The Truth in Print Vol. 27 Issue 6, July 2021
A Publication of the Valley church of Christ,
2375 W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364 (928-782-5058)
Website
Address ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Virtue
or just Virtue Signaling?
“VIRTUE” [G703 arêtē, n.f.]
Thayer Definition:
1) a virtuous course of thought, feeling and action
1a) virtue, moral goodness
2) any particular moral excellence, as modesty,
purity
From G730 [arrhēn] male, man (as stronger for
lifting) > Probably from [G142 airō, vb.] to lift.
VIRTUE IS APPLIED TO BOTH GOD’S
AND MAN’S
ü God’s is seen in “the praises of Him who called you
out of darkness…” (1Pe 2:9)
•
In 1Pe 2:9, aretás
(pl.) is translated "praises” / NASB “excellencies” [G703 aretē,
n.f.] Strong’s: From the same as G730; properly manliness (valor),
that is, excellence (intrinsic or attributed): - praise, virtue.
ü That
belonging to Christians is seen in Peter’s admonition “giving all diligence,
add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,” etc. (2 Pet. 1:5)
The Complete Word Study
Dictionary Definition:
“VIRTUE”
G703 aretḗ;
gen. aretḗs, fem. noun. Superiority or being pleasing to
God, or the superiority of God revealed in the work of salvation. Aretḗ
denotes in a moral sense what gives man his worth, his efficiency. In the NT:
virtue, moral excellency, perfection, goodness of action.
WHAT ARE THE “PRAISES” OF GOD WE
PROCLAIM?
* THE
SUPERIORITY OF GOD REVEALED IN THE WORK OF SALVATION.
ü NOT OUR OWN PRAISES (EXCELLENCIES) BUT HIS! GOD’S
PEOPLE, HIS CHURCH FOR HIS OWN POSSESSION WILL PROCLAIM HIS PRAISE.
•
He “has called you out of darkness into His
marvelous light” (I Pet. 2:9).
•
His divine power and knowledge: 2 Pet. 1:2-3.
•
His glory
i.e. we are “called by His own glory and virtue” (2 Pet. 1:3; cf. I Th.
2:12; 2 Th. 2:14; Rom. 1:16-17)
•
His mercy – “…but now you have received mercy”
(I Pet. 2:10).
SONGS:
•
“Praise Him! Praise
Him!” No. 11 3rd stanza includes: “Christ is coming! Over the world
victorious, Pow’r and glory unto the Lord belong.” D.S. – “Praise Him! Praise Him! tell of His
excellent greatness, Praise Him! Praise Him! Ever in joyful song.”
•
“Praise the Lord” No.
69 2nd stanza: “Praise the Lord, for He has spoken; Worlds His mighty voice obeyed;
Laws which never shall be broken, -- For their guidance He has made. –
Hallelujah! Amen, Amen, Amen.”
THE “MANLINESS” BELONGING TO
CHRISTIANS
* SUPERIORITY
OR BEING PLEASING TO GOD
•
2Pe 1:3 as His divine power has given to us all
things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him
who called us by glory and virtue,
•
2Pe 1:4 by which have
been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these
you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that
is in the world through lust.
•
2Pe 1:5 But also for this very reason, giving all
diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge,
•
2Pe 1:6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control
perseverance, to perseverance godliness,
•
2Pe 1:7 to godliness
brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
•
2Pe 1:8 For if these
things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
•
2Pe 1:9 For he who
lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that
he was cleansed from his old sins.
•
2Pe 1:10 Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to
make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never
stumble;
•
2Pe 1:11 for so an
entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
THE “MANLINESS” STANDARDS OF
CHRIST’S WORD ARE NOT THAT OF THE WORLD & THE
WORLD’S STANDARDS FOR THAT WHICH IS HELD IN HIGH ESTEEM IS CERTAINLY NOT GOD’S
*MUST CONSIDER THINGS TRUE,
NOBLE, JUST, LOVELY, OF GOOD REPORT -- ALL SUCH AS IS PRAISEWORTHY.
•
Php 4:4 Rejoice in
the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
•
Php 4:5 Let your
gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
•
Php 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by
prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to
God;
•
Php 4:7 and the peace
of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.
•
Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever
things are true (*truth, as not concealing), whatever things are noble
(*honest), whatever things are just (*right in character or
act), whatever things are pure (*chaste, clean morally), whatever
things are lovely (*acceptable, friendly towards – not harmful),
whatever things are of good report (*well spoken), if there
is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on
these things.
•
Php 4:9 The things
which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God
of peace will be with you.
IF THERE IS ANY VIRTUE IT WAS
SEEN IN JESUS!
POWER:
•
Mar 5:30 And
Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned
him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? *power, a mighty wonderful work
•
Luk 6:19 And the
whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and
healed them all. *power, a mighty wonderful work
•
Luk 7:22 Jesus
answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and
heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are
cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor
have the gospel preached to them.
JESUS DIDN’T SET ON THE
SIDELINE
*WHAT IS HIGHLY ESTEEMED AMONG MEN
IS AN ABOMINATION IN THE SIGHT OF GOD – THUS WE MUST EXPOSE “ABOMINATIONS.”
Luk 16:14 Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of
money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.
•
Luk 16:15 And He said
to them, "You are those who justify yourselves
before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is
an abomination in the sight of God.
•
Pro3:32 For the
perverse person is an abomination to the LORD, But His secret counsel is
with the upright.
•
Pro 6:16 These six things the LORD hates, Yes,
seven are an abomination to Him:
•
Pro 6:17 A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed
innocent blood,
•
Pro 6:18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that
are swift in running to evil,
•
Pro 6:19 A false
witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.
•
Pro8:7 For my mouth
will speak truth; Wickedness is an abomination to my lips.
EXPOSING ABOMINATIONS CONT’D.
•
Pro 11:1 Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, But
a just weight is His delight.
•
Pro 11:20 Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination
to the LORD, but the blameless in their ways are His delight.
•
Pro 12:22 Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those
who deal truthfully are His delight.
•
Pro 13:19 A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, But it is
an abomination to fools to depart from evil.
•
Pro 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the
LORD, But the prayer of the upright is His delight.
•
Pro 15:9 The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD,
But He loves him who follows righteousness.
•
Pro 15:26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the
LORD, But the words of the pure are pleasant.
•
Pro 16:5 Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the
LORD; Though they join forces, none will go unpunished.
EXPOSING ABOMINATIONS CONT’D.
•
Pro 16:12 It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness,
For a throne is established by righteousness.
•
Pro 17:15 He who
justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both
of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.
•
Pro 20:23 Diverse weights are an abomination to the LORD, And
dishonest scales are not good.
•
Pro 21:27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; How
much more when he brings it with wicked intent!
•
Pro 24:9 The devising of foolishness is sin, And the scoffer is
an abomination to men.
•
Pro 28:9 One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his
prayer is an abomination.
•
Pro 29:27 An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous, And
he who is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.
VIRTUE SIGNALING
virtue signaling (noun) · virtue signaling (noun)
– one online definition: “An
attempt to show other people that you are a good person, for example by
expressing opinions that will be acceptable to them, especially on social
media.”
*NOTHING MORE THAN THE “SOCIAL
JUSTICE” MOVEMENT USING THE SOCIAL MEDIA.
TWO RECENT APPLICABLE NEWSPAPER
ARTICLES:
MAY 2021
Virtue or just “Virtue Signaling”
Concerning
the “I’m good and you are not” in virtue signaling --- the partisan social
justice movement is often described as nothing more than bloated
self-righteousness with a tsunami of hypocrisy tied to self-proclaimed and
publicly promoted humility. Getting sick of it!
“Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; A stranger, and not
your own lips” (Prov. 27:2).
“Virtue” in
God’s Word is defined as “any particular moral excellence, as modesty, purity –
from male, man (as stronger for lifting)” (Cf. Thayer’s lexicon). The manliness
standards of Christ’s Word are not that of the world; the world’s standards for
that which is held in high esteem is certainly not God’s! Jesus said, "You
are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For
what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God” (Lk.
16:15). When considering the truth it matters not that one might argue it is
just which side of the fence one stands on: Pro 29:27 An unjust man is
an abomination to the righteous, And he who is upright in the way is
an abomination to the wicked. Pro 6:16 These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: Pro 6:17 A proud look, A lying
tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, Pro 6:18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that
are swift in running to evil, Pro 6:19 A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.
The often
seen great flaw in “signaling” is that by contrast in true virtue there is no
sinful conduct or shameful thing!
JUNE 2021
Virtue or just “Virtue Signaling” #2
“Virtue”
in God’s Word is defined as “any particular moral excellence, as modesty,
purity – from male, man (as stronger for lifting)” (Cf. Thayer’s lexicon). The
manliness standards of Christ’s Word are not that of the world; the world’s
standards for that which is held in high esteem is certainly not God’s! The
often seen great flaw in “signaling” is that by contrast in true virtue there
is no sinful conduct or shameful thing! Concerning the “I’m good and you are
not” in virtue signaling try to fit spewing counter racism and hate (while at
the same time denying on their part any connection to racism being themselves
ever so humble) into true virtue – it doesn’t fit! Doing that to maintain
personal status and enhance material gain, why that kind of carnal covetousness
wouldn’t enter in for a second would it? Or spewing the hatred of men who
recognize God’s creation of two sexes (Gen. 2:27; Eph. 5:23) while denying on
their part any connection to the hatred of women!
Apply now
the following admonition with brief definitions given in Philippians 4:8:
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true (*truth, as not concealing),
whatever things are noble (*honest), whatever things are just
(*right in character or act), whatever things are pure (*chaste, clean
morally), whatever things are lovely (*acceptable– not harmful),
whatever things are of good report (*well spoken), if there is
any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these
things. Php 4:9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in
me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.
SEEKING
REVENGE AGAINST THE TRUTH
* VIRTUE SIGNALERS – SENDING SPIES PRETENDING TO BE RIGHTEOUS IN ORDER TO
CATCH JESUS IN HIS OWN WORDS (LK. 20:20)
OUTCOME
OF THE PARABLE OF THE WICKED TENANTS
Luk 20:14 But when
the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the
heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'
Luk 20:15 So they cast
him out of the vineyard and killed him.
Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
Luk 20:16 He will
come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others." And when
they heard it they said, "Certainly not!"
Luk 20:17 Then He
looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written: 'THE STONE WHICH THE
BUILDERS REJECTED HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE’?
Luk 20:18 Whoever
falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him
to powder."
Luk 20:19 And the chief priests and the scribes that
very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people—for they knew He had spoken this parable
against them.
Luk 20:20 So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to
be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to
the power and the authority of the governor.
VIRTUE DEFINED AGAIN:
…THE SUPERIORITY OF GOD REVEALED IN THE WORK OF
SALVATION
1Co 1:30 But by His doing you are
in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and
sanctification, and redemption,
1Co 1:31 so that, just as it is
written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD."
2Co 10:17 But "HE WHO
GLORIES, LET HIM GLORY IN THE LORD."
2Co 10:18 For not he who commends
himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.
MUST GET THE RIGHT ORDER.
FIRST:
…THE SUPERIORITY OF GOD REVEALED IN THE WORK OF
SALVATION.
THEN:
SUPERIORITY OR BEING PLEASING TO GOD, ARETḖ DENOTES IN A MORAL SENSE WHAT
GIVES MAN HIS WORTH, HIS EFFICIENCY. IN THE NT: VIRTUE, MORAL EXCELLENCY,
PERFECTION, GOODNESS OF ACTION.
VIRTUE – KEEP IT WITH YOU!
1Co 16:13 Be on the alert, stand
firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.
Valley
Church of Christ
2375
W. 8th Street, Yuma, AZ 85364
(928)
782-5058 ~ http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com
Sunday
Services – Classes ~10:00; Assembly 10:50 am; Evening: 6:00 pm.
Wednesday
evening – 7:00 pm
To learn more call, visit or
visit our website at:
http://yumavalleychurchofchrist.com