Duty

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Some believe in this life we have two basic duties; The first duty is between man and God; The second is to our fellow man according to the word of God.

'To seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his way of righteousness' is clearly an Old and New Testament directive. To be righteous is defined "acting in accord with divine or moral law " and in the Greek text it means "in a broad sense: state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God."

While some may have a problem with the word "duty" the truth is the word "ought" is the auxiliary verb "used to express duty or moral obligation."

If duty is defined today as "a moral or legal obligation; a responsibility."

Several question naturally arise:

  • Do we as Christians have the moral obligation or responsibility to be righteous?
  • What is righteous and what is not righteous?
  • Has God given us the scriptures to help us measure the difference between the two conditions of unrighteous and righteous?
  • Can we honestly say we love the Lord we accept and indulge by policy unrighteous behavior?

If our deeds are unrighteous then Christ does not actually abide in us. The English word “duty” only appears a few times in the New Testament but the same Greek word is also translated “ought” which appears many times. And as I said “ought" is simply the auxiliary verb "used to express duty or moral obligation."

Matthew 23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites[1]! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought[2] ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. 24 Ye blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.


Some will try to wiggle out of this clear directive of the doctrines of Jesus but Christ was taking the kingdom from them and going to give it to those who would do what they "ought" to do, obviously out of love for Christ. Those deeds of righteousness must be pursued in Spirit and in truth. Our real duties to God are the same today as they were yesterday because God is the same.

Many modern blind guides have fallen for the sophistry of the Pharisees who got it wrong and did not hear or sea what Christ was telling them. They did not understand the altars of God nor the righteousness of The Way.

Jesus use the same word in Matthew 23:23 in John 4:24 but it is translated "must" instead of "ought".

John 4:24 God [is] a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship [him] in spirit and in truth.

We even see Peter and the [other] apostles use the same word translated "ought" in their instructions to obey God.

  • Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the [other] apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

And the instructions to care for those in need they use the same word related to duty:

  • Acts 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

There is another word translated ought[3] meaning owed or be bound which Jesus uses.

  • John 13:14 If I then, [your] Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought[3] to wash one another’s feet.

And Paul and others continue to use the same word in the Epistles.

  • Romans 15:1 “We then that are strong ought[3] to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.”

1 Corinthians 5:10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must(/ought)[3] ye needs go out of the world.

This world you will need to go out of and not fornicate with is the same world that is not suppose to "spot" your caring for the widows and orphans though Pure Religion.

The same word is also translated due speaking of a duty of a husband to his wife.

1 Corinthians 7:3 Let the husband render unto the wife due[3] benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

Which we see again expressing the duty of the husband to love their wives.

  • Ephesians 5:28 So ought[3] men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

And again we are told we have a duty owed to thank God in Thessalonians.

  • 2 Thessalonians 1:3 We are bound[3] to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

And if you say you believe then you have a duty to walk as he did or you take his name in vain.

  • 1 John 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.

And if God loved us we have a duty to love others must as if we are to be forgiven we must forgive others.

  • 1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.


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Footnotes

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named hypocrites
  2. ↑ 1163 ~δεῖ~ dei \@die\@ third person singular active present of 1210; v AV-must 58, ought 31, must needs 5, should 4, misc 7, vr ought 1; 106
    1) it is necessary, there is need of, it behooves, is right and proper
    1a) necessity lying in the nature of the case
    1b) necessity brought on by circumstances or by the conduct of others toward us.
    1c) necessity in reference to what is required to attain some end
    1d) a necessity of law and command, of duty, equity
    1e) necessity established by the counsel and decree of God, especially by that purpose of his which relates to the salvation of men by the intervention of Christ and which is disclosed in the Old Testament prophecies
    1e1) concerning what Christ was destined finally to undergo, his sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3784 ~ὀφείλω~ opheilo \@of-i’-lo\@ or (in certain tenses) its prolonged form ~ὀφειλέω~ opheileo \@of-i-leh’-o\@ probably from the base of 3786 (through the idea of accruing); v AV-ought 15, owe 7, be bound 2, be (one’s) duty 2 (Lu 17:10, ), be a debtor 1, be guilty 1, be indebted 1, misc 7; 36
    1) to owe
    1a) to owe money, be in debt for
    1a1) that which is due, the debt
    2) metaph. the goodwill due


Definitions of the word Duty

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

DUTY, noun
1. That which a person owes to another; that which a person is bound, by any natural, moral or legal obligation, to pay, do or perform. Obedience to princes, magistrates and the laws is the duty of every citizen and subject; obedience, respect and kindness to parents are duties of children; fidelity to friends is a duty; reverence, obedience and prayer to God are indispensable duties; the government and religious instruction of children are duties of parents which they cannot neglect without guilt.
2. Forbearance of that which is forbid by morality, law, justice or propriety. It is our duty to refrain from lewdness, intemperance, profaneness and injustice.
3. Obedience; submission.
4. Act of reverence or respect.
They both did duty to their lady.
5. The business of a soldier or marine on guard; as, the company is on duty It is applied also to other services or labor.
6. The business of war; military service; as, the regiment did duty in Flanders.
7. Tax, toll, impost, or customs; excise; any sum of money required by government to be paid on the importation, exportation, or consumption of goods. An impost on land or other real estate, and on the stock of farmers, is not called a duty but a direct tax.
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