May 17 - Godliness and good hygiene?

May 17 - Godliness and good hygiene?~by Randy Bushey - …holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict (Titus 1:9).

Have you ever been told that cleanliness is next to godliness?

That adage originated with 18th century British preacher John Wesley, who declared as follows from his pulpit: “Slovenliness is no part of religion. Cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness”.

I think the Apostle Paul may have agreed – to a point.

There's a unique word in the New Testament that is used primarily by the apostle Paul.  And of his numerous writings, the Apostle only used it in the 3 pastoral letters he penned to Timothy and Titus near the end of his life.

In the verse above, the word is translated sound, as in “sound doctrine”. Paul also used it for being “sound in the faith” and using “wholesome words”.

But here’s what caught my attention: the Greek term is hugiaino, from which the English word hygiene is derived.

Hygiene relates to the preservation and promotion of good health, and the practices conducive to that objective.

Similarly, in Greek, the term refers to good health, soundness, wellness. But it also had a broader application, and therefore was considered a parallel to the Hebrew term shalom: peace, harmony, wholeness, completeness, and prosperity.

In the final period of ministry before his execution at the hands of Nero, Paul chose that word to convey to his young pastoral sons in the faith that living out the Gospel would bring overall health to those under their care, even while living in difficult circumstances – even intense persecution.

The apostles’ mandate was to lead people to Christ, and disciple them to have healthy souls.

Titus had been dispatched by Paul to assist the fledgling churches on the island of Crete. The Apostle knew it would be an arduous task.

The eastern Mediterranean of the 1st century was known for piracy and human trafficking – and Crete was in some ways, the hub of that nefarious activity.

The Cretan community was so entrenched in immoral lifestyles, that encouraging relatively new believers to live out the Gospel must have seemed a near impossible assignment.

But Paul encouraged his young charge to coach these novice Christians to allow their character, attitudes and behaviour to be brought into healthy alignment by practicing the spiritual hygiene of submitting their lives to God’s Word as they were being transformed by His Spirit.

Takeaway: are the activities of my life consistent with the preservation of good spiritual health?

Do I prioritize habits conducive to increasingly attaining that objective? Is my spiritual health growing? Or is it declining? Why?

~graphic by Emiliano Spada, freeimages.com

About Us

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. - Galatians 3:28 The community at Bethel includes a wide range of ages and backgrounds. Young and old, families and singles, English-speakers and those with a French mother-tongue, various ethnic and religious backgrounds. We reflect the make up of the city of North Bay. More importantly though, we are a group of people who Jesus has saved through his work on the cross. By God's plan of redemption we were all brought into one family as brothers and sisters in Christ, given a mission to reach into our world and make disciples for Him. We hope you will find at Bethel a friendly, loving group of people striving to live for Jesus Christ. Whether you are visiting for the day or trying to find a permanent church home, you are welcome to join us as we together seek out Him.

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