Christians And Bribery

Christians And Bribery – Introduction

DEFINITIONS
Oxford Dict.: Bribe = A sum of money, services etc, given or offered to smb. in return for some, often dishonest, help.
other dictionaries: Bribe = Money or objects/things given or promised to a functionary to do (or not to do) something which he should do as a part of his job/duty

Christians and Bribery: WHY PEOPLE PAY BRIBE ?

-to have a faster and sure serving / to avoid waiting
-to ‘cover’ mistakes/problems
-because of their incapacity (laziness or not good students/emploees etc)
-to have/keep a good job
-to save a life (in the hospitals, court etc)

Christians And Bribery: What does the Bible say about bribery?

“And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the
righteous.” Exodus 23:8
“Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.” Deuteronomy 16:19
“And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and
perverted judgment.”1 Samuel 8:3
“He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that
doeth these things shall never be moved.” Psalms 15:5
“The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.”
Proverbs 29:4
“Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!” Isaiah 5:23
“He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;” Isaiah 33:15
“For I know your manifold transgressions and your mighty sins: they afflict the just, they take a bribe, and they turn aside the poor in the gate from their right.” Amos 5:12
“He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live.” Proverbs 15:27
“Surely oppression maketh a wise man mad; and a gift destroyeth the heart.” Ecclesiastes 7:7
“Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.” Isaiah 1:23
“The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.” Micah 3:11
“That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.” Micah 7:3

DESCRIPTIVE verses about BRIBE, NOT PRESCRIPTIVE verses :

Prescreptive verses are those urging us to do something. Descriptive verses are those which describe situations and realities WITHOUT urging us to do the same. For example the Bible describes how Judas hanged himself, but we don’t have to follow his example just because we find it in the Bible.

“A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” Proverbs 18:16
“A gift in secret pacifieth anger: and a reward in the bosom strong wrath.” Proverbs 21:14

The difference between BRIBE and GIFTS (AS A SIGN OF RESPECT FOR SOMEBODY)

“And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked,
beside that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.” 1 Kings 10:13
“Therefore the LORD stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to
Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance.” 2 Chronicles 17:5
“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11

Christians and Bribery: good examples of people who didn’t accept bribery

“Behold, here I am [the prophet Samuel]: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.” 1 Samuel 12:3
“For two years no further action was taken against Paul, yet he remained a prisoner. Felix visited him several times and listened attentively to his words. But the real motive for this apparent friendliness was a desire for gain, and he intimated that by the payment of a large sum of money Paul might secure his release. The apostle, however, was of too noble a nature to free himself by a bribe. He was not guilty of any crime, and he would not stoop to commit a wrong in order to gain freedom. Furthermore, he was himself too poor to pay such a ransom, had he been disposed to do so, and he would not, in his own behalf, appeal to the sympathy and generosity of his converts. He also felt that he
was in the hands of God, and he would not interfere with the divine purposes respecting himself.” AA 426
“He was visited by dignitaries of the church and urged to submit himself to the council. The
most brilliant prospects were presented before him as the reward of renouncing his opposition to Rome. But like his Master when offered the glory of the world, Jerome remained steadfast.” GC 114

Christians And Bribery: Bad examples of those who paid or accepted bribe

“For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD, and out of the house of the king, and of the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria: but he helped him not.” 2 Chronicles 28:21
“The bribe of costly gifts and prospective exaltation excited his covetousness [about Balaam]. He greedily accepted the offered treasures, and then, while professing strict obedience to the will of God, he tried to comply with the desires of Balak.” PP 439
“A deputation consisting of one leading man from each of the Philistine provinces was sent to the vale of Sorek. They dared not attempt to seize him [Samson] while in possession of his great strength, but it was their purpose to learn, if possible, the secret of his power. They therefore bribed Delilah to discover and reveal it.” PP 565
” He affirmed to his counselors that a conspiracy had been formed against him, and with the offer of rich gifts and positions of honor he [Saul] bribed them to reveal who among his people had befriended David. Doeg the Edomite turned informer. Moved by ambition and avarice, and by hatred of the priest, who had reproved his sins, Doeg reported David’s visit to Ahimelech, representing the matter in such a light as to kindle Saul’s anger against the man of God.” PP 659

Christians and Bribery: Differences between bribery and gifts

The bribe is given/promised before your problem is solved. Usually it has a big value.
The gift is given/promised after your problem is solved. Usually it is symbolic (no big value).

Christians and Bribery: Advices, solutions

“But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.” Genesis 39:21
“I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.” Isaiah 45:13
“Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.”
Daniel 1:9
“I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Psalms 34:4
“Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their
distresses.” Psalms 107:6 (read the whole psalm)

“Never entertain the thought that an honest, truthful physician cannot succeed. Such a sentiment dishonors the God of truth and righteousness. He can succeed; for he has God and heaven on his side. Let every bribe to dissimulate be sternly refused. Hold fast your integrity in the strength of the grace of Christ, and He will fulfill His word to you.” MM 128
“Men in responsible positions should be men of temperance and integrity, and especially should those who are entrusted with judicial functions be men of sober habits, that they may render justice, and be unbiased by bribe or prejudice.” Te 281
“As the word of God is meditated upon and practiced, the whole man will be ennobled. In
righteous and merciful dealing, the hands will reveal, as a signet, the principles of God’s law. They will be kept clean from bribes, and from all that is corrupt and deceptive.” DA 612
-be professional in what you do (it’s easier to find a job)
-preventive actions (- ex. find a good Christian physician/doctor who doesn’t expect bribe)
-choose serious partners/companies for some services and be ready to pay the price!
-trust in God, ask Him for wisdom (Mt. 6:33) , otherwise you can’t be sure that you fulfill His
will when you force the things to be as you want!
“Show a firm, undeviating trust in God. Be ever true to principle. Waver not; speak
decidedly that which you know to be truth, and leave the consequences with God. Bear in mind that God tests the genuineness of your desire. Believe the word of God, and never cease to press your petitions to his throne with sanctified, holy boldness. “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” By precept and example keep the standard uplifted. Your testimony, in its genuineness and reality, God will make powerful in the power of the life to come. The word of the Lord will be in your mouth as truth and righteousness.” RH, October 30, 1900
“Worry is blind, and cannot discern the future; but Jesus sees the end from the beginning. In every difficulty He has His way prepared to bring relief. Our heavenly Father has a thousand ways to provide for us, of which we know nothing. Those who accept the one principle of making the service and honor of God supreme will find perplexities vanish, and a plain path before their feet.” DA 330
“One wrong trait of character, one sinful desire cherished, will eventually neutralize all the power of the gospel…. The pains of duty and the pleasures of sin are the cords with which Satan binds men in his snares. Those who would rather die than perform a wrong act are the only ones who will be found faithful.” Mar 82
Even life itself should not be purchased with the price of falsehood. By a word or a nod the martyrs might have denied the truth and saved their lives. By consenting to cast a single grain of incense upon the idol altar they might have been saved from the rack, the scaffold, or the cross. But they refused to be false in word or deed, though life was the boon they would receive by so doing. Imprisonment, torture, and death, with a clear conscience, were welcomed by them, rather than deliverance on condition of deception, falsehood, and apostasy. By fidelity and faith in Christ they earned spotless robes and jeweled crowns. Their lives were ennobled and elevated in the sight of God
because they stood firmly for the truth under the most aggravated circumstances… An adherence to the strictest principles of truth will frequently cause present inconvenience and may even involve temporal loss, but it will increase the reward in the future life. Religion does not consist merely in a system of dry doctrines, but in practical faith, which sanctifies the life and corrects the conduct in the family circle and in the church. ” 4T

In Shorts At Church

In Shorts At Church (Alternative title: Mini, midi, maxi… ?!)

In shorts at the pulpit? Is it modest clothing? Excepting few places on earth, it is very unlikely that people would enjoy such an outfit. If you see somebody dressed that way in a church, you may very well doubt that the person is serious about religion and ask why the leaders of that community allow it to happen. There is a feminine equivalent for the shorts / bermudas worn by men. Unfortunately we are so familiar with different diversions from the Scripture that we can hardly consider them a problem.

                                     in shorts at church

                                      midi fashion and church

From the very beginning we mention that the following lines don’t speak about the people who don’t have a solid foundation from the Bible for their experience.  Any Christian church has to be very welcoming and warm with all the guests who are coming to church, no matter how they are dressed (within some limits, of course). In my first visits to a church I came also dressed in a way which was not very suitable with the place. Gradually I understood that God has some expectations from me in the area of clothing and I wanted to please Him. We all need time to grow spiritually and understand things which may be difficult for a beginner. Those around need to have patience with newcomers and give them space to grow, and to be an example which can be imitated. There is a difference still between walking into a church and sitting down and being in the front of the church, at the pulpit, to serve in different ways: by preaching, praying or singing. Those who perform something there in the front must represent God and His principles in everything, including in the way they are dressed. The same is expected by all those in the worship place if they have behind years of experience with God, years of studying the Bible.

                                 mini skirts and shorts

                           midi and mini skirts vs robes
You can see in these pictures that the “midi” skirts are the equivalent of the men’s bermuda shorts. While we feel it’s unacceptable for the men to come dressed that way (and we can’t see them even representing the church at the pulpit by preaching, praying or singing), we can’t see any problem with the feminine equivalent for the bermuda shorts.

                                 new elders newbold church

Modest clothing promoted by the Bible

The first place in the Bible where we read something about clothing is Genesis 3. Adam and Eve were clothed with a garment of light before their fall into sin. After the fall, they lost that garment and they remained naked: naked inside (spiritually) and naked outside. Immediately they tried to make some aprons (Genesis 3:7). Their attempt was not acceptable in God’s eyes and the Creator made for them some coats of skins (Genesis 3:21). The Hebrew word used for “coats” can be translated with “robes” as well. Decency and modesty in clothing was the rule for the biggest part of history in the places where the Bible was known. It is very interesting that until today we have the word “wardrobe” (ward+robe). As the word is composed we can see that people kept in that place their robes. They used to wear robes or something long like the robes, maxi, not midi or mini. It is true that sometimes that maxi was too maxi and the long dresses were sweeping the dust. It needed to be shortened a little bit to avoid this inconvenience.
                             priestly garments vs short and midi skirts
Another place in the Bible where we have details about clothing is the one where the priestly garments are described. They were coming in the presence of God in the Sanctuary (the Tabernacle or the Temple later on). Precise indications were given to make them understand that it counts how they are dressed. The Lord looks at the heart, first of all, indeed. But it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t matter how you are dressed when you want to serve Him. As it can be seen from the pictures, the priests and the Levites were wearing some long robes, tunics. The word used here for “tunic” is the same with the one used in Genesis 3:21 when it speaks about the coats made by God for Adam and Eve. None of those who served God in the Sanctuary was allowed to dress himself however he wanted, using the argument that only the heart matters, not the exterior. While it is true that the heart is the most important, our exterior has to be a reflection of a sanctified, transformed heart.
“And for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.” Exodus 28:40
The robe of the common priest was of white linen, and woven in one piece. It extended nearly to the feet and was confined about the waist by a white linen girdle embroidered in blue, purple, and red.” PP 350
                                  modest clothing robes
“Everything connected with the apparel and deportment of the priests was to be such as to impress the beholder with a sense of the holiness of God, the sacredness of His worship, and the purity required of those who came into His presence.” PP 351
                           Jesus and modest clothing
When Jesus revealed Himself to John on the isle of Patmos, He was wearing a long robe, nearly to the feet.
“And in the midst of the seven candlesticks One like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.” Revelation 1:13

It is not necessary today to wear robes, though they don’t look bad at all in a place of worship, but our clothing has to cover us as much as the robes did. Both for men and women, what can be labelled as “midi” (or “mini”) was never approved by the Creator. Those who want to represent God and cooperate with angels will choose to imitate a heavenly approved “fashion”, not the worldly fashion, understanding that nothing commanded by God is with no reason.

                       modest dress and Christians
“We should seek to make the best of our appearance. In the tabernacle service God specified every detail concerning the garments of those who ministered before Him. Thus we are taught that He has a preference in regard to the dress of those who serve Him. Very specific were the directions given in regard to Aaron’s robes, for his dress was symbolic. So the dress of Christ’s followers should be symbolic. In all things we are to be representatives of Him. Our appearance in every respect should be characterized by neatness, modesty, and purity.” 6T 96
“The dress and its arrangement upon the person is generally found to be the index of the man or the woman.
We judge of a person’s character by the style of dress worn. A modest, godly woman will dress modestly. A refined taste, a cultivated mind, will be revealed in the choice of a simple, appropriate attire….” CG 413

Going To The Beach And The Christians

Should Christians Go To The Beach?

“Is it a sin to go to the beach?” some people ask. Of course not! However, the truth is that a good answer should be: “It depends!” Of course many would ask if there is a connection between going to the beach and morality. To understand why “IT DEPENDS” is better answer, we need to analyze this issue a bit further. From a Christian perspective it is good to phrase all the questions in a different manner, we should be asking ourselves if the destination, the places we choose to go and what we will do there will both glorify God and strengthen us and those around us spiritually.

                      going to the beach and the Christians

Going to the beach and its health benefits

Nobody can deny the benefits of sunlight exposure and vitamin D (which is vital for the absorption of calcium, healthy bones and a strong immune system), but for this you don’t need to necessarily go to the beach . A 10-15 minutes walk in the sun daily is enough to get the amount of vitamin D needed. Going to the beach may be more necessary when we suffer from respiratory diseases (rhinitis, sinusitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis, asthma etc). For problems like these it is recommended to walk along the seashore, because breathing salt air seems to be very beneficial for the lungs (a similar effect is in a salt cave). Walks are recommended before 8am and after 6pm.

Going to the beach and Christians

When we want to enjoy the sea and the sand it is wise to find more secluded places, ideally a bit far from the crowded tourist resorts. The family circle is enough. If the group is big, it is good for the girls/women to go to a different place than the men. To fully understand why such a recommendation is given, a reading of the following paragraphs may be useful.

                                 Christians and going to the beach

Going to the beach: Naked and shameless

The most ardent defenders of going to the beach, in the midst of the [almost] naked crowds, say that Adam and Eve were also naked in the beginning and they were not ashamed because of this. When the Bible says that they were naked, it means that before their fall into sin they didn’t wear clothes like we do. Adam and Eve were covered with light. After their first sin, that light which covered them disappeared. Then they remained really naked and they were ashamed. The light departed from their souls and the exterior light (a reflection of the light inside) disappeared as well. The nakedness of the soul was reflected now in the nakedness of the body. Their first reaction was to manufacture some aprons themselves to cover their nakedness (Genesis 3:7) Their shame was a proof that the Holy Spirit was working on their conscience. They tried to help themselves, to save themselves (righteousness by works) but God didn’t accept this first attempt of man-made religion. He didn’t consider their aprons good enough and He made for them proper clothes to cover them adequately (Genesis 3:21). God didn’t leave this issue of covering in the man’s hands, though the human beings were then just recently affected by the sin.
“The robe of light which had enshrouded them, now disappeared, and to supply its place they endeavored to fashion for themselves a covering; for they could not, while unclothed, meet the eye of God and holy angels.” PP 57
                                    Adam and Eve clothed in light
We live in a more and more naked generation, naked in terms of spirituality, and naked on the exterior. There is no surprise that our Lord Jesus compared the end time with the times when Noah and Lot lived. Like today, in those times the people were obsessed with sensual pleasures, there was no shame, and the soul nakedness was manifested surely in the bodily nakedness. The picture we find in the biblical book of Revelation  3:17 where the Laodiceans are described as being naked, is a precise and inspired portray of our generation: “Poor, blind and naked”.

Going to the beach: Holiday both for the believers and for demons?

Some people are trying to make a big distinction between the religious life and other daily activities. And to a certain extent we can make a separation when we affirm that to be spiritual you don’t have to sit in a church your whole life. In the same time all our daily activities have to be permeated, impregnated by our spiritual connection with God and by our desire to please Him. There was an interesting the experience of a woman who was making her first steps in her walk with God and her confession about the conflicting feelings  she had who when went to the beach and tried to read some prayers from a book of prayer. She couldn’t make peace between what she was reading and the “landscape” around her: people were more naked than dressed, as usual when you go to the beach. It is interesting to see this sensitivity (some may call it hyper sensitivity) and it was equally interesting to see how other people tried to advice her not to mingle the spiritual life with day to day activities. This included going to the beach, as if when we go there, the demons would be far away, in a holiday themselves, thus not affecting us with their temptations. For a true Christian there is no “holiday”, meaning that there is no time when you don’t need to pray and watch, to be in close communion with God, or when you can’t be tempted (demons have no holiday – 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:9,12,17) Even during the time called holiday, vacation, the true Christian is aware of the invisible fight fought for his soul, fight in which he also has to play an active part.

                              you shall not commit adultery

Going to the beach and seeing the nakedness of other people

“I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” Job 31:1
“”You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell”.  Mt. 5:27-29
“So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.” 2 Tim. 2:22

                                flee the youthful passions
Some people might say that when you go to the beach and everybody there is [almost] naked (including you), you are not so much tempted to think about bad things. If we make a survey among those who go to the beach, the results wouldn’t encourage such a conclusion. It is more an attempt to silence our conscience with these arguments (knowing that in the Bible we have no support for it). Even if a Christian would be successful in refraining his imagination when he is in the midst of naked people (though stepping on those grounds is presumption), what makes us think that the people around us will have pure thoughts about our nakedness? It is true that you can have evil thoughts even when people are properly dressed but the thoughts of others are encouraged in the right direction if those around are dressed decently (and even better if they are dressed according to the Scripture). If every week you see at church people dressed decently and after that you see the person almost naked at the beach, how do you delete those images from your memory? Will you see that person with the same eyes? Few people realize how many families are destroyed because of this type of association and exposure of their nakedness in public spaces like beaches, swimming pools etc

Going to the beach and the involution of the swimming suits (or where do we stop with getting undressed?)

Looking at the pictures below you may be surprised to see how were the people dressed one hundred years ago when they were going to the beach. In our days, going to the beach almost naked is considered normality even among those who call themselves Christians.
                         bathing suits in the nineteenth century
There is no need to show you images with the next steps of the involution of the swimming suits. You can guess it from the last image (chronologically speaking). In the period 1930-1940 the swimming suits were already very similar to the ones worn today.
Though the immorality in our generation has already reached a peak, there are more and more people, from different backgrounds and religions, who dare to return to more modest swimming suits, as it can be seen in the following images:
Amish Christians going to the beach       modest swimming suit                       muslim swimming suit
You can watch also in the next video a group of orthodox Jews swimming in the Sea of Galilee:

While many people will try always to find different excuses for their choices, those who want to be faithful to God in every aspect of their life, they will find the reason to do what is pleasant in God’s eyes, they will have the satisfaction to serve Him and they will find the right ways to enjoy the blessings left by God in the nature.
3 John 1:2 “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”
Daniel 12:10 “Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand.”