The Faith of Jesus

The Explicit Gospel

2012-01-27T08:43:00.000-08:00

by Matt Chandler: “Response” (Excerpt, Chapter 4)

We have seen tons of people at The Village who sat here for years just hearing but not hearing, seeing but not perceiving, and then all of a sudden, at some random worship service or Bible study, the Lord just hijacked them.

Jesus puts it simply: “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters” (Matt. 12:30). The gospel is such power that it necessitates reaction. Jesus Christ has worked such an outrageous wonder that he demands response, whether hatred or passion. Anyone ambivalent about what Christ has actually done just isn’t clear on the facts. To present the gospel, then, is to place a hearer in an untenable position. The heart of the hearer of the gospel must move, either toward Christ or away from him. Pastor Chan Kilgore puts it this way: “True gospel preaching always changes the heart. It either awakens it or hardens it.”

We certainly see this alternating affection and aversion in the four Gospels, as Jesus and his disciples persevere in their itinerant ministry, declaring forgiveness of sins and the inbreaking of the kingdom of God. Some are drawn; others are repulsed. But nobody hears Jesus and just says, “Eh.” In some cases, as in the feeding of the five thousand in John 6, they are drawn by his miracles, then repulsed when he connects the miraculous deeds to the miraculous words of the good news.

Knowing this, we don’t need all thirty-six verses of “Just As I Am,” a plaintive pleading from the altar, heads bowed, eyes closed, and shaky hands raised to issue a gospel invitation. No, the invitation is bound up in the gospel message itself. The explicit gospel, by virtue of its own gravity, invites belief by demanding it.

We each stand from birth on the precipice between life and death. Because we are stained with sin from conception, we are rushing headlong into the fires of hell before we can even walk.

Jesus lays his body across the path; there is no ignoring him. If it’s headlong into hell we want to go, we have to step over Jesus to get there.

Many Christians desire to say yes to the gospel, but one of our biggest problems is mistaking the gospel for law.

Faith Versus Works

Here’s the funny thing about the Old Testament: 85 percent of it is God saying, “I’m going to have to kill all of you if you don’t quit this.” Seriously, 85 percent of it is “I am destroying you” or “I am going to destroy you.” Because of this, there’s a lot of attempted appeasement going on. A lot of scared Israelites need a lot of sacrificial animals. I have no idea how they stocked that many animals. But in all their scurrying around from slaughter to slaughter, God is not just frustrated with their unrepentance, but with their approach to the sacrificial system that they’re trying to leverage. Let me show you what I mean:

Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
“When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?” (Isa. 1:10–12)
This selection from Isaiah highlights the problem with the sacrificial system, both then and now. God doesn’t need sacrifices. God is saying, “I don’t need your bulls. I don’t want your goats. You’re missing the point. I’m trying to communicate to you how disgusting and how horrible and how costly your sin is before me. And instead of feeling the weight of that and actually repenting, you just keep doing what you’re doing, all the while bringing me goats and bulls like that’s what I really want.” They’re like the wife beater who brings his wife flowers. She doesn’t want his stupid flowers. She wants him to repent; she wants to be honored.

The same thing plays out even to this day. Christ’s work demands the response of faith, but we want to make donations. It is astounding how many evangelicals are not doing Christianity at all; they’re doing the Levitical priesthood. They’re trying to offer God good behavior so he’ll like them.

We continue living with unrepentant, faithless hearts, making religious pit stops along the way, even frequently, to keep laying things on the altar, and in the end, the altar’s closed. When someone dares to insert the unadulterated gospel into this religious mess, we get discombobulated. We get confused. I’m sure the Israelites were confused over prophecies such as that in Isaiah 1. God commands them to come into his temple courts and make these sacrifices, and then he says, “Who has required of you this trampling my courts?”

They’re thinking, “Um, you did. You told us to do this.”

Their heartless obedience—and our heartless obedience—demonstrates the bankruptcy of the sacrificial currency.

I’m a fixer, a type-A personality. I like problem solving. Give me a dry-erase board and some markers and throw the problem out there, and I think, “Let’s go; let’s fix it!” But I learned early on in my marriage that my wife doesn’t really appreciate that. She would be telling me about her day, about some problem or frustration she encountered, and say something like, “And this happened and this happened and this happened,” and my response was typically, “Let me show you what your problem is.”

Husbands, you know this does not go well. I’m a slow learner, but after all these years of marriage, when she tells me something now, I always say, “Are you saying these things because you want me to hear and empathize or are you asking me for help?” I’m so confident in all kinds of areas in my life, but while listening to my wife, all of a sudden, I’m thinking, “Is this a trap?” And I’m realizing something now. I’m realizing that after years of my asking, “Do you want me to empathize or do you want me to help?” I don’t think she’s ever said, “I’m asking for your help.”

The hard-won lesson I’ve learned in marriage, something I’m very grateful for knowing now, is that there are some things in my wife’s heart and some struggles she faces in life that I cannot fix. It doesn’t matter how romantic I am; it doesn’t matter how loving I am; it doesn’t matter how many flowers I send, or if I write her poetry, or if I clean the kitchen, or if I take the kids and let her go have girl time—I am powerless to fix Lauren. (And she’s powerless to fix me.) Doing all those things to minister to her are right and good, but there are things in my girl that I can’t fix, things that are between her and the Lord. Just like there are things in me that she can’t love me enough to overcome.

But the only way I would ever have learned this is to try, try, try—try to fix her, let her try to fix me, and then watch the escalating conflict that takes place when we try to do that.

What if the sacrificial system was given so that we would learn, no matter how much we gave and how much we worked and how many pricey things we sacrificed, that we still can’t fix what is broken?

By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places is not yet opened as long as the first section is still standing (which is symbolic for the present age). According to this arrangement, gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshiper, but deal only with food and drink and various washings, regulations for the body imposed until the time of reformation. (Heb. 9:8–10)
The author of Hebrews is saying that we can sacrifice all we want, and that we can obey all the regulations we can get our hands on, but in the end, if our heart isn’t changed, we’re no better off. Answer me this: Is the alcoholic free if he doesn’t drink on Monday but everything in him wants to and needs to, and he’s in agony because he wants to do something he knows he can’t? Is that freedom? Of course not.

This is what Jesus emphasizes when he says, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment” (Matt. 5:21–22); and, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (vv. 27–28).

You may be able to control yourself against sleeping with somebody you’re not married to, and you may be able to avoid taking someone’s life, but if you are a slave to lust and anger, you are not any more free than somebody who can’t control his urge to murder.

Acts of sacrifice, in the end, don’t do anything. They do not cleanse your conscience, and they do not set your heart on the things of God. The routine sacrificial system, then, was not empowered to or designed to cleanse the Israelites’ hearts any more than good works are empowered to or designed to cleanse our own. Even our most rigorous of attempts reveals the hardness of our hearts and the insurmountable brokenness inside them. This whole enterprise is a blessed exercise in frustration, but it is one that points beyond itself. Hebrews 10:1 tells us the law is just the shadow of the good things to come.

Similarly, the shadow of good works ought to proceed from the light of the good news. Our endless, bloody religious sacrifices ought to push us to look to the one sacrifice to rule them all. The gospel of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, then, is not an invitation to moralism; it is an invitation to real transformation. Our works don’t work. “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law,” Paul writes in Romans 3:28. The only acceptable response to the gospel is nothing less than a heart of faith.

Clay and Ice, Cuts and Scars

The Puritans had a saying: “The same sun that hardens the clay melts the ice.”

I was converted to belief in Jesus Christ as savior and Lord over a period of time, so I don’t have the testimony of those who say, “I was at a Billy Graham Crusade; I heard the gospel for the first time, and I was all in.” Although my justification was secured in a moment, the process of my understanding and acceptance took place over a year-long time of some guys being patient with me and loving me and walking with me. They invited me to church gatherings and spiritual events, and they even allowed me to mock those things. They just patiently explained them to me more fully. I asked a lot of questions that I now know won’t be answered this side of heaven, but they let me ask them anyway, and they tried to answer. Sometimes they’d give me books to read. Through that whole year, God began to gather kindling around my life.

You start a fire with small pieces of grass and wood, and once that’s caught, you put on bigger sticks, and then you put on bigger sticks, and then you put on even bigger sticks. In those early conversations with my friends Jeff and Jerry and others, God was laying kindling around my heart, and then, three days before my eighteenth birthday, he lit it up. What’s funny is that in that moment I no longer needed all my questions answered. It took me a while to catch, but when I did, that’s when I was all in.

Before that, though, I needed to know how it all worked; I needed to know how everything fit; I needed to know why God would say such-and-such. But when the Holy Spirit opened up my heart to Christ my savior and God my Father and reconciled me to God, I didn’t need those questions answered. Even after my conversion, the residual contention I held out, that some specific complexity has to be solved for this whole thing to be credible, melted away in the light of God’s grace and mercy in my life. In May of that decisive year, I was an aggressive agnostic. In June I was converted and began to share the gospel.

I should explain what I mean when I say I shared the gospel. At that time, I knew that if you don’t love Jesus, you are going to hell, and therefore you shouldn’t drink beer and try to sleep with girls. That was the sum total of my frame of reference; I wasn’t theologically built out. But I had an insatiable thirst for the Word of God, so I studied the Bible constantly. Even so, I knew nothing of deep books, deep thinking, and the deep realities of the good news. I just knew that I loved Jesus, that I wanted other people to love Jesus, and that if you didn’t love Jesus the way I did, you were going to hell. That was my evangelistic strategy, so I told almost everyone I knew about this fantastic news: “This is what has happened to me. This is what God has done. This is what Jesus has done for you!”

In God’s mercy, he covered my naivete and honored my sincerity with the powerful gospel in spite of me, and I actually won people to Christ. I began to see a great deal of openness to the good news among my friends. Several came to know the Lord right after I did and began to follow him, love him, and serve him, and they continue to do so to this day. What I learned in those early days is that the proclamation of the glory of God, the might of God, and the majesty of God brought to bear on the sinfulness of man in the atoning work of Jesus Christ actually stirs the hearts of men. And men respond to that stirring. Some are stirred to belief; some are not.

I remember some friends who were stirred not to belief but to interest. “Explain this to me,” they’d say. “Help me understand this.” But, in the end, those guys were hardened to the gospel, and as time went on, and as they asked more questions, they didn’t become more and more open to Christ but more and more closed to him.

This is what the gospel does. This is why the gospel of Jesus is dangerous. When we hear the gospel word, we are opened up to the Word of God. We’re subjected to God’s Word reading us. We sit underneath it, and for the moment of our hearing, it rules us. It does not save all, but all who hear it are put in their place. This is dangerous, because the proclamation of God’s Word goes only one way or another in the soul of a man, and one of those ways is the hardening of a man toward the grace of God.

This means, for instance, that nobody can really attend church as though it’s a hobby; to do so does not reveal partial belief but hardness. The religious, moralistic, churchgoing evangelical who has no real intention of seeking God and following him has not found some sweet spot between radical devotion and wanton sin; he’s found devastation. The moralism that passes for Christian faith today is a devastating hobby if you have no intention of submitting your life fully to God and chasing him in Christ.

It is an amazing thing, but this one message can reach both those who are near and those who are far (Eph. 2:17) and bring one person near and push another farther away. The same sun that hardens the clay melts the ice.

Jesus gives us some insight into this phenomenon in his parable of the sower in Matthew 13:1–8. The sower does not offer a different seed in all his scattering; he apparently doesn’t even adjust the way he scatters. He has one seed, and evidently he distributes it indiscriminately. He knows every soil needs this one seed to grow what only this one seed produces. The different responses to the seed are contingent upon the receptivity of the soil. The seed finds purchase in soft soil but does not in hard soil.

I think of the way the Word of God, which is “sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12), cuts into the soul of every man and woman. The Word is sharp; there’s no doubting that. But some souls it cuts to the quick, breaking open like freshly tilled soil; others it bruises, leaving marks scarred over. This is not because the sword is not sharp enough, or that God cannot cut to the quick any soul he wants. Our softness or hardness is subject to the good pleasure of God (Rom. 9:18). Nevertheless, the effect is such that the sharp word of the gospel cuts some open, and others it scars, further callousing them against its promise of life. There is no one in between.

Response and Responsibility

A lot of Christians love Isaiah 6, and this is because they stop reading before the story is over. Let me show you what I mean:

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim few to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” (vv. 1–7)
Evangelicals love this text. It radiates the exaltation of God. It conveys a thrilling bigness. Then you have verse 8, which is a definite coffee-cup verse: “And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then I said, ‘Here am I! Send me.’” We absolutely love Isaiah 6:8. We romanticize it. So when we hear a sermon on missions, and the preacher has moved into leading a “Let’s do something good for the Lord” cheer, we feel the gravitational pull toward Isaiah 6:8: “Here am I! Send me.” It sounds gutsy, masculine. We can hear Braveheart’s guttural yawp in there. “Let’s do it! Let’s take it! Let’s go get ’em!”

We are as zealous about Isaiah 6:8 as we are oblivious of Isaiah 6:9. There is a roadblock waiting for us there: “And he said, ‘Go, and say to this people: “Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’” Do you see what is happening here? God says, “Here’s your ministry, Isaiah. Go tell them, ‘Keep on hearing but do not hear.’”

Experientially, we know exactly what this means. We have all at some point said the right words to people who simply are not hearing them. The phrase “It’s like talking to a brick wall” is common for a reason. One of my frustrations living in the Bible Belt is that the gospel and its ancillary truths have been so divorced from actual living that a lot of beautiful theology has become cliché. There is a sentimentalization of the faith that occurs when you sanitize the gospel of Christ crucified or sift it from the substance of the Christian religion. The result is a malleable Jesus, a tame Jesus. The result is, as Michael Spencer says, “a spirituality that has Jesus on the cover but not in the book.” When we dilute or ditch the gospel, we end up with an evangelicalism featuring special appearances by Jesus but the denial of his power (2 Tim. 3:5).

I meet a lot of people swimming neck deep in Christian culture who have been inoculated to Jesus Christ. They have just enough of him not to want all of him. When that happens, what you have are people who have been conformed to a pattern of religious behavior but not transformed by the Holy Spirit of God. This explains why we see a lot of people who know objective spiritual truths but in the end have failed to apply them in such a way that their lives demonstrate real change. They’re hearing, but they’re not hearing.

A really vivid way we see this occur at The Village is in response to what the staff jokingly calls my “State of the Union” addresses, in which I say to the congregation, “Hey, quit coming here. If you’re not serious, if you don’t want to plug in, if you don’t want to do life here, if you don’t want to belong, if you’re an ecclesiological buffet kind of guy, eat somewhere else.” And then people who are doing all of those things will sit there in the crowd and say, “Yeah! Get ’em. It’s about time someone said this.” I’m thinking, “I’m talking to you! You’re who I’m talking to.” It makes me want to pull my hair out. They hear the words coming out of my mouth, but they’re not listening.

God commands Isaiah, “Tell them to keep on seeing, but not to perceive.”

Have you ever come across someone who absolutely knows his life is a mess but cannot put the dots together to see that he’s a part of the issue? If you run into someone with a victim’s mentality, someone who is constantly leaving carnage in her wake, someone who has a new group of friends every twelve to fifteen months, someone who has story after story after story about how this person betrayed him and another person did him wrong, but he has no ability to see or comprehend that he is the common denominator, you’ve run into someone who can see but can’t perceive. Such people know their life is a mess, but they can’t figure out, “Hmm, I seem to be the major malfunction here.” As it relates to spiritual matters, this seems to apply to all mankind.

God continues in Isaiah 6:10:

Make the heart of this people dull,
and their ears heavy,
and blind their eyes;
lest they see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.
Now, nobody wants this ministry. Can you imagine this want ad?

“Now hiring: Pastor. Must make hearts dull. Those seeking fruitful ministry need not apply.”

For all the ambition that I’ve seen in young preachers, not a single one of them has said, “I want to be faithful to the Word of God and have no one respond to it.” So Isaiah does what any of us would do, and he asks about it:

“How long, O Lord?”
And he said:
“Until cities lie waste
without inhabitant,
and houses without people,
and the land is a desolate waste,
and the Lord removes people far away,
and the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.
And though a tenth remain in it,
it will be burned again,
like a terebinth or an oak,
whose stump remains
when it is felled.”
The holy seed is its stump. (vv. 11–13)
God’s response to Isaiah is simply this: “I’m going to gather the remnant. I’m going to gather the genuine believers. I’m going to work this thing over until all that is left are those who really love me, trust me, and seek me.” Isaiah, then, is not called to be fruitful but simply to be faithful. And, in fact, he’s told he will not be fruitful. The priority God charges him with is not success but integrity. He is sent to proclaim a word to people who in the end can see but not perceive, who can hear but can’t hear.

Let us allow the implications of this for Christian ministry settle into our minds. Let’s steep in this text; let’s wrestle with it. Let all of us Christians do this, but we in church leadership especially need to come to terms with what exactly happened there in the temple.

God’s commissioning of Isaiah is a torpedo into the way ministry is appraised in the church today. God is saying, “Isaiah, you’re going to proclaim faithfully, but they’re going to reject continually. And I’m at work in that.” Now, if Isaiah was a minister within today’s evangelicalism, he’d be considered an utter failure. Jeremiah would be an utter failure. Moses didn’t get to enter the Promised Land. John the Baptist didn’t get to see the ministry of Jesus. On and on we could go. We would not view the ministry of these men as successful.

One of the things we don’t preach well is that ministry that looks fruitless is constantly happening in the Scriptures. We don’t do conferences on that. There aren’t too many books written about how you can toil away all your life and be unbelievably faithful to God and see little fruit this side of heaven. And yet God sees things differently. We always have to be a little bit wary of the idea that numeric growth and enthusiastic response are always signs of success. The Bible isn’t going to support that. Faithfulness is success; obedience is success.

What we learn about God’s call to Isaiah provides a strange sense of freedom. A hearer’s response is not our responsibility; our responsibility is to be faithful to God’s call and the message of the gospel. No, a hearer’s response is his or her responsibility. But one of the mistakes we can make in our focusing on individual response in the gospel on the ground is to lose sight of God’s sovereign working behind our words and actions and our hearer’s response. Receptivity and rejection are ultimately dependent upon God’s will, not ours. Paul reminds us, “[God] says to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (Rom. 9:15–16). From the ground, we say what we choose to say and hear what we choose to hear. From the air, our saying is clearly empowered—“No one can say ‘Jesus is Lord’ except in the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:3)—and our hearing is clearly God-contingent—“having the eyes of your hearts enlightened” (Eph. 1:18).

You can find a whole bunch of verses about God’s moving and gathering large groups of people, which means if there’s numeric growth and much enthusiasm, we can’t say that it’s not a work of God or that God isn’t moving. I’m just saying that I guarantee you there’s some old dude in some town that most of us have never heard of faithfully preaching to nine people every week, and when we get to glory, we’ll be awed at his house. We’ll be awed at the reward God has for him. In the end, we have this idea being uncovered in Isaiah that God hardens hearts, that people hear the gospel successfully proclaimed and end up not loving God but hardened toward the things of God.

I know some people think, “Well that’s Old Testament, and God was really angry then. But Jesus is a lot nicer than God.” (Should we set aside the fact that Jesus is God?) But God’s sovereignty over the hardened response of hearers is well laid out in the New Testament too. Let’s return to the parable of the sower. In Matthew 13 Jesus tells us about the guy who casts the seeds. Some seeds land on the path, some land among the thorns, some land on shallow ground, and some land on good soil. After Jesus tells the parable, his disciples approach him confused because nobody can understand it. They ask him, “Why do you do this? Why do you tell these stories? Nobody knows what you’re talking about.” Here is Jesus’s response: “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (Matt. 13:11).

Now if we just stopped there and stared at this verse, we could find real joy for a long time. Right now, there are millions and millions of people who have no idea about the kingdom of heaven. But not you. You know the secret. They have no idea about the kingdom, no idea about God’s grace, no idea of God’s mercy. But not you. You know. You get to worship him, you get to walk with him, and you get to hear from him. Jesus tells his disciples, “It hasn’t been given to them. It has been given to you.” And he continues:

For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.
For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.”
But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. (Matt. 13:12–17)
So on both sides of the covenant—old and new—we see that God is in control. His sovereignty is not diminished or thwarted. The hearer of the gospel is responsible for his response, but God is responsible for his ability to do so. The preacher of the gospel is responsible for his proclamation, but God is responsible for the transforming power.

The gospel message goes out, and while some hearers respond with faith in Christ, some people simply can’t hear.

The Unadjusted Gospel Is the Empowered Gospel

It is all of grace that some do hear. At the close of chapter 3 we asked, “What will we do with Christ’s substitutionary work?” The answer is, “Whatever the Spirit allows us to.” Blessed are the eyes that see and the ears that hear because the Spirit of God has opened them to do so. The power in the gospel is not the dynamic presentation of the preacher or the winsomeness of the witness, although the Spirit does empower and use those things too. The power in the gospel is the Spirit’s applying the saving work of Jesus Christ to the heart of a hearer. Charles Spurgeon puts it this way:

“You cannot induce them to come; you cannot force them to come by all your thunders, nor can you entice them to come by all your invitations. They will not come unto Christ, that they may have life. Until the Spirit draw them, come they neither will, nor can.”

In Acts 2 we find the first post-ascension sermon of the Christian church. The apostle Peter addresses the crowd that has witnessed the response of many to the outpouring of the Spirit:

Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:

“And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of
the Lord shall be saved.” (Acts 2:14–21)
Peter begins the very first Christian sermon with the majesty of God. If there is prophecy, if there is utterance, if there is the miraculous, if there is power, if the sun is darkened, if there is vapor, if there is blood and fire, where does it all start? With God.

God prophesied; God said this would happen, and he brought it about. Peter is basically saying, “All that you understand about the prophets, all that you understand about the miraculous works of God, and all that you understand about how God moves is wrapped up in the Godhead, who saves all who call on him.” Look what he says next:

Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know—this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him,

“I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.”

Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

“The Lord said to my Lord,
‘sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.’”

Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified. (vv. 22–36)
So we have this incredible sermon exulting in the majesty of God, tying God’s work in the incarnation of Jesus Christ back to the promises of the Old Testament, specifically to David’s promise of an eternal king. But the refrain echoing in this text is, “You crucified him, you killed him, you did this.”

This is not a seeker-sensitive sermon. Peter does not shrink back, fearing, “Oh man, this is going to be offensive.” He is not thinking, “How can I make this sound cool to the young Jerusalemites that are here? How can I soften this?” He knows that if he tells them they killed Jesus, they’re going to get really angry. But he says anyway, “You killed Jesus.” Then he says it again. “Oh yeah, this majesty? You killed it.”

We are never, ever, ever going to make Christianity so cool that everybody wants it. That is a fool’s errand. It is chasing the wind. We can’t repaint the faith. It doesn’t need our help anyway.

Every effort to remake the Christian faith leads to wickedness. Every effort to adjust the gospel so it appears more appealing, more palatable, is foolishness. This is liberal theology’s only play in the playbook. “Let’s get rid of the atoning work of Jesus Christ because it’s harsh. Let’s get rid of hell because it’s offensive. Let’s save Christianity by changing Christianity.” But in the urban context of Acts 2, with people all over the ancient world gathered in Jerusalem, Peter announces, “You killed him. This majestic one true God of the universe—you crucified him.” And what happens?

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. (vv. 37–41)
All they did was preach the gospel, and men were cut to the core. They wanted to know, “What do we do in response to this news?” Peter tells them, “You repent and get baptized.”

What saved them? Their faith. No action brought about their salvation. They hadn’t fed any poor people. Apart from what Peter is saying here, they hadn’t been sitting under teaching or going to church each week. They hadn’t, in the end, done anything but heard, “God is majestic, and you have sinned, but in Christ you can be reconciled to him,” and they were so cut to the heart that they responded with saving faith.

Acts 2 takes us back to the truth that we simply have to tell. God does the opening of hearts. God opens minds. There is such freedom in this! Do you see how that takes weight off the perfection of our presentation? We don’t have to be able to explain it absolutely or completely or be able to apologetically defend creationism or argue the falsity of materialism or whatever. I’m not saying we shouldn’t pursue those things. I’m saying that in the end it is God who opens up eyes and ears. Our responsibility is to tell them. It is as simple as that.

Some people won’t like hearing it. What else is new? This has been true as far back as Genesis. It has always been true that some people do not want to hear this message. But some are going to hear it and be saved. So, relational evangelism? Go for it, as long as it turns into actual evangelism. You hanging out having a beer with your buddy so he can see that Christians are cool is not what we’re called to do. You’re eventually going to have to open up your mouth and share the gospel. When the pure gospel is shared, people respond.

The spiritual power in the gospel is denied when we augment or adjust the gospel into no gospel at all. When we doubt the message alone is the power of God for salvation, we start adding or subtracting, trusting our own powers of persuasion or presentation. We end up agreeing with God that preaching is foolishness (1 Cor. 1:21) but disagree that it is required anyway. This is a colossal fail. Only the unadjusted gospel is the empowered gospel. And this message of the finished work of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection for the forgiveness of sins and the securing of eternal life is carried by the Spirit like a smart bomb into the hearts of those the Spirit has given eyes to see and ears to hear.

Response to the Gospel Is Not the Gospel

One crucial thing that viewing the gospel on the ground helps us do is distinguish between the gospel’s content and the gospel’s implications. One danger of viewing the gospel in the air is the conflating of the good news with its entailments. As we rightly see the gospel as encompassing God’s work, through the culmination of Christ, of restoring all things, we can be tempted to see our good works, whether preaching Scripture or serving meals at a homeless shelter, as God’s good news. This is a temptation that honing in on the ground gospel can help us identify and mark out. We need to rightly divide between gospel and response, or we compromise both. D. A. Carson writes:

“The kingdom of God advances by the power of the Spirit through the ministry of the Word. Not for a moment does that mitigate the importance of good deeds and understanding the social entailments of the gospel, but they are entailments of the gospel. It is the gospel that is preached.”

We can exercise this delineation by continuing in Acts 2:

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42–47)
All the things that prompt people to mistakenly say, “This is the gospel,” can be found in this passage. What we actually see in Acts 2:42–47 is the beautiful fallout of the proclamation that precedes it. This list tells us the hearers’ response to the gospel. Why did they start living in community? Because the gospel had made them a people. Why did they begin to share their goods with one another? Because the gospel had made them a people. Why are they now on mission? Because the gospel had made them a people. Why are they seeing signs and wonders? Because the gospel had made them a people. All of these workings are outworkings of the gospel.

If we piggyback the work of the church onto the message of the gospel, we don’t enhance the gospel. It is just fine without us; it doesn’t need us. Furthermore, doing that results in preaching the church rather than preaching Christ. “For what we proclaim is not ourselves,” Paul writes, “but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Cor. 4:5).

Believing the news that God is holy, that you are a sinner, and that Christ has reconciled you to God by his life, death, and resurrection is what justifies you. This is our foundation, our root. The things that we read in Acts 2:42–47 are the fruit. They show the building of the home, but they are not the foundation.

If we confuse the gospel with response to the gospel, we will drift from what keeps the gospel on the ground, what makes it clear and personal, and the next thing you know, we will be doing a bunch of different things that actually obscure the gospel, not reveal it. At the end of the day, our hope is not that all the poor on earth will be fed. That’s simply not going to happen. I’m not saying we shouldn’t feed and rescue the poor; I’m saying that salvation isn’t having a full belly or a college education or whatever. Making people comfortable on earth before an eternity in hell is wasteful.

The Response of Faith

Everybody comes out of the womb in rebellion. David says, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Ps. 51:5). David doesn’t even get himself out of the birth canal before he thinks, “Sinner!” What are we like apart from Christ? What is our default position from conception? Ephesians 2:1–3 says that we’re: (1) dead; (2) world followers; (3) devil worshipers; (4) appetite driven; and (5) children of wrath.

I am not sure it is possible to be worse than this. But the good news is that upon the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, God raises, rescues, ransoms, reforms, and reconciles. God saves sinners. Does he save all? No, but he saves.

People are going to respond to the gospel every time it is presented. They’re going to respond in belief, or their heart is going to become more and more hardened toward God. But no heart can ever be too hard for God. Some hearts will grow harder and harder each day until the day God’s mercy blows them up like dynamite. We have seen tons of people at The Village who sat here for years just hearing but not hearing, seeing but not perceiving, and then all of a sudden, at some random worship service or Bible study, the Lord just hijacked them, the way that Paul was apprehended (Phil. 3:12). In that moment of rebirth, all those steps toward hardening get evaporated in fire from heaven.

The gospel is news, not advice or instruction, but it nevertheless demands response. So, if we look at our lives today, a question I think we have to ask ourselves is this: “How am I responding to the good news of Jesus Christ? Am I stirred up toward obedience, or is Jesus becoming cliché to me? Am I becoming inoculated to Jesus, or do I find myself being more and more stirred up to worship him, to let other people know him, to submit my life fully to him?” We have to ask these questions, because everybody responds to the gospel. We must test ourselves to see if we are in the faith (2 Cor. 13:5), because it is faith by which salvation comes. Faith is the only saving response to the gospel.

Every good gift the Father gives—every richness from Christ, every blessing from the Spirit—flows from the gospel and is received through faith.

• We receive righteousness through faith (Rom. 3:22).
• We are justified through faith (Rom. 3:30; Gal. 2:16).
• We stand fast through faith (Rom. 11:20).
• We are sons of God through faith (Gal. 3:26).
• We are indwelled by Christ through faith (Eph. 3:17).
• We are raised with Christ through faith (Col. 2:12).
• We inherit the promises through faith (Heb. 6:12).
• We conquer kingdoms, enforce justice, and stop the mouths of lions through faith (Heb. 11:33).
• We are guarded through faith (1 Pet. 1:5).

We live through faith, and we die through faith. Everything else is garbage. Even works of righteousness, if not done through faith, are works of self-righteousness and therefore filthy rags. Be very careful about going to church, reading your Bible, saying prayers, doing good deeds, and reading books like this through anything but faith in the living Lord. Because the result of all that is belief in a phony Jesus and inoculation to the gospel. You can end up knowing the jargon and playing pretend. Be very careful. Watch your life and your doctrine closely (1 Tim. 4:16). Some of you are so good that you’ve deceived yourselves. God help you.

On the ground, the gospel comes to us as individuals, as the crowns of God’s creation, as people made in his image, and puts before us the prospect of joining the forefront of his restoring of the cosmos. It says something personal about us: “We are rebels.” It says something specific about this rebellion: “Christ has made atonement.” It holds out a promise requiring individual response: “If you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9).

The gospel on the ground, then, reveals the integral narrative we can outline this way: God, sin, Christ, response. But this is not the only gospel narrative in the Author’s revelation.

The Ideal Christian Community

2012-01-18T14:01:00.000-08:00

by Robert Hach

Having spent nearly fifteen years (my entire adult life up to that point) as a professional "minister," it was with great difficulty that I finally concluded that I could only achieve the goal which both I and the religious group to which I belonged constantly professed; "the restoration of New Testament Christianity"; if I left the ministry. This conclusion was based on my growing recognition that I could find neither my employment nor my employer in the New Testament , the Christianity of which I was sworn to restore. Certain truths had become painfully evident to me.

First, I had come to realize that the religious organization that I had been calling "the Lord's Church" and "the Body of Christ" (in both its local congregational sense and its international sectarian sense) was not a restoration of the spiritual community of the New Testament. Even the word "ecclesia," typically translated "church" in English versions of the New Testament, was not a "Christian" nor even a religious term in its New Testament context; it simply meant "assembly" and applied to any assembly of individuals for any purpose, as indicated by its use in Acts 19:32,39 & 41. Indeed, the notion of restoring the Christian community, either internationally or locally, is absurd in that it is a spiritual community, that is, a community of faith, which means that it exists as long as and wherever there are individuals who believe the good news that the crucified and risen Jesus is God's Messiah. As the New Testament Jesus said, he would build his assembly on the rock of the faith that he is "the Messiah, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16-18). While believers have always needed instruction and encouragement in the faith to hope for the kingdom of God and to love one another, the New Testament "authorizes" no organization to fulfill this purpose.

Second, it had become clear to me that the ministry of teaching and encouraging in the faith, according to the New Testament, is not the work of a professional "minister" ("diakonos," which means "servant") but, rather, belongs to every member of the body of Christ. By prohibiting religious titles, such as "Father" and "Teacher " (Matthew 23:8-12), for anyone but God and his Messiah respectively, the New Testament Jesus abolishes any distinction between "clergy" and "laity" and equates spiritual leadership with egalitarian servant-hood. The only New Testament term consistently used for spiritual leaders is "elders," which (popular usage notwithstanding) does not designate an official position of authority in "the Church" but, instead, refers to older believers whose teaching and example can be safely followed due to their wisdom, that is, their spiritual maturity (as described in I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9; 2:3-5). These are not members of a board (an "eldership") which rules over, by making decisions for, an organization but, rather, individuals who live "among you," not to "lord it over" but to "be examples to the flock" (I Peter 5:1-3). The New Testament ideal is that all believers, with age and experience, become elders who teach and encourage their younger brothers and sisters in the Lord.

Third, I had concluded that professional ministers (who often "serve" as either the CEO's or PR men of their religious organizations which employ them, depending on their personalities and the ecclesiastical traditions of their Churches) represent the misguided and ill-fated effort to institutionalize the original authority of the New Testament apostles. When professional ministers stand in pulpits, symbolically mediating between God and humanity, they almost invariably speak as if revealing "the inspired Word of God." What they reveal, of course, are the authorized doctrines and traditions of the Churches which employ them. And even if they depart from those traditions at some points, they do not acknowledge that what they say is a matter of their own interpretation (as opposed to the ecclesiastically authorized interpretation) of the inspired scriptures. Indeed, they cannot a c k n o w l e d g e i t w i t h o u t surrendering their credibility and the authority of the position which they occupy.

But the authority to reveal the truth of the gospel is delegated by the New Testament Jesus only to his "apostles," whom he chose to speak on his behalf, and through the apostles, to other inspired speakers called "prophets," and others called "evangelists," and still others called" pastors and teachers" (Ephesians 4:11). Rather than permanent "offices" in the government of "the Church," these were temporary gifts which the risen Lord gave to the Christian community in its infancy "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God , to maturity ..." (Ephesians 4:12-13). This was the work of New Testament prophets like Agabus (Acts 11:27-30; 21:10-11), New Testament evangelists like Philip (Acts 8:4-12; 21:8), and New Testament pastors and teachers like Timothy and Titus (I & II Timothy and Titus). They were inspired apostolic delegates who, along with the apostles, brought new Christian communities into existence all over the first century world and guided them to maturity. When, by the close of the apostolic period , communities of faith led by the teaching and example of mature believers (that is, "elders") existed throughout the first century world, "the faith [having been] once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude:3), the work of the apostles and their inspired delegates had come to fruition and completion. Their work is now preserved in the New Testament. Apostolic authority is perpetuated, then, not in official positions in the structure of an organization but in the New Testament faith itself, the inspired message which indwells the hearts of mature believers.

The passing of the gifts of inspiration from the Christian community also marked the passing of the "signs and wonders" which signified to believers and unbelievers alike during the infancy of the community of faith that the Christian message was indeed "the word of God." The inspired "knowledge" that came through the gifts of "prophecy" and "tongues" would cease, says Paul, when "the perfect comes" (I Corinthians 13:8-10). Perfection ("teleios") is synonymous with maturity, also indicated by Paul's equation of the gifts of inspiration with "childish things," which are "put away" when the child reaches adulthood (I Corinthians 13:11). Which is to say that maturity is realized when the Christian faith--"the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ" (Acts 8:12)--makes its way from the mouths of inspired speakers into the hearts of spirit led believers. The faith which begins as spoken message (Galatians 3:1-5) gradually takes root in believing hearts and eventually bears fruit as indwelling spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

Many present-day "apostles" and "prophets" claim, of course, that "signs and wonders" continue, a claim that validates their authority to lead their disciples out of the mainstream denominations of Christianity into their sectarian fiefdoms. The authority of the priests and pa stors and preachers of orthodox Christianity, by comparison, needs no such validation insofar as it is upheld and perpetuated by the force of longstanding tradition. The New Testament, however, gives further indication that the signs passed away with the apostolic generation.

The Gospel of John characterizes itself as a book of Jesus' "signs ... written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God ..." (John 20:30,31). The apparent need for such a piece of writing seems to suggest that at the time John's Gospel was composed (late in the first century according to most New Testament scholars), the gifts of inspiration and their accompanying signs may not have been nearly as widespread as they had been when most of the apostolic generation was still alive. Moreover, the Jesus of John's Gospel identifies the "sign" that would show the unbelieving world the truth of the believers' claim that Jesus is God's Messiah and that they are his disciples. It would not be gifts of tongues or healing or any other "miraculous" display; rather, it would be the disciples' "love for one another" (John 13:34-35), the unity of believers that would reflect the spiritual oneness of Jesus the Son with God the Father (John 17:20-23).

Which is to say, along with Paul, that when the worldwide community of faith would mature to the point at which mature believers in each locality would be "speaking the truth in love," the Christian community would function in such a way that "the whole body, ... as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love" (Ephesians 4:15,16). In summary, rather than depending on a class of professionals for spiritual life support, the community of faith would be self-edifying.

This is the New Testament ideal, a vision of the community of faith that emerged in the apostolic mind from the faith itself, the truth of the gospel. To say that it is an ideal is, perhaps, to say that it is unrealizable in this age, that it is a vision of life in the age to come, in the kingdom of God. The question is not, however, a matter of how practical or possible the New Testament portrayal of Christian community is for the present day, just as serious Christians do not ask how practical or possible it is to follow the teaching and example of Jesus. Indeed, they know that following Jesus is both impractical and impossible in the present age and they continue, by the grace of God, to try anyway. Moreover, the New Testament portrayal of Christian community is simply an extrapolation of the teaching and example of Jesus, out of the individuality of the believer into the community of faith. This kind of transformation happens not in the structural and systematic workings of religious organizations but in the interpersonal and informal workings of spiritual relationships.

The foregoing analysis is my own interpretation of New Testament teaching, a combination of reflection on my own experience and the influence of various strands of the Christian tradition. As such, I bind it on no one but offer whatever truths of the gospel it may embody for the edification (I hope) of the present-day community of faith as it exists both inside and outside the structures of organized
Christianity.

The Church Needs Discipline

2012-01-18T13:54:00.000-08:00

by Chuck Jones

For the church to be salt and light in the world it must follow the instructions given in Scripture. In the matter of church discipline, the Church of God has no option to choose or reject this principle. It is mandatory for a church that has Christ as Lord to follow all of the commands and directives of its Lord. From the great commission, Jesus’ instructions were plain: “teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19).

It’s the “teaching them to observe ALL things” that’s important

Responsibility for this lies with the congregational leadership, the pastor and elders. The idea of church discipline is not based on personal preferences. It can’t be stated too firmly that all we have to go by is what is revealed in Scripture. We have an example in the Bible of this sort of activity taking place, and we can also see the outcome. It would be good to visit this passage and see what we can learn from it. That passage is 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 (verse numbers were purposely left in to aid in following along).

1. It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father’s wife!

2. And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.

3. For I indeed, as absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged (as though I were present) him who has so done this deed.

4. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,

5. deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

6. Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?

7. Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.

8. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

9. I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people.

10. Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.

11. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.

12. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside?

13. But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”

Starting with verse 1, the situation is explained. The details are not really necessary, except to know that this group allowed a sin to continue that even outsiders and unbelievers would not tolerate. How far could the church fall?

In verses 2 and 6 we see the condition of the membership. They thought they were quite forgiving. They allowed this sin to continue with no restraint, no confrontation, no rebuke. The standards for Christian conduct were thrown out, and they felt they were still right. It is this “forgiving and accepting” attitude, contrary to God’s word,
that Paul was disgusted with.

In verses 3 and 4 Paul states his authority to speak as he does, and that he didn’t need to know more than he already did to make a judgment. His judgement was “in the name (authority) of Jesus Christ.”

In verse 5 is the penalty Paul passes down on the one “that has so done this deed,” to deliver or give into the hands of satan, for the destruction, ruin or punishment, of the flesh (body) that the spirit (life) may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. I will advance two reasons why this judgment was given.

1) For the benefit of the offending person. “Do this,” says Paul, “that his life may be saved.” Anyone breaking fellowship with God must also have a break in the fellowship with the Church. This helps them see the seriousness of their action and sin and it will provoke them to repentance and reconciliation.

2) It keeps the Church pure. Those who do not follow the leading of Jesus should be put out. The rottenness of sins makes the Church weak and feeble. Jesus stated in Matthew 18:17, “But if he neglects to hear the church, let him be to you as a heathen or a tax collector.” Which should indicate that he does not have standing within the group. Especially the leadership.

Verses 9-11 give us more insight into this process. We are told, “not to keep company with any brother that is…” Paul broadens the limit of this principle by showing it involves any sin, not just fornication. I want to be clear here that I am not advocating the process of shunning. It is rather a process by which we do not socialize with them, “with such a one do not eat.” Total avoidance would not do what is expected, therefore, “Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (2 Thessalonians 3:15).

Those who choose to live in disobedience must be disciplined. It is for their good to direct them to repentance. The purity of the congregation is at stake as well. “A little leaven will leaven the whole lump.”

Is Church Discipline Effective?

We will see later in this article how this situation turned out. Before that, I think it is wise to speak to some questions that may be floating around. “Is this good for Church growth?” So many now a-days will try any number of methods if church growth is assured. That isn’t the case here. What is assured is being in the will of the Father. We haven’t the choice of choosing this or rejecting it. We must do it. It will produce personal spiritual growth. That congregation, that chooses discipline, may well be the place Yahweh calls others that are being saved into a group that is growing spiritually mature and following His spirit. The effectiveness of this may only be seen by our Heavenly Father.

In being honest, there are some who fear it will drive people away or that it won’t have the correct effect. Yes it may drive some people away. But remember that it’s better to fear Yahweh than man. Yahweh will uphold the people who are faithful to His word!

How This Process Works

We have our Lord’s teaching on this issue. It’s best to go there and see what he teaches about it. Matthew 18:15-17. This passage does not stand alone. It comes in a chapter that highlights the importance of each individual. This chapter starts out with a teaching on who is the greatest in the kingdom...those like little children. Jesus warns anyone who would choose to offend one of these little ones. The parable of the lost sheep is also found here. The one that strayed away is as important as the ninety nine that didn’t stray. Restoration is a top priority to our Savior. In this chapter we are taught the importance of forgiveness. Forgiveness is an vital element in fellowship. The whole of chapter 18 teaches us the significant worth of each individual and reconciliation of fellowship.

This chapter does not tell us how to weed out those who don’t conform to our personal preferences. Or use exclusion as a threat to press our ideas on others. As you read it you will see how to regain our brothers through repentance and forgiveness. The idea of Church discipline is positive rather than negative and this must be remembered. This process is not used to simply punish someone. This helps them see the seriousness of their action and sin and it will provoke them to repentance and reconciliation but to encourage them to repentance. Let’s take a closer look at what Jesus taught. “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector” (Matthew 18:15-17). I want to consider these as four steps to reconciliation.

Step one

“If your brother shall trespass against you...go!” This statement carries a great deal of weight. It is often hard to go to someone who has offended us, and point that out. However, in order to be obedient of our Lord, we must do what he says. This directive is similar to the one found in Matthew 5:23-24; “If you remember that your brother has anything against you...go!” The shoe is as it were on the other foot. By these instructions Jesus has taken care of every excuse we could muster. If an offense has been brought to your attention, whether you caused it or received it. Go. Ideally, this step should happen half way between the homes of both people involved.

The excuses dissolve. One like, “I didn’t do anything wrong.” Jesus didn’t say the guilty party only was to go. Or, “I’ll try to work it out myself. Give me some time.” This won’t work either because if you can’t readily forgive...then go.

A blessing is connected with this step. “If your brother hears you, you have gained your brother.” This is the real reason to go. We don’t want to dump a lot of guilt on our brother, we want to gain him back. There is the possibility that your attempt at reconciliation may fail. Surely you’d try more than once or twice. If this possibility does present itself, Jesus gave us more instructions. This first step cannot be by-passed so we can jump to the next step.

Step two

If there can be no reconciliation between these two people, then (and only then) two or three others are to be brought into the situation. This is to hear the whole story, both sides. This establishes the “facts” so that the story can’t be changed later. In this step too, it may be that the offended party learns (through sound counsel) that they were wrong. Those who are brought into the process here can perhaps shed light on God’s word in such a way that will stimulate reconciliation. However, if after a reasonable time and repeated attempts, the offender remains in a hard hearted state and is unwilling to listen, there is yet another step to take.

Let me say here that if any person hardens himself to the word of God to the extent that the case must go this far, it is an unusual case. If two people who love the Lord Jesus are separated and don’t want to remain that way, what can keep them apart? Therefore for a case to go this far would be unusual.

Step three

If it has been impossible for you and the pastor and elders to provoke the offender to reconciliation, a more severe step must be taken. As Jesus said; “tell it to the church.” How much information is disclosed when the church is told? All the “juicy details” don’t need to be made public. Nothing more needs to be said than that these two people remain in an unreconciled condition. It isn’t the place of the congregation to judge who is right or wrong. It is enough to know that
reconciliation is needed. It may be stated that the Pastor and Elders have had unsuccessful at tempts at secur ing reconciliation between these two, and now the whole congregation is being brought into this process. The overseers of the congregation will be able to decide whether or not reconciliation is being worked toward.

So, now what is the congregation supposed to do with this information and charge? The Apostle Paul gives us commands to this question. “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him [to be intimate with], that he may be ashamed. Yet do not count him as
an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (2 Thessalonians 3:14-15). “And if anyone does not obey our word in this epistle, note that person and do not keep company with him, that he may be ashamed.” “Do not keep company with him” is not a shunning process, but rather indicates a socializing or mixing with this brother. This will bring him shame. That’s the sting of the process. In giving this brother the reason for not being willing to socialize with him is where the admonition comes in. It should be more important for us to help this person be restored to fellowship with God than to have a relationship with him as if nothing happened. Remember the slogan; “a real friend won’t let a friend drive drunk”? By that same token, a real Christian won’t let his brother remain unreconciled to a brother.

The lack of socializing shows the seriousness of the problem. The congregation must stand together in a united voice to say we do not condone sin. We cannot allow you to remain in this state of sin as if nothing happened. Yet, if this member does not repent, or show signs of a desire for reconciliation, there is only one final step to take.

Step four

This final step is described in different ways in the New Testament. From Jesus’ teaching we have, “But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.” This is a stand the congregation must take. These standards cannot be compromised. Nothing is being “imposed” upon this brother, the congregation is simply responding to his choice. Status and privilege as members is given to individuals because of their choices. By their choices that status and privilege should be removed as well.

This whole process must be started with humility and sincerity in truth. The goal of this process is reconciliation, not guilt building, or blame assignment. If two people are separated by an offense and come together in the power of Yahweh to find reconciliation so that Yahweh may be glorified, then the second through fourth
steps will seldom be taken. The congregation must stand together in a united voice to say we do not condone sin.

“From Here to Eternity!”

2012-01-18T13:37:00.000-08:00

Four Ingredients In Salvation

The Bible records that Jesus preached the gospel, and this is what it says: “Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15).

The Gospel of the Kingdom contains these elements: Time is fulfilled. There is no reason to wait any longer. Now is the time. The Kingdom is at hand. God’s reign has come to us. We can live under His rule. Repent. Turn from the world and its system and turn to God and His Kingdom. Believe the good news. You must act on the information that has been given to you.

Ingredient One

Hear the good news of God’s reign. It is compared to seeds planted in the ground.

Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand, then the wicked one comes, and snatches away that which was sown in his heart. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that hears the word, and right away with joy receives it; Yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while: for when tribulation or persecution arise because of the word, he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word; and the care of this world, and the deceit of riches, choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that hears the word, and understands it; which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty (Matthew 13:19-23). The necessity is to hear and understand. Letting the full weight fall on our hearts.

Ingredient Two

Repent. Turn from the world system, and all it teaches us about life, how to deal with people, how to do business, how to live with our family, and how to walk with God, so that we can turn to God and His kingdom. Repenting is more than being sorry for our sins. It is a change in the direction of our life and affairs. Repenting is leaving the Broad way which leads to destruction... and taking the Narrow way which leads to life. Repenting is getting out of the rut of the World... and getting into God’s way. Repenting is turning from the counsel of the ungodly... To the law of the Lord. Repenting is refusing the world’s wisdom and accepting God’s wisdom. Repenting is turning from death and cursing to life and blessing.

Ingredient Three

Believe the gospel. Trust what God says: God promised Abraham that he would inherit the world, and with him all who believe. Trust what God can do. God, quickens the dead, and calls those things which are not as though they were. Through him we have life...

Trust His Son

God demonstrates 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. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life (Romans 5:8-10). Because Jesus died, and God raised him from the dead.

Ingredient Four

Confess Jesus as Lord!

That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says, Whosoever believes on him shall not be ashamed (Romans 10:9-11).

And follow Jesus

In baptism, just as Jesus considered it important to be baptized, we should follow his example.

In learning obedience

Jesus too learned to be obedient. He has set a perfect example for us. ±In serving. Jesus has given his followers a command to serve one another. The greatest are the servants.

Receive the holy spirit

Because Jesus has gone to heaven, the holy spirit has come to us. This is our guide and strength.

With these ingredients we can with confidence look forward to...

Christ’s return

Immediately after the tribulation of those days... then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth... see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his
elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other
(Matthew 24:29-30).

Eternal life

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand (John 10:27- 28).

Rewards

And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be (Revelation 22:12).

On the renewed Earth

And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth (Revelation:10).

Has this information raise more questions? Would you like more help? We would be delighted to help you get more answers from the Bible, and help you on your way to the Kingdom. Talk with the person who gave this article to you.

A Special Creation of God

2012-01-18T13:32:00.000-08:00

Luke makes it very plain that Yeshua was a special creation of God brought about by the power of His Spirit. Luke was not a Trinitarian and neither was the angel Gabriel who brought the message of the one God to Miriam and answered her question about how she could have a child without knowing a man. Gabriel gave her the answer, that her pregnancy would be the result of the creative power of God's Spirit.

Yeshua was a special creation of God brought about in the womb of Miriam just as Adam was a special creation of God formed from clay. As a result Adam was called the "son of God" and Jesus also as a result of his special creation status is also called the "son of God" and also Paul refers to him as the second man [specially created], Adam being the first man [specially created]. Yeshua is also referred to my the apostle Paul after his death and resurrection as the LAST ADAM, Why? because Yeshua had fulfilled God's covenant faithfulness and accepted his perfect sacrifice when he shed his blood on the tree [staros], after which God resurrected him from the dead and placed him as His right hand as a glorified man giving him authority to act as His agent over all things Himself excluded. Thus there was no need for another ‘Adam’. As Adam is the federal head of the human race, so Yeshua is the beginning of the new creation of God, and the federal head of the new race of which believers constitute as new creations in him who will have life in the coming new age.

There was no Trinitarian doctrine until 381 A.D., and even then it wasn't settled completely for another 200 years. Paul had warned the assembly of the Messiah Yeshua to beware of being mislead by Greek philosophy and obvious after his death the mystery of iniquity advanced to the point that a false triune god replaced the one true God YHVH and a false Christ as so-called god/man replaced the real Yeshua Messiah who was all man in a short 400 years.

Everything that God has given man to do since Adam; man has speedily ruined. Adam choose to follow his wife in believing Satan's lie "you shall not die" and now we have the false doctrine of the so-called immortality of the soul which like the trinity cannot be proved from scripture as says the Roman Catholic Encyclopaedia. Noah immediately after the flood gets drunk and bad things happen. Israel fails almost immediately to carry out what they had said they would do at Sinai, and the list goes on and on. We are in a time period close to the end of the age where we need to get back to the faith once delivered to the saints [holy ones], that's those who are in the Messiah Yeshua. Jude makes it very plain what we aught to be doing, as does James and the other new testament writers. We are to live out the lord Yeshua in our lives as God enables us to do by and through the power of His Spirit, the same spirit that has begotten us as sons, the same Spirit that begot the lord Messiah Yeshua in the womb of Miriam. Yeshua was uniquely begotten by a special act of creation, and we become new creations by that same beautiful process as a result of the action of God's Spirit working in us and through us as we humbly submit to His plan and purpose in our lives. May we continue to do so to the end of the age or our days. Amen

A People Special to God

2012-01-18T13:30:00.000-08:00

To most people, a church is a building where people meet. But in Scripture, the word refers to a group of people; those called-out to follow Jesus the Messiah. It's important that we understand the spiritual heritage of these people special to God.

"But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter:2:9-10).

Jesus the Messiah poured out the holy spirit upon the called-out assembly [the Israel of God] in the city of Jerusalem on the biblical festival of Pentecost 50 days after His resurrection from the dead.

Between the time of His resurrection and the pouring out of the holy spirit on the called-out assembly, the Messiah appeared to his apostles over the course of the first 40 days, further enlightening them concerning the nature of the coming Kingdom of God (Acts:1:3). During that time "He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father" (verse 4). He explained to them, "You shall receive power when the holy spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth" (verse 8).

Later He inspired the apostle Paul to explain the crucial importance of the receiving of the holy spirit in the process of becoming a truly converted member of His Church: "Now if anyone does not have the spirit of the Messiah, he is not his. And if the Messiah is in you, the body is dead [symbolically] because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness" (Romans:8:9-10).

Through the dwelling of the holy spirit within Christians, Jesus the Messiah and God the Father actively participate in their lives to strengthen and inspire them in their obedience and service to God (Philippians 2:12-13).

Therefore the called-out assembly, the spiritually transformed body of believers, began when the Messiah's apostles received the holy spirit, just as He had promised (Acts:2:1-4). The spirit of God instantly empowered them. A great many who heard them realized they had received special inspiration and power from God.

The apostles at once began preaching to those gathered in the temple area in Jerusalem on that Day of Pentecost that Jesus of Nazareth was the long-awaited Messiah (Acts:2:36). They urged their listeners to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus - Yeshua (verse 38).By the end of that day about 3,000 people were added to the called-out assembly (verse 41).

The called-out Assembly that Jesus had promised to build had begun! Its members were repentant people who "gladly received" the truth of God (verse 41) and were baptized (immersed into water); symbolizing their acceptance of the sacrificial death of the Messiah for forgiveness of their sins and the burial and washing away of their old, sinful ways.

The biblical view of the ‘Church’

As we examine the called-out assembly Jesus built, we see how the word ‘church’ is used in the Bible. Throughout the Scriptures ‘church’ and congregation refer to people, never to a building. The ‘Church’ (the Body of the Messiah) or the ‘church’ (a congregation of members of the ecclesia) is made up of people called-out to follow Jesus the Messiah.

The concept of people assembling to learn the teachings of God is embedded in the writings of the Old and New Testaments. It is closely associated with one of the Ten Commandments, the law concerning the Sabbath.

During times of general obedience to God, the ancient Israelites assembled every Sabbath as a congregation. The seventh-day Sabbath (defined in the Bible as lasting from sunset on Friday until sunset on Saturday) is a "holy convocation"; a sacred assembly. God ordained that "six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation" (Leviticus:23:3). The New International Version translates the same verse, "The seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a day of sacred assembly."

The equivalent concept; a congregation of disciples assembling to learn the message of the gospel of the Kingdom of God; was practiced by the early Christians. Notice Acts:11:26 regarding the apostles Barnabas and Saul (better known as Paul): "So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the ecclesia - called-out assembly and taught a great many people. And the disciples [Greek mathetes, meaning learners or pupils] were first called Christians in Antioch."

The ecclesia - called-out assembly, is made up of disciples or students of Jesus Messiah who convene to receive God's instruction.

The scriptures are the textbook for these students of the Messiah. Paul explains that "all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable ... for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy:3:16-17).

The teachers are elders of Jesus the Messiah who preach the message of God’s coming Kingdom (Romans:10:14-15; 2 Timothy:4:2). God holds them accountable for "accurately handling the word of truth - the message of the Kingdom of God" (2 Timothy:2:15, New American Standard Bible) and for "being examples to the flock" (1 Peter:5:3; 1 Timothy:3:2-7).

The ecclesia, however, is far more than just a spiritual assembly of students who gather to be instructed for their own benefit.

The special people of God

The Church of God can best be described as the special people of God, called and chosen by Him to receive salvation (eternal life) as the children of God. Their hope and future are inseparably tied to the return of Jesus the Messiah.

God calls; invites; people from all walks of life to become His servants. The apostle Paul, however, observed that the proud and powerful rarely repent and become members of the Church (1 Corinthians:1:26-29). They tend to be more reluctant to forsake the sinful ways of the world.

Those who willingly respond to God's call are sealed as His holy people by receiving His spirit (Ephesians:1:13). The Bible frequently refers to them as the saints (holy people) or the righteous.

The apostle Paul explained that "Jesus the Messiah ...gave Himself for us, that He might ...purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works" (Titus:2:11-14).

The apostle Peter likewise calls members of the called-out assembly, "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, [God's] own special people ...who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter:2:9-10). This harkens back to the role given to God's nation of Israel in the Old Testament (see Exodus:19:5-6).

Christians are special to God in the sense that they are cherished for their faith and obedience (Ephesians:5:24, 29); not because God regards them as inherently more worthy than others (Romans:2:11; 3:23).

As is clear from the tie to ancient Israel, the idea of a special people, chosen to be the servants of God, is not unique in Scripture to the Christian era. God inspired the introduction of the concept in the earliest pages of the Bible; well before the existence of Israel.

Since His creation of Adam and Eve, God has worked with particular people. Between the time of our first parents and the first appearance of Jesus the Messiah, God called and worked with many men and women, including the prophets.

God counts the patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament among His special people. Jesus spoke of a time when "Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets [will be] in the kingdom of God" (Luke:13:28). The ecclesia - called-out assembly itself is "built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus the Messiah himself being the chief cornerstone" (Ephesians:2:20).

Hebrews 11 explains why certain outstanding people in the Old Testament were special to God. The traits they held in common were their obedience and their unshakable faith in their Creator.

The earliest roots of the Church

Israel, a nation descended from the patriarch Abraham, are God's holy people. Moses further told the Israelites, "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth" (Deuteronomy:14:2). They were God's "congregation" (Acts:7:38) or "called-out assembly".

God promised Abraham in the first book of the Bible that he would be the father of a special, chosen people.

The Bible describes the extraordinary relationship between Abraham, the Messiah and the called-out assembly. The New Testament begins by reminding us that Jesus is the descendant of Israel's King David and of Abraham (Matthew:1:1)

Why was Abraham such a significant figure in the Bible?

Abraham, who lived almost 2,000 years before Jesus the Messiah, was the patriarch of the people of Israel through his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob, whose name God changed to Israel. We read of Abraham as "the father of all those who believe" (Isaiah:51:1-2; Romans:4:1, 11-12). He shines as an example of faith in and obedience to God. Because of his obedience, God gave him a promise; a sacred covenant; that he would be the father of a great nation (Genesis:13:16; 15:5; 17:2-6).

God's promise to Abraham involved much more than the promise of many descendants. The apostle Peter reminded his Jewish countrymen of the importance of God's promise to Abraham: "You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, 'And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed'" (Acts:3:25; Genesis:22:18).

The apostle Paul explained that the promised "Seed" is Jesus the Messiah: "Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He does not say, 'And to seeds,' as of many, but as of one, 'And to your seed,' who is the Messiah" (Galatians:3:16).

The spiritual heirs of Abraham

Only through the Messiah can anyone claim the inheritance promised to Abraham's seed: "And if you are the Messiah's, then you are [also] Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians:3:29).

Christians, those who make up the called-out assembly, are Abraham's spiritual descendants, being united in one body with the promised singular seed, Jesus the Messiah. They are the heirs of the inheritance promised to Abraham. This concept must be clear in our minds if we are to fully appreciate the biblically defined and sanctioned role of the called-out assembly Jesus the Messiah was the head of.

One might ask: Are all of Abraham's physical descendants; all descendants of the tribes of Israel; included in the seed that is the Messiah?

Notice how Jesus handles this question when confronted by some who, although descended from Abraham, rejected Jesus as the Messiah: "They answered and said to Him, 'Abraham is our father.' Jesus said to them, 'If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham'" (John:8:39).

Not all of Abraham's physical descendants followed his example of faithfulness and obedience. Paul explained: "I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from the Messiah for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption [or son-ship as God's children], the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises" (Romans:9:1-4).

Paul explains that more is required to be counted among "the children of promise" than being physically descended from Abraham: "For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham ... Those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed [of Abraham]" (verses 6-8).

Israel and circumcision re-defined

Two things stand out in these words of Jesus and Paul. First, only those who are the "children of promise," those who "do the works of Abraham," are considered to be Abraham's spiritual seed as members of the called-out assembly Jesus is the head of. Second, those in the called-out assembly have received the status of being the children of God. Therefore the called-out assembly - ecclesia is the "Israel of God" (Galatians:6:16), the heirs of salvation.

Paul explains why the spiritual heirs of God's Kingdom take precedence over the physical descendants of Abraham as the recipients of salvation: "For circumcision [the ancient sign of the covenant with Abraham's physical descendants] is indeed profitable if you keep the law; but if you are a breaker of the law, your circumcision has become uncircumcision" (Romans:2:25). Disobedience nullifies the value of physical circumcision.

"Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision? And will not the physically uncircumcised, if he fulfills the law, judge you who, even with your written code and circumcision, are a transgressor of the law?" (verses 26-27).

"For he is not a Jew [in the context of the inheritance promised to Abraham] who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God" (verses 28-29).

The conclusion of the matter is that faith and obedience from the heart, not one's physical parentage, are essential to please God. Only those who share Abraham's heart; whose hearts are spiritually circumcised (Deut:30:6); are the heirs of the promises made to Abraham. For this reason, salvation is available to people of all nations who are willing to be circumcised of heart. It is spiritual circumcision of the heart, not physical circumcision of the flesh, that identifies the spiritual children of God.

God's obedient people

Reaffirming the promise He made to Abraham, God told his son Isaac, "In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis:26:4). Notice that God chose him for this honour "because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws" (verse 5).

Abraham's attitude of obedience, coupled with his complete faith in God, distinguished him as God's friend forever (2 Chronicles:20:7). As the apostle James states: "Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness' and he was called God's friend" (James:2:21-23, NIV).

Things haven't changed. Those who are God's "special people" still both believe and obey God, just as Abraham did. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth about tests of faith: "For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things" (2 Corinthians:2:9).

Paul explains that one's obedience, like Abraham's, must spring from within; from the mind and the heart: "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled"
(2 Corinthians:10:4-6).

God's people are special to Him because they, like Abraham, trust Him and wholeheartedly obey Him.

Grafted into the Israel of God

We have already seen that Paul regarded the gentiles (non-Israelites) in the Church as spiritual Jews, even though they were not of Israelite descent physically and were literally uncircumcised. As Christians, they became an integral part of "the Israel of God" (Galatians:6:16).

What makes this remarkable relationship possible between gentiles and spiritual Israel? Paul wrote to gentile converts: "Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh, ... were without the Messiah, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in the Messiah Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near [to the commonwealth of Israel and the covenants of promise] by the blood of the Messiah" (Ephesians:2:11-13).

In Romans:11:13-21 Paul uses the analogy of an olive tree to represent God's people (compare Psalm:52:8; 128:3) to explain how converted gentiles can be members of the "Israel of God." He shows that gentiles, "being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them [circumcised Israelites], and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree" (Romans:11:17).

Paul plainly shows that God's inclusion of gentiles in His special people does not mean He favours gentiles over Israelites. "For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?" (verse 24).

God plays no favourites. In this analogy, even those who are Israelites by physical descent have to be grafted into the tree; having been cut off due to disobedience. Thankfully, there is a way to be grafted back in; and that way is the same way available to gentiles.

Jew and gentile alike enjoy access to God's promises to Abraham through the Messiah: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in the Messiah Yeshua - Jesus" (Galatians:3:28).

The special and holy people of God, like Abraham, are obedient people; selected from all nations; who have chosen not to live by bread alone, "but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God" (Matthew:4:4). Their trust in God comes from the heart and is demonstrated by their obedient actions. God's spirit works in them to produce faith and obedience, making them special to God.
"Church" and "Congregation" in the Scriptures

What does God's Word say about the relationship of the New Testament Church to the congregation of Israel in the Old Testament?

The relationship of the New Testament Church (Greek ecclesia) to the congregation of Israel in the Old Testament can be better understood when we learn the different interpretations placed on the two Hebrew words for "congregation": 'edah and qahal.

The Holman Bible Dictionary, in its article "Congregation," explains that these Hebrew words were used with a significantly different meaning in the days of Christ and the apostles: "In the Greek Old Testament [the Septuagint] 'edah was usually translated [into Greek as] synagogue, [and] qahal [as] ecclesia. In late Judaism synagogue [from which derives the word synagogue] depicted the actual Israelite people and [the word] ecclesia [depicted] the ideal elect of God called to salvation. Hence [the Greek word] ecclesia became the term for the Christian congregation, the church...There is a direct spiritual continuity between the congregation of the Old Testament and the New Testament Church. Significantly the Christian community chose the Old Testament term for the ideal people of God called to salvation (ecclesia), rather than the term which described all Israelites collectively (synagogue)."

This explains why the New Testament word for the Church, ecclesia, refers only to those people, Jews and gentiles, who are called by God to receive salvation through Jesus the Messiah. Therefore, the Church of God, the term most generally applied to God's people in English translations of the New Testament, is the body of people who are special to God because they obey His Word and accept His son, Jesus as the Messiah.

Biblical Phrases and Terms for God's Special People

The called-out assembly - ecclesia is a group of believers invited to come out of the world for God's special purpose.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia summarizes other descriptions of the people of God in the New Testament (emphasis added):

"This Church is not a human organization; it is God's workmanship (Eph:2:10) It may thus be described in several pregnant phrases, of which the following are to be noted.

"The Church is the people or Israel of God (Eph:2:12; cf. 1 Peter:2:10), in whom there is fulfillment of the ancient covenant promise: 'I will be your God, and you shall be my people.'

"It is the household or family of God (Eph:2:19; 3:15; 4:6), consisting of those who are adopted [or, rather, spiritually begotten] by God as sons and heirs in Christ.

"It is the planting of God to bring forth fruit to His glory (1 Cor:3:10: cf. Jn. 15:1f.).

"It is the temple of God, built by God Himself in the Messiah Jesus to be His dwelling and therefore to be the center of true holiness and worship (Eph:2:21f.; cf. Jn. 2:19f.; 1 Cor:3:9; 1 Pet:2:4f.).

"It is the bride of the Messiah for which the Bridegroom gave himself that it might be presented, cleansed, sanctified, and pure at the eternal marriage feast (Eph:5:25).

"It is the body of the Messiah, the fullness of Him that fills all in all, the Messiah himself being the head (Eph:4:15f.) and yet also in a true sense the totality (1 Cor:12:12), with each Christian being a member in particular (1 Cor:12:27)."

These references tell us much about the biblical definition of the Church. Rather than a building, the Church is a called-out assembly; the group of believers invited to come out of the world for God's special purpose, to have a part in the coming Kingdom of God and be a part of the Theocratic Government under the Messiah Yeshua - Jesus..

The Principle of Reciprocity

2012-01-12T12:43:00.000-08:00

Reaping Exactly What You Sowby Al Maxey

Love ... Mercy ... Compassion ... Forgiveness. These are godly manifestations of grace. We experience them from our heavenly Father on a daily basis. Indeed, we would all be lost without them. Should our God withhold any of them from us, we would have no hope. There is not a one of us who does not appreciate more than words can ever express the reality of our gracious acceptance by our merciful Father. How many of us realize, however, that we are also expected to manifest these same divine qualities toward others ... especially toward our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? I also wonder how many of us realize that if we don't, then these outpourings of grace will be withheld from us. What far too many "church folk" seem to forget is that the nature of our relationship with the Father is in large part determined by the nature of our relationship with His children.

"The one who says that he is in the light and yet hates his brother is still in the darkness" (1 John 2:9). "The one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes" (1 John 2:11). "We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (1 John 3:14-16). Jesus is our great example, our divine pattern. As He related to others, so must we. "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philp. 2:5). "Therefore, accept one another, JUST ASChrist accepted you" (Rom. 15:7). The Lord has extended His grace to you; your obligation of love is to extend that same grace toward others.

To fail our Lord here ... to refrain from showing love, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, acceptance ... will result in our own forfeiture of those blessings in ourown lives. That which we give, we shall receive! That which we withhold, shall be withheld from us! "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:11). "If someone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also" (1 John 4:20-21).

I'm convinced that one of the greatest needs among members of the Family of God today is a better appreciation of the Principle of Reciprocity. This fundamental postulate of deity fills the pages of inspired Scripture. We have encountered it time and again in our journey through life; it surrounds us at every turn, both spiritually and secularly. Yet, how frequently we fail to live by this divine directive. It is perhaps one of the most critical concepts in Scripture with respect to our own right standing with the Lord. Nevertheless, it is easily one of the fundamental principles least practiced. Tragically, this failure will cost a great many people their very salvation. It is that serious!

What exactly is this principle that is so critical to our eternal well-being? Our word "reciprocity" comes from the Latin word "reciprocus," which simply means "a returning." It refers to something done or given in return; "corresponding, but reversed." In other words, it is the universal belief that what you give will eventually come back to you in similar fashion or form. Thus, the Principle of Reciprocity can be stated simply as: "You get what you give." This is stated proverbially as: "You reap what you sow." Social psychologists use the term "Idiosyncrasy Credits," referring to the concept that we reap personal benefits from the favorable impressions we leave in the hearts and minds of others. Our behavior toward others is "bankable" -- i.e., we build a reserve of "credit," a reserve from which we may later draw out acts of positive feedback. In business, science, mathematics, society, religion, and every other area of life, the Principle of Reciprocity is perceived and practiced on a daily basis. Even little children ... toddlers ... seem to understand the concept, and behave accordingly. How interesting, then, that those in the Family of God seem so woefully ignorant of it.

Perhaps it is time for a refresher course in this fundamental principle of godly living. Thus, in this current issue of my Reflections I would like for us to take a journey through the pages of God's Holy Word for the purpose of helping each of us perceive just a little better the way in which we should be conducting ourselves toward others. It is a vital journey, because some of you reading these words are in danger of forfeiting eternal life; a danger brought on by the way you are treating others in the Family of our Father. Our God does "not wish for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). This article is written in love with some precious, but misguided, brethren in mind. If you happen to be one of them, please know that you are loved, and that we are praying for your spiritual enlightenment and for the softening of your heart. The goal of this article is to help you perceive the need to treat others just as you would have them treat you (Luke 6:31). It is agolden rule that will bring a rich return to your life, both here and hereafter.

Matthew 18:21-35

Jesus loved to present eternal truths to the people of earth in the form of parables. It was such a common teaching tool that His disciples even asked Him, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?" (Matt. 13:10). The answer of the Lord in the verses that follow is quite instructive, but we'll leave that discussion for a future issue of Reflections. Suffice it to say, "Jesus spoke to the multitudes in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable, so that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, 'I will open My mouth in parables'" (Matt. 13:34-35). Thus, there is no better place to begin our journey through the Word in quest of a better perception of this Principle of Reciprocity than with one of our Lord's well-known parables -- specifically:

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant.

We all know the story that Jesus told that day, but do we know what prompted it? This parable was presented specifically to help Peter better appreciate the importance of forgiving his brethren. Indeed, the "bottom line" of the parable is that Peter would receive the same degree of forgiveness (or lack thereof) from the Father that he extended toward his brethren who had wronged him. "Then Peter came and said to Him, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?'" (Matt. 18:21). Peter undoubtedly felt his offer to forgive a brother up to seven times to be a very magnanimous gesture on his part. Jesus informed him, however, that such a gesture didn't even begin to approach the spiritual standard set by our Father. Jesus said to Peter, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven!" (vs. 22). He then tells Peter the story of a servant who did not understand the Principle of Reciprocity.

The parable presents to our view a servant who owed the king an amount that could never, ever be repaid. The servant did not have the means to repay this debt, so the king ordered him to be sold, along with his family and possessions, that the debt might be repaid. The servant pleaded for mercy, and "the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt" (vs. 27). This slave then went and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a much lesser amount and demanded repayment. This fellow servant, unable to pay, pleaded for mercy, but the previously forgiven slave refused to show the same mercy he himself had just been shown. He threw his fellow slave into prison. The king heard of the actions and attitudes of this man he had earlier forgiven, and he summoned that slave into his presence. "You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you entreated me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, even as I had mercy on you?" (vs. 32-33). Moved with anger, the king handed him over to those who would severely punish him.

Jesus gives us the moral of the story in verse 35 -- "So shall My heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."Reciprocity. You get what you give. Those who refuse to forgive their brethren from their hearts can expect to receive nothing less than the wrath of God Almighty when they appear before him seeking mercy. "For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy" (James 2:13). If you expect to receive mercy one day, then you had better show mercy unto others. You will receive exactly what you gave! Jesus said it plainly in the Beatitudes -- "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy" (Matt. 5:7).

Matthew 6:9-15

I wonder how many disciples of Christ are aware that the Principle of Reciprocity has been placed "smack dab in the middle" of the "Lord's Prayer." In fact, it is that particular part of the prayer our Lord taught His disciples to pray that He selected for further comment in the passage before us. In the prayer itself we find this well-known phrase: "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matt. 6:12). Men and women have been praying this prayer verbatim for centuries, and for centuries many have been choosing not to live by the principle it contains! Look at those words carefully. We are literally asking God to forgive US just as we have forgiven OTHERS!! "Lord, please treat me in exactly the same way that I have been treating Bro. Joe or Sis. Jane." Now, just how many of you are really willing to be eternally bound by that standard of measure?!! Well, the reality is -- you are bound by that standard of measure. "By your standard of measure, it will be measured to you" (Matt. 7:2). If you are not showing love, mercy, forgiveness, compassion and acceptance toward your brethren, don't expect to receive these from the Father on that great day of reckoning!

Jesus picks out this one statement from His model prayer, and about that statement He makes the following observation -- "For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions" (Matt. 6:14-15).Reciprocity. You get exactly what you give. That's a sobering thought, brethren! We all need to do some serious self-evaluation, because there are some of us who are treating some of God's other children pretty poorly. We have probably even rationalized our despicable behavior to some extent so that we can live with ourselves and sleep at night. The frightful reality, however, is that you will reap what you sow!

Brethren, it is time for some of us to make some immediate and dramatic modifications to our behavior. If we do not, we shall reap a harvest of inconceivable misery. "For they sow the wind, and they reap the whirlwind" (Hosea 8:7). "He who sows wickedness reaps trouble" (Prov. 22:8). The Principle of Reciprocity will come back to haunt many disciples of Christ one day. They perhaps thought they were serving the Lord, but they had no clue as to His true nature. They will one day cry out in anguish, "Lord, Lord" ... only to hear the frightful words, "I never knew you!" (Matt. 25:31-46). The whole message in that chapter dealing with the great day of separation is that it is not the externals of religious practice that will determine our fate, but rather how we treated one another. On that day we shall get just exactly what we gave.

The next time you recite the words of the "Lord's Prayer," pause for just a moment when you come to that middle portion dealing with forgiveness. Examine yourself very carefully before uttering this petition to your God: "Lord, forgive me just exactly in the same way that I have forgiven those about me!" Pray that prayer carefully, brethren, for our Father will hold you to it! Our Lord has truly shown us the way -- "Therefore, accept one another, JUST AS Christ also accepted us to the glory of God" (Rom. 15:7). Were any of you perfect when the Lord accepted you? Are you perfect now? Of course not! He embraced us, accepted us, forgave us, extended mercy to us, in spite of ourselves. Such is the nature of LOVE. Show forth the same toward your brethren!! It is time for many in the family of God to cease being cold-hearted "unmerciful servants," and time to begin reflecting the tender heart of our Savior in their actions and attitudes toward one another!

Matthew 7:1-2

There is much regarding this concept of reciprocity within the words of our Lord's Sermon on the Mount. It is a theme to which He returns more than once. For example -- "Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you" (Matt. 7:1-2). We are often very quick to judge the motives of our brethren, and our "standard of measure" is quite frequently quite severe. Jesus would have us to know that if we are severe in our evaluation of others, then we had better be prepared for just as severe an evaluation of ourselves when we appear before His throne! "Be merciful,JUST AS your Father is merciful. And do not judge and you will not be judged; and do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; pardon, and you will be pardoned" (Luke 6:36-37).

In Matt. 7:3-5 Jesus follows up on this theme of reciprocity by suggesting a far better way to conduct ourselves. Rather than spending one's time "searching for slime" in another's life, devote that effort and energy to cleaning the filth out of your own!! It's rather ridiculous to be showcasing the specks of sawdust in a brother's eye while sporting a ceiling beam in your own! Are you a self-appointed speck hunter? Beware!! You will reap what you sow! Remember: the qualification for a stone-thrower is sinless perfection!! (John 8:7). Do you qualify?! If you think you do, then hurl away, brother! But don't expect to receive much sympathy when buried by the return volley!!

Galatians 6:1-10

In this marvelous passage toward the end of the very first book written (49 A.D.) of the 27 books comprising the NT canon, the apostle Paul gives us much good advice regarding interpersonal relationships. We are to restore one another, bear one another's burdens, display a spirit of gentleness, and "do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith" (vs. 10). Placed within these very positive admonitions is a reference to the Principle of Reciprocity -- "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap" (vs. 7). Do you want good done to you? Then do good to others. When you slip and fall, do you want others to help lift you back up? Then lift them up. Do you want to be shown love and mercy and gentleness? Then show the same toward others. Reciprocity.

2 Corinthians 9:1-11

Paul has much to say about the grace of giving. There are a great many ways to give. We may give of time, talents and abilities, material goods (food, clothing, etc.), and we may even give of ourselves in loving service to others. Giving is not just monetary in nature. But, sometimes it is, and Paul speaks of such in the text before us, although he weaves in the spiritual aspects of such giving as well. In all of this teaching, however, we cannot fail to detect the Principle of Reciprocity. It permeates the passage! It is recorded that Jesus stated, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). Paul seeks to impress this principle upon his readers in the city of Corinth as he appeals to them on behalf of the suffering saints in Judea.

The divine Principle of Reciprocity is clearly perceived in verse 6 -- "Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully." A promise from God is added to this principle in verse 11 -- "You will be enriched in everything for all liberality." Those who give liberally, and from the heart, will receive bountiful blessings in return. Giving is a grace, and we are always enriched for such generosity. In our Lord's Sermon on the Plain, He declared, "Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, they will pour into your lap. For by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return" (Luke 6:38). Reciprocity. "Test Me in this," declares our Father, "and see if I will not throw open the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows" (Malachi 3:10). We get what we give ... and where God is concerned, we most often get far more than we give! We can never out-give our God! However, the Principle of Reciprocity works both ways: "He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be answered" (Prov. 21:13).

Matthew 26:51-52

As Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane, a mob appeared to arrest Him. Peter drew a sword and sliced off the ear of a man named Malchus, who was the slave of the High Priest (John 18:10). Jesus told Peter, "Put your sword back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword." This is very similar to the old proverb: He who lives by the sword, shall die by the sword. It is the Principle of Reciprocity. Men of violence often come to violent ends!

This is something a man by the name of Haman obviously failed to consider in his quest to destroy Mordecai. Haman did all in his power to bring misery to the life of Mordecai, and indeed to all of the people of Israel. He was so confident that he would prevail over his perceived enemy that he constructed a gallows upon which he intended to hang Mordecai. The tables were turned, however, and "they hanged Haman on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai" (Esther 7:10). Indeed, ten of his sons were also hanged (Esther 9:13-14). A plot had been formed against the Jews, but it was those who formed the plot who paid the ultimate price. That great manifestation of the Principle of Reciprocity is still remembered today in a Jewish celebration known as Purim (Esther 9:17f).

Conclusion

We could go on and on, but I think the principle has been sufficiently established and illustrated from God's inspired Word. Reciprocity .... You reap what you sow. There are perverse persons infesting the church of our Lord Jesus who "are sowing discord among brethren" (Prov. 6:19). They are finger-pointing, slandering, false, worthless men and women (Prov. 6:12-19) whom "the Lord hates" and regards as "an abomination" (vs. 16). The passage says their calamity shall befall them suddenly! Reciprocity. God is not pleased, to put it mildly, with those who promote separation within the Family of God. Such persons will reap exactly what they have sown -- separation from God, one which shall endure eternally.

There are disciples who refuse any dialogue with other disciples. They want no association with their brethren in Christ. They separate themselves into isolated communities of factionists, build walls of exclusion around their disciples, and castigate the other children of God as apostates and heretics. If you are within the walls of one of these sectarian fortresses, beware -- by your judgment against others, you may be preparing yourself for that same judgment by God. If you want nothing to do with His other children, He may just grant you that wish, and while the eternal celebration goes on within His heavenly home, you may find yourself standing outside in the darkness with the "elder brother" (Luke 15:25f).

There are men, women and young people in congregations who absolutely detest other members of the congregation. If you look their way they will give you "stink eye" (an expression used frequently in Hawaii to depict the glaring gaze of those who look upon others with disfavor). I have observed such people for years in countless churches, and they are some of the most miserable people one will find. What is sad is that their misery is self-inflicted. I have watched such persons practically flee from a room when the object of their scorn walks in. One woman actually turned and crashed into a wall in her haste to get away from her "sister in Christ." It would have been funny, if it were not so pathetic. I have had such people tell me, "Oh, I forgive Bro. Joe or Sis. Jane; I just don't ever want to have anything to do with them; keep them away from me!" Is that forgiveness?! If it is, are you willing to accept the same forgiveness from God? "Oh, I forgive you; I just have no desire for you to be here in heaven with Me!" Reciprocity. You will reap what you sow.

There are those reading this issue of Reflections who need to heed this message! Some of you are behaving in a ghastly and godless manner toward your brethren in Christ. It needs to stop. You are not only harming others for whom Christ died ... you are not only bringing shame upon the church ... you are fattening yourselves for a day of slaughter. It breaks my heart to know that some of you, unless you have a change of heart, will be banned from the joys of eternal life. Your behavior is not worth the price you must one day pay for your attitudes and actions. I plead with those of you who have placed yourselves in positions of peril: turn from this destructive path.

Embracing Another Gospel

2012-01-12T11:39:00.000-08:00

Analyzing Apostolic Authorial Intentin the Admonition of Galatians 1:6-9by Al Maxey

The phrase "another gospel" has come to be employed in certain religious circles almost as carelessly and indiscriminately as "false teacher;" being used to negatively characterize any person, or any practice or position, with whom/which one may differ. John Calvin, as well as many other reformers of the time, accused the Roman Catholic Church of proclaiming "another gospel" through their many "popish rituals and ceremonies." The Catholics felt similar concern for Calvin and his compatriots regarding their "departures from the faith." Both freely employed the phrase "another gospel" in their attacks upon one another. Christians accuse non-Christian religions (Islam, Buddhism, etc.) of proclaiming "another gospel." The various denominational groups within Christendom frequently castigate one another with this same charge. Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, Churches of Christ, Lutherans, Episcopalians have allsuggested, in the heat of theological debate, that the others are purveyors of "another gospel." Factions within these various groups have even condemned those of their very own faith-heritage of preaching and teaching "another gospel" if the tenets of their own particular party are not fully embraced.

Bro. W. Carl Ketcherside, in his book The Twisted Scriptures, lamented the limiting of fellowship that was rampant in the ultra-conservative, legalistic, patternistic wing of the Churches of Christ from which he had emerged, and in which he had once been a vocal leader --- "Each sect froze knowledge at its own level, each established its own plateau, and each made additional discoveries above and beyond the partisan norm a crime that was punishable by banishment and exile. As absurd and ridiculous as it may seem to the real scholar of the divine disclosures, every minor detail of difference and debate was branded 'another gospel' and the unfortunate soul who had not stopped thinking when he reached the partisan plane was accused of 'preaching another gospel.' He might be, and often was, the most spiritual person in the group, humble, prayerful and loving, but this counted for absolutely nothing if he could not conscientiously bring himself to remain confined in the partisan straitjacket of their orthodoxy. If he held a different view about the millennium, music, or missionary methods, he was guilty of 'bringing another gospel.' Even though he had fully accepted every single word about Jesus Christ as recorded by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and had literally steeped himself in their testimony, if he could not concur with the party position as to the time and meaning of 'the thousand years' in Rev. 20, he was 'preaching another gospel' and he was expected to be accursed by God after having been excommunicated by the sect" (Chapter 3 -- Another Gospel).

Thus, we quickly perceive the problem that faces us: this phrase, "another gospel," is being used repeatedly in ways most likely in marked contrast to the original authorial intent. Our interpretive task, therefore, is to attempt to determine what Paul intended by the phrase "another gospel" in Galatians 1:6-7. To achieve this, we must first understand his concept of the "gospel." Bro. Ketcherside astutely observed, "Before one can designate a thing as 'another gospel' he must be able to identify the original gospel" (The Twisted Scriptures). I'm convinced that at least part of the problem with the above referenced abuse of this phrase from Paul's epistle to the Galatians is the confusion between gospel and doctrine. It is not within the scope of our study here to delve more deeply into that controversy, but for those interested I would recommend a careful reading of Reflections #117 (The Gospel-Doctrine Debate) and Reflections #84 (The Doctrine of Christ).

The Glorious Gospel

The Greek word euangelion "originally denoted a reward for good tidings; later, the idea of reward was dropped, and the word stood for the good news itself. In the New Testament it denotes the good tidings of the Kingdom of God and of salvation through Christ, to be received by faith, on the basis of His expiatory death, His burial, resurrection, and ascension" (W.E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words). "Christians use the word to designate the message and story of God's saving activity through the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of God's unique Son Jesus" (Holman Bible Dictionary, p. 567).

The Hebrew word used in the Old Testament writings, meaning "to proclaim good news," is bisar. "The Book of Isaiah marks the full religious development of the term within the Old Testament. By this time the word is most often used to describe the anticipated deliverance and salvation which would come from the hand of God when the long-awaited Messiah appeared to deliver Israel" (ibid, p. 568). Isaiah 52:7 reads, "How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who announces peace and brings good news of happiness, who announces salvation." Paul quoted a part of this passage in Romans 10:15, as he related the "good news" to the message of salvation in Christ Jesus -- "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved" (vs. 9). Thus, the "good news" for Paul was certainly consistent with that of the OT understanding -- a message of salvation in the Messiah.

The apostle Paul told the Corinthian brethren that he was determined to "know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). Obviously, this would include the resurrection of Jesus, in which death was defeated. "Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain" (1 Cor. 15:12-14). Thus, again, we see that the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ was central to the preaching of the gospel. Paul told the Romans that he was "eager to preach the gospel to you" (Romans 1:15). At the beginning of that chapter he clearly declared what that gospel was -- he was "set apart for the gospel of God, which He had promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead" (vs. 1-4).

Thus, it is no surprise to hear that Paul, while in Athens, "was preaching Jesus and the resurrection" (Acts 17:18). In Pisidian Antioch, during his first missionary journey, Paul declared in the synagogue, "We preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus" (Acts 13:32-33). When the disciples were scattered because of persecution, they went about "preaching the Lord Jesus" (Acts 11:20). When Saul of Tarsus was first converted, he "began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, 'He is the Son of God'" (Acts 9:20). When Philip the evangelist, who resided in Caesarea, encountered the eunuch from Ethiopia, "he opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him" (Acts 8:35). Earlier, while journeying through the region of Samaria, Philip was "proclaiming Christ to them" (Acts 8:5). After having been punished by the Council, Peter and the apostles, "every day, in the temple and from house to house, kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ" (Acts 5:42).

Such biblical testimony could easily be continued, but the point is rather evident. The gospel message was centered entirely in the Lord Jesus! His birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection. God had purposed from the very beginning to bring redemption and salvation to mankind via a gracious, loving sacrifice: the sacrifice of His beloved Son. This phenomenal event, and both its temporal and eternal impact upon us, is the GOSPEL message. It is the ultimate "good news." Thus, the termeuangelion, as generally used in the New Testament writings, "refers to the word of salvation made available to the world in and through Jesus Christ" (Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible, p. 521). "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). This is the gospel in a nutshell.

"What is the gospel? It is not a system of doctrine, a philosophy of life, a compilation of laws, or a code of ethics. It is good news about a person and what that person has done for us in our hopeless, helpless and hapless condition. It is not a message for the saved, but for the lost. It is never addressed to saints, but to sinners. It is never proclaimed to the church, but to the world" (Ketcherside, The Twisted Scriptures). "A careful student of the Galatian letter will at once see that the good news was a proclamation that we are justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of law" (ibid). "This is the gospel which Paul proclaimed in Galatia. It was the good news that Jesus was not as powerless as Greek wisdom and Jewish legalism. Salvation was not hinged upon arriving at wisdom or coming under law, but coming to a person" (ibid). "The gospel is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He is the good news, the greatest good news in all the history of sinful man. Paul declared that the message brought to Galatia was 'Jesus Christ publicly portrayed as crucified' (Gal. 3:1). The truth of that gospel, that is, the essence, the basis, the central theme was justification by faith in Jesus Christ" (ibid).

The gospel message of the apostle Paul was, and still is, simply this -- "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). No man can be justified before God by his own meritorious effort under a system of law ... any system of law. The only wage man merits is death, "but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:23). The message of this free gift of God's grace is the gospel. It is ours for the taking by faith in His Son. Paul emphasizes this truth repeatedly throughout his writings, and opposes with great intensity any effort to subvert this message with legalistic thinking.

Insights into the Passage

The critical problem in Galatia (as well as in various other locations) that Paul wastes absolutely no time getting right down to in his epistle to these brethren is that some of them were in the process of deserting that glorious gospel for something else entirely -- "a different gospel" ... "another gospel." Before we examine the nature of this "other gospel" more closely, and before we notice some technical points to the passage that will help clarify Paul's intent, let us savor some of the ways in which translators have rendered Galatians 1:6-7.

New American Standard Bible --- I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ.
Holman Christian Standard Bible --- I am amazed that you are so quickly turning away from Him who called you by the grace of Christ, and are turning to a different gospel -- not that there is another gospel, but there are some who are troubling you and want to change the gospel of Christ.
The Message --- I can't believe your fickleness -- how easily you have turned traitor to him who called you by the grace of Christ by embracing a variant message! It is not a minor variation, you know; it is completely other, an alien message, a no-message, a lie about God. Those who are provoking this agitation among you are turning the Message of Christ on its head.
King James Version --- I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
New International Version --- I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel -- which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.
Modern Translation of J.B. Phillips --- I am amazed that you have so quickly transferred your allegiance from him who called you in the grace of Christ to another 'gospel.' Not, of course, that it is or ever could be another gospel, but there are obviously men who are upsetting your faith with a travesty of the gospel of Christ.
The Living Bible --- I am amazed that you are turning away so soon from God who, in his love and mercy, invited you to share the eternal life he gives through Christ; you are already following a different 'way to heaven,' which really doesn't go to heaven at all. For there is no other way than the one we showed you; you are being fooled by those who twist and change the truth concerning Christ.

The apostle Paul is absolutely stunned by the attitudes and actions of these misguided Galatian brethren (for an in-depth look at who these brethren were, and the special features of this epistle to them, I invite the readers to review Reflections #202 -- Epistle to the Galatians: Magna Charta of Christian Liberty). Indeed, Paul is so upset by their shocking behavior that he characterizes them as "foolish" and "bewitched" (Gal. 3:1). The first word in Greek is anoetos, which means "unintelligent, unwise; brutish." To use a rather common current expression: they were "as dumb as an ox." The second word is baskaino, which means "to bewitch by casting a spell upon." Paul is amazed and astonished! He expected better from them! "Are you really that stupid?" (Gal. 3:3). After all, it had not been that long since he had been with them proclaiming the gospel of God's grace. The Greek word translated "amazed" and "astonished" is thaumazo, meaning "to wonder at, to marvel." Dr. Kenneth Wuest observes, "Paul considered the defection of the Galatian Christians as an extraordinary thing" (Word Studies from the Greek NT, vol. 1, "Galatians," p. 35). "The verb is used here with reference to something disappointing, something felt to be painful as well as strange. The apostle was genuinely surprised" (The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 20, p. 9). It was therefore "an indignant cry of astonishment at what seems to be happening among the Galatians" (The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 10, p. 427).

Part of Paul's astonishment was over how quickly this had happened. "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you..." (NASB). This can be taken two ways: (1) they turned so quickly from the truth of the gospel after Paul had presented it to them, or (2) they turned so quickly from the truth of the gospel after having been presented with "another gospel." Most scholars feel it is the latter that is intended. Paul, therefore, was astounded that they abandoned the gospel so quickly after something contrary to it was presented to them. This suggests a spiritual shallowness that truly surprised him. He had genuinely thought they were far more grounded in Truth than that. If this Greek phrase (houtos tacheos) "is to be translated 'so soon' or 'so quickly,' then the comparison is between the time of Paul's having preached the gospel to the Galatians and the time of his writing to them. If one is to understand the phrase as 'so rashly' or 'so precipitously,' then it refers to the quickness of their departure from the faith after the legalizers had begun to preach circumcision" (The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 10, p. 429).
It should also be noted that the situation was not yet beyond hope. The Galatian brethren had not fully completed their defection to this false teaching, but were only in the process of going over to it. "The verb, being in the present tense, and not in the aorist tense or the perfect tense, suggests the idea of an action in its commencing stage, and one not yet fully consummated" (The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 20, p. 9). "The present tense indicates that when Paul wrote, the defection of the Galatians was yet only in progress. Had he used the perfect tense, that would have indicated that the Galatians had actually and finally turned against grace and had come to a settled attitude in the matter" (Dr. Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies from the Greek NT, vol. 1, "Galatians," p. 35). Thus, those troubling the Galatians with this "different gospel" had not yet achieved a decisive victory over them, but "the Galatians were disposed to lend a ready ear to their insinuations" (ibid). They were "on the point of turning from the gospel of Christ to embrace something that was no gospel at all" (The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 10, p. 427).

Paul's astonishment was also due to the fact "that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ." He regarded this as a desertion. This is the Greek word metatithemi, "which means to transpose two things, one of which is put in the place of the other. In classical Greek it was used of a turncoat. The word is used of one altering his opinion or becoming of another mind. The word was also used of desertion or revolt, frequently of a change in religion, philosophy, or morals" (Dr. Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies from the Greek NT, vol. 1, "Galatians," p. 35). "The Greek word is one regularly used for a 'deserter,' 'turn-coat,' or 'apostate,' either in war, politics, or religion" (Charles Ellicott's Commentary on the Whole Bible, vol. 7, p. 428). These soldiers of the cross were "deserting the Christian camp" (The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 10, p. 428). "Moreover, since the Greek verb is probably in the middle voice, rather than the passive, it is not even possible for the Galatians to claim that their conduct was the result of outside influences. This is something they were doing to themselves and thus were responsible for. The only ray of hope is that they were still only in the process of deserting and could possibly be reclaimed" (ibid).

But this was far more than just a desertion of the gospel message. This was more accurately a desertion of "Him who called you." This is emphasized in the use of two separate Greek prepositions in this statement. These foolish, bewitched disciples in Galatia were removing themselves "away from" (apo) Him who called them "unto" (eis) another gospel. "It was a defection from God the Father, to whom the calling is uniformly ascribed -- Rom. 8:30; 9:24; 1 Cor. 1:9. As such, the apostasy had all the character of ingratitude" (The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 20, p. 46). "There is a tragic personal element in the way Paul describes their condition. It is not merely that they have deserted an idea or a movement; rather, they have deserted the very one who had called them to faith. This one is God the Father" (The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 10, p. 428).

Another Gospel ... Which is Not

These defectors were in the process of turning away from God, who had called them graciously into a relationship with Him through faith in Christ Jesus, "unto another gospel: which is not another" (KJV). This sounds a bit confusing in English. Is it or isn't it "another" gospel? The passage makes more sense, however, when one realizes that Paul has used two different Greek words here for "another." "It is to be regretted that the English language hardly admits the fine shade of distinction which exists here in the Greek" (Ellicott's Commentary on the Whole Bible, vol. 7, p. 428). The first word used in the passage is heteros, while the second one used is allos. The distinction is significant. The first adjective signifies that which is different in kind. Our word "heterosexual," for example, signifies a relationship between two who are different from one another (i.e., male and female). Thus, Paul says the Galatians are embracing that which is totally different from the gospel that had been proclaimed to them. It was more than just a slight variation from the previous message; it was altogether different. Thus, to embrace such a completely different message was nothing less than a total rejection of Him who called them, resulting in a fall from grace and a severing from Christ (Gal. 5:4). This was serious; this was a matter of life and death! It was far more than just a few brethren with differing opinions or practices; it was the abandoning of the gospel for something that was so distorted and perverted that it could only be characterized as heteros. This adjective "intimates the changed quality of the object, its strange new-fangled character" (The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 20, p. 10).

"Heteros denotes qualitative difference, allos, numerical difference" (Dr. Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies from the Greek NT, vol. 1, "Galatians," p. 37). "Lightfoot took the first of the two words for 'other' as denoting that which is entirely different, i.e., not even of the same species. The second he interpreted as numerically different" (The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 10, p. 430). Again, note the passage before us: It was a desertion "unto another gospel: which is not another" (KJV). Thus, the Galatians were in the process of abandoning one thing for something entirely different; they weren't even of the "same species." In the second part of the phrase, Paul's point is that this false teaching to which they are turning is not even worthy of the name "gospel." It is so different in kind from what had been preached unto them that it could not properly even be characterized as simply another in a list of "good news messages." There was NO "good news" in the perversion being proclaimed unto them under the name "gospel." Thus, it is NOT another; it is no "gospel" at all. "There is only one gospel, and in deserting the gospel that Paul had taught to them the Galatians were deserting the Christian faith altogether" (ibid).

What was the source of this false teaching? "There be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ" (KJV). Some had come into Galatia teaching something entirely different than the message proclaimed by Paul. These were troublers of the brethren, and perverters of the gospel. Paul characterized them as "false brethren" (Gal. 2:4), who had slipped in among them to bring them into bondage to their perversion of the gospel. The apostle Paul had some extremely harsh words for these troublers of the brethren, some of the harshest in all of Scripture. "As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!" (Gal. 5:12). Paul's desire was that these proclaimers of circumcision as a condition of salvation (see Acts 15:1) -- these factionists from the "party of the circumcision" (Gal. 2:12) -- would cut a little deeper and castrate themselves!!

"But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be anathema" (Gal. 1:8-9). Yes, these were harsh words, but Paul was not trying to win a popularity contest. "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Gal. 1:10). There are times when Truth must be proclaimed, and proclaimed boldly, even if offends some. When lives are at stake, niceties must be set aside. The word anathema is related to the Hebrew word herem, and denotes that which is devoted to destruction; that upon which the curse of death is pronounced. Those who had deserted Him, and who had perverted His message of grace, were deserving of anathema -- God's wrath would fall upon them and they would be consumed; eternally damned. Again, this was a serious matter; lives were at stake! Paul couldn't afford to wait to see how things would turn out. He attacked the situation head-on, and with full force, while the distorters of the gospel were in the midst of their work and before their hearers could fully succumb to their heresy. Time was of the essence. Those that "troubled" the Galatians had to be confronted immediately. "The present tense of this participle indicates that the Judaizers were still in Galatia at the time Paul wrote this letter, and that the Galatian letter was written to combat them while they were in the very midst of their work" (Dr. Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies from the Greek NT, vol. 1, "Galatians," p. 38).

So what exactly was this "other gospel" (which really wasn't another), this perversion and distortion that brought about such an immediate and intense response from the pen of Paul? In a word, it was legalism. "By embracing legalism the Galatians have actually turned their back on the gospel in order to embrace 'a different gospel,' which, however, does not even deserve to be called by that name. Embracing legalism means rejecting God" (The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 10, p. 428). They were embracing "something that was no gospel at all, but only legalism" (ibid, p. 427). This, in effect, "converted the gospel from a doctrine of emancipation into a doctrine of renewed bondage -- Gal. 5:1-4" (The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 20, p. 11). These pseudo-evangelists were, in fact, "the Judaising party, with its restless factiousness and bigotry, causing schisms and divisions in the church" (Ellicott's Commentary on the Whole Bible, vol. 7, p. 428).

It was a "gospel" (falsely named) of works of some legal system over salvation by grace through faith. It was elevation of one's self over one's Savior. Thus, it was a rejection of the Lord Himself, and the result was a severing from Him and a falling from His grace. If men can be justified by their own effort, "then Christ died needlessly" (Gal. 2:21), and the cross is emptied of its spiritual significance for sinful men. These partyists and legalists spreading their heresy in Galatia are no less active today among the people of God. They are the rigid religionists who insist that complete compliance with their countless party particulars and patternistic parameters is essential to fellowship and salvation. They elevate personal and party perceptions and preferences to the status of divine precepts, and bind the assumptions and inferences of their faction's fathers as eternal decrees. The customs and ceremonies of their religious tradition are viewed as being, in some way, redemptive. Thus, the hope of eternal life is seen to be intimately associated with how disciples conduct the particulars of a "worship service" on Sunday morning. "Salvation by ceremonies is the antithesis of salvation by grace. It is a perversion of God's good news to man" (The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 20, p. 54). Therefore, "it is only the devil's work which those persons manage to perform who complicate salvation with rites and ceremonies" (ibid).

This is "a gospel of ritual;" a "plan of salvation by rites and ceremonies" (ibid, p. 53). It is the "homage of shallow minds" (ibid). "Every rite and ceremony which is interposed as essential between man and God creates a sense of distance between those whom the gospel would bring nigh to Him. Instead of ritualism tending to intensify communion with God, it can only intensify the superstitious feeling which puts souls at a distance from Him" (ibid). John Calvin, in his sermon titled "On Perverting the Gospel of Christ" (one of 43 sermons on Galatians preached in Geneva between Nov. 14, 1557 and May 8, 1558), declared that all who seek justification through the observing of such ceremonies of law, "have been subjected to a slavish bondage," and were "making the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ altogether void." "A salvation-by-works message is no good news to a lost sinner, (1) because the Bible says 'not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us' (Titus 3:5), and (2) if salvation would be by good works, one would not know how many good works a person must do to be saved or, after being saved, to keep saved. No one could have any assurance of acceptance with God or security in salvation from such preaching. Thus, Paul stamps the message of the Judaizers as false doctrine" (Dr. Kenneth Wuest, Word Studies from the Greek NT, vol. 1, "Galatians," p. 37).

Concluding Reflections

Many people over the years have been falsely accused of proclaiming "another gospel" simply because they held to some personal perception or practice differing from that of a fellow believer. This is unconscionable and an abuse of Scripture. Please notice carefully and prayerfully the following rather lengthy quote from the late Bro. Carl Ketcherside's book "The Twisted Scriptures." He has done a marvelous job of showing forth the lunacy of such characterizations.

"Those who were in Christ in the days of the apostles were in error on many points. They were mistaken about a lot of things, but they were not charged with 'preaching another gospel.' Freedom from error is not a condition of salvation, else all men would be damned. We are not saved by attainment to a certain degree of knowledge, but by faith in Christ Jesus. It is not by performance of meritorious deeds nor by legalistic conformity that we are justified before God. When we postulate a program of justification by knowledge we hang ourselves on the very gallows we have constructed to rid ourselves of others, unless we are prepared to make ourselves even more ridiculous by affirming that we know as much as God.

"No honest opinion held by one who is in Christ Jesus and who respects His Lordship is 'another gospel.' Since it is the gospel which forms the basis of the fellowship with the Father, the Son, and with one another in Christ, such an opinion can never be made a test of union or communion in Jesus. A man may hold a view as to the perseverance of the saints, the manner of the resurrection, or the second coming of our Lord, and he may prove to be as wrong as one could be, but he cannot be debarred from citizenry in the kingdom of heaven by the other subjects, any more than one can be disenfranchised in the United States just because he disagrees with the government space program or the approach to overseas help."No man 'preaches another gospel' simply by being mistaken about some aspects of the will of our God, otherwise one would need to know perfectly the divine will or he would be a perverter of the gospel. It is common in our day for some to level the charge at their brethren who disagree with them over some means or method for implementation of God's will that they are 'preaching another gospel' and 'apostatizing.' Those who do this, regardless of the motive, reveal their ignorance of what constitutes both gospel and apostasy."

The proclaiming of "another gospel," the godless heresy that warrants an Anathema, is nothing less or more than "a repudiation of the principle of justification by faith in Jesus and an adoption of the tenets of the party -- i.e., you must believe in Jesus and something more -- in order to be in fellowship" and be eternally saved (Ketcherside, The Twisted Scriptures). "Many quote Galatians 1:6-8 and apply it to others when they are actually the very ones who set up other unwritten creeds, and pervert the gospel with their partisan terms of fellowship and justification. Not every divergent view is another gospel. Not every area of disagreement makes the one who disagrees with us a perverter of the gospel. If God deals with us at the judgment in the same cold legalistic fashion in which we deal with His other children, will any of us be saved?" (ibid).

"When men make a test of union or communion out of some method, mode or machinery for accomplishing God's will and refuse to recognize as in the fellowship those who do not concur in their special brand of orthodoxy, they hinge justification upon faith in Jesus Christ and something else. The 'something else' is full agreement with their own understanding, inference or deduction from the Scriptures as regards that thing. Thus, their creed is no longer simply Christ, but conformity with a factional pattern. Whatever any party makes a test of fellowship is its creed. Whatever one must accept to be regarded as loyal is a creed" (ibid). Brethren, we are a diverse band of believers, but we are nevertheless One Body in our Lord Jesus Christ. Our differing convictions and personal preferences, perceptions and practices do not constitute just cause for dismembering that Body, nor do they constitute "another gospel." The latter exists only where legalistic religionists have sought to add terms of fellowship and conditions of salvation to the simple "good news" that we are brought into saving relationship with Him by grace through faith. May God give us the courage to oppose such perverse partyists with the same boldness and sense of urgency as evidenced by the apostle Paul. With eternal life and death hanging in the balance, we dare do nothing less!

Epistle to the Galatians

2012-01-12T11:28:00.000-08:00

Magna Charta of Christian Libertyby Al Maxey

If someone asked you to name the very first book written of the 27 books contained in our NT canon, what would your answer be? Many, perhaps, might suggest "Matthew." After all, it appears first in the listing of books, therefore some assume it must have beenwritten first. The 27 books of the NT canon, however, are not listed in order of date written, although the book of Revelation, which appears last, most likely was the final book of the 27 to be written. The first book to be written was Galatians, and I am firmly convinced this was providential. The very first declaration of inspiration was a proclamation of Freedom in Christ, the very message the world, and even the church, needs to hear today!

Paul's letter to the Galatian brethren has often been heralded as the "Magna Charta of Christian Liberty." The Magna Charta ("Great Charter") was a document issued by King John of England on June 15, 1215. Abuses by King John caused a revolt by nobles who compelled him to execute this recognition of rights for both noblemen and ordinary Englishmen. People long to be free, and very few will long tolerate the oppression of those who would presume to lord it over them.

Revolution and reform may at times be slow in coming, but come they will. The first message the young church of our Lord Jesus needed to hear -- a message just as needed by the church today -- is that we are free. We have been liberated from the tyranny of law, and we abide in a state of grace. "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery" (Gal. 5:1). There were some in Paul's day, and many in ours, who sought to enslave the disciples of Christ to a legalistic system. Law is not the basis of our fellowship, unity or salvation, and yet some were (and still are) teaching this fallacious doctrine. Thus, before any other book of the NT canon was ever penned, the apostle Paul, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, sent out this Great Charter of Christian Liberty in Christ.

The great reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546) regarded the epistle to the Galatians as a type of "battle cry for Christian liberty." He felt this inspired writing called him "to fight Paul's battle for the liberty of the Gospel all over again" against the oppressive legalisms he perceived in the Roman Catholic Church. Luther once wrote, "The Epistle to the Galatians is my epistle; I have betrothed myself to it; it is my wife." Those discerning disciples who love and cherish their freedom in Christ have long loved and cherished the truths proclaimed by Paul in this marvelous first book of the NT canon.

My purpose in this current issue of my weekly Reflections is not to provide an in-depth commentary on this epistle, although such would certainly be a worthwhile venture. That would be beyond the scope of these articles. I would suggest, however, that the people of God would be extremely well-served if this epistle was made a frequent focal point of serious study in every congregation. I will be teaching it this coming fall quarter at our congregation on Sunday mornings in one of the adult classes. We need its liberating lessons! In this present article, however, I will seek to provide some of the background information to this epistle that may perhaps make such later textual studies more meaningful. I firmly believe that before any book of the Bible is examined textually, it should be carefully examined contextually. In other words, what prompted the writing of this epistle? Why was it written? Who wrote it? To whom was it written? What is the provenance of the letter? When was it written? What are some of the special features of it? These are all vital questions that need to be addressed and answered if one would truly profit from a study of this, or any, book of the Bible. Perhaps in future editions of these Reflections we shall seek to provide the same information for other parts of God's written revelation, if this present article is well-received and regarded as relevant by the readers.

Authorship

As to who wrote this first work in the NT canon, there is very little doubt. Some of the NT epistles provide a much greater challenge when seeking to determine authorship -- Hebrews, for example. I would refer the readers to Reflections #128 -- The Authorship of Hebrews: In-depth Investigation into Identity. "Paul, an apostle ... to the churches of Galatia" (Gal. 1:1-2) states the matter clearly. Thus, the author of the epistle claims to be the apostle Paul. Either he is, or he is lying. To suggest the latter is to question the very integrity of the epistle itself, and, indeed, the integrity of the entire biblical canon. There is also a significant amount of autobiographical information provided in this epistle (especially in the first two chapters) that can be easily checked and validated by an appeal to the historical information provided in the book of Acts. This too points to Paul as the author. Thus, almost no one has any significant questions regarding the authorship of Galatians.

Destination

Perhaps one of the most important issues connected with any critical background study of this epistle, and certainly one of the most controversial aspects of that study, is: to whom exactly was it written? At first this may seem a rather ridiculous question, for, after all, Gal. 1:2 clearly states Paul is writing to "the churches of Galatia." That narrows it somewhat, but one might still ask: which churches of Galatia? Further, what geographical area is meant by "Galatia"? There are several possibilities. Before examining them in more depth, let me point out that this epistle is the only letter Paul addresses to more than one congregation of believers (although some have suggested Ephesians is more properly a circular letter, and many of Paul's letters were clearly passed around from congregation to congregation -- Col. 4:16). It is also the only letter from Paul in which he fails to name the cities in which these congregations are located. He simply refers to them as "the churches of Galatia," thus leaving scholars today to speculate as to which churches in Galatia.

As previously noted, the problem of identification of destination is compounded by the fact that in the first century there were two possible meanings of the term "Galatia," each indicating a different geographical location. Therefore, biblical interpreters are faced with two significant challenges: (1) Which Galatia, and (2) which cities? Let's begin with the first challenge.

Ethnographic Galatia -- The North Galatian Theory. This was a territory in north-central Asia Minor that was settled by the various Celtic tribes migrating from ancient Gaul (which corresponds to the area currently occupied by France, Belgium, northern Italy, and parts of the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland). These peoples, at this time, were extremely fierce warriors. Migrating eastward in search of a new homeland, they attacked and almost destroyed Rome, Macedonia, and Greece. They finally settled in north-central Asia Minor and named this place "Galatia." In the year 189 B.C., the Romans, under the leadership of General Manlius Vulso, conquered the Galatians and made them a part of the now expanding Roman Empire. These various conquered peoples were allowed to maintain their boundaries, however, and a certain amount of independence.
Political Galatia -- The South Galatian Theory. In the year 25 B.C., Amyntas, the last of the Galatian kings, died. Augustus Caesar then made Galatia a Roman province. At the same time, he expanded the southern boundaries to include such notable cities as Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. This southern expansion, along with the original northern areas of Galatia, came to be referred to as "Political Galatia." In the eyes of the Romans, this was just as much a part of Galatia as the original boundaries, however the people of Galatia never really accepted the Roman addition of the southern territory as being a part of Galatia.

Thus, when someone spoke of "Galatia" during the time of the apostle Paul, there were two possible views as to the territory involved. The central question, of course, is this -- which one did Paul have in mind?! This is a far more important question than may at first seem apparent to a casual observer, for the answer will shed light not only on which cities Paul directed this epistle to, but also when it was written, and from where. To complicate the matter even further for the layman, biblical scholars are horribly divided on the issue. It is my opinion, however, that the South Galatian theory is the most tenable, and thus I base my conclusions with regard to both date, destination and provenance on that belief. Obviously, those who hold to the North Galatian view will arrive at different conclusions.

The North Galatian position is a rather difficult one for its adherents to defend, for it is based largely, in my view, upon some rather questionable assumptions. For example, it is assumed that Paul would only have used the term "Galatia" in its ethnic sense, and would never have considered the political aspects of that term. Thus, when Paul calls his readers "Galatians" (Gal. 3:1), he would never be addressing those in the southern addition, since they were only "Galatians" by the decree of Rome. Therefore, they reason, he must be addressing the citizens in the north. However, such a premise fails to account for the fact that Paul, even though a Jew, was nevertheless raised and educated as a Roman citizen, and thus the political sense of the term "Galatia" would have been very familiar to him, and would most probably have been the emphasis of his personal, social and educational environment far more than the ethnic sense.

Those who advocate the North Galatian view also, as a rule, tend to favor the theory that Paul's first epistle to the saints at Thessalonica was the first book penned in the New Testament canon, as that epistle is far less theologically developed that his other writings. Thus, for 1 Thessalonians to be the first book of the NT canon, Galatians must be moved to a later date. This can be accomplished if one embraces the view that he wrote to the cities of the north.

It is my conviction, however, that the South Galatian position is the correct one, or, at least, the more likely of the two. There are several reasons I favor this view:

Paul was a Roman citizen, thus he would have been more likely to have used the Roman designation for the province than that favored by the Gauls. In fact, that is exactly what he did in 1 Cor. 16. Paul speaks of Macedonia (vs. 5), Achaia (vs. 15), and Asia (vs. 19), all of which were the Roman terms employed for these provinces, although not necessarily the names favored by the locals. In 1 Cor. 16:1 Paul even refers to the "churches of Galatia" --- using this term in the very same chapter where he had previously used other Roman names to refer to other provinces. Thus, it seems apparent that Paul was in the habit of employing the Roman names, rather than the local names, and thus would most likely have Political Galatia in mind, not the original boundaries established by the Gauls.
Paul states, in 1 Cor. 16:1, that the churches of Galatia participated in the "collection for the saints" in Judea. In Acts 20:4 a list of those men who accompanied him back to Jerusalem with these collected funds is given. Two men from cities in Political Galatia are mentioned -- Gaius of Derbe and Timothy of Lystra -- whereas not a single person from Ethnic Galatia is mentioned. This again seems to confirm the South Galatian view.
There is no solid evidence anywhere in the book of Acts that Paul ever journeyed into the area of northern Galatia, or that he established any congregations there. Luke is completely silent about any such missionary effort in that area. However, there is abundant evidence that Paul went throughout southern Galatia, establishing congregations in Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. Also, Acts 16:1-6 informs us that Paul "passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region," but the only two Galatian cities mentioned in this passage (Derbe and Lystra) are both in southern/political Galatia. The major cities in northern Galatia were Pessinus, Ancyra and Tavium; cities which are never mentioned anywhere in the NT writings.
In Gal. 2:13 Paul speaks of Barnabas in such language that many scholars believe he was known by name to those congregations to whom Paul wrote. According to Acts 13-14 it was Barnabas who traveled with Paul on his first missionary journey when congregations were established in southern Galatia. Thus, Barnabas would indeed have been familiar to those in the south. There is no evidence anywhere in Acts, however, that Barnabas ever went to northern Galatia. In fact, just the opposite. When Paul began his second missionary journey, Barnabas and Mark sailed to Cyprus.
At the time Paul wrote Galatians he speaks of only two visits to Jerusalem following his conversion to Christ Jesus which can be linked with the record in the book of Acts: (1) The visit that took place three years after he was converted, and following his time in Arabia -- Gal. 1:18ff and Acts 9:26ff, and (2) when he brought a contribution for famine relief from Antioch, where Paul had been preaching to Gentiles for almost a year -- Gal. 2:1ff and Acts 11:25ff. Since Paul makes absolutely no mention in Galatians of his trip to Jerusalem for the Jerusalem Council, which is discussed in Acts 15 (occurring in 50 A.D.), and since he is obviously familiar with churches in Galatia, which he himself established during his first missionary journey (which lasted from 45-47 A.D.), and since he makes no mention of the decisions rendered by the Jerusalem Council (which he most certainly would have, given the theme of this epistle, had he been aware of the decrees sent forth from that conference), it is logical to assume, then, that this epistle was written prior to 50 A.D., and the only area of Galatia we know for sure that Paul had traveled to at this time was southern Galatia (specifically, the cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe).

The evidence, in my opinion, is overwhelmingly supportive of the South Galatian theory, and thus the cities he addressed, when speaking of the "churches of Galatia" (Gal. 1:2), would be the very congregations he himself established on his very first missionary journey. There is simply no evidence, internal or external, that lends any credence to the Ethnographic Galatian theory, therefore I am compelled to discount it and to embrace the Political Galatian theory as the correct one.

Provenance

If the South Galatian theory is the correct one, as I believe it to be, then Paul's epistle to the churches in Galatia would have been written following his first missionary journey (45-47 A.D.), and yet prior to the Jerusalem Council (50 A.D.). There is really only one place that "fits the bill" for the provenance (place of origin) of this epistle -- Antioch in Syria. At the conclusion of his first missionary journey, Paul returned to Syrian Antioch where he "spent a long time with the disciples" (Acts 14:28). This "long time" would have been from 47-50 A.D., a period during which Paul and Barnabas worshipped and worked with the congregation in Antioch. It was during this time that Paul wrote this epistle to the congregations he had established just a couple of years previously in southern Galatia.

Date

As has already been noticed, the time of composition for Paul's epistle to the Galatians would be during the "long time spent with the disciples" in the city of Antioch in Syria. This would place the date sometime around 48-49 A.D., just shortly after the congregations in southern Galatia had been established by him. This also fits well with his statement to them in Gal. 1:6 -- "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel." Since very little time had passed between the establishment of those congregations during the first missionary journey and the writing of this epistle, the phrase "so quickly" does indeed fit.

Paul's Purpose

Why did Paul write this epistle? What purpose did he have in mind? Since Paul had not previously written any epistles, at least none of which we are aware, something must have compelled him to invest the time to compose these special thoughts for these brethren at this particular time. Understanding a letter's intent is always a vital key to the proper interpretation of that letter. There are several reasons why Paul produced this document:

One of the reasons was to defend his apostleship, which had once again been called into question by his detractors. The first couple of chapters are filled with personal references clearly designed to establish his credibility among his readers, a credibility being strongly challenged by his critics. Thus, he makes it clear that his ministry is not from men, but from the Lord Jesus Himself. "Paul, an apostle (not sent from men, nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father)" (Gal. 1:1). "For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ" (Gal. 1:11-12). "He set me apart, even from my mother's womb, and called me through His grace" (Gal. 1:15). Paul even stresses that he did not "consult with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me" (Gal. 1:16-17). This was all to establish the genuineness of his calling, a calling which some were apparently questioning --- "Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying!" (Gal. 1:20).
- Paul, in chapter 2, stresses the fact he was well-received by "those who were of high reputation" in Jerusalem, although he emphasizes that such distinction "makes no difference to me" and that they "contributed nothing to me" (Gal. 2:6-7). Nevertheless, "recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship" (Gal. 2:9). The right hand of fellowship extended by the church "pillars" was an important act of acceptance, and Paul hastened to point this out to those who perhaps were hearing negative comments from those who opposed him. He further established his authority with these Galatian readers by pointing out that he had even had to confront and admonish one of these "pillars" (Gal. 2:11f). Therefore, this was a "credibility in response to criticism" matter that needed to be established with these congregations early on in this very first document produced in the NT canon.
These critics of Paul were also troubling the saints in the cities in which Paul had previously preached the gospel of Jesus Christ, distorting that gospel (Gal. 1:7). Some, sadly, were even turning away from the truth and deserting the Lord for "a different gospel" (Gal. 1:6). These were very likely the Judaizers, who were trying to force the Galatian brethren, who were mostly Gentiles, to accept circumcision and the observance of Jewish customs and laws as essential to salvation. These Judaizers were also very active in Syrian Antioch, where Paul was, at this time; causing turmoil that would quickly lead to the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:1ff). Paul had "great dissension and debate with them" (Acts 15:2). He even characterized these men to the Galatians as "false brethren who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage" (Gal. 2:4). Paul declared, "We did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you" (Gal. 2:5).
- The apostle Paul used some very harsh, and extremely strong, language against these law-bound individuals who were at this time troubling the church. Not only did he call them "false brethren," but he twice pronounced upon them an "anathema" (Gal. 1:8-9), a word which simply signifies that which is so accursed that it is fit only for destruction. Such are those people who would bind laws and customs upon those free in Christ. He accuses the Galatians of being not only "foolish," but "bewitched," for even considering such a doctrine (Gal. 3:1f). Paul did not mince words when it came to his feelings for "the one who is disturbing you" (Gal. 5:10). He "shall bear his judgment, whoever he is" (Gal. 5:10). Furthermore, he declared, "I wish those who are disturbing you might also get themselves castrated!" (Gal. 5:12, Holman Christian Standard Bible). In other words, those men promoting circumcision as a condition of salvation and fellowship should not cut their effort short, but go ahead and do the job thoroughly ... castrating themselves! No, Paul had no patience withlegalists. Neither should we! Lives are at stake; eternity hangs in the balance; it is no time for "niceties!"
There is some evidence that these troublers of the Galatian brethren may have been somewhat Gnostic in their thinking and practice. Paul cautioned the saints in Galatia not to turn their freedom into "an opportunity for the flesh" (Gal. 5:13). Moral laxity, or libertinism, was one aspect of Gnostic thinking that needed to be guarded against continually. A turning back to "elemental forces," and the observance of seasonal markers (Gal. 4:9-10), were also tenets of this teaching.
Another extremely important aspect of this work, and a vital part of the teaching of the apostle Paul throughout his ministry, was the recognition that justification is by faith, and NOT by works of law. This would be contrary to the message of the Judaizers, and thus it was critical these fairly new converts come to appreciate the distinction between justification and salvation by means of their own human effort or merit, and the free gift of justification and salvation by grace through faith. "A man is not justified by works of law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. ... by works of law shall no flesh be justified" (Gal. 2:16). Indeed, "if righteousness comes through law, then Christ died needlessly" (Gal. 2:21). Paul then stresses in chapter 5 the consequence of a return to law -- it severs one from Christ and causes them to fall from grace (Gal. 5:4). In Christ Jesus, legalistic requirements are meaningless; all that matters is faith actively demonstrating itself through love (Gal. 5:6).
It should also not be overlooked that Paul sought to impress upon the hearts and minds of these Galatian brethren that their freedom in Christ did not give them license to practice lawlessness and immorality, which was apparently one of the tenets of the group known as the Nicolaitans (Rev. 2:6, 14-15). I would refer the reader to my article on the history and teachings of this early church heretical group: Reflections #73 -- The Nicolaitans: A Case Study in Compromise. Paul's classic contrast between the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21) and the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) has long been one of the most studied, and certainly one of the most spiritually beneficial, portions of Scripture among genuine believers. It is the age-old battle between walking by the Spirit or carrying out the desires of the flesh.
The primacy of LOVE is central to the teaching of the epistle to the Galatians. "Through love serve one another" (Gal. 5:13). "For the entire law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another" (Gal. 5:14-15). "But the fruit of the Spirit is love..." (Gal. 5:22). LOVE will prompt the believer to restore those who are caught in some trespass (Gal. 6:1), to bear one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2), to share with those who teach them (Gal. 6:6), to not lose heart in doing good (Gal. 6:9-10), and to "not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another" (Gal. 5:26).
The principle of reciprocity is clearly perceived in this epistle; a message to which the troublers of the church, both then and now, obviously need to pay greater attention. They need to understand that "whatever a man sows, this he will also reap!" (Gal. 6:7). This might be a good time for us all to reflect once again onReflections #172 -- The Principle of Reciprocity: Reaping Exactly What You Sow.

Special Features

Each of the 66 books in the Bible is peerless. They all have special features and characteristics that make them singularly memorable and meaningful to those who devote themselves to prayerful reflection upon their inspired contents and concepts. Let us notice a few of these unique features of the epistle to the Galatians:

Galatians is the only letter written by Paul that is addressed to a group of congregations. It is also the only epistle in which the congregations addressed areunnamed.
Next to 2 Corinthians, many feel Galatians to be the most autobiographical of Paul's epistles.
Galatians is the first known letter written by the apostle Paul, and most scholars believe it also to be the first book penned in the NT canon.
The epistle to the Galatian brethren has been called "The Epistle of Conflict." Dr. Everett F. Harrison wrote, "The tone of the letter is noticeably sharp, especially in dealing with the Judaizers, but also in rebuking the Galatians" (Introduction to the New Testament, p. 279). "The tone of the book is warlike. It fairly crackles with indignation though it is not the anger of personal pique but of spiritual principle. He reproved the Galatians for their acceptance of legalistic error" (Dr. Merrill C. Tenney, New Testament Survey, p. 269). This is an epistle that immediately, and very forcefully, goes on the attack, even omitting the usual initial note of thanksgiving that would become characteristic of Paul's later writings.
It is only within this particular epistle that Paul calls attention to his handwriting. He also apparently writes a section of the epistle (Gal. 6:11-18) in his own handwriting, rather than dictating his thoughts to a scribe. "See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand" (Gal. 6:11). Some scholars feel the entire epistle may well have been written by Paul's own hand, rather than just this last section. Either way, Paul draws attention to his handwriting. This may have served the purpose of showing his deep personal concern for them, or even to validate that this message was indeed from him, and not from someone else perhaps impersonating him. There is obviously much speculation as to his purpose in mentioning his handwriting.
- Some Pauline scholars feel this may be a hint as to the nature of the "thorn in the flesh" (2 Cor. 12:7-9) and the "bodily condition" (Gal. 4:13-14) that plagued Paul during his life. It is felt by many that this infirmity was actually very poor eyesight, a condition that would certainly explain the "large letters" with which he wrote, and why in most of his epistles he used a scribe ("I, Tertius, who write this letter, greet you in the Lord" -- Rom. 16:22). It would also explain his statement in Gal. 4:15 -- "For I bear you witness, that if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me." Paul made a personal habit, however, in all of his NT epistles, of writing the final greeting in his own hand (1 Cor. 16:21; Col. 4:18). "I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand, and this is a distinguishing mark in every letter; this is the way I write" (2 Thess. 3:17).

Conclusion

Dr. Everett F. Harrison captured the focus of this great epistle quite beautifully in the following statement -- "No writing could better demonstrate how the creation of a certain moment can become a norm for all time. The issue that had to be decided was whether Christianity should be determined by Judaism or develop in terms of its own genius. More specifically, the question was the very continuance of the gospel in its simplicity and purity. Was more needed for admission to the church than faith in Christ and his finished work? This epistle answers eloquently, NO!" (Introduction to the New Testament, p. 280).

The early church faced a crisis of faith ... literally. Either salvation was by grace through faith, or it was by meritorious works of law, with grace and faith thrown in as "leveling agents" for our imperfections with respect to knowledge and performance. Before a single word had been penned of the 27 books of the NT canon, Paul stepped boldly into this theological arena and proclaimed the supremacy of faith and the futility of law to effect justification, fellowship and salvation. When legalists sought to enslave their fellow disciples once more to the dictates of a rigid legal system, Paul confronted them head-on with the fact of freedom in Christ Jesus. This first inspired writing of the New Covenant era was a bold, war-like tome intended to defeat the enemies of Christian liberty before they gained a foothold.

"Not many books have made such a lasting impression on men's minds as the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians, nor have many done so much to shape the history of the Western world. Galatians has been called the 'Magna Charta of Christian Liberty,' and this is quite correct. For it rightly maintains that only through the grace of God in Jesus Christ is a person enabled to escape the curse of his sin and of the law and to live a new life, not in bondage or license, but in a genuine freedom of mind and of spirit through the power of God. Because of this powerful truth, Galatians was the cornerstone of the Protestant Reformation" (The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 10, p. 409).

"We lack precise information about the effect of the epistle in meeting the Galatian crisis, but from 1 Corinthians 16:1 and possibly from 2 Timothy 4:10 (where there is an alternative reading 'Gaul') it appears that the Judaizing error was rejected by the churches as a whole" (Dr. Everett F. Harrison, Introduction to the New Testament, p. 280). Let us pray that God will help His people reject that same spirit of legalism that plagues the church today!

A Lordly Lampectomy

2012-01-12T09:07:00.000-08:00

A Study of Revelation 2:4-5by Al Maxey

I receive a great many requests from the readers of these Reflections for special studies from God's inspired Word. I have an entire file folder filled with these requests, and want to assure you that I will make an effort to do an in-depth study on every legitimate request sent to me. I only ask the patience of those readers who have written; I will respond .... it just may take some time. One such request for a more detailed study comes from a brother in Texas, who wrote, "I know you have plenty on your plate, but would you consider commenting on the statement in Revelation: 'I will remove your candlestick.' Thanks, and may God continue to bless your efforts."

Revelation 2:5 (KJV)
Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen,
and repent, and do the first works; or else I will
come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy
candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

In the above warning by Jesus to a congregation in need of spiritual refocusing, the KJV speaks of the possible removal of a candlestick. In England, in the 17th century, it was normal practice to light a "candle" and place it on a "candlestick." This was NOT the case in ancient Palestine, however. They used oil lamps, which were then placed on lampstands. Throughout the NT writings the KJV translators changed "lamps" and "lampstands" to "candles" and "candlesticks." Most newer, more accurate, translations have corrected this inaccuracy, including the New King James Version. The actual Greek word employed here is luchnia, which W.E. Vine states "is mistranslated 'candlestick' in every occurrence in the Authorized Version" (Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words). This word appears twelve times in the New Covenant writings (seven of which are in Revelation). It simply means "lampstand." "We regard this word as every way more congruous than 'candlestick.' Candlesticks are not only a modern and mean article of furniture, but they were never used in the temple or tabernacle at all, and they suggest anything but the sacred and elevated idea that is here intended" (The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 22).

Perhaps the reader noticed the KJV employs the word "his" in the statement, "I will remove thy candlestick out of HIS place, except thou repent." This seems to reflect the theological perspective of a few that the "candlestick" was representative of the local Bishop over the church. Thus, this translation appears to be suggesting the church in Ephesus would be punished for its failure to repent by having their Bishop relocated to another diocese. Very, very few biblical scholars adopt this interpretation. Indeed, it is not even based on an accurate rendering of the Greek. The pronoun translated "his" by the KJV translators is actually femininein form, rather than masculine. The New King James Version, by the way, corrects this theological imposition upon the text.

Most feel the figure employed by Jesus -- a golden lampstand -- represents a congregation of His people (Revelation 1:20 --- "the seven lampstands are the sevenchurches"), and has its antecedents in the prophecy of Zechariah (4:2, 11) and the golden lamps and lampstand of the Jewish sanctuary (Exodus 25:31-40). We may also find an allusion to the statement of Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:14-15). The people of God are to be lamps placed upon a lampstand so that they may "give light to all." A lamp covered, rather than clearly visible, is completely ineffective. We are to be "the light of the world" and must, therefore, be clearly on display to those engulfed in darkness (Matthew 5:14, 16). A congregation whose light is hidden runs the real risk of having that lampstand removed. This is the warning of our Lord to the believers in Ephesus.

That Which The Lord COMMENDS

In many ways, the saints in Ephesus were doing a fine work for the Lord. Indeed, Jesus commends them in several key areas. From all outward appearances, one might think this was the ideal community of believers. He speaks of their many "deeds" and their "toil" on His behalf (Rev. 2:2). The second of these terms is the Greek word kopos, which signifies "wearisome, exhausting labor; to work to the point of collapse." William Barclay notes, "It is the kind of toil which takes everything of mind and sinew that a man can put into it. The Christian way is not for the man who fears to break sweat" (The Revelation of John, vol. 1, p. 62). "The church in Ephesus was not just a working church that fulfilled a minimum of responsibility, but one that toiled: worked unto weariness. It was not, as many churches are today, merely content with keeping house for the Lord, with its activity virtually limited to church-going. Its members knew what it was to suffer actual fatigue in their work for Christ" (James M. Tolle, The Seven Churches of Asia, p. 27).

Our Lord also commends them for their "perseverance" (vs. 2). This is the Greek word hupomone, which means "to bear up under; to patiently endure; to persevere; to remain in the face of toil, suffering, trouble, affliction, persecution instead of fleeing" (Arndt & Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the NT and Other Early Christian Literature, p. 845-846). Jesus uses this word twice with reference to the saints in Ephesus (Rev. 2:2 and again in vs. 3). "It means staying when the burden is heavy; it means holding one's own in the face of every difficulty" (Ray Summers, Worthy Is The Lamb, p. 110). "Hupomone is not the patience which sits down and passively bears things, the patience which allows a tide of troubles to sweep over its bowed head. The word would be better translated triumphant fortitude. It is what has been called 'masculine constancy under trial,' that triumphant fortitude which can transmute suffering into glory" (William Barclay, Letters To The Seven Churches, p. 20). This Greek word signifies "the characteristic of a man who is unswerved from his deliberate purpose and loyalty to faith and piety by even the greatest trials and sufferings" (Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon of the NT, p. 644). The Ephesians were a band of believers who "endured for My name's sake, and have not grown weary" (Rev. 2:3).

Jesus further commends them for their stand for Truth --- "You cannot tolerate wicked men; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false" (Rev. 2:2). Paul had specifically warned the Elders at Ephesus that such "evil men" would arise among them (see Acts 20:28-31a). The church in Ephesus obviously heeded this warning. There were those who came in among them claiming to be apostles; the Ephesians examined them carefully ("put them to the test"), discovered them to be false, and rejected them. The Nicolaitan heresy was also unable to gain a foothold here at this time --- "You hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate" (Rev. 2:6). These were disciples who put into practice the command of 1 John 4:1 -- "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world." Paul told these brethren decades earlier, "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them" (Ephesians 5:11). They were doing just that!

"These believers were not only competent but militant in their stand against false teaching" (Hal Lindsey, There's A New World Coming, p. 46). "They could not bear in their midst the company of evil men who were morally or ethically base in their character. This attitude toward evil men is commendable; if they will not be transformed, let them be transferred!" (Homer Hailey, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary, p. 121). "It is worthy of special attention that this church is praised for its intolerance" (William Hendriksen, More Than Conquerors, p. 77). About fifteen years after the Revelation was given to John (96 A.D.), Ignatius wrote in praise of their continued intolerance of false teaching and wicked men --- "I have heard of some who have passed by you, having perverse doctrine; whom you did not suffer to sow among you, but stopped up your ears, that ye might not receive those things that were sown by them" (Epistle to the Ephesians 2:10).

That Which The Lord CONDEMNS

So, what was the problem in Ephesus? Why was this seemingly ideal congregation of believers given such a stern warning by our Lord? Why was their very existence as one of His "light bearers" in jeopardy? Jesus tells them that unless they repent, He will remove their lampstand out of its place. Repent of what?! The Lord indicates, in vs. 5, that they have "fallen." But, from where? From what? The answer is found in the following statement:

Revelation 2:4 (NASB)
But I have this against you,
that you have left your first love.

The above statement is variously phrased in the differing translations and versions on the market. The KJV, NKJV and ASV agree with the above rendering ("you have left your first love"). Others have: "You have left the love you had at first" (NWT) ..... "You have abandoned the love you had at first" (RSV) ..... "You have lost/turned aside from your early love" (NEB, NAB) ..... "You no longer love Me as you did at first/in the beginning" (LB, TEV, SEB, Williams) ..... "You do not love as you did at first" (Phillips) ..... "You have forsaken your first love" (NIV, McCord) ..... "You have left (abandoned) the love you had at first -- you have deserted Me, your first love" (Amplified) ..... "You don't have as much love as you used to" (CEV) ..... "You walked away from your first love" (The Message).

The Greek word aphiemi, which appears in the above verse, means "to depart from, forsake, leave behind." This verb appears in the aorist tense in this passage, which indicates they had departed from this love at some point in their past. A couple of things should be considered here: (1) Who or what was this "first love," and who or what was its object? (2) What was the cause of their losing it? As to the first concern, it can be quickly seen from the various translations cited that there is a diversity of opinion among scholars as to the nature and object of this love. Although many views exist, the two major positions are as follows:

Love For CHRIST --- The original Greek text does not have the word "Me" in the phrase, although, as one can see above, some have added it, assuming the object of the love to be Jesus. Some commentators "see the 'first love' as a reference to their inner devotion to Christ that characterized their earlier commitment, like the love of a newly wedded bride for her husband" (John R.W. Stott, What Christ Thinks of the Church, p. 27). God told His people that He remembered fondly "the devotion of your youth, and the love of your betrothals" (Jeremiah 2:2). Some feel this love, from which the Ephesians had fallen, had been replaced by a mere sense of duty. They continued to work zealously, even tirelessly, for Christ, but without love in their hearts. Paul's remarks in 1 Cor. 13:1-3 would be appropriate here.
Love For ONE ANOTHER --- "The majority of commentators take the 'first love' to refer to the original Christian love the Ephesians had for one another" (The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 12, p. 434). In Ephesians 1:15 Paul had praised this "first love," referring to it as "your love for all the saints." This had apparently waned over the years, however. "This first fine rapture of love for the brotherhood is gone" (William Barclay, The Revelation of John, vol. 1, p. 64). My own personal conviction is that this is the love from which these brethren have fallen, and for which the Lord calls them to repentance; they have forsaken that love for one another.

"Without brotherly love a church must become extinct" (Dr. Isbon T. Beckwith, The Apocalypse of John, p. 450). "The fervor of their original love -- their 'love for all the saints' (Eph. 1:15) -- had waned. And nothing -- no amount of good works or sound doctrine -- can take the place of agape in a Christian community. Unless there was a change of heart, that church's days were numbered; its lampstand would be removed" (The New Layman's Bible Commentary, p. 1683). Brother Homer Hailey, in his commentary, notes: "The lampstand's purpose or place was to uphold and dispense light, but without the motivation of true love it fails in its purpose and therefore no longer has a right to exist" (p. 123). "Our Lord Jesus does not desire the prolonged continuance of a Church whose love is on the decline. A cold Church does not and cannot represent Jesus in the world; it is no longer accomplishing the object for which Churches are formed, and therefore there is no reason why it should continue" (The Pulpit Commentary, vol. 22). Jesus declared, "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). "The one who says he is in the light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the light" (1 John 2:9-10). We are to lift high the light of love, but if our "love light" is hidden, then we are not fulfilling our function as lampstands, and we are in danger of having our lampstand removed.

The question is put to each of us, both individually and collectively, by The Expositor's Bible Commentary: "How many churches today stand at this same crossroads? Do we sense the importance to Christ of not only honoring His name by our true confession, but also reflecting His life by our loving relationship to others?" (vol. 12, p. 435). We must never abandon brotherly love. To do so is potentially fatal. So, why did the saints in Ephesus fall away from this love? What happened?!

Position One --- Assuming our Lord's reprimand has reference to lack of love for Him, the cause may well be that they had lost focus. Perhaps they had become so intent upon their many works, labors, duties and "religion" that they had lost sight of JESUS. As The Expositor's Bible Commentary so correctly observes, "Loving devotion to Christ can be lost in the midst of active service" (vol. 12, p. 434). "Their religion had become a lifeless, mechanical, ritualistic thing, to be done out of a sense of cold duty, rather than of glorious privilege motivated by love" (James M. Tolle, p. 31).

"Day after day they went through the right routines, said the right words, dished out the right spiritual platitudes --- and shriveled a little more inside! As their love for Christ began to wane, they more and more served out of a sense of duty. In their own estimation, their acceptance by the Lord depended on their performance for Him. This opened the door to legalism. Jesus tells the Ephesians to remember that love is the only acceptable motivation for Christian living. He urges them to repent of their loveless Christian duty and to get off their 'works trip,' returning instead to the love which they had when they first came to know Him, when they were flushed with the wonder and excitement of their new relationship with Him" (Hal Lindsey, p. 46-47).

Position Two --- Assuming our Lord's reprimand refers to the second position enumerated above (lack of love one for another), the cause may well be that in their zeal for orthodoxy they had lost the ability to love those with whom they differed. "Perhaps their zeal for orthodoxy in exposing false apostles had developed into a hypocritical, censorious spirit. This would remind us of those in the church today who have developed an unloving, suspicious, fault-finding, hypocritical keeper-of-the-orthodoxy complex" (James M. Tolle, p. 31). "Certainly no amount of orthodoxy can make up for a failure to love one another" (Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 12, p. 434).

"The zeal in opposing the false teachers might naturally lead to divisions and a slackening of love toward some of the brethren" (Dr. Isbon T. Beckwith, p. 450). "The loyal spirit of defense of the truth had bred an attitude of spite toward those in error. It should be remembered that the essence of the gospel is God's love for erring humanity. Any attempt to make the gospel effective which distorts this central fact is a distortion of the gospel itself" (J.W. Roberts, The Living Word Commentary: The Revelation to John, p. 38-39). "It may be that the church at Ephesus was so busy heresy hunting that it had lost the atmosphere of brotherly love. It may be that a hard, censorious, critical, fault-finding, stern self-righteousness had banished the spirit of love. H.B. Swete writes on this passage: 'Patience and unremitting toil in His cause are not all that Christ requires, and, indeed, are of little value, if love be absent!' Strict orthodoxy can cost too much if it has to be bought at the price of love" (William Barclay, Letters to the Seven Churches, p. 21).

"In the first days the members of the church at Ephesus had really loved each other; dissension had never reared its head; the heart was ready to kindle and the hand was ready to help. But something had gone wrong. It may well be that heresy-hunting had killed love, and orthodoxy had been achieved at the price of fellowship. When that happens, orthodoxy has cost too much. All the orthodoxy in the world will never take the place of love" (William Barclay, The Revelation of John, vol. 1, p. 64).

Some of God's people today, both individually and congregationally, are in imminent danger of a divine visitation from the Great Physician for the purpose of alampectomy. The light of their love has grown dim. Preoccupied with legislating law and hunting heretics, they have lost sight of their true purpose for being. In so doing, their very being is threatened. Brethren, it is time to refocus. It is time to tap back into the oil of the Holy Spirit, trim our wicks of that which is useless, and begin shining brightly once more .... letting a world engulfed in darkness behold the beauty of LOVE as evidenced in God's grace. "May you prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15).

Winning the World Through Meekness

2012-01-06T06:35:00.000-08:00

Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Matthew 5:5

Inherit the Earth

As with all of Jesus’ new concepts about kingdom people, there seems to be an order to heavenly principles that is the exact opposite of earthly logic. The poor in spirit really do get heaven; those who mourn on earth really will receive God’s comfort. And now Jesus tells the crowd that the meek will inherit the earth.

If you’re like me, you may have wondered, “What’s the big deal with that promise?”

It’s huge.

And it all comes from a story any Jewish person would have identified with regarding the most important part of their national/religious heritage. Way back in Exodus, God’s people were to “inherit” the Promised Land. It was a physical place that was beautiful and had everything the nation would need. But it also held deep metaphorical meaning for life with God.

In the middle drawer of my desk is a small ziplock bag that has a handful of white gravel in it. If you looked at it, you might ask, “Why in the world do you have that?” Well, it’s a clump of dirt I scooped up just inside a 30-foot wall that separates Palestinian Bethlehem from Israel a few miles outside Jerusalem. This clump of dirt is in part why we experienced the horrors of 9/11. It has caused continual global unrest throughout the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and most strategic points of the world. The fight for a mere 100 miles of land has caused fear of terrorism, holy wars, and divided political factions in the United States over our support or nonsupport of certain countries.

Apparently land matters. The dirt in my desk holds significance. We in the West like land, but most of us would never allow generation after generation of our own children to face violence over a few thousand acres. If someone said, “I’m going to kill your family if you stay here, and by the way, we’ll compensate you so you can relocate,” almost all of us would start packing the minivan. But to others, who believe that their claim on certain areas of land (both Jewish and Palestinian) was given to them by God directly, leaving would feel like walking away from God at best and contributing to the end of your people at worst. In the Middle Eastern mindset, giving up their territory is simply not a viable option.

Jesus the humble and meek, who came and build a home in our neighborhood, is the answer for both the conflict in the Middle East and the wars fighting within every human heart. Jesus wants his people, his apprentices, to win; to see people changed and converted to his ways; but the methods of winning are just as important as the win itself because they can’t be separated. We win with meekness.

Winning the World through Meekness

Meekness is strength under control, power under restraint. It’s the ability to be self-effacing. It is not shyness or insecurity; it’s the opposite, actually. Meekness is a black belt in martial arts disarming a drunk through words instead of violence. Meekness is a trait the world has observed in people like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, and Billy Graham, people who have incredible power but who have learned to harness that power through humility, servant-hood and kindness instead of arrogance, power or control.

One of the best pictures of Jesus’ meekness is found in the story of a Roman centurion who was thrust into the last three days of Jesus’ life. Like other centurions before him, this man was accustomed to hearing new Jewish would-be messiahs call out Roman powers. But this man, Jesus, didn’t seem to be calling for a vote or running for election. He simply and comfortably talked about issues of the heart and about a new kingdom of God and of heaven.

As the crowds following Jesus continued to grow, Caiaphas, the high priest, became uneasy and asked the centurion to lead the arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane. In a knee-jerk reaction to Christ’s arrest, Peter did what any good Jew would expect and lopped off the ear of the high priest’s servant (see John 18:10). The soldier surely expected a Roman-Jewish throw-down, but it didn’t happen. Jesus not only kept the riot from breaking out, but actually put the guy’s ear back on, essentially saying something like, “Hey, sorry, man, our bad . . . here you go, it’s all fixed.”

This rugged soldier likely felt strangely curious about Jesus’ inner strength and exterior gentleness. After he took Jesus to the powers in charge, he watched as hour by hour they brutalized Jesus in every conceivable humiliating way. He saw Jesus take the abuse without whimpering or pleading for relief. Each fist that pounded his face, each time spit splattered against his mouth and eyes, each insult was met with a determined but quiet gaze. Then came the execution.

Spikes tore through His flesh; a crown of daggers dug into His skull; jeers of past worshippers mocked Him. And then words that he could never have imagined would come from a man . . . any man: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). A few moments later, he heard Jesus say, “It is finished” (John 19:30). At this moment, perhaps the skeptical Roman warrior bent down, took off his helmet, and dropped his sword as he proclaimed, “Surely this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39).

This, my friends, is the epitome of the power of meekness to reach the world. Jesus in His power could have come down off the cross and proven His might, then forced allegiance from his torturers and belittled the ignorant. But instead, we see Jesus, our example, teaching us how to “win” the world. And as Jesus now tries to teach us what being His apprentice will mean, we’re going to have to try our hand at life his way. For He said, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matt. 11:29 KJV).

The Power of Posture

Words tell people what we think, but our actions, our facial expressions, our touch, or our general “posture” tells people what we actually feel. And this is the power of Jesus to win the hearts of people. When the woman was caught in adultery, Jesus postured himself as an advocate for her, kneeling down beside her as she was stooped over under the condemnation of the pious. When Jesus quietly allowed Mary to pour valuable perfumed oil over His head while skeptics belittled her, He was communicating His compassion for this woman. When he turned tables over by the temple, the sound of crashing trinkets and the look on his face communicated far more powerfully than the words people heard him mutter. As He reclined at Levi’s table, laughing and enjoying dinner with the outcasts, people picked up on his inclusive love. Most starkly, the fact that Jesus lived in the neighborhood for 30 years without letting people know He was their savior, their Messiah, and instead just lived with them, celebrated with them, and mourned with them, is astounding. His voice and words would someday, in the right timing, cut their hearts to the core, but his ability to draw a crowd and win the crowd was based on His beautiful posture, his nonverbals. And we would do well to live the same way.

In the book of Philippians, Paul encourages us to be like Jesus, who; though having the unlimited power God working in him and through him; intentionally chose not to force the issue with us or force dogma down our throats. Instead he chose to live among us, love us, show us and teach us about how to live life in his new kingdom. It’s incredible that in the three years of his ministry recorded in Scripture, we don’t see him aggressively trying to convert anyone. He just seemed to wait for them to come to him. This is the power of godly posture.

To me, this is all the proof I need that God doesn’t want us to stick up for him, confound the unchurched with our right doctrine, or belittle them with attempts to be morally superior. Jesus is teaching us to stop trying to convert people and begin wooing them to His kingdom way of life through the meekness of our way. Meekness will cause us to be dignified and in turn dignify the spiritual journeys of others. Meekness will compel us to respect others, listen to them, and acknowledge the things that turn them off about Christians, especially if they’ve had a few run-ins with fundies. Meekness by its very definition communicates to people an authentic belief that we aren’t any better than they are; really; and that we only know what we know and have changed because God caused a witness to be presented to us; saves us, helps us, and loves us.

Yes, Jesus did teach about the need to be born again spiritually. He did confront people with their need to repent of sin. And so will we . . . if we win their hearts through the power of meekness. With meekness, evangelism and our heartfelt desire to see our friends find Jesus become like one homeless person helping another homeless person find a warm bed for the night.

Exchanging Aggression for Meekness

So here’s a real switcheroo. Evangelicals need to learn that the earliest and most prolific communities of Jesus followers, who saw literally thousands of their friends come to faith in one day and who turned entire cities around for Jesus, were not, as a general rule, aggressive toward the culture. Instead they simply waited for people to come with their curiosity and questions. In 1 Peter 3:15-16, Peter said, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”

We should ask ourselves, “Is anyone asking me about my life or my faith?” If not, I think Jesus would say, “Then you’re not living out the level of love I called you to in this life.”

Often we think people’s lack of spiritual response is because they just don’t want to find God. More often, I have found, the real problem is that we just don’t live enough like Jesus yet.

Think about this. In early New Testament times, the most religious people, the Pharisees, were highly evangelistic, sometimes sailing across far seas to win one convert. But here is what Jesus said to them in Matthew 23:15: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.”

Conversion isn’t just about helping someone find faith. Yes, it includes this, but when people focus all their efforts on getting people “saved,” they communicate only a small part of the Good News. All too often we are like egomaniacs wanting to turn converts into evangelists, like a giant pyramid scheme where the main goal of the corporation is to multiply and get more warm bodies in the door. But Jesus does not need any more arrogant soul-winners who go out to make more arrogant soul-winners. Jesus wants us to point people to who He really was; a man of humility and love; then allow that image to change them in whatever way God wants. It is not a cookie-cutter operation. The Good News is that every person has a story, and the way Jesus enters each story is highly unique and individual. The process may take years to complete, with fits of starts and stops and doubts along the way. God never meant for us to sign people up with a quick prayer, a contract, and a pat on the back. He intended for us to love and journey with others in their walk toward and with Jesus. This isn’t about a duty to be performed; it is about a relationship to be explored.

Jesus’ own apprentices at first didn’t get His lesson about approaching others with humility. In Luke 9, the disciples were in a fight over who was the greatest dude among them, which Jesus basically dismissed by saying, “It is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest” (v. 48), which probably didn’t sound like a lot of fun to them. Then Jesus sent word to the Samaritans that he was coming through town, but the Samaritans didn’t respond favorably. So what did these self-focused, power-hungry apprentices do? They asked Jesus, like the tough guys they wanted to be, a question I can only hear in my head as sounding like one of the Sopranos: “Yo, Jesus! You wanna we should call down fire on dose blasted pagan half-breeds?” And they asked this right after Christ’s little lesson on humility.

You have to wonder if Jesus hit His forehead and thought, “Oy veh!” There’s no biblical record of that, but Luke does record that Jesus rebuked them for their attitude of assumed superiority (see Luke 9:51–56).

Living Witnesses

When Jesus called His followers to be witnesses, He was asking them to allow their lives to tell the story of His life. He wanted their actions, their community, their values, their love and kindness, and their visible transformation to be the most powerful way to communicate God’s heart to the world.

In 2 Corinthians 3:2-3, Paul says, “You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.” Witnessing is about being read, not reading yourself aloud (on a soapbox) to others. It’s much more about visible witness than about verbal witness, especially these days when people are generally jaded, often for good reason. Postmodern people believe what they see, not what they hear. There’s always plenty of time for talking heart-to-heart about the central Good News, but first we need to let “the letter of a life well-lived” be so radically loving that others will invite us to share our thoughts, rather than us forcing our opinions on them.

To the small church in Thessalonica, Paul reported that their love in action “rang out” (1 Thess. 1:8) throughout the entire countryside like an echo; something that reverberated everywhere. You don’t have to keep beating the world over the head with the Good News. When we live the Gospel well so that people can “read it in our lives,” it is like a musical note played so clearly that it keeps reverberating and spreading from person to person in the most natural way. Like kindness, it keeps being paid forward.

What exactly was the message that was being echoed from the Thessalonians? It was positive gossip about their transformation, their faith, how they turned away from idolatry to serve God. Some may assume it was their doctrine; that their message of Christ’s life, death, resurrection and return was what bounced all over the world. But it wasn’t. Paul specifically tells us it was their communal reputation, how they lived, that caused such a buzz on the grapevine. The message of the Gospel made sense as it lined up with the life of the Gospel.

There’s a great scene in Acts 16 where a woman is walking behind Paul, proclaiming Paul’s message to people. I think of her as the really overzealous Christians who come up after you preach a message so they can preach another message to you. She was proclaiming the Word. You would assume Paul would be thrilled that he had some fellow “proclaimers” at his side. But, well, read for yourself the story and what he does:

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her (vv. 16–18).

I think it’s funny Paul put up with this irritating “proclaimer” for several days. My guess is that he, like many of us, wondered whether he should challenge her or just let it go. Well, he eventually took action. He turned around and essentially recognized that the spirit within her is not from God but a demon, and he preceded to caste the demon out to the consternation of her owners. Just because someone is thumping the same Bible we read, using “Christian phrases” to impress themselves and others, doesn’t necessarily mean they are honoring Christ.

If someone you meet doesn’t respect you, don’t talk about your faith. Just love and show. And don’t be surprised if you have to love a lot more than you thought you would before they give you the time of day. The wall between Christ followers and those fed up with religious hypocrisy is thick and high. They’re weary of our rhetoric, judgment, exclusiveness and hypocrisy. The walls won’t come tumbling down with a few good deeds. The wall of assumptions will only come down as entire communities band together in unity to live like Christ before the world. This may mean turning from idols of materialism, individualism, consumerism, and religion.

I’m sure I’ll get emails from people challenging me about the need to say more about the Gospel and to say it more often, but I believe the evidence is overwhelming that the problem of the church’s decline and decay is not because our doctrine is hidden or inaccessible. We’ve got a street cred problem, a posture problem. We’ve been preaching our brains out for a hundred-plus years in churches on every corner. We have 24-7 television, radio and internet preaching, teaching, and training that is in plain view of anyone who is willing to just watch or listen. But they don’t. I recommend an experiment. Most churches in America see one or two adults a year, at best, come to faith in Christ, so we’re not risking much to change things up a bit.

Consider as a community the challenge of not saying anything about Jesus to your sojourning friends unless asked. No Bible verses or doctrine for an entire year. Instead, replace that religious fervency with service, blessing and an invitation to join a community where anyone can be real and relaxed and loved and cared about. At the end of the year, measure the results. You will not only find that your “street cred” increases but also be blown away at how often you get to talk about your faith.

Jesus Saves . . . We Don’t

I have learned so much about God from doubters and others who are not Christians, sometimes in surprising and shocking ways. Listen deeply to others with whom you are sojourning in faith. Just because you may have been walking with Jesus for 20 or 30 years does not mean that your friend without faith or friend of a different faith will not also have spiritual truths to teach you. By taking a sincere posture of back-and-forth sharing of what you are both learning about God in your daily lives, you’ll be earning a relational right to be heard.

Meekness will be the inner quality of a true apprentice, and it is a quality without which we can’t help people to see and find God.

by Hugh Halter

I have edited this article in areas where I believe certain phrases don't relay what the scriptures point out clearly.

Taking the Kingdom by Force

2012-01-05T14:50:00.000-08:00

by Al Maxey

A Reflective Analysis of Matthew 11:12

Have you ever been under fire? I'm not necessarily referring to being literally shot at by an enemy, although I can attest to the fact that this is not a pleasant experience (having been in a good many "fire fights" while a gunner for a helicopter attack squadron in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam). No, I'm talking about experiencing persecution for your faith; being assaulted, whether verbally or physically, for your convictions. It can be unsettling. I can personally attest to this as well. Among even the strongest of our Lord's devoted disciples there may be moments of weakness and uncertainty; times when we are quite vulnerable, and when our hearts are troubled. Such a moment, in my view, occurred in the life of one of the giants of faith -- John the Baptist -- as he sat in a prison cell.

"Now when John, who was in prison, heard of the works of Christ, he sent his disciples to ask Him, 'Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?'" [Matt. 11:2-3]. What a shocking question from the one who earlier had boldly, and with unwavering confidence, declared, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" [John 1:29] and "I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God" [John 1:34]. "Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked upon Jesus as He walked, and said, 'Behold, the Lamb of God!'" [John 1:35-36]. And yet, even a man like John, of whom Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist" [Matt. 11:11], struggled at times with his faith. We all do, don't we? "Lord, are you really the one? Or, should we put our hope and trust elsewhere?" John was struggling with himself ... and within himself. There were doubts and questions eating at him. He wanted answers. Jesus provided them. "Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over Me" [Matt. 11:4-6]. Jesus didn't rebuke John; He didn't go into a long theological defense. He simply said: Judge Me on the evidence of My ministry! Similarly, when Nathanael wondered if anything good could possibly come out of Nazareth, Philip wisely placed the same challenge before him: "Come and see" [John 1:46]. I have no doubt that John the Baptist's doubts were very short-lived, as were those of Nathanael. The evidence before them was simply too overwhelming. This was indeed the Expected One ... the Son of God ... the Lamb who would atone for the sins of the world.

As the disciples of this great forerunner of the Messiah "were going away, Jesus began to speak to the multitudes about John" [Matt. 11:7]. He had nothing but the highest of praise for this man of faith, and He also challenged the crowds to strive for similar excellence of faith in their own lives. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear" [vs. 15]. Within the midst of this discourse about John the Baptist, Jesus made a statement that has puzzled biblical scholars for centuries. There is literally no end to the heated debate that has arisen over the countless attempts to interpret this passage. Some have even suggested the verse should be removed; that it is so out of character with the rest of the passage that it must have been added by some mischievous scribe at a later date. The disputed verse is Matthew 11:12. "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and violent men take it by force" [NASB]. What did Jesus mean by this? Is He actually suggesting that "violent men" have somehow, at some point in time, in some manner or other, been able to force their way into the kingdom of heaven? Is such still happening? Was/is our almighty God, along with His myriads upon myriads of angelic forces, powerless to repel this assault upon His kingdom by these violent men? That certainly seems to be the intent, at least in the minds of some befuddled biblical interpreters. And just who are these "violent men" of whom our Lord speaks? Clearly, this has proven to be an extremely troubling passage for many disciples of Christ down through the centuries; one that the Expositor's Bible Commentary characterizes as "enigmatic;" one that "has called forth a host of interpretations" [vol. 8, p. 265], being "notoriously difficult to interpret" [ibid, p. 989]. It is a rather brief verse that has nevertheless "created much diversity of opinion, which it would take long to recount" [Dr. W. Robertson Nicoll, The Expositor's Greek Testament, vol. 1, p. 173].

Compounding this exegetical and interpretive confusion of students of the Word is a somewhat similar passage found within the writings of Luke. "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since then the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it" [Luke 16:16, NASB]. Once again, we encounter this figure, at least as presented by this particular translation, of people forcing their way into the kingdom of God. This is an incredibly troubling thought to most people! Why would God allow such a thing? Or, is He powerless to stop it? The latter is unthinkable! And yet, what are we to make of these two passages? They seem to suggest that if one is violent and aggressive enough, one can literally force his way into God's kingdom. The temporal and eternal ramifications of such a possibility are simply much too horrifying to even contemplate!

So, what are we to make of this statement by our Lord? After all, it seems so contradictory to other assertions of Jesus, such as: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me" [John 14:6]. Was Jesus wrong when He made this remark to Thomas? May "violent men" bully their way to the Father apart from His Son; forcing their way in by sheer brute strength? Again, this certainly seems to be the meaning, based upon the rendering of these two passages in many of our translations. For example, the NEB says, "violent men are seizing it" [Matt.] and "everyone forces his way in" [Luke]. Bro. Hugo McCord, in his NT translation, wrote, "violent men forcefully lay hold of it" [Matt.] and "everyone forces his way into it" [Luke]. The RSV states: "men of violence take it by force" [Matt.] and "everyone enters it violently" [Luke]. This is just a sampling, but it clearly leaves the impression that "undesirables" have found a rather effective methodology for breaching the walls of the heavenly kingdom. "If you won't open the door to us, when we demand entrance, then we'll huff and we'll puff and we'll blow it down!" It worked for the big, bad wolf ... why not for "men of violence"?

Although the interpretive challenge before us seems rather daunting -- some might even say insurmountable -- it is my conviction there is a reasonable, exegetically rational, approach to these two puzzling passages that will result in an interpretation consistent with the remainder of biblical teaching. The key to understanding these two statements by our Lord lies in the proper handling of a single Greek word. Is this word negative or positive in intent? Does its verbal form appear in the middle voice or passive voice? How we answer these questions will determine our interpretation. It is my belief that these two questions have been incorrectly answered by far too many translators and interpreters in times past, which error has resulted in the current confusion. Thankfully, the vast majority of NT scholars today have perceived this failing, and through their revised translations and commentaries the true meaning of these statements by Christ is being revealed.

The Greek word in question here is biastai (the plural form of biastes), which a good many versions translate: "violent men." This is the word that appears in Matt. 11:12 -- "violent men take it by force." The verb form of this word, which appears in both Matt. 11:12 and Luke 16:16, is biazo. "The kingdom of heaven suffers violence" [Matt. 11:12]. "Every man entereth violently into it" [Luke 16:16, ASV]. In both of these passages where the verb form appears, the form of the verb used is biazetai, which is present indicative, 3rd person singular. The verb speaks of that which is actually happening, and which action is continuous in nature. The interpretive challenge facing us, however, is that this particular form, with regard to voice, may be either a middle or a passive. Only a very careful study of the context, both immediate and remote, can determine which of the two is intended by the author. Therein lies our problem. Just which did Jesus intend? The passive voice suggests the subject of the clause is the recipient of the action of the verb, whereas the middle voice suggest the subject itself performs the action of the verb. Thus, in the above referenced renderings from Matthew and Luke (in the NASB and ASV), we see the passive used in the former, whereas the middle is used in the latter. The kingdom of heaven "suffers violence" (passive), but men "enter violently" into it (middle). This is purely a judgment call on the part of the translators and commentators. It is my conviction that in the Luke passage the verb has been correctly identified by most as a middle, however I believe it has been misidentified by many in the Matthew passage as a passive. In my view, it should be translated in the middle voice.

"In Greek sources relevant to the NT, biazetai is considerably more common in the deponent middle than in the active or passive voices" [The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 8, p. 266]. This is a rather rare word in the NT writings, appearing only here in these two passages. However, in the extra-biblical sources, the overwhelming testimony with regard to its use is that the middle voice is by far the more common usage. Its employment as a passive is almost unheard of. Thus, "the best solution is to take the verb in its most likely voice: the middle" [ibid, p. 267].

Most will agree that the middle voice makes the most sense in Luke 16:16. In other words, people are not being violently forced into the kingdom (although we find examples in history of attempts to do just that -- the Crusades, for instance), but rather they themselves are forcing their way in. The middle makes sense here, and almost nobody translates it as a passive in the Luke text. The problem, however, in the minds of many people, arises when the middle voice is used in translation of the clause in Matthew. This would make the kingdom of heaven the facilitator of the violence specified, rather than the recipient of it. That is simply unacceptable to the sensibilities of many disciples of Christ (although, again, that understanding has been used in history by militant groups to further the cause of Christ at the point of a sword or spear -- i.e., the Crusades, etc.). This dilemma is easily overcome, however, when one realizes that this Greek term may be used either positively or negatively. Unfortunately, most translations and commentators in the past have assumed the negative connotation of the term, and have rendered it thusly. I believe this is an error, and has led to the current confusion over these two passages.

When used negatively, this Greek term does indeed signify "violence; malicious aggression." When used positively, however, it signifies "one who is forceful in eager pursuit; to press earnestly forward" [The Analytical Greek Lexicon, p. 69]. I am thoroughly convinced that in both the Matthew and Luke passages this term is not only in the middle voice, but it is also being used with a positive connotation. W. E. Vine, in his classic work "An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words," agrees, saying that the positive "meaning is abundantly confirmed by the similar use in the papyri." R. C. H. Lenski, in his commentary on the passage in Matthew, agrees, saying, "the idea of violence is too strong an idea in the present connection" [p. 437]. Dr. Charles Ellicott concurs: "There is no thought of hostile purpose in the words" [Ellicott's Commentary on the Whole Bible, vol. 6, p. 66]. Dr. Craig S. Keener correctly notes: "the text does not read like censure" [A Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, p. 340], which most certainly seems to imply that Jesus views His statements as depicting positive qualities and actions.

If I am correct in my assertion that the verb should be understood in the middle voice, and if I am correct that this term is being used in its positive sense, then how might these two verses be translated? I would suggest the following for Matthew 11:12 -- "The kingdom of heaven earnestly and forcefully presses forward, and it is entered into by earnest, eager pursuers of it." Luke 16:16 could be rendered in the following manner: "The gospel of the kingdom of God is being proclaimed, and everyone is eagerly, intently and purposefully pursuing entrance into it." By removing the negative connotation of "violence," and adopting the positive connotation of "pressing forward eagerly and earnestly," and by employing the middle voice in both of these verses, we have rendered the two statements of Christ Jesus not only meaningful, but consistent with the immediate context and the remainder of the teaching of Scripture. This, incidentally, is how many of the more modern translations are rendering the passage. "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it" [Matt. 11:12, NIV]. "John introduced the Good News that the Kingdom of God would come soon. And now eager multitudes are pressing in" [Luke 16:16, Living Bible]. "The kingdom of God is being declared as good news, and every sort of person is pressing forward toward it" [Luke 16:16, New World Translation].

The kingdom of our God advances powerfully, and no force can successfully thwart that forward progress throughout the world as long as our Lord wills it so. The gospel is being proclaimed, and it will not be stopped. Similarly, those determined to be a part of this marvelous eternal kingdom of God will advance toward it, and enter into it, with a forceful determination that will surmount any obstacle. They too will not be stopped. "The kingdom has come with a holy power and magnificent energy that has been pushing back the frontiers of darkness. The kingdom is making great strides; now is the time for courageous souls, forceful people, to take hold of it. This is no challenge for the timorous or fainthearted" [ The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 8, p. 266]. I believe Luke alludes once again to this need for a determined spirit in the face of opposition in Acts 14:21-22 where he says that Paul and Barnabas, "after they had preached the gospel to the city of Derbe and had made many disciples, returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, 'We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.'" Because of the obstacles that lie ahead, it will take earnest, eager, forceful, determined men and women of great faith to face such opposition and to lay hold of the prize. Paul wrote, "I press on in order that I may lay hold of (seize) that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. ... One thing I do -- forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" [Philp. 3:12-14]. Paul sought to seize (lay hold of) the prize, just as the men of purpose in Matthew 11:12 were seizing (laying hold of) the kingdom of God.

The Greek term employed by both Matthew and Luke "simply expresses the enthusiastic drive of those determined to enter the kingdom. These were people whose values were in order and who were energetically seeking the kingdom" [ The Expositor's Bible Commentary, vol. 8, p. 990]. Jesus urges us to "Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able" [Luke 13:24]. Half-hearted attempts will fail; nominal devotion and effort will not secure the prize. Victory requires a total commitment of faith. Lukewarm won't cut it; we must be headed for home full speed ahead. "The words describe the eager rush of the crowds of Galilee and Judea, first to the preaching of the Baptist, and then to that of Jesus. It was, as it were, a city attacked on all sides by those who were eager to take possession of it. These are men of eager, impetuous zeal, who grasp the kingdom of heaven -- i.e., its peace, pardon and blessedness -- with as much eagerness as men would snatch and carry off as their own the spoil of a conquered city" [Dr. Charles Ellicott, vol. 6, p. 66].

In the immediate context of this verse in Matthew 11, our Lord was speaking about John the Baptist: a man of great purpose and resolve. "As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: 'What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind?'" [vs. 7]. If so, then they would be disappointed. John was a man of tremendous determination. He was pushing back the darkness with great force. He was not a preacher/prophet who tickled ears or tried to be politically correct. He told it like it was. The kingdom of heaven was moving forward with power; it had come to conquer. Those who would be a part of this march forward into the darkness around them must be men and women of strong character and forceful resolve, not "reeds swayed by the wind." Yes, John, as he languished in a prison cell, had a moment of doubt, yet he knew how to resolve those questions -- he appealed to Jesus. Jesus calmed the winds of doubt, and John remained loyal and devoted unto death! Jesus knew that John might be shaken, but he would never be swayed; he would buckle and bow before no other. It is such courage of conviction, and strength of resolve, that is required of those who would enter the kingdom of our God. Walking in the light with our Lord is not for the faint of heart. "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it" [Matt. 11:12, NIV]. May we each, like John, strive to be such people of purpose, for of such is the kingdom of God.

http://www.zianet.com/maxey/reflx300.htm

FOUR REASONS WHY GOD IS SHAKING AMERICA AND THE WORLD

2011-12-12T12:04:00.000-08:00

Joel C. Rosenberg

Thousands of years ago, through the Hebrew Prophet Haggai, God told us what He was going to do; that He was going to shake us. “For thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations…. I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations.’” (Haggai 2:6-7, 21-22)

That’s what Bible prophecy is; an intercept from the mind of the all-knowing, all-seeing God of the universe… a weather report from the future… a storm warning from the future; not so that we will be afraid, but so that we will be awake and ready and faithful and walking close to Jesus when the storms come.

Do you remember where you were on September 11^th, 2001?
Do you remember how you felt when you saw the Pentagon burning, the smoldering wreckage in Pennsylvania, the two towers imploding?
Not since Pearl Harbor had so many Americans been killed in a single attack – more than 3,000 that day.

None of us will ever forget that day; nor should we.

God didn’t cause 9/11 to happen… fanatics devoted to the false teachings of Radical Islam caused 9/11 to happen… but the True and Living God; the God of the Bible; let it happen to shake America… to get our attention… to wake us up.

I want to ask you some questions as we reflect on 9/11, as we reflect on the state of our union, and the state of the Church, both here and around the world:

On this anniversary of 9/11, are you morally and spiritually better off ten years ago? Is your family? Is your church?

Now is an appropriate time to take a spiritual audit; to assess how you’re doing morally and spiritually, how your family is doing, how your congregation is doing. Ten years ago, God shook us; the question is: Were we listening?

In the Book of Hebrews we read: “See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” Hebrews 12:25-26)

Our Lord Jesus the Messiah; sitting with His disciples on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem; also warned in Matthew 24 that we would be shaken in the last days, those days leading up to Jesus’ return. “The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the power of the heavens will be shaken,”

Jesus said. And then, when men least expect it, Jesus said, “the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:29-30)

America was shaken on 9/11. Today, God is shaking us again.

Nine of the ten costliest; most expensive hurricanes in American history have happened since 9/11. The worst was Hurricane Katrina which nearly wiped out an American city and ended up costing $108 billion.[i]
Hurricane Irene will likely rank in the top five and has made 2011 the worst year in American history for natural disasters, with ten separate catastrophes costing $1 billion or more.[ii]
This year, we’ve seen the worst outbreak of tornadoes in nearly half a century.[iii]
The worst fires in the history of Texas; amidst the worst drought in the history of the state.[iv]
The biggest earthquake on the East Coast since 1875.[v]
The biggest earthquake in Colorado since 1882.

At the same time, our economy is being shaken to its core.

42,000 American factories have shut down since 9/11.[vi]
Fourteen million Americans have lost their jobs just in the past few years.
Millions of families have lost their homes.
Washington is running up the national credit card to jump start our economy, but it’s not working.
Our federal debt is now more than $14 trillion; that’s trillion with a “t.” It’s hard to imagine so much money. But put it this way: if we were to pay one dollar per second every hour of every day of every month to pay down our national debt, it would take us more than 32,000 years just to pay off $1 trillion; but we have more than $14 trillion of debt.[vii]
No wonder nearly eight-in-ten say America is on the “wrong track.”[viii]
No wonder nearly half of all Americans fear we’re heading for another Great Depression.[ix]

People are beginning to wonder if we can turn this thing around, or whether we’re heading towards an economic collapse, an economic implosion. Sometimes, it feels like we’re out on the middle of a frozen lake and suddenly we begin to hear the ice cracking under our feet. We haven’t plunged down into the icy waters yet, but we’re not sure where to step, or whether we can get back to the safety of the shore.
That’s the economy.

But what of the state of our culture?

Since 1973, more than 53 million abortions. More than 53 million children murdered, and there is no end in sight.[x]
Pornography revenues today exceed the revenues of ABC, CBS and NBC; combined.[xi]
Today the pornography industry is larger than the revenues of Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo!, Apple, Netflix and EarthLink; combined.[xii]

Where are the Christians? What difference are we making? The answer is painful too hear. Too many people who say they are Christians are asleep, or distracted, or intoxicated by the world. Like the old country and western song, “Looking for love in all the wrong places,” too many people who say they are Christians have been looking love and meaning and purpose outside of Christ and His love.
George Barna, the Christian pollster and researcher, has just released a fascinating but sobering book entitled, Futurecast, Which I commend to your attention. In it, he devotes consider time to analyzing the state of Christianity in America today, and it is revealing:

85 percent of Americans identify themselves as Christians.[xiii]
“84 percent consider it a holy or sacred book” and “the typical American household owns four Bibles” [xiv]
Yet only 56 percent believe that “the Bible is accurate and without error.”[xv]

Clearly, there’s a disconnect between who we say we are, and what we say we believe, and how we’re living. Barna offers many examples. Let me share just two.

First, there is no statistical difference between the percentage of non-Christians who get divorced (33 percent) and the percentage of “born-again Christians” who get divorced (32 percent).[xvi]

Second, only half of all born again Christians say they even try to share the Gospel with even one unsaved person one time – one time – a year.[xvii]

How is this possible? How can we be salt and light to the lost world around us if we are no different than that lost world? How can possibly hope for a spiritual revival or a Third Great Awakening in this land if we are barely all sharing our faith in Jesus Christ with one person a year? Jesus said in Luke 6:46, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” This is an important question for us to-day.

Yet God isn’t merely shaking America — the Lord said through the prophet Haggai, “I will shake all the nations.”

Japan is suffering what her Prime Minister calls the worst disaster since World War II; a devastating earthquake, the resulting tsunami, and multiple nuclear meltdowns all at once.[xviii]
Australians have faced devastating flooding this year; one headline read: “Australia Faces Biblical Floods”[xix]
God is shaking the Arab world through revolutions and uprisings. The prophet Haggai said, “I will overthrow the thrones of kingdoms and destroy the power of the kingdoms of the nations.” And sure enough we have see rulers and regimes overthrown and destroyed in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and Libya; and more may be coming.
Russia is suffering the worst drought in 100 years.[xx]
China is currently suffering its worst drought in 200 years.[xxi]
The earthquake in Christchurch last year was the worst in the history of New Zealand and left 1/3 of the city’s buildings facing demolition.[xxii]
Last year, God shook Haiti; the deadliest earthquake in nearly 500 years, and the second deadliest in all of human history.[xxiii]

The question is: Why is God shaking us?

The Bible teaches us that at this stage in history, God is shaking us not to punish us — though judgment will come.
There are, however, four reasons, I believe.

First, God is shaking us because He loves us and He wants us to repent – What is repentance? Some people think of it as a very heavy religious word. But my wife, Lynn, and I have tried to teach our four sons what repentance means in a very simple way. Our youngest is Noah, and so I’ll bring Noah over to my side and say, “Noah, start running away from me, out of the family room, through the kitchen and to the dinning room. Ready? Go!” So Noah starts running. Then suddenly I say, “Stop, Noah!” And he stops. And I say, “Repent, Noah.” And he turns around. And I say, “Come back to daddy!” And he comes running to me and jumps up in my arms and I hug him and kiss him. That’s repentance. God is telling to stop, because we’re running in the opposite direction, away from Him. He tells us to repent – to turn around – and to come running back to Him so that He can forgive us and dust us off and restore us. And that’s why He shakes us. He is trying to get us to let go of anything and everything we are holding; every form of ideology, or philosophy, or religious beliefs, or political beliefs, or material possessions; whatever we’re holding onto that we think will give us hope and peace and security other than Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son.

Second, God is shaking us because He wants us to realize there is no One else who can satisfy us or give us true peace and security except Jesus Christ – no other water that will quench our spiritual and emotional thirst except His living water, and He wants us to discover Him and draw near to Him and drink the water only Jesus Christ gives us.

Third, God is shaking us because He has a mission for His Church, a mission for each follower of His – good works that He prepared before the world began that we should walk in them – and He doesn’t want us to miss the blessing of serving Him and seeing Him bear fruit through our lives of obedience.

I’ve had the opportunity to travel into Iraq four times in recent years. Last year, we were invited to bring a team of pastors and staff from The Joshua Fund to do a pastors conference in northern Iraq, near the province of Ninevah. We have a son named Jonah, and he really wanted to go with me so he could see Ninevah. Lynn and I weren’t so sure about that, but we prayed, and felt God’s peace, so Jonah came with me. But as we were flying in, a big storm came up and prevented our flight from landing in northern Iraq. We were diverted back to Amman, Jordan. There, I texted Lynn and told her what happened and said Jonah and I were disappointed and weren’t sure what was going to happen next. She texted back to say, “Don’t worry. This would be the first time in history that a Jonah wanted to go to Ninevah and God prevented him from going. But I think God is going to actually let you and Jonah get to Ninevah after all.” And she was right.

Now, in the Bible, the Lord gave the Hebrew prophet Jonah a mission; to take a warning of judgment and the urgency of repentance to the people of Ninevah in modern day northern Iraq, but Jonah refused to listen to the word of the Lord, and tried to run away from the Lord by boarding a ship that was heading for Tarshish, which is modern day southern Spain.

What happened? God began to shake Jonah’s world. We pick up the story in Jonah 1:4-6. “The Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up. Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep. So the captain approached him and said, ‘How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god. Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish.’”

Jonah; a man of God, a prophet of God, a teacher of God’s Word; was on the run from God, and asleep to His voice.

How convicting is this: that a pagan ship captain had to shake a teacher of God’s word, and wake him up, and beg him to pray for his salvation?

What about you? What mission has God given you? Are you obeying, or are you on the run from the Lord and asleep to His voice?

There is a fourth reason; the Lord is shaking us because Jesus Christ is coming back soon, and the time to get right with the Lord is running out.

How do we know Christ is coming back? Because He said so.
Revelation 22:12 – Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.”
John 14:1-6 – Jesus said, ^“‘Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.’ Thomas said to Him, ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’”

When is Jesus coming back? We don’t know exactly, because He didn’t tell us. “But of that day and hour no one knows,” Christ said, “not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.” (Matthew 24:36)

But our Lord Jesus did give us signs to watch for that would tell us when His return was near.

In Matthew 24, and Luke 21, and Mark 13, and throughout the Scriptures we find lists of signs:

wars and rumors of wars
uprisings and revolutions
earthquakes
natural disasters
lawlessness
false prophets
false teachers
false messiahs
the rise of evil in our cultures previously unimaginable
persecution of the believers
betrayal
apostasy
…..to name just a few.

Jesus said we will experience “birth pangs.” Are we not experiencing all these today?

But you say, Joel, when in history have we not had wars and revolutions and earthquakes and apostasy? What makes this period of time different from all others?

The answer is Israel. Bible prophecy makes it crystal clear that in the last days before the Second Coming, the world would witness the miraculous, prophetic rebirth of the State of Israel, Jews coming back to the Holy Land after centuries of exile, Jews rebuilding the ancient ruins, Israel becoming the epicenter of international attention, and growing international hostility and isolation; and we have seen all this happen in our lifetime.

The prophetic rebirth of Israel on May 14, 1948; together with the reunification of Jerusalem under Jewish control in June 1967; is what Bible scholars call the “super sign,” the definitive sign that we are truly in what the Bible calls the “last day” before the return of Christ.

Throughout the Old Testament, Israel is symbolized as a “fig tree.” Jesus told us the “parable from the fig tree” in Matthew 24. Jesus said, “Now learn the parable from the fig tree; when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.” (Matthew 24:32-33)

We are seeing the signs that will precede Christ’s return.
We are experiencing the birth pangs that will come before Christ’s return.
We are being shaken, as prophecy warned, because Jesus wants to wake us up.

We don’t know the day or the hour, but Jesus said we would know the season, and we should be living as though His hand is on the door, ready to come back.

Matthew 24:42: “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.”
Matthew 24:43: Be “on the alert.”
Matthew 24:44: “For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.”

Are you ready to see Jesus face to face? Have you given your life to Jesus Christ? Are you absolutely sure that if you were to die to-day that you meet Christ at the resurrection? To-day, you can be certain.
Maybe you are already believer; maybe you have given your life to the Lord… but in your heart you know you’re not walking faithfully with Him… you’re drifting… or far away… to-day, God is calling you back to Him… He’s calling you to repent, turn around, come running back into His arms, asking for His forgiveness; for a fresh start, for a righteous and willing spirit. And the Scriptures tell us, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)

But to start, we need to wake up.

The Hebrew Prophet Joel wrote: “Wake up and weep, you drunkards!” Why? “For the Day of the Lord is coming; surely it is near.” (Joel 1:5, 2:1)

The Lord Jesus said in the Book of Revelation to the Church in Sardis: “I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God. So remember what you have received and heard; and keep it, and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.” (Revelation 3:1-3)

Is that you to-day? Is that your family? Is that your church? Perhaps you have a reputation that you’re spiritually alive; but maybe that’s not how Jesus sees you. Maybe He sees you as dead inside. Maybe you’re not obeying Him. Maybe you’re not worshipping Him; not really; not with your heart. Maybe you’re not sharing the gospel with family or friends. Maybe you’re not making any disciples. Maybe you’ve never made a single disciple. Maybe you don’t know what it means to make a disciple, even though Jesus commanded, “Go and make disciples of all nations.”

Where are you tonight? Are you awake, or asleep? Are you running with Jesus, or are you running from Him, and from the mission He has for your life; like Jonah?

Ten years ago, Americans got a wake up call. The 9/11 attacks stunned us, and they drove us back to church by the millions. But did it last? George Barna’s research shows that “after the 9/11 attacks, religious activity surged, but within two months, virtually every spiritual indicator available suggested that things were back to pre-attack levels.”[xxiv] In other words, the wake up call came and people jumped out of bed; but before long, they went back to sleep, back to business as usual.

But look at the list of signs that the Bible says we will see in the last days. Then look at what is happening in our world. Wouldn’t you say the list is being checked off, one by one? I would. Which is why I would this: if you consider yourself a follower of Jesus Christ and you’re planning any major sins in your life right now, can I urge you to postpone those plans, or better yet, cancel them outright. This is not a good time to be goofing around. This is not a good time to be doing something, watching something, listening to something, reading something, spending time with someone or something for which you would be ashamed when Jesus comes back.

The Apostle John put it this way: “Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.” (1 John 2:28)

Let’s be clear: the Bible tells us that these shakings are going to continue, and get worse, like birth pangs, increasing in frequency and intensity; contraction and release, contraction and release. Our Father is trying to wake us up before it is too late. Our Lord Jesus Christ is giving us time…..

to rekindle our first love with Him
to embrace Him
to eat of the Bread of Life
to drink of the living water
to follow Him no matter what the journey
to serve Him no matter how high the cost
to discover His mercies afresh every morning
to discover that when the world is being shaken, you don’t have to be; not in your heart, not in your soul; because your hope and trust is fully in Him.

Hebrews 12:28: When we give our lives to Christ, the Scriptures say we will “receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken”

The Psalmist wrote: “I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” (Psalm 16:8)

And, “Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.” (Psalm 55:22).

Where are you to-day? Are you ready to meet Jesus face to face?

[i] Eric Blake, et al, “The Deadliest, Costliest, and Most Intense United States Tropical Cyclones From 1851 to 2010,” NOAA Technical Memorandum NWS NHC-6, National Weather Service/National Hurricane Center, August 2011, p. 9, http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/pdf/nws-nhc-6.pdf

[ii] “2011 Record Year For Weather Disasters,” UPI, August 19, 2011, http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/08/19/2011-record-year-for-weather-disasters/UPI-57581313783153/

[iii] Marty Roney and Carolyn Pesce, “Dozens of Tornadoes Kill At Least 297 People In South,” USA Today, April 29, 2011, http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/tornadoes/2011-04-28-deadly-tornado-south_n.htm?loc=interstitialskip.

[iv] See “Worst Fires On Record Ravage Texas,” Voice of America, http://www.voanews.com/english/news/usa/Worst-Fires-on-Record-Ravage-Texas-129366213.html; see also, “Worst Drought In Texas History Ravages Crops, Livestock,” PBS NewsHour, August 31, 2011, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/weather/july-dec11/texasdrought_08-31.html,

[v] Katharine Q. Seeyle, “Above All, Eastern Quake Rattles Nerves,” New York Times, August 23, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/24/us/24quake.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all.

[vi] Richard McCormack, “The Plight of American Manufacturing,” American Prospect, December 29, 2009, http://prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_plight_of_american_manufacturing.

[vii] 1 trillion seconds is 31,688 years; see http://www.defeatthedebt.com/understanding-the-national-debt/millions-billions-trillions/
[viii] A Reuters/Ipsos poll taken in August 2011 found 73 percent of Americans believing the country was on the “wrong track.” See Steve Holland, “Most Americans say U.S. on wrong track: poll,” Reuters, August 10, 2011.

[ix] Specifically, some 48 percent of Americans believe a Great Depression is coming, CNN poll released June 8, 2011.

[x] National Right To Life fact sheet, January 27, 2011, http://www.nrlc.org/Factsheets/FS03_AbortionInTheUS.pdf.

[xi] Jerry Ropelato, “Internet Pornography Statistics,” Internet Filter Software Reviews, http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/internet-pornography-statistics-pg2.html.

[xii] Ibid.

[xiii] George Barna, Futurecast (Carol Stream, IL: Barna/Tyndale House Publishers, 2011), p. 124.

[xiv] Barna, p. 132-134.

[xv] Barna, p. 132-134.

[xvi] Barna, p. 35.

[xvii] Barna, p. 172.
[xviii] “Japan Quake Worst Crisis Since WWII, Says PM,” BBC, March 13, 2011.

[xix] Nick Meo, “Australia Faces Biblical Floods,” U.K. Telegraph, January 1, 2011, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/8235159/Australia-faces-biblical-floods.html.

[xx] “Russia Struck By Worst Drought In 100 Years,” Voice of Russia, July 18, 2010, http://english.ruvr.ru/2010/07/18/12667465.html.
[xxi] “East China wheat basket braces for worst drought in 200 years,” Xinhua news service, February 8, 2011.
[xxii] “Christchurch earthquake leaves third of city buildings facing demolition: New Zealand’s PM says quake is country’s worst-ever disaster as death toll climbs to 145 and much of business district in ruins,” The (U.K.) Guardian, February 26, 2011.

[xxiii] The deadliest quake in all of human history occurred in 1556 A.D. in China. See “Earthquakes With 50,000 Or More Deaths,” U.S. Geological Survey, http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/world/most_destructive.php, accessed September 2, 2011.

The Seven Holy Feasts of Yahweh

2011-12-12T09:26:00.000-08:00

by Iris Jumper

The seven feasts listed in Leviticus chapter 23 were part of the Law given to Moses by God to the children of Israel in the Sinai desert after he freed them from their Egyptian bondage. (“And the LORD spoke unto Moses saying, Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them concerning the feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations even these are my feasts” - Leviticus 23:1-2).

“Feasts” (moadim) meant appointed times and places. A “Holy Convocation” (miqra) meant a time of rehearsal. Israel was instructed to celebrate seven yearly festivals beginning in the spring of the year and continuing through the fall. The feasts were both historic and prophetic. They were to remind God’s people of the great and magnificent works He had done for them and to show a future picture of whom the Messiah would be and the part he would play in
redeeming and restoring mankind and the earth back to God.

The spring feasts were:

Passover (Leviticus 23:4-5; 1 Corinthians 5:7)
Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6-8; 1Corinthians 5:7-8)
First Fruits (Leviticus 23:9-14; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23)
Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-21; Acts 2:1-4)

The first Passover occurred in Egypt after the Pharaoh’s final refusal to release God’s people. God told Moses that all the firstborn of Egypt would die, both man and beast, but Israel would be saved. On the 10th day of the month, each family was to select a male lamb of the first year without blemish. It was to be kept to the 14th day when the whole
congregation of Israel was to kill it and eat it at a set time of that day. The lamb’s blood was to be painted on the side posts and upper door posts of each family’s house. That night, as the plague of death covered Egypt, it passed over every house that was covered by the lamb’s blood. The next day, Israel was free to go, and they fled quickly with their dough for baking bread on their shoulders before they had
time to add the leaven.

Passover, as well as all the spring festivals, was prophetic for the first coming of the Messiah. He entered into Jerusalem on the 10th day of the same month (Nissan) that the Passover lamb was being selected by the priests. He was crucified at the exact day and hour that the Passover lamb was slain. The next day during the Feast of Unleavened bread, he was buried, and his sinless body was received by God as a holy and complete sacrifice. Three days later at the Feast of First Fruits, a faithful and loving God raised His Son, our Lord and savior, from the dead. This event provided a promise of salvation, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life to all who believed in the sacrifice of Jesus and his resurrection.

Fifty days after First fruits at the Feast of Pentecost (the anniversary of when the Law was first given to Moses), God poured out His Holy Spirit, and all those present heard the wonderful works of God spoken in their own language. Jesus Christ has fulfilled the spring feasts by his first coming and likewise will fulfill the fall feasts when he returns a
second time.

Autumn feasts were:

• Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24-25;
1Thessalonians 4:16-17)
• Feast of Atonement (Leviticus 23:27; Romans 5:10
and 11)
• Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:41-43; Hebrews
9:11; Revelation 21:3)

Trumpets were used frequently by the nation of Israel (Numbers 10:1-3). Trumpets called an assembly together, announced the beginning of a month, or mobilized an army. The trumpets used during these occasions were usually made of silver. On the Feast of Trumpets, God instructed Moses to use only a trumpet made from a ram’s horn (shofar). **This was done to remind Israel that God had provided a ram's horn as a substitute so that Abraham did not have to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22:10-13). When the ram’s horn was blown, unlike the more musical silver trumpets, it made a loud piercing blast that symbolized an alarm. It is a ram’s horn (shofar) that will be blown on that great and glorious day when our Lord returns, and at that appointed time some day in the future, he will fulfill the Feast of Trumpets. “Behold I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in a twinkling of the eye, at the last trump for the trumpet [shofar] shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed” (1Corinthians 15:51-52).

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trump [shofar] of God: and the dead in Christ will rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1Thessalonians 4:16-17).

All of the fall feasts took place within a fifteen day time span starting on the 1st day of the seventh month, (Tishri) (Sept- Oct). Ten days after Feast of Trumpets was the Feast of Atonement. Jesus returning with his saints to judge and cleanse the earth would fulfill this feast (Zechariah 12:10; Revelation 1:7). After that time, the Scriptures say Jesus will establish his millennial Kingdom, and God's tabernacle will be on earth again and will once more dwell with His people for a thousand years. This would be the fulfillment of the last of the seven feasts − Tabernacles (Revelations 20-1-6; Revelations 21:3). We can give glory to God who carefully planned and orchestrated the timing and sequence of each of these seven feasts and chose to reveal to us His plan for Jesus Christ, our redemption and salvation, and our future together with Him and our Lord in eternity.

Surely the LORD GOD will do nothing, but he
revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets
(Amos 3:7).

Messianic Prophecies

2011-12-03T08:52:00.000-08:00

Below is a list of major Messianic prophecies. We have not listed the rabbinical (anti-missionary) arguments of these Messianic prophecies nor our refutations, as this is the ongoing work undertaken by our editorial team to complete our Bible.

List of top twenty major Messianic prophecies

Description: The Suffering and Exaltation of the Messiah
Prophecy: Isaiah 52:13-53:12
¹³ See, my servant will act wisely;
he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.
¹⁴ Just as there were many who were appalled at him-
his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man
and his form marred beyond human likeness-
¹⁵ so will he sprinkle many nations,
and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
and what they have not heard, they will understand.
Isaiah 53 ¹ Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
² He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
³ He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
⁴ Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
⁸ By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
⁹ He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
¹⁰ Yet it was the LORD's will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
¹¹ After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
¹² Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many, and made
intercession for the transgressors.
Fulfillment: 1 Peter 2:22-25; Romans 5:6-8; Philippians 2:6-11

Description: The Servant's Mission and Calling
Prophecy: Isaiah 42:1-9
¹ "Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him
and he will bring justice to the nations.
² He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
³ A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
⁴ he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his law the islands will put their hope."
⁵ This is what God the LORD says-
he who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
⁶ "I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
⁷ to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
⁸ "I am the LORD ; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to another
or my praise to idols.
⁹ See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you."
Fulfillment: Matthew 12:9-21

Description: Israel's Redeemer and a Light to the Nations
Prophecy: Isaiah 49:1-7
¹ Listen to me, you islands;
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the LORD called me;
from my birth he has made mention of my name.
² He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.
³ He said to me, "You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will display my splendor."
⁴ But I said, "I have labored to no purpose;
I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing.
Yet what is due me is in the LORD's hand,
and my reward is with my God."
⁵ And now the LORD says-
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel to himself,
for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD
and my God has been my strength-
⁶ he says: "It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth."
⁷ This is what the LORD says-
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel-
to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:
"Kings will see you and rise up,
princes will see and bow down,
because of the LORD, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you."
Fulfillment: Luke 4:16-20; Romans 11:25-26

Description: The Servant's Obedience
Prophecy: Isaiah 50:4-10
⁴ The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue,
to know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning,
wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.
⁵ The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears,
and I have not been rebellious;
I have not drawn back.
⁶ I offered my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.
⁷ Because the Sovereign LORD helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
and I know I will not be put to shame.
⁸ He who vindicates me is near.
Who then will bring charges against me?
Let us face each other!
Who is my accuser?
Let him confront me!
⁹ It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me.
Who is he that will condemn me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
the moths will eat them up.
¹⁰ Who among you fears the LORD
and obeys the word of his servant?
Let him who walks in the dark,
who has no light,
trust in the name of the LORD
and rely on his God.
Fulfillment: Matthew 26:67; 27:27-31

Description: The Rejected Cornerstone, Chosen by God
Prophecy: Psalm 118:22-23
²² The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
²³ the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
Fulfillment: Matthew 21:33-44

Description: Delivered Out of the Jaws of Death
Prophecy: Psalm 22:1-31
¹ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from the words of my groaning?
² O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,
by night, and am not silent.
³ Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the praise of Israel.
⁴ In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
⁵ They cried to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
⁶ But I am a worm and not a man,
scorned by men and despised by the people.
⁷ All who see me mock me;
they hurl insults, shaking their heads:
⁸ "He trusts in the LORD ;
let the LORD rescue him.
Let him deliver him,
since he delights in him."
⁹ Yet you brought me out of the womb;
you made me trust in you
even at my mother's breast.
¹⁰ From birth I was cast upon you;
from my mother's womb you have been my God.
¹¹ Do not be far from me,
for trouble is near
and there is no one to help.
¹² Many bulls surround me;
strong bulls of Bashan encircle me.
¹³ Roaring lions tearing their prey
open their mouths wide against me.
¹⁴ I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint.
My heart has turned to wax;
it has melted away within me.
¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;
you lay me in the dust of death.
¹⁶ Dogs have surrounded me;
a band of evil men has encircled me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
¹⁷ I can count all my bones;
people stare and gloat over me.
¹⁸ They divide my garments among them
and cast lots for my clothing.
¹⁹ But you, O LORD, be not far off;
O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
²⁰ Deliver my life from the sword,
my precious life from the power of the dogs.
²¹ Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;
save me from the horns of the wild oxen.
²² I will declare your name to my brothers;
in the congregation I will praise you.
²³ You who fear the LORD, praise him!
All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!
Revere him, all you descendants of Israel!
²⁴ For he has not despised or disdained
the suffering of the afflicted one;
he has not hidden his face from him
but has listened to his cry for help.
²⁵ From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;
before those who fear you will I fulfill my vows.
²⁶ The poor will eat and be satisfied;
they who seek the LORD will praise him-
may your hearts live forever!
²⁷ All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before him,
²⁸ for dominion belongs to the LORD
and he rules over the nations.
²⁹ All the rich of the earth will feast and worship;
all who go down to the dust will kneel before him-
those who cannot keep themselves alive.
³⁰ Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord.
³¹ They will proclaim his righteousness
to a people yet unborn-
for he has done it.
Fulfillment: Mark 15:16-37; 16:1-7

Description: Risen from the Grave
Prophecy: Psalm 16:7-11
⁷ I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.
⁸ I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
⁹ Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
¹⁰ because you will not abandon me to the grave,
nor will you let your Holy One see decay.
¹¹ You have made known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Fulfillment: Acts 2:22-33

Description: Exalted to God's Right Hand
Prophecy: Psalm 110:1-6
¹ The LORD says to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet."
² The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion;
you will rule in the midst of your enemies.
³ Your troops will be willing
on your day of battle.
Arrayed in holy majesty,
from the womb of the dawn
you will receive the dew of your youth.
⁴ The LORD has sworn
and will not change his mind:
"You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek."
⁵ The Lord is at your right hand;
he will crush kings on the day of his wrath.
⁶ He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead
and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.
Fulfillment: Matthew 22:41-46; Acts 2:34-36; Acts 7:56; Hebrews 7:11-22

Description: A Promised Ruler From Bethlehem
Prophecy: Micah 5:2
² "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times."
Fulfillment: Luke 2:1-7; Matthew 2:1-6

Description: The Sign of Immanuel
Prophecy: Isaiah 7:14
¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The young maiden (virgin) will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Fulfillment: Matthew 1:18-23

Description: To Us a Child Is Born
Prophecy: Isaiah 9:6-7
⁶ For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
⁷ Of the increase of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this.
Fulfillment: Luke 1:31-33; Romans 1:1-4; John 1:1-4; Colossians 2:9

Description: God's Anointed Ruler and Son
Prophecy: Psalm 2:1-12
¹ Why do the nations conspire
and the peoples plot in vain?
² The kings of the earth take their stand
and the rulers gather together
against the LORD
and against his Anointed One.
³ "Let us break their chains," they say,
"and throw off their fetters."
⁴ The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.
⁵ Then he rebukes them in his anger
and terrifies them in his wrath, saying,
⁶ "I have installed my King
on Zion, my holy hill."
⁷ I will proclaim the decree of the LORD :
He said to me, "You are my Son;
today I have become your Father.
⁸ Ask of me,
and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
⁹ You will rule them with an iron scepter;
you will dash them to pieces like pottery."
¹⁰ Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
¹¹ Serve the LORD with fear
and rejoice with trembling.
¹² Kiss the Son, lest he be angry
and you be destroyed in your way,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Fulfillment: Matthew 3:17; Revelation 19:11-16

Description: The Branch From Jesse
Prophecy: Isaiah 11:1-10
¹ A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
² The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-
the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of power,
the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD -
³ and he will delight in the fear of the LORD .
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
⁵ Righteousness will be his belt
and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
⁷ The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
⁸ The infant will play near the hole of the cobra,
and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest.
⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea.
¹⁰ In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner
for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his
place of rest will be glorious.
Fulfillment: Romans 15:12; Revelation 21:1-7

Description: The Seventy "Sevens"
Prophecy: Daniel 9:24-27
²⁴ "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people
and your holy city to finish transgression, to put
an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in
everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy
and to anoint the most holy.
²⁵ "Know and understand
this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild
Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there
will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be
rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.
²⁶ After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut
off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will
come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will
come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and
desolations have been decreed.
²⁷ He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.'
In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice
and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up
an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that
is decreed is poured out on him.
Fulfillment: Hebrews 7:27; 9:24-28

Description: The Divine Visitation to the Temple
Prophecy: Malachi 3:1-6
¹ "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the
way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking
will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant,
whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty.
But who can endure the day of his coming?
Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a
refiner's fire or a launderer's soap.
³ He will sit as a refiner
and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine
them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men
who will bring offerings in righteousness,
⁴ and the offerings
of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD,
as in days gone by, as in former years.
⁵ "So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick
to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those
who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows
and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear
me," says the LORD Almighty.
⁶ "I the LORD do not change.
So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.
Fulfillment: Matthew 21:10-13

Description: The World Ruler from Judah
Prophecy: Genesis 49:10
¹⁰ The scepter will not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
until he comes to whom it belongs
and the obedience of the nations is his.
Fulfillment: Revelation 5:5-14

Description: The Coming of Zion's King
Prophecy: Zechariah 9:9
⁹ Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion!
Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and having salvation,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
Fulfillment: Matthew 21:1-11

Description: Mourning for the One They Pierced
Prophecy: Zechariah 12:10-13:1
¹⁰ "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants
of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look
on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him
as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as
one grieves for a firstborn son.
¹¹ On that day the weeping in
Jerusalem will be great, like the weeping of Hadad Rimmon
in the plain of Megiddo.
¹² The land will mourn, each clan by
itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house
f David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and
their wives,
¹³ the clan of the house of Levi and their wives,
the clan of Shimei and their wives,
¹⁴ and all the rest of the
clans and their wives.
Zechariah 13: ¹ "On that day a fountain
will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of
Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.
Fulfillment: John 19:31-37; Revelation 1:7

Description: The Exalted Son of Man
Prophecy: Daniel 7:13-14
¹³ "In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was
one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven.
He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.
¹⁴ He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples,
nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion
is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom
is one that will never be destroyed.
Fulfillment: Matthew 24:26-30; Mark 14:60-62

Description: The New Covenant
Prophecy: Jeremiah 31:31-34
³¹ "The time is coming," declares the LORD,
"when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel
and with the house of Judah.
³² It will not be like the covenant
I made with their forefathers
when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt,
because they broke my covenant,
though I was a husband to them,"
declares the LORD .
³³ "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel
after that time," declares the LORD .
"I will put my law in their minds
and write it on their hearts.
I will be their God,
and they will be my people.
³⁴ No longer will a man teach his neighbor,
or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,'
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,"
declares the LORD .
"For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more."
Fulfillment: 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Hebrews 8:7-13

If We Deny Him: The Definition of Apostasy

2011-11-28T12:48:00.000-08:00

by Keenan Lyon

If we endure, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us. 2 Timothy 2:12

What does a man write who, facing the prospect of imminent death, sits down to write to a dear friend? "I know whom I have believed," wrote Paul to Timothy, "and am fully persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:12).

Paul was supremely confident. "The time of my departure is at hand [and] I am now ready to be offered up. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also who have loved his appearing" (2 Tim. 4:6-8).

Writing as one who had "fought, kept, and finished" and now was ready to depart, Paul was deeply concerned that Timothy should look well to his own faith and ministry, as he himself had done. And so he exhorts, "hold fast... keep... endure... flee... follow... continue... watch..." Especially must Timothy be alert because of the certainty of the increase of apostasy as the age wears on. "Bad men and impostors will go on from bad to worse, misleading others and misled themselves. But you, on your part, must continue to abide by what you have learned and been led to rely upon, because you know from whom you learned it and that from childhood you have known the sacred Scriptures which can give you wisdom that leads to salvation through the faith that leans of Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 2:13-15).

That the Scriptures warn men against the peril of apostasy, no one will deny. Many have assumed that apostasy is possible only for men who never actually have entered into a saving relationship with God. Their thesis is unacceptable, however, for the following reasons:

(1) it is contrary to a specific principle clearly enunciated in the Scriptures;
(2) it is contrary to the meaning of the word itself; and
(3) it is contrary to the significance of the warnings in the light of context.

1. Their erroneous thesis concerning apostasy stands in direct contradiction to a specific principle affirmed numerous times in the Scriptures, perhaps nowhere more explicitly than in our Lord's declarations to His disputants: "If any man wills to do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself" (John 7:17). "Why do ye not understand my speech? It is because you cannot hear my word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you will to do... If I say the truth, why do you not believe me? He who is of God hears God's words: you therefore hear them not [in the sense of understanding] because you are not of God" (John 8:43-47).

If any man will do ... i.e., if it be any man's will to do His will. The force of the argument lies in the moral harmony of the man's purpose with the divine law so far as this law is known or felt. If there be no sympathy there can be no understanding. Religion is a matter of life and not of thought only. The principle is universal in its application. The will of God is not to be limited to the Old Testament revelation, or to the claims of Christ, but includes every manifestation of the purpose of God. For this reason, because of the power of hearing (v. 43) depended on inward affinity, the Jews could not hear, because of theri unbelief they were not of God.

The Scriptures uniformly affirm that men who are not motivated by a true desire to obey the will of God cannot, under such circumstance, come to a true apprehension or sincere persuasion of divine truth. They "hear" without hearing and "see" without seeing (Mat:13:12-15). Face to face with light, they remain in darkness - for one reason alone: they do not will to obey the truth. They may have some sort of approximate intellectual understanding; but they can have no real apprehension or persuasion of God's truth apart from a sincere will to obey Him. The thesis that apostasy is the act of men who have come to a sincere apprehension and persuasion of the truth of the Gospel without a corresponding desire and intention to obey the truth is diametrically opposed to a specific principle clearly affirmed in the Scriptures.

2. Again, their thesis is contrary to the meaning of the term. The English word apostasy is derived from the Greek noun, apostasia. This is defined as "a falling away, defection, apostasy; in the Bible from the true religion." The word appears twice in the New Testament (Acts 21:21, 2 Thes:2:3). Its meaning is well illustrated in its use in Acts 21:21, apostatian didaskeis apo Mouseos, "you are teaching apostasy (defection) from Moses."

A kindred word is the synonym apostasion. This is defined as "divorce, repudiation." The context is clear from Matthew 19:7 and Mark 10:4, biblion apostasiou, "a bill of divorce." There is also Matthew 5:31, doto autei apostasion, "let him give her a bill of divorce." The use of apostasion by Demosthenes is "defection, of a freedman from his patron." The definition of this word is that of repudiation.

The meaning of the verb aphistemi (2nd aorist infinitive, apostenai) is, of course, consonant with the meaning of the nouns. It is used transitively in Acts 5:37, apestesen laon opiso autou, "drew away people after him." Intransitively, it means to depart, go away, desert, withdraw, fall away, become faithless, etc.

Apostasy, according to New Testament usage, constitutes defection, revolt, withdrawal, departure, and repudiation. An apostate, according to New Testament definition, is one who has severed his union with Christ by withdrawing from an actual saving relationship with Him. Apostasy is impossible for men who have not entered into a saving relationship with God. (See Luke 8:12,13. Unbelief is found in both verses; but it is mere unbelief in v. 12, whereas it constitutes apostasy in v. 13).

3. Again, their thesis is contrary to the significance of the many warnings against apostasy, as defined both by language and by context. The warnings against succumbing to the ugly peril of apostasy are directed, not to men who have not as yet obeyed the Gospel, but to men who obviously are true believers. Read and consider the following passages: Mat:24:4,5,11-13; John 15:1-6; Acts 11:21-23; Acts 14:21,22; Col:1:21-23; 1 Cor:15:1,2; 1 Tim:4:1,16; 1 Tim:6:10-12; 2 Tim:3:13-15; 2 Tim:4:2-5; James 5:19,20; 2 Pet:1:8-11; 2 Pet:3:16-18; Jude 19-21; 1 John 2:23-25; Heb:2:1-3; Heb:3:1, 6-8, 12-14.

Let us consider the warning in Hebrews chapter 10 in detail. The warning against "sinning wilfully after we have received the full knowledge [epignosis] of the truth" (v. 26) is addressed not to unbelievers who are halting short of faith, but to "brethren" who "have boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way" (vv. 19,21), and who "have a high priest over the house of God" (v. 21) - men who need only to "hold fast the confession of hope without wavering" (v. 23) and to continue "the assembling of ourselves together" (v. 25) for mutual encouragement in the faith, as they "see the day [of Christ's coming, v. 37] approaching." The readers to whom the warning is addressed are "brethren" who already "have done the will of God" (v. 36) to the present moment, and who need only to "cast not away your confidence" (v. 35) in Christ. They already are believers who now "are not of those who shrink back so as to perish, but of those who by faith preserve the soul" (v. 39).

The writer exhorts them: "Let us keep on drawing near [proserchometha] with a true heart in full assurance of faith. ... Let us keep on holding fast [katechomen] the confession of hope without wavering ... let us keep on considering [katanoomen] one another to provoke unto love and good works: not forsaking the asembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is, but encouraging one another; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

The writer follows his vigorous exhortation with an immediate urgent warning: "For if we [not they, as some seem to imagine] sin willfully after we have received the full knowledge of the truth...." In such tragic circumstance, men who actually had been sanctified by the blood of the covenant (v. 29) would be equally as guilty of apostasy (and that graver!_ and deserving of greater punishment than those who rebelled against the law of Moses, who died without mercy. The writer urges his brethren therefore to "keep calling to remembrance" (anamimneskesthe, present middle imperative, durative) the early days following their conversion, when they gladly suffered persecution and loss for Christ, setting their affections on "a better and an enduring substance in heaven" (vv. 32-34). Let them now "cast not away your confidence" (v. 35). "For you have need of patience, that, having done the will of God, you may receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that comes will come, and will not tarry" (vv. 36,37).

But he must warn them again: God has said in His word, "Now the just shall live by faith: but if he draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him" (v. 38). The subject in both clauses is the same - the just man, the man who is justified by his faith; and the sense in which hupostellesthai is here used is that of not keeping faith, wavering in faith, forsaking the path of faith and the community of the faithful. The just man, the man accepted before God, lives by faith; but if he loses his faith, and faithlessly draws back from the right path, his acceptance is forfeited. That such apostasy is possible even for those who have been truly justified, i.e., for Christians who have had more than a superficial experience of divine grace, is one of the main points of instruction in this epistle. To teach this lesson, the clauses of the prophetic utterance are inverted. The second, as it stands here, is a warning as from the mouth of God Himself, a warning in a high prophetic tone. But the writer, as twice before, resumes the language of comfort and encouragement after words of the saddest foreboding. He proceeds, with pastoral gentleness and wisdom, to encourage the fainthearted and establish their wavering by rousing their Christian confidence, and associating himself with them as exposed to the same dangers, and courageously defying them.

Ver:39. But we are not of backsliding to perdition, but of faith to the gaining of the soul ... The persons meant are not Christians in general, but the writer of the epistle and his readers. Our way, he says, is not that cowardly shrinking back from Christian faith and confession which the God of prophecy has denounced as so infinitely hateful to Himself, and which leads to destruction (apoleia, antithesis of zoe and soteria), but a steadfast, abiding faith and reliance which bases itself on the zesetai of the prophetic promise - has for its end the salvation of the soul.... The man who keeps his faith unto the end, he saves his soul, wins it back from the pit of destruction which threatened to devour it, and so may be said to gain and possess it for the first time as now truly his. [See Jesus' words to His disciples, "In your patience, possess (ktaomai, gain, win) you your souls" Luke 21:19.]

Other passages could be cited. But the above passages establish the fact that the warnings in the Scriptures against succumbing to the peril of apostasy are addressed, not to men who have not as yet believed and who have nothing from which to apostatize, but to men who definitely possess saving faith and are in the state of grace.

If We Deny Him: Examples of Biblical Apostasy

2011-11-28T12:44:00.001-08:00

by Keenan Lyon

Contrary to the assumptions of some, the warnings were not given merely because there are no other motives by which believers may be motivated to persevere; for there are other motives, such as gratitude to God for His forgiveness and grace, increased joy through faithfulness, concern for the spiritual need of those who are influenced by our lives, and the promise of more abundant reward. The warnings were given, not to supply a lack of any motive for perseverance, but because of the existence of a real and deadly peril with which we must reckon.

That the peril of apostasy is real, rather than imaginary, is evident from the fact that the Bible records actual instances of it. Numerous examples are to be found in the Bible. We shall cite only some instances in the New Testament.

Jude warns his readers against the peril which constantly confronts them in the insidious activities of apostate teachers among them. In his description of apostates who "turn the grace of God into lasciviousness and deny the only LORD God and our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 4) and whose wicked careers and just condemnation "were before of old foretold" (prographo, to write or describe beforehand; see Eph:3:3) by Enoch (vv. 14,15) and others in ancient times, Jude declares that they are "trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots" (v:12; see John 15:1-6).

Jude's language is explicit. The word apothanonta (dead) is an aorist participle, rather than an adjective, and the verbal aspect of the participle must not be overlooked. Jude's description, literally is "twice having died." It is concerned with the past, rather than the future. The tragic circumstance, "twice dead," is the lot of men who, having once "passed out of death into life" through faith in Jesus Christ, have turned back to walk no more with Him, so becoming "dead in trespasses and in sins" once again. "Twice dead" can only refer to the fact that men who once were alive in Christ have again become spiritually dead by severing their union with Him "who is our life." Furthermore, Jude refers to the specific occasion and cause of their spiritual death: "They went in the way of Cain, and ran riotously in the error of Balaam for hire, and perished [apolonto, 2nd aorist indicative middle, killed themselves] in the gainsaying of Korah" (v.11).

Like Korah and his company of old, who denied the unique authority of Moses and profanely usurped the functions of the ordained priesthood, the apostates whom Jude cites denied the unique authority of the one Mediator and the finality of His Gospel, as defined by Jesus and the Apostles. From Jude's comments, it is evident that their defection had its origin and development in their love of lascivious living and their practical repudiation of the implications of the lordship of Christ over the personal lives of all who would be His. They were therefore "without fruit" (John 15:1-5, 2 Pet. 1:8) and, as the inevitable outcome, were plucked up by the roots and became "wandering stars". Despite their inward spiritual defection, they still retained their outward affiliation with the believers, continuing to enjoy places of prominence and leadership. Through their spiritual defection, they had become men who had "slipped in stealthily" into positions of undeserved influence and honor. (To assume that Jude meant in v:4 that they had originally entered the church on the strength of empty professions which were false from the beginning and that they never had been other than mere hypocrites is to contradict the historical examples which he cites - the apostates in the wilderness [v. 5] and the angels who kept not their first estate [v.6] - and to deny his assertion that they "killed themselves" in their rebellion against the Lord after the example of Korah [v:11] and are now "twice dead." Furthermore, to adopt such such an assumption is to nullify Jude's urgent warning to believers to beware the peril of following the same tragic course as the apostates [vv. 20,21].

In his Second Epistle, Peter writes at length concerning apostates who, "denying [arneomai, disown, renounce] the Lord who bought them" (2:1), for love of "the wages of unrighteousness" (2:15), "have left the straight road and gone astray," becoming "dried-up springs" (2:15,17). There could be no greater tragedy. "For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge [epignosis, full and true knowledge] of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way [hodos, road - "the straight road," v:15] of righteousness than, after they have known it, to turn back [epistrepho] from the holy commandment delivered unto them" (2 Pet:2:20,21).

They who assume that Peter's reference to apostates as "dogs" and "sows" proves that they never were actually under grace do not likewise assume that Jeremiah's reference to the children of Israel in Judah as "a wild ass" proves that they never were "the sheep of His pasture." The shameful epithet was applied by Jeremiah (2:24) only after the people had forsaken the Lord (2:13; 17:13) and turned aside in iniquity and idolatry. Likewise, it is only after they "have forsaken the right way and are gone astray" that Peter likens apostates to dogs and sows. He could well have referred to them as "wild asses." But there were familiar proverbs about dogs and sows which so aptly illustrated their case. Let us accept the record at face value.

Christ-Centered Shepherding

2011-11-15T08:26:00.001-08:00

By Chan Kilgore

The Call to Shepherd in The Way of Christ

“Pastoring” and “shepherding” are used interchangeably in the Bible. They communicate nurture and guidance. The call of a shepherd is to lead people entrusted to one’s care into gospel transformation that leads to spiritual maturity.

I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. (Jer 3:15)

This short promise demonstrates that God chooses regularly to engage humans in the tasks of leadership. A shepherding appointment by God implies capacity and competency.

The Capacity to Shepherd in The Way of Christ

This shepherding call speaks of a capacity to care for God’s flock with self-sacrificing diligence and compassion. It is not just “heart”, however, but “after my own heart” that matters. A good shepherd is one who sees what the Owner sees and does what the Owner does. He is a leader because he is a follower. He takes all his shepherding cues from the “Good Shepherd.” The shepherds whom God judges in the Bible are those who forget that the people in their care are not their own. This kind of shepherding capacity is rooted in a heart that has been transformed by the Gospel.

The Competency to Shepherd in The Way of Christ

This shepherding call speaks of a competency to care for God’s flock with “knowledge and understanding.” A shepherd needs God’s heart, but also a sharp, godly mind. The challenge requires deep reservoirs of discernment and wisdom. This kind of “knowledge and understanding” comes from an awareness of the mission and destiny of Christ’s flock which is gospel transformation.

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. (Colossians 1:28-29)

This kind of shepherding capacity is rooted in a mind that has been transformed by the Gospel.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1)

The Responsibility of Shepherding in The Way of Christ

As shepherds we have the responsibility to admonish, encourage and help those entrusted to our pastoral care.

And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men. (1 Thessalonians 5:14)

Admonish - To warn of consequences of continuing on the same path. To discipline. To allow brokenness to take place.

Encourage - To renew hope and healing. To minister comfort, and build up.

Help - Do with them; get involved actively. Not just words. Needs accountability.

Unruly - Anyone who is willingly and knowingly rebellious to authority, moving off the path of God’s counsel and will.

Fainthearted - One whose heart is weak and hurting!

Weak - One who has no strength, skill or ability.

Be Patient - Accepting those that are unlike us, in preference, ability, and commitment.

All Men - Not only those who are easy to love.

Pitfalls in Shepherding
What happens when we fail to follow God’s Word in shepherding the souls entrusted to us? We become either a soul enabler or a soul crusher.

A soul-enabler is one who ignores one’s unhealthy behavior. One who fails to speak the truth in love. This often happens in an environment of license (false grace) or when a liberal gospel is preached.

A soul-crusher is one who reacts inappropriately instead of responding with loving discernment. This often happens in an environment of legalism (lack of grace) or when a moral gospel is preached.

It is difficult to open a person’s spirit once it is closed. A person whose spirit has been crushed will become rebellious because they will not trust you on anything.

What happens if you . . .

Admonish

the weak
the fainthearted

Encourage

the weak
the unruly

Help

the unruly
the fainthearted

Patient

with anyone

A soul-transformer is one who correctly discerns the condition of the soul and facilitates gospel transformation. The goal of a shepherd is to be a soul-transformer. This happens in an environment in which a true, biblical gospel of grace is preached and incarnated.

Note: It is often difficult to discern the condition of one’s soul because fainthearted or weak can often look unruly. A wounded person may react violently in self-defense, much like an unruly person would react violently in rebellion. For example, if you unwittingly step on a person’s broken toe you may well get hit. You get hit not because the person is unruly but because the person is wounded. Rarely, are you dealing with a purely unruly person. Oftentimes a person is unruly because they have been deeply wounded. The reverse is also true. A person who is wounded can be wounded because of their own rebellion. A person who is weak (i.e. lacks interpersonal skills) can be wounded because of the lack of skill. The result is that a weak person can become bitter and angry as a result of one’s weakness. You must rely on spiritual discernment to know in what order you must deal with someone’s rebellion, pain, or weakness. A good guide would be to confront their sin with the truth of God’s Word (admonish), and then minister healing (encourage), and then equip them with the necessary skill (help). I will deal more specifically on how to administer this shepherding triad in forthcoming articles.

Gospel transformation and spiritual growth come when you can discern accurately where the Holy Spirit is at work and simply cooperate with Him. Only the Holy Spirit can change a person’s soul. You can’t change anybody! You simply need to align your shepherding or discipleship efforts with the working power of the Holy Spirit to accurately apply the Word of God to bring about gospel transformation. When you begin to cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit you will see incredible spiritual fruit and growth in your ministry.

Biblical Shepherding Points People to Christ

Lead people to deal with Christ, not you. The most important aspect of shepherding is to lead people to the Great Shepherd—Christ. We must lead people to God. Most people prefer anything to that. There will be a tremendous temptation on the part of most people to treat you as a surrogate for God when you answer the call to shepherd them. There will also be a temptation for you to allow them to do so. It is, after all, flattering to be treated in such a way. You must resist the temptation—you are nobody’s savior!

Gospel transformation takes place in our lives only when we deal with God. You must not allow people to treat you as their savior and go away feeling as though they have dealt with God when actually they have only dealt with you. You must ultimately shepherd them to believe the truth of God, to repent before God and to walk in the grace of God.

Preaching Christ Jesus

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

To preach "Christ" as the prophets and apostles announced him demands a knowledge of the coming Kingdom of God, for which he is the appointed, ordained One; and thus having a proper understanding of his covenant relationship to the Kingdom as "the Anointed One," we can the better appreciate him as "the Crucified One," though whose perfect obedience and sacrifice the requisite provisions are made by which the Kingdom of God can be most gloriously re-established under an immortal son of David; and by which we can become "heirs of the Kingdom."

Glorying in the cross of Christ and exulting in the crucified One as essentials in the redemptive process, we receive these, like Paul did, as important parts of the Gospel, but not as the whole Gospel, for without the divine purpose/plan exhibited in the Kingdom of God, the death of Christ Jesus wouldlose much of its significance. Paul by no means confined himself to the name and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ only, but showed, as his writings abundantly evidence, the relationship that these sustained to our obtaining the Kingdom of God, and to the Kingdom itself.

Let us remember that there can only be but one Gospel of the Kingdom of God and that is the one proclaimed by the prophets, preached by John the Baptist, Jesus, the seventy disciples, and the twelve apostles. Now that Gospel of the Kingdom of God is precisely the same one held by the primitive [1st century] Church; and its good news was dependent upon the covenants confirmed by oath to Abraham and king David; the predictions of the prophets; the declarations of Jesus Christ and his apostles; and the provisions made by God in Christ for the Kingdom.

There is really no difficulty in understanding what the Gospel of the Kingdom of God is, IF, we only allow the scriptures to speak in their naked, natural, grammatical sense, and receive that meaning so apparent upon its surface as did the early Church.

A definite Gospel of the Kingdom of God was proclaimed by John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, the disciples, etc., and this is the identical Gospel that we should still hold fast to; sealed and attested by the death and resurrection of Jesus, confirmed by the predictions of postponement fulfilled before our eyes. Indeed, our hope is in the coming of Jesus Christ to inaugurate the Kingdom of God and take his seat on the throne of David at Jerusalem as God's anointed Messiah over Israel. May that day soon come!

God's Single Plan Through Israel For The World

2011-10-27T08:42:00.001-07:00

I find it really amazing that anyone who reads the New Testament [Covenant] doesn't realize that Jesus did not come to start a new religion. Jesus had no intention of founding a 'church' because there already was one, namely the congregation of God which consisted of the faithful, believing, obedient remnant of Israel. Jesus' intention was therefore to bring reformation to Israel, not to found a different community altogether. He came as "THAT PROPHET" mentioned by Moses, who would be like unto him; and as such bring the provisions of the New Covenant to the Israel of his day. The prophecy specifically states that those who would not listen to him would suffer the consequences; in reality be cut off from the Israel of God; and those who accepted the message that he brought, would be recognized as the true members of the Israel of God; the ecclesia - called-out assembly - congregation of God.

However, before Jesus came on the scene in Israel; John the Baptist had begun his ministry as a prophet sent of God announcing an imminent judgment upon the nation of Israel; urging her to repent; warning that her status as God's - YHVH's covenant people would not be enough, to deliver her from the coming disaster. John had told Israel that if she did not repent, her God would create children for Abraham from the very stones. From one point view; this treated Israel as a whole as if she were pagan; needing to repent as would a proselyte if he/she wished to be included among the covenant people of God - YHVH.In first century Judea anyone collecting people in the Jordanian wilderness as John the Baptist did, was symbolically saying: THIS IS THE NEW EXODUS. Anyone coming from a priestly family, as John the Baptist did, offering a baptism for the forgiveness of sins out in the desert, was presenting a clear alternative to the Temple. Anyone inviting those who wished to pass through an initiatory rite of water baptism; was symbolically saying:HERE IS THE TRUE ISRAEL THAT IS TO BE VINDICATED BY God - YHVH.By implication, those who did not join in what John the Baptist was setting forth, and rejected his message and baptism were forfeiting the right to be regarded as the covenant people of God - YHVH.The believing remnant of Israel; those who were baptized through the prophetic ministry of John the Baptist retained their status as the Israel of God - YVHV; and as a result they were prepared to accept the message that Jesus brought with authority; speaking the words God had given him to proclaim. The result was that this believing remnant now constituted the true Israel of God; becoming a part of Jesus "ecclesia" - called-out assembly - the congregation of God as God's household [a term used for Israel]. As with repentance, so with faith: Jesus' call carried the implication that those who followed him, followed his way of being Israel, and were thus constituted as the true Israel of God - YHVH; whom God - YHVH was calling forth to have a place in His coming Kingdom. That is why Jesus promised the 12 apostles ruler-ship over the 12 tribes of Israel; which will include those physical descendents of Israel who will live over into the new age; after the coming of Jesus the Messiah; when he comes to sit on the throne of David at Jerusalem as the King of Israel.

Now the amazing news, the mystery Paul reveals is that believing Gentiles have been grafted in to the Israel of God by a new and living way; and that way is through belief in the lord Jesus the Messiah of Israel, whom God sent to bring them into fellowship with Himself and to become a part of the Israel of God.In Paul's allegory in Romans 11:17-24 the olive tree represents Israel as the people of God. The cultivated olive (kallielaios) is Israel, from which some of the branches were broken off - Jews who refused the baptism of John and who rejected Jesus as their Messiah, and as a result lost their status as God's people, while shoots of a wild-olive (agrielaios) tree - Gentiles were grafted in their place (the inclusion of Gentiles as now becoming a part of the Israel of God - YHVH).

So we see the stock remains the same; it is only in the branches that changes occur. So Israel, the people of God, is a continuous entity (OT use of the olive is a symbol for Israel), but its membership is subject both to the exclusion of native Israelites and the inclusion of the alien stock of Gentile believers. It is interesting that in ancient horitculture the grafting in of wild olive branches to a cultivated olive tree was a devise used to rejuvenate an otherwise unproductive cultivated olive tree.We see in Jesus the embodiment of the remnant of the Israel of God and when we come to be in him we are automatically included as members of his body and as a result seen of God as a part of the Israel of God. In Israel - Jesus there is salvation - deliverance in every sense of the word. We, as members of the body of the Messiah, are Messianic believers and as such recognize Jesus as the coming King of Israel; who will take his place on the throne of David in Jerusalem upon his triumphant return; and we will co-rule and co-reign with him as immortal spiritual Israelites ruling over the physical nation of Israel with the 12 apostles ruling over the 12 tribes of physical Israel, and eventually that will include rule over all the world, as the nations come up to Jerusalem to keep the feast [Tabernacles - ingathering, Zech:14].

If we are not now and will not be a part of the Israel of God, why the future Temple? why is Jesus seated on the throne of David as the King of Israel? why are the 12 apostles to rule over the 12 tribes of Israel; are they different than ourselves as believers? Perhaps if the early "ecclesia - church - assembly" had not given up recognizing Jesus death during the Passover season this knowledge would not have been lost.It's time to recognize that we are as believers, individually and collectively part of the Israel of God ("the stock remains the same"), and as a result Jesus is indeed our Messiah, God's anointed King of Israel, to whom we belong as he is the head of the "ecclesia", the congregation of God, the household of God [all terms that relate to Israel],

Listen to how Peter talks about those who make up the Israel of God:1 Peter 2:4: So as you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen and priceless in God's sight, you yourselves, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood and to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus the Messiah.For it says in 1 Peter 2:6-8: "Look, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and priceless cornerstone, and whoever believes in him will never be put to shame." So you who believe see his value, but for those who do not believe, the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and a stumbling-stone and a rock to trip over. They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.verses 9-10: But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, A HOLY NATION [THE ISRAEL OF GOD], a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. You once were not a people [not a part of the Israel of God], but now you are God's people [Israel has always been known as the people of God, even now to this day]. You were shown no mercy, but now you have received mercy.Indeed we have been shown mercy to be included in the Israel of God because of the sacrifice of the lord Messiah of Israel, Jesus.

Those of physical Israel who rejected Jesus; God's sent one; who as THAT PROPHET brought the message about the coming Kingdom of God; and the revelation of the New Covenant, which was ratified by his shed blood on the tree, are as a result, no longer considered to be a part of the Israel of God; even though they can claim natural descent from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Gentiles, on the other hand who accept the message of the Messiah of Israel, and believe in him as the one whom God has sent, are now considered in God's sight to be members of the Israel of God; and have the opportunity to do now what Israel did not do as they should have done; to proclaim the message of the living God to all the world, and show forth to the world what blessings evolve from living according to God's revelation given through His son Jesus; and to anticipate the coming Kingdom of God under the ruler-ship of His son and our saviour the lord Messiah Jesus.