Bible Study

The New Man | A Daily Bible Study

2012-01-27T23:30:00.000-08:00

The New Man | A Daily Bible Study

The New Man
Is a believer in Christ a sinner saved by God's Grace while possesseing a sin nature, or is the believer a new man in Christ, with a new and distinct identity, now fundamentally different from the former person prior to conversion?
A popular view among many evangelical teachers is that the New Testament terms "old man" (or old self), "sin nature," and "flesh" are all synonymous. In this view, since the New Testament clearly teaches that the Believer still has the "flesh," he must still posses the old man. And if this is so, the crucifixion of the old man in Romans 6, where Paul states that "our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin" (Romans 6:6), can not be seen as actual, but only positional or judicial. Teachers of this view would say that the old man, which is the sin nature and the flesh, is positionally crucified, but still with us in our life, that he has only been dealt a judicial death blow by the work of Christ.
The Sin Nature
Although the origin of sin begins with Satan's rebellion against God, sin came into this world through Adam.

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned (Romans 5:12).

Here we see that in Adam all sinned, as we all participated when Adam sinned. The Biblical principle of participation is demonstrated in Hebrews 7:9-10, where Levi the priest is said to have paid tithes to Melchizedek through his ancestor Abraham, although he was not yet born. Adam's sin produced spiritual and physical death for all of humanity. His fall transformed him downward into a different being from the perfect being which God created. He propagated after his own kind and passed his corrupt nature to all of his descendents who are spiritually dead. This transmission of sin and its manifested effects of spiritual and physical death, depravity, and hostility toward God, is referred to by some theologians as the "sin nature." The term "sin nature" finds its nearest expression in the New Testament in the words of Paul describing unbelievers, "and were by nature children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3). Though Scripture underlines the fact that believers possess the capacity to sin, it would seem to go against the emphasis of the new birth in Christ to say that "the nature" of a believer is to sin. Instead of using the term "sin nature" to describe the believer's capacity to sin, Paul uses the word "flesh."

The Flesh
Scripture never speaks of Believers having a "sin nature," but refers to their daily struggle with what it calls "the flesh."

For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so (Romans 8:5-7).

Newell explains the meaning of the word flesh when it is used to describe sin in a believer's life: The flesh is the manifestation of sin in the as yet unredeemed body. Our "old man," therefore, is the large term, the all-inclusive one -- of all that we were federally from Adam. The flesh, however, we shall find to be that manifestation of sin in our members with which we are in conscious inward conflict, against which only the Holy Spirit indwelling us effectively wars.[1] The Old Self (or Old Man)
The old self in Adam is presented in these verses:

Knowing this, that our "old self" was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin (Romans 6:6).

That, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the "old self," which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit (Ephesians 4:22).

Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the "old self" with its evil practices, (Colossians 3:9).

Newell writes: This is our old self, as we were in and from Adam. It is contrasted with the "new man" (Colossians 3:9,10) -- which is what we are and have in Christ. Also, we must not confuse the "old man" with "the flesh."[2]
Believers are told to put on the new man, or self, as this is now the true identity of who we are in Christ.

And put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth (Ephesians 4:24).

And Ironside states: The "old man" is more than the old nature. It is the man of old, the man you used to be before you knew Christ as Saviour and Lord. In other words, the old man is all that I once was as an unsaved person. I am through with that man; he has disappeared, for faith, in the cross of Christ.[3] God is indeed finished with the old man with his sin nature, He has no program to clean him up, He is finished with him! As we have seen, these three terms, old man, sin nature, and flesh are distinct from each other, so a totally different picture emerges of what the life of a believer in Christ is subsequent to salvation. A believer in Christ isn't a sinner saved by God's Grace while possesseing a sin nature, but a "new man," a new creation in Christ, with a distinct identity and possessing a glorious hope.
[1] Newell, William R., Romans Verse by Verse (Chicago: Moody Press, 1938), 212.
[2] Ibid., p. 210.
[3] Ironside, H.A., Lectures on the Epistles to the Colossians (Neptune New Jersey: Loizeaux Brothers Inc., 1929), 135.
Written by Alan Torres

The Coming Prince : Sir Robert Anderson : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive

2012-01-25T02:37:00.000-08:00

The Coming Prince : Sir Robert Anderson : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive

A List Of Bible Study Books

2012-01-25T02:01:00.000-08:00

Old Testament

GENESIS

Genesis, Aalders, Zondervan (2 vol.)
Genesis Volumes 1 & 2, Barnhouse, Zondervan Paradise to Prison, Davis, Baker
Portraits of Christ in Genesis, DeHaan, Zondervan
Gems From Genesis, Heslop, Kregel
Notes on the Book of Genesis, C.H. MacKintosh, Loizeaux Brothers
Genesis Record, Morris, Baker
Exploring Genesis, Phillips, Moody Press
Gleanings in Genesis, Arthur W. Pink, Moody Press

EXODUS

Exodus, Gispen, Zondervan
Extras From Exodus, Heslop, Kregel
Notes on the Book of Exodus, C.H. MacKintosh, Loizeaux Brothers
Studies in Exodus, F.B. Meyer, Kregel
Gleanings in Exodus, Arthur W. Pink, Moody Press

LEVITICUS

Book of Leviticus, Erdman, Baker
Lessons From Leviticus, Heslop, Kregel
Notes on Leviticus, C.H. MacKintosh, Loizeaux Brothers
Leviticus, Noordtzu, Zondervan
Book of Leviticus, S.H. Kellogg, Klock & Klock
Gospel in Leviticus, Seiss, Kregel

NUMBERS

The Gospels in Numbers, Boyd
Numbers: Journey to God's Land, Hensen, Moody Press
Nuggets from Numbers, Heslop, Kregel
Notes on Numbers, C.H. MacKintosh, Loizeaux Brothers
Numbers, Noordtzu, Zondervan

DEUTERONOMY

The Book of Deuteronomy, Craigie, Eerdman
Notes on Deuteronomy, C.H. MacKintosh, Loizeaux Brothers
Deuteronomy, Ridderbos, Zondervan

JOSHUA

Joshua: We Will Serve the Lord, Boice, Revell
Gleanings in Joshua, Arthur W. Pink, Moody Press
Victorious Christian Living, Alan Redpath, Revell
Promised Land Living, Sanders, Moody

JUDGES

Hearts of Iron, Feet of Clay, Inrig, Moody
Such a Great Salvation, Judges, Davis, Baker

RUTH

The Wings of Refuge, Atkinson, IVP
Romance of Redemption, DeHaan, Zondervan
Rubies From Ruth, Heslop, Kregel
Judges, Ruth, F.C. Jennings
Ruth: Romance of Redemption, McGee, Nelson
Harmonies, a Synoptic Harmony of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, Newsome, Baker

1 SAMUEL

An Exposition of 1 and 2 Samuel, Matthew Henry, John Gill, A.W. Pink, MacDonald Publishing
David, Shepherd, Psalmist, King, F.B. Meyer, Morgan & Scott Publishers
The Life of David, Pink, Publisher
Making of a Man of God, Alan Redpath, Revell

2 SAMUEL

An Exposition of 1 and 2 Samuel, Matthew Henry, John Gill, A.W. Pink, MacDonald Publishing

1 & 2 KINGS

The Expositor's Bible, First Book of Kings, F.W. Farrar, Hodder & Stoughton
The Life of Elijah, Pink, Moody Press
The Life of Elisha, Pink, Banner of Truth

1 & 2 CHRONICLES

Lectures on the Books of Chronicles, Wm. Kelly, Bible Truth Publisher
Books of Chronicles, James G. Murphy, James and Klock

EZRA

Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, H.A. Ironside, Loizeaux Brothers
Ezra, Nehemiah, Kidner, IVP

NEHEMIAH

Nehemiah, Learning to Lead, Boice, Revell
Ezra, Nehemiah, Kidner, IVP
Victorious Christian Service, Alan Redpath, Revell

ESTHER

Confidence in God, Carson, Reiner Publications
Esther: Romance of Providence, McGee, Through the Bible Books
Esther: Ian Thomas
Esther: Triumph of God's Sovreignty, Whitcomb, Moody

JOB

Living Patiently, J. Allen Blair, Loizeaux Brothers
God's Book Faith, Lockyer, Nelson
The Gospel According to Job, Mason, Crossway
Expository Studies in Job, Stedman, Word

PSALMS

Psalms, Boice, Baker
Book of Psalms, Gaebelein, Loizeaux Brothers
Psalms, Lockyer, Kregel
Psalms, W.S. Plumer, Banner of Truth
Treasury of David, C.H. Spurgeon, Kregel (3 vol.)
Exploring Psalms, Phillips, Loizeaux Brothers (5 vol.)

PROVERBS

Proverbs, Bridges, Banner of Truth
Proverbs, H.A. Ironside, Loizeaux Brothers
The Proverbs, Kelly, Bible Truth Publishers
Proverbs, Kinder, IVP

ECCLESIASTES

Ecclesiastes, Hengstenberg, James and Klock Publishers
Exposition of Ecclesiastes, H.C. Leupold, Baker
Living of the Ragged Edge, Swindoll, Word

SONG OF SOLOMON

Song of Solomon, Anderson, Loizeaux Brothers
Solomon on Sex, Dillow, Nelson
Song of Solomon, H.A. Ironside, Loizeaux Brothers

ISAIAH

Studies in Isaiah, Jennings, Loizeaux Brothers
Exposition of Isaiah, Leupold, Baker
Studies in the Prophecy of Isaiah, G. Campbell Morgan
Faith for the Times, Alan Redpath, Revell (3 vol.)
Isaiah, Ridderbos, Zondervan
Isaiah, W.E., Vine

JEREMIAH

Jeremiah and Lamentations, Harrison, IVP
Jeremiah, William Kelly, Bible Truth Publishers
Lamentations and Jeremiah, H.A. Ironside, Loizeaux Brothers
Jeremiah, G. Campbell Morgan, Revell
Death of a Nation, Stedman, Word

LAMENTATIONS

Jeremiah & Lamentations, Harrison, IVP
Lamentations & Jeremiah, H.A. Ironside, Loizeaux Brothers
Run with the Horses, Peterson, IVP

EZEKIEL

Prophet Ezekiel, Gaebelein, Loizeaux Brothers
The Gospel in Ezekiel, Guthrie, Zondervan
Pearls from the Prophet Ezekiel, Heslop, Kregel
Ezekiel, H.A. Ironside, Loizeaux Brothers
Ezekiel, John B. Taylor, IVP

DANIEL

The Coming Prince, Sir Robert Anderson, Kregel
Daniel, Feinberg, BMH
Prophet Daniel, Gaebelien, Kregel
Daniel, Talbot
Daniel: Key to Prophetic Revelation, Walvoord, Moody Press

HOSEA

The Message of Hosea, Kinder, IVP Hosea, G. Campbell Morgan,

JOEL

The Prophecy of the Prophet Joel, Price, Moody

AMOS

Day of the Lion, Motyer, IVP
See books on minor prophets

OBADIAH

See books on minor prophets

JONAH

Jonah the Reluctant Prophet, Banks, Moody Press
Jonah, Blair, Loizeaux Brothers
Find God's Will For You, Devine, Regal Books
Jonah, Hawkins, Loizeaux Brothers
The Prophet Jonah, Martin, Baker

MICAH

See books on minor prophets

NAHUM

Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Freeman, Moody Press
See books on minor prophets

HABBAKKUK

Nahum, Zephaniah, Habbakkuk, Freeman, Moody Press
See books on minor prophets

ZEPHANIAH

Nahum, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Freeman, Moody Press
See books on minor prophets

HAGGAI

Haggai, Zechariah & Malachi, T.V. Moore, Banner of Truth
See books on minor prophets

ZECHARIAH

Exposition of Zechariah, Leupold, Baker
God Remembers, a Study of Zechariah, Feinberg, Multnomah
Zechariah, The Prophet of Hope, F.B. Meyer, Revell
See books on minor prophets

MALACHI

Furnace of Renewal, Mallone, IVP
See books on minor prophets

Old Testament Related

TABERNACLE

The Tabernacle, Dettaph, Zondervan
The Tabernacle, Soltan, Kregel

MINOR PROPHETS

The Minor Prophets, Prophets, Feinberg, Moody
Plain Talk on the Minor Prophets, Gutzke, Zondervan
Notes on the Minor Prophets, H.A. Ironside, Loizeaux
The Minor Prophets, W. Kelly, Hammond
The Minor Prophets, G. Campbell Morgan, Revell

New Testament

MATTHEW

Matthew, John MacArthur, Moody (2 vol.)
Gospel According to Matthew, G. Campbell Morgan, Revell
Matthew's Majestic Gospel, Powell, Kregel
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Matthew, Ryle, Revell
Outline Studies in Matthew, Griffith Thomas, Kregel

MARK

Mark, Hughes, Crossway
Mark, Jones, Kregel
Gospel According to Mark, G. Campbell Morgan, Revell
The Ruler Who Serves, Stedman, Word

LUKE

Gospel According to Luke, G. Campbell Morgan, Revell
Luke, Morris, IVP
Luke's Thrilling Gospel, Powell, Kregel
Outline Studies in Luke, Griffith Thomas, Kregel

JOHN

The Gospel of John, Boice, Zondervan (5 vol.)
The Gospel According to John, G. Campbell Morgan, Revell
Expository Reflections on the Gospel of John, Morris, Baker
Exposition of the Gospel of John, Arthur W. Pink, Zondervan (3 vol.)

ACTS

Disciples in Action, Elms, NavPress
Expository Commentary on Acts, Macaulay, Moody Press
The Acts of the Apostles, G. Campbell Morgan, Revell
The Birth of the Church, G. Campbell Morgan, Revell
The Amazing Acts, Powell, Kregel
Outlines Studies in Acts, Griffith Thomas, Eerdmans

ROMANS

Romans, Barnhouse, Eerdmans, (4 vol.)
Romans, Lloyd-Jones, Zondervan (6 vol.)
Romans, MacArthur, Moody (2 vol.)
Romans Verse by Verse, Wm. Newell, Moody

1 CORINTHIANS

Living Wisely, Blair, Loizeaux Brothers
Corinthians, MacArthur, Moody
The Corinthian Letters of Paul, G. Campbell Morgan,
The Royal Route to Heaven, Alan Redpath, Revell
Conquering the Fear of Death, Zodhiates, Eerdmans

2 CORINTHIANS

A Heart Opened Wide, Studies in 2 Corinthians, Kent, Baker
The Second Epistle to the Corinthians, Handley C. G. Moule, Christian Literature Crusade
Blessings Out of Buffetings, Alan Redpath, Revell

GALATIANS

Galatians, H.A. Ironside, Loizeaux Brothers
Commentary on Galatians, Martin Luther, Kregel
Galatians, MacArthur, Moody
Devotional Studies in Galatians and Ephesians, Lehman Strauss, Loizeaux Brothers
Be Free, Wiersbe, Victor Books

EPHESIANS

Ephesians, Hughes, Crossway
God's Ultimate Purpose, Lloyd-Jones, Baker
Ephesians, MacArthur, Moody Ephesians Studies, Moule, Kregel
Faithful in Christ Jesus, Ockenga, Revell
The Wealth, Walk and Warfare of the Christian, Paxson, Revell
Be Rich, Wiersbe, Victor Books

PHILIPPIANS

Joy Way, Guy H. King, Christian Literature Crusade
Philippian Studies, Moule, Hodder and Stoughton
Devotional Studies in Philippians, Lehman Strauss, Loizeaux Brothers
To Live is Christ, Walvoord,
Be Joyful, Wiersbe, Victor Books

COLOSSIANS

Crossing the border, Guy H. King, Christian Literature Crusade Fullness and Freedom, Lucas, IVP
Colossians & Philemon, MacArthur, Moody
Colossians Studies, Moule, Hodder and Stoughton
Studies in Colossians and Philemon, Griffith Thomas, Baker
Be Complete, Wiersbe, Victor books

1 & 2 THESSALONIANS

The Thessalonian Epistles, Heibert, Moody Press
The Epistles to the Thessalonians, Hogg & Vine, Pickering & Inglis
The Church in God, Ockenga, Revell
The Thessalonian Epistles, Walvoord, Zondervan
Be Ready, Wiersbe, Victor Books

1 & 2 TIMOTHY

A Leader Led, Guy H. King, Christian Literature
To My Son, Guy H. King, Christian Literature
2 Timothy, Herbert, Moody
1 & 2 Timothy, Wm. Kelly, Bible Truth
The Pastoral Epistles, Kent, Moody Press
1 Timothy, MacArthur, Moody
2 Timothy, MacArthur, Moody
1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Ronald A. Ward, Word
Be Faithful, Wiersbe, Victor Books

TITUS

Christian Lifestyle, Getz, Zondervan
Epistles to Titus & Philemon, Kelly, Believer's Bookshelf
Exposition of Titus, Taylor, Klock & Klock
1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, Ronald A. Ward, Word

PHILEMON

Epistles of Paul to the Colossians and to Philemon, Eerdmans, Westminster
Stand Perfect in Wisdom, Gromacki, Baker
Epistles to Titus & Philemon, Kelly, Believer's Bookshelf
Fullness and Freedom, Lucas, IVP
Studies in Colossians and Philemon, Griffith Thomas, Baker

HEBREWS

Hebrews, Hughes, Crossway (2 vol.)
The Epistle to the Hebrews, Kent, Baker
Hebrews, John MacArthur, Moody Press
The Holiest of All, Andrew Murray, Revell
Hebrews, Verse by Verse, Newell, Moody Press
Exposition of Hebrews, Pink, Baker
Let Us Go On, Griffith Thomas, Zondervan
Be Confident, Wiersbe, Victor Books

JAMES

James, Anderson, Loizeaux Brothers
The Epistle of James, Herbert, Moody Press
James, Hughes, Crossway
A Belief that Behaves, Guy H. King, Christian Literature Crusade
James, Moo, IVP
Be Mature, Wiersbe, Victor Books

1 & 2 PETER

Living Faithfully, Blair, Loizeaux Brothers
Living Peacefully, Blair, Loizeaux Brothers
1 Peter, Hiebert, Moody Press
Peter, Lloyd-Jones, Banner of Truth
Tried by Fire, F.B. Meyer, Morgan & Scott
Be Hopeful, Wiersbe, Victor Books

1, 2, & 3 JOHN

Letters to Children of Light, Blaiklock, Regal Books
The Fellowship, Guy H. King, Christian Literature crusade
Joy of Fellowship, Pentecost, Zondervan
John Notes, Smith, Word for Today
Epistles of John, Strauss, Loizeaux Brothers
Apostle John, Griffith Thomas, Kregel
Outline Studies on 1 John, Torrey, Zondervan
The Epistles of John, W.E. Vine, Zondervan
Exploring 1,2,3 John, Vines, Loizeaux Brothers
Be Real, Wiersbe, Victor books

JUDE

Exposition of the Epistle of Jude, W.M. Jenkyn, James & Klock
Unmasked, Hawkins, Moody Press

REVELATION

Revelation, Barnhouse, Zondervan
Revelation, Newell, Moody Press
Lectures on the Apocalypse, Seiss, Cook Publisher
The Book of Revelation, Lehman Strauss, Loizeaux Brothers
The Revelation, Walvoord, Moody Press

New Testament Related

SERMON ON THE MOUNT

The New Order, Guy King, CLC
Studying in the Sermon on the Mount, Lloyd-Jones, Eerdmans
An Exposition on the Sermon on the Mount, Arthur W. Pink, Baker
For Believers Only, Sanders, Bethany

LIFE OF CHRIST

The Life of Christ in Stereo, Cheney and Ellisen, Western Bapt. Press
The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, A. Edersheim, Eerdmans
All the Parables of the Bible, Lockyer, Zondervan
Harmony of the Gospels, A.T. Robertson, Harper & Row
Studies in the Life and Teachings of our Lord, Torrey, Baker

Bible Reference Material

BIBLE COMMENTARIES (Whole Sets)

Wm. Barclay's Commentary, Westminster, (17 vol.)
Barnes' Notes on the Old and New Testament, Baker, Exegetical (27 vol.)
The Annotated Bible, Gaebelein, Moody/Loizeaux Brothers
Henry's Bible Commentary, Matthew Henry, MacDonald, Expository (6 vol.)
Fausset and Brown Commentary, Jameson, Eerdmans, Exegetical (3 vol.)
Commentary on the Old Testament, Keil & Delitzsch, Eerdmans, Exegetical (10 vol.)
Lenski's Bible Commentaries, Lenski, Augsburg Publishing, Exegetical (12 vol.)
Christ in the Bible Series, Simpson, Christian Publications, Devotional (21 vol.)
Tyndale Old and New Testament Commentary, IVP, Exegetical (44 vol.)
Expository Outlines on the Old Testament, Wiersbe, Victor
Expository Outlines on the New Testament, Wiersbe, Victor
The Bible Exposition Commentary, Wiersbe, Victor (2 vol.)

CONCORDANCES

Strong's Concordance, MacDonald
Young's Analytical Concordance, National Foundation for Christian Education

BIBLE DICTIONARY

Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Tyndale (3 vol.)
Unger's Bible Dictionary, Moody Press (1 vol.)
Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, Zondervan (1 vol.)

BIBLE ENCYCLOPEDIAS

New Schaff Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Baker (13 vol.)
Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Zondervan (5 vol.)

BIBLE SURVEY

Explore The Book, J. Sidlow Baxter, Zondervan (1 vol.)
Jensen's Survey of the New Testament, Jensen, Moody Press
Jensen's Survey of the Old Testament, Jensen, Moody Press
All the Books and Chapters of the Bible, Lockyer, Zondervan
Living Messages of the books of the Bible, G. Campbell Morgan, Revell
The Analyzed Old Testament, G. Campbell Morgan, Hodder & Stoughton
God's Plan of the Ages, Talbot, Eerdmans
The Victor Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, Richards, Victor

TOPICAL

Nave's Topical Bible

GEOGRAPHICAL

Baker's Bible Atlas, Baker
Eerdman's Atlas of the Bible, Eerdmans
Oxford Bible Atlas, Oxford Press
Zondervan Pictorial Bible Atlas, Zondervan

ARCHAEOLOGY

The Archaeology of the New Testament, E.M. Blaiklock, Nelson
Archaeology of the Bible book by Book, Cornfeld, A & C Black
Archaeology and the New Testament, Unger, Zondervan
Archaeology and the Old Testament, Under, Zondervan

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

New Testament History, F.F. Bruce, Anchor Press
Living in the Time of Jesus of Nazareth, Connolly, Steimatzky
Eerdmans' Handbook to the History of Christianity, Eerdmans
Bible History, Edersheim, AP and A
Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Edersheim, Eerdmans
History of the Christian Church, Schaff, Eerdmans
The Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ, Schürer, (5 vol.)
A Survey of Israel's History, Wood, Zondervan
Words of Josephus, Baker

DOCTRINE

Baker's Dictionary of Theology, Baker
Systematic Theology, Chafer, Dallas Theological Seminary (8 vol.)
Major Bible Themes, Chafer/Walvoord, Zondervan
The Great Doctrines of the Bible, Evans, Moody Press
All the Doctrines of the Bible, Lockyer, Zondervan
The Words and Works of Jesus Christ, J. Dwight Pentecost, Zondervan
Things to Come, Pentecost, Zondervan
Things Which Become Sound Doctrine, Pentecost, Zondervan
The Principles of Theology, Griffith Thomas, Longmans
What the Bible Teaches, R.A. Torrey, Revell
Systematic Theology, L. Berkhof, Eerdmans
A Systematic Theology of the Christian Religion, Buswell, Zondervan
Lectures In Systematic Theology, Thiessen, Eerdmans
Basic Theology, Ryrie, Victor Books
Systematic Theology, Hodge, Clarke

THE HOLY SPIRIT

Spiritual Gifts in the Work of the Ministry Today, Donald Gee, G.P.H.
Gifts of the Spirit, Horton, Gospel Publishing House
The Breath of God, Lockyer, Kregel
The Holy Spirit or Power From on High, A.B. Simpson, (2 vol.)
Charisma Vs. Charismania, Smith, Harvest House
Living Water, Smith, Harvest House
The Holy Spirit of God, Griffith Thomas
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit, Torrey, Zondervan
The Holy Spirit: Who He is and What He Does, Torrey, Revell
How to Obtain Fullness of Power, Torrey, Whittaker House

STUDY HELPS

Halley's Bible Handbook, Zondervan
Christ in All the Scripture, A.M. Hodgkin
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, Revell
Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types, Wilson, Eerdmans

Language / Word Studies

HEBREW/GREEK HELPS

Alford's Greek New Testament for English Readers
Hebrew & English Lexicon of the Old Testament, Brown, Driver, Briggs, Oxford
A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, Baur, Univ. of Chicago Press
Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, Baker
The Word Study Concordance, Wm. Carey Library
The Word Study New Testament, Wm. Carey Library
Index to Brown and Driver's Hebrew Lexicon, Einspahr, Moody
The New Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon, Evangel Theological Dictionary of New Testament Words, Kittel, Eerdmans (10 vol.)
The Interlinear NIV Hebrew-English Old Testament, Lohlenberger, Zondervan
Word Pictures in the New Testament, Robertson, Broadman Press (4 vol.)
Greek-English Concordance, Smith, Herald Press
Word studies in the New Testament, Vincent, Eerdmans (4 vol.)
An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Vine, Revell
Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, Wuest, Eerdmans (3 vol.)
Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Zondervan, (3 vol.)

OLD TESTAMENT WORD STUDIES

The Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the O.T., Gesenius, Baker
Theological Word Book of the Old Testament, Moody Press (2 vol.)
Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, Oxford Press
An Expository Dictionary of Old Testament Words, Vine, Revell
Englishman's Hebrew and Chaldee Concordance of the O.T., Wilgram, Baker
Old Testament Word Studies, Wilson, Kregel

Religions or Cults

RESEARCH BOOKS

Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religion and the Occult, Mather/Nichols, Zondervan
Handbook of Today's Religions, McDowell/Stewart, Here's Life Publishers
The Kingdom of the Cults, Martin, Bethany

ROMAN CATHOLICISM

Roman Catholicism, Boettner, Baker
The Gospel According to Rome, McCarthy, Harvest House
A Woman Rides the Beast, Hunt, Harvest House

JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES

The Watchtower Files, Magnani, Bethany
Jehovah's Witnesses Answered Verse by Verse, Reed, Baker
Index of Watchtower Errors, Reed, Baker
How to Answer Jehovah's Witnesses, Morey, Bethany
How to Rescue Your Loved One from the Watchtower, Reed, Baker

MORMONISM

The Mormon Mirage, Scott, Zondervan
Are the Mormon Scriptures Reliable, Ropp, IVP

SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISM

Seventh-Day Adventism Renounced, Canright
Seventh-Day Adventism, Hoekema, Eerdmans

PROSPERITY GOSPEL

Christianity in Crisis, Hanegraaf, Harvest House
A Different Gospel, D.R. McConnell, Hendrickson Publishers
The Seduction of Christianity, Hunt, Harvest House
Beyond Seduction, Hunt, Harvest House
God Wants You Rich, and Other Enticing Doctrines, Bulle, Bethany
The Health and Wealth Gospel, Barron, IVP

MASONS

The Secret Teaching of the Masonic Lodge, Ankerberg, Weldon, Moody Press
The Truth About Masons, Morey, Harvest
Secret Societies, Hunt, Loizeaux Brothers

DEMONOLOGY

Hypnotism and the Christian, Bobgan, Bethany
Biblical Demonology, Unger, Scripture Press
The Bible, The Supernatural and the Jews, Phillips, Bethany
Powers of Darkness, Arnold, IVP
Demonology - Past and Present, Koch, Kregel

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

The Christian Science Myth, Martin/Klann, Zondervan

Misc. Topics

APOLOGETICS

Answers for Atheists, Beisner, Crossway
Search for the Messiah, Eastman/Smith, Word for Today
When Critics Ask, Giesler/Howe, Victor
Hard Sayings of the Old Testament, Kaiser, IVP
Why I Believe, Kennedy, Word
Evidence that Demands a Verdict, McDowell, Here's Life Publishers
More Evidence that Demands a Verdict, McDowell, Here's Life Publishers
He Walked Among Us, McDowell/Wilson, Nelson
Today's Handbook for Bible Difficulties, O'Brien, Bethany
Bible Difficulties Solved, Richards, Revell
Defending Your Faith, How to Answer the Tough Questions, Story, Nelson
Can Man Live Without God? Zacharias, Word

HOMILETICS AND HERMENEUTICS

Principles of Biblical Hermeneutics, Hartill, Zondervan
Teaching to Change Lives, Hendricks, Multnomah
Expository Preaching, MacArthur, Word
The Ministry of the Word, G. Campbell Morgan, Revell
Preaching, G. Campbell Morgan, Revell
Biblical Hermeneutics, Terry, Zondervan
Preaching and Teaching with Imagination, Wiersbe, Victor
The Elements of Preaching, Wiersbe and Wiersbe, Tyndale

BIBLE

Why the Bible is Number 1, Barfield, Baker
The Foundation of Biblical Authority, Boice, Zondervan
The Cannon of Scripture, Bruce, IVP
The King James Version Debate, Carson, Baker
The Origin of the Bible, Comfort, Tyndale
The English Bible from KJV to NIV, Lewis, Baker
Our Inspired Bible, Wright
The King James Only Controversy, White, Bethany

JEWISH STUDIES

The Jewish People and Jesus Christ After Auschwitz, Jacob Jocz
Our Jewish Friends, Louis Goldberg
The Ancient Scriptures for the Modern Jew, David Baron
The Gospel and the Jew, Aaron J. Kligerman
When Being Jewish Was a Crime, Racmiel Frydland
My People: The Story of the Jews, Abba Eban
My Country: The Story of Modern Israel, Abba Eban
The History of the Jewish People, H.H. Ben Sasson
A History of Israel: From the Rise of Zionism to Our Time, Howard M. Sachar
Jews, God and History, Max I. Dimont
The Macmillan Bible Atlas, Yohanan Aharoni and Michael Avi-Yonah
Old Testament History, Charles F. Pfeiffer
The Biblical World, Charles F. Pfeiffer
The Archaeology of the Land of Israel, Yohanan Aharoni
The Geography of Israel, Efraim Orni and Elisha Efrat
Footsteps of the Messiah, Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum
Israelology: The Missing Link in Systematic Theology, Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum
Messianic Christology, Aronold G. Fruchtenbaum (good book for O.T. references to Messiah).
The Jewish People and Jesus Christ, Jakob Jocz
The Spiritual Dilemma of the Jewish People: Its Cause and Cure, Arthur W. Kac
Jesus Was a Jew, Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum (good for Jewish Evangelism).
The Messiahship of Jesus, Arthur W. Kac
The Death and Resurrection of Israel, Arthur W. Kac
The Christology of Early Jewish Christianity, Richard N. Longenecker
Judaism in the Beginning of Christianity, Jacob Neusner
The History of the Jewish People in the Age of Jesus Christ, Emil Schurer
Judaism and Christian Beginnings, Samuel Sandmel
Judaistic Christianity, John Anthony Hort
Jesus and the World of Judaism, Geza Vermes
Studies in Pharisaism and the Gospels, I. Abrahams
The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Alfred Edersheim
Bible History, Alfred Edersheim
Jesus and the Pharisees, John Bowker
Jesus and Scribal Authority, Stepehn Westerholm
The Theology of Jewish Christianity, Jean Danielou
The Church from the Circumcision, Fr. Bellarmino Bagaitte
Jewish and Pauline Studie, W. D. Davies

PASTORAL MINISTRY

Churches that Abuse, Enroth, Zondervan
Liberating the Ministry from the Success Syndrome, Hughes,
Pastor to Pastor, Lutzer, Moody Press
Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, MacArthur, Word
Well-Intentioned Dragons, Shelly, Word
Lectures to my Students, Spurgeon, Zondervan
Personal Work, R.A. Torrey, Revell

SERMON HELPS

MacLaren's Expositions of Holy Scripture, Eerdmans (11 vol.)
The Westminster Pulpit, G. Campbell Morgan, Revell (10 vol.)
Handfuls on Purpose, James Smith, Eerdmans
Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, C.H. Spurgeon, Pilgrim (64 vol.)
Spurgeon's Sermon Notes, Revell (4 vol.)

Basic Library (annotated)

SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY

Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1993 (Originally published 1948). 8 Vols. in 4.
Chafer's monumental classic in the field of theology was the first consistently Premillennial theology written, it is the old standard Dispensational reference and it is also the best.
Chafer, Lewis Sperry. Major Bible Themes. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing, 1980.
This is easily the best one volume doctrinal survey available, perfect for teaching groups the basics in theology.
Thiessen, Henry C. Lectures in Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 1983.
A one volume comprehensive introduction to systematic theology that is worth having in your library.
Ryrie, Charles C. Basic Theology. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1986.
Written in plain English, this one volume theology covers all of the basics and with illustrations.
Hodge, Charles. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, reprinted 1982. 3 vols.
An old standard from the covenant and reformed view.
Berkhof, Louis. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing, 1939.
This standard covenant amillennial theology in the reformed tradition is excellent. Though he is very weak in eschatology and ecclesiology, his outlines and analysis of other topics are well done

OLD TESTAMENT COMMENTARIES
Morris, Henry M. The Genesis Record. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1976.
Regarded by many as one of the very best commentaries on Genesis, The Genesis Record is both scientific and devotional. Written by a creationist scientist, it can easily be understood by both laymen and the theologically trained.
Anderson, Sir Robert. The Coming Prince. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1975.
Sir Robert Anderson of Scotland Yard spent many years authenticating the famous prophecy of the 70 weeks of Daniel 9:27. This work is one of the most amazing verifications that the Bible is indeed the Word of God.
Gaebelein, Arno C. Daniel. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1978 (Originally published in 1911).
Another great book for a basic study of the prophetic book of Daniel.
Walvoord, John F. Daniel. Chicago: Moody Press, 1977.
Like Walvoord's commentary on Revelation, Daniel has also become a standard work.
Feinberg, Charles Lee. The Prophecy of Ezekiel. Chicago: Moody Press, 1969.
Feinberg is an able Hebrew scholar and former Rabbinical student who has produced a definitive work.
Feinberg, Charles Lee. The Minor Prophets. Chicago: Moody Press, 1978.
Feinberg's commentary on the Minor Prophets are the best around, the study includes full treatment of the historical and cultural settings of each of the twelve prophets and their writings.
Baron, David. The Visions and Prophecies of Zechariah. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1972 (Originally published by Hebrew Christian Testimony to Israel, London, 1918).
Born in Russia in 1885, David Baron was brought up in a strict, devout Jewish family. He underwent the rigorous training in the Old Testament under the Rabbinical influence, a training which produced in him the terrible frustration that came from a knowledge of falling short of God's law. Following his desperate search of the Scriptures and subsequent conversion to Christianity, Baron determined for himself a two-fold ministry: to explain the truth of Christianity to Jews and to educate Christians regarding Israel.

NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARIES
Newell, William R. Romans Verse by Verse. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1996 (Originally published 1938).
Newell's commentary is a classic for understanding the doctrinal content of Romans, it can hardly be equalled.

PROPHECY
Pentecost, J. Dwight. Things to Come. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing, 1965.
Here we have probably the best book on Prophecy ever written. This complete work in Biblical Escatology is massive yet easy to read and understand.

BIBLE BACKGROUND
Vine, W.E. Vine's Expository Dictioary Of Old And New Testament Words. London: Thomas Nelson, 1992.
This volume is designed to serve those who have little or no knowledge of the Greek and Hebrew as well as the scholar. It is at once a dictionary, a concordance and a commentary in one volume. The student need not wonder again about the meaning of the original Greek or Hebrew.
Baker's Dictionary Of Theology. Everett F. Harrison Editor-in-chief. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1987.
This is an essential volume for any serious student of theology and the Bible. Defined and listed alphabetically are Biblical and theological terms important in contemporary and historical theology.
Nave, Orville J. Nave's Topical Bible. Hendrickson Pub., 1997.
Nave's Topical Bible presents more than 20,000 topics and subtopics and groups all related Scriptures to them. Need to know all the verses which speak of the humanity of Christ? No problem, look under JESUS, THE CHRIST -- HUMANITY OF: The work has been done for you.
Halley, Henry H. Dr. Halley's Bible Handbook. Grand Rapics: Zondervan, 1979.
This Bible handbook is packed with information valuable to the Bible student. Not only commentary on the Books of the Bible but also photo illustrations, archeological notes, maps, outlines, chronologies, as well as articles on how we got the Bible and Church history. Halley does not present the Premillennial Dispensation view so his commentary on some eschatological Scripture, i.e., the Book of Revelation, is not too accurate.

IDENTIFICATION
The Green Letters Series, Miles J. Stanford, Zondervan
Grace, Chafer, Zondervan
Birthright, David C. Needham, Multnomah Press

Compiled by Ben Abrams

Chapter Two – Signs of the Second Coming of Christ | Bible Prophecy Articles

2012-01-24T22:28:00.000-08:00

Chapter Two – Signs of the Second Coming of Christ | Bible Prophecy Articles

Language and Bible Timeline | Bible Prophecy Articles

2012-01-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

Language and Bible Timeline | Bible Prophecy Articles

The Biblicist Bible Study Center

2012-01-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

The Biblicist Bible Study Center

Facts About The Textus Receptus

2012-01-22T16:17:00.000-08:00

Facts About The Textus Receptus

How did the term "textus receptus" originate?

It originated through a highly exaggerated statement -- actually a publisher's blurb -- in the preface of the second edition of the Greek New Testament that was published in Holland in 1633 by the Elzevir brothers. In this Latin preface they called their book "the text which is now received by all, in which we give nothing changed or corrupted." This is how this Latin term textus receptus (text received) came to be applied to a particular text of the Greek New Testament. On the European continent, aside from Great Britain, the first Elzevir edition (pub. 1624) was for a long time the standard edition of the Greek New Testament.

Did the King James translators use this "textus receptus" as the basis for their translation?

No. Even the first Elzevir edition was not published until 13 years after the date of the KJV.

What was the Greek text on which the KJV New Testament was based?

It was based on the third edition of the Greek New Testament, issued by the Parisian publisher Stephanus (Latinized form of Estienne) in 1550.

Was the text of Stephanus on which the King James Version was based identical with the later "textus receptus"?

No. The two differed in 287 places.

How many Greek manuscripts agree exactly with the edition published by Stephanus, and how many agree exactly with the edition published by Elzevir?

There is no Greek manuscript that agrees exactly with either of these. Both of them are conflate texts.

Were the scholars who prepared the King James Version convinced that their text was absolutely correct?

No. They recognized the possibility of copyists' errors, and showed this by making marginal notes to variant readings at 13 places. For instance, in Luke 17:36 their marginal note reads: "This 36th verse is wanting in most of the Greek copies." In Acts 25:6 where their text reads: "When he had tarried among them more than ten days," they inserted the following marginal note: "Or, as some copies read, no more than eight or ten days."

What was the source of most of the readings found both in the edition of Stephanus and in that of Elzevir?

Most of the readings in both of these follow the edition of the Greek New Testament prepared by Erasmus, the great enemy of Luther, and published in 1516, the year before the Reformation began.

How many manuscripts agree exactly with Erasmus' edition of the Greek New Testament?

There is no Greek manuscript that agrees exactly with it. Erasmus made it by combining the readings of several manuscripts, none of them earlier than the tenth century A.D., and most of them still later. In some parts of the New Testament he had no manuscript at all, but simply retranslated from the Latin Bible.

To whom was the Greek New Testament prepared by Erasmus dedicated?

It was dedicated to Pope Leo X, the pope who later condemned Luther and the Reformation. It is believed that this pope gave Erasmus' publisher the exclusive right to publish the Greek New Testament for a period of time.

Have better manuscripts been discovered than those on which the textus receptus was based?

During the three and one-half centuries since the King James Version was made dozens of manuscripts have been found that were copied many centuries earlier than any manuscript used by Erasmus. The manuscripts he used were copies of copies of copies of copies of copies. When material is copied a number of times by hand, extra words and phrases generally find their way into the text in the course of copying and occasionally the eye of a copyist may jump from one word of a phrase to a similar one, and thus omit something or perhaps copy it twice.

Does this mean that the textus receptus is a harmful text?

The additions in the textus receptus do not contain any idea that is not taught elsewhere in the New Testament in parts that agree with the earlier manuscripts. The differences consist mainly of repetition of ideas already contained elsewhere in the Scripture.

Then why bother to hunt for early manuscripts? Why not simply follow the textus receptus?

God inspired the manuscripts that came from the hand of the original writers. It is impossible to copy a book of any length without making some mistakes. In the case of the New Testament we have more evidence for determining the text of the original writers than for any other book from ancient times. While there is rarely anything harmful in the later manuscripts, it is desirable, if we truly wish to know God's Word, to base our text, as far as possible, on early manuscripts.

What is meant by the Byzantine Text?

Shortly before A.D. 400 the Roman empire was divided into two parts, the western Roman empire and the eastern or Byzantine empire. Within a century after this division the western empire came to an end, and western Europe sank into a state of near barbarism. The Byzantine empire continued, though often in a greatly weakened state, until A.D. 1453.

For about a thousand years, the Greek language was completely unknown in western Europe, but remained the official language of the Byzantine empire. During this time both portions of the former Roman empire contained many monasteries in which the monks were required to do a certain amount of work each day. One way to fulfill this work requirement was to copy manuscripts. In the western monasteries Latin manuscripts, including the Latin Bible, were copied and recopied by the monks. In the Byzantine monasteries Greek manuscripts were copied, including copies of the Greek Bible. Some of these scribes were greatly interested in what they were copying, but to others the copying was merely an assigned task. In the course of copying, little mistakes invariably come in, so that no two manuscripts of the Latin Bible or of the Greek Bible are exactly the same. During this period, as visitors passed from one Byzantine monastery to another, and manuscripts were interchanged from time to time, the tendency naturally developed to bring the manuscripts into harmony with one another. Where early manuscripts differed slightly there was a tendency to combine the reading. Thus there developed a text which is found, with many variations, in the manuscripts copied in the Byzantine empire in the later middle ages.

Sometimes a whole verse is said to be missing from the best manuscripts. Would not such an omission be obvious because of the verse number being skipped?

Our system of numbering verses is not found in Greek manuscripts. The first publication in which the New Testament was divided into numbered verses was the 4th edition by Stephanus, which he published in Geneva in 1551, after fleeing from Paris.

Some say that the last twelve verses of the Gospel of Mark were not part of the original. What do you think of this?

There is a strong possibility that the end of the Gospel of Mark was lost from certain important manuscripts at a very early time. Some early manuscripts stop abruptly at the end of V. 8 of the last chapter. Yet there was doubtless an ending, for it is extremely unlikely that the Gospel of Mark stopped with the words "and they were afraid." It may have been the short ending that is found in some ancient manuscripts, or it may have been the longer ending that occurs in the later manuscripts. Practically everything in this longer ending is also clearly stated in the Gospel of Luke. The question whether it was also stated at the end of the original Gospel of Mark is interesting, but not of any great importance for Christian life or thought. There is only one statement of importance in Mark that is not in Luke: "They shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them." Whether this was part of the original Gospel or Mark or not, it is certainly true that God can protect His people in this way whenever he chooses to do so, as is shown by the experience of Paul described in Acts 28:3-6.

Do early manuscripts omit the word Christ at many places where it is included in the textus receptus and thereby show themselves to be unchristian?

The Gospels always speak of our Lord as Jesus. The book of Acts uses the word "Jesus" alone 35 times, "Jesus Christ" 10 times, and "the Lord Jesus Christ" 6 times in the KJV. It would be quite erroneous to conclude from this that the author of Acts does not like the word "Christ." Different writers show different preferences in this regard. As scribes copied manuscripts in century after century it was easy for a scribe unintentionally to write a longer form even where a shorter one occurred, so the word Christ occurs more frequently in later manuscripts than in earlier ones. Yet even in the latest manuscripts we find that Jesus is often called by shorter terms. The use of longer phrases in referring to the Lord does not necessarily show greater piety or greater loyalty to Christ.

It is sometimes said that since God gave an inerrant Bible in the original we can be sure that He would cause that it be preserved without error. What do you think of this statement?

This is the sort of argument that rests on human ideas and not on God's revelation. One might as ell say that if God gave His Son to die for the sins of all who will believe on His Name we can then be sure that every person who has lived since that time would be fully informed about Him. We know that this is not true. Millions of people have died without ever hearing about Christ. There are people in this country who have attended church faithfully all their lives, but have only heard the social Gospel and have never been told how they could be saved through Christ. We know that whatever God does is best, but we do not have the wisdom to say that He must have done things in a certain way.

God has caused that the books of the Bible should be marvelously preserved. We can get extremely near to the precise text as it came from the hands of the authors, but there are many minor points on which we cannot be sure. None of these points affect any important fact of Christian doctrine of life.

God could have caused His Word to have been written on tables of stone and preserved in a room kept at exactly the same temperature, protected from any change, like the authoritative standards kept by the U.S. government. He did not choose to do so. This is a simple fact. No two manuscripts of the New Testament exactly agree. No manuscript agrees exactly with the textus receptus.

There is more material available to see how the Bible has been translated and to try to get near to the exact words of the original authors than of any other book from ancient times. We can be very sure that we are very near to the original text. We cannot say that we have it exactly. Maybe some of us would have done it differently, but this is the way God did it.

What about such statements as: "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled," (Matt. 5:18) and "the scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35).

Jesus did not say that not a jot or tittle would pass from the law till every tiniest part had been copied perfectly. What He said was that no tiny part of the meaning of the Word of God as given to the original writers would fail to be fulfilled in exactly the way that God intended. Man cannot break what God has ordained. These verses refer to fulfillment, not to precise copying.

What is your opinion of the New American Standard Bible?

No translation is perfect. There are always places at which it is extremely difficult to render a passage into a different language. The KJV was very excellent for its day, but some of its renderings are questionable. The New American Standard Bible was prepared by consecrated Christian scholars and represents an attempt to give an accurate presentation in modern English of the text found in the older manuscripts of the Bible, with occasional notes pointing out differences in late manuscripts. Christians should be grateful for the devoted effort that has gone into this excellent translation.

Should a denomination or association of churches oppose a version solely on the ground that it is not based on the textus receptus?

The important thing about a version is its accuracy in translating the text of the Bible. The KJV was greatly used of God for 300 years until much of its language became quite archaic, as the English language changed. It is foolish to ask young people to learn the language of 300 years ago in order to read the Bible. Even mature Christians do not know what is the meant by such phrases as "we do you to wit" (2 Cor. 8:1), and "thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing" (Ps. 5:6). God's people need an accurate translation in the language of today. This is extremely vital. It is wrong to ask Christians to oppose a translation because it tries to follow the ancient manuscripts rather than a text based largely on Erasmus' edition. To do so is to make an idol of the textus receptus, or of the King James Version. God does not want His people to be idolaters!

I have heard that the King James Version and the textus receptus are based on the majority of Greek NT manuscripts. Is this true?

Yes and no. As Dr. MacRae has pointed out, the King James Version does not exactly follow the majority of Greek NT manuscripts. For instance, 1 John 5:7, found in the KJV and TR, occurs in only four (out of nearly 5000) Greek NT manuscripts. The reading "book of life" in Rev. 22:19 is found in no Greek manuscript.

Even though no Greek manuscript is exactly like the Textus Receptus or Erasmus' Greek NT, isn't it true that 95% of the known manuscripts of the Greek NT are closer to these than to the Greek text behind most modern English translations?

Yes. But 95% of the known Greek NT manuscripts were copied after A.D. 700, more than six centuries after the NT was written.

What is the situation among early NT manuscripts then?

Among manuscripts copied before A.D. 400 (three centuries after the NT was completed) there are none of the Textus Receptus type (Byzantine family), even though we have over seventy manuscripts from this period. From A.D. 400 to 700, Byzantine manuscripts are still in the minority.

Isn't it possible that the Textus Receptus is still the original text, but that old manuscripts of it were destroyed as soon as they were copied?

Well, I suppose it is possible, but we have no statements from antiquity that Christian copyist destroyed old manuscripts after they copied them. The evidence we do have suggests that the Byzantine family is not the oldest type of NT text.

What sort of evidence is there that the Byzantine family is not the oldest text?

We have three basic sources of information about the text of the NT: (1) Greek NT manuscripts, (2) quotations of the NT by early Christian writers, and (3) ancient translations of the NT into other languages. I have already mentioned the Greek NT manuscript situation above.

What about quotations by early Christian writers?

Many Christians quote from the NT in the letters, sermons and commentaries preserved from the early centuries of our era. Although we see about 100 writers using the so-called Alexandrain, Western and Caesarean text families in quotations from before A.D. 400, the first person known to have used the Byzantine type of text is John Chrysostom, who died in A.D. 407.

What about early translations?

We have translations of the NT made into Latin, Syriac and Coptic (Egyptian) by A.D. 300. None of these use a Byzantine sort of text but rather the Alexandrian or Western text. The earliest Byzantine type translation is the Syriac Peshitta, but there is no evidence for its existence before the 5th century A.D.

But if the Byzantine family and the Textus Receptus are not the original text of Scripture, doesn't this mean that the Church has been without the true text for nearly 1400 years?

Again, yes and no. If you mean that there has been uncertainty on the exact wording of Scripture, this has been so ever since the autographs were lost, probably in the second century. This is why we speak of the inerrancy of Scripture in the autographs. But even those who believe the Textus Receptus is correct must choose among the many printed editions of the Greek NT or among the thousands of late Greek manuscripts, so they cannot be sure of the exact wording either. But if you mean uncertainty regarding doctrine, none of the teachings of Scripture rest on only one passage (unless you are a snake-handler!). In fact, none of the various families of text: Alexandrian, Western, Caesarean or Byzantine, give us a Bible which teaches different doctrines from the others.

Written by Dr. Allan A. MacRae & Dr. Robert C. Newman

Doctrinal Statement

2012-01-14T04:21:00.000-08:00

Doctrinal Statement

Jerusalim

2012-01-14T03:01:00.000-08:00

Jerusalem | Filmed in Imax 3D from JerusalemTheMovie on Vimeo.

THE PRINCIPLE OF FREEDOM | A Daily Bible Study

2012-01-12T20:18:00.000-08:00

THE PRINCIPLE OF FREEDOM | A Daily Bible Study

Colossians 1:26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.

2012-01-12T19:43:00.000-08:00

Colossians 1:26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.

Bible Questions Answered

2012-01-12T19:06:00.000-08:00

Bible Questions Answered

AP3W0805.pdf (application/pdf Object)

2012-01-11T17:41:00.000-08:00

AP3W0805.pdf (application/pdf Object)
What Does Science Reveal
about When Life Begins?
John Ankerberg and John Weldon
The most dangerous place in the world is in the womb. —Cardinal Sin of the
Philippines1
The fact that abortion and infanticide result in the destruction of innocent
human beings cannot, in itself, be a reason for viewing such actions as wrong.
—-Michael Tooley2
What does modern science conclude about when human life begins?
Many people mistakenly feel that abortion is a “religious” issue. But it is not. It
is a scientific issue and, specifically, a biological issue. The scientific authorities
on when life begins are biologists. But these are often the last people consulted
in seeking an answer to the question. What modern science has concluded is
crystal clear: Human life begins at conception. This is a matter of scientific fact,
not philosophy, speculation, opinion, conjecture, or theory. Today, the evidence
that human life begins at conception is a fact so well documented that no intellectually
honest and informed scientist or physician can deny it.
In 1973, the Supreme Court concluded in its Roe v. Wade decision that it did
not have to decide the “difficult question” of when life begins. Why? In essence,
they said, “It is impossible to say when human life begins.”3 The Court misled the
public then, and others continue to mislead the public today.
Anyone familiar with recent Supreme Court history knows that two years
before Roe V. Wade, in October 1971, a group of 220 distinguished physicians,
scientists, and professors submitted an amicus curiae brief (advice to a court on
some legal matter) to the Supreme Court. They showed the Court how modern
science had already established that human life is a continuum and that the
unborn child from the moment of conception on is a person and must be considered
a person, like its mother.4 The brief set as its task “to show how clearly and
conclusively modern science—embryology, fetology, genetics, perinatology, all of
biology—establishes the humanity of the unborn child.”5 For example,
In its seventh week, [the pre-born child] bears the familiar external features
and all the internal organs of the adult.... The brain in configuration is already
© 2005 Ankerberg Theological Research Institute Page 2
Read More

Ankerberg Theological Research Institute, John Ankerberg Show

2012-01-11T13:16:00.000-08:00

Ankerberg Theological Research Institute, John Ankerberg Show

MP3 Audio Bible Study Lessons

2012-01-10T18:40:00.000-08:00

MP3 Audio Bible Study Lessons

A Daily Bible Study | Just another WordPress.com site

2012-01-10T16:13:00.000-08:00

A Daily Bible Study | Just another WordPress.com site

Chapter Two – Predestination and Election

Jan11

1. INTRODUCTION TO SOME IMPORTANT TERMS
1.1 Predestination
Protithemi (to set forth beforehand) and prohorize (to determine beforehand) are synonymous Greek terms, which translate into the verb form “predestine” or the noun form “predestination” in English. In Scripture both events and people are predestined. For example, in Acts 4:27-28 Herod, Pilate, and the religious leaders did to Jesus whatever God’s hand had “predestined” to occur. In Roman 8:29 believers are “predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son,” and in the next verse the word is used in connection with their calling, justification, and glorification, relating ultimately to election. In Ephesians 1:11 “all things” are predestined according to the counsel of God’s will. The concept is comprehensive in scope and does not allow us to speculate that anything happens apart from the eternal plan of God. Simply stated, when God predestines He makes certain to happen whatever He plans or decrees, and everything is thus predestined. Read More

Purpose Drivel

2012-01-09T23:20:00.000-08:00

Purpose Drivel

A TIME TO DISCERN

2012-01-09T23:17:00.000-08:00

A TIME TO DISCERN

Extreme Theology: Beth Moore's Dangerous Bible Twisting

2012-01-09T23:07:00.000-08:00

Extreme Theology: Beth Moore's Dangerous Bible Twisting

Apologetics

2012-01-09T22:43:00.000-08:00

Apologetics

Eastern Regional Watch

2012-01-09T22:34:00.000-08:00

Eastern Regional Watch

Contemplative Spiritual Formation

2012-01-09T22:17:00.000-08:00

Contemplative Spiritual Formation

Emerging Church is Leading Protestants Back to Rome - Mike Gendron, Proclaiming the Gospel July - September 2006 Newsletter, PDF
Let All the Earth Keep Silence - Pastor Larry DeBruyn
A Still Small Voice - Pastor Larry DeBruyn
Holistic Spirituality - Lighthouse Trails Research Project
Coming From the Lighthouse Newsletter, July 17, 2006 - Lighthouse Trails Research Project
Thomas Merton: The Contemplative Dark Thread - Jackie Alnor, Apostasy Alert
The 'Summer Madness' of an invite to Brian McLaren and a look inside 'The Mind' of Tony Campolo - Cecil Andrews, Take Heed Ministries
Getting an Inkling about Romantic Christianity - Richard Nathan, Inheritance of the Saints
Coming From the Lighthouse Newsletter, July 31, 2006 - Lighthouse Trails Research Project
Max Lucado Hops into the Contemplative Camp - From the Lighthouse
Leadership Network Launched the Emerging Church Movement - Lighthouse Trails Research Project
Emergent Church: Do Doctrine and Truth Matter? - Upholding the Truth
Celebration of Discipline - 27 Years of Influence - Lighthouse Trails Research Project
Focus On The Family Once Again Says OK to Contemplative Prayer - From the Lighthouse
Postmodernism - Michael J. Penfold, WebTruth
The Danger of Losing Doctrine - Andrew Ballitch, Upholding the Truth
Leadership Summit 2006 Speaker Promotes Eastern/New Age Meditation - From the Lighthouse
The Emerging Church Shows Its Hand - Jackie Alnor, Apostasy

Family Integraded Church by J. Mark Fox

2012-01-09T22:10:00.000-08:00

Family Integraded Church by J. Mark Fox

Dr. Constable's Bible Study Notes and Commentary

2012-01-09T20:48:00.000-08:00

Dr. Constable's Bible Study Notes and Commentary

Glossary Of Prohetic Terms

2012-01-08T06:30:00.000-08:00

Glossary -Read More

(Mat 24:15-19)

2012-01-07T20:37:00.000-08:00

(Mat 24:15-19)
Eschatology:
The study of things that relate to the end times. That which relates to the final events in the history of mankind, which is a big word to impress your friends. Read More

Rapture Ready News

2012-01-07T20:33:00.000-08:00

Rapture Ready News

2012-01-07T11:20:00.000-08:00

James Audio Bible Study Lesson

2012-01-05T23:21:00.000-08:00

James Audio Bible Study Lesson

james.pdf (application/pdf Object)

2012-01-05T23:20:00.000-08:00

james.pdf (application/pdf Object)

Hebrews Audio Bible Study Lesson

2012-01-05T13:11:00.000-08:00

Hebrews Audio Bible Study Lesson

Audio Books & Poetry : Free Audio : Download & Streaming : Internet Archive

2012-01-05T12:25:00.000-08:00

Audio Books & Poetry : Free Audio : Download & Streaming : Internet Archive

Why should we study the Bible?

2012-01-04T20:19:00.000-08:00

Why should we study the Bible?

Why should we study the Bible? The some of the reasons may be obvious to many Bible students. When the all-powerful and all-knowing Creator of the universe has something to say, we had better listen. Unfortunately, many churches downplay the importance of studying the scriptures or even discourage Bible study. But just as children cannot grow to be strong without meat, new Christians must partake of the meat of the Word of God in order to mature as believers (1 Corinthians 3:1-2 and Hebrews 5:12-14). Even mature believers who have studied the scriptures for years can still uncover many more precious truths in God's Word. In this article, we will also look at several Bible passages that encourage us to study the Bible. Then we will also look at some passages which explain more specifically why we should study Bible prophecy.

Israel News - Haaretz Israeli News source.

2012-01-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

Israel News - Haaretz Israeli News source.

Falling Tulip Petals (Reforming The Divide Between Arminian Remonstrance & Calvinistic Grace) | para-DOX parABLEs

2012-01-01T11:57:00.000-08:00

Falling Tulip Petals (Reforming The Divide Between Arminian Remonstrance & Calvinistic Grace) | para-DOX parABLEs

Systematic Theology - Table of Contents

2012-01-01T10:51:00.000-08:00

Systematic Theology - Table of Contents

Irvin Baxter

2011-12-31T19:50:00.000-08:00

Irvin Baxter

The Final Move - Beyond Iraq - Michael D. Evans Biography

2011-12-31T19:44:00.000-08:00

The Final Move - Beyond Iraq - Michael D. Evans Biography

Who's Who in Bible Prophecy

2011-12-31T19:37:00.000-08:00

Who's Who in Bible Prophecy

Chronological Bible

2011-11-26T19:37:00.000-08:00

Chronological Bible

What is new covenant theology?

2011-11-26T19:25:00.000-08:00

What is new covenant theology?

Who Are The Overcomers

2011-11-26T08:30:00.001-08:00

Rev 2:26 He who overcomes, and keeps my works to the end, to him I will give rule over the nations,
Rev 2:27 And he will be ruling them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of the potter they will be broken,
even as I have power from my Father: Rev 2:28 And I will give him the morning star. Eternal security-promises made to “overcomers” in Rev. 2:11 & 3:5. I believe that these promises of eternal security to “overcomers” cannot possibly refer to some exclusive group of “perseverers” among the saints in heaven. All believers have eternal salvation, plus eternal security, in Christ Jesus. But if “overcomers” are a spiritually set aside group of saints in contradistinction to all other “non-overcoming” saints, thenthat would mean not all saints have eternal security Only the set aside “overcomers.” That doesn't even make sense.The promises must be for all believers in Christ so that would mean all believers are “overcomers.” And since all believers are overcomers, then it would make sense that all promises to overcomers apply to all believers (so great a salvation is future-tense ) – including the blessed promises that we will all co-reign with Christ! Pure and sovereign grace!! Thanks to our God and Father through our Lord Jesus Christ for His all-sufficient Word. The Apostle John himself, the same author Revelation gives, by divine inspiration of the same Spirit-Author of all Scripture, an explicit definition of who qualifies as an “overcomer,” this confirms all that has just been said: “For all that has been begotten of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory which has overcome the world, our faith. Who is he that overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4,5) There can be no doubt as to who qualifies as an “overcomer” – every single believer in Christ!; all of whom comprise His one beloved Bride that will co-reign with Him in the day of His manifested power and glory. "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My Throne."--Rev. 3:21.
In this promise our Lord is referring, of course, to His Messianic throne and His millennial reign. When He
comes again, in power and glory, then will He lift His resistless rod over the nations, and unfurl the banner of
world-wide empire. The evil one shall be interned in the bottomless abyss. Evil shall be completely subjugated.
Righteousness and peace shall be dispensed to the nations. Christ Jesus shall reign upon the Davidic throne
which has been promised and covenanted to Him. A chastened and renewed Israel will send His messengers of
enlightenment and peace throughout the earth. Science and invention, scholarship and art, shall all devote
themselves to noblest ends. War shall be done away, and the throne of David's greater Son shall be supreme.
It will be wonderful to live under that reign, yet it will be even more wonderful to reign with Him; and this is what
Jesus promises. "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My Throne." What a promise!
But the promise is to "the overcomer." Are all believers "overcomers"? Let him think twice who would answer a
dogmatic "Yes" to this question. The letters to the seven churches, at least, suggested otherwise to an
unprejudiced reader. Our standing in Christ is no artificial position of immunity. As there are degrees of
punishment [in hell] so there are degrees of reward [in heaven]. One is made ruler over ten cities, another over
five. "One star differeth from another star in glory."
Let our eager prayer ever be that we may be among the "overcomers."
Page 1/ “Ye are of God, children, and have overcome them, because [of being specially faithful and producing good works unto the end? no, but because] greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) “But in all these things we more than conquer through Him that has loved us [not through our personal worthiness or good works!].” (Rom. 8:37) “These things have I spoken to you that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye have tribulation; but be of good courage: I have overcome the world [and thus do all that are in Him].” (John 16:33) “There are those who overcome, and there are those who are overcome. These latter are lost (II Peter 2:20). They give up Christ’s words (1 Corinthians 15:2, Colossians 1:23, Mark 8:38). We note two classes – and only two – in Revelation 21:7, 8.” – William R. Newell (Revelation: A Complete Commentary, p. 42) “And, be it noted, the only two classes seen in this final eternal order are those who overcome, and those cast into the lake of fire. The ‘overcomers,’ thus, are shown to be all God’s true children. For all had the divine gift of faith, all were begotten of God. So we read in I John 5:4: ‘Whatsoever is begotten of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that hath overcome the world, even our faith.’ “ – William R. Newell (Revelation: A Complete Commentary, p. 339) “He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. There is a double negative in the Greek – ‘not at all be injured.’ The saints may have to bow their heads to those who execute the first death – who ‘kill the body’; but over these, we read, ‘the second death hath no authority’ (Revelation 20:6). No real believer is coming into judgment. See John 5:24, R.V. Believers’ works will be examined, but not as sin: that is gone forever, borne on the cross! Hebrews 9:28: ‘so Christ...shall appear...apart from sin.’” – William R. Newell (Revelation: A Complete Commentary, p. 47) “He that overcometh, I will give to him to sit down with me in my throne, as I also overcame, and sat down with my Father in his throne. Christ’s throne is the throne of His father David at Jerusalem (II Samuel 7:12, 13, 16; I Chronicles 29:3; Jeremiah 3:17; Luke 1:32; Acts 15:14-18). But our Lord’s royal inheritance by the Davidic covenant extends to His heavenly Bride, the Church, as Eve shared the dominion that God gave the first Adam…. Here, in [Rev.] 3:21, at the close of the unfaithful corporate testimony of the Church, we are again overwhelmed at this infinite grace of Christ…. Let not the most wretched, defeated believer despair – if only there be the least yearning for Christ. The most tender plea of all the seven is made to a lukewarm assembly. And the most distinct promise of actually sitting down with Christ upon His throne is given at the very close of the Church’s testimony. Note that our Lord speaks as one who Himself overcame, and is therefore now sitting upon His Father’s throne.* [Author’s Footnote: *Our Lord is not now on His own throne, the throne of David. He is at the Father’s right hand, on the Father’s throne….] As a Victor He calls to you and to me. It is only in sharing by faith His victory that any saint ever overcame! As Christ warned in the upper room, ‘In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33). He also triumphed over Satan and all his hosts at Calvary, and gives us the benefit (Colossians 2:14, 15; Hebrews 2:14, 15). ‘And this is the victory that overcometh – even our faith’ (I John 5:4).” – William R. Newell (Revelation: A Complete Commentary, p. 81,82) “The overcomer here [Rev. 21:7], as in chapters 2 and 3, is the believer, the one who has drunk of the water of life [21:6]. For him there is sonship with God forever.” – Charles L. Feinberg (A Commentary on Revelation: The Grand Finale, p. 155,156) “The church is the queen, sitting with the King on His throne and ruling over all the nations of mankind (Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21; 20:6)…. As a company of people the bride is called ‘the church of the firstborn’ (Heb. 12:23), those who are higher in position than any others.” – Herman A. Hoyt (The End Times, p. 232) Who is the overcomer? The answer is in 1 John 5:4,5— "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" Every born again believer is an overcomer. It is because the Lord Jesus is THE OVERCOMER and we are trusting and resting in His perfect victory (compare John 16:33). How can a person be joined to Jesus Christ and be in perfect union with Him, and not be a victor? This is the only place in the New Testament where the question, "Who is he that overcometh?" is asked and answered. Also note that the answer was given by the Apostle John, the writer Revelation chapters 2-3.

Ten Years Later, Boy's 'Hand of Hope' Continues to Spark Debate | Fox News

2011-11-25T20:51:00.000-08:00

Ten Years Later, Boy's 'Hand of Hope' Continues to Spark Debate | Fox News

The Scoop'a on NOOMA -- Part 1 - 9Marks

2011-11-25T16:41:00.000-08:00

The Scoop'a on NOOMA -- Part 1 - 9Marks

D100523.pdf (application/pdf Object)

2011-11-23T10:18:00.000-08:00

D100523.pdf (application/pdf Object)

http://www.teleiology.com/Lesson_19.html Audio

DSBC Date: 5/23/10
PT: Ron Adema Text: John 16:5-11
Study: Teleiology (#18) File: D100523
THE ANGELIC CONFLICT (#1)
(It’s Origin)
Teleiology is a theology term used to describe the study of spiritual growth maturity in CWL
(Heb.5:14) “But solid food is for the mature (teleios), who because of practice have their senses trained to
discern good and evil.” (Matt.4:4)
We are studying 12 church age doctrines that are essential for spiritual growth maturity. Today we are studying the
ninth Teleiology doctrine:
Grace Positional Truth Angelic Conflict
Dispensations Spiritual Gifts
Spirituality The Will of God
The Faith Cycle Suffering
You might wonder how important is the doctrine of the Angelic Conflict? The Bible opens and closes with it.
· The Bible opens with the beginning of human history and the angelic conflict (Adam, Eve, and Satan)
(Gen.2:17; 3:1-7).
· The Bible closes with the end of human history and the angelic conflict (Millennium, Gog and Magog,
GWTJ, and Lake of Fire; Rev.20).
The Angelic Conflict (A/C) is a doctrinal term to describe the spiritual warfare between satan’s evil forces and
God’s divine agencies in the world (Eph.6:10-20).
This lesson will study four aspects of the Origin of Angelic Conflict.
Jesus made reference to the angelic conflict in our lesson text (John 16:5-11).
We will examine our lesson text by the following three homiletical points.
· Change of Comforters (Jn.16:5-7)
o Jesus Christ (2nd member of Godhead) to Holy Spirit (3rd member).
· Conviction of the world (Jn.16:8-11)
o Sin, righteousness, and judgment.
· Condemnation of the ruler of the world (Jn.16:11)
o Has been judged (krino / perf.p.ind.3ps).
1. The origin of the A/C started in eternity past with the angelic revolt of the guardian angel, Lucifer
(Isa.14:12-15; Ezek.28:11-19; Rev.12:1-13).
After this revolt was resolved, he was demoted to titles like satan, devil, and evil one (Rev.20:2; 1 John 5:19).
(Isa.14:12) “How you have fallen from heaven, o star of the morning, son of dawn! You have been cut
down to earth, you who have weakened the nations!”
(Gen.1:2-3) “And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep; and the
Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’;
And there was light.”
(1 John 1:5) “And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and
in Him is no darkness at all.”
(Acts 26:18) “To open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of
satan to God, in order that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have
been sanctified by faith in Me.” (1 Pet.2:9)
2. There are at least four things that are important to mention resulting from the judgment of Lucifer’s
revolt in eternity past.
· One-third of the total number of angels who followed Lucifer in the angelic revolt was judged
(Rev.12:4; Luke 4:33-35).
· This resulted in two categories of angels being established: Holy and fallen (Mark 8:38).
· Lucifer was demoted in status to satan, devil, and evil one (Luke 1:3-4; Rom.8:35-39).
· Satan and the fallen angels were sentenced to lake of fire at the end of human history (Matt.25:41;
Rev.19:11).
3. Satan led two unsuccessful revolts at the beginning of human history.
Satan led a personal revolt against the plan of God with Adam and Eve inside and outside of Garden of Eden
(Gen.2:17; 3:1-7; 2 Cor.11:3) [AOS] (2 Cor.4:1-8; 1 John 3:12) [Cain].
· It resulted in divine judgment upon the human race (Eph.5:8; Col.1:13).
· This resulted in the human race being identified as fallen and under 13 judicial charges of AOS such as
spiritual dead (Rom.5:12-21).
· It was through this revolt that satan gained the status of ruler of the world (John 12:31; 14:30; 16:11;
17:15; 1 John 5:19; 2 Cor.4:4).
Satan led his evil forces against the plan of God and the Antediluvian civilization (Gen.5-9; Isa.54:9;
Luke 17:26).
· The fallen angels that were involved in this revolt were imprisoned in Tartarus until the middle of the
Tribulation (2 Pet.2:4-5; 1 Pet.3:19-20; Jude 6; Rev.9:1-12) [Tribulation / first woe is past].
· This led to two categories of fallen angels: demons and imprisoned spirits.
We are told that satan later disputed with the archangel Michael over the body of Moses (Jude 9; Matt.17:3;
Rev.11:1-14)
· Why? The two witnesses of Tribulation [second woe is past].
4. During the Jewish dispensation, satan and his evil forces attacked the plan of God and the messianic seed
of Christ and the divine agency (Gen.3:15; 12:1-3; Gal.3:16; Luke 3:23-38).
This Plan of God was revealed at the Eternal Life Conference of eternity past (Eph.1:4; 1 Pet.1:20; John 17:24).
God designed certain laws to protect the messianic seed: Levirate law (Deut.25:5-10); Daughter’s inheritance
(Num.27:7-11); 10th Generation Curse (Deut.23:2-4) and curse of Coniah (Jer.22:24-30).
Satan attacked the priest-nation (divine agency) like Adam and Eve to corrupt their minds with lies to act
against the truth (1 Pet.2:11-12; 2 Cor.11:3-4). For examples, Herod attacked the birth of Jesus Christ (Luke
1:34-35; Gal.4:4; Matt. 2:13-20; Rev.12:4-5). And the Sanhedrin’s attacked Jesus Christ as their Messiah even
to murder Him (Mark 14:1-2, 10-11/ Judas; John 1:11-13

Principles of Spiritual Growth You Can’t Live Without

2011-11-19T18:33:00.000-08:00

By Dr. James Brettell

(Focusing upon “Faith”)

 1.  Without faith it is impossible to please God.

 2.  True faith must be based solely on scriptural facts.

 3.  Unless faith is established on facts, it is no more than conjecture, superstition, speculation or presumption.

 4.  Faith standing on the facts of the Word of God substantiates and gives evidence of things not seen.

 5.  Faith’s evidence must be founded on facts.

 6.  The same faith by which the Christian life begins is the same faith by which Christians are to “stand,” “walk,” and “live.”

 7.  Since true faith is anchored on scriptural facts, Christians are not to be influenced by impressions.

 8.  Probabilities are a big temptation when it comes to exercising faith.

 9.  Faith has nothing to do with probabilities.

10. The province of faith begins where probabilities cease and sight and sense fail.

11. Appearances are not to be taken into account.  The question is whether or not God has spoken it in His Word.

12. Faith must be based upon certainty.

13. There must be definite knowledge of God’s purpose and will without which there can be no true faith.

14. Faith is not thinking that if we believe hard enough something will come to pass; this may be positive thinking, but it is not

biblical faith.

15. Faith needs facts to rest upon.

16. God, in His Word, reveals to Christians the facts with which faith has to deal.

17. Real faith is always increased by opposition while false confidence is damaged and discouraged by it.

18. There can be no steadfastness of faith in the daily Christian walk apart from immovable facts.

19. The trials of life that test a Christian’s faith are much more precious than gold that will perish.

20. Once a Christian begins to reckon (count) on biblical facts, God the Father begins to build the Christian up in the faith.

21. God the Father delights to increase the faith of His children.

22. Instead of wanting no trials before victory, no exercise for patience, be willing to take them from God’s hand as a means

      to increase your Christian faith.

23. Trials, obstacles, difficulties, and sometimes defeats, are the very food of faith.

24. Faith is dependence upon God.

25. Faith that depends upon God begins when self-dependence ends.

26. Self-dependence comes to its end when sorrow, suffering, affliction, broken plans and unfulfilled hopes bring the Christian

      to that place of self-helplessness and defeat.

27. Only when self-dependence comes to its end do Christians find that they have learned the lesson of faith, to find their tiny

       craft of life rushing onward to a blessed victory of life and power and service undreamed of in the days of fleshly strength

       and self-reliance.

28. It is a great thing to learn faith, that is, it is a great thing to learn simple dependence upon God.

29. It will comfort the Christian much to be assured that the Lord is teaching him dependence upon Himself, and it is very

      remarkable that faith is necessary in everything.

30. The just shall live by faith, not only in their circumstances, but in everything.

31. The Lord allows many things to happen on purpose to make the Christian understand his need for Him.

32. The more the Christian finds Christ in his sorrows or wants, the more he will be attached to Him, and drawn away from

       this place where the sorrows are, and drawn to Him in the place where He is.

33. The Christian cannot trust anyone further than he knows him.

34. The Christian must not only learn the facts involved, but ever more intimately come to know the One who presents and

       upholds them.

Book on Parenting

2011-11-18T09:32:00.000-08:00

Book on Parenting

The Doctrine of Fear - Publications - Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries / Grace Bible Church - bible doctrine truth in Christ

2011-11-17T08:50:00.000-08:00

The Doctrine of Fear - Publications - Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries / Grace Bible Church - bible doctrine truth in Christ

Doctrine of Supergrace - Doctrines for download - Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries / Grace Bible Church - bible doctrine truth in Christ

2011-11-16T21:20:00.000-08:00

Doctrine of Supergrace - Doctrines for download - Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries / Grace Bible Church - bible doctrine truth in Christ

The 10 Problem Solving Devices - Doctrines for download - Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries / Grace Bible Church - bible doctrine truth in Christ

2011-11-16T15:39:00.000-08:00

The 10 Problem Solving Devices - Doctrines for download - Robert McLaughlin Bible Ministries / Grace Bible Church - bible doctrine truth in Christ

What does it mean to be a living sacrifice

2011-11-16T10:01:00.000-08:00

www.GotQuestions.org

Question: "What does it mean to be a living sacrifice?"

Answer: In Romans 12:1, Paul says, “I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.” Paul’s admonition to the believers in Rome was to sacrifice themselves to God, not as a sacrifice on the altar, as the Mosaic Law required the sacrifice of animals, but as a living sacrifice. The dictionary defines sacrifice as “anything consecrated and offered to God.” As believers, how do we consecrate and offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice?

Under the Old Covenant, God accepted the sacrifices of animals. But these were just a foreshadowing of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. Because of His ultimate, once-for-all-time sacrifice on the cross, the Old Testament sacrifices became obsolete and are no longer of any effect (Hebrews 9:11-12). For those who are in Christ by virtue of saving faith, the only acceptable worship is to offer ourselves completely to the Lord. Under God’s control, the believer’s yet-unredeemed body can and must be yielded to Him as an instrument of righteousness (Romans 6:12-13; 8:11-13). In view of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus for us, this is only “reasonable.”

What does a living sacrifice look like in the practical sense? The following verse (Romans 12:2) helps us to understand. We are a living sacrifice for God by not being conformed to this world. The world is defined for us in 1 John 2:15-16 as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. All that the world has to offer can be reduced to these three things. The lust of the flesh includes everything that appeals to our appetites and involves excessive desires for food, drink, sex, and anything else that satisfies physical needs. Lust of the eyes mostly involves materialism, coveting whatever we see that we don’t have and envying those who have what we want. The pride of life is defined by any ambition for that which puffs us up and puts us on the throne of our own lives.

How can believers NOT be conformed to the world? By being “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” We do this primarily through the power of God’s Word to transform us. We need to hear (Romans 10:17), read (Revelation 1:3), study (Acts 17:11), memorize (Psalm 119:9-11), and meditate on (Psalm 1:2-3) Scripture. The Word of God, ministered in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, is the only power on earth that can transform us from worldliness to true spirituality. In fact, it is all we need to be made “complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16, NKJV). The result is that we will be “able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2b). It is the will of God for every believer to be a living sacrifice for Jesus Christ.

SPIRITUALITY vs. CARNALITY

2011-11-15T13:27:00.000-08:00

http://www.teleiology.com/pdf/_main/D100228.pdf
DSBC Date: 2/28/10
PT: Ron Adema Text: Gal.3:1-5
Study: Teleology (#08) File: D100228
SPIRITUALITY vs. CARNALITY
We are currently studying a series entitled, Teleiology (A study of spiritual growth maturity).
We are studying twelve meat doctrines of the church age that are essential for spiritual growth maturity.
(Heb.5:14) “But solid food (he stereos trophe) is (eimi/ p.a.ind.3ps) for the mature (teleios), who because of
practice have their senses trained to discern good from evil.”
We learned from our first study on Dispensations (parts 1) that human history can be viewed through four
periods of time within which God interacts uniquely with both believer and unbeliever, specifically during
the Gentile Age and the Jewish Age..
Our third study, in our series of twelve meat doctrines will cover the doctrine of Spirituality vs. Carnality
The primary opposition to these 12 doctrines comes from legalism. Paul warned Galatian believers not to become
bewitched (baskaino / a.a.ind. 3ps) by legalistic doctrines. He warned that the result of bewitching would be
foolishness (anoetos / vpln) [no perception of spiritual truth]. Legalism leads to a spiritual dumbing down of the
believer (Gal.3:1-2; 3:3-5).
Two areas of legalistic numbing down occurring within the churches of south Galatia were salvation by works of
Law (Gal.1-2) and spirituality by works of Law (Gal.3-6) – “I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness
comes from the Law; then Christ died needlessly.” (Gal.2:21)
From Gal.3:1 through Gal.6:18 Paul refers to the Holy Spirit 16 times (NIV Bible footnote). This takes us to both
our lesson text and to our third teleiological doctrine – Spirituality vs. Carnality.
We will study six aspects of the doctrine of Spirituality vs. Carnality.
1. Paul used a Greek teaching / debating technique of rhetorical questions to address the legalistic doctrinal
attack upon spirituality. Spirituality is 100% the ministry of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
The debater’s rhetorical question is not interested in an answer. It is intended to get the listener to consider the
implications of the question.
· Notice that it was used in every verse of our lesson text (Gal.3:1, 2, 3, 3, 4, and 5).
· Notice that three verses deal with the doctrinal attack upon spirituality (3:2, 3, 5).
· Write what was attacking grace spirituality?
· Gal.3:2 ___________________________________________,
· Gal.3:3 ___________________________________________,
· Gal.3:5 ___________________________________________.
2. Let’s consider Paul’s question pertaining to spirituality in Gal.3:2.
“This is the only thing I want (thelo / p.a.ind.1ps) to find out (manthano / a.a.infin) [learn] from you: did you
receive (lambano / a.a.ind.2pl) the Spirit (to pneuma) by works (ex +abl.pl.n ergon) [source of doctrine of
legalism] of Law (nomos / gsm) or by hearing (ek+abl.sf) [source of grace doctrine] (Rom.10:17) of faith
(pistis / gsf)?” (NAS)
How does the Church Age Believer (CAB) receive the indwelling Holy Spirit? If you say that you must do
something (works of the Law / flesh), your answer is foolish because you have been seduced or bewitched by
satanic lies (John 8:44; Matt.13:19; 2 Cor.11:3).
(John 7:38-39) “If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture
said, ‘From his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those
who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
(Gal.3:2)
3. Now let’s consider Paul’s second question pertaining to spirituality in Gal.3:3 – “Are you so foolish?
Having begun by Spirit, are you now being perfected by flesh?”
First: “Having begun (enarchomai / a.m.ptc nplm) by (work) [no defenent article (the) in the text] Spirit,”
refers to the 8 works of the Holy Spirit at salvation (50 Things of Salvation).
· One example of having begun by (work) Spirit is regeneration by the Spirit (John 3:1-8; Titus 3:5-7; 1
Pet.1:3, 23).
· Another example is indwelling of Holy Spirit (1 Cor.3:16; 6:19-20; 2 Cor.6:16; Eph.2:22; John 14:16).
Second: the reason a believer can become bewitched and become foolish regarding spirituality is “are you now
being perfected (epiteleo / p.p.ind.2pl) [to bring through to an end / spiritual] by (work) flesh (sarx) [OSN]?”
They were being persecuted by legalism regarding the doctrine of grace salvation and spirituality (Gal.3:4);
(1 Tim.1:18-20) [Hymenaeus and Alexander] “Be on guard against him (Alexander) yourself, for he vigorously
opposed our teaching.” (2 Tim.4:14-15).
4. The Church Age Believer (CAB) is not spiritual by doing religious things or being moral. These are
futile works of the flesh trying to perfect the OSN.
Just because they are not listed as sins (transgression of law) like in Gal.5:19-21, they are still carnal because
they are produced by the flesh or OSN (Gal.5:13-26)
(Gal.5:13) “Only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh.”
(Gal.5:16-17) “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the
flesh sets its desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit sets its desires against the flesh; for these are in
opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.”
The indwelling Spirit is the only source of spirituality in the CWL (1 Cor.2:14-3:3; Rom.8:9). The CAB is only
spiritual by walking by means of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
5. Let look at Paul’s final rhetorical question:
(Gal.3:5) “Does He (Lord) then, [who provides (ho epichoregeo / p.a.ptc.nsm) [person who fully financed a
Greek drama] you (su / dplm) [advantage] with the Spirit and who works (energeo / p.a.ptc.nsm) [grace]
miracles among you,] do it by works of Law, or by hearing of faith?”
· Be careful how you answer it. According to Paul, your answer could reveal your foolishness and show
that you have been bewitched by lies of cosmos diabolicus (John 8:44).
Notice the parenthesis in Gal.3:5 [ ]. Read it without the parenthesis and with it. The parenthesis reinforces
what was said in Gal.3:3-4 (spirituality) and reconnects us with Gal.3:1-2 (salvation).

Spiritled Woman

2011-11-14T15:40:00.000-08:00

Spiritled Woman

DISPENSATIONS (part 1) « Bible Study Notes

2011-11-14T13:35:00.000-08:00

DISPENSATIONS (part 1) « Bible Study Notes

D100110.pdf (application/pdf Object)

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D100110.pdf (application/pdf Object)

D100103.pdf (application/pdf Object)

2011-11-13T23:52:00.000-08:00

D100103.pdf (application/pdf Object)

THINGS EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD CONSIDER READING « Defending The Christian Faith

2011-11-13T01:39:00.000-08:00

THINGS EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD CONSIDER READING « Defending The Christian Faith

How Were People Saved Before the Cross

2011-11-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

How Were People Saved Before the Cross

Klein Online

2011-11-08T17:40:00.000-08:00

Klein Online

The Tribes of Israel

2011-11-06T10:45:00.000-08:00

The Tribes of Israel

God will yet choose Israel

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God will yet choose Israel

Fulfilled Prophecies and other Evidence that the Bible is the Word of God

2011-11-06T10:35:00.000-08:00

Fulfilled Prophecies and other Evidence that the Bible is the Word of God

Why should we study the Bible?

2011-11-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

Why should we study the Bible?

D100103.pdf (application/pdf Object)

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D100103.pdf (application/pdf Object)

http://www.gotquestions.org/civil-disobedience.html

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http://www.gotquestions.org/civil-disobedience.html

The End Time

2011-11-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

The End Time

Grace Notes Home Page

2011-09-19T11:56:00.000-07:00

Grace Notes Home Page

The Post-Salvation Efficacious Work of the Holy Spirit

2011-09-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

The Post-Salvation Efficacious Work of the Holy Spirit

Facebook (48)

2011-09-16T19:44:00.000-07:00

Facebook (48)

THE PURPOSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS

2011-08-29T22:32:00.000-07:00

By Dr James Brettell

1. The purpose of spiritual gifts can be stated in four simple points:

1) The spiritual gifts are given to glorify God (Christ). (John 16:14)

2) The spiritual gifts are given for the common good of others. (1 Corinthians 12:7)

3) The spiritual gifts are given to equip the church. (1 Corinthians 12:27-28)

4) The spiritual gifts are given to arm soldiers. (2 Corinthians 10:4)

2. Let’s look at each point and scriptural confirmation of each purpose:

1) The gifts are given to glorify God (Christ). (John 16:14)

(KJV) John 16:14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

(NLT) John 16:14 He [G/HS] will bring me [Jesus Christ] glory [how?] by revealing to you [primarily, to His disciples; secondarily, to you and me as born-again Church Age believers] whatever he [G/HS] receives from me [Jesus Christ].

2) The gifts are given for the common good of others. (1 Corinthians 12:7)

(NAS) 1 Corinthians 12:7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

(NLT) 1 Corinthians 12:7 A spiritual gift [one gift, not two or more] is given [by the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation] to each of us [born-again Christians] as a means of helping the entire church [spiritual gifts are given to function toward the Church].

3) The gifts are given to equip the church. (1 Corinthians 12:27-28)

(KJV) 1 Corinthians 12:27-28

27 Now ye [born-again Christians] are the body of Christ [the Church], and members [parts of the body] in particular [with your own particular place in His body] .

28 And God [G/F as the Author; and G/HS as the Distributor] hath set [has granted gifts to] some [not all, meaning not every born-again Christian has the same spiritual gift] in the church [the universal church], [what follows is a partial list of spiritual gifts, some of which were temporary and are no longer valid for use today] first [first chronologically, not in order of importance] apostles, secondarily [second chronologically, not in order of importance] prophets, thirdly [third chronologically, not in order of importance] teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

4) The gifts are given to arm spiritual soldiers. (2 Corinthians 10:4)

(KJV) 2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) (KJV)

(KJV) 2 Corinthians 10:4 (For the [spiritual] weapons of our [born-again Christian] [spiritual] warfare are not carnal [not associated with old-man function], but [conjunction of contrast, contrasting old-man function and new-man function] mighty through God [G/F, the Author of the plan] to the pulling down of strong holds [those belonging to Satan];) (KJV)

One Spiritual Gift

2011-08-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

I like to think my gift is mothering but maybe Dr Jim will tell me other wise.

(Every Believer Has Only One)

Introduction:

The Bible teaches that every believer has only one spiritual gift.

Five verses that imply that every beleiver has only one spiritual gift:

Ephesians 4:7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. (KJV)

1 Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. (KJV)

1 Corinthians 12:15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of

the body? (KJV)

2 Timothy 1:6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the

putting on of my hands. (KJV)

1 Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of

the manifold grace of God. (KJV)

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Pride (99)

2011-08-02T12:55:00.000-07:00

Pride (99)

Pride

by Grace Notes on Tuesday, August 2, 2011 at 2:40pm

“These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look ...”

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“These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look ...”

Introduction

God has a plan for your life. God is perfect, therefore, His plan is perfect.

It is impossible for you with your sin nature to execute the plan of God for your life. Therefore, God has provided through His grace a way for you to execute His plan, purpose, and will during your lifetime.

Whenever a Christian fails in executing the plan of God for his life, sinful pride is the primary reason and motivating cause.

Pride is the basic mental attitude sin. As you will see in this study, sinful pride (or arrogance) precedes and supports all of the sinful mental attitudes the sin nature produces.

Satan was the first creature guilty of pride. His motivation of pride is found in one line of Isa. 14:14. "I will make myself like the Most High God.” The original sin of pride is amplified in the following passage.

Ezek 28:14-17. "You were the Anointed Cherub who guards; I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked among the stones of fire. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created until unrighteousness was found in you. By the abundance of your slander, they filled your inner life with violence and you sinned. Therefore, I have cast you as defiled from the mountain of God. I have excluded you, O Guardian Cherub, out from the stones of fire. Your right lobe was lifted up because of your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom because of your glamor. I have cast you to the earth. I have placed you before kings that they may see you.”

A Description of Sinful Pride

Pride is the antithesis of grace. The believer who is arrogant is totally blind to the grace of God.

Price is a lofty self-respect totally apart from reality. It is high esteem of oneself from some imagined or real superiority.

Pride is synonymous with vanity, which is empty pride in regard to one's person, attainments, or possessions coupled with an excessive desire to be noticed, a lust for attention, lust for approval or praise from others.

Pride is the pomposity of vain glory. It is supercilious and haughty contempt of others.

Pride supports a whole array of sins, such as jealousy, bitterness, vindictiveness, implacability, revenge motivation, revenge tactics, self-pity, conceit, inordinate ambition and competition, slander, gossip, and maligning.

Pride is a mental attitude sin which overflows into the motivation, decision making and activity of the individual. Pride includes several different concepts.

Egotism. This is an excessive preoccupation with self and must be distinguished from ego, which is self-consciousness and is perfectly normal.
Vanity. This is self-admiration and an excessive desire to be admired by others. Hence, vanity is easily flattered and patronized.
Conceit. This is exaggerated estimate of one's abilities and attainments.

Scriptures Related to the Sin of Pride

Prov 11:2, "When pride comes, then come dishonor.”

Prov 16:18, "Pride precedes destruction, and before a fall there is a lifestyle of pride.”

Prov 23:29, "A person's pride will bring him low, but a lifestyle of humility will attain honor.”

Rom 12:3, "For I say through the grace which has been given to me to everyone who is among you, stop thinking of self in terms of pride beyond what you ought to think, but think in terms of sanity for the purpose of being rational without illusion as God has assigned to each one of us a standard of thinking from doctrine.”

Pride is defined in terms of the sin of jealousy in

Jam 3:14-16, "But if you have bitter jealousy and inordinate ambition in your heart, stop being arrogant, and stop lying against the truth [Bible doctrine]. This pseudo wisdom is not that which comes from above, but is earthly, natural, and demonic. For where jealousy and inordinate ambition exist there is disorder and every evil deed.”

Prov 13:10, "Through pride comes strife, but wisdom is with those who receive instruction.”

1 Pet 5:5, "Likewise you younger men be subject to the elder [pastor], and all of you cloth yourselves with humility toward one another. `For God makes war against the arrogant, but He gives grace to the humble.' Therefore, humble yourselves under the powerful hand of God, that He may promote you at the proper time.”

Application

If God does not promote you, you are not promoted.

God promotes men and women of who have absorbed the Word of God.

God promotes humble or grace oriented people.

Promotion is a matter of doctrinal inculcation and grace-orientation.

Promotion is a matter of glorifying God through the execution of the plan of God for the believer in the Church Age.

Promoted believers are the invisible heroes of the Church Age..

2 Tim 3:2-7 describes facets of pride. "For persons [believers] will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, wicked, without virtue-love, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of God, treacherous, thoughtless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but having denied its power, in fact, avoid such persons as these. And among them [immoral arrogant believers] are those who creep into households and captivates silly women who are loaded down with sins and lead on by their multifarious lusts, always learning but never able to come to metabolized knowledge of the truth.”

The Arrogance of Nations Brings Them Under Divine Discipline

Lev 26:19, "And I will break down the pride of your power. And I will make your sky like iron, and your land like bronze.”

Isa 9:8-9, "The Lord sends a message against Jacob and it falls on Israel. And all the people know it, that is, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, who spoke with pride and pride of heart. The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with smooth stones.”

Ezek 7:10, "Behold, the day is coming. Your doom has gone forth. The rod of discipline has budded because pride has blossomed.”

Pride is Always Related to the Rejection of the Word of God

1 Tim 6:3-4, "If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not concur with sound doctrine, those doctrines of our Lord Jesus Christ, even doctrines pertaining to godliness [spirituality], he has become arrogant, understanding nothing. Furthermore, he has morbid obsessions about controversies and verbal conflicts from which originate jealousy, discord, evil speculation.”

Pride distracts the believer from doctrine. Pride divorces the believer from reality, both personal and historical. Pride is the corruptor of the soul and the sign that the sin nature is dominating the soul.

Pride destroys capacity for life, love, and happiness.

The Effects of Pride

The arrogant person rejects authority.

Pride motivates emotional sins, such as: fear, worry, anxiety, hatred, anger, violence, murder, guilt. and guilt complex, self-pity.

Pride reproduces itself in jealousy, bitterness, vindictiveness, implacability, revenge motivation and function, inordinate ambition and competition, gossip, slander, maligning, and judging.

Pride transformed into self-righteousness produces legalism.

The Solution to Pride

Occupation with Christ is the ultimate problem solving device regarding pride. [Refer to the notes on Occupation with Christ}

Prov 8:11, "The respect for the Lord is to hate evil, to hate pride and pride and the evil way. And I hate a perverted mouth.”

Daily attention to the techniques of the Christian Way of Life will give you a grace mental attitude that becomes more and more free of pride as you grow in Christ and in the knowledge of His Word.

The Doctrine Of Logistical Grace

2011-07-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

BEFORE we begin, if you are a believer in Jesus Christ, take a moment to name your sins to God the Father. This will allow you to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit as you read this booklet ( EPH 5:18 & 1JO 1:9).
IF YOU HAVE never believed in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you have that opportunity right now. Simply tell God the Father that you are believing on His Son
Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you make that
decision, you are now a believer and will always be a child of God! When you die, you will spend eternity with Him forever in heaven! (JOH 3:16 & ACT 16:31).

We hear the term logistics a lot these days, used most often to describe what transportation companies do, with commercials showing us airplanes and trucks hauling loads of stuff all over the world. But true logistics means much more than just transportation. Taken from the French word logistique, the word logistics was first used sometime around 1860. It is really a military term and it describes that part of military science which deals with the supply, maintenance, facilities, personnel, training, transportation, and other services needed to support a military operation.

We use the idea of logistical support when we speak of God's logistical grace, keeping in mind that as Christians we can consider ourselves members of God's army, engaged as we are in the resolution of the angelic conflict and in the battle that Satan wages for control of our soul.

Recently we looked at how the metabolization of Bible doctrine prepares us to apply God's word to our daily lives. We also touched on the difficulty that we sometimes have applying doctrine, considering the resistance and lack of belief that is in the world today. The Message Bible gives us a great description of today’s cosmic attitude toward doctrine in this interpretation of 2 Ti 4:4-5; "There will be times when people will have no time nor interest for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food, catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They will turn their backs on truth and chase mirages. Keep your eye on what you're doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God's servant."

Having known all about the difficulties that believers in the Church Age would face, in eternity past God created a system of 'logistics' to support all those who would struggle to live by His word despite the pressures of the world. Here in summary are some of the things that make up His logistical grace system.

We begin with the inescapable truth that God has given us His word and preserved it in the canon of the Scripture. Here we want to pause for a moment and consider how the Bible is under continual attack from the secular world, even by many so-called Bible experts who believe that their job is to disprove the historical truth of the Bible. Same claim that parts of the Bible have been lost during the long periods of time when the Bible was ignored by the majority of people. Others say that much of what we are told about Jesus Christ was created long after His death in order to promote Christianity.

Here are the facts. While none of the original manuscripts of the Bible have been preserved, we do have thousands of early copies written not long after the originals and written in the original language. Study of these copies reveals that the Bible as we have it today is a faithful reproduction of the original.

There is the claim that hundreds of errors have crept into the Bible as a result of translations, and because of this the Bible has lost it's original meaning. The truth is that these "errors" are mainly disagreements about grammar, and have no impact on the doctrinal message. In fact, these discrepancies would fill about 1/2 a page, which is really amazing considering the length of the Bible and the fact that it was originally written between 2000 and 3500 years ago.

So lets try to inject a little common sense into the argument about whether the Bible is really true. As Christians we accept the modern Bible as being an accurate record of God's word because of our faith that God has promised to preserve His word, and the understanding that He has the power to do so. (After all, He is God!) Here we can remember what is written in ISA 40:8; "The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever." Later, the Apostle Paul told of us of God's intention with regard to His word in 1 Ti 2:3-4 "...God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

Although we believe that the Bible is truly the accurate word of God, the Bible warns us to beware of false teachers. 2CO 11:13-15; "For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness." Remember that Eve was no match for Satan when he distorted God's word in Genesis 2, but also keep in mind that God has told us that if we truly seek to understand His word, He will support us. MAT 7:7; "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." For this He provides us with doctrinal churches and pastor-teachers who accurately communicate His word.

On the night before He was to be crucified, the Lord Jesus Christ gathered His disciples together in the upper room and told them much of what was to come in the Church Age. He told them of the grace provision of the filling of the Holy Spirit, and the role that the Spirit would play in the life of the believer. He began with this in JOH 14:16-17; "I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you." And to those believers who would seek the truth; "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." (JOH 14:26-27)

The filling of the Holy Spirit is a key part of His logistical support program. It is a spiritual phenomena that helps us understand and metabolize Bible doctrine. It is the reason why God's word can be very clear to the believer, and remain a mystery to the naturally minded person. EPH 4:17-18 tells us; "So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart."

God will give us the support we need as believers. We may not always understand how He does this, and there will be times when we go through hardships that really turn out to be blessings. But remember this assurance from HEB 13:5-6; "God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"

Dispensational Guidelines Matthew McGee

2011-07-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

Matthew McGee When studying any Bible passage, it is always very important to understand the context of the passage. If we do not understand the context of a passage, we will often misunderstand the passage itself. One aspect of the context which is often overlooked is the dispensation. God has provided His Word in the Bible in several different dispensations. Every Bible passage is written in the context of one dispensation or another. Therefore, proper understanding of the different dispensations is needed in order to understand the context of each Bible passage. After becoming aware of this need, many Bible students will then ask about how they can determine which dispensation any particular Bible passage is under, so that they can more fully comprehend the context of the passage. These questions are the focus of several of the articles on this web site, which cover this subject in detail, including The Basics of Understanding the Bible, Israel's Kingdom Gospel and Our Grace Gospel, and The Seven Churches of Revelation. In addition to these articles, it may be helpful to have a concise list of key guidelines for dispensational study of the Bible. Therefore, some general guidelines for determining the dispensation of almost any Bible passage have been listed below along with a diagram which illustrates the timeline of the dispensations. The discussion following each of the guidelines has been kept brief intentionally, in order to provide a concise listing. For further detail, please refer to the articles listed above.

1. The grace dispensation began in about 37 AD when God called Paul and saved him in Acts 9.
From the time God gave Moses the law in Exodus to the calling of Paul in Acts 9, the context of the scriptures had been the dispensation of the law. The book of Acts chronicles the transition from one dispensation to another. With the calling of Paul, God began a new dispensation, the dispensation of grace, which still continues today. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 1:15-16, "... Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting." Thus we see that Paul was the "first" in this dispensation of grace and a "pattern" for us who have believed the gospel of grace since then.
2. The dispensation of the law was put on hold when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in 70 AD.
The destruction of the temple made it totally impossible for Jews to keep the law of Moses. Therefore the transition from law to the grace dispensation was completed in 70 AD. As shown in the diagram, the dispensation of the law will resume when the seven-year tribulation begins, after the rapture of the church. The dispensation of the law will have its fulfillment in the 1000 year kingdom dispensation.

3. During the transition period from 37-70 AD God revealed a multitude of mysteries to Paul to give to the church of the grace dispensation which was and still is mainly Gentile. God did not reveal the multitude of mysteries to Paul all at once, but gradually over many years.
In 2 Corinthians 12:7, Paul wrote, "And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh ...." Just a few verses earlier, Paul had written in 2 Corinthians 12:1, "It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord." In these two verses, Paul lets us know that he has already received from the Lord many revelations of many mysteries (or as some would prefer to say it: "many revelations of many aspects of the mystery"). He is also letting us know that he will receive many revelations of many mysteries in the future. These words in 2 Corinthians were written in about 57 AD, while Paul was in Macedonia on his third journey. This was while the events recorded in Acts 20:4-5 were taking place. Therefore we see that Jesus Christ was revealing mysteries to Paul throughout the 37-70 AD transition period from Paul's calling some 20 years earlier in Acts 9 and continuing for the next few years.
Naturally, as Paul was given more and more knowledge of God and His will for this grace dispensation, the corresponding doctrines were in turn revealed in Paul's letters. Also some of the deeper mysteries are not revealed until the latter part of Paul's ministry, not showing up until the books of Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians around 61-63 AD. But the earlier letters of Paul are still teaching and instructions for the grace dispensation as well.

4. The ministry of the twelve apostles of the circumcision was limited to the people of Israel.
The only exception was Peter's trip to the house of Cornelius. The proselytes were Gentiles who had converted to the Jews' religion including circumcision and keeping the law of Moses. They were treated no differently from the Jews, as was the case with Nicolas in Acts 6:5. The Samaritans were basically Israelites whose bloodlines had been blended with some Gentiles. The Hellenists (referred to in the KJV as "Grecians") were Jews that had taken on the Greek culture and language. Still, the proselytes, Samaritans, and Hellenists were all under the dispensation of the law. So those at the house of Cornelius are the only non-proselyte Gentiles to which any of the twelve ever ministered their gospel of the kingdom. Even in that case, the gospel of the kingdom was edited for Gentile consumption, since no requirement of circumcision or keeping the law of Moses was included. Many years later, Peter wrote two letters to Jews who had been scattered out of Israel during the transition period. But these were not the Jews that had received the grace teaching of Paul. These were Jews who had been saved under the kingdom gospel under the teaching of the twelve.

5. Paul's grace ministry was to the Gentiles and the Jews living among them, outside of the land of Israel. The Jews in Israel would not be receptive to Paul's teaching, and God knew this. In Acts 22, Paul recounts to the Jews in Jerusalem, his experience when he was in Jerusalem many years earlier in Acts 9. Acts 22:17-21 says, "And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; And saw him (Jesus) saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem: for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. And I said, Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee: And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles." Even after nearly 20 years, the Jews in the land of Israel still would not accept Paul's message which included the Gentiles in this way. The next verse says, "And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live ..." (Acts 22:22).

6. Along with the great wealth of knowledge found in the book of Genesis, we also find the history of the dispensations which came before the law of Moses.
These dispensations are (as shown in the diagram above) innocence (Genesis 1-3), conscience (Genesis 3-8), human government (Genesis 9-11), and promise (Genesis 12-50).
7. Exodus-Malachi, Matthew-John, and Hebrews-Revelation are written to the nation of Israel for the dispensation of the law which will have its fulfillment in the kingdom. Galatians 2:7-9 says, "... when they (the other apostles) saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me (Paul), as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen (Gentiles), and they unto the circumcision (Israel)."

8. Romans-Philemon are Paul’s thirteen letters to the Gentiles for this present dispensation of grace.
Paul wrote in Romans 11:13, "For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I magnify mine office ...." Paul is our apostle. Thus he says in 2 Timothy 1:13 "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus." Also he says in Philippians 3:17, "Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample."

9. Acts is the book of transition between the law and grace dispensations.
Therefore, special care must be taken when studying the book of Acts to recognize the dispensational context of each passage. In general, if Peter is speaking to Jews, it is for the kingdom dispensation, but if Paul is speaking to Gentiles, it is for the grace dispensation.
Certainly this is not an exhaustive list of all points of consideration, but these are the essential points that can help a student positively determine the dispensation of almost any Bible passage.

INTRODUCTION TO MYSTICISM : Apprising Ministries

2011-07-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

INTRODUCTION TO MYSTICISM : Apprising Ministries

Prayers for Wisdom and Knowledge

2011-07-03T22:31:00.000-07:00

http://www.matthewmcgee.org/prayer.html

One of the things that Paul makes clear in his writings is that great wisdom and knowledge of God is not something that is unattainable here in this present life on earth. Thus he prays continually for our wisdom and understanding of the Lord. In Ephesians 1:16-19 Paul writes that, "(I, Paul,) Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe …."

He also writes in Ephesians 3:14-19, "… I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Clearly, Paul does not desire that we remain ignorantly wading around in the shallow waters of understanding. He wants us to have a deep understanding of God, even to, "… know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge …."

In Colossians 1:9-12, Paul told how he and Timothy prayed that we would be filled with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding, "… (we) do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; Giving thanks unto the Father …." Notice also that they pray with thanksgiving.

Praying for Other Believers in the Body of Christ

Paul set an example of praying for other believers. He wrote in Philemon 1:4, "I thank my God, making mention of thee (Philemon) always in my prayers ...." He also wrote to the believers in Rome in Romans 1:9, "... without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers ...."

Paul also appreciated the prayers of others for him and his ministry. He wrote in Philemon 1:22, "But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you." Also Romans 15:30-31 says, "Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me; That I may be delivered from them that do not believe in Judea; and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted of the saints ...."

In Ephesians 6:18-19, Paul encouraged the believers in Ephesus to be, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel ...." A "supplication" is a humble and earnest request for God's help. Notice that the exhortation here is to pray for all of the believers and also for Paul and his ministry of the gospel. Likewise, Paul wrote in Colossians 4:2-4, "Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak."

Note: Some may be wondering why Paul refers to his message as "the mystery of Christ" and "the mystery of the gospel" in the two passages quoted above. That is because the gospel of grace that Paul preached to the church was not known by man, before God revealed it to Paul. Paul wrote in Galatians 1:11-12, "But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ." The gospel by which we are saved was not taught to Paul by the twelve or by some other person, but by our risen Lord Jesus Christ Himself. And the gospel given to Paul was not the gospel of the kingdom that had been preached by Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry and by John the Baptist and the twelve. It was a gospel that God had never before made known to man. Thus Paul wrote in Romans 16:25, "Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began ...."

Paul asked the believers in Thessalonica in 2 Thessalonians 3:1, "Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith." Here Paul asks the Thessalonians to pray for the physical safety of Silas, Timothy, and himself, so that they may be able to further preach the gospel freely.

Paul frequently mentions praying for the spiritual maturity and development of the believers. He writes in 2 Corinthians 13:7, "Now I pray to God that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates." In Philippians 1:9 he said, "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God."

Paul does not pray for the spirit of the believer only, but for the body and soul as well. In 1 Thessalonians 5:23 he wrote, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." He also wrote in 2 Thessalonians 1:11, "When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."

In 1 Thessalonians 3:10-13, Paul wrote that Paul, Silas, and Timothy were, "Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith? Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints."

Paul prayed for our fellowship in the gospel. Philippians 1:4 says, "Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now …."

In their prayers, Paul and Timothy thanked God for the hope that is laid up in heaven for the believers. Colossians 1:3-5 says, "We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel …."

In 2 Corinthians 9:14-15, we have an example of local churches praying for the spiritual blessings of another church. Paul tells the church at Corinth how the churches in Macedonia (perhaps including Thessalonica, Berea, and Philippi) had been praying for them, "And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."

Prayers for Those Outside the Body of Christ

We should pray for our governmental leaders, whether they are in the body of Christ or not. Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2:1-4, "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." So we should pray for our president, representatives, judges, and all who are in positions of governmental authority.

We should pray that others may come to the faith. Paul wrote in Romans 10:1, "Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved." In another example, Jesus was teaching Israel and not the church. Still, we see the same concept of praying for the salvation of others. In Matthew 5:44-45, Jesus said, "…Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven …."

The Matthew 5:44-45 passage above also ties into the general concept of praying for those who have wronged us, whether they are believers or not. Luke 23:34 records that even as Jesus hung on the cross, He prayed, "… Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do …." Similarly, Acts 7:59-60 says that as Stephen was being stoned to death, he prayed, "… Lord Jesus, receive my spirit … Lord, lay not this sin to their charge …." Also, in 2 Timothy 4:16, Paul spoke of his prayer for those who did not stand by him when he was opposed by Alexander the coppersmith, "At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge."

Thanking God for our Food

Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 4:3-5, "… meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer." Here we see that we should pray, giving God thanks for our food, thus sanctifying our food, whatever it may be. We are not under the law of Moses, where certain foods were off limits. Romans 6:14 says we, "... are not under law, but under grace." Under grace, all food is good, and we should give prayerful thanks to God for it.

The Intercession of the Holy Spirit

Romans 8:26 begins, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities ...." Here the word "infirmities" does not refer to health problems, as it does in some passages. As we shall see, it is a reference to our weakness in our inability to know for what we should pray. Continuing in Romans 8:26-28, "Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Sometimes we do not know for what we should be praying, but the Holy Spirit knows and prays for us on our behalf.

Praying in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

Praying in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ is quite common. But as students of the Word, we should want to know if there is any scriptural justification for this practice. Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:18-20, "... be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ ...." So in fact there is scriptural justification for the practice of praying in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. This not only applies to prayer and song, but Paul wrote in Colossians 3:16-17, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him."

The Peace of God that Results from Prayer

Paul writes in Philippians 4:6-7, "Be careful for nothing (don't worry about anything); but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." So when we have a request that is consistent with His Word, we can take it to the Lord. It does not necessarily mean that God is going to grant our request. But whether He does or not, we have "… the peace of God, which passeth all understanding …." When we place our requests in His hands, one result is a peace in our hearts and minds that would seem incomprehensible to the unbelieving world.

Frequency and Length of Prayers

Prayer should not be just occasional, but with great frequency, as 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Pray without ceasing." Also in 1 Timothy 5:5, Paul describes the ideal for the prayers of widows in the church, "Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day." Romans 12:12 says we should be, "... continuing instant in prayer ...." And in 1 Thessalonians 3:10, Paul writes that Paul, Silas, and Timothy were, "Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?"

Colossians 4:12 mentions that Epaphras was, "… always labouring fervently for you (the believers in Colosse) in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God." Note that with great desire and effort on the part of Epaphras was, "… always labouring fervently …" in prayer.

There is no set length for prayer, while some prayers in the Bible are rather long, such as Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9, other prayers are quite short. For example, in Nehemiah 2:4-6, when King Artaxerxes asked Nehemiah a question, Nehemiah said a very quick prayer before responding to the King. Keep in mind that Artaxerxes was the king of the Medo-Persian Empire. So he was the most powerful ruler on earth at that time. Nehemiah did not have time to say much, but God granted a favorable response from the King. "Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it. And the king said unto me, (the queen also sitting by him,) For how long shall thy journey be? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time." This prayer by Nehemiah must have been very short, so as not to appear to be ignoring King Artaxerxes, and probably under his breath, yet God heard it, and provided.

Mindset for Prayer

We have already seen many passages above that tell us that we are to be thankful in our prayers such as Colossians 1:9-12, Philemon 1:4, Colossians 4:2-4, 1 Timothy 2:1-4, 1 Timothy 4:3-5, Ephesians 5:18-20, Colossians 3:16-17, and Philippians 4:6-7.

Also, prayer must not be with an inappropriate mindset. In 1 Timothy 2:8 Paul write, "I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting." We should never approach God in anger, as some may do when a tragedy happens. Nor should we ever pray a doubtful prayer, as some non-believers begin their prayers with, "God, if you're up there ...."

Our prayers are to be with all humility. Jesus taught about humility in prayer in Luke 18:9-14. "And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." Now of course we know that Jesus was teaching those who were under the law of Moses, and that we today have no requirement to go to the temple or to tithe. Also, if we are believers, we have been justified and God has forgiven us of all our sins (Colossians 2:13 and 3:13). Never-the-less, the lesson that we should pray with humility is still appropriate. This message of humility in prayer is also seen in Matthew 6:5-6 where Jesus said, "… when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

Prayer should be truthful from the heart, not simply by repeating memorized phrases. Matthew 6:7-8, "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."

Pirate Christian Radio

2011-07-01T22:56:00.000-07:00

Pirate Christian Radio

MP3 Audio Bible Study Lessons

2011-06-30T15:26:00.000-07:00

MP3 Audio Bible Study Lessons

Basic Training Bible Ministries

2011-06-30T14:42:00.000-07:00

Basic Training Bible Ministries

Learn About The Bible

2011-06-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

Learn About The Bible

The Bible, the inspired Word of God is where a Christian goes to find out how to live their daily lives. 1Corinthians, chapter 1, verse 18, Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

1 Corinthians 1:18

For the word of the cross (o logov gar o tou staurou).Literally, "for the preaching (with which I am concerned as the opposite of wisdom of word} in verse 17) that (repeated article o, almost demonstrative) of the cross." "Through this incidental allusion to preaching St. Paul passes to a new subject. The discussions in the Corinthian Church are for a time forgotten, and he takes the opportunity of correcting his converts for their undue exaltation of human eloquence and wisdom" (Lightfoot). {To them that are perishing (toiv men apollumenoiv). Dative of disadvantage (personal interest). Present middle participle is here timeless, those in the path to destruction (not annihilation. See 2 Thessalonians 2:10). Cf. 2 Corinthians 4:3.

Foolishness (mwria). Folly. Old word from mwrov, foolish. In N.T. only in 1 Corinthians 1:18,21,23; 2:14; 3:19.But unto us which are being saved (toiv swzomenoiv hmin).Sharp contrast to those that are perishing and same construction with the articular participle. No reason for the change of pronouns in English. This present passive participle is again timeless. Salvation is described by Paul as a thing done in the past, "we were saved" (Romans 8:24), as a present state, "ye have been saved" ( 2:5), as a process, "ye are being saved" (1 Corinthians 15:2), as a future result, "thou shalt be saved" (Romans 10:9 ).

The power of God (dunamiv teou). So in Romans 1:16. No other message has this dynamite of God (1 Corinthians 4:20). God's power is shown in the preaching of the Cross of Christ through all the ages, now as always. No other preaching wins men and women from sin to holiness or can save them. The judgment of Paul here is the verdict of every soul winner through all time.

God, the Holy Spirit tells us by the hand of the apostle Paul, “For the word of the cross is to those who are perishing foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” We always need to study the Bible humbly and prayerfully, asking that God would open our spiritual eyes and allow us to see what His Word is saying to us. Lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect: Paul makes it clear that it is possible to preach the gospel in a way that makes it of no effect. If one preaches the word with a reliance on wisdom of words, they can make the gospel of no effect.

What Is The Gospel Of Grace?

Here is a wonderful definition from pastor Matthew Mcgee http://www.matthewmcgee.org/roman-rd.html: Many people think they will go to heaven because they have lived a good life. Perhaps, they treat all of their neighbors fairly. Maybe they volunteer for charity work and have never broken the law. Maybe they were even baptized or go to church regularly. But the Bible, God's Word, says that no one can live up to God's standard of righteousness.

Romans 3:10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one ...."

Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God ...."

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Salvation cannot be earned. Everyone is a sinner and deserves death, but God gives eternal life. So how can we receive God's gift of eternal life?

Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth ...."

To be saved, we must believe the gospel. The word "gospel" means "good news". But before we can believe the good news, we have to know what it is.

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel ... that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures ...."

This is the gospel which we must believe in order to be saved. Now, how does believing this gospel save us?

Romans 5:8-9 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."

Romans 3:22-26 "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (appeasing sacrifice) through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus."

We can be saved from the wrath of God, because Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins and rose from the dead. He paid the price for us, and we are justified in God's eyes through our faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works lest any man should boast."

There will be no boasting in heaven. We cannot be saved by our own righteousness, but only by God's grace, through faith.

Ephesians 1:13-14 "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory."

Once we believe the gospel, we are sealed with God's Holy Spirit. This is God's deposit, that guarantees he will redeem us, whom our Lord Jesus Christ "purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28).

Studying The Bible

Studying the Bible is an essential part of the growth of every believer. New believers should begin by reading the letters of our Apostle Paul (Romans 11:13), starting with Romans and then continuing through all of Paul's letters. Also, reading The Basics of Understanding the Bible would be helpful. in order to receive salvation. Salvation comes to the unbeliever by faith alone in the person and the work of Jesus Christ alone. Two thousand years ago Jesus Christ, the second person of the Godhead, stepped out of His place of Deity in heaven to come to earth and be born as a totally helpless human being. He lived a perfectly sinless life for 33 ½ years and was put to death on a cross on Calvary. While suffering on that cross God the Father placed every sin, past, present and future, of every human being who would ever be born, from Adam to the last man who will ever live, upon His Son.

2 Corinthians 5:21 21 He made Him who knew no sin {to be} sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (NAS) God the Father judged those sins and removed those sins, as far as the east is from the west, so that totally depraved, absolutely unrighteous man could have a relationship with an absolutely righteous God.

The Word of God

The Word of God was written to believers rather than unbelievers, the Word of God can only be understood by “spiritual” believers. “Carnal” believers can not understand the Word of God. What is a Carnal Believer? I'm glad you ask because some denominations will tell you that there is no such thing. Paul was writing to believers 2Cor.13-5. , not to unbelievers. All through the letter of 2 Corinthians Paul said this. Notice the following examples. "To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in Achaia" (1:1). "Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a deposit" (1:21-22). "You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; you are manifestly an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but the Spirit of the living God" (3:2-3). "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers" (6:14). "You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ" (8:9). "Finally, brethren, farewell. . . . The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all" (13:11, 14).    It is sad to say, but amongst Christian’s today, if you ask someone to define the terms ‘spiritual’ and ‘carnal,’ the response in most cases would be that the word spiritual means believers and the word carnal means unbelievers. That understanding of those words is not correct.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to men of flesh, as to babes in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able {to receive it.} Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking like mere men?”

Paul addressed the recipients of this letter as brethren. The term “brethren” is a New Testament term used for a believer, so Paul is writing to men and women who are already saved. He is writing to believers. He differentiates between the believer who is spiritual and the believer who is fleshly ( sarkinos, carnal (KJV)), stating that the carnal believer cannot be given, cannot understand, solid food ( deeper Spiritual truths ).

In 1 John 1:6-7, the apostle John makes reference to these two kinds of believers. The ones who walk in the darkness as opposed to the ones who walk in the light. The word ‘walk’ in these verses refers to a way of living, and we are told that whether we are walking in the light or walking in the darkness determines whether we have fellowship or do not have fellowship with God the Holy Spirit.

What is it that determines whether you, as a believer, have fellowship with God the Holy Spirit or do not have fellowship with God the Holy Spirit? Having an uncaring attitude and indifference to God’s Word and His will for your life, “quenching the Holy Spirit,” and/or having unconfessed personal sin in your life, “grieving the Holy Spirit.” Saying “no” to God’s influence in your life. Any believer who has unconfessed sin in his life, or has an attitude of not caring and indifference to God’s word and His will for his life will not be in fellowship with God.

The spiritual believer is in fellowship with God. The carnal believer is out of fellowship with God, and as we have already seen in the previous passage in 1 Corinthians, the carnal believer, the believer who is out of fellowship with God, cannot understand [ not yet able to receive ] the deeper truths [ the solid food ] of the Word of God.
Salvation Is By Faith Alone In Christ Alone!

Each one of us must be certain that he/she is a believer ( FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE ), and each one of us must make certain that he/she is a “spiritual” believer, in fellowship with God the Holy Spirit. How do we make certain that we are in fellowship with God? I pray that each of you will take a minute to name any sins both conscious and unconscious to assure you are in fellowship with God. This has nothing to do with salvation. Jesus paid the price of everyone's sins on Calvary. God, the Holy Spirit tells us by the hand of John as He continues in 1 John chapter 1, verse 9, “If we confess (this is a private matter between you and the Father) our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The word “confess” is the Greek word ‘homologeo,’ and it means, to name, to cite, to identify, to speak the same, to agree. So the Holy Spirit is telling us that we are to name the sin we have done, to identify the sin we have done.   God promises to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, but first, we must tell Him the sin or sins for which we are guilty. It's better to confess our sin as soon as we realized what we have done. We are not telling him what we did because He doesn’t know what we did. He is omniscient. He knows everything. He insists that we tell Him what we did so that WE will know that what we did was sin against Him.

Having confessed all known sins, if necessary, the believer must then YIELD, present, unconditionally surrender, to the influence of the indwelling Holy Spirit.Romans 6:13-13. Dr James Bretell teaches us this; “Operation KRY” produces supernatural victory of personal sins.14.“Operation KRY” refers to KNOW, RECKON, YIELD as taught in Romans 6:6, 11, 13.-15. Every believer has an old-man and an inner man.vs16.   The old-man is the culprit and the Christian life should be lived for the inner man.vs17.   To “mortify” our members means to use “Operation KRY” for victory over personal sins that come from the old-sin-nature.

An honest attempt has been made to set forth truth about personal sins as they relate to the Christian life. If you are struggling with personal sins in your own life, the solution is found in the application of “Operation KRY” to your old-man. You do not need a supernatural experience, and you do not need to get the Holy Ghost. You need to apply “Operation KRY,” and if you think you have applied it and still don’t have victory, return to the three steps of “Operation KRY” and determine which of the three steps, or combinations of the three steps you have failed to apply correctly.

Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. It is absolutely necessary whenever we come to a study of God’s word that we take a few moments to make a personal evaluation of ourselves and in silence before the Lord prepare our hearts for the study of His Word. Having judged ourselves rightly we are then ready to study.

In the Bible, God tells us in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

In Hebrews 4:12 God reminds us that “ . . . the word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Paul also wrote these words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

This world is full of problems. One of those problems is that the general thinking throughout the Christian world today is that it is only the Pastor to whom the word of God applies.

Most Christians believe that it is only the Pastor who needs to study ,it is only the Pastor who needs to show himself approved unto God,it is only the Pastor who needs to be a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,it is only the Pastor who needs to rightly divide the word of truth. That thinking is wrong. Each and every Christian is responsible to know, understand and apply the Word of God in his or her life.

THINGS EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD CONSIDER READING

2011-06-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.brettell.org/papers.htm

The Seven Churches of Revelation

2011-06-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

The Seven Churches of Revelation

The Strategies Of Satan

2011-06-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

http://www.gbible.org/index.php?proc=d4d&sf=rea&did=10

With Regard to Unbelievers Satan is the god of this world - JOH 12:31; JOH 14:30; JOH 16:11; 2CO 4:4; EPH 2:2
1) To blind their minds so that they will not be saved	LUK 8:12; 2CO 4:3-4;
2) To deify man (credit to the creature rather than the Creator; operation ego)	GEN 3:5
3) To influence unbelievers in order to hinder salvation or to use them	MAR 5:1-13; JOH 13:27
4) To deceive the nations	REV 12:9; REV 20:3; REV 20:8

With Regard to Believers Satanic schemes and attacks towards believers - 2CO 2:11
1) To accuse believers	JOB 1:6-11; ZEC 3:1-2; 1JO 2:1-2; REV 12:9-10
2) To keep the believer from the Word of God	1CH 21:1; 1TI 4:1; 1CO 10:19-21; 1CO 4:17-18; 2CO 11:3 2CO 11:13-15
3) To frustrate the will of God a) Geographical will of God: where does He want me to be? b) Operational will of God: what does He want me to do? c) Mental will of God: what does He want me to think?	1TH 2:18 GAL 5:7; EPH 4:14; JAM 4:7-8 1TI 4:1
4) To destroy the believer's focus a) To get eyes on self b) To get eyes on people c) To get eyes on things	GEN 3:4-5 1KI 19:10; 1CO 1:10-11 GEN 19:28; GEN 20:1-2 HEB 13:5-6
5) To frighten believers with regard to death	HEB 2:14-15
6) To get believer to worry	1PE 5:7-9
7) To get believer occupied with temporary solutions to man's problems, such as socialism, internationalism, and emotion. The Devil can distort something legitimate.

Satan has a counterfeit system (religion).
1) Counterfeit doctrine	1TI 4:1
2) Counterfeit ministers	2CO 11:13-15
3) Counterfeit gospel	2CO 11:3-4
4) Counterfeit communion table	1CO 10:20-21
5) Counterfeit spirituality	GAL 3:2-3
6) Counterfeit righteousness	MAT 19:16-28
7) Counterfeit power	2TH 2:8-10
8) Counterfeit gods	2TH 2:3-4
9) Counterfeit modus operandi	MAT 23:1-38

Satan has false teachers.
1) System of idolatry	HAB 2:18-19
2) Phony facade	MAT 7:16; MAT 23:1-7; MAT 23:25-28; 2TI 2:5
3) Legalism	1TI 1:7-8; MAR 7:7
4) Continues throughout history	1JO 4:1

Satan in relation to the angelic conflict. (How does Satan get at believers?) Psa 109
1) Intrudes into believer's prayer life through religion and legalism	PSA 109:7
2) Has power to shorten life	PSA 109:8
3) Has power to remove people from authority	PSA 109:8
4) Has power to kill	PSA 109:9; JOB 1:12 JOB 1:18-19; HEB 2:14-15; 1JO 3:8
5) Can persecute children	PSA 109:10
6) Can remove wealth	PSA 109:11
7) Can turn people against you	PSA 109:12
8) Can cut off posterity	PSA 109:13
9) Can cause disease	JOB 2:6-8; 2CO 12:7
10) Infiltrates false ideas and concepts into human soul, such as human good, religion, and legalism.	MAR 7:7

WHAT IS LIFE REALLY ALL ABOUT?

2011-06-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

http://www.bhgm.org/ By His Grace Minisries

KVDW 092007             Rev. Darryl Anderson

WHAT IS LIFE REALLY ALL ABOUT?

So how does He glorify Himself with what he has created? He glorifies Himself through the manifestation of the unity of His attributes. Wow, what does that mean? The word manifest means to reveal something, to make something known. God will be glorified every time the unity of His attributes is revealed. To understand what is meant by “the unity of His attributes,” we must first know what His attributes are. The word attributes means characteristics, His characteristics make up what is called His Divine Essence. Through His word, God has taught us that His essence is made up of these ten characteristics: Sovereignty, Eternal Life, Love, Justice, Righteousness, Omnipotence, Omniscience, Omnipresence, Immutability and Veracity.

So what this means is that every time God’s attributes function in unity, function the same way every time, regardless of the situation, God is glorified. So God created so that throughout all of creation, every time something happens in the universe, in the angelic realm, or in human history, God’s characteristics went into action in eternity past. Now, in time, when God’s decreed response to what takes place is consistent with his characteristics, He is glorified.   And you can be certain that since one of His attributes is IMMUTABILITY, which means God never changes, everything He does, and everything He allows brings glory to Himself.

One of the greatest mistakes God’s creatures have made since they came on the scene is assuming that God created because He loved us so much. And that He is going to take care of us because He loves us so much. Thus we so often hear the question “How can a loving God allow such a terrible thing to happen?” or “If God were a loving God, how could he allow such a bad thing to happen to me?” Even though the Bible tells us that “God is Love,” and we have seen that one of His divine attributes is Love, the truth is that God does not relate to His creatures on the basis of His Love. God relates to His creatures on the basis of His Divine Integrity.

His Divine Integrity is the product of three of His divine attributes working in union with each other. His perfect, absolute Righteousness, His perfect, fair Justice and His perfect, unconditional Love make up His divine integrity.

Let me explain:
1)   God is absolutely righteous. That means He is perfect. Since He is absolutely righteous He can not associate with, have fellowship with, or be in right relationship with anyone who is less than absolutely righteous.

Here is a principle: God’s righteousness demands righteousness.

Anyone who is not as righteous as He is righteous can have no part of God. And don’t forget, God is perfect in every way.

2)   In addition to being absolutely righteous, God is a just God. That means He is fair. Totally unbiased. God responds in the same way every time. He treats all of His creatures with total justice and fairness.

Here is another principle: God’s justice demands justice.

From these two principles, we have a third principle: What the righteousness of God demands, the justice of God executes.

Based on these three principles, we can establish these truths.

1)   When the righteousness of God looks upon one of His creatures and sees righteousness, His righteousness tells His justice to bless that righteousness.

2)   When the righteousness of God looks upon one of His creatures and sees unrighteousness, His righteousness tells His justice to curse, or discipline that unrighteousness.

3)   Whether God’s justice is blessing the righteousness He sees in His creatures, or cursing the unrighteousness He sees in His creatures, God is still unconditionally loving that creature.

When we understand these principles we realize that in life we all get exactly what we deserve.

I said earlier that every human being since Adam has been born in the image, or likeness of fallen Adam. God tells us through the hand of the Apostle Paul in Romans 3:10, “as it is written, ”There is none righteous, not even one;”” and then in verse 23 he wrote, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

Man is totally depraved. Man is not perfect. That means that, in himself, imperfect man cannot have a relationship with a perfect God. Paul makes it clear that due to man’s unrighteous condition we cannot have a relationship with God. In fact in Romans 6:23 we read . . . the wages of sin is death,.   The word death here means “spiritual death,” which is separation from God. Every human being is born physically alive, but spiritually dead, separated from God.

When we realize that every human being is born separated from God, and we understand that, based on His integrity, the only thing God can do in regard to the spiritually dead creature is curse him, we must come to realize that something must change in the spiritually dead creature’s life if he is ever to have a relationship with God and be on the receiving end of God’s blessing.

Something has to change if the lost man is ever going to be blessed. Of course, that something is that he must come to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. If any man is ever to receive blessing from God, he must be born again. God cannot bless the unbeliever.

So again, Why did God create?
HE CREATED FOR THE PURPOSE OF GLORIFYING HIMSELF THROUGH THE MANIFESTATION OF THE UNITY OF HIS ATTRIBUTES.

Another question that has been asked by people since time began is “Why did God create man?”
Let me repeat what I said earlier,
He did not create man because he was lonely.
He did not create man because He was bored.
He did not create man because He needed someone to love, or because he needed someone to love Him.

God created man for the purpose of resolving the Angelic Conflict, a spiritual battle between God and Satan which began in eternity past.

That’s right. God created man over 6,000 years ago for one purpose and one purpose only:         to resolve a spiritual battle between Himself and Satan. This battle began in eternity past, and is called the Angelic Conflict.

As I mentioned earlier, sometime in eternity past, before God created man, He created the universe and angels.

We are given information about a particular one of these angels in

Ezekiel 28:12-17 (592 to 570 BC)
12   "Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, `Thus says the Lord GOD, "You had the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13   "You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the ruby, the topaz, and the diamond; the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; the lapis lazuli, the turquoise, and the emerald; and the gold, the workmanship of your settings and sockets, was in you. On the day that you were created they were prepared.
14   "You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you {there.} You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire.
15   "You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you.
16   "By the abundance of your trade you were internally filled with violence, and you sinned; therefore I have cast you as profane from the mountain of God. And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
17   "Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I put you before kings, that they may see you. (NAS)

The prophet Isaiah gives us more information about this same angel in

Isaiah 14:12-15
12   "How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn [ the (KJV) reads “O Lucifer, Son of the Morning ]! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations!
13   "But you said in your heart, `I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north.
14   `I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.'
15   "Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit.   (NAS)

We are told in Revelation 12:4 that “a third of the stars of heaven,” a third of the angelic realm, followed after Satan when he rebelled against God.

So from these passages in scripture we see that in eternity past Satan and one third of the angels rebelled against God. God charged them with treason, brought them to trial, found them guilty, and sentenced them. In Matthew 25:41 we are told of that sentence. "Then He will also say to those on His left, `Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;   (NAS)

This rebellion, trial and sentencing of Satan and his demons took place in eternity past, before man was ever created. Even though Satan and his demons had been found guilty of rebellion against God, and had been sentenced to the eternal lake of fire, we find throughout scripture that Satan and his demons are still free. In fact God tells us through the hand of John in the book of Revelation that Satan will not be cast into the lake of fire until the end of human history.

This information has prompted many to ask the question, “If God sentenced Satan and his demons to the lake of fire in eternity past, why are they still free and operating in the world today instead of being in the lake of fire?”

Socialism Comes in Another Color

2011-06-15T22:59:00.000-07:00

http://www.extremetheology.com/brian-mclaren/

If you’ve read Brian McLaren’s books, Everything Must Change, The Secret Message of Jesus and A New Kind of Christianity, then you know that Brian McLaren is advocating a new global economy that is a ‘synthesis’ between the current Capitalist free market and Marxism. To the American ear this sounds just like Marxism. This has to do with the fact that when Americans hear about collectivist, centrally controlled economies where wealth is forcibly redistributed the ONLY thing that comes to the American mind is Red Bolshevik Marxism. In the American mind those Western European nations that are slipping deeper and deeper into collectivist redistributive economies are turning deeper and deeper shades of Red.
In the American Mind: Capitalism + Marxism = A Milder form of Red Communism
Why do Americans think this way? Well, because we fought the Cold War against the Red Soviet Union. We fought the Red North Koreans and the Red Chinese. We fought the Red Vietcong and the Red Santinistas. In the American mind there is only one existing color of socialist ideology that remains on planet Earth and that color is Red.
Those who think Brian McLaren is a Red Bolshevik Marxist are missing a VERY important yet somewhat subtle nuance in McLaren’s rhetoric and the ideology that he is promoting. I am challenging all of you to open your eyes and educate yourselves on this matter because correctly understanding what color of Socialist McLaren is will make all the difference in the world in your being able to correctly understand what he is promoting and what needs to be done to refute him and those he is working with.
Some Insight Regarding This Other Color of Socialism
The other color of Socialism is VERY difficult to define and scholars have only recently been able to pin down most of the common ideological themes in this other form of Socialism. One of the reasons why it has been difficult to pin these themes down is because this other color of Socialism is more than a political theory. In fact, it is truly a “Political Religion” and therefore must be studied theologically in order to correctly understand and analyze it. This “Political Religion” is overtly utopian and envisions a global state that will usher in the “Kingdom of God” on earth by achieving its social, political and economic objectives.
What are the social, political and economic objectives that McLaren is promoting in his understanding of the “Kingdom of God”? He doesn’t hide them. They can easily be summarized as:
security - an end to all war and religious violence
economic justice - a third way between capitalism and marxism (a Hegelian synthesis of the two)
social justice - an end to victimization by deconstructing individualism and the 'us vs. them' mentality found in many groups that 'exclude'. These will be replaced by 'inclusive communities', through a realized unity of plurality.
ecologically sustainable global prosperity - a completely "Green Global Economy" with an emphasis not only on limiting or eliminating fossil fuels but also strict regulation of human diets and health.
I’ve gleened these four objectives from McLaren’s books. In A New Kind of Christianity, McLaren chides all the world’s religions for not effectively handling these crises. Which means that in McLaren’s mind solving these crises is the job of religion. YET, all four of these objectives really are political objectives and not religious objectives. (and they certainly are not the objectives that Jesus laid out in the Great Commission)
So...ask yourself this question: Why does Brian McLaren believe these ‘political objectives’ are supposed to be solved by religion? (1)
The answer is shockingly simple. Brian McLaren is a follower of a heretical political utopian religion that has hijacked the Biblical term “Kingdom of God”. McLaren is an ideologue NOT a theologian and if you do your homework you will discover that what he is really promoting is the “other color of Socialism”.
Definitions of the Other Color of Socialism
One author defines this other color of Socialism as:

________ is religion of the state.

________ assumes the organic unity of the body politic and longs for a natural leader who is attuned to the will of the people.

________ is holistic in that it views everything as political and holds that any action by the state is justified in order to “achieve the common good.”

________ takes responsibility for all aspects of life, including our health and well-being and seeks to impose uniformity of thought and action through regulation and social pressure.

Everything including the economy and religion, must be aligned with its objectives. Any rival identity is part of the “problem” and therefore defined as the enemy.

Rousseau’s political philosophy beats in the heart of this other color of Socialism. He envisioned a ‘divinized community’ that wasn’t defined by ethnicity or geography or custom. Rather, would be bound together by the “collective will” which in turn would be enforced by an all powerful “God-State”.
Another author, back in 1993 defined the ideological heart of this other color of socialism as:

“the practical and violent resistance to transcendence. _______ spirituality is one of immanence. A mysticism of nature and community.... that would heal the alienation of modern life”

Violent resistance to transcendence??? That sounds EXACTLY like the Emergents and their Progressive cousins and their incessant attacks against God’s transcendent word and God’s transcendent moral laws and Christ’s return in glory to judge the living and the dead.
A mysticism of nature and community??? That sounds like it could have been written yesterday as a description of the general mystique of the Emergent milieu. But it was written 17 years ago as part of a definition of the other color of Socialism.
Why is McLaren waging war against the historic Christian faith? Answer: because he is a follower of a rival religion. His religion IS the other color of Socialism.
It’s time for you to wake up and understand what that other color of Socialism is and what it believes because its back and it has been waging war against historic Christianity for many years now and its currently winning because Christians haven't correctly understood what they are really fighting against.
---
If you are ready to understand the truth then you need to read this book. When you've finished the first book then you need to read this one.
---
1. See pages 252-259 in A New Kind of Christianity

Chris Rosebrough on March 31, 2010 in Brian McLaren, Emergence, Emergent Church | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0) ShareThis

Webinar Refuting Brian McLaren's Claims About Biblical Authority

Here is the audio and PowerPoint slides from today's webinar on Biblical Authority: Constitution or Library.
Click Here to download the webinar slides.

Click Here to download the audio mp3 file.
Click on the Menu button on the player above and you can embed this radio segment on your blog or website.

Chris Rosebrough on March 20, 2010 in Brian McLaren | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) ShareThis

McLaren’s Theory Regarding Elohim & Theos is a Complete Joke

In the opening chapters of Brian McLaren’s new book A New Kind of Christianity he posits one of the lamest and flimsiest liberal arguments I’ve encoutered to date as to why Christians need to abandon the historic/traditional understanding of the Bible and create a 'new kind of Christianity'. McLaren’s contention is that today’s Christians are guilty of looking backward at Jesus through a Greco-Roman narrative lens that misconstrues and distorts the true nature of God and the gospel message itself. Said McLaren:

I believe the Christian religion in the West, as it habitually read the Bible backwards through the lenses of later Christians, largely lost track of the frontward story line of Adam, Abraham, Moses, and so on, within which Jesus had emerged. It unwittingly traded its true heritage through Jesus from Judaism for an alien heritage drawn from Greek Philosophy and Roman Politics... Now the god of this Greco-Roman version of the Biblical story bears a strange similarity in many ways to Zeus (Jupiter for the Romans), but we will name him Theos. The Greco-Roman god Theos, I suggest, is a far different deity from the Jewish Elohim of Genesis 1, or LORD referring ot the unspeakable name of the Creator of Genesis 2 and 12, not to mention the Abba to whom Jesus prayed. As a good — no, make that perfect — Platonic god, Theos loves spirit, state, and being and hates matter, story and becoming, since, once again, the latter involve change, and the only way to change or move from perfection is downward in decay. In fact, as soon as something drops out of the state of perfection, Theos is posessed by a pure and irresistible urge to destory it (or make it suffer).
So, having created a perfect world, now Theos is perfectly furious because it has been spoiled and is now decaying. It has fallen from its high table of perfection and is shattered on the floor...
Theos stands above, holding his thunderbolts ready to strike, ready to melt the whole damned think down to primal lava, ready to purge all that is imperfect...Every time we use terms like "the Fall" and "original sin," I believe, many of us are unknowingly importing more or less of this package of Greco-Roman, non-Jewish, and therefore nonbiblical concepts like a smuggler bringing foreign currency in the biblical economy or tourists introducing invasive species in the biblical ecosystem. (McLaren, pp. 41-43)

So, in McLaren’s view the ‘god’ that Christians have been worshiping for nearly two millenia isn’t the loving and benevolent fatherly and kind Biblical god ‘Elohim’ but instead is the false and bad tempered wrathful Greco-Roman god ‘Theos’.
McLaren’s theory is almost too stupid to warrant a scholarly response. And his caricature and straw man mischaracterization of the God worshipped and believed in by historic Christianity through McLaren's 'theos' character is nothing more than intentional dishonesty on his part. But, sadly in today’s Biblically-Illiterate church it is crucial that an easily understood scholarly refutation be given to this and many more of McLaren’s laughable postulations.
Genesis 6
The simplest rebuttal to McLaren’s claim is found in the Hebrew text of Genesis 6. In that chapter both of the Hebrew names for God that McLaren writes favorably of are used, YHWH and Elohim. Let’s look at the relevant verses of this chapter and see what impact they have on McLaren’s theory. Each time God is mentioned in the verses below I will provide the Hebrew name written in the Masoretic text rather than an the English translation.

Genesis 6:5 YHWH (יְהוָ֔ה) saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And YHWH (יְהוָ֔ה) was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. 7 So YHWH (יְהוָ֔ה) said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of YHWH (יְהוָ֔ה). 6:11 Now the earth was corrupt in Elohim’s (אֱלֹהִ֛ים) sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And Elohim (אֱלֹהִ֛ים) saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And Elohim (אֱלֹהִ֛ים) said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. ...17 For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die.

This one section of the book of Genesis levels a broadside against McLaren’s theory and blows it out of the water (notice the intentional pirate lingo).
First, in Genesis 6 The God Elohim (אֱלֹהִ֛ים) claims that the thoughts of man's heart were only "evil continually". This is a verse in favor of the historic Christian doctrines of the fall and original sin. (Another clear statement from God regarding man's fallen and sinful nature is found two chapters ahead in Genesis 8:21. In that verse God says this about mankind "the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.”) Furthermore, we learn from Genesis 6 that Elohim's (אֱלֹהִ֛ים) heart is greived because of mankinds inborn inclination to evil and Elohim's (אֱלֹהִ֛ים) solution is to punish mankind and 'blot out man' from the earth through a flood. In other words, the minkind's sin problem described in Genesis 6 sounds similar to the so-called "foreign Greco-Roman narrative" that McLaren claims was smuggled into Christianity. Furthermore the solution to the problem offered by Elohim (אֱלֹהִ֛ים) sounds similar to the solution that the false platonic god 'Theos' would call for. How can that even be possible IF these ideas of mankind's fall into sin and God's wrath are 'foreign to the text' as McLaren claims in his book? Answer: These doctrines are not foreign to the Biblical text at all! McLaren is engaging in deception.
What's even more embarrassing for Mclaren's 'theory' is the simple historical fact that Genesis 6 was written LONG LONG LONG before the rise of the Greco-Roman civilizations and cultures and is chronologically cut off from ANY Hellenistic or Roman influences. Fact is, Genesis was recorded by Moses somewhere between 1446 and 1406 BC. While Alexander the Great on the other hand, wasn’t even born until 356 BC. So Genesis predates any Greco-Roman influences by 1100 years. To claim that a Greco-Roman meta-narrative had any influence upon this text would be like claiming that Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln had a profound political influence on Charlemagne who lived from 742 A.D. to 814 A.D.
So what's really going on here?
Any unbiased reader of Genesis can easily see that the Hebrew text, written long before the rise of the Greco-Roman world teaches that humanity was created by God and enjoyed a face to face relationship with God prior to disobeying God by eating the fruit that God commanded our first parents not to eat. The result of Adam and Eve's rebellion resulted not only in a cursed creation but also a catastrophic alteration and marring of mankind's nature that made it so that the intention of man's heart was "only evil continually" and "evil from his youth". Furthermore, God has the moral and judicial right to punish all of mankind for their evil.
McLaren is doing nothing more than cherry picking the passages of the Bible that he likes and suppressing the ones he doesn't like in order to craft his own 'god'. The 'god' McLaren has constructed has some of the attributes of the God who has revealed Himself in the scriptures. But, those other attributes of God that McLaren has deemed to be "undesirable" have been omitted and suppressed. Fact is, Brian McLaren's 'god' is an idol and a false deity. SHE was deceitfully constructed from a highly redacted use of the Bible. But, its not hard to spot the Biblical passages that McLaren is trying to cover up and suppress. Genesis 6 is one of many that I could bring up.

Chris Rosebrough on March 16, 2010 in Brian McLaren, Emergent Church | Permalink | Comments (19) | TrackBack (0) ShareThis

The Druckerites Must Issue a Safety Recall For Their “Emerging Church” Product Line

Rick Warren, Bob Buford and Bill Hybels are the Druckerite “trinity”. All three of these men were personally mentored by the late business guru Peter Drucker and these three men more than any others are responsible for innovating the church by purposely changing congregations from a pastoral leadership model to a CEO / Innovative Change Agent leadership model. All of these innovations were strategically crafted under the careful eye of Peter Drucker. And all of these innovations were incubated, introduced and injected into the church through the coordinated efforts of Drucker’s disciples through their different but intimately connected organizations; Leadership Network, the Purpose Driven Network and the Willow Creek Association.
What many people don’t realize is that the Emerging Church is a product created by and promoted by the Druckerites.
If you don’t believe me then it is time for you to listen to or re-listen to my interview with Doug Pagitt regarding the genesis of the Emerging Church. Pagitt provides us with an expert insiders look at how the Emerging Church came into being and got off of the ground. What you will discover is that without the Druckerites there may have never been an ‘emerging church’. The Druckerites formed, bankrolled and promoted the Emerging Church much the same way a music marketing company might form and promote a boy band like the Backstreet Boys or N Sync.
Here’s the interview.

After listening to Pagitt’s retelling of the story of the emergence of the Emerging Church is it any wonder then why Druckerites like Rick Warren and Bob Buford lent their support and credibility to the Emerging Church? They were responsible for creating it.
Take a look at who endorsed Dan Kimball’s 2003 book The Emerging Church. In that list you will see both Druckerites as well as out right Emergent Heretics all singing the praises of Kimball’s book. In fact, Rick Warren AND Emergent Apostate Brian McLaren both wrote the forward to the book.
Emergent Innovators List
Why would a supposedly conservative evangelical pastor like Rick Warren want to lend his credibility to the Emergent Church and have his name be directly associated with men like Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt and Brian McLaren? Rick Warren is a Druckerite and the Emerging Church is a product developed by the Druckerites. Rick Warren is in fact one of the Fathers of the Emerging Church. That's why he lent his name and credibility to the product.
What’s also patently clear is that when the Druckerites spend time and money developing new church business products they spend zero time and money on quality control. Sadly, the Druckerites are so enamored with innovation that they have no systems in place to vet out false teachers and heretics. As a result, Druckerite products may in fact pose a severe safety risk to the church.
Case and Point: I have been saying for almost 5 years now that Brian McLaren is a heretic and a dangerous post-modern liberal. Yet, McLaren has written articles that have been featured at pastors.com. Rick Warren lent his credibility and endorsement to the Emerging Church movement without even so much as a hint that he had any concerns about the troubling doctrine and theology of its leaders. Bill Hybels has invited Emergent Leaders like McLaren to speak at Willow Creek Conferences and Youth Leader Conferences and Bob Buford’s Leadership Network has been promoting and selling McLaren’s books for years on the Leadership Network website.
What does this prove? It shows that there is absolutely ZERO doctrinal and theological oversight when it comes to the Druckerites and the products that they develop.
In light of the fact that Brian McLaren has finally decided to come clean and lay his theological cards on the table in his new book A New Kind of Christianity AND in light of the fact that McLaren has finally admitted that those of us who’ve been saying that he denies the fall of man, hell, Christ’s penal substitutionary atonement, the inerrancy and authority of scripture and Christ’s return in glory to judge both the living and the dead were right all along...
I am calling on the Druckerites, Rick Warren, Bob Buford and Bill Hybels to issue a safety recall for their ENTIRE Emerging Church product line.
Futhermore,
I am calling on the Druckerites to publicly repudiate and rebuke Brian McLaren, Tony Jones and Doug Pagitt for their heresies.
I am calling on the Druckerites to remove all Emerging Church products from all their youth groups including any books by emerging authors as well as all Nooma DVD’s.
I am calling on the Druckerites to issue an apology to the body of Christ for failing to put the proper safety systems in place to vet out false doctrine and heresy from the products they develop.
I am calling on the Druckerites to convene a standing theological safety committee to doctrinally review and scrutinize all Drukerite products and methods in light of sound doctrine and a Christ-Centered / Gospel Centered Theology. The decisions of this safety committee must be binding.
This safety committee should be comprised of top theologians and church practitioners who still firmly hold to the doctrines and confessions of the Protestant Reformation. For this committee I nominate Dr. Mike Horton, Dr. Rod Rosenbladt, Dr. Albert Mohler, Dr. Alister McGrath, Rev. William Cwirla, Rev. Todd Wilken, Rev. Ken Jones, Dr. Kim Riddlebarger, Rev. Paul Washer, Phil Johnson and the Rev. Jeff Noblit.
It’s time for Rick Warren, Bob Buford and Bill Hybels to do the right thing and admit they’ve endangered the body of Christ by releasing a doctrinally defective and theologically dangerous product. For the sake of the body of Christ they MUST issue a safety recall for their entire "Emerging Church" product line.

Chris Rosebrough on February 18, 2010 in Brian McLaren, Emergent Church, Purpose Driven Critique | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0) ShareThis

Mathetes Contra Brian McLaren

As I am reading through Brian McLaren's New Kind of Christianity I am struck by just how disconnected McLaren's ideas are from actual Christian history.
McLaren has the misguided hubris to think that he can wipe the slate clean and build a new "christianity" from the ground up and that he can simply ignore what the church has taught from its beginning. Rather than making a new kind of christianity (as if that were even possible) McLaren has created his own false religion / cult that utilizes Christian words and phrases but has completely emptied them of their historic and Biblical meanings. With the publication of this book McLaren will forever be named as being in the company of such men as Cerinthus, Arius, Pelagius, Nestorius, Marcion, Apollinarius, Eutyches of Constantinople, Noetus, Donatus, Charles Taze Russell, Mohammed and Joseph Smith.
Below, I have reproduced one the earliest Christian epistles that dates back to the generation that immediately followed the Apostles. It is entitled, The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus and I offer this epistle and the salient points that I've highlighted in the document as a historic counter point to McLaren's heretical claims. Enjoy it and distribute it freely to help inoculate the body of Christ against the McLaren virus.
Hint: this document is best viewed in full screen mode.
Mathetes Contra McLaren

Chris Rosebrough on February 14, 2010 in Brian McLaren, Emergent Church | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0) ShareThis

Defection From the Emergent Church

Here is my interview with Jeremy Bouma regarding his defection from the Emergent Church after spending 5 years in the conversation.
This is an important and fascinating interview that gives us an inside perspective on the seduction and errors of the Emergent Church. Interestingly, this interview offers a sobering critique of the CEO model of leadership that is being adopted by so many churches and how that model alienates teens and young adults during the time when then need a personally involved pastor in their lives the most.
Click on the Menu button on the player above and you can embed this radio segment on your blog or website.

Chris Rosebrough on February 13, 2010 in Brian McLaren, Emergent Church | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) ShareThis

Rebutting Brian McLaren’s Latest Heresies: Was Paul’s Gospel Different Than Jesus’ Gospel?

Brian McLaren’s latest book A New Kind of Christianity is set to hit stores this week. I’ve been reading the online preview of this little book of liberal heresy and I am thanking Brian for finally coming right out and explaining what he believes. Not surprisingly, what he believes is precisely what I and a host of others have been saying he believes for years. The only difference is that McLaren, rather than being whimsical, coy and conversational has instead decided to be clear and unequivocal about his postmodern liberal heresies. Ironically, even though Emergents and postmoderns bristle at the thought of systematic theology, McLaren’s new book could easily be described as the closest thing to an Emergent "systematic theology".
The errors, heresies, eisigesis and outright Bible twisting that McLaren engages in while putting forward his beliefs are breathtaking to behold and any careful reader of the scriptures will easily see that McLaren has long ago abandoned the historic Christian faith and is instead a member of a postmodern liberal heretical cult with christian-ish terminology which attacks, impugns and denies the authority and inerrancy of scripture and the Biblical gospel itself.
This post will be the first in a series of posts that will document McLaren’s heresies and Biblically answer and rebut McLaren’s serious heresies and false doctrine.
One of the things McLaren attempts to do in his latest book is resuscitate the tired, old, liberal tactic of redefining the gospel by trying to drive a wedge between the Apostle Paul and Jesus Christ. This same tactic was employed by McLaren’s modernist liberal forebears and has already been soundly debunked and discredited by J. Gresham Machen in his 1921 classic The Origins of Paul’s Religion.
Here’s McLaren’s postmodern attempt at this modernist liberal tactic. Said McLaren:

Like a lot of Protestants, for many years i “knew” what the gospel was. I “knew” that the gospel was the message of “justification by grace through faith,” distorted or forgotten by those pesky Catholics, but rediscovered by our hero Martin Luther through a reading of our even greater hero Paul, especially his magnum opus, the Letter to the Romans. If Catholics were called “Roman Catholics” because of their headquarters in Rome, we could have been called “Roman Protestants,” because Paul’s Roman letter served as our theological headquarters. As its avid students, we “knew” without question what it was about. To my embarrassment, though, about fifteen years ago I stopped knowing a lot of what I previously knew. A lunchtime meeting in a Chinese restaurant unconvinced and untaught me. My lunch mate was a well-know Evangelical theologian who quite rudely upset years of theological certainty with one provocative statement: “Most Evangelicals haven’t got the foggiest notion of what the gospel really is.” He then asked me how I would define the gospel, and I answered as any good Romans Protestant would, quoting Romans. He followed up with this simple but annoying rhetorical question: “You’re quoting Paul. Shouldn’t you let Jesus define the gospel?” When I gave him a quizzical look, he asked, “What was the gospel according to Jesus?” A little humiliated, I mumbled something akin to “You tell me,” and he replied, “For Jesus, the gospel was very clear. The Kingdom of God is at hand. That’s the gospel according to Jesus, right?” I again mumbled something, maybe “I guess so.” Seeing my lack of conviction, he added “Shouldn’t you read Paul in light of Jesus, instead of reading Jesus in light of Paul?” (A New Kind of Christianity, pp. 138-139)

This quote leads one to ask the obvious question, “How does McLaren define Jesus’ ‘gospel’ of the Kingdom of God?” Answer:

The Kingdom of God is at hand [means] God’s new benevolent society is already among us...the phrase shimmers and glows in relation to the dominant social reality of Jesus time: the kingdom-oriented term “Christ” means “liberating king,” the one who will free God’s people from oppression, confront and humble their oppressors, and then lead both into a better day. (p. 139)

McLaren’s strategy is very easy to spot. His goal is to drive a wedge between Jesus and Paul in order to create the impression that each had a different ‘gospel’ that they were preaching. Since Jesus is greater than Paul, people will then ignore, impugn and belittle the Gospel of salvation by grace alone through faith alone by Christ’s work alone that Paul taught through the proclamation of repentance and the forgiveness of sins in Jesus’ Name and instead adopt McLaren's new and novel gospel that is never explicitly taught by either Jesus, Paul or any of the Apostles but is instead a postmodern liberalized gospel that is akin to Marxist Hegelian Liberation Theology.
Pitting Jesus Against Paul Is A Subtle & Deadly Attack Against God’s Word Itself
Anyone who pits Jesus against the Apostle Paul is in reality attacking God’s Word. Christians must not chop the Bible up and teach either in principle or practice that some portions of the Bible are more authoritative or more true than others. Although to the unsuspecting Christian it may sound very pious and reverent to claim that Jesus’ words carry more weight that the Apostle Paul’s, the fact is that anyone who is trying to pit Jesus against Paul is purposefully and deceitfully attacking God’s Word in order to deceive you and teach you false doctrine by cutting you off from the entire council of the word of God.
Scripture couldn’t be clearer, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17)
ALL SCRIPTURE is God Breathed. No where in scripture do we read that some scriptures are more “God breathed” than other scriptures nor are we ever told that some passages can be ignored because they are less inspired than other passages. Pitting Jesus against Paul tacitly implies that Paul’s Epistles are less inspired and less authoritative than Jesus’ words recorded in the gospel narratives. But, nothing could be further from the truth.
Jesus is the one true God and if we truly believe what is recorded in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 then we must also believe that Jesus is the one who breathed out the very words that the Apostle Paul penned in his epistles. Paul didn’t record his mere opinions about the gospel and sound doctrine, he wrote inspired and authoritative scriptures which bear the imprimatur of the Kingdom of God. This fact is even born out by the Apostle Peter. Said Peter:

“Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:14–18)

Peter clearly believed Paul’s letters to be the inspired Word of God and warned against the ignorant, unstable and lawless false teachers who were twisting Paul’s words to their own destruction. In fact, it is clear from Peter’s second epistle that he did not share McLaren’s view of Paul’s letters and the gospel that Paul preached. Instead, it is painfully clear that Peter was warning us against men like Brian McLaren.
McLaren’s attack against the scripture’s is further made evident through his derogatory phrase “Roman Protestants”. What is being impugned and maligned by McLaren is not the city of Rome but the very Word of God recorded for us in Paul’s Epistle to the Romans as if holding to the Gospel that is outlined in Paul’s Epistle is a form of unfaithfulness to God and the gospel of the Kingdom that Jesus proclaimed. By coining and using the derogatory phrase “Roman Protestants” McLaren has unequivocally demonstrated his disdain for God’s Word recorded in Paul’s epistles but even more he’s demonstrated his disdain for the Biblical gospel that was recovered during the Protestant Reformation.
Sound Hermeneutical Principles
In order to properly understand the Bible and the different genres of the documents that are contained in it one must understand that the Bible records human history that is theologically interpreted. For example, the historical biographies about Jesus’ life all tell us that He was crucified like a common criminal under Pontius Pilate. Plenty of people were crucified by Pilate that’s a historical fact. But the theological interpretation of the historical event of Christ’s crucifixion is what informs us about what couldn’t be seen through the five senses of those witnessing Jesus crucifixion, namely that Jesus death was a sacrifice for the sins of the world that propitiated God’s wrath. (Romans 3:21-25)
Edward John Carnell outlines sound hermeneutical principles in his book The Case for Orthodox Theology. Carnell gives us simple foundational rules for properly understanding the Bible and these rules stand in sharp contrast to McLaren’s attempt to pit Jesus against Paul. Along with understanding that the Old Testament must be interpreted by the New Testament, we also learn that the Gospel narratives must be interpreted by the Epistles, not the other way around.

The Gospels record the historic events of our redemption—the incarnation, life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. But by themselves historic events are not sufficient We need an authoritative word that tells us the true significance of those events.   If a man thinks he can look at a historic event and out of his own head interpret what that event means, he puts himself in the place of God. Take the historic fact of the resurrection for example. It is not for us to presume what the resurrection means. The Epistles spell out to us what it means, and he who goes beyond what is interpreted in the Epistles is fabricating a doctrine out of his own head—or passing on what someone has fabricated out of his head. Neither is it the prerogative of the church to interpret any of the events of redemptive history. God sent apostles for that purpose, and we must not add or take away from their word.
We need to go to the Epistles to correctly interpret the events recorded in the Gospels. The church often fails to follow this fundamental principle. She often tries to justify some practice or custom by drawing some "spiritual" lesson from the life, death or resurrection of Christ, but this is a human rather than a divine interpretation of the gospel. "He that hath an ear, let him hear."[1]

By pitting Jesus against Paul, Brian McLaren is rejecting the theological interpretation of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection recorded for us by Paul through the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit. By silencing Paul, McLaren is instead trying to smuggle in his own false gospel that Jesus was supposedly announcing the presence of His new ‘benevolent society’. But, no where in the epistles do any of the men who were eyewitnesses to Jesus life, teaching and resurrection interpret Jesus’ mission as establishing a ‘benevolent society’ that sets people free from oppressive political regimes. In order to establish his new and novel postmodern ‘gospel’ McLaren must first silence Paul and the other apostles and that in fact is exactly what McLaren is attempting to do.
Jesus Gave Paul the Gospel That He Proclaimed and Jesus Approved of the Gospel that Paul Preached
Modernist and postmodernist liberals purposefully suppress the truth (Rom. 1:18) that Paul received the gospel he preached from Jesus Christ himself. Said Paul:

“For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:11–13)

In other words, Paul’s gospel was not contradictory to Jesus’ gospel. Paul’s gospel was the very gospel that Jesus Himself instructed the Apostle Paul to preach and proclaim. This is further borne out by the fact that Jesus appeared to the Apostle Paul in Corinth and encouraged him to keep preaching the gospel that He gave him.

“And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people.” And he stayed a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.” (Acts 18:8–11)

It’s hard to imagine that Jesus Christ didn’t approved of Paul’s gospel or that it was substantially different from and contrary to the gospel that Jesus preached during His earthly ministry since Jesus himself told Paul to keep on preaching what he was preaching.
Further proof that Paul’s gospel was not different than the Gospel that Jesus wanted proclaimed is the fact that the Apostle Paul traveled to Jerusalem and laid out his gospel to those who had been discipled directly by Jesus and they did not add anything to Paul’s gospel. Said Paul:

“Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. And from those who seemed to be influential (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—those, I say, who seemed influential added nothing to me.” (Galatians 2:1–6)

In light of all this evidence, it is clear that the gospel that Paul preached and proclaimed is the exact Gospel that Jesus Christ personally wanted to be preached and proclaimed.
What was the content of Paul's gospel? Its summarized for us in 1 Cor. 15:1-8 which states:

“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me.” (1 Corinthians 15:1–8)

This gospel that Paul preached and recorded for us in the epistles, that he wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit fits perfectly with the message Jesus instructed the disciples to preach just before Jesus’ ascension into heaven. Said Jesus:

“Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46–47)

No where in the New Testament do we hear either Jesus or his disciples proclaiming the pressence of a benevolent society that has come to set those free who are being oppressed by Caesar and other political oppressors like him. Instead, Jesus came to set us free from our real enemies and our real oppressors, namely: sin, death and the devil.
Brian McLaren, by attacking and impugning the gospel that Paul proclaimed, defended and recorded for us in his epistles is in fact attacking none other than Jesus Christ himself because Jesus was the one who gave Paul the gospel that Paul proclaimed. The reason McLaren is attacking the gospel given to Paul by Jesus is clear. McLaren wants to overthrow the Biblical gospel and replace it with a false gospel of his own liking. But Paul’s words of warning to those who would do such a thing ring out against Brian McLaren and his postmodern liberal emergent cult members:

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:6–9)

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[1] A fantastic summary of the hermeneutical principles in Carnell's book The Case for Orthodoxy can be found in volume 12 article 2 of Present Truth Magazine. I quoted from this article in this blog post.

Chris Rosebrough on February 06, 2010 in Brian McLaren, Christianity 101, Emergent Church | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0) ShareThis

Where is Your Security? - Donald K. Campbell

2011-06-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

Where is Your Security? - Donald K. Campbell