The Be-all End-all Concept and Practice of Christianity: Watchfulness (Part I)

“Be watchful…” Cor. 3:2

“Blessed is he that watcheth…” Rev. 16:15

“But watch thou, in all things…” 2 Tim 4:5

“Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober..." 1 Thessalonians 5:6 (Note the opposite to watchfulness being referred to as sleep, and the implication that to not be watchful is to be drunk.)

“Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.” Mark 14:38

“The watchman of Ephraim was with my God.” Hosea 9:8

“…and behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven…” Daniel 4:13

The King James version of the Bible contains over 130 references to watch, watchings, watchfulness, watchers and watchtowers. There can be no doubt whatsoever, based on the context, that being watchful rises to the level of a commandment-perhaps the most important commandment of all-and that being watchful or a watcher equates to being with God or in heaven.

Yet, the King James version I am looking at doesn’t even define the word watchful. I am not going to address this gravest of omissions. Perhaps it is by design, but most likely it is due to ignorance. I tend to think it is related to ignorance, because in the new American Bible, the importance of this term has been reduced by re-translating to, simply, “alert”. This verbiage completely de-emphasizes the term and can easily cause the reader to overlook its importance.

Many of the passages refer to “watchings”, and the only conclusion one can reach from the text is that a “watching” was some sort of spiritual exercise, rising to, even above, the level of importance of prayer. See for example, the following passages: “And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians.” Exodus 14:24; “And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch…”Luke 12:38; “In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness.” 2 Cor. 11:27;” Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart…” Lamentations 2:19

Many of the passages also refer to watchmen in the context of war: keep in mind that in the allegorical style of the time, this war is a spiritual war, and that places and enemies referred to are symbolic of some aspect of the inner workings of man.

Realizing the overwhelming importance of watchfulness, we now come to the question of what, exactly, is watchfulness, and how is watchfulness practiced?

To Be Continued…