Romans 14
Paul's TWO THREADS is parallel to those of Jesus:
As the Spirit of Christ He commanded the Holy Convovations on special days and the Sabbath.
By direct command the Spirit of Christ defined the assembly in Numbers 10 and elsewhere as a Holy Convocation. Both vocal and instrumental rejoicing were outlawed because the Qahal, synagogue or church in the wilderness was a school of the Bible. No one every thought of a "praise service" in the synagoguge.
Miqra (h4744) mik-raw'; from 7121; something called out, i. e. a public meeting (the act, the persons, or the place); also a rehearsal: - assembly, calling, convocation, reading.
So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading. Ne.8:8
As examples:
- Jesus grew up and attended the synagogue: He stood up to read the Scriptures and then sat down for dialog.
- He cast out the musical minstrels "like cung} before His healing work.
- He consigned the pipers, singers and dancers to the marketplace where Paul left the sects in Romans 14
Heb. 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together,
as the manner of some is;
but exhorting one another:
and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
1997. episunagoge, ep-ee-soon-ag-o-gay´; from 1996; a complete collection; especially a Christian meeting (for worship): assembling (gathering) together.
1996. episunago, ep-ee-soon-ag´-o; from 1909 and 4863; to collect upon the same place:
4863. sunago, soon-ag´-o; from 4862 and 71; to lead together, i.e. collect or convene; specially, to entertain (hospitably): + accompany, assemble (selves, together), bestow, come together, gather (selves together, up, together), lead into, resort, take in.
4864. sunagoge, soon-ag-o-gay´; from (the reduplicated form of) 4863; an assemblage of persons; specially, a Jewish “synagogue” (the meeting or the place); by analogy, a Christian church: assembly, congregation, synagogue.
It is not possible to suppose that the diversities Paul excludes can be imposed on the assembly in the name of Christian liberty.
Tertullian: "After the immediate sense of Scripture has been exhausted, it fortifies the practice of the religious life."
When God pours out His WRATH the Greek word is ORGE: This is marked by PLEASURING forms of music which Paul OUTLAWS for the synagogue in Romans 15.
Paul always POINTS to some existing practice in order to correct it. Pagan religionism attempted to regulate people and burdened them with real "taxes" and with "spiritual anxiety created by religious rituals.'
Jesus died to give us REST which is a highly dedicated Greek word which means: "stop the performance speaking, stop the singing, stop the singing" and just STOP whatever you are doing. "Come to ME and I will rive you Rest" or "Come learn of Me.
Jesus built His ekklesia or synagogue or school of the Bible: just as the synagogue under the Law was to quarantine the general population from the sacrificial system, the Lord's Day quarantines us from the practices of religionism.
DIETARY PRACTICES NOT PART OF THE ASSEMBLY
Romans 14:1 HIM that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
Astheneo (g770) as-then-eh'-o; from 772; to be feeble (in any sense): - be diseased, impotent folk (man), (be) sick, (be, be made) weak.
Doubtful Disputing OUTLAWED for the synagogue or ekklesia:
Acts 24:12 And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:
Dialegomai (g1256) dee-al-eg'-om-ahee; mid. from 1223 and 3004; to say thoroughly, i.e. discuss (in argument or exhortation): - dispute, preach (unto), reason (with), speak.
The Exegetical Dictionary notes that...Even when dialogismos has a specialized use, the essential connection with the general NT meaning of doubting or calculating consideration is retained. (Balz, H. R., & Schneider, G. . Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans)
Chiefly in the N.T. in an evil sense, of reasonings that are the outcome of self-will, reasonings of the natural mind in independence of God. So in the LXX (e.g., Lam. 3:60), “imaginations.”...Dialogismos sometimes means inward questioning, sometimes dispute... the inward reasonings which find expression in controversy and contention. (Vine, W. Collected Writings of W. E. Vine. Nashville: Thomas Nelson )
Self-pleasure OUTLAWED when the elders call YOU means to raise up in mental excitement something Jesus consigned ot the Agora or marketplace.
agoraios A.in, of, or belonging to the agora, Zeus
II.frequenting the market, skilled in, suited for forensic speaking,
The FUNCTION of poetry or music or any of the hypocritical arts (Pharisees and Scribes) is to "lift up to carry you away (heresy) for their own USES."
Raise up is
Poieo (g4160) to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct): - invent, exercise, fulfil, gain, give, have, hold, * raising up, * secure, shew, * shoot out, spend, take, tarry, / transgress the law, work, yield. Comp. 4238 [practice habitually, collect dues]<>
poieô 4. after Hom., of Poets, compose, write, p. dithurambon, poet, comedian, dramatist, representing in poetry, festive, celebrate, rouse anger or war, tragedian, compose poetry,
A dithramb is a bombastic speech or arousal songs worshiping Dionysus (the god of the New Wineskins). It includes "crying out"
ROMANS 14 DOES NOT PERMIT UNBIBLICAL PRACTICES
We know that Paul is defining private practices which are NOT WRONG WITHIN THEMSELVES and which do not bring reproach upon Christ. Private opinion would allow one to eat meat which had been handled by pagans: it would not allow a person to engage in idolatry and be a "strong" believer leading an assembly.
We know the PRIVATE PRACTICES of the two major sects in Rome and both had DIVERSITIES which would not exclude our food fellowship. However, those opinions were not "fodder" for the disputation or dialog which the idea "ekklesia" demands and Paul practiced as the meaning of "preaching."
The rejection of "pleasuring" would be EXCLUSIVE of the arousal singing or music of the pagans and would be INCLUSIVE of teaching one another using "that which is written" or "Scripture.
The assembly was something for the believers and was not an EVANGELISTIC TOOL. Therefore, early churches did not permit people "of the world" into the core of fellowship which was psalm singing and the Lord's Supper.
That does not leave anything not consistent with the "school of the Bible" as diversity which must be tolerated in the assembly.
If we assume that our opinion is a LAW established in Scripture then we should see examples or "case law" in the letters or early church history. The Apostolic Constitutions rewritten from earlier documenta about the year 205 for those identified as the church of Christ contains the following:
If one belonging to the theatre
(1) come, whether it be man or woman, or charioteer, or dueller, or racer, or player of prizes, or Olympic gamester, or one that plays on the pipe, on the lute, or on the harp at those games, or a dancing-master or an huckster,
(2) either let them leave off their employments, or let them be rejected. If a soldier come, let him be taught to "do no injustice, to accuse no man falsely, and to be content with his allotted wages:"
(3) if he submit to those rules, let him be received; but if he refuse them, let him be rejected. He that is guilty of sins not to be named, a sodomite, an effeminate person, a magician, an enchanter, an astrologer, a diviner, an user of magic verses, a juggler, a mountebank, one that makes amulets, a charmer, a soothsayer, a fortune-teller, an observer of palmistry; he that, when he meets you, observes defects in the eyes or feet of the birds or cats, or noises, or symbolical sounds:
let these be proved for some time, for this sort of wickedness is hard to be washed away; and if they leave off those practices, let them be received; but if they will not agree to that, let them be rejected.
(4) but if she be incontinent with others, let her be rejected. If one of the faithful hath a concubine, if she be a bond-servant, let him leave off that way, and marry in a legal manner: if she be a free woman, let him marry her in a lawful manner; if he does not, let him be rejected. Let him that follows the Gentile customs, or Jewish fables, either reform, or let him be rejected.
If any one follows the sports of the theatre, their huntings, or horse-races, or combats, either let him leave them off, or let him be rejected.
Let him who is to be a catechumen be a catechumen for three years; but if any one be diligent, and has a good-will to his business, let him be admitted: for it is not the length of time, but the course of life, that is judged.
Let him that teaches, although he be one of the laity, yet, if he be skilful in the word and grave in his manners, teach; for "they shall be all taught of God."
ROMANS 14 APPLIES TO "OUTSIDE OF THE ASSEMBLY"
1 COR 11:17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not,
............ that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.Sunerchomai (g4905) soon-er'-khom-ahee; from 4862 and 2064; to convene, depart in company with, associate with, or (spec.) cohabit (conjugally): - accompany, assemble (with), come (together), come (company, go) with, resort.
One of the things EXCLUDED from the assembly of the kingdom is thieves and extortioners. Paul said that if the collection for the DESTITUTE was made after or while he was in Corinth just his presence would be an EXTORTING INFLUENCE. Therefore, there is no JOB DESCRIPTION for professionals who see Godliness as a means of financial gain.
1 Cor 6:10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers,
............ nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.1 Cor 6:11 And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified,
........... but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus,
............and by the Spirit of our God.1 Cor 6:12 All things are lawful unto me,
............ but all things are not expedient:
............ all things are lawful for me,
............ but I will not be brought under the power of any.1 Cor 6:13 Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats:
........... but God shall destroy both it and them.
............ Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord;
............ and the Lord for the body.1 Cor 6:14 And God hath both raised up the Lord,
............ and will also raise up us by his own power.Therefore, in chapter 8 Paul shows where they EAT MEAT and OBSERVE DAYS. There simply is NO place for observing special days when the assembly meets for EDUCATION ONLY.
1 Cor 8:8 But meat commendeth us not to God:
............ for neither, if we eat, are we the better;
............ neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.1 Cor 8:9 But take heed lest by any means
............ this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.1 Cor 8:10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge
............ sit at meat in the idols temple,
............ shall not the conscience of him which is weak
............ be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;The church does nothing to burden or produce anxiety or to tempt the weak. Rather, "Ministers" are servants and support the weak:
Astheneo (g770) as-then-eh'-o; from 772; to be feeble (in any sense): - be diseased, impotent folk (man), (be) sick, (be, be made) weak.
1 Th 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren,
............ warn them that are unruly,
............ comfort the feebleminded,
............ support the weak,
............ be patient toward all men.We SUPPORT the weak by HOLDING FAST to them.
Tit.1:9 Holding fast the faithful word
............ as he hath been taught,
............ that he may be able by sound doctrine
............ both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.Tit. 1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers,
............ specially they of the circumcision:Tit 1:11 Whose mouths must be stopped,
............ who subvert whole houses,
............ teaching things which they ought not,
............ for filthy lucres sake.
| Act s 20:32 And now, brethren, I commend you to
God, ......and to the word of his grace, ......which is able to build you up, ......and to give you an inheritance among ......all them which are sanctified. Rom 15:14 And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, .. that ye also are full of goodness, .. filled with all knowledge, .. able also to admonish one another.
|
Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things .. were written aforetime .. were written for our learning, .. that we through patience .. and comfort of the scriptures .. might have hope. Rom 15:5 Now the God of patience and consolation .. grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: Rom
15:6 That ye may |
If the established assembly is competent to teach one another then Paul proves that the "ministers" of the church have dedicated themselves as vocational ministers. Rather than TAKE they work so that they can GIVE.Act s 20:33 I have coveted no mans silver, or gold, or apparel.
Act s 20:34 Yea, ye yourselves know,
............ that these hands have ministered unto my necessities,
............ and to them that were with me.Act s 20:35 I have shewed you all things,
............ how that so labouring
............ ye ought to support the weak,
............ and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus,
............ how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
BEING SUPERSTITIOUS ABOUT DAYS NOT OF THE KINGDOM OR CHURCH RELATED
Romans 14:5 One man esteemeth one day above another:
another esteemeth every day alike.
........... Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NOT ABOUT ANYTHING BUT THE WEEKLY EDIFICATION OR EDUCATION OF THE DISCPLES.
Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink;
........... but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.Jesus comforts through "that which is written" or the Scripture in Romans 15. The words of Jesus Christ are water and food for our souls. If we do not have joy in the Word as it has been preached then we have no hope or comfort>
Ps.119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
Jer 15:16 Thy words were found,
........... and I did eat them; and
........... thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for
........... I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.Jer 15:17 I sat
.......... not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced;
.......... I sat alone because of thy hand:
........... for thou hast filled me with indignation.Mt.13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places,
........... the same is he that heareth the word,
........... and anon with joy receiveth it;1Th.1:6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord,
........... having received the word in much affliction,
........... with joy of the Holy Ghost:John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth;
......... the flesh profiteth nothing:
......... the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.John 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him,
......... Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.Heb.6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened,
......... and have tasted of the heavenly gift,
......... and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,Heb.6:5 And have tasted the good word of God,
......... and the powers of the world to come,Heb 6:6 If they shall fall away,
......... to renew them again unto repentance;
......... seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh,
......... and put him to an open shame.In chapter 15 Paul will say that the COMFORTER comforts through "that which is written" or scripture.
Romans 14:19 Let us therefore follow after the things
........... which make for peace, and
........... things wherewith one may edify another.THEREFORE, Romans 15 defines the EDIFICATION or EDUCATION ASSEMBLY.
Ro.15:2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
JESUS DEFINES HIS MISSION
John 18:36 Jesus answered,
...........My kingdom is not of this world:
.......... if my kingdom were of this world,
.......... then would my servants fight,
.......... that I should not be delivered to the Jews:
.......... but now is my kingdom not from hence.John 18:37 Pilate therefore said unto him,
.......... Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king.
.......... To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world,
........... that I should bear witness unto the truth.
........... Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
PAUL DEFINES THE FORM OF THE CHURCH
And when he [Barnabus at Tarsus] had found him, he brought him unto Antioch.
........... And it came to pass, that a whole year
........... they assembled [sunagog] themselves with the church,
........... and taught much people.
........... And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. Ac.11:26
DISPUTING OR DIALOGING IS PERMITTED ONLY ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months,
........... disputing and persuading
............the things concerning the kingdom of God. Acts 19:8Dialegomai (g1256) dee-al-eg'-om-ahee; mid. from 1223 and 3004; to say thoroughly, i.e. discuss (in argument or exhortation): - dispute, preach (unto), reason (with), speak.
There is no way to SPEAK or SAY and SING and make music as the same time. Paul ALWAYS dialogs. Jesus always dialogs or speaks. Any form of "music" intends to add something and was always known as second or third removed from truth.
"According to Philo, the gods of the pagans exploit this weakness of men. For the sake of a better effect, and
with the intention of more easily cheating their devotees,
they have set their lies to melodies, rhythms and meters."Philodemus takes offense at the fact that, in cultic music, the inner sentiment is lacking while this so-called worship is offered to the gods only for payment.
"Philo, too, stressed the necessity of religious inwardness in preference to the cult of sacrifice:"God has no joy in sacrifices, my dear sir, even if one should offer him hecatombs, for everything belongs to him.
Celsus said that it was well known that "music pertained only to the lowest gods, the demons,
and that the highest divine being had no need of melodies and sounds. And again, Philo claimed that:
One cannot truly offer thanks to God as the vast majority of men do, with external effects, consecrated gifts and sacrifices..., but rather with songs of praise and hymns - not such as the audible voice sings, but such as are raised and re-echoed by the invisible mind. (Philo, De Plantations 126 (II 148 Cohn-Wendland) Quoted by (Quasten, p. 52)
BY DEFINITION ANY FOR OF SINGING WHICH IS "MUSICAL" IS EXCLUDED.
Psalmus , i, m., = psalmos, i. q. psalma,
I. a psalm (eccl. Lat.; cf.: carmen, hymnus), Tert. adv. Prax. 11 ; Lact. 4, 8, 14; 4, 12, 7; Vulg. Isa. 38, 20.--Esp., the Psalms of David, Vulg. Luc. 20, 42; id. Act. 13, 33 et saep.Canto I. Neutr., to produce melodious sounds (by the voice or an instrument), to sound, sing, play (class. in prose and poetry; rare in Cic.)
2. Of the singing pronunciation of an orator, to declaim in a singing tone, to sing, drawl: si cantas, male cantas, si legis, cantas
C. Hence, because the oracles were of old uttered in verse, of any mysterious, prophetic, or warning utterance, to predict, warn, point out, indicate, make known, say
III. In the lang. of religion, as v. n. or a., to use enchantments, charms, incantations, to enchant, to charm,
"Hallel, in Jewish ritual, selection from the Psalms, chanted as part of the liturgy during certain festivals. The more frequently used selection includes Psalms 113-118 and is known as the Egyptian Hallel, presumably because Psalm 114 begins, "When Israel went out of Egypt"
It is sung in synagogues on the first two days of Passover, on Shabuoth, on Sukkot, on each morning of the eight days of Hanukkah, and at the close of the Seder.
"The Hallel through the generations, on specific occasions: Pesachim 117a
"Hallel requires a full stomach and a satisfied spirit: Taanis 25b-26a
The reading is beloved to the people, and so they listen closely: Megillah 21b"The Hallel as an Institution of the Prophets, to use to pray for salvation from danger: Pesachim 117a [2x] Saying the Hallel daily is blasphemous: Shabbos 118b
Paul said SPEAK. And the word ODE further defines "sing" as "Hebrew Cantillation." That means SPEAK which is the word always understood of RELIGIOUS speaking.
The Oracles of God is THAT WHICH HAS BEEN TAUGHT. There is no IMPROVIZING or COMPOSING or PRIVATE INTERPRETATON which means FURTHER EXPOUNDING.
AN ORACLE IS log-ion , to,
A. oracle, esp. one preserved from antiquity, Hdt. 4.178, 203, 8.60.g, Plu.Thes.26, Lys.22:1Pe.4:11 If any man speak,
........... let him speak as the oracles of God;
........... if any man minister,
........... let him do it as of the ability which God giveth:
........... that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ,
........... to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.more freq. in pl., oracles, Hdt.1.64, 8.62, 141, E.Heracl.405, Ar.Eq.120, al., Plu.Fab.4, Marc.3: distd. fr. chrêsmoi, Th.2.8 (the former being prose, the latter verse, acc. to Sch., but this distn. does not hold), cf. Plu.Pel.20, Nic.13, 2.412c.
In ALL cases the oracles were SPOKEN "as they had been delivered."
2. ta l. Kuriou the sayings of the Lord, LXX Ps.11(12).6, cf.Act.Ap.7.38, Ep.Rom.3.2, 1 Ep.Pet.4.11.
Acts 7:37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel,
........... A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren,
........... like unto me; him shall ye hear.Acts 7:38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness
........... with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina,
........... and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:Acts 7:39 To whom our fathers would not obey,
........... but thrust him from them, and
........... in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,The Israelites turned to musical idolatry in order to SILENCE the Word of God.
HISTORY PROVES THAT SINGING AS AN ACT OF WORSHIP WAS NOT ADDED UNTIL THE YEAR 373 AND THEOLOGIANS CONDEMNED IT.
After having paid reverence to the discourse about God,
........... they leave within [the church] what they have heard.And outside they foolishly amuse themselves with impious playing,
........... and amatory quavering,
........... occupied with flute-playing,
........... and dancing, and intoxication,
...........and all kinds of trash.
THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS, THE PROMISE TO BUILD HIS EKKLESIA OR SCHOOL OF THE BIBLE AND THE DIRECT COMMAND IN ROMANS 15 WHICH DOES NOT TOLERATE THE DIVERSITIES OF PEOPLE'S PRIVATE LIVES WAS TO QUARANTINE CHRISTIANS FROM ANCIENT AND MODERN RELIGIONS CONSISTING OF INSTITUTIONS AND CEREMONIES
THERFORE, I WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND TO THE MAJOR SECTARIAN GROUPS IN ROME. THE CHURCH COULD NOT ACCOMODATE THESE DIVERSITIES BUT THE CHURCH COULD BE A SCHOOL OF THE BIBLE WITHOUT RESPECT TO WHAT PEOPLE ALREADY BELEIVED.
FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS THE CHURCH REPUDIATED DISPUTATIONS OR SERMONIZING ABOUT THE BIBLE OR THE SOCIAL CONDITION. SCRIPTURE OFTEN WARNS THAT IF THEY DON'T "TEACH THAT WHICH HAS BEEN TAUGHT" THEY ARE MARKED AS FALSE TEACHERS.
Paul warns us all about religious FESTIVALS which were always devoted to the worship of demons: at Mount Sinai it was the Bull Apis representing the Egyptian Triad of Father Osiris, Mother Isis and "baby" Horus. The PLAY was musical idolatry which is well documented by many history writers of the period.
In 1 Cor 10 and Romans 10 Paul warned about this DEMON WORSHIP specificially connected with the SITTING DOWN TO EAT and RISING UP TO PLAY.
See
another take on Romans 14
See Rubel
Shelly at ACU and the WINE
connection
As Jesus spoke in parables to the pagan religionists masked as Jewish priests, scribes or rabbi, to hide the truth from them (Matthew 13), Paul spoke words "hard to be understood":
He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 2 Peter 3:16
For instance, Paul warns of "rising up to play" in 1 Corinthians 10 and repeats the "rising up to play" or "sending across the sea" to bring back a "god" in romans. This was an ancient practice from Egypt and beyond:
For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. Deut 30:11
It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Deut 30:12
Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Deut 30:13
While those easily deceived by Paul's cloaked message have never caught on, in Romans 10 Paul issued the strongest warning against repeating the musical worship of Israel at Mount Sinai which cost them the Covenant of Grace and brought them into a highly-musical legalistic secular society:
But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) Rom 10:6
Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) Rom 10:7
All ancient Praise Masters have been the Judas Goat to lead the lambs into legalistic rituals of which music is the most legalistic because it necessarily believes in some mystical, superstitious magical power but which is just ancient soothsaying.
In a ritual much like David's and Hezekiah's plague-stopping ritual, Arnobius records that:
"Once on a time, when the state and republic were in difficulties, caused either by a terrible plague continually infecting the people and carrying them off, or by enemies powerful, and at that time almost threatening to rob it of its liberty because of their success in battle--
by order and advice of the seers, certain gods were summoned from among nations dwelling beyond the sea,
and honoured with magnificent temples; and that the violence of the plague abated, and very frequent triumps were gained, the power of the enemy being broken and the territory of the empire was increased and provinces without number fell under your sway." (Arnobius, Ante-Nicene Fathers, VI, p. 534).
This is exactly the practice of those using musical worship facilitators (manipulators) to "move the worshipers into the presence of God" or to "make the Holy Spirit come." Click to see the Voodoo and implicit sexual implication of the erotic nature of new "praise" songs. The "halal" praise of David meant to "make a fool of yourself" in the belief that God cannot punish the insane.
Therefore, "for those who have ears" we will reveal the conflict in Rome between Orphic vegetarians and the pagans, raw meat-eating, Dionysus musical group which plagued Jesus and which was the New Wineskin Musical group.
The Background to Meat Eaters and Vegetarians Who Were Now Believers.
When Moses wrote the first five books, the world had a dilema: for every true principle of the True God there were many counterfeits. Therefore, these books are to permit "those with ears" to discern between two views of God. The coming of Christ was within a Dionysus "soup" which had already claimed all of the possible miracles. Dionysus or the new wine in new wineskins was the god of song, dance, instruments and "rising up to play."
Therefore, after warning about the sin of musical idolatry at Mount Sinai in chapter 10 Paul is confronted with the same background facing the Roman church. The Jews did not eat certain meats and there were questions about meats offered to idols. However, chapter 14 is concerned with meat eating versus vegetarianism in the absolute sense.
It is important to understand that Paul speaks of diatary laws not specific to either Jews or Christian teaching. However, in Rome as elsewhere in the Greco-Roman world, all Christians brought pagan baggage with them. It is the purpose of Paul in several of his letters to speak to those who could not bring their worship practices into the church, although they might not give up their customs about food and other things.
A primary focus of Paul's "teaching" passages are in direct opposition to the "musical" practices especially of Orpheus and Dionysus.
After warning the church in Rome against either rejecting or despising weakness such as wine or superstition about "days" and seasons, Paul begins Romans Chapter 15 with a definition of "speaking" to one another with the revealed Word of God as he does in Ephesians 5 and Colossians 3.
Orpheus: The Vegetarian God
The Orphic group was the primary official "vegetarian sect." Orpheus was the God of The Second Incarnation.
"Orpheus was the most famous musician and poet of ancient times. His lyre, given to him by Apollo (after he invented the Cithara: a CtharIST was known as a SORCERER and a PARASITE), could enchant not only the wild animals, but the trees and rocks as well. As will become obvious, Orphism is closely related in many ways to Dionysus, and could be considered a reform of the Dionysian Mysteries and is often regarded as the highest religious form in the ancient world."Orpheus is said to have travelled to Egypt, where he learnt from the priests there and became the most learned among the Greeks in all that concerns the Gods and their initiatory rites. He excelled in the beauty of his verse and song, and was believed to have discovered mysteries and how to achieve purification from sins, cures of diseases and means of averting divine wrath. These early rites were said to be very similar to those of Dionysus but have also been linked to the rites of Osiris and Isis."
"There are many stories of his death. Rejecting all women after the death of his wife, Orpheus was torn to pieces by Thracian women; or in another version, he was dismembered by Maenads (at Deium in Macedonia) at the urging of Dionysus, who resented Orphic rejection of sacrificial murder and the worship of Apollo (in whose temple Orpheus served as a priest).
Orpheus the Thracian was the inventor of worship in the form of rituals. Music especially was added to claim that the charismatic, sexual feelings were proof that he could call down the gods or move you up to "him".
"If any one perchance thinks that we are speaking calumnies, let him take the books of the Thracian soothsayer (Orpheus the inventor of musical soothsaying), which you speak of as of divine antiquity; and he will find that we are neither cunningly inventing anything,
nor seeking means to bring the holiness of the gods into ridicule, and doing so: for we shall bring forward the very verses which the son of Calliope uttered in the Greek,
and published abroad in his songs to the human race through out all all ages." (Arnobius Against the Heathen, Ante-Nicene, V, p. 499).
"There is more about the Thracian women. They were said to have been put up to their task by Dionysus who was angry against Orpheus because Orpheus had looked into the rites of the God.
"The Thracian women plotted his death, because he had persuaded their husbands to follow him in his wanderings and that, first after having drinking much wine, they dared to kill him; hereafter, it is said their men adopted the custom to march to battle drunk. Some believe he was killed near Mount Pieria, and close to this place an urn was preserved, which was said to contain the bones of Orpheus.
"It is also told that when the women who killed Orpheus wished to wash off in a river the blood-stains, the river sank underground, not wishing to lend its waters to cleanse manslaughter.
These rites, of course, were quite identical to those performed by the israelites at Mount Sinai where they "rose up to play." And they all point to Egypt and Osiris or other gods which were worshiped with musical idolatry at Mount Sinai.
Dionysus the Meat Eater's God
"Dionysus is a strange god. Although he is best known as the god of wine, he is also a vegetation deity, a god of the liquid element,
a death god,
a god who comes into and changes, often irrevocably, the normal community life,
and lastly the god of the theatre."The duality of dionysus is related to another of his attributes, which is that of loss of identity.
Click to see the Feminine nature of restored Dionysus Wineskin religion. Dionysic music, dance and drama has always claimed to be mediators between God and man.
The modern ZOE concept of music and drama claim to be mediators between God and man.
