Pondering Christ

New Location.

2011-09-30T13:58:00.004-04:00

Come see my new location:

http://www.ponderingchrist.com/

Reader Email - Hymn book and the Deity of Christ

2011-09-10T11:38:00.001-04:00

I received an email from a reader and I would like to make some of my response available on the blog. For the sake of privacy, the email and the name of the person will be left out.

Reader Question 1: My guess is that a JW is allowed to cut off dialog and not answer questions and walk away if the questions can’t be answered. So is that what’s happening with me with JWs I've met, that is, my guess is correct that they can wipe the dust off their feet and walk away?

Answer 1: If a Witness feels threatened, or if they perceive that you are out to convert them, they will leave. They say they are looking for "Sheep" which means to them, people who are not going to argue back and people who are not going threaten them. They are going to try to find people who are submissive. They are the teachers. You are the person who needs to be taught. If you try to change that, they'll take their leave of you.

Reader Question 2: I have read on the Internet that there is a hymn in a JW hymnal that has worship to Christ in it – here’s what the source quote on this:

Theocracy's Increase

Hail the Theocracy, ever increasing!
Wondrous expansion is now taking place.
Praise to Jehovah is sung without ceasing
By those who walk in the light of his face.
Long years ago saw the humble beginning
As our Redeemer a lowly way trod.
Now a great crowd join the remnant in bringing
Praises to him at the right hand of God.

So my second question is finding out if this is true.

Answer 2: That song is not one I am familiar with. The Watchtower has changed their hymnal a few times. They did so again recently. So the hymnal that I grew up with is no longer used. So I am not sure if this is a hymn in current use. It may reflect on old hymn, and judging from the words I think it is. I think the Society has taken great care in recent editions of the hymnal to write any reference to praise or worshiping Jesus out. They've replaced him with the Organization itself, the Society.

Reader Question 3: Finally my third question is are there any hymns in a JW hymnal (I think they call it Kingdom Songs) that are borrowed from evangelical hymnals? Or another way of asking do they use any hymns that an Evangelical would use? Also if I were to find a JW hymnal to purchase do you have suggestions of where to find (ebay maybe) and what’s the title of it?

Answer 3: No, there are no songs that an evangelical would be familiar with or that you would find in any Evangelical, Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox hymnals. They are all unique to the Witnesses. This hasn't always been the case. Back in their early days they used many of the more famous hymns. I once had a recording of the Bethel Choir singing Holy Holy Holy. They reworked the lyrics though. Instead of "God in three persons blessed Trinity" it was "Glory in the Highest, blessed majesty." Sneaky. But they stopped using those also. They want to distance themselves from anything that would remind anyone of "Christendom". Also, as I mentioned, they've changed hymnals since I left so I am not sure of the name of the new one. The one I grew up with was "Sing Praises to Jehovah". The easiest way to get one is to ask a Witness to bring you one. The other way is the check the Book department of your local Thrift stores. Sometimes they have Watchtower books in the religion section. And, ebay, kijiji and craigslist are also good places to look. Also, get your hands on "The Kingdom Interlinear Translation". It is produced by the Watchtower and has the Greek and NWT side by side and it is great for comparison to show how bad the NWT is.

Some additional thoughts:

You mentioned in your email about discussing the Deity of Christ. You went to John 20:28 as a proof text. I just had some thoughts I have on that:

Sometimes it is more productive to beat your head against a brick wall then to talk to a Jehovah's Witness about the Deity of Christ. Proof-texting won't work. They are prepared for most of the major proof texts like John 1:1 and John 20:28. Their book "Reasoning from the Scriptures" has responses to each of the standard texts you'd use. So one has to either know how they are going to respond and know the counter argument, or you'll have to think outside the box. The "Reasoning Book" is the JW Brain. If you approach a subject in a way that the Reasoning Book doesn't address, you'll save yourself much headache.

That said, you can't just proof-text a few verses. I am against citing a single verse. Greg Koukl has a handy phrase, "Never quote a Bible Verse". Why? Because citing a solitary verse removes it from it's immediate context. So site large sections of Scripture.

In regards to the Deity of Christ and the Trinity, I'd suggest building your case block by block. The place where you want to start is Monotheism - there is only one God in existence. For this, you may want to turn your focus on Isaiah 40 through 48. As you read large sections of these chapters with them, emphasize these verses: Isaiah 40:25-28; 41:4; 42:5-8; 43:10-11; 44:6-8, 24; 45:5-7, 14, 20-23; 46:8-10. Emphasize Monotheism: There is only one God. The argument against the idols and idolatry in this section is essentially "Don't worship idols because I am the only God that exists". Emphasize the constant "I am he" phrase that God uses. Now go to John chapter 8. Emphasize every time Jesus says "I am he". Go to John 1:3 to show that Jesus created everything that was created. And tie in Isaiah 45:20-23 with Philippians 2:5-11. Other passages or ways you can add on to this is the fact that in Romans 10 Jesus is refereed to as Jehovah. Another passage is to look at Isaiah 6 and compare with how John quotes that text and applies it to Jesus in the last half of Chapter 12 of his Gospel.

You're line of argument should be like this: If there is only One God. All other gods are false gods. You're either the true God, or a false god. There are no other Gods. Jehovah alone is God. No one else. So in the New Testament, Jesus is clearly called God. Is he a true God or a false God? Even if Jesus is "a god" or "mighty god", he must still be the same God as the Father because there is only ONE God.

Also, remember, the Witnesses and the Watchtower don't understand the Trinity. They'll constantly mistake what you believe as "Modalism" or "Oneness". They'll say things like, "Jesus and the Father are different persons", and "Jesus wasn't praying to himself". To which we respond sarcastically, as a teenager might, "Well duh!" Of course Jesus isn't the Father and of course he wasn't praying to himself.

Those are just some thoughts. Hope they help!
Matt

Of God's and Men

2011-09-07T12:25:00.001-04:00

This coming Friday I'm having a sit down with some Mormon missionaries.

I've decided to focus my critique on their doctrine of God. Specifically, I had in mind the following quote from the King Follett discourse delivered by Joseph Smith. (http://jon.swelter.net/king_follett_discourse.html)

"God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret. If the veil were rent today, and the great God who holds this world in its orbit, and who upholds all worlds and all things by his power, was to make himself visible, -- I say, if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form -- like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man; for Adam was created in the very fashion, image and likeness of God, and received instruction from, and walked, talked and conversed with him, as one man talks and communes with another.

In order to understand the subject of the dead, for consolation of those who mourn for the loss of their friends, it is necessary we should understand the character and being of God and how he came to be so; for I am going to tell you how God came to be God. We have imagined and supposed that God was God from all eternity. I will refute that idea, and take away the veil, so that you may see."

Here there is also that little catch-phrase:
"As man is, God once was;and as God is, man may become."

However, I will bring Isaiah chapters 40-48 to bear on this teaching. Here are a list of verses that teach the exact opposite, that there is only one God. There are no other gods. He alone is God from all eternity. He created everything Ex-Nihilo, out of nothing, simply by the power of his Word.

To whom then will you compare me,
that I should be like him? says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high and see:
who created these?
He who brings out their host by number,
calling them all by name,
by the greatness of his might,
and because he is strong in power
not one is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob,
and speak, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God"?
Have you not known? Have you not heard?The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable. - Isaiah 40:25-28 ESV

Who has performed and done this,
calling the generations from the beginning?
I, the LORD, the first,
and with the last; I am he.- Isaiah 41:4 ESV

Thus says God, the LORD,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
"I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,

to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the LORD; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols. - Isaiah 42:5-8

"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD,
"and my servant whom I have chosen,
that you may know and believe me
and understand that I am he.
Before me no god was formed,
nor shall there be any after me.
I, I am the LORD,
and besides me there is no savior. - Isaiah 43:10-11 ESV

Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel
and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
"I am the first and I am the last;
besides me there is no god.
Who is like me? Let him proclaim it.
Let him declare and set it before me,
since I appointed an ancient people.
Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen.
Fear not, nor be afraid;
have I not told you from of old and declared it?
And you are my witnesses!
Is there a God besides me?
There is no Rock; I know not any."- Isaiah 44:6-8 ESV

Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer,
who formed you from the womb:
"I am the LORD, who made all things,
who alone stretched out the heavens,
who spread out the earth by myself. - Isaiah 44:24 ESV

I am the LORD, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
I equip you, though you do not know me,
that people may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the LORD, and there is no other.
I form light and create darkness,
I make well-being and create calamity,
I am the LORD, who does all these things. - Isaiah 45:5-7 ESV

They will plead with you, saying:
'Surely God is in you, and there is no other,
no god besides him.'" - Isaiah 45:14 ESV

For thus says the LORD,who created the heavens
(he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
(he established it;
he did not create it empty,
he formed it to be inhabited!):
"I am the LORD, and there is no other - Isaiah 45:18 ESV

"Assemble yourselves and come;
draw near together,
you survivors of the nations!
They have no knowledge
who carry about their wooden idols,
and keep on praying to a god
that cannot save.
Declare and present your case;
let them take counsel together!
Who told this long ago?
Who declared it of old?
Was it not I, the LORD?
And there is no other god besides me,
a righteous God and a Savior;
there is none besides me.

"Turn to me and be saved,
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
By myself I have sworn;
from my mouth has gone out in righteousness
a word that shall not return:
'To me every knee shall bow,
every tongue shall swear allegiance.' - Isaiah 45:20-23 (Compare with Philipians 3)

Remember this and stand firm,
recall it to mind, you transgressors,
remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, 'My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,' - Isaiah 46:8-10 ESV

I think the words recorded here are sufficient enough to establish a view of God that is incompatible with the statements of Joseph Smith.

It should be noted that much of the language here is used of Christ. Notice the frequent "I am he" in Isaiah 40 through 48. Jesus uses this language of himself in John chapter 8. "Unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins". John 1:3 says that Christ made everything, "and without him was not anything made that was made". Colossians 1:16 says that by him, Jesus, everything was created. Hebrews 1:3 says that the whole universe is upheld by Christ.

Compare these passages above with the testimony of the New Testament about the person and nature of Christ and you will be forced by consitency to confess the Holy Trinity in it's undivided Unity.

Here is an extensive interview on Mormonism with Dr. James White on the Way of the Master show:

Part 1 -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i29nHMGOdA
Part 2 -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-YkuZSvN4g
Part 3 -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQxvWLMfdoM

Matt

Faith in what...?

2011-08-16T09:36:00.002-04:00

Where, or to whom, should our faith be directed?

Anyone who has casually read the Bible or knows anything about Christianity knows the very clear answer to this question.

The first of the Ten Commandments reads thus:

"I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. Do not have other gods besides Me. Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. You must not bow down to them or worship them; for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the fathers’ sin, to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commands." - Exodus 20:2-6 HCSB

Luther comments on this passage: "What does this mean? That we should fear, love, and trust in God above all things."

When it comes to man-made Organizations, should we put our faith and trust in them?

Listen to the Watchtower's answer:

“If one renders obedient service to someone or some organization, whether willingly or under compulsion, looking up to such as possessing a position of superior rulership and great authority, then that one can Scripturally be said to be a worshiper.” (WT, 9/1/61, p 525)

“Then note what happened to these idolatrous worshipers of a man-made organization.” (WT, 12/1/71, p 723)

“where should your faith be placed - in a religious organization or in God?” (WT, 1/15/70 p 37).

“We cannot take part in any modern version of idolatry - be it worshipful gestures toward an image or symbol or the imputing of salvation to a person or an organization.” (WT, 11/1/90, p 26)

Notice, in these quotes they agree with Holy Scripture. It is idolatry to place our faith in, or look to salvation from, a human Organization.

With that in mind, look at these shocking quotes:

The cover of the March 1, 1979 Watchtower boldly proclaims, “Put Faith in a Victorious Organization!” The accompanying article repeatedly drives home the theme of having faith in the organization:

“Faith in Jehovah’s theocratic organization... Did the remnant of spiritual Israelites and their theocratic companions, the ‘great crowd’ of Christ’s ‘other sheep,’ have such victorious faith? Yes!... Witnesses have kept their faith in Jehovah’s organization.” (p 18)

The article poses the question, “Is there any cause for us to lose faith in Jehovah’s visible organization...?” The answer is given, “Absolutely Not!... Our unwavering faith will be rewarded with victory and the crown of life.”

The same was stated in the Nov. 15, 1981 WT, p 21, where it says, “come to Jehovah’s organization for salvation”.

Worshiping the Organization, putting faith in the Organization, or imputing salvation to the Organization, is idolatry. Here is a classic example of how the Watchtower will speak out of both sides of their mouth. This is another reason why the Watchtower Society is dangerous and deceptive. One minute they'll agree with you, the next they'll deny what they just said. Besides contradicting themselves, they also deny Holy Scripture which says, "there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." - Acts 4:12 ESV

Often when one threatens to leave the Watchtower Society, they ask, "Where will you go? What church or organization is as pure and good as we are." It's not a matter of where, it about to whom shall we go. "So Jesus said to the Twelve, 'Do you want to go away as well?' Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.'" - John 6:67-69 ESV

Let us fear, love, and trust in God above all things and look only to his Eternal Son for our salvation! "And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life." - 1 John 5:11-13 ESV

"Christ's Sacrifice isn't enough," says WT.

2011-08-03T10:02:00.001-04:00

Christians love to hear the message that their sins are forgiven by Christ. It's our oxygen. We breathe it in. It is the fuel that powers Christian living. To know that all of my sins, past, present, and future, have been forgiven because of Christ's death in my place gives tremendous comfort to broken reeds and smoldering wicks.

The Watchtower's "gospel" does not bring comfort. In fact, it crushes. It leads to despair or pride those who swallow it. I was one of those who did swallow it for twenty years, and I have not got away unscathed. The Watchtower gospel is not good news, it's really bad news. The Gospel ends up being something you have to do.

Notice, the June 1, 1995 Watchtower, p 30, says, “Certainly we do not expect that in the present system Jesus would apply to us the full merit of his sacrifice. Even if he did, we would still not have everlasting life.”

Notice here that everlasting life is not at all dependent on the death of Christ in your place for your sins. How do these two sentences even logically follow? If Jesus death is applied to us and we don't have eternal life, then what in the world does it do?

The article continues to talk about the account with the paralyzed man to whom Jesus said, "your sins are forgiven you" (Luke 5), the article states, "What Jesus said did not mean that the man got eternal life on the spot. But the man was blessed with a degree of forgiveness.”. This is just silly. What good does a degree of forgiveness do? If Jesus only gives a degree of forgiveness, then there is still a degree that isn't forgiven. If there still is a degree of sins that remain unforgiven then God the just judge will have to execute justice upon them. A scary thought that! Also Jesus didn't say to the man, “some of your sins are forgiven you”, and he didn’t say, “some day your sins will be forgiven you.” He said, “Your sins are forgiven you.”

The article also teaches that:
1. Jesus does not apply to us the full merit of his sacrifice in the present system
2. Just a degree of our sins are forgiven in the present system
3. We do not get eternal life in the present system

Holy Scripture firmly says otherwise.

All of our sins are forgiven us through Christ.

1 John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Acts 13:38-39 ".. through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the Law of Moses.”

The basis for this forgiveness is the death of Christ.

Ephesians 1:7 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace”

1 Peter 2:24 "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed."

Eternal life and forgiveness of sins is a present reality for all those who have turned to Christ in repentance and faith.

1 John 5:11-13. “This is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

John 3:36 “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life...”

John 6:47 “I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life."

John 5:24 "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”

I hope this is sufficient to demonstrate that the Watchtower is not teaching the Good News as Holy Scripture reveals it. They teach a legalistic righteousness that is based upon my performance. The death of Christ for them is just there to give you the opportunity to earn forgiveness and salvation by your deeds. That is not the Gospel.

Salvation is not "Quid Pro Quo".

2011-07-28T10:22:00.002-04:00

In the April 15, 1999 Watchtower, the article entitled "The Only Way to Everlasting Life" asks, "What is the only way to everlasting life?" What's their response? How would you respond? The article provides a quotation from Romans 6:23, “The gift God gives is everlasting life by Christ Jesus our Lord”. A good answer right? You may have answered the same way. Don't be fooled.

What the Watchtower appears to give with one hand, they mercilessly take away with the other. Notice what they say next,

"Would you expect to receive God’s grand gift of everlasting life in Paradise without any effort on your part? Is it not reasonable that God would require something? Surely it is. God does not, in effect, just throw the gift at us.... effort is involved. Are you not thrilled that a Savior has been provided?”

Your Savior has provided? Effort on your part? If you have to do someting in order to get something else, then it isn't a gift. You've earned it. It's a wage.

"For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.' Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: 'Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.'" (Romans 4:2-8 ESV)

Notice how the Watchtower continues:

"You may ask the same question the rich young ruler asked Jesus: ‘What good must I do in order to get everlasting life?’ or that the Philippian jailer asked Paul, ‘What must I do to get saved?’"

The article then goes on to list the standard conditions for salvation that are usually given by the Watchtower, viz. take in knowledge, exercise faith, preach, etc.

"Taking such steps is completely reasonable... Staying on this cramped road takes real effort!”

This is nothing but the Law. This isn't good news, this is not the Gospel. The Law says, "Do this and live". The Law works in a "quid pro quo" kind of way. It's an "If you then God..." formula.

"For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.' Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for 'The righteous shall live by faith.' But the law is not of faith, rather 'The one who does them shall live by them.' Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree'— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:10-14 ESV)

This kind of teaching is only going to condemn you, because the law demands perfection and we by our own fault are not perfect. "You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:47-48 ESV). "For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin." (Romans 3:20 ESV) "So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith." (Galatians 3:24) The law shows us our sin with the express purpose to despair of ourselves and make us cling to Christ.

The Watchtower teaches a salvation that is dependent on human ability and achievements. They teach a salvation conditioned upon our ability to live up to God's commandments. This is nothing but a curse and condemnation, and there is no need for a crucified and risen savior.

Now, finishing off with a rabbit trail, most Christians can see how a proper distinction between the Law and the Gospel is essential if we are to understand the Gospel. But when it comes to sanctification, it seems many Christians are content to be put right back under the Law again.

Notice what Paul says though:

"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham 'believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness'?" (Galatians 3:1-7 ESV)

Sanctification is not what you do to become more holy. It's what God the Holy Spirit does to conform you to the image of Christ. But it seems that we have to contribute something. We think this way because the Law is etched on our conscience since creation.

But I believe the Scriptures teach that the more we grow in grace, the more we despair of ourselves and recognize our need for Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit make us lose all self-confidence so we might trust in Christ alone. The foundation of our growth in grace is to despair of all hope in self and, as Paul said, to have "no confidence in the flesh". The only way to get there is through the proper preaching of the Law, that is, show us our sin.

The gospel is the power and motivation for holy living because it points away from us to Christ. Our sanctification is no more grounded on our ability than justification. Christians should and do live lives of obedience. Cows moo, dogs bark, and a true Christian obeys. The law commands us to live a certain way, but does not give us the power to do it. The fault is not with the law but with us. The obedience that is required of us by the Law has already been rendered by Christ. The Spirit now works in us, through the Gospel, faith and trust in the promise of Christ. Christian obedience to the law, which has lost its condemning power, is now and always done in light of and motivated by the Cross. The Cross is the central mantle piece in true Christianity.

Christianity is not ultimately about us or about our piety, (although our piety is important), but about Christ and what He has accomplished outside of us. This destroys our pride because it crushes self reliance and removes every possibility of human contribution. Apart from this Christocentric understanding in both justification and sanctification, the law can only lead us to either hopelessness or self-righteous pride.

Te Deum - We Praise You and Acknowledge You

2011-07-23T08:30:00.000-04:00

Here is an awesome version of "Te Deum".

Te Deum Laudamus, is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is taken from its opening Latin words, rendered literally as "Thee, O God, we praise". Authorship is traditionally ascribed to Augustine on the occasion of the baptism of Ambrose.

This versification is done by Pastor Stephen Starke, a prolific hymn-writer. The tune is from Gustav Holst’s The Planets, specifically the movement “Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity.”

MP3 - Te Deum - We Praise You and Acknowledge You - LSB 941

We praise You and acknowledge You, o God, to be the Lord, the Father everlasting, by all the earth adored. To You all angel powers cry aloud, the heavens sing, the cherubim and seraphim their praises to You bring: "O holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabaoth; Your majesty and glory fill the heavens and the earth!"

The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise; the fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise. The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng, sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song: "O all majestic Father, Your true and only Son, and Holy Spirit, Comforter -- forever Three in One!"

You, Christ, are King of glory, the everlasting Son, yet You, with boundless love, sought to rescue everyone: You laid aside Your glory, were born of virgin's womb, were crucified for us and were placed into a tomb; then by Your resurrection You won for us reprieve -- You opened heaven's kingdom to all who would believe.

You sit in splendid glory, enthroned at God's right hand, upholding earth and heaven by forces You command. We know that You will come as our Judge that final day, so help Your servants You have redeemed by blood we pray; may we with saints be numbered where praises never end, in glory everlasting. Amen, o Lord, amen!

Quotes of the Week

2011-07-19T12:14:00.000-04:00

Luther on Predestination

"Concerning predestination, it is best to begin below, at Christ, as then we both hear and find the Father; for all those that have begun at the top have broken their necks. I have been thoroughly plagued and tormented with such cogitations of predestination; I would needs know how God intended to deal with me, etc. But at last, God be praised! I clean left them; I took hold again on God?s revealed Word; higher I was not able to bring it, for a human creature can never search out the celestial will of God; this God hides, for the sake of the devil, to the end the crafty spirit may be deceived and put to confusion. The revealed will of God the devil has learned from us, but God reserves his secret will to himself. It is sufficient for us to learn and know Christ in his humanity, in which the Father has revealed himself." Martin Luther, Table Talk, DCLVII.

Machen on the Law and the Gospel

“‘The law is not of faith (does not partake of the nature of faith), but as Scripture says, ‘He who does them shall live in (or by) them.’ Paul means to say, “describing the nature of the law, it requires doing something. But faith is the opposite of doing. So when the Scripture says that a man is justified by faith, that involves saying that he is not justified by anything that he does. There are two conceivable ways of salvation. One way is to keep the law perfectly, to do the things which the law requires. No mere man since the fall has accomplished that. The other way is to receive something, to receive something that is freely given by God’s grace. That way is followed when a man has faith. But you cannot possibly mingled the two. You might conceivably be saved by works or you might be saved by faith; but you cannot be saved by both. It is ‘either or’ here not “both and.” – J. Gresham Machen, Notes on Galatians p. 178

Walther on trusting your conversion instead of Christ

"We are not to look back to our conversion for assurance, but we must go to the Savior again and again, every day, as though we had never been converted. My former conversion will be of no benefit to me if I become secure. I must return to the mercy-seat every day, otherwise I shall make my former conversion my savior, by relying on it. That would be awful; for in the last analysis it would mean I make myself my savior." C. F. W. Walther, The Proper Distinction of the Law and the Gospel p. 207

Good and Joyous News

2011-07-12T12:13:00.000-04:00

Human beings have not kept the law of God but have transgressed it. Their corrupted human nature, thoughts, words, and deeds battle against the law. For this reason they are subject to God’s wrath, to death and all temporal afflictions, and to the punishment of the fires of hell. As a result, the Gospel, in its strict sense, teaches what people should believe, namely, that they receive from God the forgiveness of sins; that is, that the Son of God, our Lord Christ, has taken upon Himself the curse of the law and borne it, atoned and paid for all our sins; that through Him alone we are restored to God’s grace, obtain the forgiveness of sins through faith and are delivered from death and all the punishments of our sins and are saved eternally. . . . It is good news, joyous news, that God does not want to punish sin but to forgive it for Christ’s sake (Formula of Concord: Solid Declaration, V:20).

That is how the Lutheran Confessions explain what the Gospel is all about. I really like this quote. Short, simple, to the point. This is a great summary of the Gospel and the heart of the Reformation.

The Watchtower and Scripture Part 1

2011-07-08T08:36:00.001-04:00

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
(2 Timothy 3:14-15 ESV)

Paul here tells Timothy that the sacred writings, the Scriptures, are able to make one wise for salvation. They are sufficient. Scripture contains all of the information that we need to know in order to be saved.

Westminster Confession of Faith (1.7) has a good summary on teaching of the Perspicuity/Clarity of Scriptures. "All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all (2 Pet. 3:16); yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed for salvation, are so clearly propounded, and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them (Ps. 119:105, 130)."

Notice how the Roman Catholic Church denies this claim....

"It is the teaching of the Church that the Old Testament Scriptures were transferred to her ownership by Christ himself in view of her position as the new 'Israel of God' and the heir of the Old Testment promises; and that the New Testament Scriptures being written within the Church by some of its members for the benefit of all (or more precisely, within the society of Catholic Church by Catholics and for Catholics), are likewise her exclusive property, of which she is the absolute Owner, Guardian, Trustee and Interpreter."
(A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, 1951 pg 8 with imprimatur and acknowledgment of Pope Pius XII)

"...no one, relying on his own skill, shall,--in matters of faith, and of morals pertaining to the edification of Christian doctrine, --wresting the sacred Scripture to his own senses, presume to interpret the said sacred Scripture contrary to that sense which holy mother Church,--whose it is to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the holy Scriptures,--hath held and doth hold," (Trent, Session 4, "Decree Concerning the Edition, and the Use, of the Sacred Books")

The problem that the Catholic Church has with the idea of the Sufficiency of Scripture, (that scripture contains all that is sufficient for salvation), is that they say this position is irrational because all of us have to interpret the scriptures and the Christians have no official interpreter to interpret them right, and so we Christians end up in disagreements over many things. Rome claims to not have this problem because God knowing that the Bible is a hard book to understand, has given in his goodness the gift of the Church and Spirit guiding the church to a correct interpretation of Scripture.

Notice who else holds this exact same view....

"We all need help to understand the Bible, and we cannot find the Scriptural guidance we need outside the "faithful and discreet slave" organization," (Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1981, p. 19).

"Thus the Bible is an organizational book and belongs to the Christian congregation as an organization, not to individuals, regardless of how sincerely they may believe that they can interpret the Bible," (Watchtower, Oct. 1, 1967, p. 587).

"He does not impart his holy spirit and understanding and appreciation of his Word apart from his visible organization. (Watchtower, July 1, 1965, pg. 391)

"Only this organization functions for Jehovah's purpose and to his praise. To it alone God's Sacred Word, the Bible, is not a sealed book," (Watchtower, July 1, 1973, p. 402).

"We should eat and digest and assimilate what is set before us, without shying away from parts of the food because it may not suit the fancy of our mental taste...We should meekly go along with the Lord's theocratic organization and wait for further clarification, rather than balk at the first mention of a thought unpalatable to us and proceed to quibble and mouth our criticisms and opinions as though they were worth more than the slave's provision of spiritual food. Theocratic ones will appreciate the Lord's visible organization and not be so foolish as to put against Jehovah's channel their own human reasoning and sentiment and personal feelings," (Watchtower, Feb. 1, 1952, p. 79-80).

"From time to time, there have arisen from among the ranks of Jehovah's people those, who, like the original Satan, have adopted an independent, faultfinding attitude...They say that it is sufficient to read the Bible exclusively, either alone or in small groups at home. But, strangely, through such 'Bible reading,' they have reverted right back to the apostate doctrines that commentaries by Christendom's clergy were teaching 100 years ago..." (Watchtower, Aug. 15, 1981).

"All who want to understand the Bible should appreciate that the "greatly diversified wisdom of God" can become known only through Jehovah's channel of communication, the faithful and discreet slave," (Watchtower, Oct. 1, 1994, p. 8).

From the book Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life, on page 12, paragraph 3, the Watchtower comments: "But if you were given a legal document outlining what you had to do in order to receive a valuable inheritance, would you not take the time to study it carefully? If you find certain parts of the document hard to understand, likely you would get the help of someone experienced in such
matters."

The Watchtower teaches that the Bible can only be understood with God's Organization in mind, and that the Governing Body are the only ones who may properly interpret Scripture.

However, the Scriptures themselves are sufficient and clear. We do not need a Governing Body or any man-made organization (like the Watchtower) to understand Scripture. "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." (Psalms 19:7)

When people misunderstand Scripture, it's their own fault.

Theologian Wayne Grudem, comments, "Jesus’ responses always assume that the blame for misunderstanding any teaching of Scripture is not to be placed on the Scriptures themselves, but on those who misunderstand or fail to accept what is written. Again and again he answers questions with statements like these: “Have you not read what David did . . . ? Or have you not read in the Law . . . ?” (Matt 12:3, 5). “Have you not read . . . ?” (Matt 19:4). “Have you never read in the scriptures . . . ?” (Matt 21:42). “Have you not read what was said to you by God . . . ?” (Matt 22:31). “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice’” (Matt 9:13). “Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you do not understand these things?” (John 3:10). “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Matt 22:29). On the road to Emmaus, he rebuked two disciples: “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!” (Luke 24:25). The blame for failing to understand is always on the reader, never on the Scriptures themselves."

Martin Luther, in the Bondage of the Will, commented similarly, placing the blame on the individual for not correctly understanding the Scriptures. He says, "But, if many things still remain abstruse to many, this does not arise from obscurity in the Scriptures, but from [our] own blindness or want [i.e. lack] of understanding, who do not go the way to see the all-perfect clearness of the truth... Let, therefore, wretched men cease to impute, with blasphemous perverseness, the darkness and obscurity of their own heart to the all-clear scriptures of God... If you speak of the internal clearness, no man sees one iota in the Scriptures, but he that hath the Spirit of God... If you speak of the external clearness, nothing whatever is left obscure or ambiguous; but all things that are in the Scriptures, are by the Word brought forth into the clearest light, and proclaimed to the whole world."

And again, Grudem summarizes my main point nicely.

"But neither the teachings of Jesus nor the NT epistles give any hint that believing readers need an authoritative interpreter of Scripture such as the Bishop of Rome (or Governing Body). Not even in the first century did the apostles suggest that ordinary believers needed an authoritative interpreter in order to understand Scripture rightly. The Scripture remains clear enough that it is able to be understood, now as in all previous ages, by ordinary believers who will take the needed time and effort, employ ordinary means, and rely on the Holy Spirit’s help."

Romans 6 - Spiritual or Water Baptism?

2011-06-26T23:12:00.001-04:00

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
    For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
    Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
    (Romans 6:1-14 ESV)

Some Reformed Theologians, (though not the Reformers themselves), will say that Romans 6, (and some other texts I could cite), are really not references to water baptism at all, but to an unmediated ‘spiritual’ baptism that takes place apart from any outward means, ritual or ceremony. The baptism mentioned here is not water baptism, but spiritual baptism. There are some things I think are wrong with that view.

First, this simply illogical. This is a good example of the logical fallacy called "Special Pleading." All that means is, they are saying this is a "special case" or an exception to the rule, without any valid reason for doing so. They don't do a good enough job proving why this case is special. Why shouldn't it say what it seems to be saying on the surface? The text seems to say that in baptism God promises that believers are united to the crucified, buried, and risen Christ, and that reflecting on this is a major source of sanctification in the life of the believer. Those that say that this use of the word "baptism" isn't referring to water baptism like it normally does, is simply not good reasoning, and not logical.

There is also a bit of preconceived bias in this. Tradition rears it's ugly head. Some say, "It can't mean water Baptism. That doesn't fit into my theology, so it must mean something else. This must be the exception to the rule that baptism refers to water baptism." So really, you've excluded any possibility of the Bible actually saying this at all. This is eisegesis. Reading your theology into the text because what the text actually says is uncomfortable to you.

That leads to the second objection I have. The Bible says there is only one baptism (Eph. 4:5), so splitting baptism up into a physical baptism and a spiritual baptism is illegitimate. In the first sermon ever preached, Peter says that those who are baptised receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Paul says in 1 Cor. 12:13 that we were baptised into the body by the Spirit. Baptism and the working of the Holy Spirit are directly and clearly linked in the scriptures. True, baptism isn't the only possible way one may receive the Spirit, but you can't deny that it is a way.

This leads to my third objection. The Spirit does not work immediately or unmediated. This is the error of the Mystics and Charismatics. The Spirit always uses means. This is what we call "the means of grace". Because of our weakness and frailty, God has condescended and uses things of this world as pipes to communicate Himself to us. Means of grace are visible, external things which God uses to communicate Christ to us. The primary means of grace is the Word. An illustration may help here.

The book of Numbers recounts a time during their wilderness trek when the Israelites were disobedient to the Lord. So the Lord sent poisonous snakes into the camp. When the Israelites were bitten by snakes, God told Moses to make a copper serpent and put it on a pole. He then promised all who would look at the pole would be healed. How did a snake on a stick do such great things? It wasn't the snake on the stick. It wasn't looking at the snake on the stick. It was faith in the promises of God. It was faith that God would make good on his Word. It was a trust that when God said that those who looked at the copper serpant would be healed, he wasn't lying. Would you say to an Israelite, "By looking at the copper snake you are trusting in a created thing to heal you instead of God." God uses means. God promises to do great and wonderful things through the agency of creatures, and he makes good on his promises.

"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ." (Romans 10:17) "You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding Word of God." (1 Peter 1:23) I would agree with Augustine, who called the sacraments, “God’s visible words." Christ is the incarnate Word. The Bible is God's written Word. The Gospel is God's preached Word. The sacraments (including Baptism), are God's visible Word. We have no problem with God the Holy Spirit using a sermon or the preaching of the Gospel to save someone do we? Is the preaching of the Gospel only a picture that doesn't do anything? No! Does God truly offer Christ in the preaching of the Gospel? Yes. Do we thus conclude that everyone who hears the preaching of the Gospel is saved? Not at all, and we don't diminish the working of the Spirit in and through the Word either. Baptism works no differently then the preaching of the Gospel.

So don't misunderstand me. Just because you got wet, doesn't mean you're saved, or that these things are true about you. Baptism itself doesn't do anything. God is the one who performs these things. If you don't believe God, or trust in his promises, then you make God out to be a liar, and the water will just be a water of judgment.

In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.
(Colossians 2:11-12 ESV)

Thoughts on Baptism

2011-06-19T16:58:00.001-04:00

The fact that one's view of baptism has implications on their theology can be shown by contrasting Calvin and Luther on Baptism. My thesis here is essentially going to be, Calvin and Luther agree on the matter of baptism. (This is not to say that I agree with them, on certain points I do, on certain points I think they are way off. But this isn't really about my view, but a contrast of Luther and Calvin based on my limited reading of both).

Notice what Calvin says about this:

"It may be justly said, that such sacraments are ceremonies, by which God is pleased to train his people, first, to excite, cherish, and strengthen faith within; and, secondly, to testify our religion to men." (Institutes 4:14:19)

According to Calvin, the "Zwinglian" view which doesn't see the sacraments as a means of grace but as an identifying mark or badge, and which is the popular view of most Evangelicals, is only a secondary meaning. He says this even more specifically:

"We approve not, that that which is a secondary thing in sacraments is by them made the first, and indeed the only thing. The first thing is, that they may contribute to our faith in God; the secondary, that they may attest our confession before men. These similitudes are applicable to the secondary reason. Let it therefore remain a fixed point, that mysteries would be frigid (as has been seen) were they not helps to our faith, and adjuncts annexed to doctrine for the same end and purpose." (Institutes 4:14:13)

And also Calvin says of them, "These objectors impair the force, and altogether overthrow the use of the sacraments." (Institutes 4:14:14)

Notice what Calvin says Baptism signifies:

"For Baptism testifies that we are washed and purified; the Supper of the Eucharist that we are redeemed. Ablution is figured by water, satisfaction by blood. [...] In the water and blood we have an evidence of purification and redemption." (Institutes 4:14:22)

Calvin does a great job at explaining his meaning:

"Wherefore, let it be a fixed point, that the office of the sacraments differs not from the word of God; and this is to hold forth and offer Christ to us, and, in him, the treasures of heavenly grace. They confer nothing, and avail nothing, if not received in faith, just as wine and oil, or any other liquor, however large the quantity which you pour out, will run away and perish unless there be an open vessel to receive it. ... God, therefore, truly performs whatever he promises and figures by signs; nor are the signs without effect, for they prove that he is their true and faithful author." (Institutes 4:14:17)

Both Luther and Calvin maintained that Baptism doesn't work ex opre operato, that is, just in the mere performance of the act. Both Calvin and Luther strongly opposed such a view. Luther would say that you do not believe God, or trust his promise that is attached to the Water, then baptism does not confer what it signifies, but becomes a source of condemnation.

Calvin, in his Brief Confession of Faith, summarizes his views nicely:

"I confess that our weakness requires that sacraments be added to the preaching of the word, as seals by which the promises of God are sealed on our hearts, and that two such sacraments were ordained by Christ, viz., Baptism and the Lord’s Supper—the former to give us an entrance into the Church of God—the latter to keep us in it. The five sacraments imagined by the Papists, and first coined in their own brain, I repudiate.

But although the sacraments are an earnest by which we may be rendered secure of the promises of God, I however acknowledge that they would be useless to us did not the Holy Spirit render them efficacious as instruments, lest our confidence, being fixed on the creature, should be withdrawn from God. Nay, I even confess that the sacraments are vitiated and perverted when it is not regarded as their only aim to make us look to Christ for every thing requisite to our salvation, and whenever they are employed for any other purpose than that of fixing our faith wholly in him.

[...]

In general, I confess that, as well in the supper as in baptism, God gives in reality and effectually whatever he figures in them, but that to the receiving of this great boon we require to join the word with the signs. In which matter I detest the abuse and perversion of the Papists, who have deprived the sacraments of their principal part, viz., the doctrine which teaches the true use and benefit flowing therefrom, and have changed them into magical impostures.

I likewise confess that water, though it is a fading element, truly testifies to us in baptism the true presence of the blood of Jesus Christ, and of his Spirit; and that in the Lord’s Supper the bread and wine are to us true and by no means fallacious pledges that we are spiritually nourished by the body and blood of Christ. And thus I join with the signs the very possession and fruition of that which is therein offered to us."

If you find what Calvin is trying to say difficult, perhaps Martin Luther is a bit clearer.

Luther, in his Small Catechism, explains:

What is Baptism?--Answer.

Baptism is not simple water only, but it is the water comprehended in God's command and connected with God's Word.

Which is that word of God?--Answer.

Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Matthew: Go ye into all the world and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

What does Baptism give or profit?--Answer.

It works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare.

Which are such words and promises of God? Answer.

Christ, our Lord, says in the last chapter of Mark: He that believes and is baptised shall be saved; but he that believes not shall be damned.

How can water do such great things?--Answer.

It is not the water indeed that does them, but the word of God which is in and with the water, and faith, which trusts such word of God in the water. For without the word of God the water is simple water and no baptism. But with the word of God it is a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and a washing of regeneration in the Holy Ghost, as St. Paul says, Titus, chapter three: By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Saviour, that, being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying.

What does such baptising with water signify?--Answer.

It signifies that the old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die with all sins and evil lusts, and, again, a new man daily come forth and arise; who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever.

Where is this written?--Answer.

St. Paul says Romans, chapter 6: We are buried with Christ by Baptism into death, that, like as He was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

And if you doubt that Calvin and Luther are in agreement here, I provide several quotes from Calvin's Strassburg Catechism.

Calvin’s Strasburg Children’s Catechism, dating from 1538-9, he begins with the following questions and answers:

“My child, are you a Christian in fact as well as in name?

Yes, my father.

How is this known to you?

Because I am baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

This is something that is usually thought to be a Lutheran answer, and thus Calvin shows that he is in agreement with them on this point. Baptism and the Lord's Supper were given primary for our assurance. How do you know you're saved? Because of your feelings or experiences? NO! But because of the promise of God attached to Baptism. That's how Luther and Calvin would respond. They would claim it's objective not subjective. It's outside of you, not in you.

Later, in the same work, Calvin writes: “How did you come into this communion of the church? Through baptism. What is this baptism? It is the washing of regeneration and cleansing from sin.”

“Now baptism was given to us by God for these ends (which I have taught to be common to all sacraments): first to serve our faith before him; secondly, to serve our confession before men…Accordingly, they [e.g., the Zwinglians and Anabaptists] who regarded baptism as nothing but a token and mark by which we confess our religion before men, as soldiers bear the insignia of their commander as a mark of their profession, have not weighed what was the chief point of baptism”

“For inasmuch as [baptism] is given for the arousing, nourishing, and confirming of our faith, it is to be received as from the hand of the Author himself. We ought to deem it certain and proved that it is he who speaks to us through the sign; that it is he who purifies and washes away sins, and wipes out the remembrance of them; that it is he who make us sharers in his death, who deprives Satan of his rule, who weakens the power of our lust; indeed, that it is he who comes into a unity with us so that, having put on Christ, we may be acknowledged God’s children. These things, I say, he performs for our soul within as truly and surely as we see our body outwardly cleansed, submerged, and surrounded with water…And he does not feed our eyes with a mere appearance only, but leads us to the present reality and effectively performs what he symbolises”.

“The first thing that the Lord sets out for us is that baptism should be a token and proof of our cleansing; or (the better to explain what I mean) it is like a sealed document to confirm to us that all our sins are so abolished, remitted, and effaced that they can never come to his sight, be recalled, or charged against us.”

“Baptism also brings another benefit, for it shows us our mortification in Christ, and new life in him…[T]hrough baptism Christ makes us sharers in his death, that we may be engrafted in it”

“But we are not to think that baptism was conferred upon us only for past time, so that for newly committed sins into which we fall after baptism we must seek new remedies of expiation in some other sacraments, as if the force of the former one were spent…For, though baptism, administered only once, seemed to have passed, it was still not destroyed by subsequent sins”

“We now see the reason why Christ employs such magnificent terms, to commend and adorn that ministry which he bestows and enjoins on the Apostles [and their successors, pastors]. It is, that believers may be fully convinced, that what they hear concerning the forgiveness of sins is ratified, and may not less highly value the reconciliation which is offered by the voice of men, than if God himself stretched out his hand from heaven. And the church daily receives the most abundant benefit from this doctrine, when it perceives that her pastors are divinely ordained to be sureties for eternal salvation, and that it must not go to a distance to seek the forgiveness of sins, which is committed to their trust.”

“[The forgiveness of sins] is dispensed to us through the ministers and pastors of the church, either by the preaching of the Gospel [including the declaration of absolution] or by the administration of the sacraments; and herein chiefly stands the power of the keys, which the Lord has gifted to the society of believers. Accordingly, let each one of us count it his own duty to seek forgiveness of sins only where the Lord has placed it.”

These are some of the thoughts and quotes that are going through my head at the moment. Although there are areas I would have objections, (baptismal regeneration is problematic), I tend to agree with Calvin and Luther on the point that baptism is not primarily what I do but what God is doing. Baptism is a means of grace and sanctification, and not a testimony or identifying sign only. In my Baptism, God "represented, sealed, and applied" the forgiveness of sins to me. It is objective, and outside of me. I do not trust in the water, the ritual, or the minister. But I trust in the God whose Word of promise spoken through the minister and to me.

Repentance and the Forgiveness of Sins.

2011-05-30T12:32:00.009-04:00

"It is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations." (Luke 24:46-47 ESV)

The historian Luke records this as some of Jesus last words to his disciples before his ascension into heaven. It contains one of the most succinct and complete statements in regard to the nature of the Gospel in all of Holy Scripture. And it's indictment upon much that is preached in the name of Christ and the Gospel today in "Christianity" is telling. Indeed, throughout history we can see that all departures into false doctrine, heresy, and schism, are the result of a fundamental denial of the truth contained in these two verses.

The Gospel presented here is clear and hard to screw up. Upon the basis of the vicarious and substitutionary death of Christ in our place and his resurrection on the third day, God offers forgiveness of sins to those who repent and trust in Christ. That is the message that should be proclaimed everywhere.

It isn't subjective, about my own emotions, feelings and experiences, but it's objective. It's extra nos, outside of us. It's about what happened on a dark weekend two thousand years ago outside of Jerusalem. Jesus doesn't live "because he lives in my heart". He lives because it's a historical fact. And it contains Earth shattering implications for all of humanity.

We are not to be proclaiming doomsday, the end of the World, or various end times scenarios. We are to be proclaiming Jesus Christ and him crucified, risen, and reigning for the forgiveness of sins, the justification of the sinner, for the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. The Christian Gospel is not God is coming back to destroy everything. It's God already came and destroyed everything on the Cross. Satan, sin, death, the curse of the Law, all have been defeated. There is now a New Creation and it has invaded and overthrown this present wicked age.

It is telling that this message is not about me, and it's not about you. It isn't about practical tips for everyday living. It isn't about how to have a better marriage, or better finances, or any other recipe for a victorious Christian life. It's about Jesus and his suffering, his death, and his resurrection. It's about repentance and forgiveness of sins being preached in His name. It's not about my best life now. It isn't about what I have to do, it's about what He has done for me.

Christianity is not about moral improvement or transformation. That's law, not Gospel. The law gives us the standard and tell us what to do. If you have to do it, it's law. What's our part in Gospel? Ours is the sin that needed forgiveness. Sin is violation of the law, failing to meet God's moral standard. John says in his letter, "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."(1 John 1:8-10 ESV) Christians are simul iustus et peccator, simultaneously justified and sinners. Look at your self and your "victorious Christian life" long enough in the light of God's holiness and law and you'll be thrown into despair! You need just as much grace, mercy, and forgiveness from God right now as you did before you became a Chrsitian. "Forgive us our sins as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us." Christ offers forgiveness to everyone: to the unbeliever, and to the Christian as well. Repentance and forgiveness of sins proclaimed in his name to all nations.

It's not about the individual. It's not about social justice. It's not about community. It's not about moral improvement, or the end of the world. Some of these things are good, and are results and implications of the Gospel. The Gospel should lead to moral improvement, community, and social justice. But those are results of the Gospel's work in the hearts and lives of believers. It isn't the Gospel itself. The fruit of a tree is not the tree itself. Jesus said, "Good trees produce good fruit. Bad trees produce bad fruit". Worry about the tree. Focus on the getting good trees and good fruit will come. Cats meow, dog's bark, cows moo, and Christians bear fruit. But in order to get a Christian, you have to have the GOSPEL and the Gospel is about the forgiveness of sins because of Christ's suffering, death, and resurrection in your place.

The message is we are all rebels, in violation of God's holy Law. We are all failures in the law keeping department. Jesus through his suffering, death, and resurrection in our place offers us forgiveness and absolution from all our sins. Embrace Christ! Trust in Him. There is plenteous forgiveness in Christ, because God the Father punished him in your place! If you are in a Church where this is not placarded every single week: FLEE! Run for the hills. If repentance and the forgiveness of sins is not preached in Jesus name every week, then all you're getting is Law and it's going to kill you.

Why Franklin Graham Failed.

2011-05-06T14:19:00.001-04:00

I don't know much about Franklin Graham besides the fact that he is Billy Graham's son and an Evangelical preacher.

Below is his interview with Bill O'Reilly. Specifically notice the conversation about Rob Bell and Hell starting at about 2:50

I think Rev. Graham did a total face plant here. He let O'Reilly define the terms of engagement and lost. When O'Reilly starts questioning him over Hell, he makes certain presuppositions and assumptions that Rev. Graham doesn't address.

The assumptions are:

1) Christians teach that people go to hell because they reject Jesus.

This is the assumption underneath the objection, "What about those who have never heard of Jesus?" God sends some humans to hell because they are sinners, not because they have rejected Jesus. That's why those who never have heard of Jesus will go to hell, because they are sinners. This leads to assumption #2....

2) Some people are innocent and therefore don't deserve to go to Hell even if they've rejected Jesus.

O'Reilly makes this claim about the Jews in the Holocaust. However, this assumption fails to see the Christian position that everyone is born condemned by God's law. We are sinners by nature, by choice, and by our federal union with Adam. O'Reilly fails to see the doctrine of Total Depravity, or Original Sin. God sends people to hell because he is a Holy and Just God who will punish sin. All are under the power of sin, and therefore, all deserve to be condemned by God. There are no "innocent" people. All are guilty. All are unholy and evil. Everyone. That's why we need a saviour.

3) We have free will.

The assumption here is that the default position and setting for humans is "neutral", and that we have the free will to either choose good or evil. However the Christian position is that although we have a will and although we are not robots, our will isn't "free". We are not neutral. We have an "un-free" will, a will that is in bondage and slavery to sin. We love our sin and want to stay in it. Our nature is corrupt, and our nature powers our choices. We choose what we want, and what we want is sin. Our will is enslaved to sin.

So as you can see, Rev. Graham failed to see these assumptions. By not challenging these basic presuppositions, Rev. Graham has forfeit much of the argument already to O'Reilly. By not addressing these issues, O'Reilly has the high ground and will not see the validity of the Christian view of these issues.

Reflections on Tuesday Readings for Holy Week

2011-04-20T12:25:00.001-04:00

And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. - Matthew 21:23-27 KJV

And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet. - Matthew 21:45-46

Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk. And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians...The same day came to him the Sadducees...But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him.... - Matthew 22:15-16, 23, 34-35 KJV

When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way. ... And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.- Matthew 22:22, 33 KJV

Jesus spends much of Tuesday in the Temple area teaching. He starts off the day answering the Pharisees objection to his authority and condemning them in parables. In response to their humiliation in front of the crowds of people, the Pharisees want to kill him, but have to find something against him. Seeing that their other schemes and open attempts to attack Christ have not succeeded, the Pharisees try more indirect methods, so they attempt to catch him in his words. The send the Herodians first, and then the Sadducees. When both groups utterly fail to catch Jesus in his words, but rather marvel at his teaching, the Pharisees themselves seek to trap him, and fail themselves. From this we can see God uses the wicked schemes of His enemies for a different purpose. Not only are they disappointed, and their expectations dashed, but they are even publicly disgraced. But in all his replies, Christ shows us the majesty of his glory, by compelling those men to depart crowned with shame.

Reflections on Monday Readings for Holy Week

2011-04-19T16:18:00.000-04:00

And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. - Matthew 21:12-14

After Jesus cleanses the temple, the blind and lame come to him and he cures them. Jesus supported his authority to cleanse the temple by miracles, so that he might not be suspected of rashness. He cured the blind and lame in the temple so he could proclaim that the rights and honor of the Messianic office truly belonged to him. The lame and blind who were cured, were witnesses of the divine power of Christ. These miracles proved and verified what had been proclaimed by the multitude the day before.

Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. - John 12:27-28 KJV

Here we see just how much our salvation cost the Son of God. Jesus was so troubled that he found it hard to find the words to express the intensity of his sorrow. We see though that in his sorrow, he gives himself to prayer. Jesus here implies that he prefers the glory of the Father over all other things. Even his own life is secondary to God's glory. God is most glorified at the Cross of Calvary. There he confirms in action, what he promises to Christ here in words.

Reflections on Palm Sunday Readings

2011-04-18T07:52:00.002-04:00

And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. - Matthew 21:9-11 KJV

And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. Luke 19:39-40 KJV

The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him. - John 12:19 KJV

When the Queen comes to Canada, there are great crowds and much celebration. When Jesus arrived, the commotion made people wonder just who it was that was coming to Jerusalem? A king? A foreign dignitary? No, it was Jesus of Nazareth, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The fact is Jesus deserved, and continues to deserve, all the fanfare, praise, exuberance, and exultation that we can give him.

Christ's triumphal entrance into Jerusalem was not a secret matter. I find it interesting that the Pharisees didn't oppose this entrance. I mean, they definitely objected, but they didn't get their guards together and try and stop it. I think they didn't oppose Jesus and his royal welcome because they were taken off guard, and were likely surprised.

Calvin wrote about this occasion, "Under this despicable aspect of the flesh the majesty of the Spirit was apparent; for how would they have endured that Christ should be conducted into the city, attended by the splendor of royalty, with so great danger to themselves, if they had not been seized with astonishment?".

I pray that we all may be seized with astonishment and wonder at the majesty and glory of our Lord, and praise and exult him forever!

Matt

Readings for Holy Week

2011-04-16T11:44:00.000-04:00

Well, starting tomorrow we are in Holy Week. This is the week of the year we think about Christ's final week on earth. (And it roughly happened at this time of the year as well). Anyway... here are the readings for this week. Each set of readings is for what happened on that day. I am going to read through these this week. Perhaps you can read through this with me as well? I will be posting my reflections and thoughts on the readings for each day this week.

Palm Sunday

    Matthew 21:1-11
    Mark 11:1-11
     Luke 19:29-44
    John 12:12-19

Monday

     Matthew 21:12-19
     Mark 11:12-19
     Luke 19:45-48
    John 12:20-50

Tuesday

    Matthew 21:20 – 22:40
    Mark 11:20 – 12:34
    Luke 20:1-40

Wednesday

    Matthew 22:41 – 26:16
    Mark 12:35 – 14:11
    Luke 20:41 – 22:6
    John 12:2-8

Maundy Thursday

    Matthew 26:17-46
    Mark 14:12-42
    Luke 22:7-46
    John 13:1 – 18:1

Good Friday

    Matthew 26:47 – 27:61
    Mark 14:43 – 15:47
    Luke 22:47 – 23:56
    John 18:2 – 19:42

Saturday

    Matthew 27:62-66
    Mark 16:1
    Luke 23:56

Sunday (Easter)

    Matthew 28:1-15
    Mark 16:2-14
    Luke 24:1-43
    John 20:1-25

Sunday - The Lord's Day

2011-04-01T12:22:00.001-04:00

Here are some points to consider, making a case for corporate (think congregational) worship on Sunday as being a New Testament teaching.

1. Jesus made congregational worship his custom.

And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.
(Luke 4:16 ESV)

2. Jesus Christ was resurrected on the first day of the week, Sunday.

Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that(B) the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
(John 20:1 ESV)

3. On the first day of the week, Sunday, the disciples were assembled together, probably to commemorate Christ's resurrection.

On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."
(John 20:19 ESV)

4. One week later, the disciples were again assembled together.

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."
(John 20:26 ESV)

5. The book of Acts also describes how on another occasion the disciples were assembled together on the first day of the week, Sunday. The meeting included the breaking of bread (Communion, the Lord's Supper) and a sermon by Paul.

On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.
(Acts 20:7 ESV)

6. Paul's Letters confirm the same thing.

On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.
(1 Corinthians 16:2 ESV)

7. John called Sunday, the Lord's day.

I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day
(Revelation 1:10-11 ESV)

(Note: This Greek phrase is completely different from "The Day of the Lord")

8. Besides all this, congregating is a command.

And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
(Hebrews 10:24-25 HCSB)

9. Early Christian and Non-Chrsitian writers confirm the above points.

The Didache - (AD 70-120) Chapter 14. Christian Assembly on the Lord's Day

But every Lord's day gather yourselves together, and break bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure. But let no one that is at variance with his fellow come together with you, until they be reconciled, that your sacrifice may not be profaned. For this is that which was spoken by the Lord: In every place and time offer to me a pure sacrifice; for I am a great King, says the Lord, and my name is wonderful among the nations.

Justin Martyr: A.D. 140
“But Sunday is the day which we all hold our common assembly, because Jesus Christ, our Saviour, on the same day rose from the dead.” Apology, Chapter LXVII.

Anatolius, A.D. 270, Bishop of Laodicea, in Asia Minor:
“Our regard for the Lord’s resurrection which took place on the Lord’s Day will lead us to celebrate it.” Chapter X.

Cyprian, A.D. 250, Bishop of Carthage in Africa:
“The eighth day, that is, the first day after the Sabbath and the Lord’s Day.” Epistle 58, section 4.

Tertullian, A.D. 200, in Africa:
“We solemnize the day after Saturday in contradiction to those who call this day their Sabbath.” Apology, Chapter XVI.

A.D. 112, Pliny, governor of Bithynia (central-northern Turkey), explains the elements of their subversive worship:

(1) Hymns about Jesus sung as part of early Christian worship; (2) prayer to God "through" Jesus and "in Jesus' name," and even direct prayer to Jesus himself, including particularly the invocation of Jesus in the corporate worship setting; (3) "calling upon the name of Jesus," particularly in Christian baptism and in healing and exorcism; (4) the Christian common meal enacted as a sacred meal where the risen Jesus presides as "Lord" of the gathered community; (5) the practice of ritually "confessing" Jesus in the context of Christian worship; and (6) Christian prophecy as oracles of the risen Jesus, and the Holy Spirit of prophecy understood as also the Spirit of Jesus. (Pliny (the Younger), Epistles in J. Stevenson, ed., A New Eusebius: Documents Illustrative of the History of the Church to A.D. 337 (London: SPCK, 1974), 13-15.)

Some Thoughts on the Church

2011-03-26T10:51:00.002-04:00

A Christian is someone who has repented of their sins, trusted in Christ, been adopted into God's family, and has been mystically united to Christ. The Church, in this sense, is the family of God, the body of Christ, and the temple of the Holy Spirit. The entire group of Christians, past, present, and future, is called the Church. This is sometimes called the "Invisible Church" because it's identity is only known to God.

As the Baptist and Shorter Catechism says:

Q. What is the invisible church?
A. The invisible church is the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one under Christ the head.

The purpose of the Church in the world is to worship and glorify God. The primary way the Church is to worship and glorify God is by the preaching of the Gospel. The mandate and commission that has been given by the Lord himself is to make disciples of all nations and administer the Sacraments of the Lord's Supper and Baptism. The ultimate goal, based upon the authority of Christ, is one of uniting all believers to God in one family.

The Church only accomplishes it's mission by gathering together regularly. This is why it is necessary to organize into local congregations. Or in other words, the only way to accomplish the mission given by Christ is by establishing local churches. The Church is represented visibly on Earth in the form of local societies, fellowships, communities, congregations and churches. The local Church is the company of those in a specific geographic area, who have decided to fellowship together on Sunday, the Lord's Day. It is where the Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments are rightly ministered, and involves all those things that are necessarily required to so.

The Baptist and Shorter Catechism again says:

Q. What is the visible church?
A. The visible church is the organized society of professing believers, in all ages and places, wherein the Gospel is truly preached and the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper rightly administered.

Richard Hooker writes, "By the Church…we understand no other than only the visible Church. For preservation of Christianity there is not any thing more needful, than that such as are of the visible Church have mutual fellowship and society one with another. In which consideration, as the main body of the sea being one, yet into a number of distinct Societies, every of which is termed a Church within itself. In this sense the Church is always a visible society of men; not an assembly, but a Society. For although the name of the Church be given unto Christian assemblies, although the name of the Church be given unto Christian assemblies, although any multitude of Christian men congregated may be termed by the name of a Church, yet assemblies properly are rather things that belong a to a Church. Men are assembled for performance of public actions; which actions being ended, the assembly dissolveth itself and is no longer in being, whereas the Church which was assembled doth no less continue afterwards than before." (Book III, i, s. 14, Laws)

Another aspect of the Church should be considered here as well. I agree with the Nicene Creed when it says, "I believe in the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church." That isn't the Roman Catholic Church. It's called "One" because it has one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. It is called "Holy" because the Holy Spirit dwells in it, sanctifying all its members and gives gifts of grace. It is called "Catholic" because it is universal, and holds at all times, in all places, and for all people, all of the truth about Jesus Christ. It is called "Apostolic" because it received its divine mission from Christ through his Apostles, and continues in the Apostles teaching and fellowship.

This may sound all well and good, but why all the division? Thomas Cranmer said in a letter to John Calvin, "One of the greatest evils of our time, is that the churches are so widely separated from each other. The body of Christ is torn asunder because the members are separated." Why is it like this?

The London Baptist Confession says, "The purest churches under heaven are subject to mixture and error; and some have so degenerated as to become no churches of Christ, but synagogues of Satan; nevertheless Christ always hath had, and ever shall have a kingdom in this world, to the end thereof, of such as believe in him, and make profession of his name." (LBC 26:3)

Article 19 of the 39 Articles indicates further exactly where the most error can be found in the Church, "As the Church of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch, have erred; so also the Church of Rome hath erred, not only in their living and manner of Ceremonies, but also in matters of Faith."

The parables of our Lord clearly indicate that the visible manifestation of the Church contains both wheat and weeds, sheep and goats, good fish and bad fish, good slaves and evil slaves. So I would argue that although the Churches of Jerusalem, Alexandria, Constantinople, Antioch, and Rome have greatly erred, they are nonetheless still part of the visible Church in much the same way that the northern Ten Tribe Kingdom was part of Israel even though it was guilty of gross idolatry. The Church is not confined exclusively or restricted to any one group, organization, sect, or denomination within historic Christianity.

Although very fragmented and split, I look forward to the day when the prophecy of the Apostle Paul concerning the future unity of the Church will be realized.

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ." - Ephesians 4:11-15 KJV

Notice that the reason why apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers are given is for the eventual unity of the Church. Jesus prayed, "That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." - John 17:21 KJV

When this happens, when the Church is finally united, then the world will believe that Christ was sent from God. The great commission can only be finally accomplished by a united Church. Although division may be necessary for now, given the nature of the errors of the Orthodox and Roman Churches, it is nonetheless an evil situation. Let us pray that those groups and bodies that are in error would repent and that the Church would be one.

To conclude this post, I post a hymn by Samuel J. Stone.

The church's one foundation
is Jesus Christ her Lord;
she is his new creation
by water and the Word.
From heaven he came and sought her
to be his holy bride;
with his own blood he bought her,
and for her life he died.

Elect from every nation,
yet one o'er all the earth;
her charter of salvation,
one Lord, one faith, one birth;
one holy name she blesses,
partakes one holy food,
and to one hope she presses,
with every grace endued.

Though with a scornful wonder
we see her sore oppressed,
by schisms rent asunder,
by heresies distressed,
yet saints their watch are keeping;
their cry goes up, "How long?"
And soon the night of weeping
shall be the morn of song.

Mid toil and tribulation,
and tumult of her war,
she waits the consummation
of peace forevermore;
till, with the vision glorious,
her longing eyes are blest,
and the great church victorious
shall be the church at rest.

Yet she on earth hath union
with God the Three in One,
and mystic sweet communion
with those whose rest is won.
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we
like them, the meek and lowly,
on high may dwell with thee.

The Gentile Times Discovered!

2011-03-22T03:45:00.003-04:00

"The gentile times have ended...," was the cry of the Watchtower. However, how long are those Gentile Times according to the Bible? When did they start and end? I think I may have found the key....

"And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." - Luke 21:20-24 KJV

Verse 24 has the key phrase here. This passage clearly has to do with the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and I don't think anyone here would argue with me on that one.

This phrase in verse 24, as it is the linch pin to the Watchtower's entire system. It the Gentile times are not 2520 days, then the Watchtower's 1914 doctrine falls apart. And if their 1914 doctrine falls apart, they have not been chosen as God's mouthpiece or organization.

The question should be asked, how long were the "Gentile times"?

"And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." - Revelation 11:1-2 KJV

Notice it mentions the temple of God and the Holy City. Just in case you didn't figure out by this obvious statement which city this is, there is an explainable in verse 8.

"And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified." - Revelation 11:8 KJV

This is clearly Jerusalem. Notice the exact same phrase is used:

"Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." - Luke

"The holy city shall [the Gentiles] tread under foot forty and two months." - Revelation

So the Gentile times are 42 months or 1260 days. Notice it is NOT 7 Times, or 2520 days.

This is fulfilled in the events of the Jewish-Roman War, in the 42 months from A.D. 67-70. The fact that the Gentile court is spared I think symbolizes the shift in God's favor, from the Jews to the Gentiles.

Federal Headship and Original Sin

2011-03-18T02:49:00.003-04:00

"How come I am guilty of someone else's sin? Why am I condemned because of what Adam did?" This is a common objection to the doctrine of Original Sin (also called Inherited Guilt). If you reject the idea that we are guilty in Adam, then you have to reject the opposite as well. What do I mean? Well simply put, if you look at the last half of Romans chapter 5 it becomes clear that the way death is passed to us from Adam is the way life is passed to us from Christ. If you think one is unfair you are forced to think both are unfair. Why should I be guilty of Adam's sin? Well, why should you be pronounced innocent because of Jesus death and resurrection? It's the same thing. If we don't inherit guilt from Adam, then we don't inherit life from Christ. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22 KJV) The last half of Romans five is all about this.

If then, sin and death are passed to us from Adam is the exact same way righteousness and life are passed to us from Christ, how is that?

It has to do with COVENANT. Adam was our "Covenant head", our "Federal head", or our "Federal Representative". All of humanity was represented in Adam. We are familiar with this sort of thing. Our government is based upon Federal Representation. Our elected officials go to Parliament or Congress in our place. They represent their constituents. We are all Adam's constituents. God made an agreement, a covenant with Adam and all humanity in Adam. Adam broke that covenant knowing full well that the consequences that "breach of contract" would have for his posterity. But he didn't care.

Christ is the last Adam. God has provided him to take the punishments stipulated in the Adamic Covenant. The Covenant with Adam required two things: obedience and death if you failed. Christ gave perfect obedience, and then died as our representative. Now that the conditions of the Adamic Covenant have been satisfied in Christ, God offers a New Covenant in Christ. Christ becomes our new Federal Head and Representative. His obedience and life become ours.

In Adam, our first father, we all die because we were part of Adam when he sinned. It's not that our God singled us out as individuals to "punish" us per se. He punished Adam - in whom we all resided - unborn. We were Adam, unformed, unconscious and "innocent" though we were.

Adam was a real person. Jesus believed he was a real person and that's good enough for me. Jesus IS the truth and our Father said: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." - Matthew 17:5 KJV

Jesus will not reject his own body. "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." - Romans 6:4 KJV

"So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." - Ephesians 5:28-30 KJV

The key here is if Christ is going to be our Federal Representative, then we have to be in Christ. We have to die with him in his death, and rise with him in his resurrection. The Spirit makes those in Christ into a New Creation and a New Humanity with a New Covenant.

Earthquakes are NOT the End of the World.

2011-03-14T15:01:00.005-04:00

For all those who are completely freaking out over the latest Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, I just wanted to say, it's not the end of the world. (And neither were the earthquakes in Chile and Haiti. Of course there are going to be earthquakes in these places! It's a fault line in the tectonic plates for goodness sake!) As much as you may think it is, it really isn't. Earthquakes are not a sign that the end is about to come.

But some of you are going to go straight to the Olivet Discourse, (Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Luke 21). However, we need to understand something crucial here. All three of these chapters are the same sermon. In order to get a complete picture as to what Jesus is saying and means you need to read all three together, and especially Luke. Matthew is the most cryptic because his audience are Jews who knew their Old Testament Scriptures. Luke is writing for a predominately Gentile audience and explains in plain language what Matthew says in obscure Old Testament metaphors. If you do this, you will realize that the Olivet Discourse is a Judgment prophecy upon Judea and Jerusalem. Here is a prime example:

"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand: ) " (Matthew 24:15 KJV)

Notice how Luke describes this:

"And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh." (Luke 21:20 KJV)

That they refer to the same thing is proven by the next verse in each:

"Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains" - Matthew 24:16 KJV

"Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains" - Luke 21:21 KJV

This prophecy concerns the Second Temple, and the City of Jerusalem. Jesus said that everything he says in this discourse would happen within 40 years and it did. In 70 A.D. the Romans Armies destroyed Jerusalem just like Jesus predicted. The earthquakes mentioned in this discourse do not relate to the Second Coming or the end of the world, but the end of the Jewish Age in A.D. 70.

Besides, those who claim that Earthquakes are getting worse and more frequent and use that as a sign that the end is nigh are mistaken. Those earthquakes that make the news headlines are obviously those that cause chaos and destruction to humans. But there are as many as 50 earthquakes around the world every single day, they just don't get elevated from local or national news onto the world stage.

If every earthquake was a harbinger of an impending apocalypse then I think I would go look for a different omen or live in perpetual disappointment.

From an official US Government site:

Earthquake Myths:

Q: Why are we having so many earthquakes? Has earthquake activity been increasing? Does this mean a big one is going to hit? OR We haven't had any earthquakes in a long time; does this mean that the pressure is building up?

A: Although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes, earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant throughout this century and, according to our records, have actually seemed to decrease in recent years.

There are several reasons for the perception that the number of earthquakes, in general, and particularly destructive earthquakes is increasing.

1) A partial explanation may lie in the fact that in the last twenty years, we have definitely had an increase in the number of earthquakes we have been able to locate each year. This is because of the tremendous increase in the number of seismograph stations in the world and the many improvements in global communications.

In 1931, there were about 350 stations operating in the world; today, there are more that 4,000 stations and the data now comes in rapidly from these stations by telex, computer and satellite. This increase in the number of stations and the more timely receipt of data has allowed us and other seismological centers to locate many small earthquakes which were undetected in earlier years, and we are able to locate earthquakes more rapidly.

The NEIC now locates about 12,000 to 14,000 earthquakes each year or approximately 50 per day. Also, because of the improvements in communications and the increased interest in natural disasters, the public now learns about more earthquakes. According to long-term records (since about 1900), we expect about 18 major earthquakes (7.0 - 7.9) and one great earthquake (8.0 or above) in any given year. However, let's take a look at what has happened in the past 32 years, from 1969 through 2001, so far. Our records show that 1992, and 1995-1997 were the only years that we have reached or exceeded the long-term average number of major earthquakes since 1971. In 1970 and in 1971 we had 20 and 19 major earthquakes, respectively, but in other years the total was in many cases well below the 18 per year which we may expect based on the long-term average.

2) The population at risk is increasing. While the number of large earthquakes is fairly constant, population density in earthquake-prone areas is constantly increasing. In some countries, the new construction that comes with population growth has better earthquake resistance; but in many it does not. So we are now seeing increasing casualties from the same sized earthquakes.

3) Better global communication. Just a few decades ago, if several hundred people were killed by an earthquake in Indonesia or eastern China, for example, the media in the rest of the world would not know about it until several days, to weeks, later, long after such an event would be deemed �newsworthy�. So by the time this information was available, it would probably be relegated to the back pages of the newspaper, if at all. And the public Internet didn't even exist. We are now getting this information almost immediately.

4) Earthquake clustering and human psychology. While the average number of large earthquakes per year is fairly constant, earthquakes occur in clusters. This is predicted by various statistical models, and does not imply that earthquakes that are distant in location, but close in time, are causally related. But when such clusters occur, especially when they are widely reported in the media, they are noticed. However, during the equally anomalous periods during which no destructive earthquakes occur, no one deems this as remarkable.

A temporal increase in earthquake activity does not mean that a large earthquake is about to happen. Similarly, quiescence, or the lack of seismicity, does not mean a large earthquake is going to happen. A temporary increase or decrease in the seismicity rate is usually just part of the natural variation in the seismicity. There is no way for us to know whether or not this time it will lead to a larger earthquake. Swarms of small events, especially in geothermal areas, are common, and moderate-large magnitude earthquakes will typically have an aftershock sequence that follows. All that is normal and expected earthquake activity.

See NEIC's Earthquake Statistics webpage for the tables of earthquake counts by magnitude and year.

There is a passage of scripture that can be applied here though...

"There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." Luke 13:1-5 KJV

Suppose ye that these Japanese were sinners above all the Japanese, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those ten thousand, upon whom the tsunami waters fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt on Earth? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Calvin and Servetus

2011-03-04T14:26:00.002-05:00

My good friend Mark posted some helpful facts from Bruce Gordon's biography of John Calvin in regards to the Servetus affair. Even though Bruce Gordon is quite critical of Calvin in other areas, he clears his reputation in the Servetus affair. This post is very important for clearing Calvin's name both inside and outside the Church. Inside the Church there are Arminian's like David Hunt writing books with second rate research that blame Calvin for Servetus execution, and use this as the basis for their rejection of Calvin's theology. Of more interest to me is the recent Watchtower article on Calvinism, which on the whole was quite charitable for a Watchtower article. Predictably, they look to Servetus as a martyr and Calvin as a villain. They do so because Servetus, like the Watchtower, denied the Trinity. I highly recommend the reading of this post.

The Watchtower and the Mediation of Christ.

2011-03-03T11:50:00.003-05:00

Jehovah's Witnesses are told (at least the vast majority of them) that Jesus is not their mediator. (1 Tim. 2:5) Their Bible Dictionary: Insight on the Scriptures (1988), under the heading: Those for Whom Christ is Mediator, says:

The Watchtower

“The apostle Paul declares that there is ‘one mediator between God and men, a man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a corresponding ransom for all’—for both Jews and Gentiles. (1 Ti 2:5,6) He mediates the new covenant between God and those taken into the new covenant, the congregation of spiritual Israel. (Heb 8:10-13; 12:24; Eph 5:25-27) Christ became Mediator in order that the ones called ‘might receive the promise of the everlasting inheritance’ (Heb 9:15); he assists, not the angels, but ‘Abraham’s seed.’ (Heb 2:16) He assists those who are to be brought into the new covenant to be ‘adopted’ into Jehovah’s household of spiritual sons; these eventually will be in heaven as Christ’s brothers, becoming a part with him of the seed of Abraham. (Ro 8:15-17, 23-25; Ga 3:29) He has transmitted to them the promised holy spirit, with which spirit they are sealed and are given a token of what is to come, their heavenly inheritance. (2Co 5:5; Eph 1:13,14) The total number of those who are finally and permanently sealed is revealed in Revelation 7:4-8 as 144,000.”—Insight on the Scriptures, Vol. 2, page 362.

The publication, "Worldwide Security Under the 'Prince of Peace'" on pp. 10-11 says,

"Likewise, the Greater Moses, Jesus Christ, is not the Mediator between Jehovah God and all mankind. He is the Mediator between his heavenly Father, Jehovah God, and the nation of spiritual Israel, which is limited to only 144,000 members."

And the Watchtower from 1979 April 1 p.31 concurs,

"Is Jesus the "mediator" only for anointed Christians? … So in this strict Biblical sense Jesus is the "mediator" only for anointed Christians. …The "great crowd" of "other sheep" that is forming today is not in that new covenant. However, by their associating with the "little flock" of those yet in that covenant they come under benefits that flow from that new covenant."

The quotations above officially excludes millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses from true reconciliation with God. Hebrews is the only letter in the New Testament that explains Jesus’ priesthood and it specifically limits it to those in the New Covenant.

"But because He remains forever, He holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them. For this is the kind of high priest we need: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. - Hebrews 7:24-26 HCSB

Now the Messiah has appeared, high priest of the good things that have come. In the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands (that is, not of this creation ), He entered the holy of holies once for all, not by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. - Hebrews 9:11-12 HCSB

“For it is clear that He does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring. Therefore, He had to be like His brothers in every way, so that He could become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.”—Heb. 2:16,17 HCSB

Why is this important? It is because of the nature of the Gospel and the nature of propitiation. Propitiation is the removal of God's wrath. "For God's wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth." (Romans 1:18 HCSB) "They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood." (Romans 3:24-25a HCSB) "For this is My blood that establishes the covenant; it is shed for many for the forgiveness of sin." (Matthew 26:28 HCSB) Jesus' death is the sin offering that turns away God's wrath and forgives the sins of those in the New Covenant. If you are not in the New Covenant, you are in covenant with Adam, and thus under the Wrath of God. "For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:22 HCSB, compare with Romans 5:12-21)

Ask the next Witness who calls on you who is his mediator? If he says Jesus Christ, ask him if he is in the New Covenant? If is not in the New Covenant what covenant relationship is he in other then the Prelaspsarian Ademic Covenant? The vast majority of Witnesses are even forbidden from taking communion. They have no part theologically and practically in the body and blood of Christ. They have no basis to claim to be sons of God or the children of Abraham. So, they don't have Jesus Christ as the mediator between themselves and a Holy God because they are told they are not in the New Covenant. They have not experienced the new birth, and are thus dead in their sins (Eph. 2:1-9). They can't claim to be saints, and thus much of the New Testament isn't even written to them or for them. Does the witness at your door view himself as a son of God? If he is not a son, how can he speak of Jehovah God as his Father? Is he led by God’s spirit? If so, how can he deny being a sons of God when the apostle Paul said “All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons.”—Romans 8:14 HCSB

What the Watchtower teaches here is demonic. It denies people the only way that they can be saved, that is through the Gospel. The Gospel is that "God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." (Romans 4:24-25 NIV) They claim that you do not have to have Christ as your mediator to be saved. But the words of Christ the Lord are crystal clear: "So Jesus said to them, 'I assure you: Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves. Anyone who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day,'"(John 6:53-54 HCSB)

If you are a Jehovah's Witness, please hear me: You don't need the Watchtower or the "Faithful Slave", you need JESUS and the forgiveness of sins he offers in the New Covenant. Outside of that, you have no hope.

Vandrunen on Lutheran Christology

2011-02-22T09:19:00.001-05:00

Here is a very interesting quote by David Vandrunen from Westminster Seminary in California. I found it in an article entitled "Iconoclasm, Incarnation, and Eschatology: Toward a Catholic Understanding of the Reformed Doctrine of the ‘Second’ Commandment". The article is about the Reformed view on Icons and how we refuse to make images of Christ for worship. This quote deals with the Lutheran view of Christology, and how it's a departure from orthodox Chaledonian Christology.

The question arises, then, whether Reformed theology’s refusal to make or use images of Christ reflects a deficient or even deviant view of the incarnation. Suspicions of this sort are difficult to reconcile with the fact that the Reformed not only enthusiastically upheld the Chalcedonian formulae concerning the two natures joined in one person in the hypostatic union, but also have even explicitly defended these doctrines against contemporary teachings that seemed to stray from the traditional doctrine. The most prominent case in point is found in Reformed polemics against the ‘ubiquitarian’ Christology of Lutheranism. For many years, Lutherans and Reformed have disputed the nature of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist, and lying immediately beneath the surface of these debates is a christological disagreement that in large part determines the eucharistic questions. According to the Lutheran understanding of the communicatio idiomatum, divine attributes of Christ are communicated to his human nature, though the manifestation of these attributes was hidden during his days on earth. Among the divine attributes communicated is omnipresence: Christ’s human body, now glorified, is present everywhere with his divine nature. Hence the ‘ubiquitarian’ title and the confidence that Christ’s body and blood can be truly in, with, and under the elements of bread and wine.

Reformed theologians, unimpressed, have suggested that the only reason that Lutherans would want to defend such an idea was because of the need for christological justification for their theology of the Supper. To Reformed minds, Lutheran ubiquitarianism was little more than a lapse into Monophysitism, an absorption of the human nature into the divine, hence leaving no true human nature at all. A human body that is omnipresent is nothing like the human body that we know, and it virtually requires a whole new definition of what a human body is. If Christ’s body is omnipresent, then he is no longer like us in every way, sin excepted. Whatever the best resolution to this debate, the Reformed saw themselves as stout defenders of Catholic christological orthodoxy. Far from denying the full reality of Christ’s human nature, and even far from being insensitive to implications of the Chalcedonian affirmations, the Reformed unflinchingly grasped the Chalcedonian legacy as their own."

Hilary and Chrysostom on Justification by Faith Alone

2011-02-17T11:40:00.000-05:00

Hilary of Poitiers commenting on Matthew 9:3: "It disturbed the scribes that sin was forgiven by a man (for they considered that Jesus Christ was only a man) and that sin was forgiven by Him whereas the Law was not able to absolve it, since faith alone justifies."

Hilary, the Bishop of Poitiers

Latin text: Movet scribas remissum ab homine peccatum: hominem enim tantum in Iesu Christo contuebantur et remissum est ab eo quod lex laxare non poterat; fides enim sola iustificat. Sancti Hilarii In Evangelium Matthaei Commentarius, Caput VIII, §6, PL 9:961A.

Hilary of Poitiers (c 315-67) on Matthew 20:7: “Wages cannot be considered as a gift, because they are due to work, but God has given free grace to all men by the justification of faith.” George Finch, A Sketch of the Romish Controversy (London: G. Norman, 1831), p. 230.

Chrysostom (349-407): Everywhere he puts the Gentiles upon a thorough equality. ‘And put no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by faith.’ (v. 9.) From faith alone, he says, they obtained the same gifts. This is also meant as a lesson to those (objectors); this is able to teach even them that faith only is needed, not works nor circumcision. NPNF1: Vol. XIII, A Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles, Homly 32, Acts 15:1.

John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople

Chrysostom (349-407): For if even before this, the circumcision was made uncircumcision, much rather was it now, since it is cast out from both periods. But after saying that “it was excluded,” he shows also, how. How then does he say it was excluded? “By what law? of works? Nay, but by the law of faith.” See he calls the faith also a law delighting to keep to the names, and so allay the seeming novelty. But what is the “law of faith?” It is, being saved by grace. Here he shows God’s power, in that He has not only saved, but has even justified, and led them to boasting, and this too without needing works, but looking for faith only. NPNF1: Vol. XI, Homilies on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans, Homily 7, vs. 27.

Chrysostom (349-407): Now since the Jews kept turning over and over the fact, that the Patriarch, and friend of God, was the first to receive circumcision, he wishes to show, that it was by faith that he too was justified. And this was quite a vantage ground to insist upon. For a person who had no works, to be justified by faith, was nothing unlikely. But for a person richly adorned with good deeds, not to be made just from hence, but from faith, this is the thing to cause wonder, and to set the power of faith in a strong light. NPNF1: Vol. XI, Homilies on the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans, Homily 8, Romans 4:1-2, first paragraph.

Chrysostom (349-407): And this he removes, with great skill and prudence, turning their argument against themselves, and showing that those who relinquish the Law are not only not cursed, but blessed; and they who keep it, not only not blessed but cursed. They said that he who kept not the Law was cursed, but he proves that he who kept it was cursed, and he who kept it not, blessed. Again, they said that he who adhered to Faith alone was cursed, but he shows that he who adhered to Faith alone, is blessed. And how does he prove all this? for it is no common thing which we have promised; wherefore it is necessary to give close attention to what follows. He had already shown this, by referring to the words spoken to the Patriarch, ‘In thee shall all nations be blessed,’ (Genesis 12:4.) at a time, that is, when Faith existed, not the Law. NPNF1: Vol. XIII, Commentary on Galatians, 3:8.

Chrysostom (349-407) same passage above, different translation: For they said that the one who does not keep the law is cursed, while he shows that the one who strives to keep it is cursed and the one who does not strive to keep it is blessed. They said that he who kept not the Law was cursed, but he proves that he who kept it was cursed, and he who kept it not, blessed. Again, they said that he who adhered to Faith alone was cursed, but he shows that he who adhered to Faith alone, is blessed. Homily on Galatians 3.9-10. Mark J. Edwards, ed., Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament VI: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1998), p. 40. 3:8. See also John Chrysostom. F. Field, ed., Interpretatio omnium Epistolarum Paulinarum per Homilias Facta (Oxford J. H. Parker, 1845-1862), 4:7-8.

Chrysostom (349-407): Attend to this, ye who come to baptism at the close of life, for we indeed pray that after baptism ye may have also this deportment, but thou art seeking and doing thy utmost to depart without it. For, what though thou be justified: yet is it of faith only. But we pray that thou shouldest have as well the confidence that cometh of good works. NPNF1: Vol. XIII, On the Second Epistle of St. Paul The Apostle to the Corinthians, Homily 2, §8.

Chrysostom (349-407): For he makes a wide distinction between ‘commandments’ and ‘ordinances.’ He either then means ‘faith,’ calling that an ‘ordinance,’ (for by faith alone He saved us,) or he means ‘precept,’ such as Christ gave, when He said, ‘But I say unto you, that ye are not to be angry at all.’ (Matthew 5:22.) That is to say, ‘If thou shalt believe that God raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.’ (Romans 10:6-9.) And again, ‘The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thine heart. Say not, Who shall ascend into heaven, or who shall descend into the abyss?’ or, who hath ‘brought. Him again from the dead?’ Instead of a certain manner of life, He brought in faith. For that He might not save us to no purpose, He both Himself underwent the penalty, and also required of men the faith that is by doctrines. NPNF1: Vol. XIII, Homilies on Ephesians, Homly 5, Ephesians 2:11,12.

Chrysostom (349-407): God’s mission was not to save people in order that they may remain barren or inert. For Scripture says that faith has saved us. Put better: Since God willed it, faith has saved us. Now in what case, tell me, does faith save without itself doing anything at all? Faith’s workings themselves are a gift of God, lest anyone should boast. What then is Paul saying? Not that God has forbidden works but that he has forbidden us to be justified by works. No one, Paul says, is justified by works, precisely in order that the grace and benevolence of God may become apparent. Homily on Ephesians 4.2.9. Mark J. Edwards, ed., Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture, New Testament VI: Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1998), p. 134. See also John Chrysostom. F. Field, ed., Interpretatio omnium Epistolarum Paulinarum per Homilias Facta (Oxford J. H. Parker, 1845-1862), 2:160.

Chrysostom (349-407): "For it is most of all apparent among the Gentiles, as he also says elsewhere, ‘And that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy.’ (Romans 15:9.) For the great glory of this mystery is apparent among others also, but much more among these. For, on a sudden, to have brought men more senseless than stones to the dignity of Angels, simply through bare words, and faith alone, without any laboriousness, is indeed glory and riches of mystery: just as if one were to take a dog, quite consumed with hunger and the mange, foul, and loathsome to see, and not so much as able to move, but lying cast out, and make him all at once into a man, and to display him upon the royal throne" NPNF1: Vol. XIII, On the Second Epistle of St. Paul The Apostle to the Colossians, Homily 5, 2nd paragraph.

Chrysostom (349-407): What then was it that was thought incredible? That those who were enemies, and sinners, neither justified by the law, nor by works, should immediately through faith alone be advanced to the highest favor. Upon this head accordingly Paul has discoursed at length in his Epistle to the Romans, and here again at length. “This is a faithful saying,” he says, “and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”

As the Jews were chiefly attracted by this, he persuades them not to give heed to the law, since they could not attain salvation by it without faith. Against this he contends; for it seemed to them incredible, that a man who had misspent all his former life in vain and wicked actions, should afterwards be saved by his faith alone. On this account he says, “It is a saying to be believed.” But some not only disbelieved but even objected, as the Greeks do now. “Let us then do evil, that good may come.” This was the consequence they drew in derision of our faith, from his words, “Where sin abounded grace did much more abound.” (Romans 3:8, and 5:20.) NPNF1: Vol. XIII, Homilies on First Timothy, Homily 4, 1 Timothy 1:15, 16.

Chrysostom (349-407): The patriarch Abraham himself before receiving circumcision had been declared righteous on the score of faith alone: before circumcision, the text says, “Abraham believed God, and credit for it brought him to righteousness.” Fathers of the Church, Vol. 82, Homilies on Genesis 18-45, 27.7 (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 1990), p. 167.

Whence Cometh Bishops?

2011-02-15T14:45:00.002-05:00

Church history is fascinating.

From what I read, the consensus among modern scholars is that presbyteros and episkopos were interchangeable in the early-to-mid first century. There is much in Protestant Evangelicalism that sees the implications of this and views the episcopacy as a serious departure from the Biblical model of church government.

However, from the writings of Ignatius, bishop of the city-church of Antioch, we see that the situation had changed. The situation as of A.D. 100-110, maybe 10 to 15 years after Revelation was written, shows us that there were at least six separate city-churches, Ephesus, Smyrna, Magnesia, Tralles, Philadelphia, and Antioch, that were all governed by bishops. Ignatius of Antioch had never visited any of these other churches before. They had an established episcopacy already.

Well what changed? If the New Testament knows nothing of an episcopacy, then what explanation can we give for the change? Within a short 40 years after Paul wrote his epistles, presbyteros and episkopos were no longer interchangeable terms, and several city-churches were being pastored by a bishop. What was the cause of the origin of the Episcopate?

There were two main ideas in the fourth century church as to the rise of the office of Bishop. The first is that of Theodore of Mopsuestia, the second is that of Jerome.

These are outlined in The Origins of Christianity, by Charles Bigg, pages 63-71.

A summary of Theodores's position is option 1.

Option 1: The biblical terminology that equates presbyter and bishop
does not negate the fact that one presbyter was chief-presbyter, the first among equals, i.e. the bishop. The terminology changed by the end of the first century, but the office was always there. Regardless of what terminology was used for the office, it was of apostolic origin, given with the laying on of hands. For Theodore, the episcopacy was always there, it was the terminology changed by the end of the first century.

Implications of option 1: Since the office of bishop was established by
the Apostles themselves, episcopacy would be the Apostolic form of ecclesiology, even if the terminology may be different. Each city-church had appointed one bishop, a chief-presbyter. All Bishops are therefore equal. They all have been appointed by apostolic authority over their parishes. No bishop would be greater or less then the others. Notice then, even if the episcopate is of apostolic origin, there is still no hint of the primacy of the bishop of Rome over the other bishops.

A summary of Jerome's position is option 2.

Option 2: Presbyters and bishops were one and the same, both in terminology and in fact. One presbyter was eventually elevated to a higher office (that of Bishop) in each city-church as a practical decision of a Church council. This was done for the sake of unity, and in the midst of much heresy and division. It was not an apostolic institution. For Jerome, the episcopacy arose due to "custom of the Church".

Implications of option 2: Depending on how strongly one feels about the authority of the Church, this ‘change’ is more or less binding. This position also would completely undermine any claim of ‘divine primacy of the Roman Pontiff’ because even the pope, as bishop of Rome would only be the holder of an office created by "custom of the Church". Ecclesiology would then seem to be just a matter of custom.

Concluding thoughts:

From what I can gather, it would seem that if Theodore's position is correct, then a form of church government very similar to the Campus-Church style of ecclesiology of Mars Hill Church, or Bethlehem Baptist Church would not be too far off. One church for one city, with many locations, elders in each location, and a senior-pastor supervising all the locations and elders, who himself is accountable to the body of elders. To me, that is episcopacy, with different terminology. Is there any real difference if you have an ecclesiology that says 1. Bishop 2. Priest 3. Deacon or 1. Pastor 2. Elders 3. Deacons?

However, if Jerome is correct, a more first century form of Church government would look like what is found in independent congregational churches, and would probably be best.

What is my opinion? Some people think that all biblical truth and practice went down the tubes the moment that the last apostle died. I am highly suspect of such a view. In fact, I think "restorationism" is a serious error. There was no "great apostasy" as I was taught as a Jehovah's Witness. The general consensus among the "Apostloic Fathers" is a good general guide and very helpful in informing our understanding of the New Testament. That being said, I do see a "first among equals" pattern in the New Testament itself. This can be seen with Peter among the Apostles, Titus in Crete, Timothy in Ephesus, and James the Just in Jerusalem. I'm still thinking through this issue, but either way, the Papists are still wrong.

Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus

2011-02-11T10:44:00.000-05:00

I know a few people today who I would call, "lone ranger" Christians. They like Christ, but not the Church. They are opposed to "institutional" Christianity. They would rather be by themselves, and not in attendance at a local congregation. It's just them, their bibles, and the Holy Spirit.

However, I think that not only is this a dangerous position to be in, but also a denial of what Christianity is.

The Latin phrase "Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus" means: "Outside the Church there is no salvation". The Catholic Catechism on this issue rightly says, "all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body." This expression comes from the writings of Saint Cyprian of Carthage, a bishop of the 3rd century. The Eastern Orthodox, the Roman Catholics, and the Protestants all agree with this statement.

An prominent Eastern Orthodox bishop, Kallistos Ware, has expressed this teaching as follows:

"Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus. All the categorical strength and point of this aphorism lies in its tautology. Outside the Church there is no salvation, because salvation is the Church" (G. Florovsky, "Sobornost: the Catholicity of the Church", in The Church of God, p. 53). Does it therefore follow that anyone who is not visibly within the Church is necessarily damned? Of course not; still less does it follow that everyone who is visibly within the Church is necessarily saved. As Augustine wisely remarked: "How many sheep there are without, how many wolves within!" (Homilies on John, 45, 12) While there is no division between a "visible" and an "invisible Church", yet there may be members of the Church who are not visibly such, but whose membership is known to God alone. If anyone is saved, he must in some sense be a member of the Church; in what sense, we cannot always say."

Martin Luther said on this subject:

"Therefore he who would find Christ must first find the Church. How should we know where Christ and his faith were, if we did not know where his believers are? And he who would know anything of Christ must not trust himself nor build a bridge to heaven by his own reason; but he must go to the Church, attend and ask her. Now the Church is not wood and stone, but the company of believing people; one must hold to them, and see how they believe, live and teach; they surely have Christ in their midst. For outside of the Christian church there is no truth, no Christ, no salvation."

John Calvin, in the Institutes of the Christian Religion said, "beyond the pale of the Church no forgiveness of sins, no salvation, can be hoped for". Calvin wrote also that "those to whom God is a Father, the Church must also be a mother."

The idea is further affirmed in the Westminster and London Baptist Confessions of Faith that "the visible Church is the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation."

Live the Gospel?

2011-02-04T14:26:00.000-05:00

My friend Mark posted a short post on the phrase "Live the Gospel". He offered a critique of those who would dislike the use of this phrase.

I want to defend those people who say “live the gospel” and use it in an orthodox, God-honoring way. When many say “live the gospel” they effectively mean, as Al Martin said in the sermon “A life that embodies the transforming power of the gospel”. They don’t mean “Live [because your life is] the gospel” (which would be wrong), they just mean “Live [in light of] the gospel” or “Live [out] the gospel” or “Live [by] the gospel” or “Live [a life marked by] the gospel”. Would that we would all seek our lives to be characterized by that!

If that's what they mean, then that's what they should say. The Gospel is the message and declaration of the forgiveness of sins because of the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Instead of using language that might obfuscate the issue, we should insist on language that is clear.

Many times what people mean by "Live the Gospel" is what St. Francis of Assisi said, "Preach the Gospel always, and use words when necessary." However this is the reverse of what it should be. "Preach the Gospel always, and use actions when necessary" is really how it should be.

In his excellent book Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics, Graeme Goldsworthy makes the following assertion (p. 59):

It cannot be stressed too much that to confuse the gospel with certain important things that go hand in hand with it is to invite theological, hermeneutical and spiritual confusion. Such ingredients of preaching and teaching that we might want to link with the gospel would include the need for the gospel (sin and judgment), the means of receiving the benefits of the gospel (faith and repentance), the results or fruit of the gospel (regeneration, conversion, sanctification, glorification) and the results of rejectingit (wrath, judgment, hell). These, however we define and proclaim them, are not in themselves the gospel. If something is not what God did in and through the historical Jesus tow thousand years ago, it is not the gospel. Thus Christians cannot 'live the gospel' as they are often exhorted to do. They can only believe it, proclaim it and seek to live consistently with it. Only Jesus lived (and died) the gospel. It is a once-for-all finished and perfect event done for us by another.

I can’t live the Gospel. Thank God my life is not the Gospel. My life is not the Good News. Obviously that isn’t an excuse for an ungodly life. If we insist on pointing to our lives as a model for the Gospel we end up having the greatest story never told. We must let the Gospel and it's necessary implication and consequences continually transform our lives to be more like His. The phrase "live the Gospel" however implies something far different then that, despite what well meaning teachers may define the term as. I'm for clarity, not obfuscation.

Exegetical Thoughts: Two Ways Contrasted.

2011-02-02T14:52:00.001-05:00

I'm going to start a series of posts where I basically give some exegetical thoughts on certain passages from the Bible. I will also be providing my "arc" of the passage in question.

"Arcing" is a graphical exegesis tool used to discern, display, and discuss the flow of thought and argumentation in the Biblical text.

http://www.biblearc.com is a place where you can LEARN how to arc. They have a video tutorial. You can then use their site to CREATE and SAVE arcs, and SHARE those arcs with others. I think the membership is like $10 a year or whatever you can afford. I suggest doing the video tutorial online first and then reading the booklet. Once you start using this tool, you'll start to see these categories in the text as you read it.

So, posted below is my "arc" of Psalm 1, and my exegetical thoughts and thinking on this Psalm.

¹ Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers:
² But his delight is in the law of Jehovah; And on his law doth he meditate day and night.
³ And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water, That bringeth forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also doth not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
⁴ The wicked are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
⁵ Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
⁶ For Jehovah knoweth the way of the righteous; But the way of the wicked shall perish. (Psalm 1, American Standard Version)

The righteous and the wicked are on two completely different paths, one of life, the other of judgment. The purpose of this Psalm is to declare this to us by way of contrast.

¹ Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers:

Verse 1 starts the comparison by talking about the blessed man. He is our reference point throughout this Psalm. The "blessed man" can be found frequently throughout the Old and New Testaments.

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom Jehovah imputeth not iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no guile. - Psalms 32:1-2

O Jehovah of hosts, Blessed is the man that trusteth in thee. - Psalms 84:12

The first way of explaining who the blessed man in this Psalm is by way of a series of negative qualities in verse 1.

He doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked. We must beware of the opinions and advice of ungodly.

So I let them go after the stubbornness of their heart, That they might walk in their own counsels. - Psalms 81:12

And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; then I will walk contrary unto you in wrath; and I also will chastise you seven times for your sins. - Leviticus 26:27-28

Hide me from the secret counsel of evil-doers, From the tumult of the workers of iniquity. - Psalms 64:2

He doesn't stand in the way of sinners. We must beware of the maner of life that sinful men lead.

Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby. For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it. - Matthew 7:13-14

He doesn't sit in the seat of scoffers. We must avoid of the intimate company and close association of those who would mock and ridicule God.

I have not sat with men of falsehood; Neither will I go in with dissemblers. I hate the assembly of evil-doers, And will not sit with the wicked.- Psalms 26:4-5

² But his delight is in the law of Jehovah; And on his law doth he meditate day and night.

Verse 2 gives us the description of the blessed man in positive terms. He delights and meditates in God's law.

I delight to do thy will, O my God; Yea, thy law is within my heart. - Psalms 40:8

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man. - Romans 7:22

What is meant by "the law of the Lord"? The law is God's entire eternal moral code. It is summarized in the Ten Commandments and in the two Great Commandments. The law specifically says two things: "Do this, and you will live", (Leviticus 18:5); and threatens us by saying, "if you don't do it, you will surely die." (Genesis 2:17) Furthermore, this law requires complete and perfect obedience."Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." - Matthew 5:48

Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it speaketh to them that are under the law; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may be brought under the judgment of God: because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for through the law cometh the knowledge of sin. - Romans 3:19-20

The law was given to show us our sin. It was made to show that we are all subjects of God's wrath and judgment. So why would we delight in that? It just tells us we're doomed!

Now that no man is justified by the law before God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by faith; and the law is not of faith; but, He that doeth them shall live in them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree. - Galatians 3:11-13

So that the law is become our tutor to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. - Galatians 3:24

The law points us to Christ, who lived a life of complete and perfect obedience to it and died in our place and stead. He became a curse for us and removed the curse of the law from us. That is a primary reason why we can delight in it. We should also delight in it because it shows us how we may lead a Godly life empowered by the Gospel.

Why should we meditate on it?

Thy word have I laid up in my heart, That I might not sin against thee. - Psalm 119:11

But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith Jehovah: I will put my law in their inward parts, and in their heart will I write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. - Jeremiah 31:33

For the grace of God hath appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present world; looking for the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a people for his own possession, zealous of good works. - Titus 2:11-14

Thomas Wilcocks describes the righteous ones who delight and meditate on God's law as "They that have Christ's righteousness imputed to them and endeavour righteous living in themselves."

Verses 3 and 4 illustrate the idea of verses 1 and 2 by way of an analogy.

³ And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water, That bringeth forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also doth not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

In verse 3, the blessed man is described positively to be like a tree planted by streams of water. This action, being planted by streams of water, results in a progression of increasing benefits. He brings forth fruit, his leaf doesn't wither, and everything he does prospers.

Notice: Where does it grow? By the streams of water.

Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a well of water springing up unto eternal life. - John 4:14

How did it come to be there? It was planted.

He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet given ; because Jesus was not yet glorified. - John 7:38-39

Notice also that it yeilds fruit.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; and so shall ye be my disciples.- John 15:5-8

⁴ The wicked are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

In verse 4, the wicked are said to be not so, but are compared to chaff that the wind drives away. Spurgeon explains that the comparison of the wicked to chaff is meant to drive home the point that the wicked are "intrinsically worthless, dead, unserviceable, without substance, and easily carried away."

⁵ Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

Verse 5 then contains an inference drawn from verses 1 through 4. The doom of the wicked is certain. There are two aspects here to the fate of the wicked. First, on the day of Judgment the wicked will not be accquited but condemned.

Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. - Jude 14-15

Secondly, the wicked will be separated from the saints.

But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all the nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats; and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels. - Matthew 25:31-34, 41

⁶ For Jehovah knoweth the way of the righteous; But the way of the wicked shall perish.

Verse 6 gives more reasons for the conclusion drawn in verse 5. We have here a sweet encouragement and a dire warning.

The sweet encouragement is that God knows the righteous!

I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me. - John 10:14

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. - John 10:27

And this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, even Jesus Christ. John 17:3

Howbeit the firm foundation of God standeth, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his: and, Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness. - 2 Timothy 2:19

There is also a dire warning, judgment is coming.

Inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.- Acts 17:31

To finish off this meditation, here is Issac Watts version of this Psalm.

PSALM 1
by Issac Watts

The way and end of the righteous and the wicked.

Blest is the man who shuns the place

Where sinners love to meet;

Who fears to tread their wicked ways,

And hates the scoffer's seat:

But in the statutes of the Lord

Has placed his chief delight;

By day he reads or hears the word,

And meditates by night.

He, like a plant of gen'rous kind,

By living waters set,

Safe from the storms and blasting wind,

Enjoys a peaceful state.

Green as the leaf, and ever fair,

Shall his profession shine

While fruits of holiness appear

Like clusters on the vine.

Not so the impious and unjust;

What vain designs they form!

Their hopes are blown away like dust,

Or chaff before the storm.

Sinners in judgment shall not stand

Amongst the sons of grace,

When Christ, the Judge, at his right hand

Appoints his saints a place.

His eye beholds the path they tread,

His heart approves it well

But crooked ways of sinners lead

Down to the gates of hell.

Psalm 65

2011-02-02T10:18:00.000-05:00

The following is a beautiful rendition of Psalm 65 from the Scottish Psalter (Circa 1650).

Psalm 65

To the chief Musician, A Psalm and Song of David.

8,6,8,6

^1Praise waits for thee in Sion, Lord:

to thee vows paid shall be.

^2O thou that hearer art of pray'r,

all flesh shall come to thee.

^3Iniquities, I must confess,

prevail against me do:

But as for our transgressions,

them purge away shalt thou.

^4Bless'd is the man whom thou dost chuse,

and mak'st approach to thee,

That he within thy courts, O Lord,

may still a dweller be:

We surely shall be satisfy'd

with thy abundant grace,

And with the goodness of thy house,

ev'n of thy holy place.

^5O God of our salvation,

thou, in thy righteousness,

By fearful works unto our pray'rs

thine answer dost express:

Therefore the ends of all the earth,

and those afar that be

Upon the sea, their confidence,

O Lord, will place in thee.

^6Who, being girt with pow'r, sets fast

by his great strength the hills.

^7Who noise of seas, noise of their waves,

and people's tumult, stills.

^8Those in the utmost parts that dwell

are at thy signs afraid:

Th' outgoings of the morn and ev'n

by thee are joyful made.

^9The earth thou visit'st, wat'ring it;

thou mak'st it rich to grow

With God's full flood; thou corn prepar'st,

when thou provid'st it so.

^10Her rigs thou wat'rest plenteously,

her furrows settelest:

With show'rs thou dost her mollify,

her spring by thee is blest.

^11So thou the year most lib'rally

dost with thy goodness crown;

And all thy paths abundantly

on us drop fatness down.

^12They drop upon the pastures wide,

that do in deserts lie;

The little hills on ev'ry side

rejoice right pleasantly.

^13With flocks the pastures clothed be,

the vales with corn are clad;

And now they shout and sing to thee,

for thou hast made them glad.

__________________________________________________________________

The Message of the Bible

2011-01-26T08:55:00.000-05:00

I am reading through Edward Fisher's "The Marrow of Modern Divinity". In chapter two he has a sentence that I think accurately summarizes the whole theme of Biblical revelation.

God, to whose eternal knowledge all things are present, and nothing past or to come, foreseeing man's fall, before all time purposed, and in time promised, and in the fullness of time performed, the sending of his Son Jesus Christ into the world, to help and deliver fallen mankind.

Link: Jehovah's Witnesses and John 1:1

2011-01-25T09:14:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine sent me a link to his friend's blog. He has a very interesting post on John 1:1.

Here's a quote:

The construction is specific and purposeful on John’s part. The pre-verbal anarthrous predicate nominative construction is speaking about the nature of the Word. In other words, John 1:1c is not trying to say whether The Word is God the Father or the Word is a different kind of God or godlike. What John is saying is “what God was the Word was” or as the NET puts it “the Word was fully God.” (see note there). The construction is addressing the nature or quality of the Word. It is interesting to note that in more recent publications the Watchtower recognizes this but still comes to a different conclusion.

You can check out the rest of the article here:

Jehovah's Witnesses and John 1:1

Thoughts on Eternal Life

2011-01-17T16:13:00.000-05:00

The Greek words for "eternal life" are zoe aionios. Aionios comes from the Greek word for age. Zoe means life. Unless I am mistaken, I think the basic idea is “the life of the age.” The "age" in view here is the life in "the age which is to come". There is a clear idiom here that implies duration, but there is also much teaching on the quality of this life.

Essentially what I understand is that zoe aionios, eternal life, refers to both:

1) to a quality of life. "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10 ESV) This is the quality of life that is found in the age to come. This is quality of life that is of such a high quality because it involves a deeply intimate relationship with God through Christ. "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." (John 17:3 ESV)

2) to a duration of life. “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (John 11:25-26 ESV) This is the unending duration of the life to be found in the age to come. Because we have eternal life, our life will never end. Our life will never end because the age to come will never end. "Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life." (John 5:24 ESV)

Some say eternal life is ONLY a quality of life with no implied duration. Some say it's ONLY a duration. I think that the tendency to restrict the meaning of "eternal life" to only one of these two aspects is overly simplistic. I think it's quite probable that there are shades of meaning here. Different verses emphasize different meanings in this phrase, and some verses emphasize many meanings at once. It isn't a cut and dry, black and white thing.

Also, by way of a rabbit trail, what we have here is a simultaneous now/not yet paradigm.

We have eternal life now, yet we have not yet entered into the full experience of that life. The power and presence of "the age which is to come" has invaded "this present evil age". The kingdom is here, but it isn't fully realized. "The age to come" has commenced and is running along side "this present evil age". When you become a Christian, you are transferred from one age to the other, yet this is only fully realized at the consummation. The kingdom of God is at hand. One day "this present evil age" will be gone and all that will be left is "the age which is to come".

From the NET (New English Translation) Bible Translation notes on John 17:3:

This is eternal life. The author here defines eternal life for the readers, although it is worked into the prayer in such a way that many interpreters do not regard it as another of the author’s parenthetical comments. It is not just unending life in the sense of prolonged duration. Rather it is a quality of life, with its quality derived from a relationship with God. Having eternal life is here defined as being in relationship with the Father, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom the Father sent. Christ (Χριστός, Christos) is not characteristically attached to Jesus’ name in John’s Gospel; it occurs elsewhere primarily as a title and is used with Jesus’ name only in 1:17. But that is connected to its use here: The statement here in 17:3 enables us to correlate the statement made in 1:18 of the prologue, that Jesus has fully revealed what God is like, with Jesus’ statement in 10:10 that he has come that people might have life, and have it abundantly. These two purposes are really one, according to 17:3, because (abundant) eternal life is defined as knowing (being in relationship with) the Father and the Son. The only way to gain this eternal life, that is, to obtain this knowledge of the Father, is through the Son (cf. 14:6). Although some have pointed to the use of know (γινωσκω, ginosko) here as evidence of Gnostic influence in the Fourth Gospel, there is a crucial difference: For John this knowledge is not intellectual, but relational. It involves being in relationship.

Book Log - Jan. 1 - 15, 2011

2011-01-14T15:12:00.000-05:00

I have decided to follow the example of a friend of mine and start a log of all the books I have finished reading with brief reviews.

Jan 1 - Jan 15 2011

The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- A very entertaining read. Holmes at his best. This one contains my favorite Holmes story, "The Final Problem".

The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- The good thing about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is that you can expect nothing but the best from him. This is the follow up book to Memoirs. Once again, very entertaining.

Living for God's Glory: An Introduction to Calvinism by Joel R. Beeke
- An awesome introduction to Calvinism that spans more then just the five points. Although I don't think this book would convince an non-Calvinist, it is quite helpful to those interested in Calvinism or those who want a broad overview. The chief part of this book is the excellent way it relates Calvinism to the rest of the Christian life, and not just the "Five Points". Highly recommended.

Growing Up in Grace: the Use of Means for Communion with God by Murray G. Brett
- A decent although basic book. At times quite convicting and a bit Law heavy. Some good guides on prayer and sin. A good for an introductory discussion about sanctification and the daily struggle with sin.

"Jehovah" in the New Testament?

2011-01-05T15:40:00.002-05:00

The Jehovah's Witnesses have their own translation of the Bible, the New World Translation. One of the major differences of this translation from other translations is the insertion of the name "Jehovah" over 200 times in the New Testament.

However, The Tetragrammaton, (the four letters of God's name in Hebrew), is never found in any of more than 5,000 ancient Greek manuscript copies of the New Testament. It is also missing from ALL of the 36,000+ quotations of the Scriptures made by the early church fathers before the 4th century. The Tetragrammaton never occurs in the Greek text of the Kingdom Interlinear Translation.

If something as important as God’s name was lost from the Christian Greek Scriptures, did God fail to keep His promise to preserve His word from corruption?

The Watchtower says that "Apostate Christendom" removed it? Who removed it? What group? How? Where is your evidence? Proof? How did they get all the manuscripts that were spread to every corner of the Roman Empire and even beyond? How did they do it while being thrown to lions? We have manuscripts that date to within 25 years of the original? How did they do it without leaving any trace of tampering?

The Apostles didn't make a mistake. They were led by the Holy Spirit to do replace the Divine name with Kurios this way. If you say that it was changed, you can't trust anything else in the New Testament. Nothing. You can't know if anything else was taken out or if anything else was added. If they can take out the Divine Name and there is not a shred of manuscript evidence to prove it, then throw out the New Testament.

The Watchtower makes assertions, but simply has no proof.

Obviously not. The implication of this, and the evidence point to the fact that the Tetragrammaton was never in any of the New Testament manuscripts EVER. IF it was removed, you can't trust anything the Bible says because there is not a shred of textual evidence to show that it was removed. By insisting on having the Tetragrammaton in the New Testament you undermine the Bible's reliability! If the name went missing, what else might have? What might have been added? You lose all trust and confidence in the New Testament.

Further, the Septuagint (The Greek Old Testament), despite the best attempts made by the Watchtower, does not make reference to Jehovah or Yahweh, but uses the Greek term kurios in place of the Tetragrammaton. It was translated 300 years before Christ by Jews. By the time of Christ, the Tetragrammaton was unpronounced by everyone except the High Priest. All used either adonai or kurios. The Watchtower is wrong here.

Let's examine a few of the passages from the New World Translation, compare them with the Greek, and see if this is the case. These are commonly cited passages.

Matthew 4:4
επί παντί ρήματι εκπορευομένω διά στόματος θεού
epi panti remati ekporeuomeno dia stomatos theou
but by every word coming forth by the mouth of God.

There is no divine name in this passage. Here we have theou, God, not the Divine Name

Matthew 4:7
ουκ εκπειράσεις κύριον τον θεόν σου
ouk ekpeipaseis kurion ton theon sou
You shall not put to test the Lord your God.

There is no divine name in this passage. Here we have kurion ton theon, The Lord your God

Matthew 4:10
γεγραπται γαρ κύριον τον θεόν σου προσκυνήσεις
gegraptai gar kurion ton theon sou proskuneseis
For it is written, You shall do obeisance to the Lord your God

There is no divine name in this passage. Here we have kurion ton theon, The Lord your God

Matthew 22:37
αγαπήσεις κύριον τον θεόν σου εν όλη τη καρδία σου
agapeseis kurion ton theon sou ek ole te kardia sou
love the Lord your God with your entire heart

There is no divine name in this passage. Here we have kurion ton theon, The Lord your God

Matthew 22:44
είπεν ο κύριος τω κυρίω μου
eipen ho kurios to kurio mou
The Lord said to my Lord

There is no divine name in this passage. Here we have ho kurios, the Lord

Luke 4:18
πνεύμα κυρίου επ΄ εμέ
pneuma kuriou ep eme
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me

There is no divine name in this passage. Here we have kuriou, the Lord

Luke 4:19
κηρύξαι ενιαυτόν κυρίου δεκτόν
kepexai eniauton kuriou dekton
to proclaim the accepted year of the Lord

There is no divine name in this passage. Here we have kuriou, the Lord

Acts 15:14-17
όπως αν εκζητήσωσιν οι κατάλοιποι των ανθρώπων τον κύριον και πάντα τα έθνη εφ΄ ους επικέκληται το όνομά μου επ΄ αυτούς λέγει κύριος ο ποιών ταύτα πάντα

opos an ekzetesosin oi kataloipoi ton anthropon ton kurion kai panta ta ethne eph ous epikekletai to ovoma mou ep autous legei kurios o poion tauta panta

so that the remnants of men shall seek after the Lord, and all the nations upon which my name has been called upon by them, says the Lord -- the one doing all these things.

There is no divine name in this passage. Here we have τον κύριον, ton kurion, the Lord.

In every case where the New World Translation says "Jehovah" in the New Testament, the Greek says "kurios" or one of its forms.

There is no evidence that these texts have ever been changed, altered, or tampered with at all. I take the New Testament at it's word. When it says Jesus said, "the Lord" instead of the divine name, I believe it. The question is are you going to let your tradition overturn what the New Testament actually says?

But what about texts in the New Testament that talk about the name of God? "Hallowed be thy name", "I have made thy name known", Etc.

Here I cite the Watchtower against itself. From the Watchtower of 1973 May 1st p. 259, in the article, "What Does God’s Name Mean to You?"

We are not to believe that when Jesus said, “I have made your name known” or “manifest,” he referred to only the pronunciation of the divine name. His listeners were Jews who, reportedly with the exception of the high priest, did not know the pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton, the four Hebrew letters making up the name. Then, how did Jesus, by more than pronouncing the name correctly, ‘make God’s name known’ to the apostles? Note the answer given by one noted Bible commentator:

“The word name [in John 17] includes the attributes, or character of God. Jesus had made known his character, his law, his will, his plan of mercy. Or in other words, he had revealed God to them. The word name is often used to designate the person.”—Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels by Albert Barnes (1846).

When they say, "We are not to believe that when Jesus said, “I have made your name known” or “manifest,” he referred to only the pronunciation of the divine name." I would disagree with an implication in this sentence. When Jesus said he made the Father's name known, he NEVER referred to the use or pronunciation of the divine name.

But Albert Barnes (A good Calvinist I may add), is right. The term "God's name" or other related phrases are just a fancy way of referring to God himself. Jesus did not mean he made a personal pronoun known. That is taking him far too literally. When he said he made God's name known, he means he made God known. The phrase "God's name" thus, "includes the attributes, or character of God. The word name is often used to designate the person."

The use and pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton is not important. If it was, it would be in the New Testament, which it isn't. There is no proof that Jesus or the disciples ever used or pronounced the divine name. The quote from the Watchtower and Mr. Barnes is quite enough proof of that. Notice the Watchtower's admission, "His listeners were Jews who, reportedly with the exception of the high priest, did not know the pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton." They used ADONAI instead of the name. When the Greek New Testament was written, they rightly use Kurios, because Kurios is the Greek equivalent of Adonai. If they had used the Tetragrammaton, it would be in the Greek too.

"But what we have here is a quote from the Old Testament, and the Divine Name is in the Hebrew quote". Who cares! It's not in the Greek, and it's not in the Greek for a reason. Do not change the manuscripts based on what you think should be there.

If you consistently render "kurios" as "Jehovah" every time that an Old Testament verse is quoted where "Jehovah" was used, then you must be consistent in this practice....

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
(Philippians 2:10-11 ESV)

This is also quoted in Romans:

"Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
(Romans 14:10-11 ESV)

These are actually quotes from "Jehovah" in Isaiah:

"By myself I have sworn; from my mouth has gone out in righteousness a word that shall not return: ‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.’ Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; to him shall come and be ashamed all who were incensed against him." (Isaiah 45:23-24 ESV)

Now if you were going to be consistent, should it not be, "and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Jehovah, to the glory of God the Father"?

There is a transition of the power and authority of the Old Testament name of Jehovah to the New Testament name of Jesus. This happened in order to reveal God's full plan of salvation. "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 ESV) If you reject Jesus' full inheritance of the name Jehovah, you are in essence rejecting the Father as well. Jesus said clearly, "The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him." (John 5:22-23 ESV)

Here is another example:

"You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands." (Hebrews 1:10 ESV)

Hebrews 1:10-12, which is applied to the Son, is a quotation of a Psalm talking about Jehovah!

“O my God,” I say, “take me not away in the midst of my days—you whose years endure throughout all generations!" Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. (Psalm 102:24-25 ESV)

I insist that the words that translators use in their translations of the Bible must be words actually found in the best available Bible manuscripts. I do not allow translators to change the meaning of the best available Bible manuscripts by adding different words from sources outside of these ancient Bible manuscripts themselves.

The fact is, the New Testament has kurios, and not the divine name. If you think that it should have "Jehovah", then be consistent. The result of consistency would be a direct application of the divine name to Jesus Christ. God the Father (Jehovah) would be calling His Son, Jesus Christ, by the divine name, Jehovah, in numerous passages. The Watchtower can't handle this, and thus they are not consistent.

Romans 5

2010-12-31T01:39:00.000-05:00

I'm going to deal with Romans 5 in two sections: verses 1-11 first with some brief comments and verses 12-21 with some more in-depth comments.

I will be quoting from the English Standard Version.

Quote:

[5:1] Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. [2] Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. [3] More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, [4] and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, [5] and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
[6] For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. [7] For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— [8] but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. [9] Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. [10] For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. [11] More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
(Romans 5:1-11 ESV)

First some claim that this chapter is about sanctification. However that is simply not the case.

What do I think this section is talking about then:

Paul in this section is expounding the benefits and results of Justification by faith. That is why the "therefore" or "because" is there for.

Instead of the estrangement and enmity of 3:10-17, verse 1 tells us that there is peace with God.

Instead of falling short of God's glory through sin mention in 3:23, verse 2 says there is the hope of glory and access to God's presence.

Instead of suffering under judgment like in 2:5-6, verses 3 though 5 say there is joy in tribulation because of what God produces through it by his Spirit. Here is your reference to sanctification, but notice it is mentioned in passing as a result and benefit of Justification by faith. Paul's more full treatment of sanctification is chapter's 6 though 8.

Instead of fearful uncertainty like in Hebrews 10:27, in verses 6 through 8 there is assurance of God's love.

In verses 9 and 10 Paul argues from the greater to the lesser. If God has done for us the greater thing in the suffering and death of his Son, he will also give us the lesser thing, that is, he will give us final salvation.

So Paul ends this section in verse 11 by telling us one of the best benefits and results of Justification by faith, and that is joy in God.

Onward to the next section....

Quote:

[12] Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— [13] for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. [14] Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
[15] But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. [16] And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. [17] For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
[18] Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. [19] For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. [20] Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, [21] so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Romans 5:12-21 ESV)

What do I think this section is talking about:

In the second half of this chapter Paul expands upon the blessings, benefits, and results of Justification by faith by introducing the greatest blessing, benefit, and result of them all: the triumph of Christ's work over the inherited guilt of Adam's sin. Paul is trying to show how one person's death can provide salvation to so many. The proof for this claim is Adam. Adam proves that it is possible for one man's actions to affect many other people. We see here a comparison between Adam's disobedience and Christ's obedience.

In verse 12 Adam is portrayed as the federal head or representative of all those who are in the old creation. Christ is later presented as the federal head of all those who are in the new creation. A federal head is someone who acts on the behalf of all those who are under him, kind of like the president. Adam was the representative of humanity. As a result of his one sin, human death entered the world.

The context shows that Paul is not talking about actual sins that people commit every day of their lives, because the entire section is about the comparison between Adam and Christ. When Paul says "so" in "and so death spread to all men because all sinned", he is saying that through the sin of Adam "all men sinned". All men sinned in Adam. The word translated here as "so" is hutous and it means "thus, in this way", that is through Adam's sin. Adam was the federal head of the race and acted on behalf of us all. When Adam sinned everyone sinned. The text doesn't say "because all men sin", it says "because all men sinned". It's past tense, so when did all men sin? When Adam sinned. The idea is that "all men sinned" means that God thought of us all as having sinned when Adam disobeyed.

This is proven by verses 13 and 14. Here Paul shows us that from the time of Adam until the time of Moses, people did not have God's written laws. Although their sins were "not counted" as violation of the law, yet they still died. Although Adam violated a commandment specifically revealed to him by God, those who lived from Adam to Moses didn't sin that way because they didn't have that revelation. Yet they still died. There was no law, sin can't be imputed to them, but they still died. The fact that they died is very good proof that God counted people guilty on the basis of Adam's sin.

The idea that God counts us guilty because of Adam's sin is also proved in verses 18 and 19. Notice the key phrase in these verses: "For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners". Paul says explicitly here that through Adam's disobedience many were made sinners. The word for "made" is katestathesan. Here it is the aorist indicative. This means that it is a action completed in the past with results stretching into the future. As our representative Adam sinned, and God counted us guilty as well as Adam. He imputed Adam's guilt to us. Adam's guilt belongs to us.

If you say, "that is unfair", let me point something out to you. If you think that it's unfair for all of us to be represented by Adam, then we should also think that it is unfair for us to be represented by Christ. If you don't think it's fair to have Adam's guilt imputed to us, then it is also not fair to have Christ's righteousness imputed to us.

So notice that this section is all about the benefits, blessings, and results of Justification. Adam, the first man, was the God appointed representative head of the entire human race. His sin forfeited righteousness for all those he represented. In the same way, God made Christ the representative head of a new humanity so that his obedience to death might gain the justification of all who believe. The results is that salvation in Christ reverses the effects of Adam's fall and our inherited guilt. Notice the comparison in verses 15 to 19:

Look first at Adam:

Through one man's trespass:

Through one man's trespass many died.
Through one man's trespass judgment and condemnation followed for everyone.
Through one man's trespass death reigns on everyone.
Through one man's disobedience all are reckoned sinners.

Through the free gift:

Through the free gift grace abounded for many.
Through the free gift brought justification for many.
Through the free gift life reigns.
Through the free gift many are made righteous.

In verses 20 and 21 Paul says that the specific laws of Moses were added to increase sin in the lives of unbelievers. This gave God occasion to be even more gracious by forgiving sins, and he did this through the Jesus Christ. His atonement outweighs the sinfulness of both our actual sins and our inherited guilt from Adam.

What Paul teaches here has been called "Original Sin" and the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith (Ch. 6 Sec. 3-4) along with similar wording in the 1647 Westminster Confession of Faith (Both Puritan confessions) summarise Original Sin this way:

Quote:

The family of man is rooted in the first human pair. As Adam and Eve stood in the room and stead of all mankind, the guilt of their sin was reckoned by God's appointment to the account of all their posterity, who also from birth derived from them a polluted nature. Conceived in sin and by nature children subject to God's anger, the servants of sin and the subjects of death, all men are now given up to unspeakable miseries, spiritual, temporal and eternal, unless the Lord Jesus Christ sets them free.

The actual sins that men commit are the fruit of the corrupt nature transmitted to them by our first parents. By reason of this corruption, all men become wholly inclined to all evil; sin disables them. They are utterly indisposed to, and, indeed, rendered opposite to, all that is good.

Grace and peace,
Matt

Enter the Narrow Gate

2010-12-16T12:13:00.006-05:00

23 "Lord," someone asked Him, "are there few being saved?" He said to them, 24 "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won't be able 25 once the homeowner gets up and shuts the door. Then you will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, 'Lord, open up for us!' He will answer you, 'I don't know you or where you're from.' 26 Then you will say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets!' 27 But He will say, 'I tell you, I don't know you or where you're from. Get away from Me, all you workers of unrighteousness!' (Luke 13:23-27 HCSB)

Jesus' story here answered the question in verse 23 about why so few people were being saved. There is an implication here, and that is we actually need to be saved. Jesus says that we are "workers of unrighteousness" before we enter the gate. Jesus' response to the question tells us what workers of unrighteousness should do to be “saved.” To be “saved,” one should make every effort to enter through the narrow door.

Now Jesus is clearly using a metaphor here and thus must be understood metaphorically. The metaphor is making every effort to enter through the narrow door. The narrow door is salvation. "Making every effort to enter" is how we are saved. In effect he is saying let your salvation be the grand business of your whole life. Entering the narrow door involves repentance. That is was verses 3 and 5 say in this same chapter. "No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as well!" (Luke 13:3,5) This also involves faith. This is stated earlier in Luke as well. "The seeds along the path are those who have heard. Then the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved." (Luke 8:12 HCSB). It is because they were not entering by the narrow door (repentance from sin and faith in Jesus) while the Lord gave them opportunity (in this case, while Jesus was present, preaching the gospel).

Unbelievers may say that they knew Jesus socially (we ate and drank) or they knew his public ministry (You taught in our streets), but they don't know the Lord, they haven't embraced him as Savior. This can be seen in Jesus response to them, "I don't know you or where you're from". Because they had not been justified (declared righteous) through faith in Christ (Romans 5:1), they were ultimately workers of unrighteousness. Listening to Jesus' teachings and sharing social fellowship with his people is not going to save anyone. You can go to Church and hang out with Christians all you want but it won't save you. Salvation only comes through personal trust in Christ.

Jesus says we must "enter through the narrow door" because "many will try to enter and won't be able." There will eventually be a time when the opportunity to trust in Christ will be taken away. Christ is now offered to you as Saviour and Redeemer. However, a day is coming when he will sit on his throne and be Judge. So here we find the answer to the question in verse 23. Are there many going to be saved? Jesus doesn't answer directly, but says that many would try to enter after it was too late. As you read this post, it is not too late... "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." (Hebrews 3:15 HCSB) " In an acceptable time, I heard you, and in the day of salvation, I helped you. Look, now is the acceptable time; look, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2 HCSB) Repent of sin and turn to Christ, and he will forgive you. Enter the narrow gate!!

Thoughts on Christmas....

2010-12-09T14:45:00.001-05:00

Is Christmas a day Christians can celebrate with a good conscience, or is Christmas condemned in the Scriptures? Whilst I understand that there used to be a Pagan festival on Dec. 25th, and whilst I also understand that "Christmas" today is a really just a consumer driven, money grab, those are not the things that I want to remember and celebrate during "Christmas".

If I don't do the Santa thing or engage in the secular "Christmas" celebrations, which usually lead to some sort of debauchery, what in the world is wrong with me taking time out to remember the second most important event ever in the history of the entire human race?

The incarnation, the birth of Christ, is one of the most essentially parts of the Christian Gospel. "The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory, the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14 HCSB) This is something about which Paul says, "most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great: He was manifested in the flesh." (1 Timothy 3:16 HCSB) Why is it such a mystery? "For the entire fullness of God’s natures dwells bodily in Christ." (Colossians 2:9 HCSB)

This was such an important event that, "Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors!'" (Luke 2:13-14 HCSB)

The hymn sung by the choir of angels (heavenly host) is well-known today as the "Gloria in Excelsis Deo," from the first words of verse 14 in the Latin Vulgate (glory to God in the highest).

If I want to spend this time with family and fellow believers, praising the wondrous glory of God, what's wrong with that? If I want to use this occasion to offer to others the peace of God that is available through faith in Jesus Christ, what is wrong with that?

You may not want to become engaged in a secular celebration. You may not want to celebrate the pagan Sol Invictus. Neither do I. I want to give glory to God for the birth and incarnation of my Lord Jesus. Without this birth nothing would have been possible in regards to our salvation and the age to come.

"One person considers one day to be above another day. Someone else considers every day to be the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind. Whoever observes the day, observes it to the Lord but whoever does not observe the day, it is to the Lord that he does not observe it." (Romans 14:5-6 HCSB)

Then Paul says a few verses later:

"But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the tribunal of God." (Romans 14:10 HCSB)

So if you choose not to celebrate Christmas, God bless you, may you do so to the glory of God. Don't judge others who do celebrate Christmas to the glory of God.

It seems that some have a bone to pick with Christmas. They don't like Santa? Neither do I. They don't like the consumerism? Neither do I.

However, there is nothing wrong with Christmas being instituted to counteract a very popular pagan/secular. Christmas can be a great alternative to secular/pagan nonsense. We cannot and should not stop the peoples of the world from celebrating. Therefore we should not be surprised that at this time of the year even non-Christians are celebrating "Christmas," that is, using many of the customs now called Christmas customs.

I am not condemning the "Christmas is pagan" crowd. And I certainly am not going obligate them to celebrate Christmas. That would be wrong. Christians have never been commanded to celebrate Christ's birth annually. But we have never been forbidden from doing so. Therefore we are free to do so or not do so. Many dear Christians have been falsely taught that celebrating Christmas is celebrating paganism, and they are wracked with guilt because of it. My message to them is: you are doing nothing wrong to celebrate the birth of God's Son; in fact, praising and thanking God for the gift of His Son is beautiful worship in the sight of God. There is also nothing wrong with using some of the winter customs, provided you keep them in perspective and don't allow them to bury the celebration of Christ's birth.

The Christmas that Christians celebrate is a feast in honor of the great mystery of the Incarnation. In that mystery the Word who was God, became man. In order to redeem us, God became one of us. He became part of His own creation. The Incarnation affirms the importance of both man and the whole of creation. “For God loved the world in this way...”

What am I advocating?

"I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David." (Luke 2:10-11 HCSB)

Messiah the Lord, was born for you. YOU dear sinner!! You have a Savior!! REJOICE MY FRIEND!! THIS IS GREAT NEWS. He gave up his glory to become a man for you!! Rejoice and SING ALOUD! Is this not reason to celebrate???!!! I certainly think so!!

Grace and peace to all,
Matt

Here's My Story...

2010-11-25T19:35:00.000-05:00

Part 1 of 3

Part 2 of 3

Part 3 of 3

Response to Steven Berg

2010-11-22T12:06:00.000-05:00

My good friend Steve, being a "rabid Arminian", has responded to my blog post entitled "Predestination and Voluntary Choice". The following is my response to him.

There is overwhelming biblical supporting the Providence of God.

An interesting quote from Easton's Bible Dictionary along these lines:

Providence is generally used to denote God's preserving and governing all things by means of second causes (Ps. 18:35; 63:8; Acts 17:28; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). God's providence extends to the natural world (Ps. 104:14; 135:5-7; Acts 14:17), the brute creation (Ps. 104:21-29; Matt. 6:26; 10:29), and the affairs of men (1 Chr. 16: 31; Ps. 47:7; Prov. 21:1; Job 12:23; Dan.2:21; 4:25), and of individuals (1 Sam. 2:6; Ps. 18:30; Luke 1:53; James 4: 13-15). It extends also to the free actions of men (Ex. 12:36; 1 Sam. 24:9-15; Ps. 33:14, 15; Prov. 16:1; 19:21; 20:24; 21:1), and things sinful (2 Sam. 16:10; 24:1; Rom. 11:32; Acts 4:27, 28), as well as to their good actions (Phil. 2:13; 4:13; 2 Cor. 12:9, 10; Eph. 2:10; Gal. 5: 22-25). As regards sinful actions of men, they are represented as occurring by God's permission (Gen. 45:5; 50:20. Comp. 1 Sam. 6:6; Ex. 7:13; 14:17; Acts 2:3; 3:18; 4:27, 28), and as controlled (Ps. 76:10) and overruled for good (Gen. 50:20; Acts 3:13).

And a similar quote by John Piper:

God "works all things after the counsel of his will" (Ephesians 1:11). This "all things" includes the fall of sparrows (Matthew 10:29), the rolling of dice (Proverbs 16:33), the slaughter of his people (Psalm 44:11), the decisions of kings (Proverbs 21:1), the failing of sight (Exodus 4:11), the sickness of children (2 Samuel 12:15), the loss and gain of money (1 Samuel 2:7), the suffering of saints (1 Peter 4:19), the completion of travel plans (James 4:15), the persecution of Christians (Hebrews 12:4-7), the repentance of souls (2 Timothy 2:25), the gift of faith (Philippians 1:29), the pursuit of holiness (Philippians 3:12-13), the growth of believers (Hebrews 6:3), the giving of life and the taking in death (1 Samuel 2:6), and the crucifixion of his Son (Acts 4:27-28).

My problem with your response is two fold:

First it is a philosophical response, not an exegetical one. You have problems with God's Providence philosophically. This is to be expected, as you have a degree in philosophy. However, your objections do not disprove the doctrine of Providence at all. When it comes right down to it, if this is what the text teaches, then to the gallows with philosophy. I am not obligated to reconcile your philosophical problems, but to demonstrate what I am teaching from the text of Scripture. Un-liked implications do not disprove me at all. If you have a philosophical or emotional problem with the doctrine of Providence, then your problem is ultimately with God and not with me.

That leads to my second problem with your response. I think it is implied that you are essentially demanding that God should act and conform to your idea of right, and do what seems proper to you! So you reject the idea that God can do what he wants and rule all creation, including the choices of men, according to his will, because you don't like some of the implications. These implications make you reject God's Providence because they don't fit into your categories of what is right or wrong. But who are you to judge God in what he does?

"But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? 'Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?"'" (Romans 9:20 NIV)

"The LORD said to Job: 'Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!' Then Job answered the LORD: 'I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.'" (Job 40:1-5 NIV)

God has a sovereign right to do whatsoever pleases Him, and because it pleases Him, it is by definition equitable and right. Right and wrong are determined by God, and not by us. If it can be proven exegetically that God governs everything, including our choices, according to his will and purpose, then we have no right, as mere creatures, to stand in judgment of God. Judging God by our fallen human notions of justice is the height of arrogance. If God does it, it's right, despite what you may think about it. You may not be able to reconcile everything. Anything God does is going to be mysterious to us. God's providence doubly so because that's part of what makes him God. What kind of God doesn't govern his creation? All we are to do is sit in awe of his incomprehensible majesty. This is a faith issue. Providence is not an acknowledgment that we can make sense of what God is doing; it is an acknowledgment that He can make sense of it and that is all that matters. We are not called upon to explain providence, but to trust the God of providence.

Martin Luther responded to Erasmus the same way.

This is the highest degree of faith -- to believe that He is merciful, who saves so few and damns so many; to believe Him just, who according to His own will, makes us necessarily damnable, that He may seem, as Erasmus says, to delight in the torments of the miserable, and to be an object of hatred rather than of love.' If, therefore, I could by any means comprehend how that same God can be merciful and just, who carries the appearance of so much wrath and iniquity, there would be no need of faith.

You asked for a definition of Concurrence and secondary causes.

Concurrence is "[a]n aspect of God's providence whereby he cooperates with created things in every action, directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do." (Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology).

What are secondary causes? God and his decree is the first or primary cause of all events. Nothing happens by chance, randomly, or outside the sphere of God's decree. But just as a king grants his ministers the honor of executing his commands, so too God employs what are called "secondary causes" to execute his plan. By his providence God controls whatever comes to pass, but secondary causes play their part in bringing them about, working as either fixed laws like the laws of nature, or freely like the will of the creature, or because other causes have caused them. An example of a secondary cause would be the water cycle. But notice what the scriptures say: "For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matthew 5:45 ESV) God "calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out on the surface of the earth, the LORD is his name" (Amos 5:8 ESV) (See also Psalm 135:7 and Acts 14:16-17). So what causes the rain, God or the water cycle? The fact that we have a natural explanation for rain in the form of the water cycle, doesn't mean that God doesn't send the rain. Calvin is right when he says, "It is certain that not a drop of rain falls without the express command of God." (Institutes 1:16:5) God is the primary cause, and he uses the water cycle as a secondary cause.

Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologiae gives a good definition of secondary causes and concurrence:

"God has immediate providence over everything, because He has in His intellect the types of everything, even the smallest; and whatsoever causes He assigns to certain effects, He gives them the power to produce those effects [Thus,] there are certain intermediaries of God’s providence; for He governs things inferior by superior, not on account of any defect in His power, but by reason of the abundance of His goodness; so that the dignity of causality is imparted even to creatures. (ST I.22.3, respondeo)"

God governs the universe generally in a law-like way. Every single event within the universe is under His direct control. This does not take away the truth that secondary, natural causes also make things happen. It does not override or undermine the actions human beings undertake as a result of their own wills.

Aquinas says, “God’s immediate provision over everything does not exclude the action of secondary causes; which are the executors of His order” (ST I.22.3, rep. obj. 2). And again: “since the very act of free will is traced to God as a cause, it necessarily follows that everything happening from the exercise of free will is subject to divine providence. For human providence is included under the providence of God, as a particular under a universal cause” (ST I.22.2, rep. obj. 4).

God's providence and secondary causes are not in conflict but in concord. Natural events cause other natural events to happen, but not without God’s will concurring. God directs the wills and hearts of men, but not without their voluntary concurrence.

In other words, you get universal divine governance, providence over each particular event, providence even over the decisions of human beings – and you get it all without sacrificing secondary causes or making God the author of evil.

God does not directly cause or approve of sin, but only limits, restrains, overrules it for good. Foreordination renders certain an act to be performed by a person. Foreordination does not compel the person to perform the act. Men are at liberty to do what they desire. God does not coerce them. Man is a responsible agent who originates his own sinful acts. Sin is transgression of God’s law and is disobedience to the Lawgiver Himself. God does not influence men to sin against Him. Humanity is primarily responsible for the sin in the world. But, God has a purpose he is working out. Because God sustains the universe's moment-by-moment existence, nothing comes about independently of his will. Nothing can happen unless God has willed it to be so. He governs all creatures and events so that they accomplish his own sovereign plan. God's plan is accomplished either by their acting freely (like the will of the creature) or contingently (because other causes have caused them) or necessarily (as either fixed laws like the laws of nature).

By "freedom" and "freely", I do indeed understand that to mean, "we do what we want to do". The source of what we want is our nature. "An evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of." (Luke 6:45 NIV) Our heart is what determines our choices. But that we are not absolutely free, Jesus gives his plain and clear testimony: "Jesus replied, 'Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.'" (John 8:34 NIV) Despite being slaves of sin, this is actually what we want. "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19 NIV) But it simply isn't a matter of changing what we love. It isn't a matter of willing something different. We are slaves and in bondage. A Zebra could sooner changes his stripes then a slave of sin free himself. Paul explains this slavery to sin further, "The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God." (Romans 8:7-8 NIV) Our choices stem from our heart. Our heart is enslaved to sin. Thus our will is not "free" but in bondage. This is abundantly clear and the plain meaning of Scripture.

As Luther says, "But a man cannot be thoroughly humbled, until he comes to know that his salvation is utterly beyond his own powers, counsel, endeavours, will, and works, and absolutely depending on the will, counsel, pleasure, and work of another, that is, of God alone. For if, as long as he has any persuasion that he can do even the least thing himself towards his own salvation, he retains a confidence in himself and do not utterly despair in himself, so long he is not humbled before God; but he proposes to himself some place, some time, or some work, whereby he may at length attain unto salvation. But he who hesitates not to depend wholly upon the good-will of God, he totally despairs in himself, chooses nothing for himself, but waits for God to work in him; and such an one, is the nearest unto grace, that he might be saved."

Thus God, in ways beyond our understanding, works in and through everything to bring about his good purposes. It is important for us to see God’s hand in our trials, our pain and suffering, even our own decisions. God’s hand operates in everything that happens to me and in everything I do, right down to my own choices. But it is harder to see God’s hand in our own sinful or unwise decisions. God’s hand of providence is in these decisions also. Indeed, the relationship between God’s providence and human sin is mysterious. We should not thank God for sin, but we should thank him heartily for using even sin to further his good purposes.

As far as my quote of Deuteronomy, I was not appealing to a "two wills" idea in this verse. I was appealing to the fact that it is abundantly obvious that God has not revealed everything about himself and how he operates and rules his creation. There are some things that only God knows. He has revealed somethings to us, and these we can search. But we must avoid searching for answers in areas that God has seen fit to keep secret and not to reveal. As D. A. Carson wrote, "The mystery of providence defies our attempt to tame it by reason. I do not mean it is illogical; I mean that we do not know enough about it to be able to unpack it."

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 'Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?' 'Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?' For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen." (Romans 11:33-36 NIV)

Grace to you,
Matt

Predestination and Voluntary Choice

2010-11-20T04:34:00.000-05:00

FROM all eternity God decreed all that should happen in time, and this He did freely and unalterably, consulting only His own wise and holy will. Yet in so doing He does not become in any sense the author of sin, nor does He share responsibility for sin with sinners. Neither, by reason of His decree, is the will of any creature whom He has made violated; nor is the free working of second causes put aside; rather is it established. In all these matters the divine wisdom appears, as also does God's power and faithfulness in effecting that which He has purposed. (1689 London Baptist Confession, 3.1)

Thus says the confession to which I and my church hold. What this is saying is that God ordains future events in such a way that our freedom and the working of secondary causes (e.g., laws of nature, free choice) are preserved. Theologians call this “concurrence.” God’s sovereign will flows concurrently with our free choices in such a way that our free choices always result in the carrying out of God’s will (by 'free choices' I mean that our choices are not coerced by outside influences).

I thought that it would be good to illustrate my view by way of example, and not just talking about it in theory.

Consider for a moment the Crucifixion of our Lord.

Notice how the Apostles talk about this event in their prayer to God:

Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. (Acts 4:27-28 NIV)

And again in the Pentecost Sermon:

This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. (Acts 2:23 NIV)

Jesus is described as "the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world." (Revelation 13:8 NIV)

So with that in mind consider this:

Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken,” and, as another scripture says, “They will look on the one they have pierced.” (John 19:31-37 NIV)

The question then is raised:

Were the soldiers acting upon their voluntary decision? Was it their own "free will" choice to not break Jesus legs? Yes to both. It was their free, non-compulsory choice to not break Jesus bones. They were not forced to do it. It was a decision that they made freely to not break his bones.

At the exact same time, in Exodus 12:46; Numbers 9:12; Psalm 34:20 God foretold that not one of Jesus bones would be broken. Indeed, as it says in Acts, Jesus legs not being broken was "by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge". Indeed this was something that God's "will had decided beforehand should happen." While the soldiers did not break his bones because of their own free choice, while they were not forced or compelled to do so save by their own desires, they were at the same time, fulfilling God's prearranged plan.

Put simply, it was God's prearranged plan that not one of his bones would be broken. God also planned the free choice actions of the soldiers involved. At the same time the soldiers acted freely, because of their own choice, and not because they were forced from without or under any compulsion. Both ideas are equally true and we should not sacrifice one for the other but hold onto both.

This is more then just God "foreseeing" the future. The phrases that say that this event took place "by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge" and that God's "will had decided beforehand should happen" clearly preclude any mere and abstract foreknowledge and foretelling of the future. What is in view here is clearly the predetermined plan of God coming to pass. "I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass" (Isaiah 48:3 NIV) Prophecy isn't just God's ability to tell what's going to happen, but it is God foretelling what he has planned to happen, and what he is going to do in history.

So to the question at hand:

Does God predestine everything or is man free? My answer is, "YES".

If you ask me how that can be I will respond:

"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever." (Deuteronomy 29:29 NIV)

The Law and the Gospel Contrasted

2010-11-18T12:53:00.000-05:00

LAW	GOSPEL
THE LAW DEMANDS WHAT WE MUST DO	THE GOSPEL TELLS WHAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US IN CHRIST
LAW COMMANDS US TO DO SOMETHING	GOSPEL PROMISES WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE
THE LAW IS BASED ON OUR PERFORMANCE	THE GOSPEL IS BASED ON CHRIST'S PERFORMANCE ALONE
LAW KILLS	GOSPEL GIVES LIFE
THE LAW DOES NOT SAVE	THE GOSPEL SAYS CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY TO SALVATION
LAW SEEKS CONTRITION IN THE HEART ON ACCOUNT OF SIN	THE GOSPEL SEEKS TO AWAKEN FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST
THE LAW PROMISES NOTHING BUT UPON OUR DOING...	. . . THE GOSPEL PROMISES NOTHING BUT UPON CHRIST'S DOING.
THE LAW PROMISES LIFE IF WE OBEY IT IN OUR OWN SELVES ...	. . . THE GOSPEL PROMISES LIFE THROUGH CHRIST'S PERFECT OBEDIENCE IMPUTED TO US BY FAITH.
WHILE THE LAW DECLARES WHAT OBEDIENCE REQUIRES ...	. . . THE GOSPEL PROVIDES THAT OBEDIENCE IN CHRIST ALONE.
THE LAW IS THE MINISTRY OF WRATH, CONDEMNATION AND DEATH ...	. . . THE GOSPEL IS THE MINISTRY OF GRACE, JUSTIFICATION AND LIFE.
FUNCTION OF THE LAW: Serves to bring people under conviction of sin (Rom. 3:20), make them conscious of inability to keep the Law, and become the tutor to lead them to Christ. (Gal. 3:24)	FUNCTION OF THE GOSPEL: It is a clear representation of the way of salvation revealed in Jesus Christ. It calls the sinner to come to Christ in faith and repentance to receive all the blessings of salvation in the present and in the future.
THE LAW BURDENS, THREATENS, AND PROMISES NO FAVOR.	THE GOSPEL COMFORTS BY PROCLAIMING CHRIST WAS SENT BY GOD TO PROCURE OUR ETERNAL LIFE.
WHERE WE FIND THE LAW: IN NATURE ". . . the requirements of the law are written on their hearts" (Romans 2:15)	WHERE WE FIND THE GOSPEL: REVEALED ONLY THROUGH CHRIST & IN HIS WORD (John 1:17)
THE LAW DOES NOT LEAD TO OUR SANCTIFICATION.	SANCTIFICATION MADE POSSIBLE BY CHRIST'S WORK ALONE.
THE LAW IS OUR ATTEMPT TO OBTAIN GOD'S FAVOR BY OUR ACHIEVEMENT.	THE GOSPEL IS CHRIST'S WORK TO OBTAIN FAVOR FOR US THROUGH HIS ACHIEVEMENT.
THE LAW IS THE HEART OF MOST RELIGIONS AND CULTURES.	THE GOSPEL IS FOUND NO WHERE BUT IN CHRIST.
THE LAW NEEDS HUMAN EXPERIENCE TO BE FULFILLED.	THE GOSPEL DEPENDS ON CHRIST'S EXPERIENCE AND NOT ON OURS.

Reprobation?

2010-11-13T16:43:00.000-05:00

Martin Luther once wrote:

All things whatever arise from, and depend on, the divine appointment; whereby it was foreordained who should receive the word of life, and who should disbelieve it; who should be delivered from their sins, and who should be hardened in them; and who should be justified and who should be condemned.

What exactly is reprobation? Wayne Grudem defines it as "The sovereign decision of God before creation to pass over some persons, in sorrow deciding not to save them, and to punish them for their sins, and thereby to manifest his justice. "

What is the Scriptural backing for such a view?

"What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction?" (Romans 9:22 NIV)

"They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for." (1 Peter 2:8 NIV)

"For certain individuals who were marked out for condemnation long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord." (Jude 1:4 NIV)

And also any verse like this:

"For this reason they could not believe, because, as Isaiah says elsewhere: 'He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn—and I would heal them.'" (John 12:39-40 NIV)

"When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed." (Acts 13:48 NIV)

It is implied that those who were not appointed for eternal life didn't believe.

If God foresaw that in creating a certain person that that person would despise and reject the Saviour, and knowing this beforehand He brought that person into existence anyway, then it is clear He designed and ordained that that person should be eternally lost.

Many Christians objection to this teachings is basically the same as the one Paul presents in Romans 9:

"One of you will say to me: 'Then why does God still blame us? For who is able to resist his will?'" (Romans 9:19 NIV)

They demand that God should act according to their idea of right, and do what seems proper to them - or else that He should cease to be God! So they reject the idea that God can have mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he can harden whom he wants to harden. They say that this is unloving and unjust. In their view, God must be kept in order! God has to be given a list of rules, and He is not to condemn any but those who have deserved it by their own reckoning!

"But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? 'Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?"' Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?" (Romans 9:20-22 NIV)

Paul's answer is simple: God does whatsoever pleases Him, and because it pleases Him, it is by definition equitable and right. We have no right, as mere creatures, to stand in judgment of God.

Luther makes the same point:

You may be worried that it is hard to defend the mercy and equity of God in damning the undeserving, that is, ungodly persons, who, being born in ungodliness, can by no means avoid being ungodly, and staying so, and being damned, but are compelled by natural necessity to sin and perish; as Paul says:'We were all the children of wrath, even as others' (Eph.2.3), created such by God Himself from a seed that had been corrupted by the sin of the one man, Adam. But here God must be reverenced and held in awe, as being most merciful to those whom He justifies and saves in their own utter unworthiness; and we must show some measure of deference to His Divine wisdom by believing Him just when to us He seems unjust.

The same reply should be given to those who ask: Why did God let Adam fall, and why did He create us all tainted with the same sin, when He might have kept Adam safe, and might have created us of other material, or of seed that had first been cleansed? God is He for Whose will no cause or ground may be laid down as its rule and standard; for nothing is on a level with it or above it, but it is itself the rule for all things. If any rule or standard, or cause or ground, existed for it, it could no longer be the will of God. What God wills is not right because He ought, or was bound, so to will; on the contrary, what takes place must be right, because He so wills it. Causes and grounds are laid down for the will of the creature, but not for the will of the Creator - unless you set another Creator over him!

Besides, the wicked condemned, and predestined to condemnation, not arbitrarily, but because of their own evil acts. Never can they point their finger at God, declaring, "God has forced me to do that which was contrary to your Law. It's all your fault God, not mine." The wicked reprobate consciously and willingly sin, and for that sin they shall surely receive eternal desolation. The fault is their own. They receive nothing but God's good justice for their crimes and offenses against Deity!

John Calvin also makes this same point:

The ground of discrimination that exists among the elect is the sovereign will of God and that alone; but the ground of damnation to which the reprobate are consigned is sin and sin alone.

Some may argue that a person cannot be punished for what he cannot help doing. If that is the case, then a Christian may not be rewarded for what his new nature compels him to do. Let us not forget that the nature of a person is not a thing he possesses. It is something he is. If that is the case, neither can we be justified by something someone else did in our behalf.

We shouldn't misrepresent the nature of divine grace, making grace and mercy something God is obliged to show equally to all people. How mercy and grace can be both gratuitous and obligatory at the same? It can't be. Otherwise it isn't grace.

Many say that God loves everyone the same way or that God is obligated to love everyone the same way! But God has the freedom to love as we love. You love your spouse more then any other person. The idea that God loves each person equally results in a denial of any particularity in God’s love, even in His redemptive love. God is free to love whom he wants how he wants and how much he wants. God’s love is the basis of His redemptive work in Jesus Christ. If you are a saved Christian, then you are part of the bride of Christ and were loved by God before the beginning of the world. Are you denying God a freedom that even we as humans have?

Besides, love doesn't and never overturns God's justice. As I have already stated, the unregenerate are condemned because they have sinned against God and violated his law and justice will be served. Love doesn't come into it. If a judge let a serial rapist go scott-free and said, "I'm a loving judge", I'd call him a liar. The loving thing to do would be lock the guy up forever.

While sometimes men may not understand fully the justice and righteousness of God's ways, God's ways are often mysterious to fallible and sinful men and we have no right to question God.

Martin Luther Wrote:

This question touches on the secrets of His Majesty, where 'His judgments are past finding out' (cf. Rom.11.33). It is not for us to inquire into these mysteries, but to adore them.

The Holy Spirit and Obedience.

2010-11-08T14:28:00.000-05:00

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21 NIV)

Someone tried to use this verse to tell me that the person who will be saved and go to heaven has to "do the will" of God. They denied justification by faith, and taught justification by works. How do we respond to verses like this?

Yes, the one who "does the will" of God will enter into the kingdom. What does it mean to "do the will" of God?

What is this will of God? I let Jesus answer:

"For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day" (John 6:40 NIV)

It is not those who simply say, "Lord, Lord," but those who actually do the will of the Father, who are admitted into Heaven. In verse 21, Jesus seems to be making the same distinction that James makes in 2:14: "What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?" Also, further in verse 18 "Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds."

If it is claimed that we are not saved by faith alone, Jesus would be saying we are saved by legalism, by obeying the law. That interpretation of the phrase cannot be correct, because of what verse 22 says.

Verse 22: Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’

Notice, Jesus reports that many people will appear before him at the Judgment and will talk about their works, not their faith. These people-the ones who present works-will be excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven. Far from teaching a message of works, Jesus warns us that anyone who comes before him at the Judgment and offers their works, their covenant faithfulness, or their life as his defense will be condemned. Far from teaching that our works are necessary for our salvation, Jesus here teaches that all our works contribute not one whit to our salvation.

Why will many people not be admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven? What is wrong with their defense? Jesus tells us plainly: They will plead their own lives and Christian works. Jesus tells us that many people at the Judgment will argue that they deserve Heaven, that they have a right to Heaven because they have done many wonderful works in the name of Jesus. They will not acknowledge their depravity, for they think they are good men. They will not acknowledge the Satisfaction and Atonement of Jesus, because they do not believe it. Their prayer will not be, God, be merciful to me a sinner, but, Jesus, I did many wonderful works in your name, and now you ought to reward me with Heaven.

It's quite clear obedience is the evidence of faith. If you lack obedience, you lack faith. "Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him" "does the will of" his Father. Romans 6 makes this point by saying you were once slaves to sin, now you're slaves to righteousness. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15). If you love Christ, if you believe in him, you will keep his commandments.

Notice the promise of the New Covenant:

“The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors[/b] 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. “This is the covenant I will make with the people 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. No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘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.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34 NIV)

Notice the main difference between the Old and New Covenant is that members of the New Covenant have the law written on their heart. What does that mean? Well the contrast is between the Old Covenant which was broken. God's law written on the heart would make sure that the New Covenant would never be broken. Notice also that in the New Covenant "they all will know" the Lord. But those who are condemned in Matthew 7:23 are told, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!". They obviously were never part of the New Covenant, thus they never had the law written on their hearts and continued to not obey their Lord.

Notice also how Ezekiel describes this writing of the Law upon the heart:

"I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." (Ezekiel 36:25-27 NIV)

God promises to those who are part of the New Covenant to put his Spirit in us. Jesus himself talks about the gift and promise of the Spirit. The Spirit will "move us to follow his decrees and be careful to keep his laws."

Jesus also says the same thing in Chapter 7 of Matthew:

"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:7-12 NIV)

Luke puts it this way:

"If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:13 NIV)

Notice how Paul describes the same thing:

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:1-5 NIV)

Did you see how Paul describes us outside of Christ? But Jesus says in the same Sermon on the Mount: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48 NIV)

Are you perfect? Jesus commands your obedience to be perfect.

"For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." (James 2:10 NIV)

Have you ever stumbled in just one point in everything that Jesus commanded you? Ever? I know you have. So you are already guilty of breaking it all!

"Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." (Galatians 3:10 and Deuteronomy 27:26)

Do you continue to do everything that Christ commanded you? All the time perfectly? No you haven't. Therefore you are cursed.

You can't keep the law. You can't obey Christ as you ought. You can't be perfect and Jesus commands you to be perfect. Obeying Christ perfectly is part of those things which Christ says you need to do for your house to be built on a rock and you can't do it. You lack the ability.

"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." (Romans 3:10-12 NIV)

You are not righteous. You don't understand. You don't seek God. You've turned away. You have become worthless. You have not done good.

"The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God." (Romans 8:7-8 NIV)

You are hostile to God. You don't submit to God's law, and you can't submit to it. You cannot please God.

In fact, Genesis tells us "that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time." (Genesis 6:5 NIV) God himself declared it to be thus, saying, "Every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood." (Genesis 8:21 NIV) That includes everyone. Every inclination of the thoughts of your heart is only evil all the time. It's been that way since you were a kid.

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath." (Ephesians 2:1-3 NIV)

You are dead in your transgressions and sins. You follow the way of this world. The spirit of the Ruler of this world rules in your heart. You spend all your time gratifying the cravings of your flesh and following its desires and thoughts. You deserve wrath.

Have you ever even managed to keep one of the Ten Commandments perfectly? Those who teach that we are justified by what we do are placing upon people a burden of helplessness and hopelessness. You can never obey enough to satisfy what God demands and God demands perfection. Not only that, we are corrupt, and evil at heart. Humanity hates God and wants nothing to do with him. Not only do we stand condemned by our own evil deeds and thoughts, but we also stand condemned because of the transgression of Adam. There is no hope for us whatsoever through obedience.

Do you know what God thinks of your obedience? "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away." (Isaiah 64:6 NIV)

If you teach that we are saved by obedience, then you are putting people under the Law. God placed humanity in a covenant with Adam as the representative for the human race. The terms of this covenant were perfect obedience to the Law. God promised life upon the fulfillment and threatened death upon the slightest infraction. Adam willfully broke that covenant and condemned us all by his transgression. He also passed on his own corrupt nature. God's covenant still stands. He commands perfect obedience and we can't give it to him. He still requires it and he will not lessen or lighten his standards. We can't give it to him because we don't want to.

Some might be thinking, "MAN. Matt, that was severe." I know. The law is severe. It brings death and the curse. But it also points to Christ because it points outside of ourselves for the answer:

God is merciful, and he has offered a New Covenant. The conditions of the first covenant were Man's obedience. The condition of the New Covenant is faith alone. The first covenant said "Obey and you will live". The New Covenant says "God has granted you life, therefore obey". In the first Covenant God commands you do it it and doesn't help you at all. In the New Covenant God gives what he commands through the Holy Spirit.

In the New Covenant God fulfills the terms of the first Covenant made with Adam by his Son, Christ Jesus. Jesus lived a perfect life and was perfectly obedient. That perfect life and obedience is credited to our bankrupt account upon trusting in Christ. Christ then takes the obligation of our covenantal debt to God. He also grants believers the Holy Spirit, empowering them and motivating them to obey Christ. Where once they loved their sin now they hate the sin they love. They now desire to obey Christ because the Holy Spirit is living in them. Their obedience is not perfect, because the flesh still kicks around and needs to daily be put to death. It's a struggle and a battle. But because we are justified by faith upon the basis of the obedience of Christ, God can see our imperfect obedience as if it were Christs. We were disobedient because we followed the ways of this world and were under the influence and work of the spirit of disobedience. We gratified the cravings of our flesh. But now God has made us alive. The Holy Spirit now dwells inside of us. He will write the Law on our hearts. He will move us to follow God's decrees and help us to be careful to keep God's laws.

Why do we need this work of the Holy Spirit? Paul mentions it here in Ephesians 2, but he also mentions it else where:

"There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." (Romans 3:10-12 NIV)

Notice what Paul says in Romans 8 about what we can't do, and notice what he says is the only way we are able to do it....

"Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you." (Romans 8:5-9 NIV)

But Jesus says in the same Sermon on the Mount: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48 NIV)

Paul says that we are not perfect, nor can perfect obedience be expected. But it is a daily battle:

"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Romans 7:15-25 NIV)

Did you see Paul's only hope? It wasn't his good works, but Jesus Christ. The only reason God can accept our obedience and good works, which to him look like used menstrual rags (Isaiah 64:6), is because we have been Justified by faith and cleansed by the blood of Jesus.

If obedience is the result of the work of the Holy Spirit, and not what saves us, then what saves us?

"The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26 NIV)

This kinda says that it's not about obedience, but about faith. It also says that a person who has believed in Christ will live their Christian life not by works, but by believing in Christ.

What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord will never count against them.” (Romans 4:3-8 NIV)

Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” (John 6:28-29 NIV)

For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. (John 6:40 NIV)

We don't... do.... anything. Simply place our trust in Christ. That's it.

He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5 NIV)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed beginning and ending in faith, as it is written, "The one who by faith is righteous shall live." (Romans 1:16-17 ESV)

Grace and peace,
Matt

2010-10-27T22:33:00.000-04:00

Found this nugget on the Founders Ministries Blog by Tom Ascol entitled, "Preach Christ crucified no matter what."

Why don't men preach Christ crucified? John Stott offers some profound insights on this question with his analysis of the offense of cross, from his commentary on Galatians. I am humbled and challenged by this reminder.

What is there about the cross of Christ which angers the world and stirs them up to persecute those who preach it? Just this: Christ died on the cross for us sinners, becoming a curse for us (Gal. 3:13). So the cross tells us some very unpalatable truths about ourselves, namely that we are sinners under the righteous curse of God's law and we cannot save ourselves. Christ bore our sin and curse precisely because we could gain release from them in no other way. If we could have been forgiven by our own good works, by being circumcised and keeping the law, we may be quite sure that there would have been no cross. Every time we look at the cross Christ seems to say to us, 'I am here because of you. It is your sin I am bearing, your curse I am suffering, your debt I am paying, your death I am dying.' Nothing in history or in the universe cuts us down to size like the cross. All of us have inflated views of ourselves, especially in self-righteousness, until we have visited a place called Calvary. It is there, at the foot of the cross, that we shrink to our true size. And of course men do not like it. They resent the humiliation of seeing themselves as God sees them and as they really are. They prefer their comfortable illusions. So they steer clear of the cross. They construct a Christianity without the cross, which relies for salvation on their works and not on Jesus Christ's. They do not object to Christianity so long as it is not the faith of Christ crucified. But Christ crucified they detest. And if preachers preach Christ crucified, they are opposed, ridiculed, persecuted. Why? Because of the wounds which they inflict on men's pride.

Young former Witness comes to Christ.

2010-10-20T09:19:00.000-04:00

I was at the "Witnesses Now for Jesus Convention" over the weekend. I had a really blessed time. I made many new life-long friends.

When it is posted on Youtube, I'll post my testimony and another lecture that I think will be beneficial.

But for now, here is the recording of the live stream of the Testimony of my new friend Brian Garcia. Click on the link below to view it.

Hey has a very similar testimony to me and was well received at the convention.

I thoroughly enjoyed his testimony and give it a hearty "Amen!"

Here is his Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/Newagegamer3018

Matt

Resources for Witnessing to Witnesses

2010-10-05T10:16:00.000-04:00

I have received a few emails and comments asking for resources and books on this subject of Jehovah's Witnesses.

As to resources I can recommend a few good books, which I have added links to Amazon.com where you can purchase them. I have sectioned them off into topics.

Overall Guide on how to respond to Jehovah's Witnesses

Reasoning from the Scriptures with Jehovah's Witnesses by Ron Rhodes.
http://www.amazon.com/Reasoning-Scriptures-Jehovahs-Witnesses-Rhodes/dp/0736924515/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1286285865&sr=8-1-spell

On how to share our faith

Tactics by Greg Koukl
http://www.amazon.com/Tactics-Game-Discussing-Christian-Convictions/dp/0310282926/ref=pd_sim_b_79

Deity of Christ and the Trinity

The Forgotten Trinity by James White
http://www.amazon.com/Forgotten-Trinity-James-R-White/dp/1556617259/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_c

Putting Jesus in his Place, the Case for the Deity of Christ by Robert Bowman
http://www.amazon.com/Putting-Jesus-His-Place-Christ/dp/0825429838/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1286287250&sr=1-1

Hell

Sense and Nonsense about Heaven and Hell by Robert Bowman
http://www.amazon.com/Sense-Nonsense-about-Heaven-Hell/dp/0310254280/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1286287269&sr=1-1

On the Gospel and the New Birth

The God who Justifies by James White
http://www.amazon.com/God-Who-Justifies-James-White/dp/0764204815/ref=pd_sim_b_17

Counted Righteous in Christ: Should We Abandon the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness? by John Piper
http://www.amazon.com/Counted-Righteous-Christ-Imputation-Righteousness/dp/1581344473/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1286287160&sr=1-1

Finally Alive by John Piper
http://www.amazon.com/Finally-Alive-John-Piper/dp/1845504216/ref=pd_sim_b_8

The Church

Why we love the Church: In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion by Kevin DeYoung
http://www.amazon.com/Why-Love-Church-Institutions-Organized/dp/0802458378/ref=pd_sim_b_79

By former leader Ray Franz

Crisis of Conscience by Raymond Franz
http://www.amazon.com/Crisis-Conscience-Raymond-Franz/dp/0914675230/ref=pd_sim_b_1

In Search of Christian Freedom by Raymond Franz
http://www.amazon.com/Search-Christian-Freedom-Raymond-Franz/dp/0914675176/ref=pd_sim_b_18

History

Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses by James Penton
http://www.amazon.com/Apocalypse-Delayed-Story-Jehovahs-Witnesses/dp/0802079733/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1286287320&sr=1-1

Websites:

http:\\www.carm.org
http://4witness.org/
http://www.4truth.net/jehovahs-witnesses/
http:\\www.gotquestions.org

I pray that some or all of these resources would be a benefit to you. If I had to choose only one book, it would be the first one "Reasoning from the Scriptures with Jehovah's Witnesses".

Grace and peace to you,
Matthew

Witnessing to Witnesses Lecture 2 MP3

2010-09-26T21:12:00.001-04:00

Here is the Mp3 for the second lecture.

http://gbce.org/MP3/2010_09_26_Afternoon.mp3

Witnessing to Witnesses Part 10

2010-09-24T14:40:00.000-04:00

Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ

So we've looked at how the Watchtower distorts the gospel, now let's see how we can use this to present the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Remember, there are two primary ways the Watchtower distorts the Gospel. First is they limit it's blessings to 144000 and second is they teach that in order to be saved you have to earn it.

You have a Witness at your door, and he finishes his presentation and is offering you literature, most likely a magazine. He has formulated his presentation based on the cover article of the magazine he is offering. So what do you do? Well, play the part of the inquisitive person. You could say, "You guys are Jehovah's Witnesses right? I actually have a serious question for you. Let's suppose that right now, I have a knife in my back. I only have three minutes to live. My blood and life are draining from me. I know I'm dying and no one can help me. How can you help me? How can I be saved? How can I enter the Kingdom? You have three minutes. GO!"

Don't be surprised if all you get a mumbled response or dead silence. There will be stuttering and stammering because you have just caught them off guard. They are prepared for many of our major objections to their religion. They carry a book called “Reasoning from the Scriptures”, which essentially gives them a prefabricated answer from headquarters to most of our main objection. Attacking their gospel is not something they are prepared for I have seen Witnesses floundering like fish out of water. This is an area of theology that the Watchtower confuses it's followers on. So as the time progresses and they flounder, say, "Come on guys. I'm dying. I have three minutes!"

Now it's time to exploit their weaknesses. They will respond by telling you one or all of their requirements of salvation, that you have to take in knowledge, and join their organization, live a moral life and obey God's law, and preach to other people. They've backed themselves into a corner and there is no way out.

So, let's take the first. They tell you that in order to be saved you have to do a whole bunch of things. Your immediate response should be, "What about the thief on the cross? What knowledge did he get? What works could he do? How could he learn anything? He couldn't turn the pages of a book--he was nailed to a cross. Can't go to your meetings either--he was nailed to a cross. He wasn't a good person--he was nailed to a cross. But Jesus said to him, 'You will be with Me in Paradise.' Why? I ask you again, how can I be saved?"

When they go to a promise of salvation in the bible, you've got them there too. In their mind, the New Testament was not written for the Great Crowd, the second class Christians, but it was written for and to the 144000. They believe that everyone in the first century was part of the 144000. All of Paul's letters are written to the saints, which they interpret as the 144000. So you can easily say, “But wait, that is written to the 144000, the anointed. That's not applicable to you.”

There's also that old saying, “be careful what you wish for”. If they desire to receive salvation upon the basis of living a moral life in obedience to God's law, if they want to be justified by the law, well then let's show bring them to the law. So if they say or imply that one has to obey the law to be saved, simply go through some of the ten commandments with them. “Have you ever stolen? What do you call someone who steals? A thief, right? Have you ever lied? What do you call someone who lies? A liar right? Have you ever used God's name as a swear word? That makes you a blasphemer.” Then you can say, “If you have actually never been able to keep the Ten Commandments, upon what basis will God save you at all? If God is going to save you upon the basis of your obedience, you're in trouble because you have never been obedient.” If they say that God can forgive them, quote to them Proverbs 17:15 ESV “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord.” A good judge can't just forgive you. You've broken the law and justice must be satisfied. Imagine a murderer and rapist before a judge being let go because the judge forgave him. You'd be angry because justice wasn't done.

There is also another method you could use. Start off by asking them to define the Gospel, the Good News, for you. They will respond with the typical future kingdom, paradise earth, millennium talk. Once he is finished, ask him to repeat it. After that, repeat it back to him, just to make sure you got it right. You'll notice as he explains the Gospel, he will not mention the death, burial, or resurrection of Christ at all. In fact, rarely will he mention Jesus. So after he has repeated it once and you've repeated it back to him, ask him to go to 1 Corinthians 15. This is a chapter where Paul clearly lays out the Gospel.

"Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles," (1 Corinthians 15:1-7 NIV)

Ask him now, "Why didn't you mention any of that?" As he stumbles along and says, "Oh yeah we believe in that." Take him next to Galatians chapter 1.

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in 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. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! " (Galatians 1:6-9 NIV)

Ask, "Why should I accept anything you say? I gave you three chances, and you have not given me the Biblical Gospel, and thus Paul says you are under God's curse."

The Gospel is so important. God, in love and mercy, sent His only Son, Jesus. He lived a perfect, holy and sinless life. He lived the life we should have lived. He died a brutal death on the cross. He died in the place of sinners. It was the death we should have died. He was buried and rose again, conquering Satan, sin, and death. He never broke the Law, but he died to fulfill the law we had broken, to pay its penalty, to bring salvation to all who, by His grace, turn and trust in Him. God credits or imputes, Christ's lifelong record of perfect obedience to the person who trusts in him. Those who are born again, repent of their sins and trust in Christ, thereby entering into a new life: an eternal fellowship with God.

"Bearing shame and scoffing rude, in my place condemned he stood; sealed my pardon with his blood. Hallelujah! What a Savior!"

There are three passages we are very familiar with that are your best friends when presenting the Gospel. “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV) “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:4-7 ESV) “Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.” (Romans 4:4-5 ESV)

That preaches better then anything the Watchtower preaches. The Witnesses need to know they need to be reconciled with God. Reconciliation implies that God is angry at us because of our Sin. We can't know our sin without the Law. They need to know that if they believe in Christ all their sins, past, present, and future, are paid for and forgiven. Christ lived the good righteous life for us and God looks at us as if we had lived his life.

Their immediate reaction, if they've understood the Gospel right should be, "Then are you saying we can live how we want because we are forgiven?" NO! This is exactly the natural objection to the Gospel and Paul deals with this in Chapter 6 of Romans, "Shall we continue to sin so grace may abound? God forbid!" (6:1)

Obviously we need to live authentic Christian lives. But that is not the Gospel. The Gospel changes our lives us. When you catch a sight of the Glory of Christ you see it's infinite value. There is nothing else in the universe that can compare to the beauty, worth, and majesty of , the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. When the sovereign power of God's grace opens your eyes to Behold the glory of Christ by faith, there is a complete transformation of your person. You are changed from the inside out."And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another." (2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV) Good works are fruit, not root.

If you understand the thrust of those verses, you recognize that we are not saved by keeping the law, but by grace through faith in Christ. I finish this series off with two lines from two hymns that do a great job in this regard:

“Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to the cross I cling; naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; foul, I to thy fountain fly; wash me, Savior, or I die."

"My faith is built on nothing less, then Jesus blood and righteousness. I will not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus name.”

Witnessing to Witnesses Part 9

2010-09-23T13:04:00.000-04:00

The Watchtower Gospel and it's Implications

Defending the biblical gospel is every Christian’s responsibility and privilege. The Witnesses have corrupted the gospel of grace in two ways: (1) they limit the benefits of the New Covenant and the Gospel to a measly 144,000 and (2) they have created a gospel that teaches a works based salvation.
The Witnesses are taught that there are two distinct classes of Christians in their organization. These two classes of Christians do not share a common relationship with God through Christ, nor do they share a common hope. Yet, according to their view, each group is fully Christian and fully acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. At the outset, it must be pointed out that this contradicts a basic Christian tenet, namely, that Christians are “called to the one hope that belongs to your call.” (Ephesians 4:4 ESV) All Christians share a common hope of future spiritual life.

Witnesses teach that from the days of Jesus to the end of the world there will only be 144,000 born-again Christians. These are said to have a heavenly hope and will reign with Christ as kings and priests in his kingdom. The second class, called the Great Crowd, is an unlimited number who are given an earthly hope of life. These millions believe that the world will soon end and they will pass alive into an earthly paradise created by Christ’s reign. There are only a few thousand Witnesses who claim to be one of the 144,000.

The Great Crowd, are said to have an earthly hope of life. They can't take communion and can't claim to be sons of God. They are not part of the seed of Abraham. They are not in the new covenant. They are not born again. Jesus is not their mediator. They are not the elect and cannot claim to be saints. No adoption, no justification, no union with Christ, no assurance. The Witness who is at your door will be in this group.

Once again a quote form Organization is apt. From "The Desire for Peace and Security Worldwide," 1986, p. 10

"Likewise, the Greater Moses, Jesus Christ, is not the Mediator between Jehovah God and all mankind. He is the Mediator between his heavenly Father, Jehovah God, and the nation of spiritual Israel, which is limited to only 144,000 members."

Please consider the impact of this. We know that in the epistle to the Romans, Paul clearly teaches that the only hope for fallen humanity to be at peace with God is through Justification by Faith. However, Romans is written, "to all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints" (Romans 1:7 ESV). From the Witness standpoint this means that Paul is speaking only to those who make up the Church—the 144,000—they are the only saints. The letter of Romans (along with his other letters) were all written to those making up a part of the 144000. Forgiveness of sins through faith in Christ is only given to those who are part of the Israel of God which the WT Society says is limited to 144,000. To apply the promise of the Justification by faith to a group Paul is not addressing is to go beyond the biblical good news. The Watchtower Society tells the Witnesses that they are excluded from being "holy ones" because they are not part of the 144,000. The Society is telling literally 99.9 % of their membership that the gifts and promises of the Gospel do not apply to them!

An illustration may help here. You receive a beautiful, personal letter from your father confirming his love for you and explaining in great detail what he has done and will yet do to guarantee a rich inheritance for you as his beloved child. The letter is so delightful that you share its contents with a close friend. Your friend reads this letter and shares in your joy but understands the letter is not addressed to him. All the love and good things promised are addressed only to you. Your friend will not benefit. He is not your father’s son. That, in essence, is the situation with millions of Jehovah’s Witnesses. On one hand they are told that they are excluded from being a part of the New Covenant—one the other hand they are some how, convoluted, man-made way, promised eternal life.

So how are you saved according to the Watchtower? According to the Watchtower (Watchtower, Feb. 15, 1983, pages 12-13 & Watchtower, Jan. 15, 1997, pages 18-22), there are four requirements for salvation. First, you must take in Knowledge. This means learning the Watchtower system of theology. The second requirement is to conform one's life to the moral requirements set out in the Bible. You must obey all of God's laws for the rest of your life in order to be worthy of salvation. Unless you measure up to God's moral standards, you can't be saved. Third, you must be part of, serve in, and submit to, the Watchtower Organization. Outside of the Organization there is no salvation. Fourthly, you must proselytize regularly.

Notice a quote from the Watchtower, March 1, 1960, p. 134,

"When a person, on the basis of the Scriptural knowledge he has gained, has belief in Christ as the Savior whom God provided and shows that faith by his works, he can consider himself as being on the way to salvation. It would be a mistake for him to think that he is now saved and cannot fall. He must show by his endurance in the Christian faith that he is worthy of salvation. 'Let him that thinks he has a firm position beware that he does not fall.'1 Cor. 10:12... Salvation from death is a gift from God to those that obey him, not to those that disobey."

If you accomplish these four things during your life, you will be rewarded with salvation. If you are one of the chosen few, the 144000, at death you will be immediately rewarded by resurrection into heaven. If you are part of the vast number who get life on earth, you will be resurrected after Armageddon, and only then will Christ's death be applied to you to take away original sin. This is the uncertain result of following Watchtower's way to salvation.

It's like the Witnesses expect that God works like an employer. On the day of judgment they will get to stand before God and share with him their resume. They say in effect, “God, here's my life. I did a good job. I think I deserve to be justified and allowed into heaven.” It's like they're applying for a job. God has 144 000 management positions, and a multitude of employee positions available in his company and there are six billion applicants so you'd better make sure your resume is top notch. You'd better look better, be better, have more experience, make a better impression, if you expect to get the job. That's salvation according to the Watchtower.

Notice again, Watchtower, March 1, 1960, p. 134-135,

"For the select few that have been chosen to rule with Christ in the heavens salvation comes by resurrection from the condition of death. But for the great multitude of people of all kinds that anticipate eternal life on earth salvation will come during Christ's thousand-year reign. Christ will at that time apply toward them the benefits of his ransom sacrifice, that they may be released from Adamic sin, made free from death and lifted to human perfection in an earthly paradise. This is the certain result of following God's way to salvation."

It has been said often, but it deserves repetition: there are only two types of belief systems in the world, those that trust in their own works, and those that trust in the work of another, which is the Gospel. In fact, the bedrock and foundation of all false religion is the claim that the only way to be justified in God's eyes is to earn it by doing your best and obeying the rules. This is exactly the way the Watchtower expects it's members to be saved.

If that's not the Gospel, what is and how can we share it with the Witnesses.

Witnessing to Witnesses Part 8

2010-09-22T16:53:00.000-04:00

Getting in the head of a Jehovah's Witness

Here's a bit of an inside scoop on the Witness at your door. The Witnesses call proselytizing, "the field service", "the field ministry", "the ministry", or "service". So if I was to say, "I'm going out in service", that means I am going to go preaching. Every Witness is required to spend time each month proselytizing. The most well known way they proselytize is by going door to door. Every congregation is allotted a certain territory. This territory is then divided into neighborhoods. The goal is to go every house in the territory in a year.

Not answering the door when they come is also not the best thing. This is because they write down a list of all the houses that are not home. They then return up to three times to try to get someone home. These are called "not at homes'.

When literature is given to a person, the Witness is obligated to record any information about you he can. Address, what you talked about, topics for future discussions. These are called "return visits". Most of the time spent proselytizing is spent between doing "territory", "not at homes", and "return visits".
Saturdays are the days when most Witnesses go out. Most times before they go out, they meet up at the local congregation and discuss what the latest magazine is and how to offer it. They also spend two hours a week at their mid-week meeting dealing with how to present their literature to you, how to overcome your objections, and how to be better Watchtower peddlers. The goal of giving you magazines is to come back and give you more. The goal of coming back to give you more is to start a Bible study in their literature at your home, and eventually conversion. When they come to your door, try to keep them as long as possible. Most Witnesses are only spending two or three hours out. If you can keep them for an hour, that's an hour they are not talking to other people.

Remember, the Witness at your door is the one who thinks he has “the Truth” and he has all the answers. They think that you by virtue of the fact that your are a Christian are an apostate, and devoid of any insight into the Scriptures because insight only comes through the Organization. They already have a “I'm better then you” attitude. They are not looking to debate Christians. They are looking for people who are open and questioning their beliefs. So the primary method I would recommend is play the role of the student. Instead of arguing, make your arguments by way of questions. Be like the old Lt. Colombo, "I've got just one more question for you", "I'm just trying to understand this here." Also, avoid the areas they are expecting and ready for. Unless you know the Trinity well, and could defend it from Scripture, avoid it until you've read up and are prepared for it.

Anytime the Witness at your door makes an assertion, make sure you ask him for proof. When he quotes a scripture, look it up and glance at the context. Ask him to prove that the scripture says what he is claiming it says from the context.

With those guidelines, let's look at the message the Witness at your door is going to be giving.

Witnessing to Witnesses Part 7

2010-09-20T03:18:00.000-04:00

Second Introduction

This is the second section in my series called “Witnessing to Witnesses.”

What we've been doing is looking at how to break the two weakest links in the chain that enslave the Witness at your door. W e dealt with the Organization's claim to authority. We learned that the Watchtower Society claims based on it's history that it has been chosen by Christ to be his true Church. We learned why this is false, and why the Watchtower is a false prophet and has no basis for it's authoritarian religion. Now, I'm going to bring you into the mind of the Witness at your door. What's he thinking? What's he trying to do? How should I proceed? We are going to discuss the Watchtower's confusion over the Gospel and how to use it to share the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Our discussion will focus on three main areas:

Getting in the head of a Jehovah's Witness
The Watchtower Gospel and it's Implications
Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Witnessing to Witnesses mp3

2010-09-19T15:35:00.000-04:00

Here is the mp3 for the lecture version of my Witnessing to Witnesses.

Witnessing to Witness Part 1 MP3

Witnessing to Witnesses Part 6

2010-09-15T14:17:00.000-04:00

The Light Gets Brighter?

Now for a Witness, the doctrinal changes and prophetic failures are immediately dismissed by the thought stopping concept:

"Well, we know better now. The Bible tells us the light would get brighter".

They get this from a verse found in Proverbs.

“But the path of the righteous ones is like the bright light that is getting lighter and lighter until the day is firmly established” (Prov. 4:18).

Proverbs 4 is discussing that righteous people fare better than the wicked. The path of the righteous is the way of wisdom. The path of a person refers to the moral aspect of his or her life. Their life will keep increasing in how it displays God's light. The contrast is with the way of the wicked (4:19), which is the way of “evil” (v. 14). The person whose life is oriented toward evil will stumble through life in deep darkness.

But on this point, we will let Russell himself speak.

Zion's Watch Tower 1881 February pp.3, 188

"If we were following a man undoubtedly it would be different with us; undoubtedly one human idea would contradict another and that which was light one or two or six years ago would be regarded as darkness now; But with God there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, and so it is with truth; any knowledge or light coming from God must be like its author. A new view of truth never can contradict a former truth. "New Light" never extinguishes older "light" but adds to it.

The concept of light becoming brighter implies that previous doctrine was correct, but incomplete. The Watchtower Society has promoted many significant doctrines that were later discarded as incorrect. Others have changed back and forth, even reverting to their original position, in each case contradicting a former truth.

So now we'll look at the second weak area for Jehovah's Witnesses, and that's the gospel. The Gospel is our greatest strength and their biggest weakness, because the Watchtower has confused their followers. So we'll look at what approach to take in sharing the gospel, and how to handle the Witness at your door.

Witnessing to Witnesses Part 5

2010-09-15T14:16:00.000-04:00

Practical Tips

Well what are some practical guidelines we can use in dealing with Jehovah's Witnesses? I will be going into more depth on this subject next week, but we can look at a few here this afternoon.

Identify with them – They are brothers in Adam. They are people too. They have families and jobs. They have burdens and cares.

Labor persistently - They may not come around right away but until they pull the plug we need to hang in there. The longer we work with a Witness, the more time the Holy Spirit has to work on them. Be patient. Remember how dense you were before you accepted Christ?

Be informed - Know what you believe and why you believe it. Do your best to let all things lead to Christ. Proclaim Christ. If you are unsure of an answer, don't be afraid to get back to them. Do research.

Don't beat 'em when they're down - If you've shaken them up by showing that the Organization is a false prophet, or won an argument, or stumped them, don't beat on them futher. That is the time to show them love! They are feeling vulnerable, confused, lost, and you need to show the love of Christ. You may say, "For a moment just forget you are a Jehovah's Witness and that I am a Baptist, and let's look at this as two reasonable people who value God and truth."

Be humble - Don't think you're better then they. Realize that you were in their shoes once. You also were a lost sinner in need of Christ. Remember you have nothing to offer them of yourself. The only thing you offer is Christ.

Love them - "When Jesus saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."(Matthew 9:36 NIV) That's what the Witness at your door is like. They are trapped in a religion that has diminished and replaced Christ with an Organization. They have no concept of personal assurance of salvation. They are deceived and need Christ. Do you have compassion for them? Do you love them? Do you show it?

Witnessing to Witnesses Part 4

2010-09-15T14:09:00.000-04:00

1914 – The Cracked Foundation

So we've talked about this invisible coming of Christ in 1914. How does the Watchtower come up with this invisible return in 1914?

Well they start with Jesus. In Luke 21:24, Jesus said: “Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the appointed times of the nations." Jerusalem was the capital of the the Jewish nation and this was where David and his sons ruled as kings. Jerusalem and the Jewish kingdom were God's kingdom in the Old Testament. So God's kingdom at some point in time began to be trampled on. The Society says that this happened in 607 B.C. when Jerusalem was conquered and destroyed by the Babylonians. So Jerusalem is God's kingdom. Jerusalem was destroyed in 607 B.C. and the line of kings was broken. The Gentiles would rule for a fixed period of time until God's kingdom was restored. The kingdom could only be restored when the heir to the throne, Jesus, became king. So when Jesus becomes king, the "times of the gentiles" were over.

So how long until Jesus would become king? They say that Daniel chapter 4 holds the key to knowing how long that period would last. In this account, King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream about a giant tree. This tree is cut down, and rings are put around the stump so that it won't grow for seven times. After the seven times, the rings are taken off and the tree grows again. So the Watchtower claims that trees are sometimes used to represent kingdoms. So the tree was cut down and this supposedly represents that God's kingdom which was represented in the kings in Jerusalem, would be interrupted for seven times.

Well how long is seven times? Well, there are two methods used. First is that seven times, are seven years. A biblical year was 360 days. So seven years is 2520 days. They can also get this number by going to Revelation 12:6, 14 where it says that 3.5 times is 1260 days. Then jump over to Numbers 14:34 and Ezekiel 4:6, which speak of “a day for a year,” the “seven times” would cover 2,520 years. Thus 2520 years after 607 B.C. brings you to 1914 A.D., the time when the Watchtower says that Jesus "invisible presence" began because he was now given kingdom power.

Firstly, the Greek word “parousia” is where we get the word “coming” from. The Society translates this as “presence”. It doesn't really matter what kind of word games they try to play, the way this word is used in other scriptures shows that a physical bodily presence is meant. In fact this word often refers to a visit of a king or other official. Take a look.

“I was glad when Stephanas, Fortunatus and Achaicus arrived, because they have supplied what was lacking from you.” (1 Corinthians 16:17 NIV)

“But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.” ( 2 Corinthians 10:10 NIV)

“Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, so that through my being with you again your joy in Christ Jesus will overflow on account of me.” (Philippians 1:25-26 NIV)

If the Greek word for presence in Matthew 24:3. (parousia) is used of physical visible coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, Achaicus, Titus, and Paul, were they invisible?

Secondly, there is a problem here right from the begining. The following are citations verifying that the correct date for the fall of Jerusalem was not 607 B.C, but 586 B.C. I have used both secular and Christian sources.

Biblical Archaeological Review stated,

"You will recall that the Babylonians, under Nebuchadnezzar, after twice laying siege to Jerusalem, finally captured it in 586 B.C.E. Nebuchadnezzar's army then pillaged the city, destroying the Temple and sending the inhabitants off to exile in Babylonia.

Unger's Bible Dictionary, "

...Nebuchadnezzar promptly invaded his unhappy country and besieged Jerusalem for a year and a half. In 586 Jerusalem fell and numbers of its inhabitants were carried away captive to Babylonia..."

The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia,

"586, Jerusalem destroyed and burned (Jer. 52:13b.); people taken captive (52:28-30).

According to Encyclopedia.com, the Babylonian captivity, is defined as

"the period from the fall of Jerusalem (586 B.C.) to the reconstruction in Palestine of a new Jewish state (after 538 B.C.)."

Worldbook Encyclopedia online says,

"Some of the most important prophets and poets lived during the Babylonian Exile, the period of captivity that followed Babylon’s conquest of Judah in 587 or 586 B.C"

If both Christian and Secular scholars agree that Jerusalem was destroyed in 586 and not 607 B.C., how could Jesus return in 1914?

Thirdly, everything hinges on their interpretation of Daniel Chapter 4. The passage in it's context has nothing to do with God's kingdom. The interpretation is given in this chapter. Nebuchadnezzar is the tree. This dream concerns Nebuchadnezzar's own need to acknowledge that the God of Israel is the one who rules the affairs of mankind. Nebuchadnezzar spent seven years acting like an animal because he didn't acknowledge God , and through humiliation he learns his lesson.

Where in the context does it say that this is referring to God's Kingdom?
What New Testament author tells you to interpret this passage as relating to God's Kingdom?

Fourthly, when did Jesus get his authority? Notice what Jesus himself says at the great commission.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18 NIV)

If all authority on heaven and on earth was given to Christ at his ascension, how could he be given more authority in 1914? Is there more authority then all authority?

Why does this matter? Do you see the implications of this? Do you see that this is the foundation for everything the Watchtower claims about itself?

If Jesus didn't return in 1914, then he didn't inspect his temple and choose the Watchtower in 1919. And if he didn't choose the Watchtower in 1919, they have no claim to authority at all and have sold their members lies and deceit. Even if Jesus returned in 1914, the Society fails it's own criteria for being the “Faithful slave”. This is vital to understand. The Witness at your door is convinced that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is the mouthpiece of God. Nothing you say will ever reach their ears unless the authority of this false prophet is undermined.

Witnessing to Witnesses Part 3

2010-09-15T14:04:00.000-04:00

Chosen in 1919? Was Watchtower Society Really Faithful and Discreet?

The Watchtower Society claims that those directing the organization are representatives of Jehovah's "faithful and discreet slave". This group is God's "channel" of communication with his people. So everything that appears in Watch Tower publications is indirectly from God. We are going to examine the basis for the claim that those directing the Society represent the so-called "faithful and discreet slave."

The text used to make this claim is found at Matthew 24:45-47 NWT). It reads: "Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics to give them their food at the proper time? Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. Truly I say to you, he will appoint him over all his belongings."

The Watchtower magazine of 1 March 1981 (p. 24) gives the Society's official interpretation of Jesus' statement as contained in these verses. It reads:

"Jehovah's Witnesses believe that this parable pertains to the one true congregation of Jesus Christ's anointed followers. Beginning with Pentecost, 33 C.E. and continuing through the 19 centuries since then, this slave-like congregation has been feeding its members spiritually, doing so faithfully and discreetly. Especially as the identity of this "slave" becomes clear at the time of Christ's return or presence. The "slave" is identifiable by its watchfulness and by the fact that it is faithfully and discreetly providing spiritual food as needed by all in the Christian congregation. Indeed, this "slave," or spirit anointed congregation, is the one approved channel representing God's Kingdom on earth in the "time of the end." (Dan. 12:4) Witnesses of Jehovah understand that the "slave" is comprised of all anointed Christians as a group on earth at any given time during the 19 centuries since Pentecost. Accordingly, the "domestics" are these followers of Christ as individuals.

What they are saying is that this slave class, the only true church, therefore came into existence on Pentecost, and was to have a continuous, uninterrupted history down throughout the centuries, up to and including the end of the world. What they are saying is the church, or the "slave class" is all the "anointed" or in our terms "born again" Christians on earth at a single time. The "slave class" then represents God's kingdom and organization on earth. Throughout the centuries it has been progressively feeding its members on spiritual food, becoming increasingly enlightened as time has gone by. They have done so faithfully, and wisely. They say that the true identity of this Slave class, or the true Church, becomes clear at the time of Christ's invisible return in 1914. How was it identified? It was identified because it alone was awaiting the Lord's return and faithfully teachings spiritual truth via it's literature.

Don't forget the internal organizational strife that was happening in the Society against the backdrop of the First World War. It was an extremely difficult time for the Bible Students. Not only was Russell dead, but his prophecies regarding the end of the world in 1914 had gone unfulfilled. Both the Watch Tower Society and the Bible Student community were split into divisions over the Society's management, as Rutherford enacted his hostile take over. In addition, Bible Students were ridiculed as false prophets. The leadership-including Rutherford-were to be imprisoned under the terms of the U.S. Espionage Act for opposing American's military effort during the war. It was at this time, however, that something remarkable supposedly happened to those Bible Students faithful to the Society.

According to present-day Watch Tower teachings, Jesus Christ was supposed to have "come" invisibly in 1914. After his coming to have entered into the the judgment of his earthly servants, essentially to cleanse the temple. The Society interprets Jesus' words at Matthew 24:46, 47-"Happy is that slave if his master on arriving finds him doing so. Truly I say to you, he will appoint him over all his belongings." - as having been fulfilled at that time by the loyal Bible Student community. According to Watch Tower calculation, this appointment went into effect in the spring of 1919. Christ returned (invisibly) in October 1914 and 3½ years later in 1918; they say, Jesus made a temple judgment which resulted in the rejection of all Christian religions except their own. According to their own judgment they, too, were spiritually unclean at this time:

The Watchtower, July 15, 1960, p. 435, 6

“The scriptures describe them as having unclean garments because of their long association with Christian apostasy. They had many practices, characteristics and beliefs similar to the weed-like sects of Christendom.”

WT tradition has it that their organization survived this period of judgment despite their unclean condition. The proof that Christ had chosen them was when the leadership of the Organization was released from prison in 1919. According to the Society today, it was at the instigation of the Catholic Church that Rutherford and the leadership were arrested. This is what they call the fall of Babylon the Great, because the Catholic Church failed to stop their organization. At that time the Bible Students were entrusted with all the earthly interests of God's newly established heavenly kingdom.

If this is the case, we should look at how the Witnesses describe their own spiritual condition during the period of 1914-1918, the period when, according to them, they were being evaluated for enlarged privileges of services on earth by the glorified Lord Jesus Christ.

The question to be answered, then, is how does this teaching or doctrine, square with the history of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society?

If the Society was faithful and discreet why were they spiritually unclean, and why were they being punished for it?

Also, notice what the Watchtower publication, "Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose" says,

"Russell was not the founder of a new religion and never made such a claim. He revived the great truths taught by Jesus and the apostles, and turned the light of the twentieth century upon these teachings. He made no claim of a special revelation from God, but held that is was God's due time for the Bible to be understood; and that, being fully consecrated to the Lord and to his service, he was permitted to understand it."

So apparently this “slave” congregation, this slave “organization” had existed for 1800 years when the young Charles Russell began his independent study of the Bible. However, Russell didn't join or seek out this slave, he just did his own thing and started his own group. Is that really what is being taught by this “faithful slave” doctrine?

If the “faithful slave”, the true congregation and organization, had a continuous existence since Pentecost, where was this “slave” when Russell got his start?

How could Russell revive the great teachings of Christ and the apostles independently of the "channel" of communication, Jehovah's earthly organization? How could he come to a knowledge of truth apart from this “slave?”

If there had been a 1900-year-old “slave” faithfully serving up progressive spiritual truths, why was it necessary for Russell to “revive” these truths?

In order to justify their authoritarian, hierarchical system, the Society must argue that Jehovah is using an organization-an earthly "channel"-to which all must submit and which all must accept. But to insist upon it today, they must also argue consistently that this has been the case since the beginning of the Christian church in 33 C.E. But Russell did not turn to any earthly organization. He acted independently, on his own.

But further, the Society claims that one of the identifying marks of the "faithful slave" would be that it was awaiting Jesus invisible coming in 1914. Notice these three quotes to this effect:

The 1986 publication Jehovah's Witnesses Unitedly Doing God's Will Worldwide said on page 8:

"Russell and his associates also saw that Christ's presence was to be invisible, in spirit. The Gentile Times, during which period God's sovereignty was not being expressed through any government on the earth, were to end in 1914. Then God's Kingdom would be established in heaven. These teachings are identified with Jehovah's Witnesses today. Russell and his companions announced these truths far and wide by talks and printed page."

The greatest Man who ever lived. 1991 chap. 132

A careful study of Bible prophecies, including Jesus’ own prophecy regarding the last days, reveals that “the Lord’s day” began in the history-making year 1914, yes, within this generation! So it was in 1914 that Jesus returned invisibly, without public fanfare and with only his faithful servants being aware of his return. In that year Jehovah gave Jesus the command to go subduing in the midst of his enemies

Watchtower 1998 9/15 p. 15

A prophecy providentially caused sincere 19th-century Bible students to be in expectation. By linking the “seven times” of Daniel 4:25 with “the times of the Gentiles,” they anticipated that Christ would receive Kingdom power in 1914.

Is that really what was taught? The Watchtower has doctored their history. They have intentionally misled and lied to their followers. We've already been through the Watchtower's history. They did not believe that Jesus was returning in 1914. Russell taught that Jesus returned invisibly in 1874 and that teaching wasn't changed until something like 25 years after his death.

Here are three Watchtower quotes from the time period that show that this is not what they had in mind.

...the 'battle of the great day of God Almighty' (Revelation 16:14), which will end in A.D. 1914 with the complete overthrow of earth's present rulership, is already commenced," (The Time Is at Hand, 1908 edition, p. 101)

"Our Lord, the appointed King, is now present, since October 1874," (Studies in the Scriptures, vol. 4, p. 621, 1897).

Even after 1914 came and went they were still teaching that Jesus returned in 1874 for almost 30 years.

"The Bible chronology herein presented shows that the six great 1000 year days beginning with Adam are ended, and that the great 7th Day, the 1000 years of Christ's Reign, began in 1873," (1916, The Time Is at Hand, forward, p. ii).

If one of the marks of the “faithful slave” was being awake and in expectation of the Christ's return, how come the Watchtower taught that he had already returned in 1874 before and after 1914?

So it is clear, in the case of the first identifying mark, being awake and awaiting the Lord's return in 1914, the Society fails.

What about the second criteria? Was the Society giving the right spiritual food? Were they faithful and discreet? Not unless you consider false prophecy a sign of faithfulness. We've already shown that Russell taught that 1914 was supposed to be the end, Armageddon. Even after 1914, the false prophecies continued. Here are just two more....

The Finished Mystery, (1917) p.485

“Also, in the year 1918, when God destroys the churches wholesale and the church members by millions, it shall be that any that escape shall come to the works of Pastor Russell to learn the meaning of the downfall of “Christianity.”

Millions Now Living Will Never Die, p. 89., 1918

"Therefore we may confidently expect that 1925 will mark the return of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old, particularly those named by the Apostle in Hebrews 11, to the condition of human perfection,"

The Watchtower further explained, Sept. 1, 1922, p. 262. "

The date 1925 is even more distinctly indicated by the Scriptures than 1914,"

Notice what the criteria for a false prophet is:

"But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death. You may say to yourselves, 'How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD ?' If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him." (Deuteronomy 18:20-22 NIV)

But this also goes beyond false prophecies. The WT has since rejected the old teachings on the Cross, Birthdays, Christmas. Russell used the Great Pyramid to arrive at arrive at all sorts of weird conclusions. In fact, history records the Rutherford changed many of Russell's teachings on many different subjects. On all their own criteria, the Watchtower fails the test.

Based on Deuteronomy 18:20-22, would not the Society be a false prophet?

If serving the “spiritual food” faithfully and discreetly was the basis for Christ’s approval, how would you describe the food being served by the WBTS from 1879 to 1925?

If the Watchtower Society failed the test as the Faithful Slave, how can they be God's Organization?

Witnessing to Witnesses Part 2

2010-09-14T14:01:00.000-04:00

The History and Theology of Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses originated from the nineteenth century Adventist movement in America. William Miller was a Baptist preacher who began teaching that Christ would return in 1844. But, that date passed uneventfully.

After the "Disappointment of 1844" Miller's following fell apart. Many went back the churches they attended before his death in 1849. But some other disappointed followers kept the movement alive and set a new date of 1874. Their activities eventually led to the creation of several sects under the broad heading of "Adventism" including the Advent Christian Church, the Life and Advent Union, the Seventh-Day Adventists, all these Second Adventist groups.

The founder of the organization was Charles Taze Russell. He was born on February 16, 1852, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was raised a Presbyterian. When Russell was 16 years old he lost his faith, because he could not accept certain doctrines like Hell or the Trinity. For a time he left the Church, God, and the Bible. While in this vulnerable condition, Russell almost by chance, decided to attend an Adventist meeting. At this encounter Russell heard a lecture denying that Hell was a real place, this restored his faith and interest in the Bible. He then put himself under the teaching of Second Adventist preacher Jonas Wendell.

For a few years after that Russell continued to study Scripture with and under the teaching of various Adventist leaders. He met locally on a regular basis with a small circle of friends to discuss the Bible, and this informal study group came to regard him as their leader or pastor.

At 23 years old, Russell got a copy of The Herald of the Morning, an Adventist magazine published by Nelson H. Barbour. One of the interesting things about Barbour's group was their belief that Christ returned invisibly in 1874. This idea found in The Herald caught Russell's attention. Although young Charles T. Russell liked the idea, the readers of the magazine apparently didn't. They refused to 'buy' the story of an invisible Second Coming. Barbour's magazine The Herald of the Morning was failing financially. Russell, who was wealthy, helped to dig Barbour out of his whole [hole]. Russell became the magazine's financial backer and became an Assistant Editor. He contributed articles for publication as well as monetary gifts, and Russell's small study group became affiliated with Barbour's.

Russell and Barbour believed and taught that Christ's invisible return in 1874 would be followed in 1878, by the Rapture. When this didn't happen on time in 1878, The Herald's editor, Mr. Barbour, came up with "new revelations" on this and other doctrines. Russell, however, didn't like the new ideas and got other members to oppose them. Russell, broke all ties with all other religious groups, quit the staff of the Adventist magazine and started his own magazine. He called it Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence and published its first issue with the date July, 1879. Russell believed and began to teach in his magazine, based upon the measurements of the Great Pyramid, that 1914 was the new date of the Rapture and Armageddon.

Russell traveled about speaking and gathering his own followers. Many local congregation were created who came to recognize him as "Pastor." Russell's following grew as 1914 approached.

Russell died on a train in Texas, on October 31, 1916. Russell lived to see the failure of various dates he had predicted for the Rapture. As soon as he died, Russell's secretary sent a telegram to the Brooklyn Headquarters telling them about his death. A. H. Macmillan intercepted the telegram and immediately contacted vice president Joseph Franklin Rutherford, telling him the old man has died. Rutherford immediately came to New York and began to take control.

According to instructions Russell left behind, his successor would share power with an editorial committee and with the Watch Tower corporation's board of directors. But Rutherford soon set about concentrating all organizational authority in his own hands. Rutherford was a skilled lawyer who had conveniently served as Russell's chief legal advisor. He used legal prowess together with a plotting behind closed doors and a behind-the-scenes scheming type approach to internal corporate politics. He removed the majority of the Watch Tower directors without calling a membership vote by using a loophole in their appointment. During this time period, the Society was split in two. After Rutherford had gained final control, he order a subordinate to summon the police into the Society's Brooklyn headquarters offices to break up the final board meeting with the former directors and evict them from the premises.

After securing the headquarters complex and the sect's corporate entities, Rutherford turned his attention to the rest of the organization. By gradually replacing locally elected elders with his own appointees, he managed to transform a loose collection of semi-autonomous democratically-run congregations into a tight-knit organizational machine run from his office. Rutherford renamed the organization to "Jehovah's Witnesses" in 1931, to distinguish them from these other groups. Rutherford also introduced the concept of door to door preaching.

In the decades following the death of founder Charles Taze Russell, his successor J. F. Rutherford found himself forced to re-write many of the sect's major doctrines. Like Russell, Rutherford also tried his hand at prophecy. He predicted that 1919 would see the destruction of Christendom and that biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would be resurrected in 1925 to rule as princes over the earth. Rutherford had a mansion named Beth Sarim built in San Diego,California for Abraham,Isaac, Jacob etc whom he taught were expected to be resurrected soon. However for some strange reason the patriarchs failed to show up. So the Society conveniently and quietly sold the house.

Vice President Nathan Homer Knorr inherited the presidency upon Rutherford's death in 1942 but left doctrine to Frederick W. Franz, who joined under Russell and had been serving at Brooklyn headquarters since 1920. Franz worked behind the scenes to restore faith in the sect's chronological calculations, a subject largely ignored following Rutherford's prophetic failure in 1925. The revised chronology established Christ's invisible return as having taken place in 1914 rather than 1874, and, during the 1960's, the Society's publications began pointing to the year 1975 as the likely time for Armageddon and the end of the world. The refusal of blood transfusions was introduced during the Knorr era.

In the past 60 years there have been many changes in the Watchtower Society. Training programs were initiated to transform members into effective recruiters. Lacking the personal magnetism and charisma of Russell and Rutherford, the following presidents focused followers' devotion on the 'Mother' organization rather than on themselves.

There were also changes in leadership. In the 70's it was noted that the Organization should not be under one-man rule, but rather should be governed by a body similar to the twelve apostles. After the failure of the 1975 prophecy, the late 70's and early 80's became a turbulent time for the Organization. Many were forcibly excommunicated for questioning the Organization's authority and doctrines.

The nineties were a time of extreme growth for the society. They jumped over one million members, from 5 million to 6 million. Since the advent of the Internet at the turn of the millennium, the society has been experiencing the worst turn over rate of any organized religion in the United States. According to Time magazine, 2/3 of everyone who becomes a Jehovah's Witness, eventually leave.

What do modern Jehovah's Witnesses believe?

They don't believe in the Trinity. They believe that God is only the Father, and his name is Jehovah. They believe that Jesus is Michael the Archangel. He was the first and greatest creation of Jehovah. He was the only thing that Jehovah created by himself. Jehovah then used Michael, aka Jesus, to create everything else. The Holy Spirit to them is God's power, or impersonal active force. They equate it to electricity, gravity, or magnetism, just an invisible force that is impersonal.

They do not believe in the soul. They are materialists. They don't think that death is the end of it. Hell is just non-existence. When Jesus became a man, he ceased to exist as Michael, and God recreated him as Jesus. When Jesus died he ceased to exist and God recreated him as Michael. Resurrection for them is something more like recreation. You cease to exist at death and God make a copy of you from memory and that is what they call resurrection.

They also don't believe that Jesus rose physically from the grave. They believe that he was resurrected with a spirit body, like an angel. They have a two tiered, two class salvation. They believe that only 144000 are born again and go to heaven. The rest are given perfect life in a restored Eden on Earth. Salvation for a Jehovah's Witness is a works based legalism.

Witnessing to Witnesses Part 1

2010-09-13T12:29:00.000-04:00

Introduction

This is the first in a series called “Witnessing to Witnesses.”

What I am going to do over the while is showing you how to break the two weakest links in the chain that enslave the Witness at your door. Consider these two well placed, tactical nukes that will blow the Watchtower sky high. First we will have a few posts to deal with the Organization's claim to authority. Then we are going to discuss the Watchtower's Gospel and how to use it to share the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

To understand, and to get into the mind of the witness who is at your door, it is necessary to know the absolute authority the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (known as the Society, or the Organization) has over their life. There is an incredibly strong loyalty to the Organization and it's leadership among Jehovah's Witnesses. Their devotion and loyalty towards this legal corporation is completely based upon the belief that the Watchtower Society is God's only channel of communication on earth – his visible earthly organization. The Witnesses believe that salvation can only be gained by a willing subjection to the Society. If you don't accept the authority of the Watchtower Society, it doesn't really matter what you believe, you can not be saved. The Society says that the bible can not be rightly interpreted outside of their guidance.

What I am going to do is show you how the Watchtower Society uses the bible and their history to establish their claim to authority, and how you can respond. Once the Organization has been taken out of the picture, a path is cleared to share the Gospel. Along the way, I will be giving you specific questions that need to be asked of the Witnesses as a result of the plain facts. Our discussion in this first section will focus on these areas:

The History and Theology of Jehovah's Witnesses
Chosen in 1919? Was Watchtower Society Really Faithful and Discreet?
1914 – The Cracked Foundation
Practical Tips
The Light Gets Brighter

Addendum:

Part 2 - The History and Theology of Jehovah's Witnesses
Part 3 - Chosen in 1919? Was Watchtower Society Really Faithful and Discreet?
Part 4 - 1914 – The Cracked Foundation

Part 5 - Practical Tips

Part 6 - The Light Gets Brighter?
Part 7 - Second Introduction

Part 8 - Getting in the head of a Jehovah's Witness

Part 9 - The Watchtower Gospel and it's Implications

Part 10 - Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Too be added soon).

Mp3 of Part 1

Jake's Testimony

2010-09-06T21:42:00.000-04:00

Greetings everyone! My name is Jacob Marcelloni and I am happily married to my wife Melissa. We have one daughter named Emma who is now three and a half months old. My wife and I are members of Grace Baptist Church of Essex where we are really blessed to have both sweet fellowship and sound preaching! My wife has a heart for missions and I feel continually burdened for building up the body of Christ and reaching the lost by preaching of the gospel of the grace of God.

I wanted to share my testimony with everyone. I hope you'll be encouraged by it!

I was born and raised in Windsor, Ontario in a broken home. My parents divorced when I was a year old. My brother went to live with my mother and her parents. I went with my Dad and was raised by my paternal grandmother. My parents did eventually get back together, but not until I was an adult. My father was very outgoing and affiliated with biker gangs. As a child, I can recall going to their clubhouse and rallies. I would watch my Dad play guitar in bands. This is how I gained and interest in music, especially the drums, which I started playing at age ten.

By a very early age I was into drugs and would steal alcohol from home. By my high school years, I was kicked out of school and enrolled into an alternative school. While cheating my way through my first year of college I enrolled into second year mold making. I spent more time at the bar on campus and then later dropped out of college. I worked and played (in bands) downtown. During that time, I began looking for some work and I decided to go to a bar. The bar I picked turned out to be a sushi bar. The boss notified me that they were hiring. Long story short; I ended up working there as a sushi chef for four years.

It was around this time that I was initially confronted with the gospel of Jesus Christ. There were men open air preaching downtown and I walked by them (with my fists clenched) filled with anger at the thought of one approaching me. They never approached me but on the sidewalk up ahead was a piece of literature which turned out to be a gospel tract. I picked it up and read some of it and immediately flung it into the trash.

By continuing my dependency on drugs and alcohol I began to run out of money and began stealing alcohol from work and various places and would frequently live from couch to couch. I started to get kicked out of the bars I would go to, be with prostitutes, and frequently be thrown in jail. If I wasn’t high or drunk I’d become angry. I would walk the streets and would often have no recollection of what I had done. Police would often find me passed out in alleyways, parks, and at the train station. I became very depressed and I wanted to die and so I tried to overdose on various hard drugs. My brother resuscitated me one night, as I was unconscious on the living room floor.

I got into yoga and practiced transcendental meditation which I thought would be a positive in my life. Instead, I learned positions in Yoga that would emulate false gods. Meditation would send me into a trance-like state which literally felt like some force would be lifting me up into some other level of consciousness.

There was one particular night that really had a profound impact on me. It was a riotous night which included getting staples put in my head; I came home like I was demon possessed. I recall my Dad being terrified and saying, “You’ve got fire in your eyes.” I can remember having my father backed up against the sink in the kitchen and head butting him again and again, opening up the wound in my head. My brother and my mother tried to hold me back by throwing me into another room but I had easily driven them out of the way. They proceeded to call the cops. The police finally arrived, handcuffed me behind my back, and put me in the car and sent me to jail. The police insisted that my parents press charges of assault on me; they declined. That loud echo of the cell door slamming shut yet again made me feel as if something died within me. I remember screaming and cursing at the top of my lungs until I had no more energy in me and finally, I passed out.

Young man, young woman, “honor your father and mother…” there is a promise in that command, “… that it will be well with you and you will live long on earth.” (Ephesians 6:2, 3)

Afterward, my boss had a friend who needed another sushi chef in the Virgin Islands. I left for the Caribbean, and was gone for six months. During my time in the Virgin Islands, I remember asking a coworker one day, “…what is Good Friday, Easter, and Jesus Christ all about?” A man overheard our conversation and said “Jesus came and died for our sins; that’s Good Friday, and Easter celebrates Jesus’ resurrection.” Some time later that same man gave me a camouflage Bible he had been given in the army. I started reading Romans because I liked the title of the book. I read the beginning chapters of Romans, but didn't finish. However, thinking that I could keep getting away with sin came to a drastic halt. God revealed to me the fact that one day, I would stand before Him as I am, in judgment. No matter how many times I try to get away, still, my sins were always before me. Given my lifestyle, I thought I should be dead by now. I didn’t deserve another day; I deserved to die and go to hell.

I can only describe how I felt that day how the Bible describes it: “Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, patience, longsuffering, not realizing that the goodness of God is leading you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will give to each person according to what he has done." (Romans 2:4-6)

I brushed off that visitation by the Lord, returned the Bible, left the Virgin Islands, and came back to Windsor. Back home, an old guitar player friend of mine invited me over to watch a video that gave the Bible’s message of salvation. My friend didn’t tell me what it was beforehand because he thought I‘d reject it. You see, I knew I was a sinner (no one would have to convince me of that). My struggle was that I thought that the good news was for others but not for me. I couldn’t believe that God would WANT to forgive me for my sins. Psalm 86:5a says, “For you O Lord are good and READY TO FORGIVE…”

My friend asked me what my thoughts were about the gospel and I told him that it was “good”. But inwardly it was more than good! It was the best news I have ever heard in my life!!! Inside I was crying, “I want that!!! If God would do that for me!! OHHH MY…”

And for the first time it hit me that “JESUS DIED FOR ME ON CALVARY’S CROSS!”

Jesus actually loved ME? (Galations 2:20b)

But that is exactly what the Bible says, “But God demonstrated his love toward us, in this, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

I left my friends house and a few nights later in my room the Lord brought to my attention a verse in Romans, “For whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13) I thought “I can be saved?”

God granted me repentance and I turned from my sins and self and surrendered my life by faith alone to the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus had “not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32) just like the Bible said He did. That summer night in 2004, on the flat of my back (broken in my room), is when I cried out to the Lord Jesus Christ to save me!

I desired to know more about Jesus but didn’t have a Bible. In fact, my mom had seen not only a change in my behavior but in my countenance. My mother gave me her grandmother’s Bible. I began reading it and was invited to a Bible study at Turner Road Bible Chapel. I thought, it being Friday night, that it would keep me out of trouble. I agreed to go. I stayed and was baptized and continued there for 4 years. I would see people I knew from before and the Lord would burden me to ask them for forgiveness. Some forgave me! Others would look at me like something was wrong with me.

I also came to realize that my parents were not saved. When my Mom gave me her great grandmother's Bible, little did my parents know that soon thereafter all that I would want to do is to share the gospel. Well, that day came! My father was very angry and began to shout at me and my brother thought I was trying to break up our family. They left the house and I followed them outside, still trying to persuade them of their need for salvation, but they took off in their car. I went back into the house feeling very discouraged and hurt. But the Lord Jesus strengthened me that night as I picked up my old great grandmothers Bible. There were these words, “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth (Jesus says); I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For, I came to set a man against his father…. And a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for my sake will find it.” (Matthew 10:34-39)

It was such a comfort to me.

Let me ask you my dear friend… are you willing to lose your life for Christ’s sake?
He knows how we are. He knows we are half-hearted. He knows that you and I will never come to Him to be saved unless you find Him to be your highest treasure. Christ made such demands because He loves sinners. The Lord Jesus suffered and took the punishment for your sins in such away that “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” The one who will save you from your sin, hell, and God as your judge is the one calling this day. (2Corinthians 6:2)

Jesus says “come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest…” (Matthew 11:28)

Surrender your life to Jesus Christ by calling on him to save you!

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen!

Greg Koukl - The Handy-Dandy Evolution Refuter

2010-08-19T14:48:00.000-04:00

I was reading a very interesting article, called Evolution - Philosophy, Not Science, by apologist Greg Koukl, on his website, Stand to Reason. The article contained a very brief, but powerful argument against Evolution. Here's a portion of the article:

The real question is whether the evidence supports evolution or not, not whether we can baptize evolution with the word "God" so Christians feel comfortable.
To put it simply, lest there be any confusion about the matter, evolution must be dealt with scientifically, on its own merits. Is it an adequate explanation of the origin of things?

I think it's wholly inadequate. The more knowledge we get, the more problems we see with the origin of life by evolutionary means--the more problems we see with the change from one kind of life into another by evolutionary means.

The passage of time and the increase of knowledge haven't helped evolution; they've hurt it. Evolution was popular early on precisely because there was so little information about the process. Now we know much more about the details of biochemistry and genetics, and information theory, and the incredible complexity of even the simplest living thing. It's become evident that evolution is just not capable of explaining life.

You want proof for that? Here, it's very simple. This is my handy-dandy evolution refuter. It's the simplest way I know to right to the heart of the problem, proving that evolution is not based on fact, but on philosophy.

For evolution to be a fact, you must have two things, minimally. First, you've got to have life coming from non-life--abiogenesis. Second, you've got to have a change in that life from simple forms to complex forms over time. You must have the kick-off, and you must have the rest of the game.

Now, here's my question: How did life come from non-life? How did the game get started by evolutionary means. Does anyone know? Guess what? Nobody knows. Oh, there are some ideas and people have suggested some possible ways, but nobody has sketched out any way that really answers the question. There are so many problems and complications. There are competing models that have been suggested, but they're just starting places. They're just ways of saying, "Let's start here, and we'll see where it leads." There are possibilities, but no one knows how it happened, or even how it could have happened in enough detail to be compelling."

Now, here's the kicker. If you don't know how it happened by naturalistic, evolutionary processes, how do you know that it happened by naturalistic, evolutionary processes? Evolution is claimed to be a fact, but you can't have the fact of evolution unless you have the fact of abiogenesis. Yet nobody knows how such a thing could ever take place. And if life can't be shown to have come from non-life, then the game can't even get started.

Then why do we call evolution a fact when evolution can't even get off the ground, based on the information we have right now. The answer you get is always the same: Because we're here. It must have happened . That's called circular reasoning, friends, based on a prior commitment to naturalism that won't be shaken by the facts.

Which proves that this is not about science, it's about philosophy.

New Contributor

2010-08-15T21:51:00.000-04:00

I have invited a good friend of mine to begin posting on this blog as well.

Hopefully we will be able to both make great contributions to this blog.

We are planning on doing some blog posts through a book of the Bible, possibly Philippians.

I'm quite excited about this!

Matt

Textual Criticism - 101

2010-08-13T11:25:00.001-04:00

Here is a list of resources that I have found relating to Textual Criticism.

Introductory:

MP3 Lecture - KJV Onlyism and Can You Trust Your Translation?
http://playmp3.sa-media.com/media/312102116455/312102116455.mp3

Shorter lecture on the same subject, video, Reliability of the New Testament Text :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHd69NLk7nU

Response to common KJV Only arguments by Hovind:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r7ZsUBn9nQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0PeoTAKH1g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxwLnuza6R4

Defense of KJV and Textus Receptus by Douglas Wilson:

What do you make of errors in KJV?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STjoyYsTUZ8

Byzantine text over Alexandrian text?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAdQwidMnE8

Why King James?
http://vimeo.com/10745119

White vs. Wilson - Discerning the Manuscript Traditions:
http://web.archive.org/web/20070927224006/http://credenda.org/issues/10-1disputatio.php

KJV 400 - Sermon by Doug Wilson.
http://dougwils.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8331:kjv-400&catid=147:topical

Outline of D. A. Carson's Book "The King James Version Debate: A Plea for Realism" - Containing a Byzantine Text Type Refutation:

http://www.kellnet.com/aschafer/nts/00kjv.pdf

Hope this helps!

Second Chance?

2010-08-13T09:29:00.000-04:00

Some believe, as the Jehovah's Witnesses do, that many will get a second chance after death. The Bible never mentions people having a second chance at life. The Scriptures clearly tells us that "it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment." (Hebrews 9:27 ESV) Jesus told the criminal on the cross, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."(Luke 23:43 ESV), not "You will have another chance to live a life on this earth." In Matthew 25:46 we are told that some "will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:46 ESV) This tells us that believers get eternal life while unbelievers get eternal punishment.

The Bible also makes it clear that the resurrection of believers and unbelievers has not yet occurred, meaning that the bodies of the deceased are still in the grave.

"I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: 'Death is swallowed up in victory.'" (1 Corinthians 15:50-54 ESV)

"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 ESV).

At death, the Bible says that deceased believers are with the Lord. "So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:6-8 ESV)"I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better." (Philippians 1:23 ESV) This is further confirmed by John. "When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne." (Revelation 6:9 ESV)

So, believers in heaven exist in non-bodily form, (i.e. spiritually/non-corporeally) waiting the resurrection. When an unbeliever dies, he also exists in a non-bodily/spiritual/non-corporeal form, but he is not in Heaven, but Sheol/Hades, the realm of the dead. Believers are resurrected at the Second Coming, and unbelievers are raised at the final judgment after the Millennium. Hades will be emptied before the Great White Throne, where its occupants will be judged.

Thus no one has a second chance at death. All wait, either waiting with the Lord or in Hades, until the Last Day when they are resurrected to face their Maker. Hopefully we are ready for this day by being found in Christ!!