What Did You Say?
For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 2 Timothy 3:2 NASB
Revilers – Once you read the Greek, you have no doubt about the meaning of this word, but in English translations the true intent will escape you. The word is blasphemoi. Ah, now you know. According to Paul’s list, those who blaspheme are on the way to damnation.
So you better not swear, right?
Wrong! The word blasphemeo doesn’t mean what we think of as swearing. It covers a much wider range of vocal options. For example, blasphemeo can mean mocking, verbal abuse, and most importantly, speaking in ways that challenge or diminish the name and authority of God. Although the word is usually focused on abusing deity, it can also be aimed at other people. But when it comes to God, it’s not just using foul language. Desecrating, violating, disputing, doubting, resisting, rejecting or refusing God’s name and character are equally blasphemy. You can blaspheme God by simply being deliberately disobedient, violating His ordinances or rejecting His mercy. No wonder James comments on the life-and-death power of the tongue.
In the last days, says Paul, men and women will be blasphemers. Does he mean that they won’t be polite in public? Does he mean they will constantly use vulgar terms? I don’t think so. Yes, there are social expectations governing proper speech and yes, many among us give no thought to their offensive vocabulary. Yes, the words of a man reveal the heart of a man, especially when he thinks no one will judge him for what he says. But this view of blasphemy is far too narrow. Paul is describing those who lift their voices in protest against God’s graciousness. He is describing those who refuse to acknowledge God’s benevolence in instruction. He points out that the men and women who think they have rights, who believe they are entitled to life as they wish it to be, are already on the road to blasphemy. Blasphemy is not simply vocabulary. It is a state of mind.
You don’t swear, do you? Well, maybe once in awhile when the circumstances are particularly difficult. You exercise proper speech decorum. But that doesn’t mean you are not one of the blasphemoi. If you reject God’s instructions, refuse His grace and mercy, cause others to fall into disobedience, doubt His authority, desecrate His reputation in word or deed, you have blasphemed.
God forgive you (and me). He will, of course, but you better ask quickly. The last days are coming.
Topical Index: blaspheme, blasphemoi, 2 Timothy 3:2, revilers
CENSORSHIP: As you know, I am in China and will be here until November 13. In China I have no access to Facebook so I cannot respond to requests. They will have to wait until I leave. There is also censorship of various sites and the Google engine, so things are difficult and slow. Please be patient. This is my first experience with direct government intervention of information.
Would this include the proponents and sellers of idolatry? Those who prey upon our need for the safety and bounds of God’s love; His benevolence, His instructions for living, His grace and mercy and HEALING of our wounds, His care for our futures and our loved ones? OH MY! There goes practically the entire advertising and merchant industries!
What about those who aggravate and proselytize the idol of Self; those who are vested in, and so therefore take action to vest others in, that ENTITLEMENT, those RIGHTS, that Skip is referring to? Those who stir mobs to frenzies, those who encourage the rebellion of the young and disaffected, those who stand to profit off of the investment of the people who can be sold the idea of their ‘rights’, this most dangerous of idols; the idol of Self? Uh Oh! There goes the rest of modern society, most ‘government’, so called, and a whole lot of false religions! Especially the New Age ones!
“If you reject God’s instructions, refuse His grace and mercy, cause others to fall into disobedience, doubt His authority, desecrate His reputation in word or deed, you have blasphemed.” No wonder we are told the whole guilty planet is going to have their mouth stopped at His coming! Look what is coming out of it in practically a single voice now!
Inside Out and Upside Down
What does it mean to “blaspheme?” blaptó: to hurt, to harm, to hinder, to injure.. and phémi – a saying or report.
To “blaspheme” is to bear “false witness.” A direct violation of God’s command: ~ You shall not bear false witness ~ You shall not “blaspheme!” To slander, to speak evil of, to bear false witness, to depradate, to discredit, to falsely accuse- to call what is evil – “good,” – and to call what is good, “evil!”
Blasphemers, it seems or appears, are running unchained and rampant, in today’s society.
I cannot help but think of the soon-to-be elections, nation-wide, on November 4th and the untold “truth” concerning our politicians, – our elected representatives.
The “Politically Correct” word, the “modern word” for this aberrant behavior is now “titled”- “Mudslinging.”
This is nothing new, but as ancient as our beginning! Hasatan, (himself), the Deceiver, the Adversary, the Accuser of the brethren, was the original “blasphemer!”
He “falsely accused” our Creator and Benefactor of not teling the truth!
The accursed “father of all liars” -“falsely accused” our Maker and (always) good God of “holding back” – “what is good” from Adam and Eve. He introduced (through sly insidious slander) our ancient ancestors to the first ever “Doubt!” How? By twisting, by perverting “only” three words!! Just an ever so slight, ever so subtle, altering of the Word of God!!
Here is what we are to remember: “God has said.” (God has spoken.)
Here is the twisting, here is the perversion, here is the iniquity: “Has God said?”
Friend, we need only remember: God (is fully capable of) saying what He means – and He (of a certainty) – means what He says! And.. – He ever speaks “only truth!!”
Adam… – why didn’t you answer “Yes!” – (or amen!- It is so!)
When God said, “don’t eat the fruit..” – Why, – what did He mean by that?
Looking back, and with 20/20 “hindsight,”- with untold discretion, and ultimate mature understanding.. (people, – just how hard is this?) God said this. (Now hear this!!!) – “DO NOT EAT THE FRUIT.”
I must stop here and pause for just a moment, for the “inner man” (something deep inside me) wishes to release an inner scream..
(OY!!). Thank you. I feel much better now.
Yes, it goes like this. (For those of us who need help understanding clear and basic instructions) Do this. Don’t do that!. Do we (sumdumguy inquired) understand the difference between “do” and “don’t?”
(What!- Again..?) Yes. – another “silent scream..” – “OY!”
~ Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not Love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not Love, – I am nothing ~
Friend, God has spoken. Listen. Listen and “Do,” (Shema!) what He says.
(Our) Father knows best!
The author writes and I quote “refuse to acknowledge Gods (Elohim) benevolence in instruction”. I take it he referring to the Torah since it means instruction.
Yes, indeed. Torah is instruction. How else would we know how to lie to please Him?
I’m so glad i didn’t read this first thing this morning or I might have missed out on receiving this from our Father.
The gift of life comes through the gift of breath.
Every breath we breath in is a seminal gift of life from our Creator that carries the potential to give and perpetuate life as it is breathed out on someone in the form of words. Every Word requires a breath which means every word costs Elohim a breath.
Is it possible that breath on our planet is like water? There is only a measured amount of it and YHVH makes it fall where He wills? Drought is caused for one land when floods happen somewhere else.
If this be the case then the breath that goes back to Elohim at the death (Ecc. 12:7) of one person becomes the breath that the Elohim then give as the gift of life to another? Is that not exactly what our Messiah Yeshua gave up for us?
After he taught his disciples everything they could bare to hear from him he poured out his souls blood on the ground. That blood that cries out from the ground day and night which is better than the blood of Abel.
For the blood of Abel cries out for justice and rightly so, but the power of the blood of Messiah cries out for mercy “Forgive them Father for they know not what they do!” Thus the Fathers just wrath is stayed that we might be given time to receive the breath/ruach of life and turn to Him.
And so in like we are now required to breath that life out to others in our words with the breath that was taken from our Messiah and poured out on us.
This is why our Master warns us;
“I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned.” Matt.12:36-37
But He answered and said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’” Mt 4:4
Pr 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and those to whom it is dear will have its fruit for their food.
We are the priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek given the stewardship of the breath of life, which is reconciliation to the Father, to minister to the body of Yeshua Messiah first and then to the world.
So I ask myself and you, Do your words bring life to others or death?
Are you willing to die to give life to another?
Thank you, Pam. That was tremendous!
Thank You, Yeshua, for dying for me. May I live for You. Amen.
Trying hard to catch up with TWs, very much behind in my reading.
“.. blasphemeo can mean mocking, verbal abuse, and most importantly, speaking in ways that challenge or diminish the name and authority of God.”
We cannot retrieve words spoken once they are out of our mouths.
“Does … mean that they won’t be polite in public? ” No, they are polite in public, but they are double-tongued-saying one thing but meaning something else.
“…. that the men and women who think they have rights, who believe they are entitled to life as they wish it to be, are already on the road to blasphemy.”
To speak words of wisdom and with much contemplation is so needed in these days of corruption, degeneration and deterioration of human character where destruction is rampant-last days scenario?
Be quick to hear and slow to speak seems to have ‘lost’ its vital significance these days.
Shalom!