2006-07-09 10:51:42 · 12 answers · asked by stacianastacia 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
No but here is the origin of the statment.
CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS - "This ancient proverb is said by some to have come from ancient Hebrew writings. However, its first appearance in English - though in slightly altered form - seems to be in the writings of Francis Bacon. In his 'Advancement of Learning' (1605) he wrote: 'Cleanness of body was ever deemed to proceed from a due reverence to God.' Near two centuries later John Wesley in one of his sermons (1791) indicated that the proverb was already well known in the form we use today. Wrote Wesley: 'Slovenliness is no part of religion.'Cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness.'" From "Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins" by William and Mary Morris (HarperCollins, New York, 1977, 1988). There are a couple more details in "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" (1996) by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996): ".According to the fourteenth edition of 'Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable,' it is an old Hebrew proverb used in the late 2nd century by Rabbi Phinehas ben-Yair. First attested in the United States in the 'Monthly Anthology and Boston Review' (1806). The proverb is found in varying forms."
2006-07-09 10:56:45 · answer #1 · answered by grimjack1973 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I like Suspendor's answer.
The same goes with doctrine - we need to study the Bible to make sure what we believe is in there and not just what some priest, pastor, or preacher is spouting from the pulpit.
Here are some popular sayings that are in the Bible:
It's more blessed to give than to receive - Acts 20:35
The love of money is the root of all evil - 1 Tim.6:10
2006-07-09 18:03:54 · answer #2 · answered by petezsmg 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. And it would've been a really neat trick, given what we know about those cultures. By today's standards (which may actually be too antiseptic), the folks who lived in biblical times would've stunk to high heaven. Actually, frequent bathing in the West as a whole, with the exception of certain Amerindian tribes, is a relatively new practice.
2006-07-09 18:00:09 · answer #3 · answered by JAT 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The phrase came from John Wesley who lived from 1703 to 1791. Wesley was a British theologian who founded Methodism. So it does not appear in the Bible.
2006-07-09 17:56:07 · answer #4 · answered by mathiesm 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No it's not there. One of our Sunday school teacher's asked us to find it as a homework assignment and we were all surprised to find that it's simply an "old saying" and not written in the Bible.
2006-07-09 17:56:08 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just goes to show, you can't go by what you 'hear'. Although there are several statements specifying levels of cleanliness, that particular phrase is not there.
2006-07-09 17:55:52 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it is nowhere in the Bible. It is good to be clean, though.
2006-07-09 17:54:35 · answer #7 · answered by wildgirldancing 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. You're Mom just told you that to get you to take a bath and clean your room.
2006-07-09 17:59:27 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
when the bible was written people didnt bathe, so my guess is no...
2006-07-09 18:13:09 · answer #9 · answered by hulagrl824 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.. But in OT there is much about clean and unclean things....and clean things were of use to God. ;)
2006-07-09 18:12:06 · answer #10 · answered by indiebaptist 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋