A good marriage, God’s provision to enhance your life!

 

Welcome back to my blog. Thank you for taking time to read it.

 

We recently started a new series about the exciting research findings from Teleios! Our first evidence, presented over the last several weeks, was that peer-reviewed and Teleios sponsored scientific studies support improved wellbeing with Christianity!  

 

Today let us continue this thrilling journey of the benefits of scripture by exploring what the medical literature states about religion and traditional man/woman-based marriage. This is a vital topic for our lives.

 

Remember, most all academic studies evaluating religion are performed in traditionally First World countries which are historically Christian. Although academic authors typically are shy to mention Christianity, most subjects in these studies would have been de facto evangelical or social Christians.

 

Our review of the medical literature shows an overwhelming benefit of traditional marriage on both general wellbeing and specific parameters that might affect wellbeing, including physical and mental health, sexual satisfaction, family income, and children’s outcomes. Of the numerous articles we evaluated, only three did not note marriage benefit.

 

Further, although not all articles assessed the same subject groups, there is a progressive trend of enhanced wellbeing and its associated parameters, the stronger the relationship commitment; generally manifested by the following:

 

·       Never married, widowed and divorced individuals show the lowest wellbeing.  

 

·       Individuals in a committed relationship, even unmarried, have improved wellbeing compared to uncommitted couples.

 

·       Cohabitating couples demonstrate improved wellbeing compared to those not in a relationship. 

 

·       Cohabitating couples who are committed enjoy greater wellbeing than uncommitted cohabitating relationships.

 

·       Married couples show the highest wellbeing ratings compared to other commitment levels and singles. 

 

Why would traditional marriage relationships provide the strongest associated wellbeing with levels decreasing with less committed relationships? The answer is not completely clear, but we speculate marriage may: 

 

·       Help with income, reducing costs, household tasks, and raising children.  

 

·       Provide needed socialization and a potential source of personal enrichment, encouragement and empathy. 

 

·       Allow confidence and trust in a spouse in discussing sensitive issues and reaching personal as well as professional goals.

 

·       Assist the marriage partner in maintaining good health such as in keeping medical appointments, taking medicines and achieving a healthy lifestyle.

 

·       Facilitate sexual satisfaction by eliminating competing love interests.

 

·       Build a healthy spiritual relationship by encouraging mutual adherence to the Christian faith and in studying God’s word. One past study indicated that marriage increased the probability of attending religious services. However, cohabitation alone reduced the probability of attending church. 

 

Our review suggests that traditional marriage generally provides numerous benefits to the relationship partners through enhanced measures of mental and physical wellbeing, and benefits to their children compared to other heterosexual partnership arrangements or single status.

 

We have a great God who has instituted marriage out of His wisdom and for our good.  It works best in a committed, encouraging relationship which promotes many aspects of wellbeing including our Christian lifestyle, which as we've seen in recent past blogs, has its own positive impact on wellbeing. 

 

Read more from this study at Benefit of marriage.

 

Please join us again next week as we continue exploring Teleios research that can help our daily lives.

 

William C. Stewart, MD

 

Email – info@teleiosresearch.com

Website – http://teleiosresearch.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TeleiosVideos

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TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@teleiostiktok

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/teleiosresearch

 

Disclaimer – This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author alone and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and/or do your own research into the scriptures.

 

 

 

 

 

So why are we at church anyway?

 

Welcome back to my blog. I'm happy that you can visit. The purpose of Teleios is to use the scientific method to show the validity of God's word as wisdom and guidance in daily life. 

 

Teleios performed a survey in six evangelical churches evaluating members’ impressions of their church leadership and the church itself (full report here Influence of church leadership on congregant wellbeing. We presented choices that were positive in relationship to the member’s own maturity (e.g., prayer, fellowship, and biblical preaching) and also those that might indicate immaturity, such as self-focused motivations.  Fortunately, the negative rating responses were fewer than the more mature, biblically based scores but did represent a significant minority of members’ choices.

 

What are the implications of members using the church for their own agenda? We believe they are extensive and potentially severe. What do these people want? Here are some examples of what we gleaned from our survey.

 

Table: Most frequently cited ratings potentially indicating 

using the church for a personal agenda

Who are these people in the church? We do not know for certain but here are my best guesses:

• Earnest, suffering believers needing help from the church - There are afflicted Christians who are honestly seeking God. Although it may take time and emotion from the church leadership and caring church members, scripture tells us to ‘bear one another’s burdens’ (Galatians 6:2) and assist suffering believers back to spiritual health (1 Thessalonians 5:11-12).
• Young believers who do not know any better and need to be taught.
• Immature believers seeking emotional attention with no intent to change - These members may cause significant damage, sucking away people's time and good grace to satisfy themselves without any intention to change their lives. They are not truly seeking God and provide little benefit the body of Christ.
• Active anti-church agenda - These members use the church as a personal power base, or to aggrandize themselves in some manner. They may cause harm at a minimum by distracting other members from seeking and serving God and at worst by creating divisions that could divide the church.
• Tares - Christ mentioned (Matthew 13:24-30) that tares would afflict the church. Tares are non-believers who come to church. They learn the jargon and how to fit socially while maintaining an ungodly agenda that may cause factions, waste people's time, and distract the church from biblical pursuits.  

The church is God's plan to implement His purposes for this time period before Christ’s return. It should function efficiently with love that is consistent with God's word. Attendees who push their own non-Biblical agendas, whether for emotional comfort (with no desire to change) or for power, even covered in a pseudo-spiritual façade, represent a potential danger to the church. 

 

How do we recognize these people, and what should we do about them? We will discuss these important questions over the next several weeks. Our prayer is that this information will help you make your own church more biblically effective while attempting to lovingly bring destructive members into proper fellowship. 

 

Thank you for joining me today. I pray for those of you who read my blog and that the blog might be an encouragement to you in your daily life.

 

William C. Stewart, MD

 

Email – info@teleiosresearch.com

Website – http://teleiosresearch.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TeleiosVideos

X - https://x.com/TeleiosTweets

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@teleiostiktok

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/teleiosresearch

 

Disclaimer – This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author alone and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.

 

 

 

 

Tithing: What does the Bible say?

 

Welcome to my blog! Today, we discuss tithing which indeed can be a difficult issue. 

 

The term “tithe” originates from the Old English word “teogotha,” which means “tenth.” In biblical terms, tithing refers to the practice of giving 10% of one’s income or resources to support the work of the church or the religious community. This concept was introduced in the Old Testament law and refers to 10% of gains in crops and herds given to the use of God (Numbers 18:24-28, Leviticus 27:30-32 and restated in Deuteronomy 12:6-12, 14:22-28). One prior mention of tithing stretches back to Genesis 14 in Abraham’s tithe to King Melchizedek after his victory over the Mesopotamians. This action signified Abraham’s submission to Melchizedek (a type of Christ).

 

Tithing is not mentioned in the New Testament epistles for the church. Importantly, Christ said He is the end of the Old Testament law (Romans 10:4). Therefore, the law is discontinued and does not govern the church; Christians do not have to follow it (Hebrews 7:12-22).

 

The New Testament does state in 2 Corinthians 9:7, however, that each individual should choose to give to God’s work, without sorrow, because God loves those who give joyfully! The Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:8 provides us an example when he states that he counts all things loss for Christ. Further, our whole lives are a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service (Romans 12:1). Importantly, everything we do as Christians is done by faith, including the extent and manner of how we give (Romans 14:23).

 

In contrast, some who adhere to Reformed Theology believe the church was mysteriously present in the Old Testament and so we must obey the law, including tithing. However, no Christian attempts to obey all the law, so this application is selective and inconsistent. If the church was present in the Old Testament, it is not mentioned specifically. Therefore, the church if present in the Old Testament would be there in a spiritual sense, and not as an organized, functioning structure.

 

In summary, tithing is based in the Old Testament law which New Testament believers are not required to obey because they follow Christ. In contrast, we have the opportunity to serve Christ with all our mental and physical possessions, in faith, as guided by the New Testament and prayer (1 Timothy 4:4-5). While the New Testament doesn’t explicitly command tithing in the same way as the Old Testament, it emphasizes principles of generosity, stewardship, and cheerful giving. 

 

Teleios Research – Tithing attitudes among adolescents and millennials

 

To investigate young believers’ beliefs’ over tithing we recently surveyed visitors to the Instagram account, DailyBibleVerses. See full results here https://teleiosresearch.com/young-believers-tithing/. In total, 548 persons completed the survey of whom 80% were female, 82% evangelical, and 85% were <40 years of age and 40% <18. How the participants tithed is described in Table 1 (top 3 responses).

 

 

Further, 82% said that missions or parachurch organizations could receive part of their tithe while 60% indicated material possessions donated or time spent serving could be part of their tithe. Table 2 addresses the participant’s biblical basis of their tithing (top 3 responses).

Further answers are in Tables 3-4 (top 3 responses).

Table 4: What percent of your possessions belong to God?

In summary, as Christians born again by faith in Christ’s forgiveness and His resurrection from the dead, we live by the scriptural commands in the New Testament apostolic letters. These enable us to become a joyful giver, produce fruit, and be committed to God’s work. Faith and the Holy Spirit allow us to give 100% of our lives, and not just 10%.

 

Thank you for reading my blog and join me again next time as we continue discussing the Christian life.

 

William C. Stewart, MD

 

Email - info@teleiosresearch.com

Website - http://teleiosresearch.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TeleiosVideos/

 

Disclaimer - This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author alone and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.

 

 

Hermeneutics - How to interpret scripture: Part 2

 

Bible content intended for the church

 

Bible interpretation can be challenging. For example, the Old Testament law and the gospels contain difficult commands for us to obey today, such as animal sacrifices and following the rules of the Pharisees (Matthew 23:3)! Obviously, in our Christian-based society we do not practice these things nor does the church command them.

 

Consequently, on what basis of interpretation can we ignore some commands and follow others? This is a vital question to answer to avoid confusion, believing lies about God and guilt!

 

Importantly, the Old Testament and the gospels must be interpreted carefully within the cultural and historical context in which God intended to communicate to His people and administrative them. Please read my last blog below to find clues on how to do this.

 

Today let's look at the portion of scripture intended towards the church specifically, the apostolic epistles in the New Testament, from Romans to Revelation 3. These letters explain what Christ wants us to do as church-based Christians following his glorious resurrection and ascension. 

 

·       The apostle Paul specifically was chosen to explain to the church the meaning of Christ’s coming (Colossians 1:25; Ephesians 3:1-6). In several instances, commands from the Old Testament law, such as nine of the Ten Commandments, and ‘love one another’ from the Gospels, are repeated in the epistles. However, it is from the Epistles that we derive our instructions as Christians in this time when God manages people through the church.

 

·       Proper technique in understanding the Bible is vital. Misinterpreting scripture based on an improper view of scriptural interpretation will cause us to believe lies about God which can have a negative psychological or physical impact on us and others. In the extreme, it can cause disunity in the church, formation of Christian cults, leading others astray, and causing wasted lives and resources in service to God. 

 

·       Basic interpretation rules for the Christian in the church (please also see my last blog).

 

• Guidance for the Christian is in the New Testament epistles. 
• Do not believe information about God, Christ or the Spirit that is not in scripture.
• As bad as it is to not believe Bible, it is also dangerous to add to the scripture (Revelation 22:18-19). Both removing and adding to scripture teaches lies about the character, actions, desires, and requirements of our holy God. Unfortunately, adding to scripture is quite common, often from well-intentioned teachers and leaders. Adding to scripture is most commonly done by:

Ø  Using philosophic arguments that are not in the Bible to assign their own beliefs to God.

Ø  Over-interpreting a verse according to one’s prejudice.

Ø  Interpreting a verse in isolation and not understanding the historical, cultural, or textual context.

Ø  Poor hermeneutics (basis of interpretation, please see my prior blog).

o   Scripture is progressive in revealing more information about God and His great plan of salvation as you proceed reading through the Bible; and should be interpreted in a normal, literal fashion. Otherwise, interpret is as it would have been understood at the time of writing and by the type of literature it represents (e.g. historical narrative, poetry, etc.)

 

·       For scriptural study techniques, see the Teleios guide on Bible study methods.

 

Make a strong habit, as people tell you what to believe about God, to check the veracity in scripture itself (yes, even the Teleios website) especially if it will strongly affect your or others’ lives and beliefs. You may need to ask the person who first made the statement where it is supported in the Bible. By this method, over time, you will learn what is actually in scripture and what God really desires from Christians. Knowing what is in scripture, and what is not, is quite freeing and helpful to your life.

 

Please join us next time which we discussed the plan of God in scripture. What a great and encouraging topic! I look forward to seeing you then.

 

Join us again next time and share this important blog with your friends and family!

 

William C. Stewart, MD

 

Email - info@teleiosresearch.com

Website - http://teleiosresearch.com/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TeleiosResearch

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/TeleiosResearch

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/TeleiosVideos/

 

Disclaimer - This blog and its content are provided only as information and are intended for visitors 18 and older. No content on the website should be taken as advice or recommendation to any personal or institutional situation. The views expressed are those of the author alone and not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Teleios. Both the blog and the contents are subject to change at any time without notice. Although I endeavor to ensure that the blog and the content are current and accurate, it may contain errors. I do not represent that the blog or the content is current, accurate or complete, or appropriate for your specific requirements. I do not accept any liability from any person for the blog, the content or any other information (or the use of such information) I provide. I do not have a seminary degree, but I have trained myself in the scriptures to teach and provide this information. For any specific question, I suggest you contact experts in that field and or do your own research into the scriptures.