The Zugology of Christian Behaviour

20 May 2021: this is the beginning of my online publishing. I first referred to this important subject of Christian behaviour over nine years ago here. Christian behaviour is much more than people realise. Even Christians are not taught it and very often they mistake fleshly behaviour for Christian zeal and prudence. A person may know the Ten Commandments but know next to nothing about Christian behaviour. Christ told His disciples that He had a new commandment by which they would know His disciples Jn 13:34-35 – Christians manifesting brotherly love. Jesus had summarised the Ten Commandments as 1. love towards God and 2. love towards one’s neighbours but Jesus’ new commandment is love to one’s Christian brethren for Christ’s sake.

Ignorance of this Christian behaviour explains why violence and persecution has been carried out in the name of Christ and Christianity – it has arisen from ungodly and biblically ignorant zeal, arising from the flesh rather than from the Spirit of God Lk 9:54-56. Jesus had to expose and correct this in His own disciples. David prayed each day to be taught how to live his life Ps 143:8, and the apostle Paul had to teach his readers: “Let brotherly love continue” Heb 13:1. It is easy enough to love some people but not all Lk 6:32-35. If it does not come naturally even to the godly, when will preachers teach Christian behaviour?

Christian behaviour is not “Christlike behaviour”, because this is not possible for us, nor do we have the mandate to do what Christ did. He had a specific work to do and He did many things that we cannot imitate, such as His miracles. Jesus did not pray for the world Jn 17:9 because His prayers would be effectual, but we are to pray for the world. Nor do we have a commandment to lay down our life for others Jn 10:18 but Jesus taught His disciples to flee and live to preach another day. Rather Jesus identifies Christian behaviour as following Him in obedience to His teaching, through which we will develop Christian thinking and character. Thus He said to His disciples: “Follow Me”, “come after Me” Lk 14:27, to walk in His steps and “Learn of Me” Mat 11:29. This is why prayerful Bible study is so essential, and through this study the Bible will direct us to other means of grace to develop Christian character and behaviour. Repeated action becomes a habit, and a habit can become behaviour, which forms a character. The apostle Paul was a pre-eminent example of this, so that he writes: “Be imitators of me insofar as I am an imitator of Christ” 1Cor 11:1. In the same manner we are to be “imitators of God” as children learn from their loving Father Eph 5:1, to “be perfect even as your Father in heaven is perfect” Mat 5:48. Paul teaches us how: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus” in reference to Christian humility and service to others. He did not assume that the godly knew it intuitively; we need to be taught to behave as Christians and to crucify the flesh with its sinful thoughts, speech and behaviour.

Its relevance and importance

In the absence of the church developing the theology of biblical behaviour, various worldly groups have developed their own codes of conduct and imposed them in their own domain. Even murderous gangs have developed their codes of ‘honour’ and conduct, secret societies have developed the expected behaviour of its members. Various religions impose their rites and ceremonies upon their devotees. The medical world has also categorised human behaviour through psychiatry where the ICD-10 categorizes more and more aspects of human behaviour and by this means the political world has medicalised some aspects of sinful human behaviour. Professional groups have their codes of conduct and these are being modified and imposed on these professions. Some Christians are surprised that aberrant human behaviour is now being legitimised through political legislation and formerly acceptable behaviour is now criminalised even to the extent of thought crime. It is time for Christians to study, teach and preach Christian behaviour. I expect a wide variety of opinions because it is so new. The usual prejudicial opinions will be proposed using dubious interpretations and application of Scripture to control the gullible and possibly upset the sensitive conscience of the godly who are poorly instructed in the zugology of Christian behaviour. It will take time to develop it properly.

What is the Zugology of Christian behaviour? I explained Zugology here, two years ago. This current online publication, The Zugology of Christian Behaviour, is about ‘the balanced theology of Christian behaviour’ or the theology of balanced Christian behaviour. This means that it draws its teaching about Christian behaviour from the Christian Bible, not from what godly people ‘think is right’, which can often be shown to be fleshly ‘gut feeling’ that is not from the Spirit of God Mat 16:23. When did you last see godly people using manipulative activity to secure their chosen outcome? The Holy Spirit does not need this extra push, even from godly people, who should know better. Jesus had to teach His born-again disciples how to think, speak and behave according to their new spirit Lk 9:55.

Peer-group pressure can make Christians misbehave. The apostle Peter and Barnabas were led astray by influential Christians from Jerusalem Gal 3:11-13 and Paul had to correct them when he “saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel” Gal 3:14. Paul applied Gospel truth to correct the situation. More so must we learn to follow Christ’s teaching in order to walk “uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel”. Following “the Church” or influential Christians is not good enough. They are helpers not controllers.

In effect, this publication seeks to give a balanced overview of Christian behaviour, which is very different from worldly human behaviour. The Lord Jesus Christ teaches us to think counter-culturally, to see things the way that God sees them, and to act in a Christian manner by the help of the regenerating Spirit of God, Who makes the godly person “a new creation” 2Cor 5:17, thinking, speaking and behaving differently from the fleshly behaviour of the world lying in wickedness 1Jn 5:19 because they are a ‘new creation’ Gal 6:15. Current psychiatry will label this as “neurodiverse”, such is the modern desire to re-define words. In 2Cor 1:17 Paul shows that there is even a Christian manner of decision-making, contrasted with a fleshly, non-Christian manner.

The lives of the godly are a book read by their acquaintances, so that although many will not read the Bible, yet they can read the lives of the godly. This Christian witness should encourage their friends and acquaintances to seek God for themselves, and find Him in Jesus Christ. The lives of the godly are so rare that the arts rarely portray them and, if at all, in a caricature.

I have placed the skeleton of a Table of Contents here on 13th June 2021, the 50th anniversary of my completing my first read through the whole Old Testament. I completed reading the New Testament on 22nd August 1971. I have continued daily Bible reading ever since along with creating my own Bible commentary. The Appendices include indices to a Dictionary of terms, a Textual Index and a Topical Index. Many commonly used terms are poorly defined, such as the word Christian itself. I coin new terms on a regular basis to explain various biblical themes and these need accurate definitions.

Your input

There are so many topics in Christian behaviour that I invite you to let me know what are your priorities and I can try to deal with these as a priority. It makes little difference to me in which order I publish these topics. I have over 1000 A4-pages of biblical references to godly behaviour that are growing all the time, so that you can help with the order of publication. You may use the comments box below.

It is a large topic and it will take time to digest. Thus I have laid it out like an encyclopaedia for consultation.

The main point about Christian behaviour is that it needs to balance many different biblical principles to arrive at correct behaviour. This balancing is ‘zugology in action’. Take the Ten Commandments as an example. How does a Christian child obey its ungodly parents (the fifth commandment) who want him/her to disobey the fourth commandment about the Sabbath day, or any other commandment for that matter? Another example – How do you obey the fourth commandment about the Sabbath on a Wednesday night? (Hint: the commandment says Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy – you can remember it at all times by planning how best to use it.)

Paul wrote to the church in Corinth in reply to its letter asking for his advice on various matters 1Cor 7:1. He gave advice from which we can draw biblical principles for personal and congregational behaviour. The two epistles to the Corinthians show us how Christian congregations should behave and how to correct issues in a Christian manner, such as serious immoral sinners and litigious, legal Christians, two areas of life that upset many people. Paul in his epistle to the Hebrews shows preachers how to exegete Old Testament Scripture. The Old Testament gives us principles how nations, governments and rulers should behave, and shows us the advantage of individuals growing up in a godly family Deu 6:1-9 and Rom 3:2. The Old Testament teaches us about divine providence in personal, domestic, ecclesiastical and national life. There is much for Christians to learn.

Christian examples

This publication, like Scripture, teaches didactically through the written word but behaviour is also learned through imitation of living examples and mentors as Paul taught: “Be ye imitators of me, as I am of Christ” 1Cor 11:1. This shows us that Paul is the best human example to which we can attain, because we cannot attain to the perfect example of Christ nor are we expected to follow everything in Jesus’ life because Jesus was given a specific work to do by His Father that is beyond our imitation.

Although inspired Scripture is sufficient for all things relating to salvation Jn 20:31, yet we need fellowship with God Himself and the teaching and direct activity of the indwelling Holy Spirit applying the Word of God to us as individuals to fully learn Christian behaviour Gal 5:25.

We learn from Christ in a different manner, by being double-yoked with Him Mat 11:29, looking to Him Heb 12:2 and His example 1Pe 2:21, failing which the godly will be chastised as children by a loving father Heb 12:5-11 in order that they may learn to walk in holiness, which is not what many think it is Gal 4:19, and to walk in love Eph 5:2 as Christ loved us, being imitators of God Himself Eph 5:1 and Mat 5:45-48. The absence of such chastising correction calls into question one’s Christian profession Heb 12:8 and ought to lead to self-examination.

The apostle Paul thought, spoke and behaved as if he was in Christ’s presence 2Cor 10:17. The sense of Christ’s presence and oversight guided his behaviour 2Cor 2:10. The godly Psalmist David did the same: “I have set the LORD always before me. I shall not be moved because He is at my right hand” Ps 16:8. Christians ought to act similarly, instead of looking over their shoulder at what others expect them to do.

The Holy Spirit commends those who ‘checked out’ the teaching of the apostle Paul Act 17:11, so how much more other Christian teachers? We need godly mentors, godly examples. Be sure to ask God to help you to find them – and do not slavishly follow them, but only so far as they are imitators of Christ. Paul gives us the example: “we do not have dominion over your faith, but we are helpers of your joy, because you stand by faith’ 2Cor 1:24.

Summary

So we have 1. the Word of God, 2. Christian example, which needs to be compared with Scripture and 3. the Spirit of God applying the Father’s loving correction to Christ’s disciples to ensure that the godly learn from Christ and “grow in grace and in the experiential knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ” 2Pe 3:18. The word ‘disciple’ has the same root as ‘discipline’, which is often abused in the Christian church as if it is punishment. The Christian church is supposed to help us, not control nor hinder us Lk 11:52 and Gal 5:7. Nevertheless, the godly are Christ’s disciples, being taught, disciplined or corrected by the Holy Spirit using 1. the Word of God, 2. godly examples and 3. the collective Christian church, so that they learn to walk in Christ’s steps.

Table of Contents

This blogpost is a work in progress: chapters are being added with the aim that they will be clickable for you to consult and to make suggestions. It deals with Christian behaviour as taught in the Bible and does not deal with all the sad and lamentable effects arising from failure to practise this, which are endless. These require separate blogposts as and when I find opportunity.

Introduction

Section 1 Personal behaviour

Section 2 Domestic behaviour

  • Family worship
  • Meals: grace before and after eating; communal activity
  • Church attendance
  • Parents, children and the fifth commandment
  • Conjugal behaviour
  • Siblings
  • Extended family
  • Family time: hobbies, holidays, mentoring

Section 3 Congregational behaviour

Section 4 Ecclesiastical behaviour

  • Local church
  • Collective: church government
    • independency, presbyterianism or episcopacy
    • biblical government
      • of worship, teaching, mentoring

Section 5 Denominational behaviour

  • Authority, control and loyalty
  • Preachers and ordination vows
  • Ministries and government
  • Oversight of congregations, their worship and governance
  • Established churches, national churches, voluntary organisations, house-churches, para-church organisations
  • Teaching and confessions of faith, creeds and Christian discipline
  • Systems of theology: Calvinism, Arminianism, Socinianism, Roman Catholicism, Orthodoxy
  • Constitutions, ecclesiastical regulations, subordinate standards and the Word of God
  • Conscientious scruples, dissent and accommodation, and protest
  • Missiology, ecumenism and the worldwide church
  • Relationship with other faiths and people of other faiths: Jews and Judaism, muslims and islam, Christian sects and Arianism, Socianism, etc.
  • Eschatological impact upon denominational behaviour
  • Prophecy, exegesis, teaching and application of Scripture.

Section 6 Civil behaviour

Section 7 National behaviour

  • The Christian constitution of the nation
  • Authority, the rule of law
  • The Establishment Principle
  • Government: division of powers – legislative, executive and justiciary
    • democracy, autocracy, theocracy, benign and malign dictatorship, totalitarianism
    • NGOs (Non-Government Organisations)
    • multinational corporations
  • Voting and conscientious objection
  • Civil rights and duties
  • Justice: needs adequate advocacy and a National Justice Service
  • Social Workers and Children’s Panels
  • Free speech and liberty
  • Political systems and Manifestos
  • Christian economics
  • Sustainability, exploitation and charity in relation to the environment and employment

Section 8 International behaviour

  • Control or advice?
  • Facilitators or dogmatism?
  • Health co-operation and pandemic management – WHO
  • Climate, environment and pollution
  • Warfare, migration and refugees
  • International arbitration and international law – UN, etc.
  • Trade
    • international and local; tarrifs and economic warfare
    • multinational corporations
  • Oceans, seabed and polar exploration

Section 9 Global behaviour

Appendix I – Abbreviations

Appendix II – Dictionary and Encyclopaedia of Terms

This theological dictionary is under construction as I transfer material here from my personal computer. The easiest way to produce this dictionary is simply to make a PDF file and to update it occasionally. The list below is simply a flavour to whet the appetite and if there is a link to a blogpost then it may appear here.

You can suggest, in the comments below, a word or term that you think should be included in this theological dictionary. I may attribute the suggestion to you if you wish. What is the difference between this and Wikipedia? This dictionary is based upon biblical teaching.

4 Apr 2025: I have decided to include some phraseology to help preachers with the best way to express particular themes.

Adultery

Advent: used to described the physical coming of the Lord Jesus Christ into the world (His First Advent) and His physical return at the end of the world (His Second Advent). For the completion of Christ’s First Advent, see the Millennial Advent.

Assurance

Atonement: the Lord Jesus Christ has “laid a foundation in justice whereby He has secured the authority” to forgive the sins of anyone who comes to Him for salvation. Heb 2:10.

Baptism: a three-part series on the subjects, exegesis and modes of Christian baptism.

Believers: the relationship between faith and truth.

Christian: is frequently used in an unbiblical way.

Curse: the biblical concept of ‘curse’ is ‘liability to punishment’, the punishment that sin deserves Gal 3:10. The wrath of God refers to His indignation and differs from the curse of the Law.

Disciple: the relationship between disciples and baptism.

Election is simply a word and it needs to be qualified in any particular context. It is helpful to speak about “God’s electing love” to prevent the idea of God’s sovereignty being misapprehended as arbitrary.

Establishment Principle: the easiest way to evangelise a nation; without it, it is an uphill struggle.

Faith – although the Holy Spirit brings people to faith, yet it is we who believe and not the Holy Spirit.

Fellowship – a three-part series on the nature, content and usefulness of Christian fellowship.

The phrase “the Finished Work of Christ” (Jn 19:30) led to his enquiry and then the conversion of Hudson Taylor, who became a Christian missionary to China and attracted another 800 missionaries to that large country in the 19th century.

Free Offer of the Gospel The Holy Spirit sends the Gospel to all who hear it and He offers salvation freely to them. Act 13:2,4,26. Salvation is offered freely to all who hear it Isa 55:1, with the promise of everlasting life Isa 55:3. Jesus will not reject any who come to Him for salvation Jn 6:37. This needs to be distinguished from a false Gospel (Gal 1:6-7)with a wrong Christ (Mat 24:24); the Holy Spirit is not the author of such.

God is “in every point of space, at every moment of time, in all the fulness of His divine Being”. This is His omnipresence. His omniscience is His knowing all things past, present and future, possible and impossible, with a single glance of His infinite mind. He upholds all things by the Word of His power. Any concept less than this is not God. Atheists usually have a concept of God that is less than this.

Godly

Grace is the love of God to those who do not deserve it; compare Mercy.

Holiness has the basic concept of being consecrated or “set apart” to divine service. It is not the pseudo-piety practised by those who want to make a favourable impression on others.

The saving grace of the Holy Spirit has been procured by the atoning death of the Lord Jesus Christ so that Scripture uses such phrases as “the Spirit of His Son” Gal 4:6 and “the Spirit of adoption” Rom 8:15. This saving grace is comprehensive, including prevenient grace leading to regenerating grace, sanctifying grace, definitive sanctification and glorification; see Salvation.

Infidelity is ambiguous. It simply means ‘unfaithfulness’ and as Christianity is about faith, unfaithfulness can apply to many things; see Unbelief, breaching vows, immorality and adultery.

The Jews: it is important to notice that “the Jews” in the New Testament often (but not always) refers to Jewish officialdom rather than ethnic Jews, giving no support to those who claim that the Christian New Testament is antisemitic, as some Jews think and as some pseudo-Christians assert. After all, most of the writers of the New Testament were Jews.

Kingdom of heaven and kingdom of God

Law: moral law, ceremonial law, judicial law. Civil and criminal law. The apostle Paul uses many short-hand terms including ‘the law’ which needs careful interpretation wherever it occurs. A common exegestical mistake is to fail to notice when he refers to “personal law-keeping”.

Law and Justice: “The Lord Jesus Christ satisfied the Law and the Justice of God on behalf of His people.” Justice required the punishment of their sin. Christ’s righteousness is imputed to His believing people 2Cor 5:21. This righteousness is both passive (obeying God’s law by suffering for sin Rom 6:23) and active (obeying the whole law of God) on their behalf.

Love manifests itself in many different ways, such as conjugal love, parental love, domestic love, neighbourly love, etc. The biblical Greek terms describe the love of complacency (delighting in its object Jn 5:20, Mat 6:5, Mat 23:6) and the love of benevolence (good will to its object Jn 3:35, Mat 5:43-44, Mat 19:19), but the Greek word for erotic love does not occur in Scripture.

Mercy is the love of God to those who in a miserable condition; compare Grace.

The Millennial Advent is the spiritual coming of Christ to complete His First Advent. 

Regulative Principle

Repentance needs qualification.

Righteousness: Christ’s righteousness; imparted righteousness; imputed righteousness; personal righteousness.

Salvation: is a comprehensive term, with past, present and future aspects so that Scripture speaks of the godly as saved (past tense Eph 2:5,8, 1Cor 15:2), being saved (present tense) Php 2:12, 2Cor 3:18, and will be saved (future) from this present evil world Gal 1:4 and made perfect in holiness Heb 12:23, Jn 17:23, Gal 3:3, Eph 4:13, Php 3:12, Col 1:28, 1Pe 5:10 and Ps 84:11.

Typology “the study of biblical metaphors concerning the scheme of salvation.” Its practical effect on exegesis.

Zugology: “the theology of balanced Christianity”.

Appendix III – Bibliography and brief book reviews

This list references only books about Christian behaviour for the most part because this blogpage is about Christian behaviour.

The Ten Commandments: Ex 20:1-17 and Deu 5:6-22.

The works of the flesh and the fruit of the Holy Spirit Gal 5:19-26.

Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos teaches young men to take more responsibility and to speak the truth. It is a useful message but not the whole Christian message. It is a secular attempt to do what Christians have attempted with greater or lesser success over the centuries.

The Westminster Assembly Larger and Shorter Catechisms on the Ten Commandments.

Baxter, Reformed Pastor, Richard Baxter.

Bolton, General Directions for a Comfortable Walking with God, Robert Bolton.

Brooks, Prayer, Thomas Brooks.

Brooks, A Comforting Cordial, Thomas Brooks.

Edwards, The Religious Affections, Jonathan Edwards.

Marshall, The Gospel Mystery of Sanctification, Walter Marshall.

Murray, Principles of Conduct, John Murray.

Owen, Mortification of Sin, John Owen, Works, Vol. 6. A treatise that has helped many significant preachers.

Ryle, Holiness, J C Ryle.
Ryle, Old Paths, J C Ryle.
Ryle, Practical Religion, J C Ryle.

Spurgeon, John Ploughman’s Pictures: More of His Talk, Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Spurgeon, Prayer, Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Appendix IV – Textual Index

Here is a short list to begin with. There is more where this comes from.

Job 6:14 ignoring divine standards of behaviour.

Ps 62:9 the proper assessment of human talent.
Ps 73:15 caution in expressing one’s doubts and seeking answers from God Ps 73:17.

Proverbs the book of Proverbs addresses the subject of godly behaviour par excellence.

Pro 11:13 gossiping private matters is a mark of the ungodly. The godly respect confidential matters.

Ecclesiastes what attitude one should have to life.

Mal 1:10-14: God notices higher worldly standards than religious ones and curses blessings Mal 2:2.

Mat 6:33 establishing the correct priorities

Mat 12:36

Jn 3:16 God the Father loved the world in such a way that He gave His only Begotten Son in the Gospel that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Rom 8:10

Rom 14:23

1Cor 10:23 edification and self-denial

1Cor 11:1 the apostle Paul is the Lord’s chosen vessel Act 9:15 to be an example of Christian service to the Christian world 1Cor 4:16 and Php 3:17.

Gal 3:5 legalism or faith
Gal 4:15 how long do your Christian relationships last? Have you experienced fair-weather Christians?

Gal 4:19 does your congregation give out a savour of Christ?

1Th 2:16 forbidding preachers to preach is a dangerous activity that the Church ignores too easily in its zeal to “maintain discipline”.

2Tim The separation that holiness requires is not pseudo-piety but a dedication to Christ’s service which is so marked that it is necessarily distinct from and separate from the behaviour of the world.

2Tim 2:24 ‘the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient’ 2Tim 2:24.

2Tim 4:2 Reproof should be patient and informative.

Tit 2

Heb 12:15 failing to behave as a Christian should.

Jam 1:19 “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath”. The epistle of James is a practical epistle from someone who lived with and knew the Lord Jesus Christ from childhood.

Jam 1:20 “the wrath of man does not work the righteousness of God”.

Jam 2: we should be without partiality or prejudice.

2P 3:16 the godly are careful about biblical exegesis and do not twist the Scriptures.

1Jn 1:1-3 the apostle John is the Lord’s chosen vessel to illustrate the true spirit of Christian behaviour.

Jude 1:23 Christian and fleshly behaviour contrasted.

Appendix V – Topical Index

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