Ask the Pastor: Corinthian Riches. Stigmata. Meekness. Cursing in Jesus' Name. Male Lactation.
Environmental Stewardship.
by the Rev. Walter Snyder
Religion Columnist

Q: Could you please explain 1 Corinthians 4:8?

A: Paul is comparing the true riches of salvation through Christ with the false riches of self-
importance that seem to have been troubling the Corinthian congregation. If you go on, you see how
he shows the shameful treatment of the world against Christ's apostles, as opposed to the fine times
enjoyed by those in Corinth. This will appear in other parts of the epistles to Corinth, including his
condemnation of their communion practice, where the rich eat and drink while the poor are kept
away.

Q: I have a question about stigmata, I know what they are---they are the five wounds of
Christ. They include slashes on the back, the nails through the hands and feet, the spear
through the side, cuts on the forehead from the crown of thorns.

Regarding these wounds, many people believe that was physically impossible to be held up
on the cross by the palms and it was really Christ's wrists. Do you agree with this? I have asked many
people; the people who are deeply religious tell me it was through the hands while the ones that are
not tell me that it was through the wrists.

The Greek word for "hand" often included the wrist. This is possible in the context of Christ's
crucifixion, since the bones, tendons, and ligaments of the wrist probably would hold one's weight. It
could also be that he was nailed, then tied to the cross. Then the nails would have been additional
torture although not of themselves part of normal crucifixion practice. This is also possible, since
other reports tell of great variety in Roman crucifixions. When you examine the structure of a human
hand, the standard picture of nails through the palms seems the least likely possibility, because even
a fairly light body could easily cause the nails to tear through the hand, dropping the victim to the
ground. Yet without specific testimony, we won't know until we see the wounds ourselves.

Q: What does the word meek mean in the Bible?

A: "Meek" has the same general meaning as in regular English usage. In the context of
"Blessed are the meek," it means gentle or patient, describing the kind of people who are even-
tempered, in control, and don't try to impose their wills upon others.

Q: My wife's pastor recently "cursed" a dog (in Jesus' name) that had bitten my wife. Is
there a biblical foundation for doing this? He also commented to her about the "power of the
spoken Word." What is he referring to? Thank you for your time. Oh, in case you are curious,
my wife reported that the dog did get very sick.

A: I would reckon this as a rather frivolous use of God's holy Name. In the Small Catechism,
Martin Luther explains the Commandment, "You shall not misuse the Name of the Lord your God,"
by saying, "We should fear and love God so that we do not curse, swear, use satanic arts, lie, or
deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks." While
Scripture references deal more with cursing people (see James 3:9--10 and Luke 9:51--55, where
James and John ask Jesus about calling down fire on a Samaritan village), it nowhere allows or
encourages the cursing of animals or other things. As for the "power of the spoken Word," God's
Word does have power as it is proclaimed---even more reason to not misuse it.

Q: I was just wondering if you could tell me of any bible quotes that speak of men
lactating to feed their babies in times of stress?

A: There were no quotes I found about this being done physically. However, there are some
places where nursing symbolizes bodily or spiritual sustenance. Moses compares himself to a nurse
(Numbers 11:12) who didn't ask for the job of feeding the children of Israel in the Wilderness. Of
course, it was actually the Lord who was their "nurse," as we see, for example, in Moses' words in
Deuteronomy 32:13--14. Likewise, Paul speaks of himself and those who went with him as acting
gently among the people, "like a nurse taking care of her children (1 Thessalonians 2:7)." Isaiah
60:16 talks of the restored Israel sucking the breast of Gentiles and of kings, a sign that even the
foreign powers would be contributing to the welfare of God's people.

Q: I am doing a religion project on Christians and their responses to environmental
issues. I need to know what influence the belief that "man was made in the image of God and is
a trustee of this planet" has on conservation issues. Please could you help me on what the job
of humans as stewards is and what the Bible says. Thank you.

A: In the New Testament, the Bible considers stewardship in light of the Greco-Roman world
view, in which stewards were entrusted with their masters' possessions and were expected to deal
with them wisely and well. A Christian is steward of his own life and possessions, since these all come
from God, as well as of his time and talents. He is to use them as the Owner would have them used.
Similarly, he is to be a steward of all of creation, including the natural world and both use and
protect it in a manner that glorifies its Creator. Some Christians have misused the words of Genesis
where God tells Adam to have children and to "subdue the earth and have dominion over it."
Instead of ruling as God rules them---with loving concern---they take the verse as license to be cruel
tyrants over the earth and its environment. The duty of the stewards will vary from person to person,
but each should continue to carefully deliberate the consequences of his actions on the earth and to
the earth.

To Ask the Pastor, please write Ask the Pastor, PO Box 12, Emma, MO, 65327 or send
email to askthepastor@aol.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of
the book "What Do Lutherans Believe."

Ask the Pastor is copyright (c) 2000 by Walter P. Snyder. It may be
reproduced  in totality, including this disclaimer, by anyone, provided
that no profit is generated by said republication and redistribution.
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