A most interesting stop-off in the Bible just now, relative to the days and times in which we live, is found in the closing text of Chapter 1 of Paul’s Letter To The Romans,
I want to be clear that my purpose is to take ‘self-inventory’ which is a needful thing for most Christians. It is as clear as Paul states it in the verses immediately following this text as he opens Chapter 2 by saying, “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, whoever you are, when you judge another; for in passing judgment upon him you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.”
With this in mind, ‘self-inventory’ will reveal at least one thing, (or two, or three, or four…) that ‘I’ can ponder in repentance for the renewal of ‘my’ life. Make the World, the Church, the State, the Job, the Home in which I live, a better place.
Romans 1:29-31.
Revised Standard Version: “They were filled with all manner of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity, they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.”
King James Version: “Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:”
Complete Jewish Bible: “They are filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and vice; stuffed with jealousy, murder, quarreling, dishonesty and ill-will; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God; they are insolent, arrogant and boastful; they plan evil schemes; they disobey their parents; they are brainless, faithless, heartless and ruthless.”
New International Version: “They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.”
World English Bible: “being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil habits, secret slanderers, backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, unmerciful;”
In ‘charting’ this text on today, I have tarried in parallel of this text to Jesus’ word in Mark 7:21-22
(RSV): “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.”
These two texts share ‘Four’ exact characteristics:
1) ‘poneria/wickedness’; 2) ‘phonoi/murder’; 3) ‘dolos/deceit’; and 4) ‘uperephania/arrogance’.
Just a postscript on the ‘Church’s Losses’. The Church has lost its power against wickedness… in not only high places, but within itself. I did confess that this is ‘self-inventory’? On Easter Sunday just this month, headlines reported Adultery and Murder from the pulpit of the New Generation church in Dallas, TX. The Church has lost its power against wickedness… it has become participatory…
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