In the second part of this series, we started to look at an outline of biblical information to show just how important inter-personal relationships are with other human beings.

In this third part, we will review some Scriptures that show how we are to deal with others in our relationship with them.

How we are to deal with others in our relationship with them.

One of the most obvious places to start is in Exodus 20 where God gave Israel the Ten Commandments. The first four commandments are instructions about how humans should relate to God and the other six are about how people should treat and relate to each other. If these were taken seriously, all relationships would be unrecognisable to what we experience today where selfishness and self-serving predominate.

The Ten Commandments give a summary of how to love God and how to love our neighbour.  God gave additional statutes and judgments showing the practical application of the Ten Commandments.

For example, Exodus 22:21-22 tells us: “You shall neither mistreat a stranger [sojourner or foreigner] nor oppress him… You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child.”

Rather than oppressing others, we ought to help them when we have opportunity. Deuteronomy 22:1-4 states:

“You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep going astray, and hide yourself from them; you shall certainly bring them back to your brother. And if your brother is not near you, or if you do not know him, then you shall bring it to your own house, and it shall remain with you until your brother seeks it; then you shall restore it to him. You shall do the same with his donkey, and so shall you do with his garment; with any lost thing of your brother’s, which he has lost and you have found, you shall do likewise; you must not hide yourself. You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fall down along the road, and hide yourself from them; you shall surely help him lift them up again.”

We are to do a good turn for others wherever possible.

In addressing our relationship with other Church members, Jesus said: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).

There should be no semicolon in the phrase, “… love one another; as I have loved you.”  Rather, Christ is telling us that we ought to love our brethren in the same way as He has loved us.

Paul, when writing to the Galatians, outlined important principles of sowing and reaping and of not growing weary in well doing, and he finished by saying: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

Paul further wrote how he did everything he could to accommodate others to show them the way to salvation, without compromising God’s law, when he wrote: “…and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law;   to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:20-22).

First, he was determined in destroying the Church and having the members arrested and killed, but after his conversion, he was reaching out to others and was trying to do all he could to help others to be led to God’s Truth and to reach man’s ultimate potential—entrance into the Kingdom of God. His communication was out of love towards his fellow human beings. He knew of course that he could not convert or proselytize someone, but he wanted to make sure that he did not become a hindrance for those whom God would call to salvation.

John, the apostle whom Christ loved and who had a special relationship with Christ, addresses another important point in this context, writing:

“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20).  This was central to the teaching that Jesus gave to all who listened to Him and wanted to follow Him. Unfortunately, down through the ages, lip service has so often been present but the substance ignored.

Notice the communication which Jesus had with one of the scribes:

“Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.” This is the first commandment.  And the second, like it, is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.’ [Christ summarized here the Ten Commandments.] So the scribe said to Him, ‘Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’ Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’  But after that no one dared question Him” (Mark 12:28-34).

Christ was also saying, in effect, that those who do not love God or their fellow man are far from the Kingdom of God. In fact, they were still walking in darkness even though they might have thought that they were walking in the light. This is especially true for Church members who hate their brethren (1 John 2:9-11).

Jesus said that He would judge the nations and gave this warning for those who did understand the Truth, but refused to live by it: “… for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me” (Matthew 25:35-36). He then went on to explain in verses 37-40: “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’  And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’”  That’s quite a warning for those who are followers of Jesus Christ who gives us the blueprint for how we are to treat and deal with other brethren. It is quite a lesson in interpersonal relationship behaviour.

We have to be careful that we don’t upset or offend others unnecessarily.   We will probably know some people who can be touchy or sensitive; perhaps we ourselves can be like this at times, but the apostle Paul addresses this type of relationship in 1 Corinthians 8:9-13 where we read the following:

“But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will not the conscience of him who is weak be emboldened to eat those things offered to idols?  And because of your knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?   But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.  Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.”

This is a classic case of doing without by abstaining or forgoing what we might normally do for the sake of others who are weak in the faith and might be encouraged by our conduct (which is objectively faultless) to follow our example, but they would be doing so with a compromised conscience. Inasmuch as whatever is not from faith is sin (Romans 14:23), we must be careful by not encouraging others to sin against their conscience.  We should endeavour at all times, wherever possible, to have good relationships with others although at times, for many reasons, that may not be possible.  If it is not possible, let us ensure that we are not the responsible party in such a case.

Selflessness should be part of the way we react and behave in life as the apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:33: “…just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.” Again, Paul’s desire was that others would be saved, and he did not want to endanger that possibility by the way he conducted himself.

Jesus was hassled and harassed by the religious establishment of His time as they tried to trick Him into giving answers that would incriminate Himself.  “But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?’  Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets”’” (Matthew 22:34-40).  After the Sadducees failed, the Pharisees tried yet again to trap Jesus. However, Jesus was not taken by surprise or without an answer and gave a perfect summary of the foundation of all the law and the prophets for all of those who choose to follow Him.

James, the half-brother of Jesus, later explained: “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well” (James 2:8).

Jesus gave instruction about those who are against us: “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?  Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect” (Matthew 5:44-48).

On the same theme, further direction and guidance was given as we read in Luke 6:35 about this matter which cuts right across the grain of our human nature:  “But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.”  Very often, when enemies see others reacting in this most unusual way, that of trying to do good to them or trying to be helpful, they can have a change of mind about them.

Paul, in quoting from Proverbs 25:21-22, tells us in Romans 12:17-21:

“Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

One practical example can be found in Exodus 23:4-5: “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it.”

If we are to treat our enemy that way, how much more are we to show love for our brethren, leading to unity. Psalm 133:1 is a key verse and very self-explanatory: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!”

The first part of Proverbs 18:24 states that “A man who has friends must himself be friendly,” showing that we shouldn’t be inward looking and “locking out” other people. However, many feel that this is not the best translation. The Ryrie Study Bible comments: “Probably better, ‘A man of (too many) friends will be broken in pieces.’ Indiscriminately chosen friends may bring trouble, but a genuine friend sticks with you through thick and thin.” It still remains true that we must act towards genuine friends in a friendly manner.

When relationship problems occur in a marriage, friendship, business and in so many other areas of life, the outcomes can be threatening, even disastrous.   Even in the Church we can have difficulties between members which can be distressing to the parties involved and may be resolved if the appropriate action is taken.

One passage of Scripture is often overlooked when there is sin involved, causing problems with inter-personal relationships within the Church. The modern phrase is conflict resolution and how we go about it.   We have covered this many times in sermons and in other literature but a brief reminder may be helpful. In Matthew 18:15-17 we read: “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’  And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.”

For a thorough discussion of conflict resolution between brethren  in Matthew 18:15-20, please see our Q&A, https://www.eternalgod.org/q-a-2853/  See also our Q&A on the power and authority of excommunication in Matthew 18:17.  https://www.eternalgod.org/question-and-answer-279/

On the other hand, our personal relationship with others may need to involve division and separation because of the Word of God. We explain this aspect in detail in our Q&A which addresses what it means to deny Christ, https://www.eternalgod.org/what-does-it-mean-to-deny-christ/, saying:

“Why would someone deny Christ? A major reason is because of persecution as a Christian, but JESUS warned that this would come:

“‘Remember the word that I said to you, “A servant is not greater than his master.” If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me’” (John 15:20-21).

“When a person is called into the Truth, standing firm and not denying Christ will oftentimes be a great test. Again, this is something JESUS said would come—it is part of ‘counting the cost’ (Luke 14:28):

“‘Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to “set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law”; and “a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.” He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it’” (Matthew 10:34-39)…

“Finally, consider this ominous warning from JESUS:

“‘For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels’” (Mark 8:38).”

If we love others more than God and if we are compromising with God’s Truth, just to maintain a close or friendly personal relationship with others,  we deny Christ, and He will be ashamed of us when He returns.

In summary, our personal relationships with others must be pleasing in the sight of God.

(To be continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

In the first part of this series, we looked at the relationship between God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.   In the second part, we will give an outline of biblical information to show just how important inter-personal relationships are with other human beings, and how bad relationships can be disastrous for everyone involved.

Relationships – Man’s interpersonal relationships with fellow man.

In Genesis 1:26, we read that God spoke about creating man who was to be made in His image with God’s end goal of reproducing Himself through man. As God is a Family, He wanted man to become part of His Family—to ultimately join Him in His Family as born-again immortal God beings. In Genesis 2:21-25, we read that a woman was made and that husband and wife, as well as their children, were to be a human family (compare Genesis 1:28). This was to be a physical pattern of the ultimate purpose of enlarging the God Family. However, Adam and Eve failed to obey God, and so there were conversations in chapter 3 where God spoke to Adam and his wife after they had eaten of the forbidden fruit and where, as a consequence, God expelled them from the Garden of Eden, thereby preventing them to eat from the Tree of Life and obtain God’s Holy Spirit and finally eternal life.

Since the dawn of civilisation, man’s relationship with fellow man has been a constant problem.  Adam obeyed Eve in eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which he should not have done, and the first child born to Adam and Eve was Cain who killed his brother Abel, because Abel’s works were righteous, while Cain’s works were evil (1 John 3:12). As mankind multiplied, so did the problems, and it became so bad that Noah was instructed to build an ark and that those on board that ark would be the only ones who would survive the Flood, and that was after only 1,650 years after the creation of man.

Why would this be so?

In his booklet “Military Service and War,” Mr Herbert Armstrong wrote the following on pages 10 and 11:

“There are the two broad, general philosophies or WAYS OF LIFE.

“God’s WAY is the WAY of LOVE (which is outgoing concern)—of being God-centered , loving and obeying God ahead of all else—and loving fellow man (including enemies) as one’s self. It is the way that believes Jesus when He says it is more blessed to GIVE than to receive (Acts 20:35). It is THE WAY of cooperation, helping, sharing.

“SIN is THE WAY of vanity, self-love, self-centeredness, selfishness, greed, competition, grasping, taking, getting, accumulating, acquiring; and of jealousy, envy, malice, resentment, strife, hatred, murder. It is the OPPOSITE of God’s way. It is the way of WAR.

“In the SIN WAY OF LIFE, love of SELF is balanced by an equal hostility or lack of concern for others—although the ‘empirical self’ usually includes those one feels allied with—such as wife or husband, one’s club, team, group, or country. In GOD’S WAY, concern for others is in equal balance to love of self.

“These are the two OPPOSITE WAYS OF LIFE—opposite ATTITUDES of HEART. One is the way of righteousness, the other the way of SIN.

“God is LOVE. His whole character is that of LOVE and OUTGOING CONCERN. HE IS THE GIVER of every good and precious gift. In love for us humans, God GAVE His Son – gave His Law that it might go well with us! God desires to GIVE each of us His Holy Spirit, and eternal life!

“This gives you the broad, general PRINCIPLE of God’s LAW—the basis and foundation of the Government of God.

“The entire Law may be summed up in the one word, LOVE. It is love toward God, and love toward neighbor—the two great commandments. The first four of the Ten Commandments define, in principle, HOW to love God. The last six, love toward fellow man. These, in turn, are applied in principle to specific cases.

“Military service, bearing arms (for use against humans), killing, war, is directly contrary to God’s Law in principle! It is not THE WAY of giving, sharing, helping, serving… The one specific point of God’s basic Law concerning war is the sixth of the Ten Commandments, ‘Thou shalt not kill.’”

(Please also read our free booklet, “The Ten Commandments,” and, especially in this context, chapter 9, “The Sixth Commandment,” as well as our free booklet, “Should YOU Fight in War?” ).

From these insightful observations, it becomes clear WHY we have had interpersonal relationship problems from the dawn of civilisation.

From the biblical record, there was rebellion and a self-centered attitude from the first family on earth right on to the time that Noah was given his commission.   This was brought about by man’s behaviour, as we read in Genesis 6:5: “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Adam and Eve took what was not theirs—they ate from the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge—and at the time of Noah, “the sons of God” –descendants from Adam and Eve’s son Seth—“took wives for themselves” from “the daughters of men”—descendants of the evil Cain (compare Genesis 6:1-2). These women were idol worshippers and of a different race, and God did not approve of such a marriage. As Eve looked at the Tree of Knowledge and “saw” “that it was pleasant to the eyes” (Genesis 3:6), so the descendants of Seth “saw the daughters of men, that they were beautiful” (Genesis 6:2). In both cases, their desire for what was forbidden led to sinful and evil conduct. (For more information, please read our Q&A, “Did angels have sexual intercourse with women and thereby produce giants?”).

After the Flood, man again went his own way, as we read in Genesis 11 about the Tower of Babel, when men disobeyed God by assembling at one place, rather than filling the earth (Genesis 9:1; 11:4). God intervened, as we read in Genesis 11:6-9: “And the Lord said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them.  Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.’  So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.  Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.”

So, God saw to it that they ultimately did what they were at first unwilling to do. God will always make sure that His plan is carried out.

As man was scattered all over the earth, again God and His Ways have generally been ignored with man’s governments holding sway and developing their own laws and ideas.   Other gods were of man’s own making with the usual results. All of this occurred, of course, under the inspiration of Satan who has deceived the whole world (Revelation 12:9).

Then God chose Israel to be His nation and, although there were some good times and mainly bad times in their history, as both the houses of Israel and Judah did what was right in their own eyes, disobeying God, the Messiah came through the lineage of Judah—one of the 12 tribes of Israel (compare Hebrews 7:14; Matthew, chapter 1; and Revelation 5:5).

Jesus came to fulfil (fill to the full, expand) the Law of God (compare Matthew 5:17-20), and while the true Church of God has always maintained the knowledge of God’s Law,  it has in these end times continued to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom to the world as a witness, as Jesus Himself preached and emphasised that the Law of God must be kept.

Satan is the “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4) and “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2). He is the same evil spirit, in serpent form, which lied to Eve and persuaded her to take of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil which, as he claimed, God had selfishly withheld from them (see Genesis 3:1-7). This has been at the heart of all of the problems that man experiences with both himself and his fellow man.

(For more information on the two trees in the Garden of Eden, please read our free booklet, “Human Suffering, Why… and How Much Longer?,” and especially in this context, chapter 2, “The Two Trees.”).

Before we discuss in detail how we should, as Christians, react and behave, let us have a brief look at how people form their relationships in the first place, and why true and proper relationships are important. We read the following on the website of  theologyofwork:

“Many people form their closest relationships when some kind of work—whether paid or not—provides a common purpose and goal. In turn, working relationships make it possible to create the vast, complex array of goods and services beyond the capacity of any individual to produce. Without relationships at work, there are no automobiles, no computers, no postal services, no legislatures, no stores, no schools, no hunting for game larger than one person can bring down. And without the intimate relationship between a man and a woman, there are no future people to do the work God gives. Our work and our community are thoroughly intertwined gifts from God. Together they provide the means for us to be fruitful and multiply in every sense of the words.”

(To be Continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

One of the great themes in the Bible is that of relationships – between God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, God and man, and between human beings themselves.  Pretty much everyone has relationships with other people unless they live on their own on a desert island, and so it should come as no surprise to anyone that it is a major theme running right through the Bible.   Unless we get these relationships right, we will have a miserable life, but much more importantly, the spiritual application is of paramount importance, as we get close to God, and stay close to Him, which will give us eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

This series of Q&As is but a brief overview on this subject, and we hope that it will prove helpful to all who read this information, and to those who decide to delve further into this matter.   There is so much more in the Bible than that which we will cover in this series.

Relationships – God the Father and Jesus Christ.

Right from the dawn of civilisation we read in the first book in the Bible that there was a relationship with God the Father and one other Personage, the “Logos” or “Spokesman.”  In Genesis 1:26, we read: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’”

There are those who take issue with the phrase “Let Us make man in Our image” dismissing the argument that it is about more than just one Person. This concern is addressed in our booklet “God is a Family” on pages 3-4:

“Some claim that the statement, ‘Let Us make man in Our image,’ does not reveal a plurality of persons in the Godhead, but that it is like an expression of a king who speaks of himself in the plural form. They point out, for instance, that the queen of England might say something like, ‘We have decreed…’ She is referring to herself, but she says, ‘we.’ This way of speaking is called ‘pluralis maiestatis’ or ‘pluralis maiestaticus.’

“The problem with applying this concept to God’s statements in Genesis 1 and 3 is that God did not use this kind of speaking in His inspired word, the Bible—in fact, the early Hebrews knew nothing about this way of speaking.”

The booklet then goes on to cover many more aspects about the relationship between the Father and the Logos—the “Word” and the Son of God, who became Jesus Christ, with subtitles such as “Jesus Was – And is – God!”; “Jesus Came to Reveal the Father”; “Who and What Was Jesus Before His Human Birth” and much more, and is very well worth reading or re-reading.

Let us look at some very pertinent Scriptures that show how important and close this relationship is and always has been.

In Revelation 13:8, we read: “And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Other translations render this phrase slightly differently, thereby implying that the Book of Life existed from the foundation of the world and that the names of true believers were written in that book before the world was founded. Both concepts are correct. We explain this in detail in our free booklet, “Are You Predestined to Be Saved?”

In any event, it was established or preordained or predestined from the foundation of the world (in fact, even prior to this) that Jesus Christ would come to this earth to die for our sins.

We read further that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1-3).   In verse 14, it reveals that the Word was Jesus Christ: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

And so we can conclude quite clearly from these verses that the Word, Jesus Christ, had no beginning and was with the Father from eternity.  Micah 5:2 confirms this, saying that Jesus Christ—the One to be Ruler in Israel—will come “Whose goings forth are from old, From everlasting (literally, the days of eternity).”  In the letter to the Hebrews, it is explained that Jesus Christ—called “Melchizedek”—was and is “without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life” (Hebrews 7:3).

And the two of them are a Family. They are both God beings, referred to as the Father and the Son.

Jesus came to this earth to preach the Kingdom of God and this was central to His ministry.  In Matthew 4:23, we read: “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.”   He further taught: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).   There are well over 100 references to the Kingdom in the four gospel accounts.   This same gospel has to be preached today.

In our free booklet “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God,” we read, on page 2: “The Bible repeats time and again that Jesus Christ preached the gospel of the Kingdom of God. In fact, Christ’s whole message had to do with the Kingdom of God—WHAT it is, WHY we need to understand it, and HOW we can have a part in it.

“The Jews at the time of Christ were so upset about the message of the Kingdom of God that they killed Christ. Their understanding of what the Kingdom of God is, and who would be in it, was quite different from what Jesus taught. That is why they were so intent on killing Him.”

John 5:19 gives an insight into the close personal relationship that the Son had with His Father: “Then Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.’”  The Son and the Father were united in love and purpose.  In John 14:9, Jesus is quoted as saying: “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?”

In John 5:30, we read a statement which reveals the closeness of Father and Son: “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.”

The website of dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com says: “Jesus is the true representation of the immortal God in every aspect of His character and will. He is a visible image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation Who is able to genuinely say, ‘My food is to do the will of My Father’ and ‘Thy will not mine be done’. Philip had yet to understand that Jesus was the Word of God, made flesh, Who was with God in the beginning. He is the exact representation of God, Who had come to earth to reveal the Father to Adam’s fallen race.” Of course, we understand that man did not “fall”—it is Satan who fell like lightning from heaven (compare Luke 10:18).

Jesus came to earth not to do His own thing, but to do His Father’s Will.   We read this in several verses: “Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work’” (John 4:34); and: “‘For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me’” (John 6:38).  We further read: “Then Jesus said to them, ‘When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him’” (John 8:28-29).

Jesus always spoke as directed by His Father:   “For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak” (John 12:49).   We also read in John 14:31: “But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.”

Jesus is immortal and came to this earth and preached about the Kingdom of God.  His Father commanded Him what to say; He always sought to do His Father’s Will, and copied what the Father does. This reveals very precisely and surely that the Father and Jesus Christ have the closest relationship that it is ever possible to have, being in total agreement and unity about everything.

The relationship between the Father and the Son has been in existence from before there was any beginning—before there was anything created—and they agree on all things.  We just have to think about the total agreement that they both had to have when working out their master plan of salvation for mankind and when creating the universe with every tiny detail agreed to completely.  We know that the return of Jesus Christ will be necessary at the end of this age (compare Matthew 24:22) but no one knows either the day or the hour when that will happen (see verse 36) except the Father.  The Father “knows” or better “decides” when that time has come; it is in His total, complete and sole authority to determine the timing. When the Father makes that decision, as He determines when that time has arrived, there will be no disagreement between the Father and the Son and Jesus will return just in time to save mankind from cosmocide. There is no competitive spirit between them and they are as one.   These remarkable examples in the Word of God give ample testimony to their close and unchanging relationship which will continue on throughout eternity.

The Father entrusted and entrusts Jesus with great responsibility: “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16); and: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:1-2).  In turn, Jesus fully trusted and trusts His Father; theirs was and is a fully reciprocal relationship.

As alluded to before, the relationship between the Father and the Son is one of love. In fact, all the aspects of their relationship, discussed herein, are based and founded on the fact that they love each other. We read in Matthew 3:17 the Father’s message about His Son to the people, which was communicated by an angel: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This message was repeated to Peter, James and John on the mount of transfiguration (Matthew 17:5; compare 2 Peter 1:17). The Father loved and loves the Son (compare John 3:35; 5:20; 10:17; 15:9; 17:24, etc.)—He always has and He always will. At the same time, as already stated above, the Son loved and loves the Father (compare again John 14:31). That loving relationship will never end.

There is so much more information about our Saviour, Jesus Christ, but we have only referenced briefly that which is concerned with His relationship with His Father.

Our free booklets “Jesus Christ – A Great Mystery”;  “Do You Know the True Jesus of the Bible?”; “God is a Family;” and “Is God a Trinity?” are replete with so much more invaluable information.

(To be Continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale (United Kingdom) and Norbert Link

In the first part of this two-part series, we looked at the fact that many writers will agree that there are pagan connections to Christmas but conclude that it is still acceptable to keep the festival.   We gave two examples and continue with further examples.

EXAMPLE 3:

Here is another approach to try and justify Christmas celebrations:

“The Lord, through His sacrifice, has cleansed us of our sins. He sanctifies what he touches.  When we came in contact with Him, it is we who were cleansed. It is not Him who is defiled.  The woman with the issue of blood who touched Jesus (Mark 5:25-34) was made clean. It was not Jesus who was defiled. Likewise, Jesus touched the unclean lepers and cleansed them (Matthew 8:3). Jesus came in contact with many people, and it was never He who was defiled. It was they who were cleansed.

“I think this principle can be applied to Christmas. Yes, Christmas has pagan origins. Yes, it is a highly commercial time. Yes, many do not have their eyes on Jesus. But for the Christian, it is a time to reflect upon the birth of our Lord and to celebrate His coming into the world to die for our sins.”

This approach is exactly what the Bible condemns.

In our Update 122, dated December 19, 2003, we read the following in our Q&A, “Why don’t you celebrate Christmas?” 

“The age-old question is, however, why is it so important to know that Christmas and its customs were a pagan invention? What is wrong with ‘Christianizing’ those pagan customs? We might not be able to bring Christ BACK into those customs (as He was never part of them in the first place), but why can’t we bring those customs to Christ and use them to worship Him in that way?

“Simply, because the Bible prohibits us to do so. The concept of adding pagan practices to godly worship, known as ‘syncretism,’ is condemned throughout Scripture. Again, we encourage our members, subscribers and friends to read or re-read our booklet, ‘Don’t Keep Christmas,’ for a more comprehensive analysis of this important question.

“In short, we read in Deuteronomy 12:29-32, that God commanded Israel that ‘you do not inquire after their [pagan] gods, saying, “How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.” You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way…”

“What could be clearer? God commands us NOT to worship Him in the way that the Gentiles did. Christmas was a pagan festival in honor of pagan gods. God FORBIDS us to worship Him in that way. We read in Matthew 15:7-9 that we worship Christ IN VAIN when we teach ‘as doctrines the commandments of men’ or pagans. The Ryrie Study Bible comments regarding the passage in Deuteronomy 12:30: ‘The Israelites were not even to inquire about the worship of the Canaanites, lest they be tempted to INCORPORATE ASPECTS OF IT INTO THEIR WORSHIP OF GOD.’

“That is, exactly, what the Roman Catholic Church did. That is exactly what God PROHIBITS His people from doing!”

EXAMPLE 4:

Another writer gives us an insight into further antagonism towards those who say that Christmas is not a festival that true Christians should keep:

“Q. WHAT IS A PROPER CHRISTIAN RESPONSE TO PEOPLE WHO CLAIM CHRISTMAS AND OTHER CHRISTIAN CELEBRATIONS ARE PAGAN?

“A. First, if we are honest, we are forced to acknowledge that aspects of Christmas certainly are pagan: the revelry, drinking and overeating, commercialism, coveting, and immorality that are rife during the season. The holiday atmosphere as represented by these sins surely cannot be considered a part of true Christianity. Also, holly and mistletoe, Santa Claus, and the like are not found in Scripture either, though certain trappings of the season, like Christmas trees, candles, wreaths, and bells, are not necessarily wrong if they classify as decorations rather than gods. Anything can become a god if we lose perspective and don’t put God first. Further, enough eons have elapsed so that any pagan connections with items such as Christmas trees are now truly meaningless.

“I believe Christians must part company with those, such as certain cultists who advocate totally ignoring the celebration of Christ’s birth. We are unsure of the exact date on which our Savior was born. In fact, Dec. 25 is almost certain not to be the day. Does that matter? The precise day of the year should not deter us from designating a day to celebrate Jesus’ birthday. Further, there is nothing wrong with having family gatherings, exchanging gifts, sending greeting cards, singing, going to special services at church, and enjoying good food God has provided. We should use Christmas as a special time to witness to unsaved loved ones and acquaintances too. Many people have trusted Christ as Savior through the local church during the holiday season, the only time when some people enter a church.

“‘Christmas is for children’ is quite true. Many of us remember our early childhoods as the time when the account of the Christ Child was especially enthralling. Therefore, we adults can make Christmas a time of unselfish giving toward children (not just material things, by the way), creating great experiences that they will remember all their lives. It is an important part of bringing them up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Many of us remember events surrounding our early Christmases better than any other times during our entire childhoods.

“These are responses that I believe honor the Lord. Christmas is not going to go away and critics will always be around. If some Christians cannot in good conscience observe Christmas, or any other Christian celebration, they have the privilege of leaving it alone.”

That is quite a statement but is hardly a proper response to people who claim Christmas and other Christmas celebrations are pagan!   Here’s why:

It is incorrect to say that any pagan connections with items such as Christmas trees are now truly meaningless.  God, who doesn’t change (see Malachi 3:6), said quite categorically that His people should not follow the customs of worship who serve false gods (compare again Deuteronomy 12:29-32).   That was true in the times of the ancient Israelites and still applies to God’s people today.

As often happens, those who disagree with the practice of keeping Christmas are labelled as cultists with opponents trying to denigrate and falsely accuse them so as to undermine their standing.

The assertion is made that “Dec. 25 is almost certain not to be the day” but that “it doesn’t matter.”  Is it not strange that the celebration of His birthday which they say is not on December 25^th is a wrong date and yet they keep it?

What can be said about the argument that “we should use Christmas as a special time to witness to unsaved loved ones and acquaintances too”?   So, they use a time that is not the date of the Savior’s birth, pretend it is, and to try and teach others that this is quite alright? What sort of example is that?

Regarding the training of children, they say that “It is an important part of bringing them up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).” To teach children God’s Word is indeed the responsibility of parents, but that must be based on the sure foundation of the truth.   Teaching them lies about a pagan festival with a cloak of so-called Christianity draped over it is not in line with what God expects of us.

It is stated that “Christmas Is not going to go away” which may well be true but that does not mean that true Christians have to be involved in it.   It is highly unlikely that Halloween is not going to go away but we should never have anything to do with that demonic celebration, either.

The Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates have consistently taught that we must never be involved with Christmas celebrations.

One of our Q&As has the following headline: “You teach that Christians should not keep man’s holidays, such as Christmas, but rather, they need to observe God’s annual Holy Days. Why can’t we do both? And what, exactly, are those annual Holy Days, and how are they different from days such as Christmas?”  We address in that Q&A the fact that the world’s holidays of which Christmas is just one, should not be kept, and it goes into the biblical Holy Days that God’s people are commanded to keep.  You can access this Q&A at: https://www.globalchurchofgod.co.uk/q-a-8343/

Of course, becoming lax in this area couldn’t happen to us, could it? Not all that long ago a photograph appeared of a former evangelist in the Church of God who had taught the truth about Christmas, until the mid-1990’s, when he was standing in front of a Christmas tree obviously enjoying the experience.   His new-found “freedom” seemed to have allowed this action that he preached vehemently against in his ministry in the Church of God.  Quite a turnaround!

“Whether to celebrate Christmas or not, is man’s choice. However, to decree whether it is right or wrong to do so, is God’s prerogative.”(See our weekly Update 122, dated December 19, 2003).

In Mark 7:6-7, we read Jesus’ words, quoting Isaiah, when speaking to the Pharisees and scribes: “He answered and said to them, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: “This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”’”  It is obvious for those with eyes to see that this applies to modern mainstream Christianity as they have discarded the Holy Days of God and replaced them with man-made holidays of which Christmas is just one of them.   We must never forget that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

Also, as mentioned repeatedly in this series, a reading (or a re-reading) of our booklet “Don’t Keep Christmas” could prove to be very well worthwhile, as we approach this time of the year once again.

Lead Writer:  Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

It is interesting when reviewing this question that many writers will agree that there are pagan connections to Christmas but conclude that it is still acceptable to keep the festival.

There was a special report on the BBC News website some years ago entitled “Whose Christmas is it anyway?,” which stated the following:

“Apparently, the season of good cheer did not start out as exclusively a Christian festival. According to Pagans, the early Christian church hijacked December 25 to celebrate the birth of Jesus because they saw that everyone was already having a good time and decided to take advantage of it.

“Historical debate has been raging for a long time over the exact date of the birth of Jesus Christ, with estimates ranging from sometime in September to much later in February.

“But the most important date in the festive season for Pagans is the winter solstice which always takes place around December 21. Called Yule, it is one of the traditional Celtic fire festivals and marks the return of the light after the longest night of the year.

“The Pagan Federation, an umbrella group for Pagan organisations, describes Paganism as a spiritual nature-venerating belief system rooted in the ancient nature religions of the world.”

In spite of so many understanding the roots of this worldly festival, there are still those, who with limpet-like qualities, cling tenaciously to the fact that “we know all of this, but it is fine to keep this end-of-year celebration”.

Let us look at several examples, although we could quote many more.  Because we believe that the examples shown are in gross error we have, for once, deliberately not put the source for the examples shown. Although they have been taken from websites that have published this information, the reasons they give are fairly generic, and to publish specific names when others have the same kind of reasoning could be seen as a personal attack on their set of beliefs.

EXAMPLE 1:

One commentator wrote on 25^th December 2020, the following in a long article, amongst many other similar assertions:

“This year of all years — with a clarity denied us in happier times — it is possible to recognise in Christmas its fundamentally Christian character. The light shining in the darkness proclaimed by the festival is a very theological light, one that promises redemption from the miseries of a fallen world. In a time of pandemic, when the festive season is haunted by the shadows of sickness and bereavement, of loneliness and disappointment, of poverty and dread, the power of this theology, one that has fuelled the celebration of Christmas for century after century, becomes easier, perhaps, to recognise than in a time of prosperity. The similarities shared by the feast day of Christ’s birth with other celebrations that, over the course of history, have been held in the dead of winter should not delude us into denying a truth so evident as to verge on the tautologous: Christmas is a thoroughly Christian festival.”

You have to wonder about the depth of deception that has been foisted on a deceived world by authors who can cleverly use words to show exactly the opposite of what is meant in the Word of God.

In his book “4000 Years of Christmas,” Earl W. Count writes: “‘The [Roman Catholic] Church finally succeeded in taking the merriment, the greenery, the lights, and the gifts from Saturn [a Roman sun god patterned after the Persian sun god Mithras] and giving them to the Babe of Bethlehem.’”  Mr Count is one of many authors who write extensively about the pagan roots of this end-of-year festival.

When considering the relevant Scriptures and some external sources, we can, indeed, find out the approximate time of Christ’s birth, but it is impossible to find out the exact date. It is all to do with King David who had divided the priests into several “courses” or divisions — that is, each group or “course” of priests was to serve God for a specific period of time. Luke 1:5-9 shows that Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, was of the course of Abijah (which courses are listed in 1 Chronicles 24) and that he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his course or division. Each course lasted eight days — from Sabbath to Sabbath.  By studying this, it becomes clear that John was born in the spring and Jesus was born six months later – around late September or early October. It is clear that Jesus was born in the autumn — not on December 25.   For a full exposition of this important matter, please study this Q&A:

Therefore, to associate the light shining in the darkness—Jesus Christ—with Christmas is absolutely ridiculous. Christ was not born anywhere near Christmas. If we want to associate a “light” with Christmas, it would be Satan, who pretends to be an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), and whom Christ saw fall from heaven like lightning (Luke 10:18).

EXAMPLE 2:

After questioning all of the trappings of this festive season, another writer asks a number of questions and then comes up with a conclusion.   To start with, the question is asked: “So can Christians have Christmas things?” and states the following:

“Since the pagan origins of Christmas have long passed and Christians no longer have any association with paganism and certain Christmas decorations, my personal view is that some decorations may or may not be harmless.

“Others, however, perhaps should be avoided. Is your tree the centerpiece of your house and does it distract from worship of God? Do you spend too much time decorating the tree instead of praying and having a Bible study with your family all while playing ‘O Christmas Tree’ pagan tree-worship songs? In this case, I believe you should not have the tree.

“The problem with avoiding holidays entirely could be you are the oddball. But if that’s what God wants, then it’s ok to be the oddball. After all, Halloween should definitely be avoided by Christians. But Christmas? I don’t know. At least, I’m not prepared myself to get rid of Christmas just yet. Maybe this will change, but for now I don’t feel convicted to eliminate and avoid Christmas entirely; just to avoid some things like mistletoe and ungodly things and ungodly songs.

“But you should pray and decide for yourself whether Christmas decorations are good for you and your family. Ask God to impress on your heart what He wants you to do, and surely God will show you.

“All that said, have a merry Christmas and a happy holiday full of joy and the love of Christ! And be sure to use this time as an opportunity to show the love of Christ to others one way or another!”

That seems to be fairly typical of the approach of many where accepting wrong practices is questioned but still going ahead with the celebrations.   In fact, this writer wishes everyone “a merry Christmas and a happy holiday,” even though he also says: “After all, Halloween should definitely be avoided by Christians. But Christmas? I don’t know. At least, I’m not prepared myself to get rid of Christmas just yet.”   There is no conviction in his argument, and Romans 14:23 states: “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.”

The argument, as expressed above, that the pagan origins of Christmas have long passed and that Christians who keep Christmas have no association with paganism is blatantly false. In our booklet “Don’t Keep Christmas,” we read on pages 19-20 these observations under the heading “Counter Arguments of the Carnal Mind”:

“Some may respond by saying, ‘So what? Why not keep Christmas anyway? Even though Christmas is a pagan festival and its customs are pagan in origin, I do it to honor Christ. And even though the Bible doesn’t command us to keep it, doesn’t God give us the freedom to celebrate the birthday of His Son whenever we want? And further, if we don’t like the “paganism” associated with Christmas, why not just keep Christmas solely to honor Christ, while leaving all the pagan customs behind?’

“Yes, we humans can come up with all kinds of reasons to hang on to our traditions and beliefs.  We somehow want to justify our actions rather than coming to terms with the truth of the matter, and it quickly becomes evident how strongly our beliefs entrench our customs.  We don’t give up easily, even when shown to be wrong.

“For example, we know that Christmas has become totally commercialized, and it is being kept alive by commercialism. As U.S. News & World Report points out in its December 23, 1996 article, on page 64: ‘To turn Christmas into a purely religious celebration now might cheer those who want to “take back Christmas.”… But such an observance “would lack the cultural resonance and impact of a holiday deeply rooted in the marketplace.” If Christmas came to that… “we probably wouldn’t keep it as a society.”’

“And, while Christmas is widely touted as a time of ‘peace on earth and good will toward men,’ it is a well-known fact that Christmas is the time of year in the Western world when more crimes are committed than at any other time.  It is a time when alcoholism runs rampant.  It is a time when commerce reaches its peak of illogical and irresponsible conduct and behavior, and people incur credit card debts that they can never repay, only to fulfill their ‘obligation’ to give gifts to others.  Parents lie to their children, telling them that Santa Claus will come through the chimney to bring Christmas presents, and that if they don’t behave, Santa Claus won’t bring them presents at all.”

We know what the world says about Christmas, but what does God have to say about this celebration? Although the word “Christmas” is never used in the Bible, are there guidelines and principles on how to look at this issue?

One author explained the pagan origin of Christmas and its ongoing pagan “relevance,” as follows:

“It may sound silly to some people but not everyone believes Christmas is a Christian holiday. After all, we hear ‘Keep Christ in Christmas’ every year. It’s said to be all about the birth of Jesus. But not everyone believes this.

“Why? Because the Christmas tree, the toys given to children, Santa Clause, and his 8 tiny reindeer… had nothing to do with Jesus originally. Neither does the Easter bunny, for that matter. No, Christmas was originally a pagan celebration…

“Romans had a holiday known as Saturnalia, it was a time of lawlessness between December 17-25. During this holiday no one would be punished or brought to court for anything they did. This meant you could pretty much do anything you wanted.

“During this time each community would select a sacrifice. A person that they would force to indulge in every kind of pleasure they could and then on December 25th they would kill them. This was thought to be a method of destroying evil…

“If you have ever been to New Orleans LA. or Mobile AL. then you know about something called Mardi Gras. It’s a time of Parades where people dress in costumes and throw beads, toys, and Moon-pies. It’s called a family event in Mobile. But this is actually about as pagan as it gets.

“The holiday is actually all about gods and goddesses, parties of excessive drinking, and sexual pleasures. I know because I lived in Mobile, AL. most of my life.

“So what do the churches in the area do about this? Wait for it…THEY GO OUT AND THROW BEADS!!! What?! Why would they be celebrating such a thing?

“It’s because they want to be ‘relevant’ to the culture and use it as a method of ‘evangelism.’ While they are throwing beads and Moon-pies to people they are also trying to preach the gospel. So what you get is a mix of pagan and Christian influences.

“This is EXACTLY how Saturnalia became Christmas. People of the time tried to ‘evangelize’ the pagans by telling them they could still celebrate this holiday. The only problem is it didn’t have anything to do with Christ. So they began to say December 25th was the birthday of Jesus. And Christmas was born. A mix of pagan and Christian influences.”

In the next instalment, we will continue to address the fact that Christmas is pagan to the core, and that we are NOT to mix pagan customs with the worship of God, which further hammers home that the keeping of this festival should not be kept by those who are followers of Christ.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

What you are referring to is the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) which was held in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021.  This event is a global United Nations summit about so-called climate change and how countries are planning to tackle it.

On the BBC website is an article entitled “Climate change: What is it and why is everyone talking about it?” https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/45880633

This website states that “When we talk about climate change, we are talking about global changes in the Earth’s average temperature.  The Earth’s average temperature moves up and down naturally, but it has been increasing more rapidly than it usually does. This change is impacting on the planet’s environment – which is everything natural around us; rivers, trees, plants, animals… everything!

“Scientists say many of the changes to the Earth’s climate are caused by human activity – this means things that humans are doing. Some of those things are: the burning of oil, coal and gas, waste, deforestation and urbanization and population growth.

“Scientists say the world is about one degree Celsius warmer than it was 300 years ago when the Industrial Revolution started and people began to work in factories. A very influential 2018 report by an international group of scientists said that if the planet’s temperature goes up by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, it will cause huge problems for the planet. Melting ice in places like the Arctic and Antarctic would lead to a rise in the Earth’s sea levels, flooding many coastal areas and islands. Extreme weather like heatwaves, droughts and storms would happen more often and become more severe.

“The 2018 report encouraged world leaders to make climate change a priority. It said countries needed to work together to limit the rise in temperature rise to 1.5 degrees and stop changes to the planet that would be a catastrophe for life on Earth.”

To clarify, we do not necessarily agree with the concept of man-made global warming or climate change, as presented by scientists and described in the above article. There are still many unanswered questions, including reports to the effect that data has been strongly manipulated to “prove” “man-made climate change.” Some scientists even go so far as to say that we are not overserving global warming, but rather another ice age. The late producer and inventor/originator of the American “Weather Channel” was a strong opponent of the concept of man-made climate change and filed numerous lawsuits to prove errors and misrepresentations, which all were dismissed when he died. The late famous writer Michael Crichton (“Jurassic Park”), who was also a doctor, challenged the concept of climate change as well.

We do not have to concern ourselves in this Q&A with the accuracy or inaccuracy of the concept of man-made climate change as it is the purpose of this Q&A to point out an altogether different problem.

We had a “talking shop” for 13 days with a rush at the end of the conference to agree to a deal acceptable to all those in attendance.

There have been many reports around the world about this conference, and for the sake of brevity we will just choose one report.   The Daily Mail reported on 14th November 2021 that “Cop26 president Alok Sharma today warned China and India they would have to ‘justify’ political scheming that hamstrung a global climate deal to protect their coal interests.   The Cabinet minister rounded on the Asian nations after the Glasgow summit last night agreed a watered-down deal on climate change following their last-gasp intervention. The Glasgow Pact was watered down at the last minute with the wording on a section covering unabated coal – the burning of coal without climate change mitigating technology – changed from ‘phase out’ to ‘phase down’, leading to angry responses from European and vulnerable countries. Mr Sharma, who appeared on the verge of tears and apologised for the change as Cop ended last night, insisted to Sky News that it had achieved ‘something remarkable’. But he added: China and India are going to have to justify to some of the most climate-challenged nations what happened.’”

There you have it in a nutshell.   Man’s inability to agree on something that they all felt was so important that so many of the world’s nations were gathered, but unable to agree fully on how to go about resolving the issue.

The world has many seemingly insurmountable problems but there is never the will with so many to look at this and many different issues that they all feel are crucial to man’s survival and for the common good.  Self-interest always seems to come to the fore.

What is the approach and understanding of the Church of God of which Jesus Christ is the Head?  True Christians are challenged to come out of the governmental and political systems of this world.

In our Q&A “Are Christians supposed to make this a better world?” we write:

“Jesus, during His earthly ministry, likened this world to a building. In Ephesians 2:20-22 the Church is likened to a building. Jesus, in referring to the present evil world, said it is built on a foundation of the sand of Satan’s way of vanity, covetousness, envy and jealousy, competition and strife, violence, rebellion, contention, unhappiness, suffering and death. THIS WORLD IS DOOMED TO CRASH! And great shall be the fall thereof.

“Jesus did not come to repair or remodel or make over this building — this world — this civilization. Its foundation is faulty — that of Satan. Its superstructure — its systems of government and legal systems of law and justice, its systems of faulty and materialistic education, its religions, its social systems and customs — all its superstructures faulty, producing discontent, unhappiness, contention, competition and strife leading to violence and destruction, anguish, suffering, poverty and death. Those are the supporting columns and beams of the superstructure of the building that is this world. Jesus did not come to reform this world — to bring it a ‘spiritual revival’ — to pray for it or to save it or any of its ways.” (see https://www.globalchurchofgod.co.uk/q-a-13266/)

The Church of God does not get involved in the politics of this world.   The fruits of it are plain to see and only the return of Jesus Christ can set right what is impossible with man in charge, ably guided and directed by Satan who is the god of this world (see 2 Corinthians 4:4).

As mentioned, we are not taking a position on the merits or demerits of the conference itself, nor on the accuracy or inaccuracy of reports, claims, scientific studies and records pertaining to “climate change,” but commenting on how it is impossible for man to fully come together in the perceived interest of all people – and the difference between the conference behaviour and its outcomes when viewed against biblical instruction.

And so, to the question: “Can true Christians learn anything from this conference?  There would have been many well-meaning people attending this conference but a good question to ask is “what were the fruits of it?”

(1) We are told to esteem others better or “higher” than self.  In Philippians 2:3-4 we read: “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better [higher] than himself.  Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”  While this was information given to the Church, by extension, it is a principle that works with those outside the Church too.   There would have been those at the conference who were sincerely trying to resolve what they saw as grave issues for mankind but many others, as evidenced by what happened, were interested mainly in how it seemingly or allegedly affected themselves and their countries.   Selfishness, which we are not to engage in, was on show as representatives of so many countries displayed this in their own narrow self-interest.

(2) The governments of this world don’t have the answers to the continual rise of man’s insoluble problems.  We only have to look at the state of the world we live in to acknowledge that man is out of his depth through his own self-imposed dilemmas.   It will get so bad that Jesus said, as reported in Matthew 24:21-22: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”   This clearly shows that things will get continually worse so that only the intervention of Jesus Christ will resolve man’s problems and put right the wrongs of the last 6,000 years.

(3) This conference highlighted man’s inability to look after this planet properly.   In Genesis 2:15 we read God’s instruction to our forefather, Adam: “Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it.”   Right from the time of the creation of man, God expected him to look after that which had been given to him.   History confirms how badly mismanaged this world has been. This is true regardless of the issue of climate change. We read in Revelation 11:18 that Jesus Christ will return to “destroy those who destroy the earth.”

(4) The objectives that were agreed, it seems, reluctantly by some and were “watered down” to accommodate others, may still not be met by some countries showing that man is regularly unable to keep his word and commitments.   What trust can you put in such people when you know that what they say and do are often two different stories?  In Joshua 21:45 we read: “Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.”   This shows that when God says something He can be trusted.   In 1 Thessalonians 5:24, we read: “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”   God’s Word is His bond.   Man fails on a daily basis in this regard.

(5) It appears that concerns raised at this conference are not new.   In our weekly Update number 997 dated 20th November 21, there was a section headed “The Climate Change Scare” which reads as follows:

“The Editorial Board of the New York Post wrote on November 12:

“For the past two weeks in Glasgow, Scotland, world leaders have gathered at COP 26,  the United Nations Climate Change Conference to listen to the same message: Disaster is just around the corner.

“[But] consider this news story from 1972: ‘We have ten years to stop the catastrophe,’ said the UN’s environmental protection boss… for more than 50 years, the United Nations and the media have regularly predicted we’re on the verge of calamity… In 1982, after the catastrophe failed to materialize, the New York Times covered the second UN conference on the environment, which opened ‘amid gloom’. The piece quotes Mostafa K. Tolba, executive director of the United Nations environmental program, as saying that if things aren’t fixed by the turn of the century — the year 2000 — the world would face ‘an environmental catastrophe which will witness devastation as complete, as irreversible, as any nuclear holocaust.’

“In 1989, a senior UN environmental official [said] that if we didn’t fix climate change by 1999, we would have ‘Global disaster, nations wiped off the face of the earth, crop failures’… In 2004, the Guardian newspaper said a ‘secret report’ from the Pentagon to President George W. Bush said climate change would ‘destroy us.’ Among the predictions: Major European cities will be sunk beneath rising seas. Britain is plunged into a ‘Siberian’ climate by 2020. Nuclear conflict, mega-droughts, famine and widespread rioting will erupt across the world…

“As of 2019, the UN said ‘only 11 years left to prevent irreversible damage from climate change’… That gives us until 2030 — or 58 years after the warnings of 1972. Advocates for change believe if they just scream louder… they’ll get the world to agree to a complete upheaval of modern life and trillions in spending…”

“Buenos Aires Times wrote on November 11:

“Pope Francis warned time was ‘running out’ to save the planet while expressing regret at his absence from climate talks in Glasgow, in a letter published Thursday… ‘this occasion must not be wasted, lest we have to face God’s judgement for our failure to be faithful stewards of the world he has entrusted to our care,’ wrote Francis.”

It is interesting to read how often these issues have been raised in the last half-century and the noises now being made have all been made before.  Many can be “frightened” by the prognostications of doom and gloom but the true Christian doesn’t need to take note of the new religion of climate change activism.   God knows what is going on and what will be needed in the future and our trust must be in Him not in fallible human beings.

In light of the many failed scientific predictions regarding the dangers of climate change and its terrible consequences, the question could be asked as to how real it really is. But again, the concern of this Q&A is to address the inability of man to solve any real or perceived problems.

(6) How many times was God mentioned in this conference about these world crises?   Quite probably His Holy Name was mentioned more in blasphemy than in invoking His help and thanking Him for His wonderful creation.   Satan has done a wonderful job in hiding the truth from the world at large so that God is seen as irrelevant or non-existent to so many.   Anyone expounding the truth about God and His Master Plan of Salvation would have been seen as odd, eccentric, or even worse.   There is no fear of God today.   “They do not say in their heart, ‘Let us now fear the Lord our God, Who gives rain, both the former and the latter, in its season. He reserves for us the appointed weeks of the harvest’” (Jeremiah 5:24).

In Romans 3:9-18, Paul gives a crushing indictment about the Jews and the Greeks at that time, and by extension, mankind right up until today: “What then? Are we better than they? Not at all. For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.’ ‘Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit’; ‘The poison of asps is under their lips’; ‘Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.’ ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood; Destruction and misery are in their ways; And the way of peace they have not known.’ ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’”

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary observes: “Here again is shown that all mankind are under the guilt of sin, as a burden; and under the government and dominion of sin, as enslaved to it, to work wickedness. This is made plain by several passages of Scripture from the Old Testament, which describe the corrupt and depraved state of all men, till grace restrain or change them. Great as our advantages are, these texts describe multitudes who call themselves Christians. Their principles and conduct prove that there is no fear of God before their eyes. And where no fear of God is, no good is to be looked for.”

Many will have been genuinely disappointed in the outcome of this long conference, but trust in and reliance on man is both unwise and misguided. The alleged concerns that delegates raised at this conference and all of the many real insurmountable problems that currently exist will not be eliminated by further conferences and agreements or man’s ingenuity, but only by the return of Jesus Christ who alone has the power and wisdom to resolve all of the issues that man has brought on himself.  And yes, Christians can learn from the recent climate change conference in that we must rely on and trust in God alone; and that man’s way and his thoughts need to be replaced by the righteous rule of Christ.

The Bible tells us not to trust in man, only God is totally trustworthy. Psalm 118:8-9 says: “It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in princes.  (Also see Psalm 40:3-4, Micah 7:5, Jeremiah 17:5.)

Scholars have identified 1,845 different biblical references to the second coming of Jesus Christ.   He will return to set up the Kingdom of God and, at last, human beings will learn the right way to live.   Based on what is happening in the world right now shows that that time is both necessary and imminent!

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

In the first part of this two-part series, we reviewed the background from where Lot parted company with Abram, as we read in Genesis 13:11: “ Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east. And they separated from each other.”   We then saw that Sodom was destroyed as Lot, his wife and two daughters fled from the city.

Let us continue with the story, as we read Genesis 19:30-38

^“Then Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt in the mountains, and his two daughters were with him; for he was afraid to dwell in Zoar. And he and his two daughters dwelt in a cave.  Now the firstborn said to the younger, ‘Our father is old, and there is no man on the earth to come in to us as is the custom of all the earth.  Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.’  So they made their father drink wine that night. And the firstborn went in and lay with her father, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose.  It happened on the next day that the firstborn said to the younger, ‘Indeed I lay with my father last night; let us make him drink wine tonight also, and you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve the lineage of our father.’  Then they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.  The firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day.  And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the people of Ammon to this day.”

First, we note that the daughters made Lot drunk. Lot did not initiate his drunkenness, but he gave in to his daughters’ conduct of giving him too much wine to drink. Nevertheless, Lot should have resisted the temptation. We are reminded of the drunkenness of Noah, when his grandson Canaan abused him sexually, and when Noah awoke and realized what had happened and what Canaan had done to him, he cursed Canaan, Ham’s son, for his evil deed.

Then, we note that the daughters felt they had to make Lot drunk, in order to produce offspring with him, apparently understanding full well that Lot, being sober, would not have agreed to such action voluntarily.

It is quite possible that the culture that they had imbibed during their years in Sodom could have made their acts seem reasonable to them, and they could have become insensitive to sin after living amongst such a society for some years.  They thought that their family would not have any descendants and so took matters into their own hands.   It doesn’t seem like lust, more the desire to preserve their line and produce offspring.   However, it was against the instructions of God as we read in Leviticus 18:6-7, where the subheading in the New King James Bible is “the laws of sexual morality”:

“None of you shall approach anyone who is near of kin to him, to uncover his nakedness: I am the Lord.  The nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother you shall not uncover. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness.”

Of course, this instruction was recorded in the Bible hundreds of years later than this incident, and so they may not have thought it to be a “big deal”.   Nevertheless, it was unnatural and an underhand way of deceiving their father. And, as mentioned above, they knew it was wrong and that their father, being sober, would not have agreed to it. The fact that the passage in Leviticus 18 was recorded later does not mean that the prohibition did not exist and was unknown to the daughters. It is also possible that Lot’s daughters were aware of his previous offer to the homosexual men, and they might have thought, if he could do that to us, we could also do this to him.

In addition, according to Unger’s Bible Dictionary, we read: “Barrenness in the East was looked upon as a ground of great reproach as well as a punishment from God” and perhaps their comment ‘there is no man on the earth to come in to us as is the custom of all the earth’ (Genesis 19:31) was a part of their thinking.”

Of course, this is not to excuse such behaviour but to show what they may have been thinking about.   We know that Sarah and Rachel went many years without bearing a child and the frustration that it caused both of them until they did finally bear a child. Sarah and Abraham sinned when they tried to produce offspring through Sarah’s maid Hagar, rather than waiting for God to fulfil His promise that Sarah herself would become pregnant, and the consequences were disastrous.

We all have to live with the consequences of our actions.   They did not put their reliance on God, (as Abraham and Sarah at first doubted God’s word as well.) We know that Galatians 6:7 reveals: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”  There are always consequences for our actions, whoever we are.

There were a lot of factors to take into account, but Lot’s daughters made a decision that would reverberate with the nation of Israel in the future.  Reviewing some of the commentaries about this incident are very helpful.

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary states:

“See the peril of security. Lot, who kept chaste in Sodom, and was a mourner for the wickedness of the place, and a witness against it, when in the mountain, alone, and, as he thought, out of the way of temptation, is shamefully overtaken. Let him that thinks he stands high, and stands firm, take heed lest he fall. See the peril of drunkenness; it is not only a great sin itself, but lets in many sins, which bring a lasting wound and dishonour. Many a man does that, when he is drunk, which, when he is sober, he could not think of without horror. See also the peril of temptation, even from relations and friends, whom we love and esteem, and expect kindness from. We must dread a snare, wherever we are, and be always upon our guard. No excuse can be made for the daughters, nor for Lot. Scarcely any account can be given of the affair but this, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? From the silence of the Scripture concerning Lot henceforward, learn that drunkenness, as it makes men forgetful, so it makes them to be forgotten.”

As mentioned above, Lot did not become drunk “voluntarily,” but he gave in to his two daughters who gave him too much wine, and so, wanting to please them, he drank too much, which he should have refused to do. As a consequence, he became “insensible to their action” (Ryrie Study Bible).

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament says:

“But Lot’s daughters had so little feeling of shame in connection with their conduct, that they gave names to the sons they bore, which have immortalized their paternity. Moab, another form of ‘from the father,’ as is indicated in the clause appended and also rendered probable by the reiteration of the words ‘of our father’ and ‘by their father’ (Genesis 19:32, Genesis 19:34, and Genesis 19:36), as well as by the analogy of the name Ben-Ammi equals Ammon. This account was neither the invention of national hatred to the Moabites and Ammonites, nor was it placed here as a brand upon those tribes. These discoveries of a criticism imbued with hostility to the Bible are overthrown by the fact, that, according to Deuteronomy 2:9, Deuteronomy 2:19, Israel was ordered not to touch the territory of either of these tribes because of their descent from Lot; and it was their unbrotherly conduct towards Israel alone which first prevented their reception into the congregation of the Lord, Deuteronomy 23:4-5. – Lot is never mentioned again… even his death is not referred to. His descendants, however, frequently came into contact with the Israelites; and the history of their descent is given here to facilitate a correct appreciation of their conduct towards Israel.”

We read in the New Unger’s Bible Dictionary the following information about Moab and Ammon:

“Moab (perhaps ‘from father’).  The starting point for both was in the vicinity of Zoar. Thence the roving Ammonites went to the NE whereas the more peaceful Moabites remained near their ancestral home displacing the Emim (Deuteronomy 2:11; cf Genesis 14:5).

“Coming up from Egypt the Israelites approached Moab through the desert facing Moab outside the bordering circle of hills on the SE.   They were forbidden to molest the Moabites in the enjoyment of the land that they had taken from the Emim (Deuteronomy 2:9-11).   They therefore applied for permission to pass through the territory of Moab and, being refused, went around its borders.

“Moab did not fight against Israel for 300 years. The Moabites were only too friendly, sending their daughters to cultivate friendly relations with the Israelites and to entice them to their idolatrous services.

“The national deity of the Moabites was Chemosh (which see), mentioned only in Numbers 21:29; Judges 11:24; 1 Kings 11:7, 33; 2 Kings 23:13; Jeremiah 48:7, 13, 46.

“Ammon ‘inbred’, another form of Ben-ammi.  A nomadic race descended from Lot’s youngest daughter, as the more civilized Moabites were from the elder one.   Although the Israelites were forbidden to molest the Ammonites, Ammon was often in league with nations against Israel, such as with Moab (Deuteronomy 23:3-4); with Moab and Amalek (Judges 3:12-13), with the Syrians (2 Samuel 10:1-19), with Gebal and Amalaek (Psalm 83:7) and was almost always hostile, both before and after the captivity (Nehemiah 4:3 etc).

“The Ammonites were governed by a king (1 Samuel 12:12).   The national deity was Molech (1 Kings 11:7) often called Milcom (1 Kings 11:5, 33).

“The Ammonite names in the Bible shows that the language was akin to that of the Hebrews.

“Solomon set an example in marrying Ammonite women.   Rehoboam’s mother being Naamah. An Ammonitess (1 Kings 14:31) which example Israel was too ready to imitate (Nehemiah 13:23).”

The daughters did not trust God to provide husbands for them and took matters into their own hands with the consequences that we read about in 1 Kings 11:33.  This was in connection with Jereboam’s rebellion: “…because they have forsaken Me, and worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the people of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways to do what is right in My eyes and keep My statutes and My judgments, as did his father David.”

The many bad decisions that Lot made together with living and being actively involved in an evil city which was full of sin meant that the daughters of Lot were exposed to so much that was wrong.   Further, it would seem that being concerned about their lineage caused them to behave in such a shocking way, and we must not immediately dismiss the concerns that barren women had in those days.  For example, Rachel, the wife of Jacob said “Give me children or else I die!” (compare Genesis 30:1).

These are reasons, not excuses for their sinful behaviour, but those reasons are in no way justifications for sin, and the consequences have been seen through history.  For us, there are many lessons to be learnt from this whole episode, as we read in 1 Corinthians 10:11: “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

One of the most important lessons that we can take from this story is to be careful about the company we keep, as we read in 1 Corinthians 15:33: “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits.’”    The ESV renders this as: “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’”

In addition, God warns us not to be involved in the evil system of this world, let alone supporting it (compare Revelation 18:4; 2 Corinthians 6:17). Today, many say that even though they might be against abortion personally, they must support it as elected politicians. This double-standard and hypocrisy does not produce good fruits, and Lot might very well have given a wrong impression to his daughters, seeing him to be actively ruling and judging in Sodom. Today, many may not be in a position of simply moving away from a sinful city (even though it would be unwise to move into a sinful city such as San Francisco), but they must not be in any way become a supporting part of its sinful system.

Had Lot and his family understood this truism, they would have avoided what turned out to be very distressing and life-changing events.

Please note:

We also have these other Q&A’s on Lot and his daughters:

How Many Daughters Did Lot Have?

The Bible says that Lot was just or righteous. But did he not commit horrible sins? How can he then be called “righteous”?

Lead Writers: Brian Gale and Norbert Link

Whenever and wherever it is necessary, we try to give the background to any question which can give reasons and explanations that might not otherwise be taken into account.

Let us look into the background of Lot. He was the son of Abraham’s brother, Haran, and his wife was Milcah (see Genesis 11:27-29).   We may have read these events many times before, but it is helpful to review them again with the thought in our mind that we are all, to one degree or another, a product of our environment.   Bearing that in mind may give more than a clue as to why some terrible sins could have been committed.

In Genesis 12:1-4 we read:

“Now the Lord had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you.  I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’   So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.”

We read in the following verse: “Then Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran, and they departed to go to the land of Canaan. So they came to the land of Canaan” (Genesis 12:5).   They then went to other places and finished up in Egypt because of a severe famine (verse 10).

In chapter 13, we read that Abram left Egypt and became very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold, and Lot, who also had flocks and herds and tents, went with him.  Then we read in Genesis 13:6-7: “Now the land was not able to support them, that they might dwell together, for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together.  And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. The Canaanites and the Perizzites then dwelt in the land.”

Abram, being the considerate man that he was, offered a choice to Lot, even though it was he to whom God had made His promises. We read in verse 8-11: “So Abram said to Lot, ‘Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren.  Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.’  And Lot lifted his eyes and saw all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah) like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go toward Zoar. Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan, and Lot journeyed east.  And they separated from each other.”

This was the first of a number of mistakes that Lot made when deciding to go east towards Sodom and Gomorrah, as we read in verse 13: “But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the LORD.” We also read that at first, Lot “pitched his tent even as far as Sodom” (verse 12), but later, he ended up living in Sodom (Genesis 14:12). It is important to see the events leading up to the sin that Lot’s daughters committed with their father, as we will discuss later.

In chapter 14, we read that Lot, who by that time dwelt in Sodom, was captured, apparently because of his goods and, as we will discuss, the stature and influential position that he had in Sodom, and he was then rescued by Abram. The narrative about Lot continues in chapter 19 where the sub-heading in the New King James Bible is “Sodom’s Depravity”.   Lot had chosen to live in a very sinful city.   We have covered the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, not just about their homosexuality, but all of the other sins that they were guilty of, and this can read in the following Q&A:

https://www.globalchurchofgod.co.uk/you-write-about-the-sexual-sins-of-sodom-and-gomorrah-but-werent-they-guilty-in-other-ways/

It was a city where Lot should never have gone to in the first place. But he did, and the consequences were dire for him and his family.

Let us move on to Genesis chapter 19:1-3:

“Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground.  And he said, ‘Here now, my lords, please turn in to your servant’s house and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way.’  And they said, ‘No, but we will spend the night in the open square.’  But he insisted strongly; so they turned in to him and entered his house. Then he made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.”

We read that Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. The Ryrie Study Bible remarks: “The gate of Sodom was the centre of public activity. Lot’s being there may indicate he was a judge in the city  (see 19:9).” The Application Bible adds: ”Evidently Lot held an important position in the government or associated with those who did because the angels found him at the city gate. Perhaps Lot’s status in Sodom was one reason he was so reluctant to leave.”

Elliott’s Commentary for English Readers states:

“This personal respect had made him close his eyes to the sinfulness of the people, and he had consented to live inside the town, and even to let its citizens marry his daughters.”

Lot showed the customary hospitality to the angels whom he probably did not recognize as such (compare Hebrews 13:2), but the problems were only just beginning, as we read in verses 4-5:

^“Now before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both old and young, all the people from every quarter, surrounded the house.  And they called to Lot and said to him, ‘Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us that we may know them carnally.’”

To try and counter this affront to his guests, he made a terrible mistake, as we read in verses 6-8:

“So Lot went out to them through the doorway, shut the door behind him, and said, ‘Please, my brethren, do not do so wickedly!  See now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; please, let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them as you wish; only do nothing to these men, since this is the reason they have come under the shadow of my roof.’”

To offer his daughters in such a manner to a baying mob was a shocking sin!   We read the following in Barnes Notes on the Bible:

“The wicked violence of the citizens displays itself. They compass the house, and demand the men for the vilest ends. How familiar Lot had become with vice, when any necessity whatever could induce him to offer his daughters to the lust of these Sodomites! We may suppose it was spoken rashly, in the heat of the moment, and with the expectation that he would not be taken at his word. So it turned out. ‘Stand back.’ This seems to be a menace to frighten Lot out of the way of their perverse will.”

The Application Bible comments:

“Possibly Lot was hoping… that the homosexual men would be disinterested and simply go away… [Lot’s] terrible suggestion reveals how deeply sin had been absorbed into Lot’s life. He had become hardened to evil acts in an evil city.”

Lot might even have thought that in offering his two daughters to these homosexual men, they would recognize the evil of their contemplated action and leave in shame (which of course did not happen), but to make such an offer was a terrible sin.

The locals continued to argue with Lot and the men (angels) came to the rescue, as we read in verses 9-11:

“And they said, ‘Stand back!’ Then they said, ‘This one came in to stay here, and he keeps acting as a judge; now we will deal worse with you than with them.’ So they pressed hard against the man Lot, and came near to break down the door.  But the men reached out their hands and pulled Lot into the house with them, and shut the door.  And they struck the men who were at the doorway of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they became weary trying to find the door.”

The family were then urged to leave the city – verses 12-14:

^“Then the men said to Lot, ‘Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place!  For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.’  So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, ‘Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!’ But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking.”

In verses 15-17, we read that Lot and his family had to be persuaded to leave the city:

^“When the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, ‘Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.’   And while he lingered, the men took hold of his hand, his wife’s hand, and the hands of his two daughters, the Lord being merciful to him, and they brought him out and set him outside the city.   So it came to pass, when they had brought them outside, that he said, ‘Escape for your life! Do not look behind you nor stay anywhere in the plain. Escape to the mountains, lest you be destroyed.’”

Lot pleaded with the two angels that he be allowed to flee to a city named Zoar, rather than escaping to the mountains (verses 18-22).

Lot’s wife looked back which they were instructed not to do: “The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered Zoar.  Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens.  So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.  But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt” (verses 23-26)

When we review the actions of Lot, we see the climate and culture that they, as a family, were subjected to and it does not make good reading:

Lot made the choice of going to live in the wrong place.

1. He chose to live in the sinful city and “sat in the gate” (Genesis 19:1) which was an important place and showed that Lot was a leading citizen, a judge and a ruler of some kind.
2. His family would be affected by their surroundings and the fact that Lot had become an active part of the “system” of Sodom. If he could behave in this way, then his family, including his daughters, must have believed that it could not be that bad.
3. He offered his daughters to the baying mob.
4. He was reluctant to leave Sodom even though he knew it was a rotten place and he had been told that God would destroy it (Genesis 19:15-17).
5. He allowed himself to become drunk, which we will examine, when terrible sins with his daughters took place.

In spite of all of these mistakes, we read in 2 Peter 2:6-8: “… and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)…”

The Benson commentary observes:

“And turning the cities of Sodom, &c., into ashes — When the inhabitants of those places were sunk into the lowest degeneracy; and condemned them with an overthrow — Punished them with utter destruction, both of their persons and habitations; making them an ensample — Not an example to be imitated, but an example to be avoided, as the word υποδειγμα, here used, signifies.

“Hence Jude, to express the same idea, uses the word δειγμα. And delivered just Lot — By the miraculous interposition of his providence; vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked — Exceedingly grieved by the lewd behaviour of the lawless Sodomites. For that righteous man, dwelling among them — Lot appears to have dwelt sixteen years in Sodom, after he parted from Abraham; a long space to abide in one of the lewdest and most outrageously wicked cities in the world, and not be tainted with their vices. Doubtless, as he was so exceedingly grieved with their lewd conduct from day to day, he often earnestly desired to leave the place… In seeing their base actions, and in hearing their lewd speeches, he vexed — Εβασανιζεν, tormented; his righteous soul from day to day — For their wickedness was incessant; with their unlawful deeds — The cry of which came up at length to heaven, and brought down upon them flaming destruction.”

(To be continued)

Lead Writers: Brian Gale and Norbert Link