Charismatic Bible Studies - 1 Peter 1:13-17

[Hidden In Him]

Leaving The Gods Of Egypt Behind, To Walk In The Fear Of God, Part 1



The fear of God came upon the Israelites during the Exodus. Numerous plagues gripped the entire nation of Egypt, and culminated in the deaths of all the first born in that nation as the Israelites prepared to leave. As Pharaoh pursued them, the entire army he brought with him was killed by supernatural means. And then when the Israelites got to Mt. Sinai, the fire of God was so strong upon the mountain that they were too terrified to approach it, even when Moses told them to.

These events were the beginning of their sojourn out of Egypt, and the apostle Peter now began drawing parallels between what the New Testament church was going through and what they had. The early church too was now "sojourning" to their own promised land, and likewise needed to fear God. They needed to "gird up their loins" and prepare to depart from their past, for theirs was the true God, and like on Mt. Sinai the Lord Jesus Christ would be manifesting Himself in Power soon.

13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. 15 But as He which hath called you is Holy, so be you Holy in all manner of conduct, 16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am Holy." 17 And if you call on the Father, who without respect of persons judges according to every man's work, then pass the time of your sojourning here in fear. (1 Peter 1:13-17)

As during the Exodus from Egypt, some were distancing themselves "from their former lusts in their ignorance," but others were not, and the Golden Calf incident was a prophetic warning of what could happen if some Christians gave themselves to fleshly lusts like eating, drinking, "playing" (sex, promiscuity), and potentially to the worship other gods; demonic ones, such as those the Gnostic "Christians" worshipped. This is why Paul drew the same parallels to give similar warnings:

1 Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, 2 all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. 6 Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things just as they also lusted. 7 And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” 8 Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell. 9 Neither should we put the Lord to the test, as some of them tested Him, and were being destroyed by serpents. 10 Neither let us murmur as some of them also murmured, and perished by the destroyer. 11 And these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:1-12)

This was the reason they needed to fear God just like the Israelites did. He was jealous God, and He would not accept them worshipping demonic spirits. The Passover Lamb which represented Him had to die for the Israelites to be redeemed out of slavery in Egypt, just as Christ had to die to redeem the saints out of Hades when He rose from the dead and led captivity captive. To give themselves back into slavery and bondage to the very evil spirits He redeemed them from would be an insult to His love and His character. Peter now continued in this same vein by saying:

18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed from your vain conduct received by tradition from your fathers with corruptible things such as silver and gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, 20 Who truly was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 who by Him do believe in God, Who raised Him up from the dead and gave Him glory, that your faith and hope might be in God. (1 Peter 1:17-21)

As we shall see, the fear of God was just as real during New Testament times as it was during the time of the Exodus, so the parallels were more fitting than most Christians today realize.


The Demonic Gods Of Egypt

After several hundred years on Egypt, many of the "gods" the Israelites were familiar with were little more than unclean spirits. The number of these half-animal, half-human "gods" depicted on Egyptian wall murals was too numerous to count, but to show just a few, the following is an image of Wepwawet, the god associated with war who supposedly guided spirits through the underworld.



In later Egyptian art, Wepwawet was depicted as a wolf or a jackal, or as a man with the head of a wolf or a jackal. Even when considered a jackal, Wepwawet usually was shown with grey, or white fur, reflecting his lupine origins. He was depicted dressed as a soldier, as well as carrying other military equipment—a mace and a bow. Over time, the connection to war, and thus to death, led to Wepwawet also being seen as one who "opened the ways" to and through Duat for the spirits of the dead. (Wepwawet Brother to Anpu,EgyptianOccultHistory.Blogspot.com)

Such demons also taught the practice of witchcraft, as one article states:

In Ancient Egypt, magic was invoked through deities, primarily by trained priests, but also by pharaohs, magicians, and ordinary people. It was an integral part of healing rituals and was brought into being using spells and sacred texts. The most prominent use of magic was as protection against evil, illness, disease, and danger, whether it be a snake bite, a life-threatening illness, or an invading army... It could also be harmful [when used] as a curse or black magic. Objects were also believed to be charged with magic, including amulets and wands. (Magic in the Ancient World: Egyptian Deities and Uses. TheCollector.Com)

Thoth, for instance, was highly regarded as the god of hidden wisdom and became the keeper of magic secrets, and was often depicted as being approached by humans on such matters.



According to the eyewitness testimony of a former Baptist minister named Harold Pittman, there were five specific orders of demons that were pointed out to him as playing a key role in bringing in the end of the age, the third most important of these being those involved in inciting men to occultism, heresy and false religion:

Demons from the third order appeared to be part man - part animal, resembling figures from Greek mythology… This group possessed skills in the area of the black arts, such as sorcery, false religion, magic, self-destruction, psychic phenomenon, the occult, necromancy, Satan worship, and all the other related areas of expertise. (Pittman, Demons: An Eyewitness Account, P.34, 35)

Lest anyone doubt the parallels with Satanism here, Amun-Re, who at one point came to be regarded as "the king of the gods," was the forerunner to "the Goat of Mendes," a symbol used by Satanists to this day to represent the observance of their religion in practice.

According to Pittman's account, the lowest yet most numerous class of demons was charged with corrupting mankind sexually. No surprise then that the "gods" of Egypt also taught the Egyptians to practice ritual sexual uncleanness, including sex with animals said to represent the gods. This then relates to what shall be covered more in Part 2, that the golden calf was simply a heavy borrowing from Egyptian practice, and when scripture says "they ate and drank, and rose up to play," they were simply gravitating in the same immoral directions as the Egyptians had.

Thus the creation of the Golden Calf represented a return to the worship of the evil deities of Egypt, and it is in part why the New Testament writers made use of the Old Testament teaching, "Touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you." The God of the Bible would have nothing to do with the worship of unclean and evil spirits.

 

[Hidden In Him]

Warnings To The Churches

Evidence suggests that while the New Testament church was sojourning towards their own promised land of Heaven, some were nevertheless returning to "Egypt" as well. Gnosticism was already present as early as in the epistle of 2nd Thessalonians, and very strongly making its presence felt by the time the books of 2nd Peter, Jude and Revelation were being written. By the time of Revelations, the warnings were getting very stern about what would happen to those who embraced Gnostic doctrines.

And to the angel of the church at Thyatira write, "These things saith the Son of God… I know your works, and love, and service, and faith, and your endurance, and that your last works are more than your first. But I have against you that you suffer the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and teaches and misleads My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her time that she might repent of her sexual immorality, but she does not want to repent of it. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great affliction if they will not repent of their works. And I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the reins and hearts, and will give to each of you according to your works." (Revelation 2:18-23)

And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, "‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword... I have a few things against you, because you have those there who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality." (Revelation 2:12-14)

Eating meat sacrificed to demons and practicing fornication were the signature doctrines and practices of the Gnostics, and the true founder of Gnosticism was Simon the magician, whom Christian tradition says went all the more deeply into occultism after he parted ways with the apostle Peter in Acts Chapter 8. But while Simon would later claim to be "the Christ" and become the first true forerunner of the false Christs that will appear in the end-times, he received all the doctrines of his religion from demonic spirits, and it became clear after his death who the principle demon behind it all actually was; a spirit that was worshipped by other Gnostic sects as "Abraxis," and depicted on magical amulets as having the body of a man, the head of a chicken, and with two snakes for legs.



This demon was of the same class as taught the Egyptians how to practice magic false religion, and it was unclean. But for true Christians, the God they now worshipped was Holy, and thus Peter reiterated the commanded given from the beginning when the Israelites were in the wilderness, "Be holy, for I am holy." As Peter would teach in his next letter, some were nevertheless now turning to Gnosticism and becoming like a "washed sow returning to the mud, and a dog returning to its vomit," so strong warnings were again being given. They needed to fear God, for in reality they were returning to the worship of unclean spirits just as the Israelites on Mt. Sinai had.

1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, for whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By [sexual] covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words. For a long time their judgment has not been idle, but their destruction does not slumber... 14 having eyes for an adulteress, and who cannot cease from sin, they entice unstable souls, having a heart trained upon sexual covetousness. They are accursed children. 15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam... 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb, “A dog returns to his own vomit,” and, “a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire.” (2 Peter 2:1-3, 14-15, 21-22)

The question now is, is the church stressing that our God did indeed teach, "Be Holy, for I am Holy," or are we returning to the service and worship of evil spirits in our time now as well? This will be covered more in Part 2.


Questions And Applications

1. Not many today seem to teach on the need to "Be Holy, for I am Holy." Why do you think this is? Does the above study make better sense of why we should?

2. Has anyone ever taught you about the Gnostics before?

3. If some began making headway into teaching the churches these doctrines today, and leading Christians astray into the worship of evil spirits, do you think it would be justified for the Lord to bring such judgments again?

 

[RandyK]

The Gnostic teachings were, I think, largely disposed of in the Early Church, and we may not know much about them directly. But some of the early Church Fathers wrote about them, warning the Church to be wary of them.

It is easy, then, to understand where these Gnostics were going, and compare it with the general decline of morality in the Church in history. And we can see that the Church is in freefall, in some respects, turning back to paganism in the worst way

The true Church will always have those heroes who endure in their faith to preserve a testimony of the truth of Christ. But the masses tend to compromise through pressures from the world around them. Ultimately, we have theological liberalism just as the early Church saw Christians cave to Gnostic influences.

We certainly have Christian Civilization proclaiming the "death of God," opening the doors to the Sexual Revolution and a free flight into pagan religions and all kinds of philosophical experimentation and speculation. Fortunately, those who remain faithful have the Scriptures to defend against these lies, mischaracterizations, and deceptions.

I have no doubt that God is unchanging and brings the same standard of judgment as He always has. We just need to keep in mind that He is also consistently aware of the duress being imposed upon people in their weaknesses, showing great patience and regularly visiting the world with fresh waves of His Spirit.

It is important to persevere in righteousness, not just to be saved, but also to be rewarded with the sense that you've succeeded in pleasing the Lord and in fulfilling your call as a human being. We will not be perfect, but we must resist the Big Sins that separate us from God and confuse the message of the Gospel in front of a lost world, who needs to know the truths about God's love.

We don't know what good will result from our fidelity to the truth. But God sees and angels see, even if men do not, and even if we doubt our own effectiveness. What matters most of all is that God sees our love as a good investment into our lives. And we will indeed be richer for it in the future.

 

[SuperKal]

1. Not many today seem to teach on the need to "Be Holy, for I am Holy." Why do you think this is? Does the above study make better sense of why we should?

2. Has anyone ever taught you about the Gnostics before?

3. If some began making headway into teaching the churches these doctrines today, and leading Christians astray into the worship of evil spirits, do you think it would be justified for the Lord to bring such judgments again?

(1) I honestly think the reason that holiness is not preached is because of the rise of antinomianism. Honestly, it started with Augustine, in his debate with Pelagius, when Augustine said "I cannot not sin"... Augustine believed that it was impossible for a Christian to not commit sin, while Pelagius, on the other hand, taught that it was possible for a Christian to not sin. GF Wigger's book shows the writings of both Augustine, Pelagius, and the early church. From that, antinomianism just kind of blossomed into this disgusting putrid flower, no this is not a rant against Calvinism, that spread to all the Protestant and Catholic and the Orthodox denominations... and today, I have heard and seen people who say "I can't help but sin:, or "it's impossible for me to stop sinning"... They either truly do believe that, or they are just too lazy, sadly, to put their faith in motion and do as Paul tells us to do in 1 Corinthians 15:34

(2) Sadly, no, I was never taught what Gnosticism was. I did not even know the word existed until 2008, when I started doing Bible studies, listening to Bible studies on youtube, and when I ran into came across people such as Jesse Morrell, Steve Gregg, Joe Schimmel, and other people who mentioned it, or taught about it, or refuted it. It wasn't until David W Bercot's book the Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs, did I truly learn about what Gnosticism was, what it taught, who taught it, what the Bible really teaches, and what those in the second century did in order to defend the faith... Irenaeus, who was the student of Polycarp, wrote a five book series called Against Heresies. in those five books, he categorizes all the different teachers of Gnosticism, with their names, what they taught why it was wrong, and referred back to the scriptures to show how it was wrong

(3) I think that some of the judgments that are mentioned in Revelation 2 are actually already happening, but not in a literal sense... I do think that being in a bed of affliction is not a literal thing, but those who still affirm the basic teachings of Gnosticism, the wickedness and vile behavior that it encourages, it's still not completely looked upon as legal today, and with those actions come repercussions and consequences, if you break the law, you get punished for it, especially those who don't have the money, or the fame, or the popularity that others do.

In the end, I try to focus on the final judgment, because there are so many people today who get away with nastyism gnosticism, and other wicked practices, yet what we see is these individuals getting away with their crimes and wickedness... but God sees it all. There's nothing we can hide from His face. No sinful or wicked act that He does not see. When He returns, those people will be held accountable to their actions, and it is our call to preach the Gospel to them today, right now, as we are living and breathing, while they're living and breathing, to call them to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ... And I am reminded, that at one point, I was no better than them, I was headed to the very same place, but because of God's grace and mercy, He has saved me from the wrath to come, and if He loved me that much, then He, in turn, loves those people that much...
and how evil and wicked would it be for me to withhold and not share with them the same redemption, the same forgiveness, that I received?

 

[Hidden In Him]

It is important to persevere in righteousness, not just to be saved, but also to be rewarded with the sense that you've succeeded in pleasing the Lord and in fulfilling your call as a human being. We will not be perfect, but we must resist the Big Sins that separate us from God and confuse the message of the Gospel in front of a lost world, who needs to know the truths about God's love.

Amen. Wonderful post.

That is really the most damaging thing about the Gnostic faith, as well as others who name the name of Christ and yet bring shame and disgrace upon Him by the lives they lead: They misrepresent the truth, and prostitute it into something that will save no one from anything, defiling it until it is nothing more than another worthless occult religion that sends souls to Hell when they are done being deceived in this life.

There are many other evil things they do, but that's possibly the worst, because they dissuade men away from the truth, and from the true salvation, and will bear their guilt for it not only in this life but in eternity as well.

Thanks again for the response. I liked your answer.

 

[Hidden In Him]

(1) I honestly think the reason that holiness is not preached is because of the rise of antinomianism. Honestly, it started with Augustine, in his debate with Pelagius, when Augustine said "I cannot not sin"... Augustine believed that it was impossible for a Christian to not commit sin, while Pelagius, on the other hand, taught that it was possible for a Christian to not sin. GF Wigger's book shows the writings of both Augustine, Pelagius, and the early church. From that, antinomianism just kind of blossomed into this disgusting putrid flower, no this is not a rant against Calvinism, that spread to all the Protestant and Catholic and the Orthodox denominations... and today, I have heard and seen people who say "I can't help but sin:, or "it's impossible for me to stop sinning"... They either truly do believe that, or they are just too lazy, sadly, to put their faith in motion and do as Paul tells us to do in 1 Corinthians 15:34

It's why I tend to go easier than most on those who teach sinless perfection. I certainly don't subscribe to it, but I subscribe even less to the idea that we cannot lead righteous lives.

Gnosticism was a forerunner of Antinomianism, btw. They hated everything to do with Jewish law, and taught that it was simply the needless demands of and self-serving, dictatorial god, who only gave such orders in order to keep mankind under His thumb.

It wasn't until David W Bercot's book the Dictionary of Early Christian Beliefs

I think I own this book, actually. I'd have to go back and look.

Irenaeus, who was the student of Polycarp, wrote a five book series called Against Heresies. in those five books, he categorizes all the different teachers of Gnosticism, with their names, what they taught why it was wrong, and referred back to the scriptures to show how it was wrong

Yes, Irenaeus was the primary source from church history on what was actually going on. Gnosticism had become fully developed by his time, and with several different schools of it in existence.

(3) I think that some of the judgments that are mentioned in Revelation 2 are actually already happening, but not in a literal sense... I do think that being in a bed of affliction is not a literal thing, but those who still affirm the basic teachings of Gnosticism, the wickedness and vile behavior that it encourages, it's still not completely looked upon as legal today, and with those actions come repercussions and consequences, if you break the law, you get punished for it, especially those who don't have the money, or the fame, or the popularity that others do.

Ok. That's an interesting take. There are several other passages that talked about similar judgments, though I suppose one could take those as more symbolic as well. There are a few events in scripture that are rough to spiritualize, however. Maybe we can discuss that another time.

And I am reminded, that at one point, I was no better than them, I was headed to the very same place, but because of God's grace and mercy, He has saved me from the wrath to come, and if He loved me that much, then He, in turn, loves those people that much...

This is an excellent point, and I'm sometimes reminded about this as well. And this was the New Testament stance, btw. Jude was writing about the same people, and at one point in his letter he told his readers:

22 On some have compassion, making a distinction; 23 but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

In other words, you had to deal with them on a case by case basis, because sometimes they could genuinely be seeking repentance and salvation, in which case you showed them compassion. But others you stayed weary of, knowing how sinful they were and not to play around with them.

Thanks again for the responses.

 

[Br4nd0n]

1. Not many today seem to teach on the need to "Be Holy, for I am Holy." Why do you think this is? Does the above study make better sense of why we should?

I think we need to look for the teachers that do teach to be holy, and hold on. Some want rewards in this life rather than the next and thats why they neglect the pursuit of holiness as teachers. This study is very well presented and put together

2. Has anyone ever taught you about the Gnostics before?

No. All i heard was they claimed to have "secret knowledge" for salvation. Which doesnt really make sense given the Gospel.

3. If some began making headway into teaching the churches these doctrines today, and leading Christians astray into the worship of evil spirits, do you think it would be justified for the Lord to bring such judgments again?

I think God will give those teachers signs to show that they are false teachers. And its up to them to repent, as well as the congregation. 1 tim 1:16 talks of His perfect patience. God is justified in all He does, although we may not understand it most times. I hope you all have great weekend.

 

[Hidden In Him]

No. All i heard was they claimed to have "secret knowledge" for salvation. Which doesnt really make sense given the Gospel.

It's a really good point. When something is constantly having to be kept secret, it's usually because they are lying and/ or malevolent, and have very good reason to keep others from known what they are actually teaching and practicing. If what they were actually doing were exposed to the light of day they would be open denounced.

It was that way for Simon the magician, whom tradition says was engaging in sexual sin with a prostitute in front of his initiates as part of the "mysteries" he taught. But there's no mystery to it. His religion was a forerunner of Aliester Crowley's version of Satanism. Crowley even constructed a ceremony called the Gnostic Mass, and much of what he taught was simply a borrowing from ancient Gnosticism and building upon it through extensive use of magic techniques and giving himself over to demonic spirits.

 

[Hidden In Him]

I think God will give those teachers signs to show that they are false teachers. And its up to them to repent, as well as the congregation. 1 tim 1:16 talks of His perfect patience. God is justified in all He does, although we may not understand it most times. I hope you all have great weekend.

Yes. Well it's my own belief that most of the false Christs and false prophets - the real ones, who move in genuine lying Satanic signs and wonders as described in 2nd Thessalonians - will all be Gnostics, and the church will be warned. What brought on judgments against them is when they were getting so close as to become established members in some of the churches, and were corrupting the faithful by their very presence. That's when the Lord will step in to protect His own, and after warnings will execute judgment.

 

[RandyK]

I think we need to look for the teachers that do teach to be holy, and hold on. Some want rewards in this life rather than the next and thats why they neglect the pursuit of holiness as teachers. This study is very well presented and put together

Yes, I like the pictures too!

No. All i heard was they claimed to have "secret knowledge" for salvation. Which doesnt really make sense given the Gospel.

Yes, the Gospel is pretty up front. It just shows that some people want wisdom and knowledge, in place of the knowledge of Christ. Their own "knowledge" is accessible at all times, and can serve their own purposes, in place of Christ's purposes.

It's like having an encyclopedia set, or Wikipedia. You have all that information at your disposal to enact with it, to use it, as you please. You can cut out the parts that talk about Christ and his ways.

But the knowledge of Christ means that you put him 1st as Lord. His interests in the Kingdom come before all other interests, including your own and those of your friends and loved ones.

There can only be one Lord in God's Kingdom, and we can serve that purpose by listening to His ways alone.

Apart from simple knowledge there are other religious beliefs and strange philosophies. They tickle the ear because they tend to build up the pride of those who "understand" and practice them.

But unless the knowledge is based on the Word and Spirit of Christ they cannot produce virtue that lasts for Eternal Life. Knowledge apart from Christ's Spirit cannot produce anything but carnality and a poor imitation of Christ's virtue.

Col 2.20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

The Wisdom of the World bypasses the knowledge of Christ and seeks to establish a righteousness apart from the righteousness of Christ. As such, it cannot free the body from the compulsions of Sin.

I think God will give those teachers signs to show that they are false teachers. And its up to them to repent, as well as the congregation. 1 tim 1:16 talks of His perfect patience. God is justified in all He does, although we may not understand it most times. I hope you all have great weekend.

Personally, I think that even though we live in an "Age of Grace" God has not stopped judging people, though tempered by His patience and tolerance. We should make every effort to warn those heading in the wrong direction. But if they won't listen, don't waste time on them--there are plenty of others who need to be warned!

Thanks for your contribution!