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Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

Title:Discussions from a Christian Perspective
Notice:Prostitutes and tax collectors welcome!
Moderator:CSC32::J_CHRISTIE
Created:Mon Sep 17 1990
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1362
Total number of notes:61362

1336.0. "On being peculiar" by CSC32::J_CHRISTIE (Spigot of pithiness) Thu Mar 20 1997 11:31

Deuteronomy 26:18  And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be his
�peculiar� people, as he hath promised thee, and that [thou]
shouldest keep all his commandments;

Deuteronomy 14:2  For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and
the LORD hath chosen thee to be a �peculiar� people unto himself,
above all the nations that [are] upon the earth.

I Peter 2:9  But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an
holy nation, a �peculiar� people; that ye should show forth the
praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his
marvellous light:

Titus 2:14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from
all iniquity, and purify unto himself a �peculiar� people,
zealous of good works.


Are you a peculiar person?  Are you part of a peculiar people?

Shalom,
Richard
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name		DateLines
1336.1ASGMKA::MARTINConcerto in 66 MovementsThu Mar 20 1997 11:4610
 ZZ   Are you a peculiar person?  Are you part of a peculiar people?
    
    It would seem the theme of all the verses you mentioned centers around
    holiness...being different from all the rest.  
    
    A good example is Job.  The Lord looked to and fro from both ends of
    the earth and found nobody save Job.  He was peculiar because he was
    holy.
    
    -Jack
1336.2Set apartCOVERT::COVERTJohn R. CovertThu Mar 20 1997 13:117
"Peculiar" doesn't have it's modern meaning of "odd" in the examples you
have chosen.

The word, according to my dictionary, meant "belonging to a particular
person or group, separate, or independent" at that point in history.

/john
1336.3CSC32::J_CHRISTIESpigot of pithinessThu Mar 20 1997 22:088
    I'm sure 'holy' could have been used, but it was not.  'Peculiar' is
    the word used.
    
    Being set apart, of course, does tend to make one peculiar.  Identifiably
    so, it would seem.
    
    Richard
1336.4APACHE::MYERSFri Mar 21 1997 10:0112
    
   As a noun peculiar means
    
    "1.	A privilege or property that is exclusively one's own."
             
    This is from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language,
    Third Edition copyright � 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. 

    I think the verses cited in .0 are meant in this light, despite our
    colloquial understandings.

    Eric
1336.5CSC32::J_CHRISTIESpigot of pithinessFri Mar 21 1997 14:289
    In addition to all the other definitions, I believe being 'peculiar'
    will manifest itself in some measure of 'oddness,' or 'unusualness,'
    or even 'eccentricity' as, at least, a by-product.
    
    Loving one's enemy is an odd thing to do, for example.  How unusual
    it is to witness it.
    
    Richard