Wow, God Is Really Serious About This

[2bLikeJesus]

Exodus 22:22-24 (KJV)
²²  Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
²³  If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry;
²⁴  And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. 

 

I have not seen such strong language from God about very many other things.  Our bus route is filled with "Fatherless Children".  I think I will go down to McDonalds and buy a bunch of $5 gift cards for the 35 kids on the bus.  Thankfully only one widow in our church, but Mrs. Buttles yard is about to get taken care of today.

 

Bro. Garry

In His will.  By His power.  For His glory.

[AVBibleBeliever]

Exodus 22:22-24 (KJV)
²²  Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
²³  If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry;
²⁴  And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. 

 

I have not seen such strong language from God about very many other things.  Our bus route is filled with "Fatherless Children".  I think I will go down to McDonalds and buy a bunch of $5 gift cards for the 35 kids on the bus.  Thankfully only one widow in our church, but Mrs. Buttles yard is about to get taken care of today.

 

Bro. Garry

In His will.  By His power.  For His glory.

Bro that has to do with Israel.  Because of how Egypt afflicted them in that matter while they sojourned there.

 

However, I would still be careful with how we treat others for the teachings to the church by Paul surely teach us to take care of these.

[No Nicolaitans]

James 1:27

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

[Rebecca]

Matthew 18:6 --  But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

I couldn't resist.  I looked up the word "afflict" in the Strong's.  Found a mistake,... well, two mistakes. 

It gives the usual definitions for "afflict", look down upon, browbeat, deal hard with, etc..  But it also translates the word to mean "sing" and "speak".

Don't sing to them?  Don't speak to them?  LOL

Sorry, couldn't resist.  Carry on!

[Standing Firm In Christ]

AVBB is correct.  That was a command for Israel only. 

Gentile nations were not given the statutes contained in the Law of Moses. 

Psalms 147:19 He sheweth his word unto JacOB, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.
Psalms 147:20 He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD.

Acts 15:10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

Acts 15:23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:
Acts 15:24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
Acts 15:25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
Acts 15:26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Acts 15:27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
Acts 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
Acts 15:29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

To teach Gentile Converts to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ have to keep the Law of Moses is to tempt God (Acts 15:10) and to subvert the souls of the Gentiles (Acts 15:24)

[AVBibleBeliever]

James 1:27

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

 

 

Matthew 18:6 --  But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

Both of these are to Israel.  Not the church of God.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

While James was writing to the twelve tribes, I believe the verse concerning religion is universal. Notice the verse does not say it is commanded.

[2bLikeJesus]

Of all the topics on this site, I certainly didn't expect this one to generate any controversy.  So are you saying that the church is not held responsible for the care of widows and fatherless children?  That the entire office of the Deacon wasn't created specifically to help with the care of widows?  

 

Acts 6:1-3 (KJV)
¹  And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
²  Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.
³  Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.  

 

If I am totally misunderstanding your stance than forgive me, but your questioning whether these verses have been rightly divided is a surprise to me.  

[No Nicolaitans]

Both of these are to Israel.  Not the church of God.

 

Is this only for Israel?

 

James 4:17
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

 

What about this?

 

James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

 

...or this?

 

James 3:8
But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

 

...or maybe this?

 

James 5:13-14

13   Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.
14   Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

 

Wait...don't tell me...the word church there doesn't mean THE church, does it?

 

What about this?

 

James 1:22
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

 

Now...maybe I'm wrong...I don't know...but I seem to recall that when THE church first began...it was comprised of...ISRAELITES!

 

Acts 2:41 & 47
41   Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

 

47   Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

 

But you would have me believe that James wasn't writing to THE church...he was only writing to Jews? I'm to believe that even though James was writing to saved Jewish believers...who were part of THE church, none of that applies to us today because it's only for the Jews?

 

I know this will sound bad, but it needs to be said...

 

A lot of this "right dividing" comes out of "left-field"...

[No Nicolaitans]

 

But you would have me believe that James wasn't writing to THE church...he was only writing to Jews? I'm to believe that even though James was writing to saved Jewish believers...who were part of THE church, none of that applies to us today because it's only for the Jews?

 

 

If we're going to "rightly divide" this way...let's at least be consistent.

 

The Book of Romans only applied to the Romans.

The Books of 1 and 2 Corinthians only applied to the Corinthians.

Philippians only applied to the Philippians.

1 and 2 Timothy only applied to Timothy.

 

etc...

[HappyChristian]

Wow. So let's just cut James out of our Bibles. And all the rest that is "just for Israel."  SMH.  

[Standing Firm In Christ]

Nothing wrong with practicing pure religion, whether you're Jew, Greek, or a visitor from another planet.

[Standing Firm In Christ]

As for the "all the rest that is for Israel", the only things that were given to The twelve tribes that are definitely not for us are the 813 statutes and ordinances contained in the Mosaic Law.