Corrupted Minds

[Coconut]

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (KJV )

Barnes' Notes on the Bible
(excerpt)

Lest by any means - Lest somehow (μήπως mēpōs). It is implied that many means would be used; that all arts would be tried; and that in some way, which perhaps they little suspected, these arts would be successful, unless they were constantly put upon their guard.

So your minds should be corrupted - So your thoughts should be perverted. So your hearts should be alienated. The mind is corrupted when the affections are alienated from the proper object, and when the soul is filled with unholy plans, and purposes, and desires.

From the simplicity that is in Christ -

(1) From simple and single-hearted devotedness to him - from pure and unmixed attachment to him. The fear was that their affections would be fixed on other objects, and that the singleness and unity of their devotedness to him would be destroyed.

(2) from his pure doctrines. By the admixture of philosophy; by the opinions of the world there was danger that their minds should be turned away from their hold on the simple truths which Christ had taught.

(3) from that simplicity of mind and heart; that childlike candor and docility; that freedom from all guile, dishonesty, and deception which so eminently characterized the Redeemer. Christ had a single aim; was free from all guile; was purely honest; never made use of any improper arts; never resorted to false appearances; and never deceived. His followers should in like manner be artless and guileless. There should be no mere cunning, no trick, no craft in advancing their purposes. There should be nothing but honesty and truth in all that they say.

Paul was afraid that they would lose this beautiful simplicity and artlessness of character and manner; and that they would insensibly be led to adopt the maxims of mere cunning, of policy, of expediency, of seductive arts which prevailed so much in the world - a danger which was imminent among the shrewd and cunning people of Greece; but which is confined to no time and no place. Christians should be more guileless than even children are; as pure and free from trick, and from art and cunning as was the Redeemer himself.

(4) from the simplicity in worship which the Lord Jesus commended and required. The worship which the Redeemer designed to establish was simple, unostentatious, and pure - strongly in contrast with the gorgeousness and corruption of the pagan worship, and even with the imposing splendor of the Jewish temple service. He intended that it should be adapted to all lands, and such as could be offered by all classes of people - a pure worship, claiming first the homage of the heart, and then such simple external expressions as should best exhibit the homage of the heart.

How easily might this be corrupted! What temptations were there to attempt to corrupt it by those who had been accustomed to the magnificence of the temple service, and who would suppose that the religion of the Messiah could not be less gorgeous than that which was designed to shadow forth his coming; and by those who had been accustomed to the splendid rites of the pagan worship, and who would suppose that the true religion ought not to be less costly and splendid than the false religion had been. If so much expense had been lavished on false religions, how natural to suppose that equal costliness at least should be bestowed on the true religion.

Accordingly the history of the church for a considerable part of its existence has been little more than a record of the various forms in which the simple worship instituted by the Redeemer has been corrupted, until all that was gorgeous in pagan ceremonies and splendid in the Jewish ritual has been introduced as a part of Christian worship.

(5) from simplicity in dress and manner of living. The Redeemer's dress was simple. His manner of living was simple. His requirements demand great simplicity and plainness of apparel and manner of life; ; .

Yet how much proneness is there at all times to depart from this! What a besetting sin has it been in all ages to the church of Christ! And how much pains should there be that the very simplicity that is in Christ should be observed by all who bear the Christian name!

 

[David777]

Hello coconut.

A simple devotion to Jesus Christ, a summary of the Old and New Testament.

Now that is the voice of one crying in the wilderness.

 

[jari]

i thought the simplicity was simple child like faith in Jesus.
the next verse seems to have explanation:

4For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

 

[B-A-C]

Is that KJV? Another translation puts it this way.

2Co 11:3 However, I'm afraid that as the snake deceived Eve by its tricks, so your minds may somehow be lured away from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
2Co 11:4 When someone comes to you telling about another Jesus whom we didn't tell you about, you're willing to put up with it. When you receive a spirit that is different from the Spirit you received earlier, you're also willing to put up with that. When someone tells you good news that is different from the Good News you already accepted, you're willing to put up with that too.

Gal 1:8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!
Gal 1:9 As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

 

[Coconut]

Is that KJV?

Why, do you only understand Father when He is talking like King James?

 

[Diamondlight]

Father also speaks Chinese, Russian, Czech et al and even Xhosa!

Our God is amazing ^_-

 

[B-A-C]

Why, do you only understand Father when He is talking like King James?

The version I posted wasn't KJ.
I was questioning the word "might" in Jari's post.

It seems to suggest we should listen to other teachings.

 

[jari]

its KJV and i think it's saying if you accept false gospel you have bear with the burdens of it. or the burdens of him the false preacher.

 

[B-A-C]

its KJV and i think it's saying if you accept false gospel you have bear with the burdens of it. or the burdens of him the false preacher.

Thanks - that makes more sense.

 

[Coconut]

The version I posted wasn't KJ.
I was questioning the word "might" in Jari's post.

It seems to suggest we should listen to other teachings.

Oh! (my bad) If you don`t mind, I`m still amused at my own joke

 

[SpiritLedEd]

Accordingly the history of the church for a considerable part of its existence has been little more than a record of the various forms in which the simple worship instituted by the Redeemer has been corrupted, until all that was gorgeous in pagan ceremonies and splendid in the Jewish ri tual has been introduced as a part of Christian worship.

I once saw a painting of Jesus preaching in the synagogue at Nazareth (Lk 4:14-30) and was appalled at the picture; the synagogue was shown as a large, elegant Roman structure and the Lord was using a pulpit.

The Nazareth of today is a city of some 60,000 people, but in the first century it was a run-down, poverty-stricken village of, maybe, twenty houses. Their synagogue had to have been a small building along the lines of what modern Americans call a "storefront church".

SLE

 

[Coconut]

You are so right SLE, the synagogue would have more resembled a lowly one room schoolhouse, since it is where the children also received their education. Funny also how the painting would portray Jesus as revered among the Scribes (Teachers) who taught in the synagogues, when in fact, when he stood up to testify, they pushed him out the door, and tried to shove him right over a cliff. :shock: (Luke 4:16)

"Jesus later warned his disciples that the synagogue would become their nemeses (Luke 12:11) The hostility intensified during the latter part of the first century, with the adoption of the curse in the Eighteen Benedictions, the exclusion of Jewish Christians from the synagogues, and the Jewish Christians loss of protection under the rights of belonging to a religio licita (licensed religion) Clearly the hostility must have reached a boiling point when John in Revelation referred to the synagogue as an instrument of satan. (Rev 2:9, 3:9)"
- Background, Witnesses, and Significance - Jesus of Nazareth by Gerald L. Borchert


Man has had over two thousand years to add layer after layer of glop and gloss to the simplicity that is to be found in Christ. The question is, how closely will we look at their wares? The importance of that question to each of us, is likely to increase with what it will cost us.

Luk 7:18,19 And John, (he needed to know, his very life depended on it!) calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?"

Luk 7:22 Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."

Glory to His name!