|
|
|
|
NO. 7 - STATED OBLIGATIONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Greek word "OPHEILO," is usually translated ‘ought' but several times bound, debtor, due, duty, need or owe in our English translations of the New Testament. This word means that one has a moral responsibility (obligation) to engage in the instruction that is given, due to the nature of the matter under consideration. Obligations are not usually equated with salvation or stated as commands, charges, orders or mandates from a superior, or stated as exclusionary from God's kingdom. Fulfilling New Testament obligations is vital to Christian growth and maturity in Christ. Continual neglect of obligations will result in spiritual degeneration and could lead to eventual exclusion from the kingdom of God. It will be for our spiritual benefit to fulfill all obligations. A. STATED OBLIGATIONS FROM JESUS CHRIST (30.....34 A.D.). 1. Forgive your debtors. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (Mt.6:12). Our debtors are those who are obligated to us. We are to be willing to forgive them as we ask God for forgiveness. 2. Jesus said to His disciples, "If I then, your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another's feet". (Jn. 13:14). This is not a command. If this custom were still followed today, then this would be our obligation today. 3. "...when you have done all those things which you are commanded...say, we have done what was our duty to do"(Lu.17:10). B. STATED OBLIGATIONS IN THE BOOK OF ACTS (34.....63 A.D.). 4. Since we are the offspring of God, we ought not think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising (Ac. 17:29). C. STATED OBLIGATIONS IN THE LETTERS TO THE CHURCHES (52.....95 A.D.). 5. Therefore, brethren we are debtors--not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh (Rom. 8:12). 6. Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, honor to whom honor (Rom.13:7). 7. "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law" (Rom. 13:8). 8. "We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples (weaknesses) of the weak, and not to please ourselves" (Rom.15:1). 9. Those who are partakers of spiritual things have a duty (obligation) to minister (contribute) in material ways (Rom.15:26,27). 10. We are under no command to withdraw from the immoral people of the world, since we would need (be obligated) to go out of the world (1 Cor. 5:9,10). We are to go into this world with the gospel (Mk. 16:15; Jn. 17:15,18; Ph. 2:15). 11. "Let the husband render to his wife the affection due (obligated) her, and likewise also the wife to her husband" (1 Cor.7:3). 12. A man ought not (is not obligated) to cover his head, when he prays since he is the image and glory of God (1 Cor. 11:4,7). a. Not obligated because of the custom of that culture. If this were a stated command of God it would be a mandatory practise. 13. Since the woman was created for the man, she ought (is obligated)) to pray with a covering on her head, because of the angels (1 Cor. 11:5,10). Obligated because of culture. Not stated as a command. Her hair is given to her for a covering (1 Cor. 11:15). a. "Nevertheless neither is a man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God" (1 Cor. 11:11,12). 14. Those who labor in the gospel ought to be commended by the churches for their labors (2 Cor. 12:11). 15. "For the children ought not (are not obligated) to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children" (2 Cor. 12:14). 16. Every man who becomes circumcised is a debtor (obligated) to keep the whole law (Gal. 5:3). 17. Christ loved the church…gave himself up for her. So husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies (Eph.5:25,28). 18. We are bound (obligated) to give thanks to God for brethren, whose faith is growing and their love abounds (2 Th.1:3; 2:13). 19. By this time you ought to be teachers...you need someone to teach you the first principles of the oracles of God (Heb. 5:12). 20. "He who says he abides in Him (Jesus), ought himself (is obligated) to walk just as He (Jesus) walked" (1 Jn. 2:6). 21. "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us…we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren"(1Jn.3:16). 22. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another (1 Jn. 4:11). A stated command of Jesus (John 15:12). 23. We ought (are obligated) therefore to show hospitality to such men (those who go forth for His Name's sake), so that we may work together for the truth (3 Jn. 9 NIV). This would apply to all individuals who go forth for His Name's sake. There is usually a reason given for obligations to be fulfilled. Forgive that you may be forgiven; pay your taxes because you are a citizen of the country; show affection to your mate because your mate is due that affection; husbands, love your wife because you are her husband; bear with the weak because you are strong; love one another because God loved us; etc. Fulfilling obligations is a matter of growth and maturity in Christ and will vary with each individual. One husband may love his wife with greater intensity than another. The strong bearing with the weaknesses of the weak will not be the same. There should be greater liberty in carrying out obligations. We should not withdraw fellowship from other Christians just because they don't fulfill obligations exactly the same way we do or don't. Obligations are not generally equated with entering heaven or being refused an entrance into the kingdom of God, like fornication, adultery, stealing, extortion, drunkenness, contentions, dissension, creating divisions, etc. Whatever is equated with salvation and stated as a command, charge, order, mandate or exclusionary is more definitive. Failure to fulfill a cultural obligation is not as serious as committing fornication, adultery, murder, etc. We are not authorized to make obligations the same as commands, charges and mandates or make commands, charges and mandates the same as obligations. God makes a distinction. So should we. It is important for Christians to fulfill obligations but what ever is equated with salvation or stated as a command, charge, order, mandate or exclusionary should be given more serious attention. In most cases separating from brethren because of differences in fulfilling obligations would be heretical (creating divisions over self-willed opinions).
Arranged by Eugene Lockling |
|
Site design by: The Tentfactory |
