The Holy Bible.

     Mark 15:29, 30 ( KJV ) read as follows:

"And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself, and come down from the cross" ( emphasis mine, R.E.W. ).

Luke 23:39 ( KJV ) reads as follows:

"And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us" ( emphasis mine, R.E.W. ).

1 Corinthians 5:9-13 ( KJV ) read as follows:

"I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators:  yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.  For what have I to do to judge them also that are without?  do [ sic ] not ye judge them that are within?  But them that are without God judgeth.  Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person" ( emphasis mine, R.E.W. ).

     1 Peter 3:9 ( KJV ) reads as follows:

"Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing" ( emphases mine, R.E.W. ).

2 Peter 2:10, 11 ( KJV ) read as follows:

"But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government.  Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.  Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord" ( emphasis mine, R.E.W. ).

Jude, verse 9 ( KJV ), reads as follows:

"Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee" ( emphasis mine, R.E.W. ).

     1 Timothy 6:4, 5 ( KJV ) read as follows:

"He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that  gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself" ( emphasis mine, R.E.W. ).

The Greek word ( Greek [ 987 ] ), for the word "railed" in Mark 15:29 and Luke 23:39, is defined as follows:

"to vilify; spec. to speak impiously."  [  See ABINGDON'S STRONG'S EXHAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE OF THE BIBLE, STRONG, JAMES, S.T.D., LL.D., ABINGDON PRESS, NASHVILLE, Copyright, 1890, by JAMES STRONG, MADISON, N.J., ( A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek/New Testament with their Renderings in the King James Version, p. 22. ).  ]

The Greek word ( Greek [ 3060 ] ), for the word "railer" in 1 Corinthians 5:11, is defined as follows:

"abusive, i.e. a blackguard."  [  Ibid., p. 59.  ]

     The Greek word ( Greek [ 3059 ] ), for the word "railing" in 1 Peter 3:9, is defined as follows:

"slander or vituperation."  [  Ibid.  ]

The Greek word ( Greek [ 989 ] ), for the word "railing" in 2 Peter 2:11, is defined as follows:

"scurrilous, i.e. calumnious (against man), or (spec.) impious (against God)."  [  Ibid., p. 22.  ]

The Greek word ( Greek [ 988 ] ), for the word "railing" in Jude, verse 9, is defined as follows:

"vilification (espec. against God)."  [  Ibid.  ]

     The Greek word ( Greek [ 988 ] ), for the word "railings" in 1 Timothy 6:4, is the same Greek word on which the word "railing," in Jude, verse 9, is based.  

The Greek word ( Greek [ 5100 ] ), for the word "man" in 1 Corinthians 5:11, is defined as follows:

"some or any person or object"  [  Ibid., p. 97.  ]  

With all of the above-given information in mind, it is a sin to be a railer.  

     Specifically, it is a sin to use abusive language towards others.  Moreover, the apostle Paul ( see 1 Corinthians 1:1 ) teaches Christians ( see Psalm 50:5, Acts 2:38, Acts 8:26-40 ( especially verses 36-39, for example ), Acts 11:26, Romans 6:1-4 ( especially verse 3, for example ), 1 Corinthians 1:2, Galatians 3:27, Hebrews 10:22, and 1 Peter 1:1, 2, for example ) not to eat with a fellow Christian who is a railer, for example.  It is important to remember that "the wages of sin is death" ( see Romans 6:23; KJV, for example ).

If you have any questions about the Holy Bible, you can contact me by e-mail at:

<rewillis1_1@juno.com>

<Russell E. Willis>

The Holy Bible.

     Matthew 10:1-4 ( KJV ) read as follows:

"And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.  Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him."

Luke 6:12-16 ( KJV ) read as follows:

"And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor."

Simon the Canaanite ( mentioned in Matthew 10:4 ) is the same man as Simon called Zelotes ( mentioned in Luke 6:15 ).  The word "Zelotes" in Luke 6:15 ( KJV; with center-column references ) has an equivalent translation which means "the Zealot."  The word "zealot" is defined as follows:

"A militant radical; one who acts with great zeal for a cause.  The term came to designate a particular segment of the Jewish population who continually tried to overthrow foreign oppression, especially the Roman rule in Palestine."  [  See HOLMAN BIBLE DICTIONARY, BUTLER, TRENT C., PH.D., HOLMAN BIBLE PUBLISHERS, NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, Copyright 1991 Holman Bible Publishers, pp. 1433, 1434.  ]

     Jesus ( see Luke 6:3, 9 ) specifically chose Simon called Zelotes to be one His original twelve apostles.  This man would, in today's language, be called a terrorist.  Simon called Zelotes, as one of Jesus' apostles, used his great zeal to preach the kingdom of God ( see Luke 9:2, for example ).

     Those of us who are Christians ( see Acts 11:26, for example ) need to be careful that we do not prejudge people, with regard to their worthiness to hear and respond to God's word ( the Holy Bible - see Psalm 119:65-72, 142, John 1:1, 14, John 17:1, 17, Colossians 2:8, 9, 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, and 1 John 5:7, for example ).  Jesus said, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear" ( see Matthew 11:7, 15, for example; KJV ).  Jesus also said, "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" ( see Luke 19:9, 10, for example; KJV ).

If you have any questions about the Holy Bible, you can contact me by e-mail at:

<rewillis1_1@juno.com>

<Russell E. Willis>