"Emotional Christianity is not a true Christianity. One needs to come out of his emotional thoughts and start living spiritual."

Please forgive me Sree if I am misinterpreting this statement, but I hope you would not mind me analyzing this statement.

This is a non-sequitur. Emotions and Spirituality are not in opposition unless sin is involved, as a matter of fact emotion and spirituality are close companions. This philosophy is more platonic than it is Christian. Jesus was incredibly emotional, in fact was called "the man of sorrows," and God the Father is depicted as expressing emotion all throughout the Bible, Christianity is not superior in its ethos (or pathos) than God himself is. Man is made in the image of God. Emotions are part of that image.

I will give the benefit of the doubt however and presume that by "emotional" you mean, "emotions out of control." Joy itself is an emotion, or has byproducts of satisfying emotions anyway, so to say that we should not experience frustration, and instead should experience joy in tribulation is to encourage eternal emotion, not de-spiritualize it.

I would also say there is an enormous difference between a person who is bitter and "complaining" against God, versus a person who knows who to go to for help in time of emotional need.

"Be angry and sin not." Ephesians 4:26

When Paul quoted this, he was affirming the practice David taught to "mighty men" in Israel. The practice was learning how to take their sense of injustice, bitterness, or whatever motive was causing them to stand against his authority as king, to God in prayer upon their beds.

See, Ahithophel, Jonadab, Shimei, Absalom, and many other people in Israel at that time were slandering David, and I suspect they justified it in their own minds. They were angry, and wanted justice. Rather than taking this emotion to God upon their beds, they let it turn to malice in their hearts. David did not tell them to "not be angry." That is like telling a fire not to be hot, or telling the sky to not be blue. Rather, David affirmed their right to anger, as did Paul. The way to deal with that anger, is to offer it up in penitence to God and implore his help in dealing with it that true justice may prevail.

Also, Greg, I ask you to forgive me brother if I have distracted from the original intent of this post.

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Jeremiah Dusenberry

PaulWest wrote:

"This is because the Holy Spirit gives us contentment in all situations, regardless of the outside surroundings in food, money, clothing, persecutions, prisons, betrayals, etc. The apostles could rejoice forevermore."


In the following Scripture we have this testimony of a church post pentecost...


1Cr 4:8 You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us--and indeed I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you!

1Cr 4:9 For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.

1Cr 4:10 We [are] fools for Christ's sake, but you [are] wise in Christ! We [are] weak, but you [are] strong! You [are] distinguished, but we [are] dishonored!

1Cr 4:11 To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless.

1Cr 4:12 And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;

1Cr 4:13 being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.

1Cr 4:14 I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn [you].

1Cr 4:15 For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet [you do] not [have] many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

1Cr 4:16 Therefore I urge you, imitate me.

1Cr 4:17 For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.

1Cr 4:18 Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you.

1Cr 4:19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power.

1Cr 4:20 For the kingdom of God [is] not in word but in power.

1Cr 4:21 What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?


What is the difference between Paul and the Corinthian church?

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Jeff Marshalek

Co 1:7 And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.

2Co 1:8 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:

This word despair Paul uses, means to be at a total loss, to be despondent. Beware when people tell you that you should live an emotionless life. Its pie in the sky Christianity. There was nothing emotionless about the Lord Jesus in Gethsemane or when the Lord cried from the cross believing that He had been forsaken. The Lord went through these things, Paul went through these things and we too, followers of the narrow path, will be totaly broken. I often wonder what some people believe when they use this language, what it means to be broken, to be surrendered, to take up ones cross. The cross is symbolic of brutality. There will be emotions involved.

As Paul says, we must not be ignorant of the trobles we will face and the despair we will often experience. Yet , in Christ, we will overcome because He overcame. Just keepin it real.......... brother Frank

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Lalaina

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Lalaina

Hi looserchapel, I have to disagree with your assertion that their is an obvious inconsitancy. Every day we are called to pick up our cross, this is not a scriptural platitude. You say you have never despaired? Perhaps you have not. You have never been forsaken by friends? Hmm. Never suffered trials for the sake of Jesus?

For those who seek to serve the Lord with their whole hearts, their lives will be dismantled piece by piece. You will be broken and made pliable in the hands of our Lord. And this comment speaks nothing of the countless persecutions of Christians right now as we speak in many different countries and cultures around the world. May the Lord bless all of our brothers and sisters who are in prison cells and dungeons and containers this night........brother Frank

looserchapel wrote:


"I don't really understand the point but I'm going to answer it the best. In fact, it's kinda funny because the differences between Paul and the Corinthian church are quoted by the same Paul in the same epistle..."


My point was focused on PaulWest's comment about the believer after Pentecost...he wrote:

"This is because the Holy Spirit gives us contentment in all situations, regardless of the outside surroundings in food, money, clothing, persecutions, prisons, betrayals, etc. The apostles could rejoice forevermore."


To rephrase my point based on 1 Cor 4:8-21, Both Paul and the Corinthian church had the same Holy Spirit, why then does Paul draw such a contrast between Himself and the Corinthian church?

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Jeff Marshalek

I actually wanted to point out the proportionality (or the lack thereof) between the emotions and the persecutions/hardships

I humbly don't see any evidence whatsoever of persecution/hardship in my own life, I mean one that is directly related to my faith in Jesus...

However, I know that God is great and patient with me

Blessings

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Lalaina

Ah, oki, got it... and the answer is...? :)

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Lalaina