Sadism and Domestic Violence
Sadism and Domestic Violence
C. W. Fincher
Thesis
Show that the concept of “sadism” and its outward manifestations, affect the lives of those around them resulting in occurrences of domestic violence.
Historical
Throughout time, since the expulsion of man from the Garden of Eden after sin of Adam and Eve as recorded in the pages of scriptures (Gen. 3:24), man in his sinful state has sought to dominate others, forcing them to do whatever their corrupt imaginations have dreamed up and to take pleasure in causing them pain and suffering whether by physical or psychological means.
As one looks over the whole of known history this becomes clearly seen. Just within the pages of scriptures, we find countless examples of this thought. Here are just three examples.
Nimrod, the leader of the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9), Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 14), Jezebel (1 Kings 18:4; 2 Kings 9:22)
In secular history, we might find just as many or maybe even more examples of this action as played out on the world stage.
Names of people that quickly come to my mind are Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, of a more recent time, Moammar Gadhafi and Saddam Hussein. Each of these people killed countless numbers of people.
Is there any evidence that they received any pleasure in doing this as defined within the definition of the word “sadist” or “sadistic” or “sadism”, as a western writer looking toward the east and trying to read the mind of an alien culture, I cannot definitively say that they took pleasure in these actions, but because of the length of time these men were in power, I can only conclude that they must have “gotten their jollies” from their practices.
The victims of each of these men were powerless to stop their oppression; they had to endure it until a force greater than their own stepped in to release them from their bondage. In the case of Mr. Gadhafi and Mr. Hussein, the people of Libya, and NATO, and the full might of the American military helped to end their reign of terror.
Definitions
Let’s look briefly at two definitions of the word “sadism”.
In Dorland’s Pocket 28th Edition Medical Dictionary, we find the word defined as “the act or instance of gaining pleasure from inflicting physical or psychological pain on another.”(1)
En.wikipedia.org, an online encyclopedia source defines “sadistic” as:
“Sadistic personality disorder is: A) A pervasive pattern of cruel, demeaning, and aggressive behavior, beginning by early adulthood, as indicated by the repeated occurrence of at least four of the following:
1. Has used physical cruelty or violence for the purpose of establishing dominance in a relationship (not merely to achieve some non-interpersonal goal, such as striking someone in order to rob him/her).
2. Humiliates or demeans people in the presence of others.
3. Has treated or disciplined someone under his/her control unusually harshly.
4. Is amused by, or takes pleasure in, the psychological or physical suffering of others (including animals).
5. Has lied for the purpose of harming or inflicting pain on others (not merely to achieve some other goal).
6. Gets other people to do what he/she wants by frightening them (through intimidation or even terror).
7. Restricts the autonomy of people with whom he or she has a close relationship, e.g., will not let spouse leave the house unaccompanied.” (2)
Personal Experience
I will offer up to you these observations from my own life as a way for you to evaluate your own life and the lives of those we minister to in our day-to-day dealings with people and then try to pull these thought together in a cohesive manner.
Some you, my faithful readers, know that I was first diagnosed with a mild form of bipolar disorder within the last couple of years and of my struggles in coming to grip with the reality of this disorder.
I have gone into great length to shed some light on this topic in my paper, “The Local Church and the Bipolar Member”, available upon request to anyone wanting to read it.
Looking back over the time before my diagnosis, I can clearly see now the pain that I caused my family. From the afore noted list, I can see that there have been times when I was guilty of practicing numbers two, three, six and maybe seven.
I cannot tell whether or not that I received any pleasure from these acts, being unaware of my illness makes it hard to see things from my eyes looking out, but those around me could see very clearly what was going on!
Does that make me a bad person? Do I need to taken away in a police car and booked for domestic violence issues? I will let my family decide for me.
Since my diagnosis, things have improved greatly in my life and that of my family despite prolonged unemployment. This topic is a whole other matter.
Do you see anything from the above list that maybe you might have done in a moment, before you had a chance to think about your actions? We are all are guilty of these things. What concerns me right now is the prolonged abuse many men in particular cause their families to endure!
Let me digress a small bit as once again we go to matters theological. Recently while pondering the nature of a job that I was asked to apply for by an agency in my area of central Florida, these thoughts came to me while trying to go to sleep.
This agency deals with the end results of mental illness, domestic violence and sexual violence. Due to the nature of their work, I will not name this agency; I also do not have their permission to use their name.
Once these issues are made public, they then can be treated, both the offender and the victim will receive the care they need.
The area that I am concerned with at this time is domestic violence. Why does this occur? What can its’ possible cause be?
From my studies of the scriptures, man is a tri-une being. In simple terms, “man/humans” have a body, a soul and a spirit.
I once read in my Bible the notes written by Mr. Scofield in the following statement; (3)
“(2) Man is spirit and soul and body” (1 Thes. 5.23). “Spirit” is that part of man which “knows” (1 Cor. 2.11), and which allies him to the spiritual creation and gives him God- consciousness. “Soul” in itself implies self-conscious life, as distinguished from plants, which have un-conscious life.”
I will add a similar thought that with the “body”, man is aware of his surroundings, feeling his environment, thirst, hunger, and physical pain or pleasure.
Given these facts about the nature of man, when one of these items, body, soul and spirit gets out of adjustment and the sin nature is allowed to go unchecked by the indwelling Spirit of the Living God, things go quickly from bad to worse and all sorts of unimaginable things happen!
For example, when a husband or boyfriend thinks that their wife or girlfriend is cheating on them, the soul part of him is out of kilter.
That individual needs to trust that the other is not out to hurt him, but instead they often times will begin first with psychological abuse, which if left unchecked could lead to physical abuse, which in turn leads to more abuse of a stronger and more painful nature, and over time can in some cases, cause the death of the victim(s)!
Now introduce the destructive elements of alcohol and drugs into the mix and we have a bomb larger and more destructive than any nuclear weapon ever built! Having a trigger not controlled by rational men, but controlled by the flawed reasoning of someone bent on the total subjugation of his chosen target!
Having lived through the Cold War near a Minuteman missile base in Wyoming, the uncontrolled soul of man can and does rip apart the fabric of human life while leaving just the shell of the person who once inhabited the body. Nuclear weapons are no match for this type of bomb.
I have seen in my time spent overseas as a young missionary the remains of lives touched by this type of weapon. Eyes that were hollow, not daring to look at you, in fear of their oppressors’ wrath for doing so. Bodies broken from beatings received at the hand of their so-called “loved-one”. That was a foreign country, what about our own country, the land of the “free and the brave”?
Why are the major news stories on television about domestic violence? Murder? Abducted children?
Is it because bad news sells, or is it that good news is hard to find in a world so full of trouble and chaos?
I am thankful that my county has such agencies that help the victims of domestic violence, sexual violence and mental illness! Our county is a better place to live in because of their often-unseen work, much of it is done in the dead of night when they receive a call from the police saying we need you (again)! Off the staff goes to help another family start to get their live back in order after the “bomb” has gone off.
Practical
In closing, what can we do to help those in need before, during and after issues of domestic violence are made know?
If you as their friend/family suspect that there might be an issue starting to develop, get help and learn as much as you can, you can be the second set of eyes for your loved one. There are plenty of websites to help you.
Do not hesitate to intervene if you see the danger signs of abuse, do not let it progress any further than you can. This may involve putting your proverbial nose into places that it might get smashed.
Lastly, after the abuse has become openly known, do not treat the victim as if they had the plague! They need your love, words of encouragement and acts of service in order to start their life over without the abuser. For some it can be extremely overwhelming!
If you are unable to do any of these, but you have the financial means to support such an agency, do so. Many run strictly on the contributions of the local communities they serve. Because the country is in dire financial straits right now, the need for their services has increased while giving has decreased, you can let your money serve the needs of the many in your place while your next-door neighbor may supply the muscle to help with a project.
Notes
1. Dorland’s Pocket 28 Edition Medical Dictionary; Saunders, p 740
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadistic_personaljtydisorder
3. Scofield Study Bible, King James Version, Oxford University Press, 1917 Edition, p 5
About the Author
A city born Floridian reared on the plains of Wyoming, later to return to the city in Florida. Experienced life in the sky as a civil aviation pilot, water as a sailboat operator and the land as a ranch hand. Experienced life and death in the cities and countryside of Haiti.
Received the new birth in Jesus Christ in 2003. Attended Bible college at age 48 and life as an older student in medical college in 2010. He holds a certificate in Biblical Studies issued by Piedmont Baptist College, Winston-Salem, NC and a certificate in medical administration issued by Everest University, Lakeland, FL.
Now he combines his knowledge of theology with his knowledge of medicine to write research papers and short stories. He has been married 20 years and has one daughter.
He can be contacted at his home address if you have any comments or would like any information regarding his writings, web site or published books.
Charles. W. Fincher, 954 Sunshine Way SW, Winter Haven, FL 33880 863-294-1101, [email protected]
C. W. Fincher
Thesis
Show that the concept of “sadism” and its outward manifestations, affect the lives of those around them resulting in occurrences of domestic violence.
Historical
Throughout time, since the expulsion of man from the Garden of Eden after sin of Adam and Eve as recorded in the pages of scriptures (Gen. 3:24), man in his sinful state has sought to dominate others, forcing them to do whatever their corrupt imaginations have dreamed up and to take pleasure in causing them pain and suffering whether by physical or psychological means.
As one looks over the whole of known history this becomes clearly seen. Just within the pages of scriptures, we find countless examples of this thought. Here are just three examples.
Nimrod, the leader of the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1-9), Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 14), Jezebel (1 Kings 18:4; 2 Kings 9:22)
In secular history, we might find just as many or maybe even more examples of this action as played out on the world stage.
Names of people that quickly come to my mind are Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, of a more recent time, Moammar Gadhafi and Saddam Hussein. Each of these people killed countless numbers of people.
Is there any evidence that they received any pleasure in doing this as defined within the definition of the word “sadist” or “sadistic” or “sadism”, as a western writer looking toward the east and trying to read the mind of an alien culture, I cannot definitively say that they took pleasure in these actions, but because of the length of time these men were in power, I can only conclude that they must have “gotten their jollies” from their practices.
The victims of each of these men were powerless to stop their oppression; they had to endure it until a force greater than their own stepped in to release them from their bondage. In the case of Mr. Gadhafi and Mr. Hussein, the people of Libya, and NATO, and the full might of the American military helped to end their reign of terror.
Definitions
Let’s look briefly at two definitions of the word “sadism”.
In Dorland’s Pocket 28th Edition Medical Dictionary, we find the word defined as “the act or instance of gaining pleasure from inflicting physical or psychological pain on another.”(1)
En.wikipedia.org, an online encyclopedia source defines “sadistic” as:
“Sadistic personality disorder is: A) A pervasive pattern of cruel, demeaning, and aggressive behavior, beginning by early adulthood, as indicated by the repeated occurrence of at least four of the following:
1. Has used physical cruelty or violence for the purpose of establishing dominance in a relationship (not merely to achieve some non-interpersonal goal, such as striking someone in order to rob him/her).
2. Humiliates or demeans people in the presence of others.
3. Has treated or disciplined someone under his/her control unusually harshly.
4. Is amused by, or takes pleasure in, the psychological or physical suffering of others (including animals).
5. Has lied for the purpose of harming or inflicting pain on others (not merely to achieve some other goal).
6. Gets other people to do what he/she wants by frightening them (through intimidation or even terror).
7. Restricts the autonomy of people with whom he or she has a close relationship, e.g., will not let spouse leave the house unaccompanied.” (2)
Personal Experience
I will offer up to you these observations from my own life as a way for you to evaluate your own life and the lives of those we minister to in our day-to-day dealings with people and then try to pull these thought together in a cohesive manner.
Some you, my faithful readers, know that I was first diagnosed with a mild form of bipolar disorder within the last couple of years and of my struggles in coming to grip with the reality of this disorder.
I have gone into great length to shed some light on this topic in my paper, “The Local Church and the Bipolar Member”, available upon request to anyone wanting to read it.
Looking back over the time before my diagnosis, I can clearly see now the pain that I caused my family. From the afore noted list, I can see that there have been times when I was guilty of practicing numbers two, three, six and maybe seven.
I cannot tell whether or not that I received any pleasure from these acts, being unaware of my illness makes it hard to see things from my eyes looking out, but those around me could see very clearly what was going on!
Does that make me a bad person? Do I need to taken away in a police car and booked for domestic violence issues? I will let my family decide for me.
Since my diagnosis, things have improved greatly in my life and that of my family despite prolonged unemployment. This topic is a whole other matter.
Do you see anything from the above list that maybe you might have done in a moment, before you had a chance to think about your actions? We are all are guilty of these things. What concerns me right now is the prolonged abuse many men in particular cause their families to endure!
Let me digress a small bit as once again we go to matters theological. Recently while pondering the nature of a job that I was asked to apply for by an agency in my area of central Florida, these thoughts came to me while trying to go to sleep.
This agency deals with the end results of mental illness, domestic violence and sexual violence. Due to the nature of their work, I will not name this agency; I also do not have their permission to use their name.
Once these issues are made public, they then can be treated, both the offender and the victim will receive the care they need.
The area that I am concerned with at this time is domestic violence. Why does this occur? What can its’ possible cause be?
From my studies of the scriptures, man is a tri-une being. In simple terms, “man/humans” have a body, a soul and a spirit.
I once read in my Bible the notes written by Mr. Scofield in the following statement; (3)
“(2) Man is spirit and soul and body” (1 Thes. 5.23). “Spirit” is that part of man which “knows” (1 Cor. 2.11), and which allies him to the spiritual creation and gives him God- consciousness. “Soul” in itself implies self-conscious life, as distinguished from plants, which have un-conscious life.”
I will add a similar thought that with the “body”, man is aware of his surroundings, feeling his environment, thirst, hunger, and physical pain or pleasure.
Given these facts about the nature of man, when one of these items, body, soul and spirit gets out of adjustment and the sin nature is allowed to go unchecked by the indwelling Spirit of the Living God, things go quickly from bad to worse and all sorts of unimaginable things happen!
For example, when a husband or boyfriend thinks that their wife or girlfriend is cheating on them, the soul part of him is out of kilter.
That individual needs to trust that the other is not out to hurt him, but instead they often times will begin first with psychological abuse, which if left unchecked could lead to physical abuse, which in turn leads to more abuse of a stronger and more painful nature, and over time can in some cases, cause the death of the victim(s)!
Now introduce the destructive elements of alcohol and drugs into the mix and we have a bomb larger and more destructive than any nuclear weapon ever built! Having a trigger not controlled by rational men, but controlled by the flawed reasoning of someone bent on the total subjugation of his chosen target!
Having lived through the Cold War near a Minuteman missile base in Wyoming, the uncontrolled soul of man can and does rip apart the fabric of human life while leaving just the shell of the person who once inhabited the body. Nuclear weapons are no match for this type of bomb.
I have seen in my time spent overseas as a young missionary the remains of lives touched by this type of weapon. Eyes that were hollow, not daring to look at you, in fear of their oppressors’ wrath for doing so. Bodies broken from beatings received at the hand of their so-called “loved-one”. That was a foreign country, what about our own country, the land of the “free and the brave”?
Why are the major news stories on television about domestic violence? Murder? Abducted children?
Is it because bad news sells, or is it that good news is hard to find in a world so full of trouble and chaos?
I am thankful that my county has such agencies that help the victims of domestic violence, sexual violence and mental illness! Our county is a better place to live in because of their often-unseen work, much of it is done in the dead of night when they receive a call from the police saying we need you (again)! Off the staff goes to help another family start to get their live back in order after the “bomb” has gone off.
Practical
In closing, what can we do to help those in need before, during and after issues of domestic violence are made know?
If you as their friend/family suspect that there might be an issue starting to develop, get help and learn as much as you can, you can be the second set of eyes for your loved one. There are plenty of websites to help you.
Do not hesitate to intervene if you see the danger signs of abuse, do not let it progress any further than you can. This may involve putting your proverbial nose into places that it might get smashed.
Lastly, after the abuse has become openly known, do not treat the victim as if they had the plague! They need your love, words of encouragement and acts of service in order to start their life over without the abuser. For some it can be extremely overwhelming!
If you are unable to do any of these, but you have the financial means to support such an agency, do so. Many run strictly on the contributions of the local communities they serve. Because the country is in dire financial straits right now, the need for their services has increased while giving has decreased, you can let your money serve the needs of the many in your place while your next-door neighbor may supply the muscle to help with a project.
Notes
1. Dorland’s Pocket 28 Edition Medical Dictionary; Saunders, p 740
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadistic_personaljtydisorder
3. Scofield Study Bible, King James Version, Oxford University Press, 1917 Edition, p 5
About the Author
A city born Floridian reared on the plains of Wyoming, later to return to the city in Florida. Experienced life in the sky as a civil aviation pilot, water as a sailboat operator and the land as a ranch hand. Experienced life and death in the cities and countryside of Haiti.
Received the new birth in Jesus Christ in 2003. Attended Bible college at age 48 and life as an older student in medical college in 2010. He holds a certificate in Biblical Studies issued by Piedmont Baptist College, Winston-Salem, NC and a certificate in medical administration issued by Everest University, Lakeland, FL.
Now he combines his knowledge of theology with his knowledge of medicine to write research papers and short stories. He has been married 20 years and has one daughter.
He can be contacted at his home address if you have any comments or would like any information regarding his writings, web site or published books.
Charles. W. Fincher, 954 Sunshine Way SW, Winter Haven, FL 33880 863-294-1101, [email protected]
Hypostatic Union of Christ
The Hypostatic Union of Christ and the Believer
By Charles W. Fincher
August 2010
Let me begin with a story, I am a story teller by nature.
I was living my life from day to day, going to work, trying to take care of my family; I had graduated from Bible College and had prepared to go into full time missions work near my home. I had a bright future, or so it would seem.
The mission job failed to come to fruition, things at my job became almost unbearable, my body began to show signs of rapid physical aging because of the nature of my job and the list goes on; we each have our own list of woes, it would take the rest of our lives to voice them all!
It was during this time after I had became unemployed that the thought of being retrained to go into a different line of work began to come to the forefront of my mind, but what type of work should I do? The notion of going into the medical field started to rise to the top of the possibilities.
When I had worked overseas in my younger days I was told by the medical missionaries that I would do well in that type of work, but being young and unsaved, I didn’t listen to them! So now nearly thirty years later, here I am ready to make my debut into the world of medicine! Or at least the medical office! One has to start some place!
I am happy to say that I am much older now, saved and a little bit wiser and I have completed my training in medical administration from a national university!
Okay, the story is over, I kept it short today for you. Let’s move on with what has been keeping me awake for many hours during the night. What is the Hypostatic Union of Christ?
There are mathematical equations we all have learned from the earliest age, used by anyone from school children first learning their numbers to the mathematical geniuses such as Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.
1+1= 2, there is no other way to come to any other answer. There are variations of this equation when we start to subtract, multiply or divide, or when we use the higher forms of math, algebra, geometry or calculus, but the base unit of math is 1+1 =2.
Let me pause here to say that I make no claim to be an authority in matters of mathematics! I function at best on an average level towards the middle end of the scale!
Now that we have established the basis for our calculations, let’s proceed to the next level where precise units are calculated and consistency is required to achieve the desired outcome every time; pharmaceuticals.
As a medical administration student, I was exposed to a great deal of information on many topics that I would be dealing with once I finished my training. Pharmacology was one of those topics I enjoyed, though I still find it difficult to use the PDR (Physicians’ Desk Reference).
There is a term, “synergism” that describes the reaction of two different medications and their effect when combined. Davi-Ellen Chabner in her book, The Language of Medicine defines synergism as; ”Combination of two drugs causes an effect that is greater than the sum of the individual effects of each drug alone.” (1)
Likewise, Dorland’s Pocket 28th Edition Medical Dictionary defines “synergy” as, “1. correlated action or cooperation on the part of two or more structures or drugs.” (2)
My interpretation of the meaning of the word synergism is this, “the effect when used alone is not as effective as when combined with a second drug, thus making a new drug from two separate drugs.” Let me write this into an equation that I have developed. Drug A + drug B > drug A – drug B.
We all have personally experienced this concept when we take something for our colds and allergies. Read the box labels to get a better picture of this equation.
Some of you might be wondering right about now if I’m writing a math paper or theology paper? Now that we have established two constants in life that affect all of mankind, math and medicine, let’s move on as we explore the hypostatic union of Christ.
I have struggled with this concept, or at least how to present it in such a new way so that I’m not just copying what others have said before about the topic. What can the average believer take away from my time of study of this topic? I believe I have found such a means!
In my research I have consulted Mr. Ryrie and his book, Basic Theology (3). Mr. Ryrie defines in his book what the hypostatic union is.
“The result of the Virgin Birth was a God-man. God always was. The total human nature was conceived by the Spirit in the womb of Mary, and the Baby born was fully God and a perfect human being, united in one person forever. This is called the hypostatic union.” (4)
Scripture tells us plainly in John 1:14, “And the Word “Logos”, “transliteration mine” was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” Also see Mt 1:18- 23; Lk 1:30-35; Rom1:3-4.
John Piper has a website, Desiring God, staff author David Mathis discuses the topic in a series of short articles; the site also has a discussion board so the readers may comment about the articles. (5, 6)
It was Dr. Richard I. Gregory (7) who first piqued my interest in the subject during a Sunday school class he taught one morning as a substitute teacher. Let me explain this union using an equation that I learned from Dr. Gregory.
Pre-incarnate Christ 100% God + 100% man (who was sinless) = Christ, the sinless Son of God, the God/man.
Rom 1:3, 4 gives us more insight into the matter. “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:”
Let’s look at it from a medical viewpoint.
Human ovum + Holy Spirit of God = Christ; the Holy Spirit being the third part of the Trinity as the impregnating power from God. Because Christ had no earthly father, the sin of Adam was not imputed upon Him until he was hanging on the cross at Golgotha!
What strikes me about this is that the obvious thing missing from the equation is “sin”. Because of the conception of Christ by the Holy Spirit, the imputation of man’s sins to Christ was made possible; without a human body, this would not have been made possible!
2 Cor 5:19 says, “To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”
1 Pt 2:24 goes on to tell us, “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
Yet, the other side of the coin is this, that the righteousness of Christ could be imputed to our account. 2 Cor 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Because He is 100% God, God cannot sin; therefore Christ’s sacrifice can be accepted by God. Christ took on flesh and blood so that He could identify with us and our physical “sufferings”, but He as God did not sin because a Holy God cannot sin!
The old expression, “Never judge a man until you have walked a mile in his moccasins.” comes to mind. He experienced hunger and thirst, aches and pains as well as all of the emotions that we mortals experience in our life time.
Hebrews 2:9- 10 says it nicely, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man. For it became him, for whom all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”
One area I have alluded to and is strong within my mind is this thought. Christ being the very image of God, 100%, not 50% or 99%, but wholly God, had to take on 100% of sinful flesh so that He could die for the sins of mankind.
In His pre-incarnate form, Christ could not be killed, in His future form, His resurrection body is described in the gospels, epistles and in the book of Revelation, there, He has a glorified body that can know no death! Lk 24:13-33, 36-40; Jn 20:19-20; Rev 1:13- 15.
The Holy One of God could only be a sacrifice for mankind if He had a human body like unto our own!
Without the flesh and blood that we have as containers for our souls and spirits, Christ’s death on the cross may have been an illusion to those who witnessed it that day, and the stories told of that day and the following days were created by men and women with over active imaginations!
Yet, if that is the reality of the matter, why have many countless numbers of the redeemed allow themselves to be murdered for the cause of Christ when it would have been far better for them at that moment to renounce Christ and live a while longer in this life?
To bring this to a close, the hypostatic union of Christ is critical to every true believer in Christ. A basic understanding of this concept is essential in our lives as followers of Him, and as His bride who awaits her groom on her wedding day!
Without Christ taking on human flesh, He could not have paid the price for our sins as the Father requires. On Golgotha, Christ died once and for all, for all of mankind, past, present and future!
His death was real, just as any human knows; He did not pretend to be dead as some theorize. Yet, on the third day, by the power of His divine nature within His dead human flesh, He arose from the dead, victorious over our enemy death! 1 Cor 15:54 - 57.
We who are in Christ have this hope, that as He is now, at the appointed time of the Father, we shall be like He is! 1 Cor 15:52, 53 says, “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”
The hypostatic union is our confidence and hope for a future time, that is because Christ is fully divine, the second part of the Trinity, and fully human, we have no longer need to fear death and the grave!
Bibliography
1. Chabner, Davi-Ellen; “The Language of Medicine”, Eighth Edition, Saunders, p 869
2. “Dorland’s Pocket 28th Edition Medical Dictionary”; Saunders, p 821
3. Ryrie, Charles; “Basic Theology”, Moody Press, hypostatic union, pp 287-289, 324
4. Ryrie, Charles; “Basic Theology”, Moody Press, hypostatic union, p 324
5. http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog, David Mathis, What is the Hypostatic Union?
6. http://www.desiringgod.org/Blog, David Mathis, Jesus is Fully Human.
7. Dr. Richard I. Gregory, Senior Pastor of Honesdale Gospel Tabernacle, Honesdale, PA; he is also the man who led me to Christ.
Sovereignty of God
The Sovereignty of God and Unemployment
C. W. Fincher
March 2011
Okay God, I know that I am to take care of my family, but would you please soon, and I mean VERY SOON give me a job?
I have done all that has been required of me by man, I have searched with all diligence for a way to feed my family, keep a roof over our heads and the comfort that running water and electricity bring and a means of getting to work should something come along!
“Yet after six months of completing a state sponsored retraining program in medical administration that was supposed to help to me get a job, I find myself in want of a job!”, I often complained to God in my thoughts and prayers.
Recently I had breakfast with my pastor, it was one of those situations where I did most of the talking and little eating, he was finished with his meal long before me.
One of the questions that he asked me this, “What had I learned during my time of not working?”
I could not come up with any answers that would satisfy him or so I thought. I struggled to come up with an answer for his question, but when I did, it was from my heart and it pleased him (not that I was trying to please him), so I gave what I had been learning from my morning prayer and Bible study time.
Simply put, my answer is this, “God is sovereign and we as mortal must accept that reality.”
Now I will turn this into a mini research paper, partly because we (I) need to know what sovereignty is and how it applies to me (us). Secondly, because I am going “nuts” waiting, I see the means to take care of my family and I have the job skills to do so, but I am unable to do so for some reason unseen with human eyes or human intellect why it is not happening! Thirdly, this gives me a way to “vent” my frustrations and maybe in the process God will receive the glory due to our King!
Sovereignty is defined by Mr. Charles C. Ryrie in his book, Basic Theology, pages 48, 48.
“The word means principal, chief, supreme. It speaks first of position (God is the chief Being in the universe), then of power (God is supreme in power in the universe. How He exercises that power is revealed in the Scriptures. A sovereign could be a dictator (God is not), or a sovereign could abdicate the use of his powers (God has not). Ultimately God is in complete control of all things, though He may choose to let certain events happen according to natural laws that He has ordained.”
"Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine; Thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and Thou art exalted as Head above all" (1 Chron. 29:11). KJV
In his classic book entitled, The Sovereignty of God, author A.W. Pink defines the sovereignty of God as.
“The Sovereignty of God. What do we mean by this expression? We mean the supremacy of God, the kingship of God, the god-hood of God. To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that God is God. To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is the Most High, doing according to His will in the army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, so that none can stay His hand or say unto Him what doest Thou? (Dan. 4:35). To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is the Almighty, the Possessor of all power in Heaven and earth, so that none can defeat His counsels, thwart His purpose, or resist His will (Psa. 115:3). To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is "The Governor among the nations" (Psa. 22:28), setting up kingdoms, overthrowing empires, and determining the course of dynasties as pleaseth Him best. To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is the "Only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1 Tim. 6:15). Such is the God of the Bible.”
"For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be the glory for ever. Amen" (Romans 11:36).
Now that we have a definition of what he sovereignty of God is, let’s tackle the problem that I am having right now. How do I (we) deal daily with this fact when all around us things are falling apart?
In my own case the major problem is unemployment, in your life it may be health issues or problems with your wayward child(ren) or some issue that I have not even thought of.
I envision the sovereignty of God to be a box, let’s say in my vision of it is just your ordinary box about the size of the old Rubix’s Cube that came out on the market in 1974. For you Dr. Who fans, the cube is not solid; it is like the TARDIS, larger on the inside than it is on the outside.
Into this box I put all of my cares and concerns and even my worries, it is my way of getting rid of the junk that loads me down, it has plenty of room inside to handle my cares as well as those of every human who has ever taken a breath of air.
Yet despite this play of the mind and imagination, my soul cries out, “There must be more to His sovereignty that I (we) can use in my (our) daily life that will reset the pain we experience in this life!”
A word of caution is in order before I move on. We are not to judge God by our experiences; they are not to be trusted as a true measure of His being. Because we are sinful mortals, we cannot “critique” a Holy, Righteous God! We have no way to experience Him in His fullness because of our sinful flesh.
We can though experience His presence in our lives through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit that He gives to all true believers in His only Son, Jesus Christ!
So now having said this let me continue, I speak as one who does have the Holy Spirit living in my heart as defined within the pages of scriptures. Plainly put, I have confessed my sins to God, repented of them and sought His forgiveness and asked Christ to come into my life. I then received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
So I can say as based upon my experience despite what my emotions or intellect tell me, despite what my heart and soul tell me, God does know what He is doing!
Right now that is difficult to totally have a deep peace about when I look around my world to see it on the brink of falling apart! My emotions and thoughts are quickly stirred up into a froth like the waves of the ocean during a violent storm!
It may only take a letter in the mail or no response from an employer that you applied to a few days (weeks) ago or waking up from a nap, someone says something to you before you are totally awake and you take their head off with your words!
Despite these situations, God is in control and on the days or nights when my soul is disquieted, I find relief in the simple act of going to Him in prayer.
Sitting still, not presenting to Him my shopping list of requests for Him to get for me, just simple sitting still in my spirit, waiting on Him to quiet the storm of my soul. I envision being in the Temple in Jerusalem and I see the Ark of the Covenant and the smoke of the incense in the air filling the place and the light of His presence.
It is a comforting thought to bathe my troubled spirit in the comfort of the light of His presence! God is light; in Him there is no darkness! Within me lives the Holy Spirit who is light, my sinful flesh is darkness.
After a while my soul is at peace and I can resume my sleep because I often get up late at night to do this, the house is quiet and there are no demands being placed upon me in the middle of the night.
I have also found it helpful to repeat back to God when I pray theological principals that I had learned while I attended Bible College a few years ago. As an imperfect being, I have nothing worthy to give to a Holy God, His Word is perfect and true, and so I give back to Him that which is Holy and without error due to the sinfulness of man.
In closing, we live in a world of sin, our first father Adam because of his disobedience to God was judged for that sin. His sin has been (imputed) passed down to the rest of humanity. By the righteousness of Christ I have been justified (declared righteous) and I now live as one sanctified (process of being made holy).
Jesus Himself said it best for us as recorded in John 16: 33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” KJV
The apostle Paul likewise tells us many years later in 2 Cor. 4: 7, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” NIV
So, whether unemployment, health, children or any other event has you troubled, with all of your being, take a deep breath of the Breath of God and relax, God is in control, regardless of what we think or experience in our lives! Rest upon His unchanging Word; it has never failed anyone who trusts in it!
Rest in the Lord, take time to sit in His presence and let Him take away your cares, trust me, it does work! It is in and of itself an act of faith on our part and acknowledges to Him that we know He is God! Not many days may go by before your right back there, but you know that He is there waiting with open arms!
One last word of encouragement! Our Lord is returning for us, very soon! Think on that thought, all of this existence won’t even be a memory in the light of His presence!
Maranatha! Our Lord returns!
C. W. Fincher
March 2011
Okay God, I know that I am to take care of my family, but would you please soon, and I mean VERY SOON give me a job?
I have done all that has been required of me by man, I have searched with all diligence for a way to feed my family, keep a roof over our heads and the comfort that running water and electricity bring and a means of getting to work should something come along!
“Yet after six months of completing a state sponsored retraining program in medical administration that was supposed to help to me get a job, I find myself in want of a job!”, I often complained to God in my thoughts and prayers.
Recently I had breakfast with my pastor, it was one of those situations where I did most of the talking and little eating, he was finished with his meal long before me.
One of the questions that he asked me this, “What had I learned during my time of not working?”
I could not come up with any answers that would satisfy him or so I thought. I struggled to come up with an answer for his question, but when I did, it was from my heart and it pleased him (not that I was trying to please him), so I gave what I had been learning from my morning prayer and Bible study time.
Simply put, my answer is this, “God is sovereign and we as mortal must accept that reality.”
Now I will turn this into a mini research paper, partly because we (I) need to know what sovereignty is and how it applies to me (us). Secondly, because I am going “nuts” waiting, I see the means to take care of my family and I have the job skills to do so, but I am unable to do so for some reason unseen with human eyes or human intellect why it is not happening! Thirdly, this gives me a way to “vent” my frustrations and maybe in the process God will receive the glory due to our King!
Sovereignty is defined by Mr. Charles C. Ryrie in his book, Basic Theology, pages 48, 48.
“The word means principal, chief, supreme. It speaks first of position (God is the chief Being in the universe), then of power (God is supreme in power in the universe. How He exercises that power is revealed in the Scriptures. A sovereign could be a dictator (God is not), or a sovereign could abdicate the use of his powers (God has not). Ultimately God is in complete control of all things, though He may choose to let certain events happen according to natural laws that He has ordained.”
"Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine; Thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and Thou art exalted as Head above all" (1 Chron. 29:11). KJV
In his classic book entitled, The Sovereignty of God, author A.W. Pink defines the sovereignty of God as.
“The Sovereignty of God. What do we mean by this expression? We mean the supremacy of God, the kingship of God, the god-hood of God. To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that God is God. To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is the Most High, doing according to His will in the army of Heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, so that none can stay His hand or say unto Him what doest Thou? (Dan. 4:35). To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is the Almighty, the Possessor of all power in Heaven and earth, so that none can defeat His counsels, thwart His purpose, or resist His will (Psa. 115:3). To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is "The Governor among the nations" (Psa. 22:28), setting up kingdoms, overthrowing empires, and determining the course of dynasties as pleaseth Him best. To say that God is Sovereign is to declare that He is the "Only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1 Tim. 6:15). Such is the God of the Bible.”
"For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be the glory for ever. Amen" (Romans 11:36).
Now that we have a definition of what he sovereignty of God is, let’s tackle the problem that I am having right now. How do I (we) deal daily with this fact when all around us things are falling apart?
In my own case the major problem is unemployment, in your life it may be health issues or problems with your wayward child(ren) or some issue that I have not even thought of.
I envision the sovereignty of God to be a box, let’s say in my vision of it is just your ordinary box about the size of the old Rubix’s Cube that came out on the market in 1974. For you Dr. Who fans, the cube is not solid; it is like the TARDIS, larger on the inside than it is on the outside.
Into this box I put all of my cares and concerns and even my worries, it is my way of getting rid of the junk that loads me down, it has plenty of room inside to handle my cares as well as those of every human who has ever taken a breath of air.
Yet despite this play of the mind and imagination, my soul cries out, “There must be more to His sovereignty that I (we) can use in my (our) daily life that will reset the pain we experience in this life!”
A word of caution is in order before I move on. We are not to judge God by our experiences; they are not to be trusted as a true measure of His being. Because we are sinful mortals, we cannot “critique” a Holy, Righteous God! We have no way to experience Him in His fullness because of our sinful flesh.
We can though experience His presence in our lives through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit that He gives to all true believers in His only Son, Jesus Christ!
So now having said this let me continue, I speak as one who does have the Holy Spirit living in my heart as defined within the pages of scriptures. Plainly put, I have confessed my sins to God, repented of them and sought His forgiveness and asked Christ to come into my life. I then received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
So I can say as based upon my experience despite what my emotions or intellect tell me, despite what my heart and soul tell me, God does know what He is doing!
Right now that is difficult to totally have a deep peace about when I look around my world to see it on the brink of falling apart! My emotions and thoughts are quickly stirred up into a froth like the waves of the ocean during a violent storm!
It may only take a letter in the mail or no response from an employer that you applied to a few days (weeks) ago or waking up from a nap, someone says something to you before you are totally awake and you take their head off with your words!
Despite these situations, God is in control and on the days or nights when my soul is disquieted, I find relief in the simple act of going to Him in prayer.
Sitting still, not presenting to Him my shopping list of requests for Him to get for me, just simple sitting still in my spirit, waiting on Him to quiet the storm of my soul. I envision being in the Temple in Jerusalem and I see the Ark of the Covenant and the smoke of the incense in the air filling the place and the light of His presence.
It is a comforting thought to bathe my troubled spirit in the comfort of the light of His presence! God is light; in Him there is no darkness! Within me lives the Holy Spirit who is light, my sinful flesh is darkness.
After a while my soul is at peace and I can resume my sleep because I often get up late at night to do this, the house is quiet and there are no demands being placed upon me in the middle of the night.
I have also found it helpful to repeat back to God when I pray theological principals that I had learned while I attended Bible College a few years ago. As an imperfect being, I have nothing worthy to give to a Holy God, His Word is perfect and true, and so I give back to Him that which is Holy and without error due to the sinfulness of man.
In closing, we live in a world of sin, our first father Adam because of his disobedience to God was judged for that sin. His sin has been (imputed) passed down to the rest of humanity. By the righteousness of Christ I have been justified (declared righteous) and I now live as one sanctified (process of being made holy).
Jesus Himself said it best for us as recorded in John 16: 33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” KJV
The apostle Paul likewise tells us many years later in 2 Cor. 4: 7, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” NIV
So, whether unemployment, health, children or any other event has you troubled, with all of your being, take a deep breath of the Breath of God and relax, God is in control, regardless of what we think or experience in our lives! Rest upon His unchanging Word; it has never failed anyone who trusts in it!
Rest in the Lord, take time to sit in His presence and let Him take away your cares, trust me, it does work! It is in and of itself an act of faith on our part and acknowledges to Him that we know He is God! Not many days may go by before your right back there, but you know that He is there waiting with open arms!
One last word of encouragement! Our Lord is returning for us, very soon! Think on that thought, all of this existence won’t even be a memory in the light of His presence!
Maranatha! Our Lord returns!
Spiritual Gifts and Medicine
The Spiritual Gifts and the Motive of Medicine
Commissioned by Kate E. Fincher, future nurse
March 2011
Thesis
To show that the spiritual gifts of 1 Cor. 12 & 13 relate to the field of medicine.
Let’s first examine what a gift is.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary online defines a gift as: 1: a notable capacity, talent, or endowment.
2: something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation
Word IQ.com, defines gift as:
GIFT, contracts. The act by which the owner of a thing, voluntarily transfers the title and possession of the same, from himself to another person who accepts it, without any consideration.
You can buy or make a present for someone. Yet in all of this, you do this action for someone that you care about, have an emotional attachment to or feelings for.
As a general rule, you don’t go and buy or make a gift for someone that you don’t like or know!
I’m sure that there are some people you might like to put a creepy-crawly thing into a box and give it to them because of something they had done or said that you took offence to!
In reality, we give gifts to those we love and care for. Such is our God!
John 3:16 comes to mind instantly, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” KJV
God gave to us, though we did not deserve His gift, He (Jesus) was still given.
God also gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost!
The apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 12 & 13 tells us of the gifts that God gives to His true followers. These are meant to be used to bring glory to God.
The Holy Spirit gives to us these things, they cannot be bought, nor do get to pick from a menu the ones we want!
In verse 1 of chapter 12, Paul tells that he doesn’t want us to be ignorant concerning the spiritual; gifts.
“Now concerning spiritual [gifts], brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” KJV
My paraphrase of this verse is, “Here are your instructions, any questions?”
In chapter 12: 4- 11, he goes on to give us a short list of the gifts. Here are just a few of them; wisdom, knowledge, faith, teaching, and discernment of the spirits.
I like the picture in verses 12- 26! I envision a body at war with itself. Parts of the body don’t like the role that they have been given!
The kidneys are complaining that they aren’t like the hair, the gall bladder wants to be the heart, and no one wants to be the feet, they stink, so says the nose!
In the commotion, no one can hear the red blood cells and the circulatory system and to make things worse, the pain receptors are out for revenge on the hand!
With all of the divisions amongst the different parts of the body (church denominations), is it any wonder that the body of Christ is in such bad shape in the Uunited States?
Chapter 13 gives us the motivating factors and reasons we are to use our God given gifts.
It is out of love. It is love that is the key that keeps us from getting side tracked from why we are to use the things God has given us.
In reading this chapter, many have rewritten it to fit their needs to make it clearer to the reader, I am no different.
I will alter verse 3 to fit the purpose of this paper without altering the intent of the original author.
“And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” KJV
Rewritten: “And though I sell all of my possessions for a plane ticket to Haiti and though I go there in the service of mankind and die of cholera, if I have not love for the people, I have gained nothing”
It is love for our fellow man that we use our gifts.
Which at last brings me to my next area of thought, how do these principles apply to the medical community?
Is the doctor above the environmental service specialist? Is the billing and coding specialist above the dietary specialist?
In our modern way of thinking, the doctors are at the top of the pyramid and the dish washer and janitors are buried in the third level below the basement!
From my vantage point in medical administration, it is this staff that has in their charge the patient records and are responsible for their safe keeping, they are the core group of any medical practice, be it your local office or hospital.
Without their care of the patient’s charts and information, the nursing staff would not have a systematic way to note the reason for their visit; the technicians could not perform the required tests to help determine the sickness.
Let’s not forget the doctors and specialists, they are greatly needed!
Yet, as in the body of Christ, all of the separate pieces fit together to form one unit for the Masters use.
Let not the heart valve think that it is irreplaceable, heart valves can be replaced. Let not the pastor or deacon think that a ministry or deaconship is his, God moves people in and out of service at His will.
Let not the physician think himself to be above the admitting clerk, because in the day he does, without the admitting clerk sending him patients, he becomes unemployed!
In closing, the body of Christ and the medical community are much alike. Many areas of service, one motive, to serve and to heal individuals!
The church is to point the hurting people of this world to the Master Physician, Jesus Christ.
The medical community is to heal our physical and mental injuries caused by the sins of our parents Adam and Eve.
May we pray for our medical professionals, the job they do is often a thankless one, but those who are involved in it and enjoy it wouldn’t trade it for the world!
Additional note
After completing this paper, while in Sunday school at my local church, the teacher, Pastor Jerry Smith brought to our attention these verses that help to illustrate the point I made about the gifts given to the local church and its members.
Romans 12:4- 8 shed a different light on the subject of spiritual gifts within the body of Christ.
4: For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5: So we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6: Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, [let us prophesy] according to the proportion of faith; 7: Or ministry, [let us wait] on [our] ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8: Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, [let him do it] with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
Commissioned by Kate E. Fincher, future nurse
March 2011
Thesis
To show that the spiritual gifts of 1 Cor. 12 & 13 relate to the field of medicine.
Let’s first examine what a gift is.
Merriam-Webster Dictionary online defines a gift as: 1: a notable capacity, talent, or endowment.
2: something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation
Word IQ.com, defines gift as:
GIFT, contracts. The act by which the owner of a thing, voluntarily transfers the title and possession of the same, from himself to another person who accepts it, without any consideration.
You can buy or make a present for someone. Yet in all of this, you do this action for someone that you care about, have an emotional attachment to or feelings for.
As a general rule, you don’t go and buy or make a gift for someone that you don’t like or know!
I’m sure that there are some people you might like to put a creepy-crawly thing into a box and give it to them because of something they had done or said that you took offence to!
In reality, we give gifts to those we love and care for. Such is our God!
John 3:16 comes to mind instantly, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” KJV
God gave to us, though we did not deserve His gift, He (Jesus) was still given.
God also gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost!
The apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 12 & 13 tells us of the gifts that God gives to His true followers. These are meant to be used to bring glory to God.
The Holy Spirit gives to us these things, they cannot be bought, nor do get to pick from a menu the ones we want!
In verse 1 of chapter 12, Paul tells that he doesn’t want us to be ignorant concerning the spiritual; gifts.
“Now concerning spiritual [gifts], brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” KJV
My paraphrase of this verse is, “Here are your instructions, any questions?”
In chapter 12: 4- 11, he goes on to give us a short list of the gifts. Here are just a few of them; wisdom, knowledge, faith, teaching, and discernment of the spirits.
I like the picture in verses 12- 26! I envision a body at war with itself. Parts of the body don’t like the role that they have been given!
The kidneys are complaining that they aren’t like the hair, the gall bladder wants to be the heart, and no one wants to be the feet, they stink, so says the nose!
In the commotion, no one can hear the red blood cells and the circulatory system and to make things worse, the pain receptors are out for revenge on the hand!
With all of the divisions amongst the different parts of the body (church denominations), is it any wonder that the body of Christ is in such bad shape in the Uunited States?
Chapter 13 gives us the motivating factors and reasons we are to use our God given gifts.
It is out of love. It is love that is the key that keeps us from getting side tracked from why we are to use the things God has given us.
In reading this chapter, many have rewritten it to fit their needs to make it clearer to the reader, I am no different.
I will alter verse 3 to fit the purpose of this paper without altering the intent of the original author.
“And though I bestow all my goods to feed [the poor], and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” KJV
Rewritten: “And though I sell all of my possessions for a plane ticket to Haiti and though I go there in the service of mankind and die of cholera, if I have not love for the people, I have gained nothing”
It is love for our fellow man that we use our gifts.
Which at last brings me to my next area of thought, how do these principles apply to the medical community?
Is the doctor above the environmental service specialist? Is the billing and coding specialist above the dietary specialist?
In our modern way of thinking, the doctors are at the top of the pyramid and the dish washer and janitors are buried in the third level below the basement!
From my vantage point in medical administration, it is this staff that has in their charge the patient records and are responsible for their safe keeping, they are the core group of any medical practice, be it your local office or hospital.
Without their care of the patient’s charts and information, the nursing staff would not have a systematic way to note the reason for their visit; the technicians could not perform the required tests to help determine the sickness.
Let’s not forget the doctors and specialists, they are greatly needed!
Yet, as in the body of Christ, all of the separate pieces fit together to form one unit for the Masters use.
Let not the heart valve think that it is irreplaceable, heart valves can be replaced. Let not the pastor or deacon think that a ministry or deaconship is his, God moves people in and out of service at His will.
Let not the physician think himself to be above the admitting clerk, because in the day he does, without the admitting clerk sending him patients, he becomes unemployed!
In closing, the body of Christ and the medical community are much alike. Many areas of service, one motive, to serve and to heal individuals!
The church is to point the hurting people of this world to the Master Physician, Jesus Christ.
The medical community is to heal our physical and mental injuries caused by the sins of our parents Adam and Eve.
May we pray for our medical professionals, the job they do is often a thankless one, but those who are involved in it and enjoy it wouldn’t trade it for the world!
Additional note
After completing this paper, while in Sunday school at my local church, the teacher, Pastor Jerry Smith brought to our attention these verses that help to illustrate the point I made about the gifts given to the local church and its members.
Romans 12:4- 8 shed a different light on the subject of spiritual gifts within the body of Christ.
4: For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5: So we, [being] many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6: Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, [let us prophesy] according to the proportion of faith; 7: Or ministry, [let us wait] on [our] ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8: Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, [let him do it] with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
The Local Church & the Bipolar Member
The Church and the Bipolar Member
April 2011
Thesis
How does the church minister to those members who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder?
Medical disclaimer
This paper is not to be used to diagnose or for the treatment of persons with bipolar disorder. The sole purpose of this paper is to draw attention to a need that I see within the local body of Christ.
Introduction
It is hard to believe that we are 11 years into the 21st century! Where did the time go? Only yesterday much of the world’s population was worrying about the Y2K computer bug, now that worry has melted into the past.
In recent years, around the world and in our own nation, there is a pulling away from the collective values that hold society together. The trend is towards the rights of the individual over the needs of the collective.
On the negative side of the issue is the homosexual rights movement, the right to burn the American flag, the right to kill an unborn child, the right to speak whatever we choose in a hateful manner!
I do not include in this group those that speak out in the name our God for what He calls sin, as defined within the Bible! Not doing so would open up the disfavor of God who demands us to warn people about what He says is right and wrong.
On the positive side of the coin is save the whales, antiabortion activism, end cancer in our life time, anti- human trafficking laws, education about various mental disorders and the list goes on.
I will be the first to say that we need the freedom to be individuals; we need the freedom to make choices for ourselves and not be told by a self chosen few what to think and how to act or what we are allowed to say.
The 20th century has many such leaders who imposed their will upon the people, all for the negative. Names such as Lenin and Stalin of Russia, Mao Tse Tung of China, Pol Pot from Cambodia, the Duvalier family of Haiti, lest I forget the name that many will never forget, Adolph Hitler! These are just a few of the despots that have imposed their will upon their nations.
Our televisions screens are filled with organizations that have been granted the right to spread their agendas across the airwaves. One television advertisement that I have seen recently is from the Nation Bipolar Foundation. They are actively promoting bipolar awareness to anyone who will listen.
Great, one more social cause vying for our attention and money, as our hearts and wallets are being stretched to the breaking point with just the everyday needs that we all have to!
This is a social cause that I am personally familiar with and well aware of the social stigma related to this disorder. My connection with this cause will become apparent as we proceed.
History of Bipolar
Let’s look briefly into the history of bipolar disorder. Many volumes of literature have been written about the subject, I can only share a small portion of it to help you see what it involves medically.
CareGiver Magazine offers an article, A Brief History of Bipolar Disorder. From their website, Caregiver.com I will give part of what I have learned about the history of the disorder. (1)
“Bipolar disorder is perhaps one of the oldest known illnesses. Research reveals some mention of the symptoms in early medical records. It was first noticed as far back as the second century. Aretaeus of Cappadocia (a city in ancient Turkey) first recognized some symptoms of mania and depression, and felt they could be linked together.
Jules Falret coined the term “folie circulaire” (circular insanity) in 1854, and established a link between depression and suicide.
Francois Baillarger believed there was a major distinction between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
In 1980, the term bipolar disorder (1980) replaced manic-depressive disorder as a diagnostic term found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-III).” (1)
Davi- Ellen Chabner in her book, The Language of Medicine, 8th Edition defines bipolar as, “Mood disorder with alternating periods of mania and depression.” (2)
From this you are starting to get an idea of what is involved with the disorder. Let me make one thing clear before moving one. Is it a disease or disorder? Let me draw upon one of the books I used while in medical college, Dorland’s Pocket 28th Medical Dictionary, or as I call it, my red book because it has a blood red, leather like cover.
“Disease: any deviation from or interruption of the normal structure or function of any body part, organ, or system that that is manifested by a characteristic set of symptoms and signs. . .” (3)
Disorder: a derangement or abnormality of function; a morbid physical or mental state.”
Based upon these meanings, bipolar is a disorder, not a disease. (4)
With this information, we do need not treat people who have this disorder as if they have leprosy or some other they type of infectious disease!
Historical Figures with Bipolar
Let’s look quickly at a few historical figures that “may” have been bipolar.
“This list should include only: a) deceased persons; or b) living persons who have been frank about their condition. It should not include speculation about status of living people who have not publicly stated themselves to have bipolar disorder. In addition to the above criteria, persons should only be listed here if they already have an article on Wikipedia.”
I have chosen just a few from the Wikipedia list; many of you will know their names; Dick Cavett, television journalist; Kurt Cobain, musician; Rosemary Clooney, singer, actress; Patty Duke, actress; Mel Gibson, actor, director; Ernest Hemingway, writer; Jack London, writer. (5)
From various web sites, I repeatedly found the names of William Cowper, poet, hymnist; Charles H. Spurgeon, evangelist, writer and Oswald Chambers, minister, teacher and writer, all sufferers of bipolar disorder.
Does scripture give any examples?
Now this is where I start to find examples of people who God decided to show us their lives as penned on the pages of scriptures as well as other useful ideas on how to deal with the issue of what to put inside of our minds and hearts.
The Old Testament has several examples of men who had what appeared to be bipolar disorder as based upon their actions as described in the Bible. King Saul was prone to fits of violent anger, often times aimed towards the young king David. Only the soothing music that David played calmed him down. (1 Sam 16:23) Then at another time, he acted impulsively and consulted with the witch of Endor to bring up the spirit of the dead prophet Samuel! He knew this violated what God had told him not to do. (1 Sam 28:3-25)
King David was another one who was prone to fits of depression and great feats of strength and was on cloud nine! Read through the Psalms that he wrote to get a feel for his heart.
Elijah was another well documented case of a possible bipolar personality. Having won a great contest between the prophets of Baal, Elijah ran away into the wilderness and longed to die! (1 Ki 19:4) Then later on, he outran a chariot for several miles! (1 Ki 18:46)
King Nebuchadnezzar was another documented case of a person being afflicted by mental illness. You can read about him in the book of Daniel. (Dan 4:28-37)
We have looked at a few examples of people that may have had bipolar disorder; let’s move into an area that I struggle with, how to maintain my thoughts on the things of Christ by using the Bible and prayer as methods of changing my sinful mind and thoughts.
The next few scriptures I have read most of my life, but in this context, they take on a whole new meaning in light of their power to transform the mind and heart of the reader.
Rom 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfected will of God.”
2 Cor 10:5, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
Eph 47:23, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;”
Col 3:1, “If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”
And lastly, one of the most well known verses of the book of Philippians, 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Personal Connection
This is where it starts to get personal for me. I told you early on that I had a personal connection with this disorder. Let me briefly explain my connection to this cause.
I was diagnosed with the disorder in the fall of 2009, after a series of events that caused my life to change in a radical manner. It was my teenage daughter who was taking psychology classes in high school kept saying to her mother that I had bipolar disorder, but who would listen to a teenager in school? No one! Certainly not me!
I thought that being “bipolar” was a sexual preference disorder, akin to homosexual and lesbian tendencies and I knew that I had none of those! I didn’t know it was a mental disorder! I still remember the day my wife posed the possibility of me being bipolar; she had no idea as to how I would react. I remained calm much to her delight and soon after I sought the council of my pastor, who ultimately put me in touch with the people who could help me begin to understand the nature of my affliction.
I could say many more things and go into more details, but for the sake of the limitations of the written page, I need to move on to greater things.
Progress note, it has now been nearly a year; I am undergoing medical treatment which currently involves taking regular doses of medication. It has been a struggle as I learn that I no longer have control over my own body, it now has control over me, but I will not be controlled by the disorder! I am one who does not like to take medicine, just ask a few of the deacons at my church that I am accountable to! That event in itself is another story!
How do we minister to the bipolar member?
Let me introduce to you two men who have helped me greatly since my diagnosis, Pastor Nathan O. Osborne, III, Senior Pastor, Faith Baptist Church, Winter Haven, FL and Pastor Peter Brock, Associate Pastor, Faith Baptist Church, Winter Haven, FL.
I have asked each man a series of questions, each man based upon their life experience have supplied answers to my questions.
At the time of this writing, only Pastor Brock has responded to my questions. Pastor Osborne has responded verbally to my questions by letting me know that he is still researching the matter and that he has consulted our deacons for their thoughts on the matter at hand.
Let me add a word of clarification. When I use the word “church” I mean the local body of Christ, made up of those who have asked Christ into their life to be their personal Savior. I do not mean the “church universal” which is the entire body of Christ composed of all saints from the day of Pentecost until the time of the rapture of the bride of Christ.
Q1. As a pastor/councilor, how do you differentiate between spiritual problems and a member with bipolar disorder?
A. Pastor Brock, “At times this is somewhat difficult. Often a few counseling sessions are necessary. At Times there is a repeated pattern which indicates a problem. At times other “life clues” are helpful in determining the real issues.”
Q2. From your experiences, are the two conditions (spiritual/bipolar) interconnected?
A. Pastor Brock, “I believe they are, and that there is some overlap. I believe that they both influence the other. To what degree is difficult to determine without formal training.”
Q3. Once the member has been medically diagnosed with bipolar, as the spiritual caregiver of the member, what steps would you take to help the member to understand their condition?
A. Pastor Brock, “Get them the resources they need to better understand the condition. Help “them” to see how the condition directly influences this spiritual condition.”
Q4. In our current mindset that what the church needs is more programs to deal with social problems, does the church need a “program” to help its members with bipolar disorder?
A. Pastor Brock, “Perhaps not a “program”! However some counseling specific to the condition may be in order. I would think that each case would vary enough from the others that grouping those with the condition together may not be most beneficial.”
Q5. What words of encouragement can you offer to those with bipolar disorder?
A. Pastor Brock, “Don’t fight the condition. God has given you a gift in being able to minister to others in a unique way. Don’t think of yourself as “less” in any way. God has uniquely formed each one of us as a special gift.”
Conclusions
After having reviewed the answers of Pastor Brock and having some further research of my own, I have made the following conclusions.
Bipolar disorder is a disorder of the body. It can be treated with medication and psychiatric treatment. It is a long term disorder. Once diagnosed, you have it for life. There are no quick fixes!
With regards to the spiritual nature of man, I have found from my own experience that by reading the word of God and meditating on His word on a regular basis does help to bring one’s mind into focus on things that outside of our realm of natural thoughts. My thoughts are drawn away from myself to our God who is perfect and yet wants us to spend time with Him.
On the days that I did not read and pray, my bipolar symptoms became more apparent than when I would read and pray consistently.
Another area of concern is the lack of coverage by the health insurance industry. The average healthcare plan does not cover the treatment of mental illness of which bipolar disorder is grouped (ICD-9, 296.0-296.99). (6) As I write this, I’m sure that there are some companies that would take exception to my previous statement.
Many people who need treatment are only able to get medication from their primary care physician, but because of the lack of insurance that covers long term counseling by a specialist, they often go without the care they need and at best are functioning on medicine only, (the symptoms are being masked by the medication, the whole time that they may be having an “episode” choice of word, mine) thereby having little to no long term effect except to cover up their condition with the medication.
Shifting gears now, does the local church need a program to help its members with this disorder?
I would say no. To draw attention to these members would first of all violate sound medical privacy principals. Secondly, to draw attention to the individual would be like putting him or her up on a platform and then give the crowd some food to throw at them because they are different! Thirdly, to draw attention to them would have a strong negative affect by giving into the tendency of us all to have a pity party where we are the honored guest!
My family knows all too well of the times I have had extended pity parties! It is not a good thing for anyone to have to experience!
In closing, I offer these ideas as a way to minister to those in the body of Christ with bipolar disorder. Once you find out someone has the disorder, come along side of them, offer your ear to listen to them. Be a friend who has a strong shoulder to lean on. Do not withdraw from them because they have a chemical imbalance that causes the neurons of the brain to miss fire, it’s not contagious!
Love them, if you see the individual missing form activities that they like, look them up, let them know you care. I am held accountable to a few chosen men who love me dearly!
Despite what I think and how I react sometimes, there is strength in numbers! Use the strength of the local church to help support that member.
Bibliography
1. http://www.caregiver.com/channels/bipolar/articles/brief_history.htm
2. Davi-Ellen; “The Language of Medicine”, Eighth Edition, Saunders, p 908
3. Dorland’s Pocket 28th Edition Medical Dictionary; Saunders, p 247
4. Dorland’s Pocket 28th Edition Medical Dictionary; Saunders, p 256
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_affected_by_bipolar_disorder#S
6. 2009 ICD-9, Volumes 1, 2, 3; Saunders, Elsevier Publishing
Additional Resources
Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bipolar-disorder/DS00356
National Bipolar Foundation: http://www.nationalbipolarfoundation.org/default.aspx
Every Day Health: http://www.everydayhealth.com
Facing Bipolar: http://www.facingbipolar.com/index.aspx
Essortment: http://www.essortment.com/history-bipolar-disorder-38141.html
April 2011
Thesis
How does the church minister to those members who have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder?
Medical disclaimer
This paper is not to be used to diagnose or for the treatment of persons with bipolar disorder. The sole purpose of this paper is to draw attention to a need that I see within the local body of Christ.
Introduction
It is hard to believe that we are 11 years into the 21st century! Where did the time go? Only yesterday much of the world’s population was worrying about the Y2K computer bug, now that worry has melted into the past.
In recent years, around the world and in our own nation, there is a pulling away from the collective values that hold society together. The trend is towards the rights of the individual over the needs of the collective.
On the negative side of the issue is the homosexual rights movement, the right to burn the American flag, the right to kill an unborn child, the right to speak whatever we choose in a hateful manner!
I do not include in this group those that speak out in the name our God for what He calls sin, as defined within the Bible! Not doing so would open up the disfavor of God who demands us to warn people about what He says is right and wrong.
On the positive side of the coin is save the whales, antiabortion activism, end cancer in our life time, anti- human trafficking laws, education about various mental disorders and the list goes on.
I will be the first to say that we need the freedom to be individuals; we need the freedom to make choices for ourselves and not be told by a self chosen few what to think and how to act or what we are allowed to say.
The 20th century has many such leaders who imposed their will upon the people, all for the negative. Names such as Lenin and Stalin of Russia, Mao Tse Tung of China, Pol Pot from Cambodia, the Duvalier family of Haiti, lest I forget the name that many will never forget, Adolph Hitler! These are just a few of the despots that have imposed their will upon their nations.
Our televisions screens are filled with organizations that have been granted the right to spread their agendas across the airwaves. One television advertisement that I have seen recently is from the Nation Bipolar Foundation. They are actively promoting bipolar awareness to anyone who will listen.
Great, one more social cause vying for our attention and money, as our hearts and wallets are being stretched to the breaking point with just the everyday needs that we all have to!
This is a social cause that I am personally familiar with and well aware of the social stigma related to this disorder. My connection with this cause will become apparent as we proceed.
History of Bipolar
Let’s look briefly into the history of bipolar disorder. Many volumes of literature have been written about the subject, I can only share a small portion of it to help you see what it involves medically.
CareGiver Magazine offers an article, A Brief History of Bipolar Disorder. From their website, Caregiver.com I will give part of what I have learned about the history of the disorder. (1)
“Bipolar disorder is perhaps one of the oldest known illnesses. Research reveals some mention of the symptoms in early medical records. It was first noticed as far back as the second century. Aretaeus of Cappadocia (a city in ancient Turkey) first recognized some symptoms of mania and depression, and felt they could be linked together.
Jules Falret coined the term “folie circulaire” (circular insanity) in 1854, and established a link between depression and suicide.
Francois Baillarger believed there was a major distinction between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
In 1980, the term bipolar disorder (1980) replaced manic-depressive disorder as a diagnostic term found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-III).” (1)
Davi- Ellen Chabner in her book, The Language of Medicine, 8th Edition defines bipolar as, “Mood disorder with alternating periods of mania and depression.” (2)
From this you are starting to get an idea of what is involved with the disorder. Let me make one thing clear before moving one. Is it a disease or disorder? Let me draw upon one of the books I used while in medical college, Dorland’s Pocket 28th Medical Dictionary, or as I call it, my red book because it has a blood red, leather like cover.
“Disease: any deviation from or interruption of the normal structure or function of any body part, organ, or system that that is manifested by a characteristic set of symptoms and signs. . .” (3)
Disorder: a derangement or abnormality of function; a morbid physical or mental state.”
Based upon these meanings, bipolar is a disorder, not a disease. (4)
With this information, we do need not treat people who have this disorder as if they have leprosy or some other they type of infectious disease!
Historical Figures with Bipolar
Let’s look quickly at a few historical figures that “may” have been bipolar.
“This list should include only: a) deceased persons; or b) living persons who have been frank about their condition. It should not include speculation about status of living people who have not publicly stated themselves to have bipolar disorder. In addition to the above criteria, persons should only be listed here if they already have an article on Wikipedia.”
I have chosen just a few from the Wikipedia list; many of you will know their names; Dick Cavett, television journalist; Kurt Cobain, musician; Rosemary Clooney, singer, actress; Patty Duke, actress; Mel Gibson, actor, director; Ernest Hemingway, writer; Jack London, writer. (5)
From various web sites, I repeatedly found the names of William Cowper, poet, hymnist; Charles H. Spurgeon, evangelist, writer and Oswald Chambers, minister, teacher and writer, all sufferers of bipolar disorder.
Does scripture give any examples?
Now this is where I start to find examples of people who God decided to show us their lives as penned on the pages of scriptures as well as other useful ideas on how to deal with the issue of what to put inside of our minds and hearts.
The Old Testament has several examples of men who had what appeared to be bipolar disorder as based upon their actions as described in the Bible. King Saul was prone to fits of violent anger, often times aimed towards the young king David. Only the soothing music that David played calmed him down. (1 Sam 16:23) Then at another time, he acted impulsively and consulted with the witch of Endor to bring up the spirit of the dead prophet Samuel! He knew this violated what God had told him not to do. (1 Sam 28:3-25)
King David was another one who was prone to fits of depression and great feats of strength and was on cloud nine! Read through the Psalms that he wrote to get a feel for his heart.
Elijah was another well documented case of a possible bipolar personality. Having won a great contest between the prophets of Baal, Elijah ran away into the wilderness and longed to die! (1 Ki 19:4) Then later on, he outran a chariot for several miles! (1 Ki 18:46)
King Nebuchadnezzar was another documented case of a person being afflicted by mental illness. You can read about him in the book of Daniel. (Dan 4:28-37)
We have looked at a few examples of people that may have had bipolar disorder; let’s move into an area that I struggle with, how to maintain my thoughts on the things of Christ by using the Bible and prayer as methods of changing my sinful mind and thoughts.
The next few scriptures I have read most of my life, but in this context, they take on a whole new meaning in light of their power to transform the mind and heart of the reader.
Rom 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfected will of God.”
2 Cor 10:5, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
Eph 47:23, “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;”
Col 3:1, “If ye be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.”
And lastly, one of the most well known verses of the book of Philippians, 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Personal Connection
This is where it starts to get personal for me. I told you early on that I had a personal connection with this disorder. Let me briefly explain my connection to this cause.
I was diagnosed with the disorder in the fall of 2009, after a series of events that caused my life to change in a radical manner. It was my teenage daughter who was taking psychology classes in high school kept saying to her mother that I had bipolar disorder, but who would listen to a teenager in school? No one! Certainly not me!
I thought that being “bipolar” was a sexual preference disorder, akin to homosexual and lesbian tendencies and I knew that I had none of those! I didn’t know it was a mental disorder! I still remember the day my wife posed the possibility of me being bipolar; she had no idea as to how I would react. I remained calm much to her delight and soon after I sought the council of my pastor, who ultimately put me in touch with the people who could help me begin to understand the nature of my affliction.
I could say many more things and go into more details, but for the sake of the limitations of the written page, I need to move on to greater things.
Progress note, it has now been nearly a year; I am undergoing medical treatment which currently involves taking regular doses of medication. It has been a struggle as I learn that I no longer have control over my own body, it now has control over me, but I will not be controlled by the disorder! I am one who does not like to take medicine, just ask a few of the deacons at my church that I am accountable to! That event in itself is another story!
How do we minister to the bipolar member?
Let me introduce to you two men who have helped me greatly since my diagnosis, Pastor Nathan O. Osborne, III, Senior Pastor, Faith Baptist Church, Winter Haven, FL and Pastor Peter Brock, Associate Pastor, Faith Baptist Church, Winter Haven, FL.
I have asked each man a series of questions, each man based upon their life experience have supplied answers to my questions.
At the time of this writing, only Pastor Brock has responded to my questions. Pastor Osborne has responded verbally to my questions by letting me know that he is still researching the matter and that he has consulted our deacons for their thoughts on the matter at hand.
Let me add a word of clarification. When I use the word “church” I mean the local body of Christ, made up of those who have asked Christ into their life to be their personal Savior. I do not mean the “church universal” which is the entire body of Christ composed of all saints from the day of Pentecost until the time of the rapture of the bride of Christ.
Q1. As a pastor/councilor, how do you differentiate between spiritual problems and a member with bipolar disorder?
A. Pastor Brock, “At times this is somewhat difficult. Often a few counseling sessions are necessary. At Times there is a repeated pattern which indicates a problem. At times other “life clues” are helpful in determining the real issues.”
Q2. From your experiences, are the two conditions (spiritual/bipolar) interconnected?
A. Pastor Brock, “I believe they are, and that there is some overlap. I believe that they both influence the other. To what degree is difficult to determine without formal training.”
Q3. Once the member has been medically diagnosed with bipolar, as the spiritual caregiver of the member, what steps would you take to help the member to understand their condition?
A. Pastor Brock, “Get them the resources they need to better understand the condition. Help “them” to see how the condition directly influences this spiritual condition.”
Q4. In our current mindset that what the church needs is more programs to deal with social problems, does the church need a “program” to help its members with bipolar disorder?
A. Pastor Brock, “Perhaps not a “program”! However some counseling specific to the condition may be in order. I would think that each case would vary enough from the others that grouping those with the condition together may not be most beneficial.”
Q5. What words of encouragement can you offer to those with bipolar disorder?
A. Pastor Brock, “Don’t fight the condition. God has given you a gift in being able to minister to others in a unique way. Don’t think of yourself as “less” in any way. God has uniquely formed each one of us as a special gift.”
Conclusions
After having reviewed the answers of Pastor Brock and having some further research of my own, I have made the following conclusions.
Bipolar disorder is a disorder of the body. It can be treated with medication and psychiatric treatment. It is a long term disorder. Once diagnosed, you have it for life. There are no quick fixes!
With regards to the spiritual nature of man, I have found from my own experience that by reading the word of God and meditating on His word on a regular basis does help to bring one’s mind into focus on things that outside of our realm of natural thoughts. My thoughts are drawn away from myself to our God who is perfect and yet wants us to spend time with Him.
On the days that I did not read and pray, my bipolar symptoms became more apparent than when I would read and pray consistently.
Another area of concern is the lack of coverage by the health insurance industry. The average healthcare plan does not cover the treatment of mental illness of which bipolar disorder is grouped (ICD-9, 296.0-296.99). (6) As I write this, I’m sure that there are some companies that would take exception to my previous statement.
Many people who need treatment are only able to get medication from their primary care physician, but because of the lack of insurance that covers long term counseling by a specialist, they often go without the care they need and at best are functioning on medicine only, (the symptoms are being masked by the medication, the whole time that they may be having an “episode” choice of word, mine) thereby having little to no long term effect except to cover up their condition with the medication.
Shifting gears now, does the local church need a program to help its members with this disorder?
I would say no. To draw attention to these members would first of all violate sound medical privacy principals. Secondly, to draw attention to the individual would be like putting him or her up on a platform and then give the crowd some food to throw at them because they are different! Thirdly, to draw attention to them would have a strong negative affect by giving into the tendency of us all to have a pity party where we are the honored guest!
My family knows all too well of the times I have had extended pity parties! It is not a good thing for anyone to have to experience!
In closing, I offer these ideas as a way to minister to those in the body of Christ with bipolar disorder. Once you find out someone has the disorder, come along side of them, offer your ear to listen to them. Be a friend who has a strong shoulder to lean on. Do not withdraw from them because they have a chemical imbalance that causes the neurons of the brain to miss fire, it’s not contagious!
Love them, if you see the individual missing form activities that they like, look them up, let them know you care. I am held accountable to a few chosen men who love me dearly!
Despite what I think and how I react sometimes, there is strength in numbers! Use the strength of the local church to help support that member.
Bibliography
1. http://www.caregiver.com/channels/bipolar/articles/brief_history.htm
2. Davi-Ellen; “The Language of Medicine”, Eighth Edition, Saunders, p 908
3. Dorland’s Pocket 28th Edition Medical Dictionary; Saunders, p 247
4. Dorland’s Pocket 28th Edition Medical Dictionary; Saunders, p 256
5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_affected_by_bipolar_disorder#S
6. 2009 ICD-9, Volumes 1, 2, 3; Saunders, Elsevier Publishing
Additional Resources
Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bipolar-disorder/DS00356
National Bipolar Foundation: http://www.nationalbipolarfoundation.org/default.aspx
Every Day Health: http://www.everydayhealth.com
Facing Bipolar: http://www.facingbipolar.com/index.aspx
Essortment: http://www.essortment.com/history-bipolar-disorder-38141.html
Of Water & Wine
Of Water & Wine
A Study of 1st Timothy 5:23
C. W. Fincher
How many of you when talking to your unsaved friends and family or those who only have a very limited knowledge of the Bible and the subject of whether or not it acceptable for a Christian to consume alcohol comes up don’t know how to respond? Often the verse that they quote in defense of their use of the product is 1st Timothy 5:23.
I would like to look for a moment into this verse through an imaginary set of tri-focal eyeglasses. For you younger ones, back before we had the technology to make progressive eyeglasses that took your eye prescription that the optometrist wrote and made it into one lens so that you could see without any lines blocking your vision. On a tri-focal lens, you have three distinct pieces of glass of varying strengths to help you see.
The lenses that I will be looking through today are medicine, ancient sanitation and theology.
Let’s look through the top lens at the verse in question and quickly move on. I will give you the King James Version which I read and study from and the Idios Para phraseïn which is a new paraphrase that I am working on based upon the Hebrew and Greek Lexicon that I use in my studies. The numbers in the KJV verse are taken from the Strong’s Greek Lexicon and can researched in any lexicon or online website.
1 Tim. 5.23 KJV (1)
Drink 52020 no longer 3371 water 5202 , but 235 use 5530 a little 3641 wine 3631 for 1223 thy 4675 stomach's sake 4751 and 2532 thine 4675 often 4437 infirmities 769.
IPP © 2011 (2)
Do not drink any more water, notwithstanding, when you (need a) drink; partake of a small amount of effervescent wine for the sake of your stomach, as well as (for) your other frequent maladies.
The joy for me is that this verse has two natural sections build into it. This is a verse where it is imperative to look at the historical and cultural context of the verse in order to see what the author, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was telling its recipient of this letter, in this case, Timothy.
We are now roughly 1,948 year since the penning of these words to Timothy. Much has changed during that time, in fact too many to mention at this setting, but one thing that effects us all is clean drinking water and a functioning sewer system!
When reading these words to Timothy we must remember that the sanitation system had not developed to the state that we now have. In conjunction to this, the ancients did not tie together that polluted water was a key factor for sickness and disease.
Because of the improper disposal of human and animal waste, it often would pollute the drinking water that the masses would use in their day-to-day lives.
Many diseases are spread by water; here are just a few that I have found. (3) The water that Timothy and the rest of his society were drinking was probably polluted and unfit to drink; therefore, he most likely had stomach problems as based upon the internal structure of the verse and the historical, cultural context of the verse.
Ø Cholera: A single cell organism that is spread through poor sanitation conditions, most always fatal. Remember that aftermath of the recent Haitian earthquakes. Thousands died because of cholera caused by drinking contaminated water and eating food washed in contaminated water. I have spent three months in Haiti (not during this time period) , I have witness first hand their sanitation issues.
Ø Typhus: A type of illness characterized by headache, chills, fever, generalized stupor and vision problems. Cause is by poor sanitation conditions. In English speaking countries, it is called typhoid fever.
Ø Dysentery: Any number of disorders marked by inflammation of the intestines, especially the colon, with abnormal pain, caused by poor sanitation conditions.
Ø Montezuma’s Revenge: Travelers dysentery, often when one goes from a county with high sanitation standard and travels to a country with poor sanitation standards. I have personally experienced this as well as many of you that have traveled abroad. (4)
Now we cast our gaze through the middle lens, what does the word “wine” mean in scripture? Is it unfermented grape juice that some say is mentioned or is it the fully fermented beverage that will give you a hangover if you drink too much? It’s time to get our feet dirty as we stomp on a few grapes in our journey of discovery. Anyone thirsty yet?
“Wine”, as defined in the Encarta Dictionary: English (North America) is an alcoholic drink made by fermenting the juice of grapes. (5)
The Eerdmans Bible dictionary goes into great length explaining what wine is and is not. Here are the key points it makes. (6)
“All wine mentioned in the Bible is fermented; “new wine” was the first stage of the wine making fermentation process. As the wine was processed, it became clear and the fermentation stopped and it became sweeter. . . It was used for special occasions, religious as well as civil. . . . The average person’s daily diet consisted of bread, salt and water, even though the water was impure. . . Paul warns in Romans 14: 21 about abstaining from wine and its intoxicating effects. . . There is no Biblical evidence that wine was ever unfermented grape juice.”
From my studies using the internet, and how to make homemade wine, the sites that I found support what the authors of Eerdmans Bible Dictionary conclude. Also, keep in mind the lack of refrigeration. It would be next to impossible to keep the fresh grape juice cool enough to avoid it fermenting from the heat. (7)
We have at last arrived to the point where we can gaze though the last of the three lenses. We have established that poor sanitation of that period of time caused illness and disease, hence the words given to Timothy, we have looked briefly at what wine is and now we need to spend some time looking at one area that affects us all, our Christian liberties that we have in Christ.
The apostle Paul goes into great lengths to let us know that we have liberty, under grace given to us by Christ to live as we want to, but there are guidelines that we should follow in order to keep from offending a brother or sister in the faith.
Romans 14 gives us some ideas as to what he was thinking. Verse 21 is to me the key verse of this chapter. 1st Corinthians 10:23 goes on to explain the matter even further! Lastly, Paul in the book of Ephesians chapter five, verse eighteen, gives us a command, “And be not drunk (intoxicated) with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;” If the wine of that time period was not intoxicating, why mention it?
Timothy was told to drink a little wine to help ease his ailments, but as he well knew from his time with Paul, don’t drink so much that he got drunk! Use your head! Any number of us before our salvation know all too well what it is like to drink too much!
Though we have the right under grace to do this, when is it suitable to do so at the risk of offending a brother or sister in Christ? I can think of no occasion for this type of behavior!
God does not condone drunkenness, examples can be found within the pages of scriptures. The names of Noah, David and Solomon come to mind. The Psalms and Proverbs are filled with the negative effects of drinking too much wine.
In our modern world of proper water and food sanitation, do not use your liberty when taken out of context to do what is definitely an evil thing when taken to excess. Do not take these liberties and do what you want, thereby causing another brother who has a weaker faith than you to question his own beliefs.
Likewise, the world system, though they will not follow after the ways of God and Christ know that it is not right to become intoxicated if you name the name of Christ! They take a dim view of those that do! You are no different than they are, so why should they listen to your message?
I will leave you with these two verses in closing. It is up to you to follow your own conscience; to drink wine or other alcoholic beverages or not to, there is the possibility that you would offend a brother in Christ or maybe bring reproach to the name of Christ, all in the sake of doing it “my way”. The choice is yours! Chose wisely! A watching world is waiting to see what you will do if given the choice!
Rom. 12.10, [Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
1 Timothy 5:21, I charge [thee] before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.
References
1. All scripture is taken from Hebrew - Greek Key Lexicon Study Bible, Spiros Zodhiates and AMG International, Inc., Fifth Printing 1988, used without permission
2. IPP, Idios Para phraseïn is published by Captains Study Media Group, 2011
3. Dorland’s Pocket 28th Edition Medical Dictionary, published by Saunders/ Elsevier, pp 165, 878, 270
4. Assorted internet sites
5. Encarta Dictionary: English (North America), Microsoft Word 2007
6. The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1987, p 1058
7. Assorted internet sites
A Study of 1st Timothy 5:23
C. W. Fincher
How many of you when talking to your unsaved friends and family or those who only have a very limited knowledge of the Bible and the subject of whether or not it acceptable for a Christian to consume alcohol comes up don’t know how to respond? Often the verse that they quote in defense of their use of the product is 1st Timothy 5:23.
I would like to look for a moment into this verse through an imaginary set of tri-focal eyeglasses. For you younger ones, back before we had the technology to make progressive eyeglasses that took your eye prescription that the optometrist wrote and made it into one lens so that you could see without any lines blocking your vision. On a tri-focal lens, you have three distinct pieces of glass of varying strengths to help you see.
The lenses that I will be looking through today are medicine, ancient sanitation and theology.
Let’s look through the top lens at the verse in question and quickly move on. I will give you the King James Version which I read and study from and the Idios Para phraseïn which is a new paraphrase that I am working on based upon the Hebrew and Greek Lexicon that I use in my studies. The numbers in the KJV verse are taken from the Strong’s Greek Lexicon and can researched in any lexicon or online website.
1 Tim. 5.23 KJV (1)
Drink 52020 no longer 3371 water 5202 , but 235 use 5530 a little 3641 wine 3631 for 1223 thy 4675 stomach's sake 4751 and 2532 thine 4675 often 4437 infirmities 769.
IPP © 2011 (2)
Do not drink any more water, notwithstanding, when you (need a) drink; partake of a small amount of effervescent wine for the sake of your stomach, as well as (for) your other frequent maladies.
The joy for me is that this verse has two natural sections build into it. This is a verse where it is imperative to look at the historical and cultural context of the verse in order to see what the author, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was telling its recipient of this letter, in this case, Timothy.
We are now roughly 1,948 year since the penning of these words to Timothy. Much has changed during that time, in fact too many to mention at this setting, but one thing that effects us all is clean drinking water and a functioning sewer system!
When reading these words to Timothy we must remember that the sanitation system had not developed to the state that we now have. In conjunction to this, the ancients did not tie together that polluted water was a key factor for sickness and disease.
Because of the improper disposal of human and animal waste, it often would pollute the drinking water that the masses would use in their day-to-day lives.
Many diseases are spread by water; here are just a few that I have found. (3) The water that Timothy and the rest of his society were drinking was probably polluted and unfit to drink; therefore, he most likely had stomach problems as based upon the internal structure of the verse and the historical, cultural context of the verse.
Ø Cholera: A single cell organism that is spread through poor sanitation conditions, most always fatal. Remember that aftermath of the recent Haitian earthquakes. Thousands died because of cholera caused by drinking contaminated water and eating food washed in contaminated water. I have spent three months in Haiti (not during this time period) , I have witness first hand their sanitation issues.
Ø Typhus: A type of illness characterized by headache, chills, fever, generalized stupor and vision problems. Cause is by poor sanitation conditions. In English speaking countries, it is called typhoid fever.
Ø Dysentery: Any number of disorders marked by inflammation of the intestines, especially the colon, with abnormal pain, caused by poor sanitation conditions.
Ø Montezuma’s Revenge: Travelers dysentery, often when one goes from a county with high sanitation standard and travels to a country with poor sanitation standards. I have personally experienced this as well as many of you that have traveled abroad. (4)
Now we cast our gaze through the middle lens, what does the word “wine” mean in scripture? Is it unfermented grape juice that some say is mentioned or is it the fully fermented beverage that will give you a hangover if you drink too much? It’s time to get our feet dirty as we stomp on a few grapes in our journey of discovery. Anyone thirsty yet?
“Wine”, as defined in the Encarta Dictionary: English (North America) is an alcoholic drink made by fermenting the juice of grapes. (5)
The Eerdmans Bible dictionary goes into great length explaining what wine is and is not. Here are the key points it makes. (6)
“All wine mentioned in the Bible is fermented; “new wine” was the first stage of the wine making fermentation process. As the wine was processed, it became clear and the fermentation stopped and it became sweeter. . . It was used for special occasions, religious as well as civil. . . . The average person’s daily diet consisted of bread, salt and water, even though the water was impure. . . Paul warns in Romans 14: 21 about abstaining from wine and its intoxicating effects. . . There is no Biblical evidence that wine was ever unfermented grape juice.”
From my studies using the internet, and how to make homemade wine, the sites that I found support what the authors of Eerdmans Bible Dictionary conclude. Also, keep in mind the lack of refrigeration. It would be next to impossible to keep the fresh grape juice cool enough to avoid it fermenting from the heat. (7)
We have at last arrived to the point where we can gaze though the last of the three lenses. We have established that poor sanitation of that period of time caused illness and disease, hence the words given to Timothy, we have looked briefly at what wine is and now we need to spend some time looking at one area that affects us all, our Christian liberties that we have in Christ.
The apostle Paul goes into great lengths to let us know that we have liberty, under grace given to us by Christ to live as we want to, but there are guidelines that we should follow in order to keep from offending a brother or sister in the faith.
Romans 14 gives us some ideas as to what he was thinking. Verse 21 is to me the key verse of this chapter. 1st Corinthians 10:23 goes on to explain the matter even further! Lastly, Paul in the book of Ephesians chapter five, verse eighteen, gives us a command, “And be not drunk (intoxicated) with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;” If the wine of that time period was not intoxicating, why mention it?
Timothy was told to drink a little wine to help ease his ailments, but as he well knew from his time with Paul, don’t drink so much that he got drunk! Use your head! Any number of us before our salvation know all too well what it is like to drink too much!
Though we have the right under grace to do this, when is it suitable to do so at the risk of offending a brother or sister in Christ? I can think of no occasion for this type of behavior!
God does not condone drunkenness, examples can be found within the pages of scriptures. The names of Noah, David and Solomon come to mind. The Psalms and Proverbs are filled with the negative effects of drinking too much wine.
In our modern world of proper water and food sanitation, do not use your liberty when taken out of context to do what is definitely an evil thing when taken to excess. Do not take these liberties and do what you want, thereby causing another brother who has a weaker faith than you to question his own beliefs.
Likewise, the world system, though they will not follow after the ways of God and Christ know that it is not right to become intoxicated if you name the name of Christ! They take a dim view of those that do! You are no different than they are, so why should they listen to your message?
I will leave you with these two verses in closing. It is up to you to follow your own conscience; to drink wine or other alcoholic beverages or not to, there is the possibility that you would offend a brother in Christ or maybe bring reproach to the name of Christ, all in the sake of doing it “my way”. The choice is yours! Chose wisely! A watching world is waiting to see what you will do if given the choice!
Rom. 12.10, [Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
1 Timothy 5:21, I charge [thee] before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.
References
1. All scripture is taken from Hebrew - Greek Key Lexicon Study Bible, Spiros Zodhiates and AMG International, Inc., Fifth Printing 1988, used without permission
2. IPP, Idios Para phraseïn is published by Captains Study Media Group, 2011
3. Dorland’s Pocket 28th Edition Medical Dictionary, published by Saunders/ Elsevier, pp 165, 878, 270
4. Assorted internet sites
5. Encarta Dictionary: English (North America), Microsoft Word 2007
6. The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1987, p 1058
7. Assorted internet sites