A CLEAN AND HOLY GOD

Holiness and cleanliness are related concepts, but they have distinct meanings, especially in religious and spiritual contexts. Let’s explore their differences:

1. Holiness:
   • Definition: Holiness refers to a state of being set apart, sacred, and dedicated to God or a higher power. It involves moral purity, spiritual devotion, and living in accordance with divine principles.
   • Context: Holiness is often associated with religious practices, rituals, and ethical behavior. It signifies a close relationship with the divine and a commitment to living a righteous life.
   • Example: In Leviticus, God commands the Israelites to be holy because He Himself is holy ¹. Holiness encompasses both inner purity and outward actions that align with God’s character.
2. Cleanliness:
   • Definition: Cleanliness primarily relates to physical or ritual purity. It involves maintaining hygiene, avoiding contamination, and adhering to specific rules or practices.
   • Context: Cleanliness is emphasized in various religious traditions, including Judaism and Hinduism. Ritual washing, dietary restrictions, and avoiding impurity are common aspects of cleanliness.
   • Example: In Leviticus, there are detailed instructions about clean and unclean foods, as well as purification rituals ¹. Cleanliness ensures fitness or suitability to be in God’s presence ².

In summary, holiness encompasses both moral and spiritual aspects, while cleanliness focuses on physical and ritual purity. However, in Leviticus, these concepts intersect, emphasizing that being clean is closely tied to being holy ¹. Ultimately, both holiness and cleanliness aim to bring individuals closer to the divine

John Wesley, co-founder of Methodism, may have been the inventor of the phrase “cleanliness is next to godliness.” He often emphasized cleanliness in his preaching. But the principle behind the rule dates back long before the days of Wesley to the worship rituals laid out in the book of Leviticus. These rites were established by Yahweh to show sinners how they could be cleansed from iniquity and reconciled to God.

Ritual purification was a matter of extreme importance in Israelite worship. God required his people to be a pure and holy nation (Exodus 19:6). For the Jews, holiness had to be reflected in the way they lived, giving utmost priority to the moral and spiritual virtues that God had revealed in his laws.

Unlike all the other nations, God had given his covenant people specific instructions concerning hygiene and cleanness. He showed them how to maintain purity, and what to do to regain it if they lost it through carelessness or disobedience.

Handwashing

In Exodus, when God gave instructions for worship in the wilderness Tabernacle, he instructed Moses to make a large bronze laver and place it between the tent of meeting and the altar. This basin held water that the priests would use to wash their hands and feet before approaching the altar to make offerings (Exodus 30:17–21; 38:8).

This hand washing ritual of purification came to represent God’s loathing of sin (Isaiah 52:11). It formed the basis of the Jewish practice of washing their hands before specific prayers and before meals (Mark 7:3–4; John 2:6).

The Pharisees adopted such a careful routine of handwashing before eating food that they began to equate having clean hands with having a pure heart. But Jesus didn’t give much weight to such habits, and neither did his disciples. Jesus considered this pharisaical practice to be empty, dead legalism (Matthew 15:1–20).

Foot Washing

The custom of foot washing was not only part of the purification rituals in ancient times, but also one of the duties of hospitality. The humble gesture expressed respect for guests as well as attentive and affectionate regard for weary, travel-worn visitors. The roads in biblical times were not paved, and thus sandal-clad feet became dirty and dusty.

Foot washing as a part of hospitality appeared in the Bible as early as the days of Abraham, who washed the feet of his heavenly visitors in Genesis 18:1–15. We see the welcoming ritual again in Judges 19:21 when a Levite and his concubine were invited to stay in Gibeah. Foot washing was performed by slaves and servants as well as by members of the household (1 Samuel 25:41). Ordinary pots and bowls would have been kept on hand to be used for this purpose.

Perhaps the most remarkable example of foot washing in the Bible occurred when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples in John 13:1–20. Christ performed the lowly service to teach humility to his followers and to demonstrate how believers are to love one another through acts of sacrifice and service. Many Christian churches still practice foot-washing ceremonies today.

Baptism, Regeneration, and Spiritual Cleansing

The Christian life begins with the washing of the body through baptism by immersion in water. Baptism is symbolic of the spiritual regeneration that takes place through repentance and forgiveness of sin. In Scripture, sin is associated with a lack of cleanliness, whereas redemption and baptism are linked with washing and purity.

Washing is also used figuratively for the believer’s spiritual cleansing through the Word of God:

“… Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:25–27, NIV).

The apostle Paul described salvation in Jesus Christ and new birth by the power of the Holy Spirit as spiritual washing:

“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5, NIV).

Cleanliness Quotes in the Bible

Exodus 40:30–31 (NLT)
Next Moses placed the washbasin between the Tabernacle and the altar. He filled it with water so the priests could wash themselves. Moses and Aaron and Aaron’s sons used water from it to wash their hands and feet.

John 13:10 (ESV)
Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.”

Leviticus 14:8–9 (NIV)
“The person to be cleansed must wash their clothes, shave off all their hair and bathe with water; then they will be ceremonially clean. After this they may come into the camp, but they must stay outside their tent for seven days. On the seventh day they must shave off all their hair; they must shave their head, their beard, their eyebrows and the rest of their hair. They must wash their clothes and bathe themselves with water, and they will be clean.

Leviticus 17:15–16 (NLT)
“And if any native-born Israelites or foreigners eat the meat of an animal that died naturally or was torn up by wild animals, they must wash their clothes and bathe themselves in water. They will remain ceremonially unclean until evening, but then they will be clean. But if they do not wash their clothes and bathe themselves, they will be punished for their sin.”

Psalm 51:7 (NLT)
Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Psalm 51:10 (NLT)
Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Isaiah 1:16 (NLT)
Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of my sight. Give up your evil ways.

Ezekiel 36:25–26 (NIV)
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.

Matthew 15:2 (NLT)
“Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”

Acts 22:16 (NIV)
And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

2 Corinthians 7:1 (NLT)
Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God.

Hebrews 10:22 (NIV)
Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

1 Peter 3:21 (NLT)
And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

1 John 1:7 (NIV)
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.

1 John 1:9 (NLT)
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Revelation 19:14 (NIV)
The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.

PLATO’S ACADEMY

The Academy (Ancient Greek: Ἀκαδημία, romanized: Akadēmía), variously known as Plato’s Academy, the Platonic Academy, and the Academic School, was founded at Athens by Plato circa 387 BC. Aristotle studied there for twenty years (367–347 BC) before founding his own school, the Lyceum. The Academy persisted throughout the Hellenistic period as a skeptical school, until coming to an end after the death of Philo of Larissa in 83 BC. The Platonic Academy was destroyed by the Roman dictator Sulla in 86 BC.[1]

A neo-Platonic academy was later founded in Athens that claimed to continue the tradition of Plato’s Academy. This academy was shut down by Justinian in 529 AD, when some of the scholars fled to Harran, where the study of classical texts continued. In 1462 Cosimo de’ Medici established the Platonic Academy of Florence, which helped initiate the renaissance. In 1926 the Academy of Athens was founded with founding principle tracing back to the historical Academy of Plato.

HISTORY

The Akademia, situated outside the city walls of ancient Athens, was positioned near a grove of olive trees dedicated to the goddess Athena. This site, known as Academia after its original owner, Academus, an Attic hero in Greek mythology, predated the enclosure of the precincts by Cimon. According to legend, Academus saved Athens from an attack by Sparta by revealing the whereabouts of Helen of Troy when she had been kidnapped by King Theseus. As a result, Academus was revered as a savior of Athens. The land, located six stadia north of Athens, spanned about one kilometer and remained intact during numerous local wars, garnering reverence from neighboring city-states.

The Academy’s site had housed the religious cult of Athena since the Bronze Age and may have been associated with the twin hero-gods Castor and Polydeuces (the Dioscuri) due to the hero Akademos’ connection with the site. The Spartan army, out of respect for its long-standing tradition and its association with the Dioscuri, refrained from desecrating the original “groves of Academe” during their invasion of Attica. However, in 86 BC, the Roman Sulla had the sacred olive trees of Athena felled to construct siege engines, disregarding the site’s sanctity.

The Akademeia was the setting for various religious ceremonies, including a torchlit night race from altars within the city to Prometheus’ altar in the Akademeia. The road to Akademeia was lined with the gravestones of Athenians, and funeral games, as well as a Dionysiac procession from Athens to the Hekademeia and back to the city, also took place in the area.

FORMAL ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ACADEMY

Plato assumed ownership of the property when he reached the age of thirty. He hosted informal gatherings that included notable figures such as Theaetetus of Sunium, Archytas of Tarentum, Leodamas of Thasos, and Neoclides. According to Debra Nails, Speusippus “joined the group in about 390 BC”. She asserts, “The formal establishment of the Academy was not recognized until Eudoxus of Cnidos arrived in the mid-380s BC.” While there are no historical records pinpointing the exact founding date of the school, contemporary scholars generally concur that it was established in the mid-380s, likely after 387 BC, following Plato’s presumed return from his initial visit to Sicily. Initially, the gatherings were conducted on Plato’s estate as frequently as at the nearby Academy gymnasium, a practice that endured throughout the fourth century.]

Although the academy was accessible to the general public, its primary participants were men of the upper class. During Plato’s era, it did not impose membership fees.[14][12] Thus, during that time, there likely wasn’t a “school” in the conventional sense, with a clear division between educators and students, or even a formal curriculum. Nevertheless, a distinction was made between senior and junior members.[16] It is documented that two women, Axiothea of Phlius and Lasthenia of Mantinea, studied under Plato at the Academy.

Diogenes Laërtius categorized the history of the Academy into three periods: the Old, the Middle, and the New. Plato was identified as the head of the Old period; Arcesilaus, the head of the Middle Academy; and Lacydes, the head of the New Academy. Sextus Empiricus enumerated five factions of Plato’s followers, attributing the first to Plato himself, the second to Arcesilaus, the third to Carneades, and the fourth to Philo and Charmadas; the fifth was associated with Antiochus. Cicero recognized only two Academies, the Old and New, with the latter beginning with Arcesilaus.

Plato’s final hours recounted in scroll found in Vesuvius ash

The recent decryption of passages from a papyrus scroll, buried beneath layers of volcanic ash following the AD79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius, has provided valuable insights into the final hours of Plato, a prominent figure in the annals of western philosophy.

Plato, pronounced PLAY-toe, (Greek: Πλάτων), originally named Aristocles (Ἀριστοκλῆς; c. 427 – 348 BC), emerged as an ancient Greek philosopher during the Classical period. He is widely recognized as a pioneering figure in Western philosophy and a trailblazer in the creation of written dialogues and dialectic forms. Plato’s intellectual contributions posed challenges across the entire spectrum of theoretical and practical philosophy. Additionally, he established the Platonic Academy, a philosophical institution in Athens where he expounded the doctrines that would later be identified as Platonism.

PLATO’S FINAL HOURS

A notable discovery, the ancient scroll revealed a hitherto unknown narrative detailing the Greek philosopher’s last evening, recounting his engagement with music played on a flute by a Thracian slave girl. Despite grappling with a fever and teetering on the edge of mortality, Plato, recognized as a disciple of Socrates and a mentor to Aristotle, demonstrated remarkable clarity as he critiqued the musician for her lack of rhythm, as suggested by the account.

PLATO’S BURRIAL SITE

The decoded text also indicates that Plato’s designated burial site was within his garden at the Academy of Athens, the world’s first university, which he founded adjacent to the Mouseion. Previously, it had been only vaguely known that he was interred within the academy. Presenting the research findings at the National Library of Naples, Professor Graziano Ranocchia of the University of Pisa, who led the team responsible for uncovering the carbonized scroll, described the discovery as an “extraordinary outcome that enriches our understanding of ancient history.” He remarked, “Thanks to the most advanced imaging diagnostic techniques, we are finally able to read and decipher new sections of texts that previously seemed inaccessible.”

PLATO’S SALE INTO SLAVERY

The passage reveals that Plato’s alleged sale into slavery may have occurred on the island of Aegina, either as early as 404 BC after the island’s conquest by the Spartans, or in 399 BC, shortly following Socrates’ demise.Ranocchia stated, “It was previously believed that Plato was enslaved in 387 BC during his stay in Sicily at Dionysius I of Syracuse’s court. For the first time, we have successfully deciphered concealed letters within the papyri, which had been layered and stuck together for centuries. This was achieved through a mechanical unrolling technique, which disrupted entire sections of text.”

Furthermore, Ranocchia emphasized that the capability to detect these layers and virtually reassemble them to their original state, thereby restoring textual coherence, signifies a notable advancement in the accumulation of extensive data.

The scroll was preserved in a lavish villa in Herculaneumand discovered in 1750, and is believed to have belonged to Julius Caesar’s father-in-law. Over the years, scholars have tried to decipher the scrolls found in this villa, known as the Villa of the Papyri. Domenico Camardo, an archaeologist at the Herculaneum conservation project, compared the impact of the AD79 eruption on Herculaneum, an ancient Roman beach town close to Pompeii, to the dropping of an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima during the second world war. Such was the heat of the pyroclastic surge produced by Vesuvius – believed to have been between 400C and 500C – that the brains and blood of victims instantly boiled.