Poloyanabo2:
Op i get your point but physical cleaning is also next to Godliness and also appreciated by God.
That's why a menstruating woman is not allowed in to the presence of God in the OT.
even leprous people were forbidden from the temple.
And God always uses purity of garment to illustrate holiness.
Cleanliness is next to Godliness

BackllGodNaija:
Maybe your own heaven but not that of God...Fyi, Lazarus the beggar was dirty, yet he made God's heaven.

Nooil:



Exodus 19:10

And the Lord said unto Moses, go unto the people, sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes.

Kobojunkie:
By the way, there is no such proverb in the bible... not even our dear wise king Solomon thought to add that among his collection for all to see.

BackllGodNaija:

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. Matthew 15:19-20

BackllGodNaija:
Is Cleanliness Really Next To Godliness?

It certainly is, however it's not in the sense of "clean hands" (outward appearance) as the world thinks, but that of a clean heart.

The Pharisees were known to be very clean men outwardly, but the Bible says that inwardly they were "full of all uncleanliness". Matthew 23:25-27

In other words their evil deeds and thoughts of their hearts made them to be unclean, so it couldn't be possible that their outward cleanliness was next to godliness.

It's true that lot of people have lost their lives to the Coronavirus, but not every life lost of recent has been taken by the killer virus.

Some innocent lives have been heartlessly taken by some humans during this same period as well, for instance, Uwaila Vera Omozuwa who was raped and murdered by her fellow human beings.

So even if such heartless men wash their hands and body very well, after committing such an heinous act, and become outwardly as clean as the Pharisees, would their cleanliness be next to godliness?

I'm not oblivious of the fact that there's been so much apprehension in the land for the killer virus, because of the potency and speed at which it ravages human lives, however let's not be quick to forget that there's a worse death than that of our physical body, which is the death of our soul.

The Bible says, "what shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and lose his own soul?" Matthew 16:26

So as much we fear the death of our physical body, and consequently do everything we possibly could to ensure our hands, body etc are clean, let be more afraid of the death of our soul and hence also do everything possible to keep our hearts clean. Matthew 10:28

That's the cleanliness that's truly next to godliness.

God bless Nigeria.

Nooil:



We are talking about physical and not spiritual. In the verse I quoted, it didn't stop at sanctifying them for two days. He also said that they should wash their clothes. That's spiritual and physical cleansing.

BackllGodNaija:

But the LORD said unto Samuel...I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

Nooil:


You just mixing up things. Outward appearance was not cleanliness, but the height and charisma of David's brothers.


I Sam 16:7

But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Why did you quote half for me? You think I don't have my Bible and Google?

BackllGodNaija:


Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Matthew 23:25, 27-28

Nooil:


It's good you saw outwardly appear righteous. Before reading the Bible, ask God to open up your understanding.

BackllGodNaija:
So you didn't see the fact that their outward appearance had to do with their outward cleanliness?

Even if you are not willing to accept that glaring truth, know for a certain that God doesn't look or judge men on the basis of the outward cleanliness (appearance) even if men like you do, for God looks at the heart. Except you could explain to me why Jesus didn't bother about His disciples not washing their hands before eating.

You need to stop viewing God as though He were a man as you are, for God is God, He is not man. His ways are not as the ways of men.

Nooil:


You need to stop viewing God as someone who allows anything. Everything must go hand in hand, without anything lacking. He is a God of orderliness, both physical and spiritual.

BackllGodNaija:
I asked you a question, you didn't answer it, so I'd ask you again. If God looked on the outward cleanliness of men as you claim, why didn't Jesus support the Pharisees and chide His disciples for not cleaning their hands before eating?

If you read this Op carefully, you'd see that i'm not against outward cleanliness, but when men like you posit the ways of men as that of God, because i believe it is not right. So preach the gospel of outward cleanliness as much as you want to, but leave God out of it...that's my point and more.

atoleybaba:
stupid excuse...the isrealite use soap baff? Be clean but inwardly and outwardly....you can't be dirty and say it spiritual life is clean. It is not possible....when the Bible said cleanliness is next to Godliness it didn't mean any other thing than for u to be clean in every ramifications of ur life both spiritually and physically....how will u show respect to the life God has given u if u a poor hygiene? And not respecting the life God gave u is a sin so tell me how it is possible to have poor hygiene and still bee holy to God

Nooil:



Go and read the book of John, slowly. Then you might understand Jesus better. I don't have the strength to explain it to you.

BackllGodNaija:
You still avoided that question...it's obvious why. It clearly shows the position of Jesus on this subject but it's hard for you to admit that.

Nooil:


Your question is why I asked you to go and read the book of John. I've been writing and editing, I'm stressed. You can't come and add to it biko!

Okay, here it is.

Jesus himself said, I have not come to destroy the law, but to fulfill it.

He also chided the Pharisees saying, you pay your tithe of curcumin, etc. This you ought to do but not neglecting the others.

Jesus used different forms of teaching some was through parables, some through practical, some through outright scolding.

He did not support the Pharisees because He had a message to pass across. And that was the only way at that time to do it.

But the point Jesus always tried to make throughout His stay on earth is that we should not keep one commandment and forsake the other. Do them both.

Then grace explains that we may not always have the power to do all. But as long as we acknowledge we are not strong enough, He is merciful towards us. He would give us grace while empowering us to do what we thought we couldn't.

But how do you acknowledge when you're brazenly saying God doesn't care about your cleanliness or not?

Please, I'm not replying again. Thank you.

Nooil:




Exodus 19:10-11

The Lord also said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments; and let them be ready for the third day, for on the third day the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people

Exod 30:17-21

"Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. And you shall put water in it, for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it. When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the LORD, they shall wash with water, lest they die. So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die. And it shall be a statute forever to them-- to him and his descendants throughout their generations."



Heb 10:22

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Exodus 40:12-15

Then you shall bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. You shall put the holy garments on Aaron and anoint him and consecrate him, that he may minister as a priest to Me. You shall bring his sons and put tunics on them;

Numbers 8:5-7

Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the Levites from among the sons of Israel and cleanse them. Thus you shall do to them, for their cleansing: sprinkle purifying water on them, and let them use a razor over their whole body and wash their clothes, and they will be clean.

Leviticus 14:8-9

The one to be cleansed shall then wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe in water and be clean. Now afterward, he may enter the camp, but he shall stay outside his tent for seven days. It will be on the seventh day that he shall shave off all his hair: he shall shave his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair. He shall then wash his clothes and bathe his body in water and be clean

atoleybaba:
which is what u are doing....you being sick is a different case... It is like the Bible saying do not foresake the gathering of ur brothers but how can a blind man and a deaf man attend the gahering of his Christian Brothers? You are physically ok. You should not have any excuse not to obey God's command...anybody that is sick, God knows how to deal with the person accordingly.

redcliff:
This na dirty talk.. how sick can you be that someone else cannot look after you..try to twist it or not, anybody who is dirty cannot make heaven, period.

Kobojunkie:



So on the days that these cleansing rituala are not required, what then? God takes a break from His cleanliness requirement?
Come on!

Nooil:

As long as you want God's attention, you have to be clean physically and spiritually. It's left for you to decide if you want to be clean all the time or only when you want to hear from God. If it didn't matter to God, He wouldn't have added the ritual.

Kobojunkie:

Oh, it mattered! God demands obedience from His people, no matter how ridiculous the task may seem.
That said, it is not then enough for us to make the leap from that then to conclude that somehow cleanliness is there fore important to God. That is huge illogical leap and one that is not supported anywhere in scripture.

Take the thief on the cross with Jesus Christ... that man was filthy, came filthy but was welcomed into God's kingdom.

If cleanliness was indeed next to godliness, God would have outrightly said that Himself.

Nooil:


You have to understand that there are things God knows we can help, and those He knows we can't. I'm sure you didn't expect the thief to jump down from the cross and go take his bath before Jesus says he is accepted into the kingdom. But you see the Israelites that could, God asked them to get cleansed first.

You can't come into His presence dirty, when you know you can come clean.

James 4:17

Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.

Kobojunkie:


I understand what you are suggesting but it still remains that all that is still not enough to conclude that indeed cleanliness is next to Godliness.
We have been able to show in more than one instance that that isn't always the case. And just one example that runs counter to the main is all that is needed to disprove the claim.

NB: the book of James was written to those who are already believers.

Nooil:


If the Bible verses I quoted isn't enough to run counter, I don't know what else would.

Kobojunkie:

I am not saying that they, the verses, cannot be considered to argue for, what I mean is that to make an absolute statement such as is the title of this thread, there ought not to exist even one case that stands against it.
Since there are several, then it is not a truth, or maybe I should say it is a conditional truth but not an absolute truth.

Kobojunkie:

I am not saying that they, the verses, cannot be considered to argue for, what I mean is that to make an absolute statement such as is the title of this thread, there ought not to exist even one case that stands against it.
Since there are several, then it is not a truth, or maybe i should say it is a conditional truth but not an absolute truth.

Nooil:


Why aren't you sleeping? Are you competing with me?

Kobojunkie:

It is only 8:41 pm here.