No Part of the World

A comment was left:


Hello Pearl! 

I have a question regarding your reply to the post from the newly baptized person in the Dominican Republic...I realize that the concept of neutrality doesn't appear in the bible but wouldn't being no part of the world imply it, especially in view of John 13:34,35; Matt. 26:51,52 and Revelation 13:10? In addition, it is my understanding that early christians avoided worldy conflicts --political and otherwise; is this not the case? 

I really enjoy reading your blogs as they have provided many scriptural missing links that for so long prevented me from gaining a truly accurate understanding of God's word. However, your explanation on this particular topic --christian neutrality --threw me for a bit of a loop so i am hoping you can provide more information on the subject, incorporating the scriptures i cited above in your reply....Thank you so much!

REPLY:


Please consider these accounts of Jesus, where he clarified Jehovah’s mind on matters…..

Matt.5:21,22 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.”

Matt.5:27,28 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Matt.5:31,32 “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’  But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.”

Matt.5:33,34,35,36,37 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”

Matt.5:38,39,40,41,42 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away.

Matt.5:43,44,46,47,48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 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, 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.”

Do you discern the difference between the standard of “righteousness” that the Scribes and Pharisees taught, and the standard of righteousness that Jesus taught? (John8:23)
The Scribes and Pharisees felt fully righteous in their obedience to the things stated as murder, adultery, “lawful” grounds for divorce, lying, revenge, love and hatred. 
Yet Jesus came to raise the bar, did he not? 
Did this mean that he was abolishing the Commandments which the Jews obeyed? 
No…for at verse 17, he said:
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”

Is it not true, that if a Christian obeys the refinements of Christ’s additions, that they will also fulfill the Law?
For example… If one loves his brother; will he murder him?
                      If one never looks at a woman with a lustful eye; will he commit adultery?
                      If married mates stay together, unless one commits fornication; 
                      will they divorce on frivolous grounds?
                      If your yes truly means yes, and your no, no; will you ever 
                      leave a vow unfulfilled? Will you swear falsely?
                      If you are yielding and give to those who ask for mercy; 
                      will you ever judge another unjustly?
                      If you love your enemies; will you not love your neighbor also?

If the Laws of Christ are obeyed, the Jewish Laws stand fulfilled.
Why did Jesus raise the standard?
He said in verse 20:
“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” 
Jesus plainly said, that even these religious leaders of God's Covenant, were "part of the World" John8:23. Think about what Jesus meant by that! We should conform our own definition of this term, to the truth revealed by God's Son.

When Jesus said that our righteousness must be greater than these "worldly leaders", what was Jesus’ point?
For those seeking entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven; our “righteousness” must exceed the elementary laws given the Jews, and their inclination to wield power and dominion. For, such things are worldly (Mark10:42,43). Those who are sealed as part of the 144000, have God’s full laws, written on their hearts according to a New Covenant, based upon spirit, love, and the full removal of sin. This was not possible through a practice of Jewish Law, it's heirarchy or traditions, but only through a practice of the perfect law of love (Rom8:3; Heb.10:9,10,11,12,14,15,16,17,18; Gal.5:14; Rom.13:8).

Similarly...
By my statement, that being “no part of the world”, means imitating Christ’s example; "keeping from the evil one", 
                         being "sanctified" by the scriptures, 
                         and preaching truth in a world of deception
....do you imagine that practicing true Christian "neutrality", would violate 2Cor.10:3 or John13:34,35?
“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.” 

If so, how?

Christ’s example was:
                         "keeping from the evil one", 
                         being "sanctified" by the scriptures, 
                         and preaching truth in a world of deception....
      (which the worldly religious leaders failed to do)
      (John8:44,47,19,26,23; Matt.23:13,15,23,25,27,28,31,34)
      Anyone under Satan's dominion, is "part of the world" 
      (John8:44,23; 1John5:19) 
      Everyone not under Christ's dominion,
       is under Satan's.

You also cited:

Matt.26:51,52
“And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, “Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”

Do you imagine that if we are sanctified by the scriptures, - John17:17 (including Matt.5:44)... 
         (“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 we will draw a literal sword on an enemy, with the intent to do him physical harm?

Just as the righteousness of the Kingdom heirs must exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees; so too must their righteousness exceed that of WTBTS teachings. Those teachings are the same as the Scribes and Pharisees, are they not? (Heb.6:1) Jesus has already made clear, that living by “eye for eye”, is wrong. Jesus has already told us that we must love our enemies. Is not the forbidding of murder already clear, by the Jewish law? But Jesus said his anointed followers must have a higher standard than that!
True followers of Jesus can not stop there. Is literal murder the limit of Christian “Neutrality”,
as it was for the Scribes and Pharisees? 
Did our Lord not make clear to us, that much more is required of his Chosen vessels?

If I tell you that being without spot from the world is not limited to the avoidance of the shedding of blood, why do think that I am teaching that the shedding blood is then acceptable? (2Cor.10:3)
When Jesus raised the bar and refined the Law; was he teaching that breaking the original Commandments became acceptable?
Of course not! Consider what he said, at Matt.5:17,18,19,20. To obey Christ is to fulfill the Law. Why then, when I forward to you the Christian neutrality taught by Christ, do you accuse me of leaving the elementary command on murder? 
Do you not see that if we imitate Christ’s model of being “no part of the world”, 
that we will also not murder?

Your last scripture that seems to perplex you, is:

Rev.13:10 “He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.”

This verse is not forbidding the “killing” with the sword, but is telling of the consequence.
The book of Revelation is written in symbolic illustration. This verse included.
The sword being spoken of then, is not literal and physical.
Please consider 
Eph.6:17; Rev.1:16; Heb.4:12; 2Cor.10:4; 1Tim.1:18; 2Tim.2:3; Rev.19:11,14; 17:14.

The faithful “two witnesses” DO “kill” with the “sword”. They prophesy and bear witness, according to the “sword” of God’s Word. These ones “battle” with Satan and his “angels”, …and conquer him (Rev.12:7,11).
What is the consequence of these “battling” by means of God’s Word of Truth, the “sword”?
We were told at your scripture, Rev.13:10…remember?
Any who cause the condemnation of the wicked (“killed”), by means of the “sword” of God’s Word,
will be “killed”/condemned, by the same means. Jesus is warning his faithful warriors, of the consequence that they must be prepared to accept, if they fight the final battle.

How does this apply?

Jesus said at Mark8:35,38:
“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's, will save it. For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Can you see the connection between declaring Jesus’ “words”, and the sacrificing of your life? 
Do you see that one is required to “lose his life” for the “sake” of Christ and his “gospel”?

That sacrifice will occur, during the war between truth and lies, by means of the spirit’s sword, which “protrudes” from the mouth of Christ (“my words” “the gospel” Mark8:35; Rev.19:15).

Do we have proof in Revelation, that this being "killed with the sword" is indeed the consequence to those who prove faithful?

Please consider Rev.11:7; 12:11; 13:7; 6:9,11; 19:8
Yes…if you “kill”/"condemn" by means of the scriptures (Heb.11:7)…YOU will be “killed” by those same means. 
We see that the Beast will do this 
(Rev.13:13; Exo.9:23; 2Kings1:10).
….The Beast will “kill” by means of God’s Word!?!?!?
Yes! (and this helps us to know the identity of the Beast) (see John16:2; Isa.66:5)

When the faithful are disfellowshipped by the Organizational Beast, (because they accept the battle for truth)
is it not seemingly done by means of scripture? 
When an anointed one enters a “judicial committee”; does not a battle ensue, with both “sides” using the same sword???
The faithful one is then “killed” on a false scriptural basis;
And those who have done that slaying of the faithful, are also “killed”/condemned on a true scriptural basis (Matt.25:40); 
the same as those who were condemned for killing the Christ Jesus; though they too used the “sword” to justify it (Matt.26:65,66; John8:40; Matt.23:37). The “two witnesses” are “killed” under the same circumstances (Rev.11:8). Yet…they are willing (Rev.12:11; Luke9:24).

This is why Rev.13:10 ends by saying, “Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.”
Yes, it takes tremendous faith to suffer persecution and expulsion as one fights the fine battle for truth.
It also takes patience….
Because after one is “killed”, he must wait patiently for judgment to be carried out against those who misused God’s Holy Word to destroy the lives of Christ’s brothers (1Cor.3:17,16).
There is an additional reason patience is needed....
Rev.6:9,10,11:
“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.”
(The patience of Holy Ones-- Rev.13:10)
Yes, those already proven faithful...killed for their witness to truth (just as Christ was), must wait until the rest of the faithful take their stand, and also are "killed" with the "sword".

It is my hope that you can now see that the symbolic book of Revelation (Rev.1:1) is consistent, even in Rev.13:10;
In that the “sword” and the “killing” are symbolic,
…and also that this battle for Truth is not an option, for those who desire to be sealed with a white robe. (Gen.3:15; 2Cor.10:4,5,6; 2Cor.11:12,13,14,15)
These ones will "kill"....by the same means by which they were "killed" (Rev.13:10; Heb.4:12; Rev.19:15).
The only other alternative for the anointed, is, "captivity" to the Beast (Rev.13:10,16,17; 9:4,5,6,14)

Those who are sealed by Christ, will obey his definition of being "no part of the world"....not the definition of the WTBTS.

Definition of Christian "neutrality" according to Jesus Christ:
John17:15,17,18,16; 1John2:7,15,16; James1:27

Definition of Christian "neutrality" according to WTBTS:
Do not vote, or murder in war.

Definition of righteousness according to the Scribes and Pharisees:
You must not commit murder (Deut.5:17).

Matt.5:20

Only anointed who imitate Christ’s example of neutrality in Satan's world...
                         "keeping from the evil one", 
                         being "sanctified" by the scriptures, 
                         and preaching truth in a world of deception....
will be among the sealed "two witnesses", who truly are, "no part of the world".

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