diseased, impotent folk (man), (be) sick, (be, be made) weak.

Doubtful Disputing OUTLAWED for the synagogue or ekklesia:

Acts 24:12 And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:

Dialegomai (g1256) dee-al-eg'-om-ahee; mid. from 1223 and 3004; to say thoroughly, i.e. discuss (in argument or exhortation): - dispute, preach (unto), reason (with), speak.

The Exegetical Dictionary notes that...Even when dialogismos has a specialized use, the essential connection with the general NT meaning of doubting or calculating consideration is retained. (Balz, H. R., & Schneider, G. . Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans)

Chiefly in the N.T. in an evil sense, of reasonings that are the outcome of self-will, reasonings of the natural mind in independence of God. So in the LXX (e.g., Lam. 3:60), “imaginations.”...Dialogismos sometimes means inward questioning, sometimes dispute... the inward reasonings which find expression in controversy and contention. (Vine, W. Collected Writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson )

Self-pleasure OUTLAWED when the elders call YOU means to raise up in mental excitement something Jesus consigned ot the Agora or marketplace.

agoraios  A.in, of, or belonging to the agora, Zeus
II.frequenting the market, skilled in, suited for forensic speaking,

The FUNCTION of poetry or music or any of the hypocritical arts (Pharisees and Scribes) is to "lift up to carry you away (heresy) for their own USES."

Raise up is

Poieo (g4160) to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct): - invent, exercise, fulfil, gain, give, have, hold, * raising up, * secure, shew, * shoot out, spend, take, tarry, / transgress the law, work, yield. Comp. 4238 [practice habitually, collect dues]<>
poieô  4. after Hom., of Poets, compose, write, p. dithurambon, poet, comedian, dramatist, representing in poetry, festive, celebrate, rouse anger or war, tragedian, compose poetry,

A dithramb is a bombastic speech or arousal songs worshiping Dionysus (the god of the New Wineskins). It includes "crying out"

ROMANS 14 DOES NOT PERMIT UNBIBLICAL PRACTICES

We know that Paul is defining private practices which are NOT WRONG WITHIN THEMSELVES and which do not bring reproach upon Christ. Private opinion would allow one to eat meat which had been handled by pagans: it would not allow a person to engage in idolatry and be a "strong" believer leading an assembly.

We know the PRIVATE PRACTICES of the two major sects in Rome and both had DIVERSITIES which would not exclude our food fellowship. However, those opinions were not "fodder" for the disputation or dialog which the idea "ekklesia" demands and Paul practiced as the meaning of "preaching."

The rejection of "pleasuring" would be EXCLUSIVE of the arousal singing or music of the pagans and would be INCLUSIVE of teaching one another using "that which is written" or "Scripture.

The assembly was something for the believers and was not an EVANGELISTIC TOOL. Therefore, early churches did not permit people "of the world" into the core of fellowship which was psalm singing and the Lord's Supper.

That does not leave anything not consistent with the "school of the Bible" as diversity which must be tolerated in the assembly.

If we assume that our opinion is a LAW established in Scripture then we should see examples or "case law" in the letters or early church history. The Apostolic Constitutions rewritten from earlier documenta about the year 205 for those identified as the church of Christ contains the following:

If one belonging to the theatre

(1) come, whether it be man or woman, or charioteer, or dueller, or racer, or player of prizes, or Olympic gamester, or one that plays on the pipe, on the lute, or on the harp at those games, or a dancing-master or an huckster,

(2) either let them leave off their employments, or let them be rejected. If a soldier come, let him be taught to "do no injustice, to accuse no man falsely, and to be content with his allotted wages:"

(3) if he submit to those rules, let him be received; but if he refuse them, let him be rejected. He that is guilty of sins not to be named, a sodomite, an effeminate person, a magician, an enchanter, an astrologer, a diviner, an user of magic verses, a juggler, a mountebank, one that makes amulets, a charmer, a soothsayer, a fortune-teller, an observer of palmistry; he that, when he meets you, observes defects in the eyes or feet of the birds or cats, or noises, or symbolical sounds:

let these be proved for some time, for this sort of wickedness is hard to be washed away; and if they leave off those practices, let them be received; but if they will not agree to that, let them be rejected.

(4) but if she be incontinent with others, let her be rejected. If one of the faithful hath a concubine, if she be a bond-servant, let him leave off that way, and marry in a legal manner: if she be a free woman, let him marry her in a lawful manner; if he does not, let him be rejected. Let him that follows the Gentile customs, or Jewish fables, either reform, or let him be rejected.

If any one follows the sports of the theatre, their huntings, or horse-races, or combats, either let him leave them off, or let him be rejected.

Let him who is to be a catechumen be a catechumen for three years; but if any one be diligent, and has a good-will to his business, let him be admitted: for it is not the length of time, but the course of life, that is judged.

Let him that teaches, although he be one of the laity, yet, if he be skilful in the word and grave in his manners, teach; for "they shall be all taught of God."

ROMANS 14 APPLIES TO "OUTSIDE OF THE ASSEMBLY"

1 COR 11:17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not,
............ that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.

Sunerchomai (g4905) soon-er'-khom-ahee; from 4862 and 2064; to convene, depart in company with, associate with, or (spec.) cohabit (conjugally): - accompany, assemble (with), come (together), come (company, go) with, resort.

One of the things EXCLUDED from the assembly of the kingdom is thieves and extortioners. Paul said that if the collection for the DESTITUTE was made after or while he was in Corinth just his presence would be an EXTORTING INFLUENCE. Therefore, there is no JOB DESCRIPTION for professionals who see Godliness as a means of financial gain.

1 Cor 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers,
............ nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Cor 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified,
........... but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus,
............and by the Spirit of our God.

1 Cor 6:12 All things are lawful unto me,
............ but all things are not expedient:
............ all things are lawful for me,
............ but I will not be brought under the power of any.

1 Cor 6:13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats:
........... but God shall destroy both it and them.
............ Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord;
............ and the Lord for the body.

1 Cor 6:14 And God hath both raised up the Lord,
............ and will also raise up us by his own power.

Therefore, in chapter 8 Paul shows where they EAT MEAT and OBSERVE DAYS. There simply is NO place for observing special days when the assembly meets for EDUCATION ONLY.

1 Cor 8:8 But meat commendeth us not to God:
............ for neither, if we eat, are we the better;
............ neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.

1 Cor 8:9 But take heed lest by any means
............ this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.

1 Cor 8:10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge
............ sit at meat in the idols temple,
............ shall not the conscience of him which is weak
............ be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;

The church does nothing to burden or produce anxiety or to tempt the weak. Rather, "Ministers" are servants and support the weak:

Astheneo (g770) as-then-eh'-o; from 772; to be feeble (in any sense): - be diseased, impotent folk (man), (be) sick, (be, be made) weak.

1 Th 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren,
............ warn them that are unruly,
............ comfort the feebleminded,
............ support the weak,
............ be patient toward all men.

We SUPPORT the weak by HOLDING FAST to them.

Tit.1:9 Holding fast the faithful word
............ as he hath been taught,
............ that he may be able by sound doctrine
............ both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

Tit. 1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers,
............ specially they of the circumcision:

Tit 1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped,
............ who subvert whole houses,
............ teaching things which they ought not,
............ for filthy lucres sake.

Act s 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, ......and to the word of his grace, ......which is able to build you up, ......and to give you an inheritance among ......all them which are sanctified. Rom 15:14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, .. that ye also are full of goodness, .. filled with all knowledge, .. able also to admonish one another.

Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things .. were written aforetime .. were written for our learning, .. that we through patience .. and comfort of the scriptures .. might have hope. Rom 15:5 Now the God of patience and consolation .. grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: Rom 15:6 That ye may .. with one mind .. and one mouth .. glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

If the established assembly is competent to teach one another then Paul proves that the "ministers" of the church have dedicated themselves as vocational ministers. Rather than TAKE they work so that they can GIVE.

Act s 20:33 I have coveted no mans silver, or gold, or apparel.

Act s 20:34 Yea, ye yourselves know,
............ that these hands have ministered unto my necessities,
............ and to them that were with me.

Act s 20:35 I have shewed you all things,
............ how that so labouring
............ ye ought to support the weak,
............ and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus,
............ how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

BEING SUPERSTITIOUS ABOUT DAYS NOT OF THE KINGDOM OR CHURCH RELATED

Romans 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another:
another esteemeth every day alike.
........... Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NOT ABOUT ANYTHING BUT THE WEEKLY EDIFICATION OR EDUCATION OF THE DISCPLES.

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink;
........... but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Jesus comforts through "that which is written" or the Scripture in Romans 15. The words of Jesus Christ are water and food for our souls. If we do not have joy in the Word as it has been preached then we have no hope or comfort>

Ps.119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Jer 15:16 Thy words were found,
........... and I did eat them; and
........... thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for
........... I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.

Jer 15:17 I sat
.......... not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced;
.......... I sat alone because of thy hand:
........... for thou hast filled me with indignation.

Mt.13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places,
........... the same is he that heareth the word,
........... and anon with joy receiveth it;

1Th.1:6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord,
........... having received the word in much affliction,
........... with joy of the Holy Ghost:

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

John 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him,
......... Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

Heb.6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened,
......... and have tasted of the heavenly gift,
......... and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,

Heb.6:5 And have tasted the good word of God,
......... and the powers of the world to come,

Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away,
......... to renew them again unto repentance;
......... seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh,
......... and put him to an open shame.

In chapter 15 Paul will say that the COMFORTER comforts through "that which is written" or scripture.

Romans 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things
........... which make for peace, and
........... things wherewith one may edify another.

THEREFORE, Romans 15 defines the EDIFICATION or EDUCATION ASSEMBLY.

Ro.15:2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

JESUS DEFINES HIS MISSION

John 18:36 Jesus answered,
...........My kingdom is not of this world:
.......... if my kingdom were of this world,
.......... then would my servants fight,
.......... that I should not be delivered to the Jews:
.......... but now is my kingdom not from hence.

John 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him,
.......... Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king.
.......... To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world,
........... that I should bear witness unto the truth.
........... Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.

PAUL DEFINES THE FORM OF THE CHURCH

And when he [Barnabus at Tarsus] had found him, he brought him unto Antioch.
........... And it came to pass, that a whole year
........... they assembled [sunagog] themselves with the church,
........... and taught much people.
........... And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. Ac.11:26

DISPUTING OR DIALOGING IS PERMITTED ONLY ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.

And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months,
........... disputing and persuading
............the things concerning the kingdom of God. Acts 19:8

Dialegomai (g1256) dee-al-eg'-om-ahee; mid. from 1223 and 3004; to say thoroughly, i.e. discuss (in argument or exhortation): - dispute, preach (unto), reason (with), speak.

There is no way to SPEAK or SAY and SING and make music as the same time. Paul ALWAYS dialogs. Jesus always dialogs or speaks. Any form of "music" intends to add something and was always known as second or third removed from truth.

"According to Philo, the gods of the pagans exploit this weakness of men. For the sake of a better effect, and

with the intention of more easily cheating their devotees,
they have set their lies to melodies, rhythms and meters.

"Philodemus takes offense at the fact that, in cultic music, the inner sentiment is lacking while this so-called worship is offered to the gods only for payment.

"Philo, too, stressed the necessity of religious inwardness in preference to the cult of sacrifice:"God has no joy in sacrifices, my dear sir, even if one should offer him hecatombs, for everything belongs to him.

Celsus said that it was well known that "music pertained only to the lowest gods, the demons,

and that the highest divine being had no need of melodies and sounds. And again, Philo claimed that:

One cannot truly offer thanks to God as the vast majority of men do, with external effects, consecrated gifts and sacrifices..., but rather with songs of praise and hymns - not such as the audible voice sings, but such as are raised and re-echoed by the invisible mind. (Philo, De Plantations 126 (II 148 Cohn-Wendland) Quoted by (Quasten, p. 52)

BY DEFINITION ANY FOR OF SINGING WHICH IS "MUSICAL" IS EXCLUDED.

Psalmus , i, m., = psalmos, i. q. psalma,
I. a psalm (eccl. Lat.; cf.: carmen, hymnus), Tert. adv. Prax. 11 ; Lact. 4, 8, 14; 4, 12, 7; Vulg. Isa. 38, 20.--Esp., the Psalms of David, Vulg. Luc. 20, 42; id. Act. 13, 33 et saep.

Canto I. Neutr., to produce melodious sounds (by the voice or an instrument), to sound, sing, play (class. in prose and poetry; rare in Cic.)

2. Of the singing pronunciation of an orator, to declaim in a singing tone, to sing, drawl: si cantas, male cantas, si legis, cantas

C. Hence, because the oracles were of old uttered in verse, of any mysterious, prophetic, or warning utterance, to predict, warn, point out, indicate, make known, say

III. In the lang. of religion, as v. n. or a., to use enchantments, charms, incantations, to enchant, to charm,

"Hallel, in Jewish ritual, selection from the Psalms, chanted as part of the liturgy during certain festivals. The more frequently used selection includes Psalms 113-118 and is known as the Egyptian Hallel, presumably because Psalm 114 begins, "When Israel went out of Egypt"

It is sung in synagogues on the first two days of Passover, on Shabuoth, on Sukkot, on each morning of the eight days of Hanukkah, and at the close of the Seder.

"The Hallel through the generations, on specific occasions: Pesachim 117a
"Hallel requires a full stomach and a satisfied spirit: Taanis 25b-26a
The reading is beloved to the people, and so they listen closely: Megillah 21b

"The Hallel as an Institution of the Prophets, to use to pray for salvation from danger: Pesachim 117a [2x] Saying the Hallel daily is blasphemous: Shabbos 118b

Paul said SPEAK. And the word ODE further defines "sing" as "Hebrew Cantillation." That means SPEAK which is the word always understood of RELIGIOUS speaking.

The Oracles of God is THAT WHICH HAS BEEN TAUGHT. There is no IMPROVIZING or COMPOSING or PRIVATE INTERPRETATON which means FURTHER EXPOUNDING.

AN ORACLE IS log-ion , to,
A. oracle, esp. one preserved from antiquity, Hdt. 4.178, 203, 8.60.g, Plu.Thes.26, Lys.22:

1Pe.4:11 If any man speak,
........... let him speak as the oracles of God;
........... if any man minister,
........... let him do it as of the ability which God giveth:
........... that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ,
........... to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

more freq. in pl., oracles, Hdt.1.64, 8.62, 141, E.Heracl.405, Ar.Eq.120, al., Plu.Fab.4, Marc.3: distd. fr. chrêsmoi, Th.2.8 (the former being prose, the latter verse, acc. to Sch., but this distn. does not hold), cf. Plu.Pel.20, Nic.13, 2.412c.

In ALL cases the oracles were SPOKEN "as they had been delivered."

2. ta l. Kuriou the sayings of the Lord, LXX Ps.11(12).6, cf.Act.Ap.7.38, Ep.Rom.3.2, 1 Ep.Pet.4.11.

Acts 7:37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel,
........... A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren,
........... like unto me; him shall ye hear.

Acts 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness
........... with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina,
........... and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

Acts 7:39 To whom our fathers would not obey,
........... but thrust him from them, and
........... in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,

The Israelites turned to musical idolatry in order to SILENCE the Word of God.

HISTORY PROVES THAT SINGING AS AN ACT OF WORSHIP WAS NOT ADDED UNTIL THE YEAR 373 AND THEOLOGIANS CONDEMNED IT.

Clement Pedagogue 3

After having paid reverence to the discourse about God,
........... they leave within [the church] what they have heard.

And outside they foolishly amuse themselves with impious playing,
........... and amatory quavering,
........... occupied with flute-playing,
........... and dancing, and intoxication,
...........and all kinds of trash.

THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS, THE PROMISE TO BUILD HIS EKKLESIA OR SCHOOL OF THE BIBLE AND THE DIRECT COMMAND IN ROMANS 15 WHICH DOES NOT TOLERATE THE DIVERSITIES OF PEOPLE'S PRIVATE LIVES WAS TO QUARANTINE CHRISTIANS FROM ANCIENT AND MODERN RELIGIONS CONSISTING OF INSTITUTIONS AND CEREMONIES

THERFORE, I WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND TO THE MAJOR SECTARIAN GROUPS IN ROME. THE CHURCH COULD NOT ACCOMODATE THESE DIVERSITIES BUT THE CHURCH COULD BE A SCHOOL OF THE BIBLE WITHOUT RESPECT TO WHAT PEOPLE ALREADY BELEIVED.

FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS THE CHURCH REPUDIATED DISPUTATIONS OR SERMONIZING ABOUT THE BIBLE OR THE SOCIAL CONDITION. SCRIPTURE OFTEN WARNS THAT IF THEY DON'T "TEACH THAT WHICH HAS BEEN TAUGHT" THEY ARE MARKED AS FALSE TEACHERS.

Paul warns us all about religious FESTIVALS which were always devoted to the worship of demons: at Mount Sinai it was the Bull Apis representing the Egyptian Triad of Father Osiris, Mother Isis and "baby" Horus. The PLAY was musical idolatry which is well documented by many history writers of the period.

In 1 Cor 10 and Romans 10 Paul warned about this DEMON WORSHIP specificially connected with the SITTING DOWN TO EAT and RISING UP TO PLAY.

See another take on Romans 14
See Rubel Shelly at ACU and the WINE connection

As Jesus spoke in parables to the pagan religionists masked as Jewish priests, scribes or rabbi, to hide the truth from them (Matthew 13), Paul spoke words "hard to be understood":

He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 2 Peter 3:16

For instance, Paul warns of "rising up to play" in 1 Corinthians 10 and repeats the "rising up to play" or "sending across the sea" to bring back a "god" in romans. This was an ancient practice from Egypt and beyond:

For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. Deut 30:11

It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Deut 30:12

Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Deut 30:13

While those easily deceived by Paul's cloaked message have never caught on, in Romans 10 Paul issued the strongest warning against repeating the musical worship of Israel at Mount Sinai which cost them the Covenant of Grace and brought them into a highly-musical legalistic secular society:

But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Rom 10:6

Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) Rom 10:7

All ancient Praise Masters have been the Judas Goat to lead the lambs into legalistic rituals of which music is the most legalistic because it necessarily believes in some mystical, superstitious magical power but which is just ancient soothsaying.

In a ritual much like David's and Hezekiah's plague-stopping ritual, Arnobius records that:

"Once on a time, when the state and republic were in difficulties, caused either by a terrible plague continually infecting the people and carrying them off, or by enemies powerful, and at that time almost threatening to rob it of its liberty because of their success in battle--

by order and advice of the seers, certain gods were summoned from among nations dwelling beyond the sea,

and honoured with magnificent temples; and that the violence of the plague abated, and very frequent triumps were gained, the power of the enemy being broken and the territory of the empire was increased and provinces without number fell under your sway." (Arnobius, Ante-Nicene Fathers, VI, p. 534).

This is exactly the practice of those using musical worship facilitators (manipulators) to "move the worshipers into the presence of God" or to "make the Holy Spirit come." Click to see the Voodoo and implicit sexual implication of the erotic nature of new "praise" songs. The "halal" praise of David meant to "make a fool of yourself" in the belief that God cannot punish the insane.

Therefore, "for those who have ears" we will reveal the conflict in Rome between Orphic vegetarians and the pagans, raw meat-eating, Dionysus musical group which plagued Jesus and which was the New Wineskin Musical group.

---

The Background to Meat Eaters and Vegetarians Who Were Now Believers.

When Moses wrote the first five books, the world had a dilema: for every true principle of the True God there were many counterfeits. Therefore, these books are to permit "those with ears" to discern between two views of God. The coming of Christ was within a Dionysus "soup" which had already claimed all of the possible miracles. Dionysus or the new wine in new wineskins was the god of song, dance, instruments and "rising up to play."

Therefore, after warning about the sin of musical idolatry at Mount Sinai in chapter 10 Paul is confronted with the same background facing the Roman church. The Jews did not eat certain meats and there were questions about meats offered to idols. However, chapter 14 is concerned with meat eating versus vegetarianism in the absolute sense.

It is important to understand that Paul speaks of diatary laws not specific to either Jews or Christian teaching. However, in Rome as elsewhere in the Greco-Roman world, all Christians brought pagan baggage with them. It is the purpose of Paul in several of his letters to speak to those who could not bring their worship practices into the church, although they might not give up their customs about food and other things.

A primary focus of Paul's "teaching" passages are in direct opposition to the "musical" practices especially of Orpheus and Dionysus.

After warning the church in Rome against either rejecting or despising weakness such as wine or superstition about "days" and seasons, Paul begins Romans Chapter 15 with a definition of "speaking" to one another with the revealed Word of God as he does in Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3.

Orpheus: The Vegetarian God

The Orphic group was the primary official "vegetarian sect." Orpheus was the God of The Second Incarnation.

Source

"Orpheus was the most famous musician and poet of ancient times. His lyre, given to him by Apollo (after he invented the Cithara: a CtharIST was known as a SORCERER and a PARASITE), could enchant not only the wild animals, but the trees and rocks as well. As will become obvious, Orphism is closely related in many ways to Dionysus, and could be considered a reform of the Dionysian Mysteries and is often regarded as the highest religious form in the ancient world.

"Orpheus is said to have travelled to Egypt, where he learnt from the priests there and became the most learned among the Greeks in all that concerns the Gods and their initiatory rites. He excelled in the beauty of his verse and song, and was believed to have discovered mysteries and how to achieve purification from sins, cures of diseases and means of averting divine wrath. These early rites were said to be very similar to those of Dionysus but have also been linked to the rites of Osiris and Isis."

"There are many stories of his death. Rejecting all women after the death of his wife, Orpheus was torn to pieces by Thracian women; or in another version, he was dismembered by Maenads (at Deium in Macedonia) at the urging of Dionysus, who resented Orphic rejection of sacrificial murder and the worship of Apollo (in whose temple Orpheus served as a priest).

Orpheus the Thracian was the inventor of worship in the form of rituals. Music especially was added to claim that the charismatic, sexual feelings were proof that he could call down the gods or move you up to "him".

"If any one perchance thinks that we are speaking calumnies, let him take the books of the Thracian soothsayer (Orpheus the inventor of musical soothsaying), which you speak of as of divine antiquity; and he will find that we are neither cunningly inventing anything,

nor seeking means to bring the holiness of the gods into ridicule, and doing so: for we shall bring forward the very verses which the son of Calliope uttered in the Greek,

and published abroad in his songs to the human race through out all all ages." (Arnobius Against the Heathen, Ante-Nicene, V, p. 499).

The Oracle at Delphi to Apollo was quite identical to modern Seeker-Centers used to dispense the "new wineskin" religion, women, music, theater, swimming pool, gymnasium and gender-variant sex.

"There is more about the Thracian women. They were said to have been put up to their task by Dionysus who was angry against Orpheus because Orpheus had looked into the rites of the God.

"The Thracian women plotted his death, because he had persuaded their husbands to follow him in his wanderings and that, first after having drinking much wine, they dared to kill him; hereafter, it is said their men adopted the custom to march to battle drunk. Some believe he was killed near Mount Pieria, and close to this place an urn was preserved, which was said to contain the bones of Orpheus.

"It is also told that when the women who killed Orpheus wished to wash off in a river the blood-stains, the river sank underground, not wishing to lend its waters to cleanse manslaughter.

These rites, of course, were quite identical to those performed by the israelites at Mount Sinai where they "rose up to play." And they all point to Egypt and Osiris or other gods which were worshiped with musical idolatry at Mount Sinai.

Dionysus the Meat Eater's God

"Dionysus is a strange god. Although he is best known as the god of wine, he is also a vegetation deity, a god of the liquid element,

a death god,
a god who comes into and changes, often irrevocably, the normal community life,
and lastly the god of the theatre.

"The duality of dionysus is related to another of his attributes, which is that of loss of identity.

Click to see the Feminine nature of restored Dionysus Wineskin religion. Dionysic music, dance and drama has always claimed to be mediators between God and man.

The modern ZOE concept of music and drama claim to be mediators between God and man.

The modern ZOE concept of music and drama claim to be mediators between God and man.

Christ spoke of being the vine and of eating His flesh and drinking His blood. While He explained that "the flesh counts for nothing and noted that His Word was Spirit and life, the Jews clearly saw Him as the hoped-for Dionysus form of Messiah rather than the Ethical, sacrificial Jesus.

There were many parallels between Dionysus and Jesus. In fact, the "like the nation's worship" permitted to Israel after they "fired" God, was similar to Dionysus worship. The musical idolatry at Mount Sinai was a "type." David was a secular type. The new "wineskin" religion was a type. The book of Jubilees was a type. Therefore, Christ as the anti-type would reveal Christianity as a spiritual system--the kingdom is outside of the realm of singing, dancing and feastint.

Many people, including the Jews, were highly addicted to Dionysus principles. For every reality there are dozens of counterfeits. Therefore, for the carnal thinkers Jesus might just be their real Dionysus.

When they tried to induce the song and dance by piping, the dance is the Greek, Dionysus choral dance and the song is related to the hymns to Bacchus (Dionysus).

That great traveller Pausanias reported in the second century BC, a miracle of the wine:

"... three pots are brought into the building by the priests [of Dionysus] and set down empty in the presence of the citizens and of any strangers who may chance to be in the country.

"The doors of the building are sealed by the priests themselves and by any others who may be so inclined.

"On the morrow they are allowed to examine the seals, and on going into the building they find the pots filled with wine."

The anti-type of Jesus allowed no room for the trickery of all ancient and modern "miracle workers" to steal in during the night and switch. Alexander the Oracle Monger knew how this was done.

Because those who witnessed the miracles often did not believe, the miracle of Jesus would have driven home the idea that He was Dionysus. In Matthew 13 He said that he spoke in parables to deliberately hide the truth from the Jewish clergy. However, when He refused to sing and dance they turned on Him. This attempt to get Jesus to sing and dance is illustrated here:

"The first Greek tragedies were the myths which were danced and sung by a chorus at festivals in honour of Dionysius. At first these festivals were satyric in nature with plenty of gaiety, drinking, burlesque and so on. As time passed the sung and danced myths developed a more serious form. Instead of gaiety and burlesque they became plays which dealt with the relationship of man and the Gods, and tried to illustrate some particular aspect of life.

"The chorus dressed in goat skins as the goat was sacred to Dionysius and goats were prizes which were awarded for the best plays. The word tragedy itself is believed to be derived from the Greek word "tragoidia" which means 'goat-song'.

This is specificially why Paul's command was not to sing but to speak or preach the Word of Christ.

In Acts 1:20 psalmos is the book of Psalms and in Rom. 15: sing is psallo.

"Psallo is best translated by chant,

not sing.

The Greeks sharply distinguish chanting (psalmodia)

from singing (tragoudi).

The first is a sacred activity;

the second, a secular one. In English, unfortunately, the distinction is not sharp.. Constantine Cavarnos

It comes as no surprise that so-called "praise worship" is intimately connected to the secular singing the clergy tried to force Jesus to perform possibly in the hope that He was a Second Incarnation of Dionysus. This, in turn, is a direct outgrowth of the coded words such as "new wineskins" to promote a drunk-in-the-spirit form of exhilaration in the name of Christ.

These coded words nevertheless contain real power greedily grasp by the youth in a rush to burn down the old structures and create a "new wineskin" to do what the "pattern" in the Bible cannot do.

Dionysus (also spelled Dionysos) is the Greek God of ritual dance and sacred mysticism, of death and new life. He can be gentle or provoke the wildness within us all, literally able to drive both his followers and his enemies mad. Euripedes called him 'most gentle and most terrible'. Dionysus is the patron of poetry, the song, and drama, and of course wine and its intoxication effects. He was credited with the invention of wine making and its use on Earth and this became almost his chief attribute in his Roman form - Bacchus. Unlike Pan for instance, Dionysus is counted as one of the twelve major Gods of Mount Olympus.

Nietzsche (in The Birth of Tragedy) treats Dionysus as a dynamic of time

that destroys old forms and brings forth the new

(one reason for his role in the Mysteries) with 'an indifference to the differences'. Nietzsche contrasts this to Apollo who is the God of light, and of forms in particular.

Of course, Dionysus was honored at Apollo's shrine at the Oracle of Delphi. Click to see how a Seeker System restores the ancient pattern of Apollo who is Appolyon or Abbadon.

"The older Dionysian festivities were ecstatic affairs; worshippers often overcome with ecstasy and religious fervor. They formed thyasi (holy bands) and waved thyrsoi (fennel wands bound with vine leaves and tipped with ivy). Dancing by torchlight to the rhythm of the flute and the tympanon (kettledrum),

while they were under the god's inspiration, the bacchantes were believed to possess occult powers,

the ability to charm snakes and suckle animals, as well as preternatural strength that enabled them to tear living victims to pieces before indulging in a ritual feast (omophagia).

The main feature of his worship was called sparagmos: the tearing apart of a live animal, the eating of its flesh, and the drinking of its blood.

Believers considered they were partaking of the God's body and blood.

"The Greek word orgia incidentally meant a sacred rite. His rites were held in woods and uncivilised places on the boundaries between the towns and villages. Dionysus was thought of as the 'God who comes', appearing unexpectedly amongst us, bring terror and joy - two sides of the same coin.

But in both cases bring revelation and change.

The morphine-within endorphins produced by music bring both terror and joy. The hair standing up on the back of our necks and an unusual attraction for the Sister Singers is the effects of "fight, flight or sex."

"Douglass, who has developed the most successful Willow Creek-based church service in Germany, even maintained, "I think this approach is most applicable to the state churches. We have the people, even if they don't attend. We enjoy an incredible edge in confidence vis-àvis the free churches." He cautioned,

"The cost of this approach is hard work and loads of strife with church insiders." Christianity Today

"Swept away by the 'eater of raw flesh' and his wild hunt, the devotees of Dionysus õmêstés cease to be tranquil diners on the flesh of an animal

that has been cooked by the rules.

They become savage themselves and behave like ferocious beasts.

They escape the human condition by way of bestiality, taking the lower route among the animals,
while Orphism proposes the same escape on the divine side, taking the upper route by refusing the meat diet that spills the blood of living beings and eating only perfectly pure food." Marcel Detienne, Dionysus Slain

INITIATION RITES

"...this sect crowned the image of Jesus along with those of Pythagoras, Plato and Aristotle. Further, there were impostors of all varieties: magicians, soothsayers, jugglers, deceivers and hypocrites, 'who appeared using mighty words with a host of unintelligible formulae and taking up with scandalous ceremonies in order to rob men of their money." (Int. Std. Bible Ency., Gnosticism, p. 1246).

"Aristotle tells us that it is the task of the initiate to suffer and to let himself be brought to a certain frame of mind.

He is not to seek to acquire knowledge and increased understanding.
The significance of ecstasy in the mysteries strikingly characterized by this statement.

The precise aim of orgies in the mysteries was to induce such a heightening of consciousness in a man that he would be receptive to the god who came to be united with him.

Such a person was then an enthusiast. Music was the most important element used to induce this condition. .. Aristotle explains that among the modes the Phrygian has the same power as the flute among instruments, for both are orgiastic and both heighten consciousness. This peculiar capability, which brought on religious ecstasy.. For that reason everything written in the Phrygian mode was. (Quasten, p 36-37)

"But perhaps nothing was more characteristic of the mystery religions than what they called ecstasy. Believers in the mystery religions sought to cultivate a magical, sensuous communion with the divine. They would do almost anything to get themselves into a semiconscious, hallucinatory, hypnotic, or orgiastic spell in which they believed they were sensually in contact with deity.

Some used wine to assist in the euphoric experience, as Paul implied in Ephesians 5:18. Whether from literal intoxication or emotional exhilaration, when worshipers fell into a state of euphoria, it was as if they had been drugged. They assumed they were in contact with God. (MacArthur, John, Charismatic Chaos, p. 164. Zondervan)

Plato Laws: 782c] Athenian

"The custom of men sacrificing one another is, in fact, one that survives even now among many peoples; whereas amongst others we hear of how the opposite custom existed, when they were forbidden so much as to eat an ox, and their offerings to the gods consisted, not of animals, but of cakes of meal and grain steeped in honey, and other such bloodless sacrifices, and from flesh they abstained as though it were unholy to eat it or to stain with blood the altars of the gods;

instead of that, those of us men who then existed lived what is called the Orphic life, keeping wholly to inanimate food and, contrariwise, abstaining wholly from things animate.

At first I evaded sleep with the purple thread,

and again, exhausted, with song of the Orphic lyre.

Left all alone, I was singing lightly to myself

the frequent long delays when your lover is about.

Then drowsiness pulled me, slipping in its soft wings.

She at last cured my crying.

Many Romans came out of one of these sects.

Jesus didn't give the Dionysus worshipers permission to continue eating the flesh of a bull while it was still alive. Neither did he give the Orpheus worshipers permission to just eat vegetables as part of their musical worship.

Rather, because of the diverse pagan background neither of which was Jewish, Paul insists that the meat eaters must show respect for those with Orphic backgrounds. Those who now ate meat and were believers must not despise those who might never eat meat although they had abandoned Orphism.

Neither were given permission to "tolerate" either's musical rituals to bring on a charismatic fit which made them believe that they were both inspired.

We will look more at the Dionysus, Orpheus and Pythagoras cults below because only this background makes Chapter 15's speaking the revealed Word to one another make sense.

---

Paul noted that the "many" trying to restore Jewish or Pagan festivals perverted the gospel. It comes as no surprise that the "many" pervert Romans 14 as permitting whatever one wants to permit.

Tertullian will confirm what everyone knows about pushing and peddling musical "praise" as the most hostile sectarianism the church has ever known.

How skillful a pleader seems human wisdom to herself,

especially if she has the fear of losing any of her delights-any of the sweet enjoyments of worldly existence!

However, the underlying words of Paul clearly point to the pagan practices which even believers still retained. The solution was not to allow the pagan teachings in by allowing the holders to dispute about them. This was probably more of accepting or "food fellowship" than a collective worship ritual.

Those who claim to be A Cappella may be deceiving people by perverting Paul's teaching. We once believed that a cappella meant "without instruments." What the disturbers understand is that the word includes "choirs." By adding "music" as part of worship they add the Greek sumphoÑnia which is not remotely related to "worship."

A Cappella was introduced to entertain the Pope and high officials where instrumental music was not allowed.

The best "performers" were castrados who sang a high soprano. Women were not allowed to perform but young, effeminate boys worked just as well.

This "organum" or organic pipe organ was, and is, a legalistic way to add the musical effects of the pipe organ without violating the law against playing music in the Pope's area. You see, they knew the polluting message of the Jewish "pipers" trying to seduce Jesus into the song and dance of Dionysus.

Furthermore, Romans 14 is called to the battle front to frighten off anyone by defining "objectors" as being "judgmental."

We will tell you the whole truth about --

Romans 14 as a rebuttal of instrumental music and

Romans 15 as a description of Biblical "teaching and admonishing" rather than ritualistic singing. "Music" is not a New Testament worship concept.

In Ephesians 5 this is a rebuttal of new wineskin or Dionysus forms of singing with music.

Paul's solution is to speak or teach (meaning preach) the revealed Word of Christ or Spirit with the singing and melody in the heart. This would prevent the feelings induced by new wine.

Therefore Sister Singer can sing her heart out and sell CDs and go on and become rich and famous. However, Romans 14 connected to Romans 15 gives no authority to replace the Word of Christ with Sister Singer's silly and often erotic "praise song."

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Romans, Chapter 14

Romans 14:1 HIM that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

The weak person here was weak because he had not been taught about "the faith."

Paul handled the Jews in chapters 9-11 to prove that Jews were not "predestinated" and that their failure was their failure and not God's failure nor the failure of the Word of God.

In chapter 10 he attributes their failure to the Musical Idolatry at Mount Sinai.

Now, in chapter 14, the weak person was the common Roman who was steeped in Orphic or Pythogaras or Dionysic religious practices. Rome's religion was a Greek religion, and Greek's religion was Babylonian religion.

Pythagoreans Britannica Members

"The Orphic creeds were the basis of the Pythagorean brotherhood, which flourished in southern Italy beginning in the 6th century BC. The Pythagoreans were aristocratic fraternities that sometimes had a political scope. Their main achievements, however, lay in the fields of music, geometry, and astronomy. They discovered that these subjects could be explained by numbers and ratios.

Combining Orphic eschatology (the study of the last things, especially death and afterlife) with their discoveries, they invested music, geometry, and astronomy with religious values.

"According to their doctrine, the original home of the soul was in the stars. From there it fell down to earth and associated with the body.

"Thus, man was a stranger on the earth, and he had to strive to liberate himself from the ties of the flesh and return to the soul's celestial home.

At the Towers of Babylon, music was the legalistic way to redeem the worshiper by ascending back up the steps in worship and at death.

We will look at the vegetarians below.

Romans 14: 2 For one believeth that hem may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.

Only the Orphics and possibly some sectarian Jewish priests in Rome were vegetarians in a religious sense as we will see later. Neither Jew nor Gentile Christians would have this problem

Romans 14: 3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.

Tertullian noted that this cannot include theatrical worshipers:

Moreover, a man pronounces his own condemnation
............ in the very act of taking his place among those with whom,
............ by his disinclination to be like them,
............ he confesses he has no sympathy.

It is not enough that we do no such things ourselves,

unless we break all connection also with those who do.

"If thou sawest a thief," says the Scripture, "thou consentedst with him." (Ps. 58. 18. [This chapter bears on modern theatres.]

Would that we did not even inhabit the same world with these wicked men!

But though that wish cannot be realized, yet even now we are separate from them in what is of the world; for the world is God's, but the worldly is the devil's.

"When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. Psalm 50:18

Romans 14: 4 Who art thou that judgest another mans servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.

This "accepting" includes primarily meal fellowship. It does not mean that we do not have a right to protest and protect our worship and property from being stolen by those who have judged that the Scriptures are outdated, that we are post-modern and that we are going to join the world's greatest explosion of musical sectarianizing of the church.

Romans 14: 5 One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

The Sabbath was given for rest and not for "worship" which was, in the Old Testament, often the Sabbath-Trinitarian worship brought from Babylon or Egypt.

Now, an individual has the right to do whatever he wishes any day of the week. However, he passes judgment upon the whole group if he returns from the Catholic-Anglican-Methodist "Evangelizing Walk To Emmaus" or the Cursillo and wants to change the First Day Lord's Supper into a Sabbath Eucharist effort to eat the flesh and drink the blood of Jesus.

Romans 14: 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it.

The only thing imposed by God was the Sabbath rest for the general population. However, their Sabbaths had grown so gross that they even "spoke their own words" rather than God's free (Isa 55) Words in the Bible (Isaiah 58). Therefore, keeping of religious festivals were to remind the people of their sinfulness and not to perform theatrical rituals:

Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Isaiah 1:13 [prophesied that Jesus would never do that]

Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. Isaiah 1:14

And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood. Isaiah 1:15

Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Isaiah 1:16

Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Isaiah 1:17

And yet, one might "regard the day unto the Lord" but if he attempts to impose religious atonement rituals (Jubilee) upon the assembly then he is judging.

This gives no authority to add musical worship into the general assembly.

This prohibits any ritualizing gleaned from the judgmental Law of Moses.

He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks

In Corinth, Paul outlawed eating and drinking for the purpose of hunger within the short time of the weekly assembly. He said: "You have houses to eat and drink in."

Therefore, nothing which Paul has to say in this chapter has to do with these opinions as "acts of worship." The weak person might still sacrifice animals and drink their blood while the heart was still beating. He is weak and not instructed in the faith. He cannot let the women introduce an act of worship of "tearing an animal apart with their bear hands" and he cannot permit the women or effeminate Orphic or Dionysus to introduce the accompanying "musical worship teams."

The goal of the strong is to receive and instruct and not to despise the weak.

The strong are not commanded to allow the person to teach animal sacrifice while the girls and effeminate men are dancing and playing instruments. All untaught issues are doubtful issues and according to Locke and Thomas Campbell cannot be used within the collective assembly for worship without destroying a wider fellowship.

The weak brother is not to judge the strong. This includes to "go to court to sue." That was and is violated by instrumentalists taking control of church property.

They fulfill the definition of the Pharisees and Scribes condemned by Jesus: "They take widow's houses."

Romans 14: 7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

Fittingly, Paul did not say: "For none of us worships by himself." This is because the issue is "living" on a daily basis and not defining everything by "one truth-evacuated" hour on Sunday.

Romans 14: 8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lords.

Romans 14: 9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

Christ is Lord and Lord's define how they are going to be served. If the Lord makes a doctrine like a donut with a hole of silence in the middle, the Lord doesn't mean: "Oops! I made a mistake. Oh, Well. You are at liberty to make up for my imperfection and fill in the hole"

That is why "the" faith consists of what He taught or inspired to be taught. Faith comes by hearing and Christian faith comes from hearing the Christian documents. The strong cannot add musical worship based upon faith. And therefore as early instrumentalists had to confess, based on human opinion and self-defined as sin.

There are two sins based upon opinions based upon "the" faith or previous religious beliefs and practices:

The strong person despised the weak.

The weak person judged the strong.

As we will notice before, the battle between the Orphics and Dionysus worshipers wet so far as "god killing god."

Romans 14: 10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.

In this case, the vegetarian who is still somewhat Orphic or Pythagoric is the one who judges.

He is weak in "the faith" because he has not been taught.

This cannot be applied to mechanical means or using "the works of men's hands" to try to "ascend up to Christ" or to "call Him down." Why? Why, because the Bible has amply taught that music was a warrior's device and was not to be used for a called assembly (Nu 10:7, the word "alarm" or "triumph over.")

Vocal teaching one another is a direct command.

Romans 14: 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

The battle was between John the Baptist and the Clergy as the priests and prophesiers (musicians) of Jezebel. The clergy tried to get Jesus to sing and dance like the prophets of Baal and of Asherah and they hoped that John wore "soft" clothing consistent with all ancient priesthoods.

If Judas and clergy had "triumphed over" Jesus, this meant that He would have bowed His knees in the Greek chorus usually reserved for "drunk on music" women. However, speaking to Elijah (John) god said:

Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. 1 Kings 19:18

Within the Orphic and Dionysic rituals was the Greek choral dance which the Jewish clergy tried to impose upon Jesus. This is defined by Jesus when He likened John the Baptist to Elijah. He of course was God and the Jewish clergy were the "prophets of Baal and of Asherah."

This is a very important concept because the notion of not allowing the weak to judge by debating or introducing their practices leads quite naturally in Romans chapter 15 to the demand that we speak the Words of Christ to one another as a way to make the non-judging possible.

Once the self-composed songs, dances or instrumental pieces of the Greek religion was permitted into the assembly or even forced in a non-religious situation, the weak people passed judgment upon the group.

See the Golden Bough on Dionysus Worship Perfectly defines the "new wineskin" doctrine of charismatic musical worship.

Romans 14: 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Modern theatrical performance called "Christian" has found a better way of living than the cold mission field. After all, Paul said that everyone will give an account to God. And---we must not judge. The natural consequence is that it doesn't matter much what you teach on the mission field or whether you teach. If I cannot teach one on the mission field the truth about baptism then I am mercifully relived by Romans chapter 14 from going to the mission field. I can make 25 grand and suffer or 100 grand and be applauded and honored by men. Easy choice, eh what?

Romans 14: 13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more:

but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brothers way.

In the Dead Sea Scroll of Psalm 41 the Levitical Warrior musicians will try to triumph over Jesus with music after accusing Him with being Beel-zebub the Dung God in Hebrews. Music is their stumbling block

DSS: A root bearing poisoned and bitter fruit

is in their designs;

they walk in stubbornness of heart

and see Thee among idols,

then they set before them

the stumbling-block of their sin.

For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah:

their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter: De.32:32

The Priesthood was so evil that Jesus spoke to them in parables to hide the truth from them. They piped hoping to get Jesus and others to do the Dionysus song and dance. Because the Jews expected that Messiah would be Dionysus whose worship had been so prominant as the Abomination of Desolation in the temple. Perverted sexuality or sodomy was a custom of most isolated priesthoods. They tried to feed him with gall to keep him from knowing what He was doing.

In our third section of the review of Rubel Shelly at Abilene Christian University (ACU) we will show that the clergy Stood in The Gap to create a Stumbling Block for Jesus. The idea was to play instruments, call down an evil spirit as David had done and as the military musicians attacked Beliar, and panic Jesus into what, in paganism, caused fainting or even death by suffocation. They actually saw Jesus as among their idols.

Romans 14: 14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

Certainly he does not mean that "nothing" is unclean. It is a fact that the word halal and chalal meant to "play the flute, pollute or prostitute." God said that the Jews polluted the Sabbaths by their commerce and religious rituals when He intended to keep them at home and away from the evil Sabbath keepers imitating Babylonian worship with wine, women and song.

Instrumental music is not evil of itself. Men like Clement of Alexandria even severely limited instruments even at secular festivals because they roused up evil temptations. However, he absolutely showed that instruments were prohibited "in church." Therefore, if they tried to impose instruments in the collective assembly and make judgments beyond "himself" then he was passing judgment upon others.

He did not hold his opinions to himself. Because vocal "teaching" or preaching is commanded as the external part of 'in spirit' worship then true a cappella is not based upon opinion.

See Tertullian to prove that not all things are approved.

Beyond all doubt, too, the very buildings connected with the places of public amusement, composed as they are of rocks, stones, marbles, pillars, are things of God, who has given these various things for the earth's embellishment; nay, the very scenes are enacted under God's own heaven.

How skillful a pleader seems human wisdom to herself,

especially if she has the fear of losing any of her delights-any of the sweet enjoyments of worldly existence!

The subject is eating just vegetables rather than eating animals which might "pollute" the person. The subject cannot be expanded outside of these topics.

Among the self-proclaimed "strong it" cannot include instrumental music because the Bible has clearly associated it with pagan festivals involving "wine, women and song" and as a deliberate device to keep people's mind off the Word of Christ.

However, the weak appear to have been the Orphic or Dionysic musical sect: one vegetarian and the other charismatically animal devourers.

Romans 14: 15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.

Don't do something which would cause the brother (Christian or fraternal) to be destroyed or cause one to lose faith.

No one suggests that not using Sister Singers and theatrical performers as "worship" is is imposing and therefore judging others.

A large percentage of religious people of the world cannot assemble for seeker entertainment falsely labeled as "spiritual worship." And they have Paul in mind who absolutely outlawed preside over or non-sedentary roles for women.

Therefore, instrumental music and Sister Singers is not something the "strong" can impose over the heads and objection of others. This would make an uncharitable group (usually one individual) despise those they consider weak.

Romans 14: 16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of:

Eating meat or NOT eating meat was the fundamental mental views of both Orphic and Dionysic worshipers who had been baptized. Speaking or preaching to one another with the inspired resources of Christ was good but both "food extremists" were charismatically musical. Therefore, the cannot bring their rituals into the assembly or judge the assembly because the kingdom is not remotely related to these things:

Romans 14: 17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink;

but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

The church is not involved in keeping "holy days" or the Sabbath. The church is not related to eating or not eating meat. It does not "eat meat" as a religious ritual and it does not "not eat meats" as acts of worship. These things, right or wrong, are outside of the realm of the church assembly.

Eating and drinking and playing musical instruments and singing and selling CDs or "Snake Oil" seminars is part of our individual, personal and often commercial world. Selling CDs of the Babylonian Encomiast or praise leader fulfills the end-time warning of the Babylonian Whore religion which was mostly commercial.

The strong are not to despise the weak which, as far as we know, were Orphic as the Jews were often Dionysic in Jerusalem, by refusing to "accept" them or have food-fellowship or do business with them. And they must be fellowshiped for teaching purposes consistent with Paul's demand to "teach and admonish" as a replacement for their old pagan musical rituals. The unbeliever will learn the Word, be convicted by the Word and fall down and worship the God of the Word.

However, the weak are still involved with the superstition of not eating meats in their always-musical festivals, or of women who tore live bulls limb-from-limb and at raw, still-living flesh as they are "jacked up" with music.

They are weak in "the" faith because the faith has not taught either of these practices in Judaism or Christianity.

Therefore, they must not be allowed to debate and force these practices (either extreme) onto Christians as "acts of worship."

Romans 14: 18 For he that in these things serveth (is a slave to) Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

Romans 14: 19 Let us therefore follow after

the things which make for peace, and

One should not eat meat around a vegetarian in order not to "despise" them. And the Orphic vegetarian must not impose his charismatic or musical practices or he would judge or "take to law" the Word Speakers.

"Peace" means a rich quietness. It is the "rest" for which Jesus died as a way to remove the burden which was "spiritual anxiety created by religious ritual."

You cannot introduce theatrical performers and "use" them to worship or lead the worship without creating (1) spiritual warfare which leads to many being "despised and judged out" of the assembly, and (2) creating a spirit at war when they silently endue what to the "actors" seems superior but to the wise seems embarrassing. By imposing musical rituals of paganism over the heads of those who object but will not leave then you have "offended one of these little ones" and God is the judge.

things wherewith one may edify another.

Edify means to confirm one in the faith. It does not mean entertain one another. In the next chapter, Paul will show that the Words of Christ are the only tools which can build up one another.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 2 Tim 3:16

That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Tim 3:17

Romans 14: 20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. (Offence means a stumbling block)

If this is stretched to the breaking point to include instrumental music, then the talented musician is perfectly freed by non-instrumentalists to sing, dance, play instruments or whatever one wishes if it is done between him and God. This is not authority to bring it into my "space."

Earlier, Paul established two important principles:

> Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

> 6 He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord.

Paul insists that if we continue to exercise our rights and eat meat, then we must not destroy others while exercising our liberty.

> We can do that by not establishing eating meat as "an act of worship."
> The musical Orphics must not NOT eat meat as an act of worship.
> The music Dionysics must NOT eat meat as an act of worship.
> Neither can do their pagan music as an act of worship and make me a participant with them in their sin.

At the same time, the vegetarian whose only religious connection is to Orphism

1 HIM that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

v. 3 and he is not to be held in contempt. This is based upon only one issue: that of not eating animal meat.

It is not possible to remain within the framework of "the faith" and expand this to instrumental music which is a clearly taught and condemned practice..

Doubtful disputations means external debate over questions of doubt.

The weak, Orphic vegetarian is the only one warned about judging: "and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth."

Orphic religion also honored the equivalent of Eve or Sophia or Zoe. The feminine goddesses "ruled over" the males by making them into a musical worship team and "ruled over them" as their teachers. Zoe was, or gave rise, to the Beast or Lucifer: the female instructing principle.

Paul understood that female authority was sexual authority.

Romans 14: 21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

Vegetarianism: Josephus knew certain priests who "supported themselves with figs and nuts." They had been sent to Rome to be tried before Caesar and they rejected all meat because it might have been offered to idols.

"However, vegetarian was not always just to guard against idol meat.

"Vegetarianism was a customary religious practice in the first century. It was a characteristic of the Orphic and Pythagorean sects among the Greeks and of the Essenes among the Jews." (Batey, Romans, Sweet, p. 166).

"Orphic initiates (and the stricter Pythagoreans) were vegetarians and also agreed to lifestyle and dietary restrictions, like noteating beans (apart from the effects beans have on the human body, they also resemble parts of it. Pausanias mentions that Demeter gave the human race the products of the earth excluding beans. The refusal to kill and to eat animals, was a radical step in a world of general sacrifice to the Gods, and cut them off from many of the State ceremonies. "

Many Orphics seem to have had a strong feeling of sin and guilt. They believed that there was a divine part in man--his soul--but it was wrapped up in the body, and man's task was to liberate the soul from the body.

This could be achieved by living an Orphic life, which included

abstinence from meat, wine, and sexual intercourse.

After death the soul would be judged. If a man had lived a righteous life, his soul would be sent to the meadows of the blessed in Elysium; but, if he had committed misdeeds, his soul would be punished in various ways and perhaps sent to hell. Following a period of reward or punishment, the soul would be incarnated in a new body. Only a soul that had lived a pious life three times could be liberated from the cycle.

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A Hellenistic mystery religion based on the teachings and songs of Orpheus is thought to have eventually arisen in ancient Greece, although no coherent description of such a religion can be constructed from historical evidence. Most scholars agree that by the 5th century BC there was at least an Orphic movement, with traveling priests who offered teaching and initiation, based on a body of legend and doctrine said to have been founded by Orpheus. Part of the Orphic ritual is thought to have involved

the mimed or actual dismemberment of an individual representing the god Dionysus,

who was then seen to be reborn. Orphic eschatology laid great stress on rewards and punishment after bodily death, the soul then being freed to achieve its true life.

Traditionally, Orpheus was the son of a Muse (probably Calliope, the patron of epic poetry) and Oeagrus, a king of Thrace (other versions give Apollo). According to some legends, Apollo gave Orpheus his first lyre.

Orpheus' singing and playing were so beautiful that animals and even trees and rocks moved about him in dance.

Hermes, the god of thieves and musicians, invented the lyre while still in his cradle. He used it an "walking backward" to steal Apollo's cattle.

Apollo's Seeker Center or Oracle at Delphi is a perfect description of modern musical commerce with "gymnasium, swimming pool, theater, brothel for the sister singers and everything the heart could desire and which could be sold by deceit.

Pythagoreans (Britannica Members)

The Orphic creeds were the basis of the Pythagorean brotherhood, which flourished in southern Italy beginning in the 6th century BC. The Pythagoreans were aristocratic fraternities that sometimes had a political scope. Their main achievements, however, lay in the fields of music, geometry, and astronomy. They discovered that these subjects could be explained by numbers and ratios. Combining Orphic eschatology (the study of the last things, especially death and afterlife) with their discoveries,

they invested music, geometry, and astronomy (astrology) with religious values.

[Contrary to this, there is not a hint that God has ever shown any approval of music as a way to seduce Him any more than you can seduce Him with meats when He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. And, He says, "If I get hungry I will not tell you." (Psalm 58:12)

Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Psa 50:13]

According to their doctrine, the original home of the soul was in the stars. From there it fell down to earth and associated with the body.

Thus, man was a stranger on the earth, and he had to strive to liberate himself from the ties of the flesh and return to the soul's celestial home.

Phthagoras did a tour of duty in Babylon where music was the legalistic device required to play the worshipers up and down the steps of the Towers of Babylon in hope of moving "into the presence of a god." With its inclusive Ministry Teams and Programs, the people were not served by the "church" but the people served the ministry teams to make a living.

"Pythagoras probably traveled and studied in Egypt and Mesopotamia before migrating westward to the Greek colony of southern Italy. There he established a philosophical school and religious brotherhood

centered on the cult of Apollo and the Muses, and dedicated to the pursuit of moral purification, spiritual salvation, and the intellectual penetration fo nature&emdash;all of which were understood as intimately interconnected." (Tarnas, Richard, The Passion of the Western Mind, p. 23).

"In later days the worship festivals in his honor involved drinking, revelling, hand clapping, dancing, and crying aloud in ecstatic performances. Similar wild expression characterized the worship of Attis, and the journeys to Hades of the cult of Isis. The Delphi oracle, sacred to Apollo, who was the preeminent god of prophecy for the Greeks, was near and ancient, and had its own particular orgiastic worship. (Pack, Frank, Tongues and the Holy Spirit, Bib. Research, p. 86-87).

Dionysus as the Rival is implicated in Rome and Jerusalem. Dionysus is the god of new wine and of course the New Wineskin God.

Ephesus and Corinth where Paul warned "not to get drunk with wine" but be "filled with the spirit" as the Word of Christ (John 6:63). Then, the would be able to repeat the instructions of Romans 15 which demands that because Christ set the example of following the Father's words and died to redeem us, He has the right to insist that we use His words in song and sermons:

Perseus Notes: Two figures walk toward the right, a bearded man playing a double flute (aulos) and a youth holding a drinking cup and a gnarled stick (like Shamgar's ox goad.)

Wine-drinking and music are a normal part of the komos or revel scenes frequently depicted on red-figure vases. The theme may be derived ultimately from the Dionysiac revels of satyrs and maenads, but probably most are merely human activities; part of the trend toward scenes of daily life and away from the mythological emphasis of the black-figure style. Certainly the subject is appropriate for wine cups and pitchers. However, the komos scenes almost always show much more exuberant (naked) figures than this rather sedate pair.

In view of the disparity in age, the vase might allude to the homosexual fondness of mature Greek men for young boys.

The "barbaton" is the harp in the image from Perseus:

The Barbiton was played by the "barbarians" to Triumph-Over and enemy. This is one such image of a Komos. Click for more.

Britannica Online notes: The first time theatre truly freed itself from religious ritual to become an art form was in Greece in the 6th century BC when the dithyramb was developed.

This was a form of choral song chanted at festivals in honour of Dionysus, the god of wine, fruitfulness, and vegetation.

Originally, it celebrated his rejuvenation (second incarnation) of the earth; later, it drew on Homeric legends for its subject matter. According to Greek tradition, the actor and playwright Thespis invented the drama when he augmented the chorus of the dithyramb with a single actor who wore masks to portray several different characters. (Actor, therefore, means "hypocrite."0

Comedy (from Greek komos, meaning "revel") was presented competitively in Athens from 486 BC at the Lenaea winter festival, though it fused much earlier traditions of popular entertainment, mime, phallic rites, and revelry in honour of Dionysus.

Fittingly when God is called a "person" the word means personae or mask. As God, Jesus put on the "mask" of a human servant who would be murdered like a criminal.

Therefore, as the Jews were mocking Jesus they were murdering their Messiah whom they assumed to be God Incarnate.

So, we see the Orphics as enemies of Dionysus but both are musical.

Again, we quote: "Part of the Orphic ritual is thought to have involved the mimed or

actual dismemberment of an individual representing the god Dionysus (The god of wine)
who was then seen to be reborn. Orphic eschatology laid great stress on rewards and punishment after bodily death, the soul then being freed to achieve its true life

Because both religions were very popular in Rome, it is no surprise that the Catholic Eucharist in their mass probably imitates this because the Catholic Encyclopedia agrees that things like candles, lights and music was borrowed from the pagans because they were common to all cults. (See on Candles).

Dionysus also called Bacchus, or (in Rome) Liber, in Greco-Roman religion, a nature god of fruitfulness and vegetation, especially known as a god of wine and ecstasy. Though introduced from Thrace and Phrygia, the strange legends of his birth and death and his marriage to Ariadne, in origin a Cretan goddess, suggest that his cult represented a reversion to pre-Hellenic Minoan nature religion.

Look again at verse 21 back in Rome:

Romans 14: 21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

Stumble is to trip one up by a trap-stick. The only way to prevent this is to remain in "the faith." The "Judas Bag" is the attachment to the "spotted" flute case on the right. The fellow holding himself up to keep on dancing uses the Oaxgoad which is the symbolic phallic of the "Sons of Shamgar" the "masculine journey for 13 year olds" associated with Promise Keepers.

The "stick" in this scene keeps this "brother" from stumbling. Paul didn't give anyone permission to drink wine.

He that loveth his brother abideth in the light,
and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. 1 John 2:10

In Romans 15 Paul will define teaching teaching in the same way he defines "singing." The way not to despise or judge is to acknowledge that Christ bought us all and therefore he shows the way to prevent stumbling.

For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. Romans 15:3

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4

If you just teach the Word as it has been delivered to you then you will not make your brother stumble. "But everyone has their own opinion." Well, opinions give way when we follow this mandate to "abide in the light" which is to follow the Word which is "for our learning."

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. John 15:9

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love;
even as I have kept my Fathers commandments, and abide in his love. John 15:10

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. John 15:11

Again Romans 14 is most often used to insist that no one has a right to judge my instrumental music even if I impose it in your congregation. "If you oppose me then you are 'mounting an attack' upon me and are therefore guilty of being a fratricide or a Judas." Romans 14 is perverted to say just this.

Making wine drinking wine and instrumental worship equivalent is one of the violent counter attacks. However, Jesus said that eating and drinking is not part of the kingdom.

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Mt.6:25

However, He did not say that "how you worship me" is not part of the kingdom. In fact, He said that if you, like the Pharisees just make up new traditions to increase the cash flow then your worship is in vain.

The people in Rome defined by these beliefs practiced a religion based on the songs and poetry of Orpheus whose music "could move stones."

Therefore, in Romans chapter 15 Paul defined the Christian resource for song and sermon by making it parallel to the "singing" passages in Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3.

However, if you believe that you can worship God with music or some other non-taught and therefore judgmental practice, Paul demands:

Romans 14: 22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God.

Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.

The message is simply that our job is not to despise or judge by imposing. Our job is to keep on teaching the light. Because the people in Corinth were still carnal even after Paul's best effort, he kept on preaching "Christ and Him Crucified" hoping they would grasp this first "milk" principle so that they could go on to eat meat of doctrine. He told the Corinthians to "have their eating and drinking habits to themselves by keeping them at home."

Jesus said that God sought those who could "worship in spirit and in truth." That means worship in the mind as when Jesus commanded that we find that secret place for prayer. Meeting in the synagogue was for edification or education. Worship can occur any time. If you need to wave your arms in prayer, by keeping it private you won't embarrass yourself and pass judgment on the "less spiritual."

Paul doesn't admit that there was a single tongue speaker in the true sense in Corihth. Whether he/she had the gift or not, the assembly was not the place to use it. Remember that the purpose of the assembly was not to speak to God in song but to speak to one another using Biblical resources:

For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. 1 Cor 14:2

For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? 1 Cor 14:8

So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. 1 Cor 14:9

Paul said that he would not even speak a known tongue in a church which understood his language. Therefore, he might say "have it to thyself before God. But, hopefully you will not, even in private, do something which condemns you."

Romans 14: 23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Because instrumental music as worship is often the motive for even reading Romans 14, the following note is interesting:

WEST "Apostasy in music among 19th century churches that had endeavored to restore New Testament authority in worship and work began, in the main, following the Civil War' In 1868, Ben Franklin guessed that there were ten thousand congregations an not over fifty had used an instrument in worship." (Earl West, Search for the Ancient Order, Vol. 2, pp. 80, 81)

While Romans 14 was not followed, churches in Tennessee as the "mission point" (and are again "mission points" for the musical group), sowing discord caused a lot of loss of love but it did not destroy the church in the South as the instrumentalists poured in as spiritual carpet baggers.

"In 1902 the church at Newbern, Tennessee was taken over by society and organ people bent on "taking Tennessee for the Instrument and Society Sect." The church, against Lipscomb's advice, sued to retain the property. Of course the society could muster a majority and won the lawsuit. The decision was handed down in 1905 that the trouble did not warrant the intrusion of the courts:

"The pro-organ party had said during the trial that
............ when the organ was used as a part of the worship, it was sinful;
............ but they defended it on the ground that it was an aid to worship.

"Lipscomb, on the other hand, had insisted that it was a distinct service,
............ and when persisted in always supersedes and destroys congregational singing.

"The court, passing on this phase of the question,
............ said that the claim that the organ was not a part of the worship was untenable
............ and it could not be considered as merely an aid to worship."

Music is pushed as worship. However, their musical spiritual ancestors have declared it to be sinning.

This means that there is no Biblical nor historical evidence upon which to build a faith in music. And without that faith, to introduce it is a sin. Historically, it has been Orphic or Dionysic because it was superstitiously held to be magic and the instruments were actually idols.

Conclusion: Rome was the battleground between the Satanic (Titans) forces and Christianity. The legalistic system begins in earliest history with Satan teaching Jubal (Genun) how to create a grand Seeker-Center. It would use mixed-sex choirs, wine and instrumental music.

As it turned out, the people could come down from the symbolic mountain with music but they were never able to return to the top where the True, grace-based Word lived.

While Christianity is based on faith and allowing Jesus to do the work, the religion discussed in Romans chapters 14 and 15 warns against being "judged" by weak believers still into the first legalistic system in history. Peter quotes much of Enoch who issued the music warning and wrote:

BUT there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 Peter 2:1

And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 2 Peter 2: 2

And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. 2 Peter 2: 3

For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 2 Peter 2: 4

And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eigth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 2 Peter 2:5

These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 2 Peter 2:17

For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature,

they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 2 Peter 2:18

They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity--for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. 2 Peter 2:19

If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 2 Peter 2:20

While Romans 14 is used to give liberty or even license and this is often expanded to include instrumental music, it proves just the opposite. The not-so-hidden clue to the weak believers was that if they tried to judge by imposing Romans chapter 15 eliminates "mechanical worship" as one of the diversities which can be allowed without violating the "pattern" of Jesus in keeping the Father's commands to say that if we are going to abide in Him we will automatically keep His commands.

Christ died for you to redeem you and not to allow you to ignore His Word as resource and accompany it with a machine:

For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. Romans 15:3

This gives Him the authority to define what will enable learning or edification and which will guarantee the unity of chapter 14:

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4

Musically teaming up on God is one of most ancient, paganistic and legalistic ways to pass judgment upon people.

Tertullian in De Spectaculis perfectly describes these practices.

So as we went on from the origin of the "Ludi" to the circus games, we shall now direct our course thence to those of the theatre, beginning with the place of exhibition.

At first the theatre was properly a temple of Venus;

CONEYBEARE AND HOWSON: "Throughout the whole passage there is a contrast implied between the Heathen and the Christian practice, q.d. When you meet, let your enjoyment consist, not in fulness of wine, but fulness of the Spirit; let your songs be, not the drinking-songs of heathen feasts, but psalms and hymns; and their accompaniment, not the music of the lyre, but the melody of the heart; while you sing them to the praise. not of Bacchus or Venus, but of the Lord Jesus Christ." (P.775, n. 5.)

Ephesians 5:19 enjoins: (1) Speaking TO ONE ANOTHER in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs; (2) singing (adontes) and making melody (psallontes, psalming) with your heart TO THE LORD. (One is done with voice and lips, the other with the heart.)

[By calling theatrical performance "worship," Christ is not served but theatrical performers take control of the less-wise Christians.

And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. Lu.16:8

Therefore:

and, to speak briefly, it was owing to this that stage performances were allowed to escape censure, and got a footing in the world.

"But Venus (female) and Bacchus (male) are close allies.
These two evil spirits are in sworn confederacy with each other,
............ t as the patrons of drunkenness and lust.
............ t So the theatre of Venus is as well the house of Bacchus:

"for they properly gave the name of Liberalia also to other theatrical amusements-which besides being consecrated to Bacchus (as were the Dionysia of the Greeks), were instituted by him and, without doubt,

the performances of the theatre have the common patronage of these two deities.
That immodesty of gesture and attire which so specially and peculiarly characterizes the stage are consecrated to them-the one deity wanton by her sex, the other by his drapery;

while its services of voice, and song, and lute, and pipe, belong to Apollo, and Muses, and Minervas, and Mercuries.

The word for female authority used by Paul means "sexual authority." It is not possible to violate Paul's outlawing of preside over or non-sedentary roles for women would deliberately sowing discord with "sexual authority."

"Ephesus was famous for its shrine of Diana, where thousands of sacred prostitutes believed fornication brought believers into contact with deity in much the same way the Gnostics used authentia (new female authority) to bind the flesh and the divine together.

When these women converted to Christianity they had to unlearn these pagan practices. 'Virtually without exception, female teachers among the Greeks were courtesans, such as Aspasia, who numbered Socrates and Pericles among her students. Active in every major school of philosophy, these hetairai made it evident in the course of their lectures that they were available afterwards for a second occupation.

But the Bible teaches that to seduce men in such a manner was indeed to lead them to slaughter and the halls of death (cf. Prov. 2:18; 5:5; 6:27; 9:18). The verb authentein is thus peculiarly apt to describe both the erotic and murderous." (Trombley, Who says Women Cannot teach, p. 177). Click for the Rest.

Chapter III.

"Fortified by this knowledge against heathen views, let us rather turn to the unworthy reasonings of our own people; for the faith of some,

either too simple or too scrupulous,
demands direct authority from Scripture for giving up the shows,
............ and holds out that the matter is a doubtful one, because such abstinence
............ is not clearly and in words imposed upon God's servants.

Well, we never find it expressed with the same precision,

"Thou shalt not enter circus or theatre, thou shalt not look on combat or show; "as it is plainly laid down, "Thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not worship an idol; thou shalt not commit adultery or fraud." Ex. xx. 14.

But we find that that first word of David bears on this very sort of thing: "Blessed," he says, "is the man who has not gone into the assembly of the impious, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of scorners." Ps. i. 1.

Though he seems to have predicted beforehand of that just man,
that he took no part in the meetings and deliberations of the Jews, taking counsel about the slaying of our Lord,

yet divine Scripture has ever far-reaching applications:
............ after the immediate sense has been exhausted,
............ in all directions it fortifies the practice of the religious life,
............ so that here also you have an utterance
............ which is not far from a plain interdicting of the shows.

If he called those few Jews an assembly of the wicked,

how much more will he so designate so vast a gathering of heathens!
Are the heathens less impious, less sinners, less enemies of Christ, than the Jews were then?
And see, too, how other things agree. For at the shows they also stand in the way.

"For they call the spaces between the seats going round the amphitheatre, and the passages which separate the people running down, ways. The place in the curve where the matrons sit is called a chair.

Therefore, on the contrary, it holds, unblessed is he who has entered any council of wicked men,
and has stood in any way of sinners, and has sat in any chair of scorners.

The punch line to chapter 14 which makes the Orphic and Dionysic charismatic, musical worship certain is that chapter 15 immediately shows how the collective assembly, which does not consist of external things like meats or music, can be united only by following the pattern of Christ:

WE then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities (diseased scruple) of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Romans 15:1

Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. Romans 15:2
For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. Romans 15:3

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4

Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: Romans 15:5

That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:6

Mechanical instruments were ordained for signalling but not for the assembly. The military musicians did not play "music" or symphonia, but they made one great noise in absolute unison where the trumpets or shofars were tuned identically:

"Wind instruments in primitive cultures also serve nonreligious functions. In New Guinea, bamboo trumpets were once played

to frighten an enemy during battle and
to alert a village that the victorious warriors were coming home with the corpses of the foes.

Conch-shell trumpets are used for signaling in the Pacific coastal regions of Columbia and in the Ecuadoran highlands.

"Trumpets also may be associated with the office of king or chief, as in West Africa, where their use is strictly controlled by tribal law. "wind instrument" Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 

"The trumpets were assigned a number of complicated signals, which implied their ability of blowing legato, staccato, and trills, and tonguing, all in unison, not 'simultaneously,' but 'as with one mouth.' Moreover, these apocalyptical trumpets bear different names: trumpets of assembly, of battle, of the slain, of ambush, etc.

In generally, they were used to terrorize the enemy into panic (Judges 7:19-20). This function was, for all practical purposes, identical with that of the trumpets of Revelation. In the temple the signals of the trumpet introduced every ceremony and every sacrifice." (International Dictionary of the Bible, p. 472-3, Abingdon).

Sug-krousis , eôs, hê, collision,  ; hoplôn Onos.26.1 ; [atomôn], nephôn, Epicur.Ep.1p.8U., 2p.45U., cf. Diog.Oen.33; of ships, D.C.49.1; hiatus or concurrence, phônêentôn   

2. metaph., collision, conflict, Plu.Num. 17; pros tina Arg.iii Ar.Nu.
II. in Music, rapid alternation of two notes, trill, Ptol.Harm.2.12.
III. Rhet., collision of contradictory statements, Aps.p.270H.

Elelizô1 [epic lengthd. form of helissô]I. to whirl round, Od.

2. to rally soldiers, Il.: Pass., hoi d' elelichthêsan id=Il.
3. generally, to make to tremble or quake, id=Il.:--Pass. to tremble, quiver, id=Il.
II. Mid. and Pass. to move in coils or spires, of a serpent, id=Il.

Augustine on the Psalms noted that making melody external is a work which David always performed trying to find God whom he believed had become lost:

"Make melody unto the Lord upon the harp: on the harp and with the voice of a Psalm" (ver. 5). Praise Him not with the voice only; take up works, that ye may not only sing, but work also.

He who singeth and worketh,

maketh melody with psaltery and upon the harp.

Melody in a literal sense in Ephesians 5:19 means to "grind into bits or powder, like sop. Therefore, Paul insisted that the work be done in the human heart which eliminates physical instruments as "the work of human hands" and always believed to be the home-away-from-home for the demon called forth by striking the instrument.

Therefore, Augustine makes the harp figurative:

Now see what sort of instruments are next spoken of, in figure: "With ductile trumpets also, and the sound of the pipe of horn" (ver. 6). What are ductile trumpets, and pipes of horn?

Ductile trumpets are of brass: they are drawn out by hammering; if by hammering, by being beaten, ye shall be ductile trumpets, drawn out unto the praise of God, if ye improve when in tribulation: tribulation is hammering, improvement is the being drawn out. Job was a ductile trumpet.

Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3 are identical: the unity can happen only if you do not tolerate the Dionysic getting drunk in church. Then, the solution is not to sing the songs and play the music of Orpheus but to "speak" or preach the Word of Christ or Spirit one to another. The only way to speak the same thing with one mind and one mouth is to "teach the word as it has been delivered to you."

The moment the human composers and theatrical performers take control of the church simply because the leaders are trapped into enticing the Baby Boomers (infantile drum beaters) to help pay for the temples which Christ will dismantle one way or another.

Using Romans 14 to authorize instrumental music is to dismiss the "meats" or "no meats" but insist upon both the Orphic and Dionysic instrumental frenzying or "creating spiritual anxiety by religious rituals" then the church has plunged into the most ancient form of pagan legalism from which it can never extricate itself because music and looking at self in the mirror and calling it "Jesus" is addictive and beyond redemption.

Arnobius Against Heresies notes that:

Faith will lead you in; experience will teach you; Scripture will train you, for it says, "Come hither, O children; listen to me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord." Then, as to those who already believe, it briefly adds, "What man is he that desireth life, that loveth to see good days? [ Ps. xxxiv. 11. ] It is we, we shall say-we who are the devotees of good, we who eagerly desire good things.

Hear, then, ye who are far off, hear ye who are near: the word has not been hidden from any; light is common, it shines "on all men." No one is a Cimmerian in respect to the word. Let us haste to salvation, to regeneration;

let us who are many haste that we may be brought together into one love, according to the union of the essential unity; and let us, by being made good, conformably follow after union, seeking after the good Monad.

The union of many in one, issuing in the production of divine harmony out of a medley of sounds and division, becomes one symphony following one choir-leader and teacher,

[Here seems to be a running allusion to the privileges of the Christian Church in its unity, and to the "Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, " which were so charming a feature of Christian worship . Bunsen, Hippolytus, etc., vol. ii. p. 157.]

the Word, reaching and resting in the same truth, and crying Abba, Father.

This, the true utterance of His children, God accepts with gracious welcome-the first-fruits He receives from them.

Dionysus Worship Background

A Cappella, Christian Worship Music

Romans 14 Background: Orpheus and Dionysus Worship

Worship Drama - Change Agents - Dionysus Theater

Vineyard - New Wineskins Effeminate Worship

Golden Bough - Sir James George Frazer XLII Dionysus

Rubel Shelly Sermon Reviews

Musical Worship Index

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