10/14/16

"THE BOOK OF DANIEL" The Kingdom That Shall Never Be Destroyed (2:1-49) by Mark Copeland

                          "THE BOOK OF DANIEL"

           The Kingdom That Shall Never Be Destroyed (2:1-49)

INTRODUCTION

1. In Dan 2, we read about Nebuchadnezzar's dream and Daniel's
   interpretation...
   a. Nebuchadnezzar challenges his magicians, sorcerers, et al, to
      tell him both the dream and its interpretation, and they are
      unable - Dan 2:1-13
   b. God reveals the secret of the dream to Daniel in a night vision
      - Dan 2:14-23
   c. Daniel approaches the king and explains that God has made known
      to him both the dream and its interpretation - Dan 2:24-30
   d. Daniel then tells the dream, and gives the interpretation of it,
      to the amazement of Nebuchadnezzar - Dan 2:31-49 (read)
      1) The king had seen a great image
         a) With head of gold
         b) With chest and arms of silver
         c) With belly and thighs of bronze
         d) With legs of iron, and feet mixed with iron and clay
      2) The great image was destroyed by a small stone made without
         hands
         a) The image representing the rise and fall of four world
            empires
         b) The stone representing a kingdom that God would set up
      3) The king praises God, and exalts Daniel along with his three
         friends

2. There are certainly two key thoughts expressed in this chapter...
   a. God is a revealer of secrets - Dan 2:19,22,28-29,47
   b. God can make known the future and bring it pass - Dan 2:28-29,21

3. But of particular interest to us ought to be the "kingdom" in verse
   44...
   a. Which the God of heaven Himself shall set up
   b. Which shall never be destroyed, but consume other kingdoms and
      stand forever

4. Several questions naturally come to mind concerning this
   "kingdom"...
   a. When would God set it up?
   b. Has it been set up as foretold?
   c. If it has, and if it shall never be destroyed...
      1) Where is it now?
      2) What is the future of this kingdom?
      3) Can we be a part of this indestructible kingdom?

[In this lesson, we shall endeavor to provide the answers to these
questions.  Let's start with the first:  When would this "kingdom" be
set up...?]

I. THE PREPARATION FOR THE INDESTRUCTIBLE KINGDOM

   A. "IN THE DAYS OF THESE KINGS..." (44)
      1. Daniel describes the image as depicting four kingdoms which
         shall rise and fall
      2. The first one is definitely Babylon - Dan 2:37-38
      3. With Babylon as the starting point, world history confirms
         that the next three kingdoms would be:
         a. The Medo-Persian empire, represented by the chest and arms
            of silver
         b. The Grecian empire, represented by the belly and thighs of
            bronze
         c. The Roman empire, represented by the legs of iron, with
            feet mixed with iron and clay
      4. Thus one could look for the establishment of the
         "indestructible kingdom" in the days of the Roman empire

   B. WHEN "THE TIME IS FULFILLED"...
      1. Notice what John the Baptist began preaching during the days
         of the Roman empire ("the kingdom of heaven is at hand")
         - Mt 3:1-2
      2. Jesus proclaimed this also, adding "the time is fulfilled"
         - Mk 1:14-15
         a. What "time" was fulfilled?
         b. The time described by Daniel!

[So the "indestructible kingdom" was to be set up in the days of the
Roman empire.  During Roman empire both John and Jesus anticipated its
establishment.  This leads to our next question:  Has it been set up as
foretold...?]

II. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INDESTRUCTIBLE KINGDOM

   A. DURING JESUS' EARTHLY MINISTRY, IT WAS "AT HAND"...
      1. This is what both John and Jesus proclaimed - Mt 3:1-2; Mk 1:
         14-15
      2. Yet after Jesus' death, there were those who were still
         waiting for the kingdom - e.g., Joseph of Arimathea, Lk 23:
         50-51

   B. BUT FOLLOWING THE ASCENSION OF JESUS...
      1. He is far above all principality, power, might, dominion - Ep1:20-21
      2. All has been made subject to Him - 1Pe 3:22
      3. He is ruler over the kings of the earth - Re 1:5
      4. He rules the nations with a rod of iron - Re 2:26-27
      -- He truly has all authority in heaven and on earth! - cf. Mt28:18

   C. THIS SUPPORTS WHAT IS REVEALED LATER IN DANIEL...
      1. Consider Dan 7:13-14
         a. Where one like the Son of Man approaches the Ancient of
            Days (God)
         b. And is given dominion, glory, and a kingdom which shall not
            be destroyed
      2. Compare this with Ac 1:9
         a. Daniel describes the ascension from a heavenly perspective
         b. Whereas Luke describes it from an earthly perspective!

[It is clear, then, that the King (Jesus) has received a kingdom, that
the indestructible kingdom was set up when He returned to heaven!  But
one might naturally ask:  Where is it now?  The answer is found when we
consider...]

III. THE NATURE OF THE INDESTRUCTIBLE KINGDOM

   A. THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT THIS KINGDOM...
      1. It was described by Daniel as a "stone cut...without hands
         which became a great mountain and filled the whole earth"
         - Dan 2:34-35
         a. "without hands" suggests it is not your ordinary kingdom
         b. Also, it would start small and then grow larger
      2. Compare this with what Jesus taught about the nature of His
         kingdom
         a. His kingdom is not of this world - Jn 18:36; cf. Ro 14:17
         b. It would start small, and grow to encompass the earth - Mt13:31-33
      -- Thus this "indestructible kingdom" would start small, and be
         spiritual in nature

   B. THIS KINGDOM THEREFORE INVOLVES THOSE IN THE CHURCH...
      1. The Christians at Colosse were in the kingdom - Col 1:12-13
      2. Those at Thessalonica likewise - 1Th 2:12
      3. Along with the seven churches in Asia - Re 1:6,9
      4. Indeed, all Christians receive their part in this
         "indestructible kingdom" - He 12:28
         a. Including us gathered here this day!
         b. Fulfilling the statement that this kingdom would fill the
            whole earth!
         c. For here we are, on the other side of the planet from
            Jerusalem, yet citizens of this kingdom foretold by Daniel!

[Whoever is willing to "repent and believe in the gospel" (Mk 1:15) can
be a part of the kingdom Jesus established when He sat down at the
right hand of God following His ascension to heaven.  This leads us to
yet another question:  What is the future of this kingdom...?]

IV. THE FUTURE OF THIS INDESTRUCTIBLE KINGDOM

   A. IT WILL LAST FOREVER...
      1. As Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar - Dan 2:44
         a. "which shall never be destroyed"
         b. "it shall stand forever"
      2. As the writer to the Hebrews stated:  "a kingdom which cannot
         be shaken" - He 12:28
      3. As the angel Gabriel spoke to Mary:  "of His kingdom there
         will be no end" - Lk 1:31-33

   B. AT CHRIST'S COMING, IT WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE FATHER...
      1. As taught by Paul to the Corinthians - 1Co 15:23-26
         a. When Christ comes, He shall deliver the kingdom to God the
            Father, having put an end to all rule, authority and power
         b. Until then, Christ shall reign until all enemies are placed
            under His feet, the last enemy being death
      2. As Jesus taught in the parable of the tares - Mt 13:40-43
         a. At the end of the age, His angels will gather out of the
            kingdom those that offend and practice lawlessness
         b. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the
            kingdom of their Father

CONCLUSION

1. And so this kingdom...
   a. Foretold by Daniel, proclaimed by John the Baptist and Jesus
      Himself
   b. Was begun in the days of the Roman empire, with Christ as its
      king and His disciples as its citizens

2. It is an indestructible kingdom...
   a. That continues on, ever growing
   b. With the hope of a glorious future in eternity

3. But let us not forget the last question raised in our introduction:
   Can we be a part of this indestructible kingdom?
   a. Yes!  For Jesus and His apostles tell us how
      1) We must be born again of water and the Spirit - Jn 3:5; cf.
         Tit 3:5
      2) An allusion to baptism, commanded of penitent believers -
         Mt28:19; Mk 16:16; Ac 2:38
   b. But beware, some in the kingdom may one day be cast out!
      1) As Jesus warned in the parable of the tares - Mt 13:41-43
      2) Telling us later of the necessity of an enduring faith - Re 2:10

Therefore, once we have been obedient to the gospel (cf. Ro 6:17-18) we
must remain diligent in our faith, if we wish to experience the future
glories of "The Kingdom That Shall Never Be Destroyed"!
 

"THE BOOK OF DANIEL" The Faith Of A Fifteen Year Old (1:1-21) by Mark Copeland

                          "THE BOOK OF DANIEL"

                The Faith Of A Fifteen Year Old (1:1-21)

INTRODUCTION

1. The Old Testament is filled with examples worthy of our study and
   emulation...
   a. Such as Joseph, with his stand for God in the house of Potiphar
   b. Such as Joshua, a great man of faith and conviction in his
      service to God

2. Another example that ought to inspire us all is that of Daniel...
   a. As a young man, his faith gave him the courage to remain true to
      his convictions
   b. As an old man, his faith sustained him the threat of persecution

[We first read of Daniel and his great faith, in the first chapter of
the book of Daniel...]

I. DANIEL'S FAITH AS A "FIFTEEN YEAR OLD"

   A. IT WAS A BLEAK DAY IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL...
      1. The beginning of Babylonian domination - Dan 1:1-2
         a. In  the third year of Jehoiakim (ca. 605 B.C.)
         b. Jerusalem besieged by Nebuchadnezzar
         c. Jehoiakim taken into captivity, and precious items taken
            from the temple
      2. This was the first of three times that Nebuchadnezzar came
         against Jerusalem (605, 597, 586 B.C.)

   B. DANIEL AND OTHERS SELECTED FOR SPECIAL TRAINING...
      1. Young men taken to serve Nebuchadnezzar - Dan 1:3-7
         a. They were truly the "cream of the crop" among the captives
            1) Good looking with no blemish
            2) Gifted with wisdom, knowledge, and the ability to learn
               quickly
         b. To serve in the king's palace, and be taught the language
            and literature of the Chaldeans (Babylonians)
            1) Given special provisions of the king's food and drink
            2) With three years of special training
         c. Among those selected, four are named, and apparently
            renamed to honor Babylonian gods
            1) Daniel (God is my judge) - Belteshazzar (a servant of
               Bel)
            2) Hananiah (the Lord is gracious) - Shadrach (inspired by
               the sun god)
            3) Mishael (who is what God is?) - Meshach (who is what the
               moon god is?)
            4) Azariah (the Lord helps) - Abed-Nego (servant of Nebo)
      2. How would these young men respond?
         a. Would they submit to the temptations placed before them?
         b. Would they give in, excusing themselves due to youth and
            inexperience?
         -- How would you have reacted if you were in their place?

   C. DANIEL MAKES A DECISION...
      1. He "purposed in his heart" - Dan 1:8
         a. I.e., he made a commitment
         b. Something too rarely heard of today, in both young and old
      2. His commitment was to "not defile himself" with the king's
         food
         a. Possibly unclean food according to Levitical restrictions
         b. Or food used in idol worship which would cause one to be a
            participant with such worship - cf. 1Co 10:20-22

   D. HOW DANIEL REMAINED TRUE TO HIS COMMITMENT...
      1. He did it with politeness - Dan 1:8b
         a. Note that "he requested"
         b. He did not "demand", but respected the authority of those
            over him
      2. He did it with God's help - Dan 1:9
         a. God gave him favor in the eyes of the chief of eunuchs
         b. Similar to how Joseph found favor in prison - cf. Gen 39:21
      3. He did it through persistence - Dan 1:10-11
         a. He did not give up after the refusal by the chief of the
            eunuchs
         b. He tried something else, going to the steward directly over
            them
      4. He did it through willingness to test his faith - Dan 1:12-15
         a. He was confident that God's way was the right way
         b. He was willing to demonstrate the superiority of God's way
         c. So he asked the steward to give him and his three friends
            just water and vegetables for ten days

   E. THE VALUE OF SUCH FAITH SEEN IN ITS RESULTS...
      1. It affected the lives of others! - Dan 1:15-16
         a. It had blessed the countenance of Daniel and his friends
         b. It then blessed the rest of the young men under the care of
            the steward
      2. God blessed Daniel and his three friends even more! - Dan 1:
         17-20
         a. God gave them knowledge, skill, and wisdom, and to Daniel
            He gave understanding in visions and dreams
         b. They became the best of the young men who had been trained,
            and served in the presence of Nebuchadnezzar
         c. The king found them better than all his magicians and
            astrologers
      3. Daniel continued in the court of Babylon nearly seventy years!
         - Dan 1:21
         a. Even to the first year of Cyrus of Persia (539 B.C.)
         b. Eventually becoming provincial ruler and chief
            administrator over all others - Dan 2:48

[What a wonderful example of faith and commitment, and of God's
providence to care for His people!  Now let's consider some...]

II. LESSONS AND APPLICATIONS FROM DANIEL'S FAITH

   A. HOW TO SUCCEED IN KEEPING OUR COMMITMENT TO THE LORD...
      1. Be polite
         a. There is never any reason to be rude or arrogant
         b. Impoliteness just aggravates a situation rather than helps
            it - cf. Pr 15:1
      2. Seek God's help
         a. Without God, any effort is more likely to fall - cf. Psa127:1-2
         b. God seeks to help those who are loyal to Him - cf. 2 Chr16:9
      3. Be persistent
         a. Don't give up trying after meeting the first obstacle
         b. Remember what Jesus taught about persistence:
            1) Those who keep on "asking, seeking, knocking" will
               receive, find, have doors opened to them - Mt 7:7-11
            2) The parable of the persistent widow - Lk 18:1-8
      4. Be willing to test your faith
         a. If not willing, how committed are you to trusting God?
         b. Yet God often invited people to test His promises - cf. Mal3:10
         c. And so does Jesus - cf. Jn 7:16-17; Mt 6:31-34

   B. SOME APPLICATIONS...
      1. School-age children
         a. Out from underneath their mother's apron for the first time
         b. They will be faced with making decisions
         -- Will they have the faith of Daniel?
      2. College-bound students
         a. Moving away from home for the first time
         b. Leaving a spiritual environment at home, for one that is
            likely very worldly
         -- Will they live and act with the same sort of commitment
            found in Daniel?
      3. Adults in the workplace
         a. Tempted to accept jobs which may require one to compromise
            convictions
         b. Called upon to lie for the boss, show loyalty to the
            company though illegal or unethical
         -- Will they have "the faith of a fifteen year old"?
      4. Those with unbelieving spouses
         a. Having to serve God and raise their children in the ways of
            the Lord on their own
         b. With little or no moral and religious support from their
            life mate
         -- Will they have the "purpose of heart" that Daniel had?

CONCLUSION

1. Many other applications could be made, but what have we learned from
   "The Faith Of A Fifteen Year Old" like Daniel?
   a. Even those who are young need to make a personal commitment to
      serve the Lord
   b. One can be steadfast in their purpose to serve the Lord without
      arrogance
   c. We should look to the Lord for help, and be willing to trust in
      His providence
   d. God will bless and provide for those who put their trust in Him
      and His will

2. Daniel is not the only person to demonstrate such faith in his
   youth...
   a. We made mention of Joseph earlier
   b. We have other examples in the O.T., such as David and Josiah
   c. And of course, let's not forget the example of Mary (the mother
      of Jesus), and that of Timothy

May the example of their dedication to the service of the Lord inspire
us all to "purpose in our heart" not to defile ourselves by the things
of the world!
 

U.S. Presidents on Islam by Dave Miller, Ph.D.





http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=8&article=5341

U.S. Presidents on Islam

by  Dave Miller, Ph.D.

George Washington

“You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are. Congress will do everything they can to assist you in this wise intention.”1
“While we are zealously performing the duties of good Citizens and soldiers we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of Religion. To the distinguished Character of Patriot, it should be our highest Glory to add the more distinguished Character of Christian.”2

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams

“We took the liberty to make some inquiries concerning the grounds of their pretentions to make war upon nations who had done them no injury, and observed that we considered all mankind as our Friends who had done us no wrong, nor had given us any provocation. The Ambassador answered us that it was founded on the laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners; and that every Musselman who should be slain in battle was sure to go to Paradise.”3

John Quincy Adams

“In the seventh century of the Christian era, a wandering Arab of the lineage of Hagar, the Egyptian, combining the powers of transcendent genius, with the preternatural energy of a fanatic, and the fraudulent spirit of an impostor, proclaimed himself as a messenger from Heaven, and spread desolation and delusion over an extensive portion of the earth. Adopting from the sublime conception of the Mosaic law, the doctrine of one omnipotent God; he connected indissolubly with it, the audacious falsehood, that he was himself his prophet and apostle…. [H]e declared undistinguishing and exterminating war, as a part of his religion, against all the rest of mankind…. The precept of the koran is, perpetual war against all who deny, that Mahomet is the prophet of God.”4

Barack Obama

“Islam is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism—it is an important part of promoting peace.”5

EndNotES

1 George Washington (1779), “Speech to the Delaware Chiefs,” in The Writings of George Washington from the Original Manuscript Sources 1745-1799, ed. John C. Fitzpatrick, 15:55, emp. added, http://preview.tinyurl.com/Washington-G-1779. The author assumes that Washington’s belief in the priority of the Christian religion would apply to the Muslim as well as the Native American.
2 George Washington (1778), “General Orders, May 2, 1778,” George Washington Papers at the Library of Congress, emp. added, http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mgw3&fileName=mgw3g/gwpage003.db&recNum=181. Again, it is assumed that, if Washington considered being a Christian a person’s highest glory, being a Muslim would not be so considered.
3 “American Peace Commissioners to John Jay” (1786), The Thomas Jefferson Papers Series 1. General Correspondence. 1651-1827, Library of Congress, March 28, http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/mtj.mtjbib001849. The letter refers to Jefferson and Adam's meeting with the Ambassador from the Muslim country of Tripoli.
4 Joseph Blunt (1830), The American Annual Register for the Years 1827-8-9 (New York: E. & G.W. Blunt), 29:269, emp. added, http://www.archive.org/stream/p1americanannual29blunuoft.
5 Barack Obama (2009), “Remarks by the President on a New Beginning,” The White House, Office of the Press Secretary, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt, June 4, http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-cairo-university-6-04-09.

Does Inspiration Imply Dictation? by Eric Lyons, M.Min.





http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=565

Does Inspiration Imply Dictation?

by  Eric Lyons, M.Min.

Sometimes honest and sincere people apparently believe that God dictated every jot, every tittle, and ever word in the Scriptures, thus making the Bible writers little more than mechanical robots that dutifully copied down the Scriptures—verse by verse, as it were. If God had dictated the Bible, however, the style and vocabulary of each book of the Bible would be the same throughout. Yet, a simple reading of the Scriptures proves that the mechanical dictation viewpoint is incorrect. The fact is, the personality and style of each author are evident in every book of the Bible. Paul’s writings are different from Peter’s, and John’s are different from Luke’s. At times, Bible writers even used different words to teach the same story or to give the same commands.
Take, for example, one of the differences between Mark’s gospel and Luke’s gospel. When writing about how difficult it is for a rich man to enter heaven, Mark said it is “easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye” (Mark 10:25). Mark uses the Greek word rhaphis (needle), which means a sewing needle. On the other hand, when Luke used the same analogy (Luke 18:25), he employed the Greek word belone, which frequently was used when speaking of a surgeon’s needle. The same principle is taught in both texts, yet different words are used. Luke was a doctor (Colossians 4:14), and so he used the kind of needle with which he was most familiar. Likewise, Mark used the term for a seamstress’s needle, most likely because that was the kind of needle he was most accustomed to seeing. Is this a contradiction? No. Two different personalities are reflected in the words, but the idea is the same. Although the concept may be somewhat difficult to understand, inspiration involves the selection of the exact words, yet allows room for the personality of the individual to be reflected in the writing. And while inspiration extends to every word of Scripture, it does not rule out either human personality or human personal interest. Simply put, when the Bible writers claimed inspiration (cf. 2 Peter 1:20-21 and 2 Timothy 3:16-17), they did not have mechanical dictation in mind.
The correct view is to understand that the Bible’s inspiration is verbal and plenary. This means that the Bible writers penned exactly what God wanted them to write, without errors or mistakes, yet with their own personalities evident in their writings. By “verbal,” we mean that every word in the Bible exists because God permitted it (via the direction of the Holy Spirit). King David clearly recognized the validity of this kind of inspiration when he said: “The Spirit of the Lord spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue” (2 Samuel 23:2, emp. added). By “plenary,” we mean that each and every part of the Bible is inspired, without anything being omitted. (“Plenary” means full).
By employing the verbal and plenary view of inspiration, God ensured that the independent Bible writers penned only that which was correct and consistent with His will.

Dawkins’ Indirect Scientific Inference by Kyle Butt, M.Div.





http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=3788

Dawkins’ Indirect Scientific Inference

by  Kyle Butt, M.Div.

In his latest book, The Greatest Show on Earth, Richard Dawkins declares that “the ‘theory’ of evolution is actually a fact—as incontrovertible a fact as any in science” (2009, p. vii). He wrote the book because he noted that in his previous books he “realized that the evidence for evolution itself was nowhere explicitly set out, and that this was a serious gap” that he “needed to close” (p. vii). In his failed attempt to close that gap, Dawkins delineated the kind of “evidence” that he would be relying upon. He noted that much of the “evidence” for evolution is necessarily not direct, eyewitness evidence. He stated:
Obviously, the vast majority of evolutionary change is invisible to direct eye-witness observation. Most of it happened before we were born, and in any case it is usually too slow to be seen during an individual’s lifetime.... With evolution, as with continental drift, inference after the event is all that is available to us, for the obvious reason that we don’t exist until after the event. But do not for one nanosecond underestimate the power of such inference (p. 16).
Along those same lines, Dawkins wrote: “I shall never again be tempted to give eyewitness testimony an automatic preference over indirect scientific inference” (p. 15).
The important point to notice in this regard is that often the creationist is criticized by the evolutionary community for suggesting that creation at the hand of a supernatural Creator is a scientific idea. We are told that since scientists cannot touch, see, taste, hear, or smell the Creator directly, here and now, then that “hypothesis” simply cannot be considered scientific. Yet such an assessment of Creation is inaccurate. Creation is simply, in the words of Richard Dawkins, “inference after the event” that deserves as much or more credit, according to Dawkins, as “eyewitness testimony” (cf. Butt, 2007).
In fact, the biblical explanation of Creation clearly defines the concept almost exactly as Dawkins has defined acceptable evidence. Romans 1:20 states: “For since the creation of the world His [God’s] invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.” A cursory look at the verse shows that (1) people in Paul’s time (as well as our own) were not around to directly observe the act of Creation, (2) the evidence available to Paul’s readers (and modern people) is enough to positively infer the concept of Creation and the existence of a Creator, (3) improper scientific inference from the available evidence would result in a complete misunderstanding of the origin of the Universe.
Dawkins is exactly right that real scientific inference based on indirect observation is an excellent way to arrive at facts and knowledge. Sadly, he is woefully incorrect in his assessment that such inferences substantiate evolution. The fact of the matter is, all properly formulated scientific inferences based on factual scientific evidence establish the conclusion that a supernatural Creator designed our amazing Universe.

REFERENCES

Butt, Kyle (2007), “Indirect Observation,” http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/3243.
Dawkins, Richard (2009), The Greatest Show on Earth (New York: Free Press).

Cultural Effects on Religion in America by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

 http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=2916

Cultural Effects on Religion in America

by  Kyle Butt, M.Div.

Q.

What effect is culture having on religion in America?

A.

In the midst of heated discussion and hot debate, the Episcopalian Church met in Columbus, Ohio to consider, among other things, whether the organization should ban gays and lesbians from being bishops. In the media attention surrounding the Episcopal General Convention, Katharine Schori, the first female presiding Bishop in the denomination’s history, had much to say about her beliefs regarding homosexuality. She stated: “I am fully committed to the full inclusion of gay and lesbian Christians in this church” (Clark, 2006). Ironically, Asian and African Anglican bishops are so appalled at the stance of their American counterparts that they have cried out: “Don’t you believe the Bible you gave us?”
With such sentiments expressed by the prominent leader of the group, it is no surprise that the denomination did not pass the measure to ban homosexuals from being bishops. They did, however, institute a quasi-reversal of the non-ban and suggested that churches should “‘exercise restraint’ in selecting openly gay bishops” (Clark, 2006). Such a policy would make it more difficult for homosexuals to be bishops, but not impossible.
The troubling thing about such news is the way in which decisions are being made by those who profess to be Christians. The Bible explains that Christ is the head of the church, His body (Ephesians 1:22-23). Scriptures further explain that anything done by His Church should be done in accordance with His revealed will, by His authority (Colossians 3:17,23-24). It has never been the prerogative of any group that supposedly follows Christ to vote on whether an action is a sin or not. Furthermore, if someone is openly committing sin, it certainly is not the prerogative of “the body” to overrule “the head” and appoint such sinful individuals to leadership positions.
Inspired Scripture explains that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. In the litany of activities that would be considered unrighteous, homosexuality is conspicuously and repeatedly included (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Romans 1:26-28). Not only should openly homosexual individuals be banned from becoming bishops, they should be publicly marked and withdrawn from (along with adulterers, fornicators, thieves, etc.) until they repent of their sins and stop committing homosexual acts (1 Corinthians 5). Any group that presumes to vote on such issues and thinks that such a vote alters the way Heaven views sin is sadly mistaken. The church that Jesus died to save has no earthly headquarters, finds unity only through obedience to the New Testament, and is to function as an obedient body of Christ. All religious organizations that refuse to recognize the authority of Christ as revealed in the New Testament (Matthew 28:18) will hear these sad words spoken by Christ on the Day of Judgment: “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23).

REFERENCE

Clark, Stephen (2006), “Episcopalians Curb Policy on Gays,” LA Times, [On-line], URL: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-episcopal22jun22, 1,1257035.story?coll=la-headlines-nation.

The Miracles of Christ—Many and Varied by Eric Lyons, M.Min.





http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=10&article=2557

The Miracles of Christ—Many and Varied

by  Eric Lyons, M.Min.

One of the biblical proofs for the deity of Christ is the miracles that Jesus worked. And, we are asked to believe that Jesus is the Son of God not because He performed one or two marvelous deeds during His lifetime. To the contrary, “miracles cluster around the Lord Jesus Christ like steel shavings to a magnet” (Witmer, 1973, 130:132). The gospel accounts are saturated with a variety of miracles that Christ performed, not for wealth or political power, but that the world may be convinced that He was sent by the Father to bring salvation to mankind (cf. John 5:36; 10:37-38). As Isaiah prophesied, Jesus performed miracles of healing (Isaiah 53:4; Matthew 8:16-17). He cleansed a leper with the touch of His hand (Matthew 8:1-4), and healed all manner of sickness and disease with the word of His mouth (cf. John 4:46-54). One woman who had a hemorrhage for 12 years was healed immediately simply by touching the fringe of His garment (Luke 8:43-48). Similarly, on one occasion after Jesus came into the land of Gennesaret, all who were sick in all of the surrounding region came to Him, “and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well” (Matthew 14:34-36; Mark 3:10). Generally speaking, “great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them” (Matthew 15:30, emp. added). “He cured many of infirmities, afflictions...and to many blind He gave sight” (Luke 7:21, emp. added). Even Jesus’ enemies confessed to His “many signs” (John 11:48).
Jesus not only exhibited power over the sick and afflicted, He also showed His superiority over nature more than once. Whereas God’s prophet Moses turned water into blood by striking water with his rod (Exodus 7:20), Jesus simply willed water into wine at a wedding feast (John 2:1-11). He further exercised His power over the natural world by calming the Sea of Galilee during a turbulent storm (Matthew 8:23-27), by walking on water for a considerable distance to reach His disciples (Matthew 14:25-43), and by causing a fig tree to wither away at His command. Jesus’ supernatural superiority over the physical world (which He created—Colossians 1:16) is exactly what we would expect from One Who claimed to be the Son of God.
Jesus’ miracles were not limited to the natural world, however. As further proof of His deity, He also revealed His power over the spiritual world by casting out demons. “They brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word” (Matthew 8:16, emp. added). Luke also recorded that “He cured many of...evil spirits” (Luke 7:21, emp. added). Mark recorded where Jesus once exhibited power over a man overwhelmed with unclean spirits, which no one had been able to bind—not even with chains and shackles; neither could anyone tame the demon-infested man (Mark 5:1-21). Jesus, however, cured him. Afterwards, witnesses saw the man with the unclean spirits “sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind” (Luke 8:35-36). On several occasions, Jesus healed individuals who were tortured by evil spirits. And, “they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, ‘What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out’” (Luke 4:36).
Finally, Jesus performed miracles that demonstrated His power even over death. Recall that when John the Baptizer’s disciples came to Jesus inquiring about His identity, Jesus instructed them to tell John that “the dead are raised” (Matthew 11:5). The widow of Nain’s son had already been declared dead and placed in a casket when Jesus touched the open coffin and told him to “arise.” Immediately, “he who was dead sat up and began to speak” (Luke 7:14-15). Lazarus had already been dead and buried for four days by the time Jesus raised him from the dead (John 11:1-44). Such a great demonstration of power over death caused “many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did” to believe in Him (John 11:45). What’s more, Jesus’ own resurrection from the dead was the climax of all of His miracles, and serves as perhaps the most convincing miracle of all (see Butt, 2002, 22:9-15).
In all, the gospel records contain some 37 specific supernatural acts that Jesus performed. If that number were to include such miracles as His virgin birth and transfiguration, and the multiple times He exemplified the ability to “read minds,” and to know the past or future without having to learn of them through ordinary means (cf. John 4:15-19; 13:21-30; 2:25), etc., the number would reach upwards of 50. Indeed, the miracles of Christ were varied and numerous. He healed the blind, lame, sick, and leprous, as well as demonstrated power over nature, demons, and death. The apostle John, who recorded miracles of Christ “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:31), also commented on how “Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book” (20:30, emp. added). In fact, Jesus worked so many miracles throughout His ministry on Earth that, “if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written” (John 21:25).

REFERENCES

Butt, Kyle (2002), “Jesus Christ—Dead or Alive?” Reason & Revelation, 22:9-15, February, [On-line], URL: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/121.
Witmer, John (1973), “The Doctrine of Miracles,” Bibliotheca Sacra, 130:126-134, April.

Another “Dragon” Discovered by Eric Lyons, M.Min.





http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=9&article=1442

Another “Dragon” Discovered

by  Eric Lyons, M.Min.

Some people just don’t get the connection—between dinosaurs and dragons, that is. So much of the world, and sadly many Christians, have become so entranced with the vast ages of evolutionary time, that few consider the clear connection between human history and the fossil record.
For millennia, people have told stories of seeing and interacting with large reptilian creatures with elongated bodies, serpentine necks, horned or crested heads, sharp teeth, lengthy tails, and stout bodies, with or without membranous wings. These stories, called dragon legends, “have been with humanity since the dawn of recorded history” (“The Spread...,” 1981, 89:103), and are, as famed 20th-century evolutionist Carl Sagan admitted, “a worldwide phenomenon” (1977, p. 150, emp. added).
Thousands of years prior to the 19th century A.D. (when humans began locating, excavating, and reassembling dinosaur fossils, and when the term “dinosaur” was actually coined), humans had been describing dinosaurs; only they referred to them as “dragons” (see Lyons, 2007). Interestingly, when a nearly complete dinosaur skull was excavated in South Dakota in 2003, the long, knobby skull appeared so similar to ancient descriptions and paintings of certain “legendary” dragons, the dinosaur actually was named Dracorex, meaning “dragon king” (see Bakker, et al., 2006).
The news agency Reuters has now reported that paleontologists in Poland have unearthed the fossilized remains of another dinosaur. The animal is believed to have been over 16 feet long with two-inch teeth. Dr. Tomasz Sulej of the Polish Science Academy stated: “This is a completely new type of dinosaur” (Baczynska, 2008). It is so new to science, in fact, that a scientific name has yet to be given to the animal. In the meantime, however, scientists have given the animal a working name: “Dragon” (Baczynska, 2008).
In the past five years, fossils from two different dinosaurs have been excavated. Researchers so readily recognize the similarities between these two dinosaurs and dragons that they have given one the scientific name Dracorex (“dragon king”), and the other the working name Dragon. When will evolutionary scientists take the next logical step and ask from whence came descriptions of dragons? If humans never lived with dinosaurs, historical descriptions of dragons, many of which sound just like dinosaurs, should not exist (cf. Job 41). But they do exist, and have for millennia. In truth, dragon legends, or should we call them “dinosaur descriptions,” are exactly what one would expect to find if humans and dinosaurs once cohabited the Earth, just as Scripture teaches (Genesis 1:24-28; Exodus 20:11).

REFERENCES

Bakker, Robert, et al. (2006), “Dracorex Hogwartsia, N. Gen., N. Sp., A Spiked, Flat-headed Pachycephalosaurid Dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota,” New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Bulletin 35, [On-line], URL: http://www.childrensmuseum.org/dinosphere/draco_rex/dracorex_hogwartsia.pdf.
Baczynska, Gabriela (2008), “Ancestor of T-Rex Dinosaur Unearthed in Poland,” Reuters, [On-line], URL: http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSL148207720080802?sp=true.
Lyons, Eric (2007), “Historical Support for the Coexistence of Dinosaurs and Humans—Parts I & II,” Reason & Revelation, 27:65-71,73-79, September-October.
Sagan, Carl (1977), The Dragons of Eden (New York: Random House).
“The Spread of Dragon Myths” (1981), Science Digest, 89:103, May.

Calling Abortion “Good”—Really? by Eric Lyons, M.Min.





http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=7&article=5195

Calling Abortion “Good”—Really?

by  Eric Lyons, M.Min.

What do Americans call it when a doctor uses a knife-like device and suction from a powerful hose and pump (“29 times more powerful than a household vacuum cleaner”) to chop and suck a human being out of the mother’s womb (“Abortion Methods,” 2010)? What is it called when a doctor uses plier-like devices to twist and tear a four-month-old unborn baby into pieces? (Usually this procedure requires crushing the baby’s skull and snapping the child’s spine in order to extract him/her.) How do Americans feel about a procedure where a doctor injects a strong salt solution through a mother’s abdomen, which acts as a corrosive and burns an unborn child inside and out, normally causing the child to suffer for an hour or more before dying (“Abortion Methods”)? What do Americans think about such actions?
Just a few miles from our offices at Apologetics Press, doctors perform such appalling procedures on living, unborn human beings on a weekly basis. According to the Guttmacher Institute, nearly 10,000 innocent unborn children were slaughtered in Alabama in 2011 (“State Facts About Abortion: Alabama,” 2015). Many of these abortions were performed at the Reproductive Health Services of Montgomery, which “has provided abortion services and other health care for women for more than 30 years” (2015). Consider some of the feedback from various patients that this abortion clinic highlights on its Web site:
  • Thank you for your hard work and for changing people’s lives with your compassion and dignity.”
  • “Keep up the good work. As my very religious friend told me, I was against abortion until my own fifteen year old daughter became pregnant.”
  • “To all who work to allow me to keep that right to choose: What you do is important, empowering and fine. I chose to have an abortion because it was theright decision for me at the time….”
  • I am saying prayers for your safety and success.”
  • “Keep up the good work….”
  • “Thank you for your brave work for justice and freedom for women.”
  • “Every woman I know who has exercised her right to abortion made that decision with thoughtfulness, tortured consideration and integrity. All the recent talk of heroes comes into focus for me when I think of people like you who’ve been on the front line for so long. Please know you are supported not only with good thoughts and thanks but with resources, will and active determination.”
  • I thank God I was given a choice in September 1973. Abortion was just legalized a few weeks earlier” (emp. added).
Compassion. Dignity. Integrity. Justice. Fine, heroic, and good work. Prayers for success. Even thankfulness to God! These are the thoughts that various ones in our community have toward those who shed the blood of the most innocent among us?! Even President Barack Obama, in support of Planned Parenthood, the organization that murders more unborn children than anyone else in the United States, has stated:
No matter how great the challenge, no matter how fierce the opposition, there’s one thing the past few years have shown—it’s that Planned Parenthood is not going anywhere. It’s not going anywhere today. It’s not going anywhere tomorrow. As long as we’ve got a fight to make sure women have access to quality, affordable health care, and as long as we’ve got to fight to protect a woman’s right to make her own choices about her own health, I want you to know that you’ve also got a president who’s going to be right there with you, fighting every step of the way. Thank you, Planned Parenthood. God bless you. (“President Obama...,” 2013).
God bless you?! The Obama administration has proudly published the video from which these comments were made on the White House YouTube Channel.
What’s more, so committed are some elected officials to the murderous cause of Planned Parenthood that when evidence recently surfaced that the organization was not only killing hundreds of thousands of unborn children every year, but also attempting to sell their body parts, some Democrats in Congress petitioned the Department of Justice to investigate, not Planned Parenthood, but the whistleblowers (Ludden, 2015). And, apparently, the DOJ “agreed to look into…the group” (Mershon and Ehley, 2015). Did you catch that? There are some who are more up in arms about exactly how an undercover video was procured, rather than “whether Planned Parenthood illegally trafficked baby body parts” (“Obama DOJ…”). Why? It seems, at least in part, because some have vowed to fight to ensure that Planned Parenthood is not going anywhere today…or tomorrow.
These are sad and absurd times in which we live. Rather than “abhor what is evil” and “cling to what is good” (Romans 12:9), millions in the U.S. (including many so-called Christians) reject the Creator’s standard of right and wrong, choosing rather to do what is right in their own eyes (cf. Judges 21:25). As in Isaiah’s day, they “call evil good, and good evil” and put “darkness for light, and light for darkness” (5:20). Though God is the giver of life (Acts 17:25) and “hates…hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:16-17), many actually proceed as if they can pray to Him for the “success” of abominable abortion clinics and thank Him for the legality of willfully destroying innocent human life. God said to the degenerate city of Jerusalem in Isaiah’s day, “When you spread out your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood” (Isaiah 1:15, emp. added). The once-“faithful city…full of justice” and “righteousness,” had become a city “full of…murderers” (1:21).
What is the message to America, to the world, to those who are wandering in darkness, and to those hypocrites who claim to be Christians, yet act nothing like the Christ? Repent (Luke 13:3,5; Acts 2:38). Stop calling evil good and good evil. Stop glorying in sin and shame—such “are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction” (Philippians 3:18-19). “Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, rebuke the oppressor; defend the fatherless, plead for the widow” (Isaiah 1:16-17). Stop provoking Almighty God to anger and submit to His Son and His Will. He can (and will!) save a sinner—but not before the sinner comes to grips with the reality that God hates sin and can have no fellowship with it (Isaiah 59:1-2; 1 John 1:5-6).
“Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword;” for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

REFERENCES

“Abortion Methods” (2010), http://www.lifesitenews.com/abortiontypes/.
Ludden, Jennifer (2015), “Sting Videos Part of Longtime Campaign Against Planned Parenthood,” NPR, July 22, http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/07/22/425314909/sting-videos-part-of-longtime-campaign-against-planned-parenthood.
Mershon, Erin and Brianna Ehley (2015), “IPAB’s on the Horizon—House Republicans Vow to Subpoena Planned Parenthood Official—Casey Takes on Foster Children’s Health Insurance,” Politico, July 23, http://www.politico.com/politicopulse/0715/politicopulse19266.html.
“Obama DOJ Plans to Investigate…The Group That Busted Planned Parenthood” (2015), The Federalist, July 23, http://thefederalist.com/2015/07/23/doj-investigate-planned-parenthood-video/.
“President Obama Speaks at the Planned Parenthood Gala” (2013), The White House YouTube Channel, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laYQ2DDFmCg, April 26.
Reproductive Health Services (2015), http://www.rhs4choice.com/index.html.
“State Facts About Abortion: Alabama” (2015), Guttmacher Institute, https://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/sfaa/alabama.html.

The Bible's Teaching on Baptism: Contradictory or Complementary? by Eric Lyons, M.Min.





http://apologeticspress.org/AllegedDiscrepancies.aspx?article=806&b=John

The Bible's Teaching on Baptism: Contradictory or Complementary?

by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

According to numerous skeptics, the Bible is inconsistent regarding whether or not water baptism is necessary (e.g., Drange, 1996; Morgan, 2003; cf. Wells, 2001). In Dennis McKinsey’s book, Biblical Errancy (2000), he lists several verses that teach the need for one to be baptized in order to be saved (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 1 Peter 3:21; etc.), but then he lists four verses (John 4:2; 1 Corinthians 1:14,16,17) which allegedly teach that baptism “is not a necessity” (p. 61). According to these men, Jesus and Paul were confused regarding the purpose of baptism.
There is no doubt that Jesus and His apostles taught the essentiality of being immersed in water for salvation. After Jesus commissioned His apostles to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature,” He stated that “he who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:15-16; cf. Matthew 28:19). The Jews who had murdered Christ, and to whom Peter spoke on the Day of Pentecost when he ushered in the Christian age, were told: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). Before becoming a Christian, Saul of Tarsus was commanded to “arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). The biblical solution to the problem of soul-damning sin is that the person who has heard the Gospel, who has believed its message, who has repented of past sins, and who has confessed Christ as Lord must then—in order to receive remission (forgiveness) of sins—be baptized. [The English word “baptize” is a transliteration of the Greek word baptizo, meaning to immerse, dip, plunge beneath, or submerge (Thayer, 1958, p. 94).] According to Peter, “baptism,” corresponding to Noah’s salvation through water, “now saves us…(not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21). Although baptism is no less, nor more, important than any other of God’s commands regarding what to do to be saved, the New Testament clearly teaches that water immersion is the point at which a person is saved by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
If it is the case then that baptism is essential for salvation, then why did the apostle John write: “Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee” (John 4:1-3, emp. added)? And why did the apostle Paul write to the church at Corinth: “I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name…. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel” (1 Corinthians 1:14-17, emp. added)? Do these statements indicate that baptism is not necessary for a person to be saved as skeptics allege? No, they do not.
First, John did not indicate that Jesus thought baptism was unnecessary; he merely stated the fact that Jesus did not personally do the baptizing; rather, His disciples did (John 4:2). The phrase in 4:1 regarding Jesus “baptizing” more disciples than John is simply a figure of speech where a person is represented as doing something when, in fact, he merely supplies the means for doing it. For example, Joseph indicated on one occasion that his brothers sold him into Egypt (Genesis 45:4-5; cf. Acts 7:9), when actually they sold him to the Ishmaelites (who then sold him into Egypt). This is a well-known principle in law—a person who acts through another to break the law (e.g., paying someone to commit murder) is deemed by authorities to be guilty of breaking the law himself. Similarly, Jesus did not personally baptize anyone. But, His teaching and influence caused it to be done. Jesus, the subject, is mentioned, but it is the circumstance of His influence that is intended. His teaching was responsible for people being baptized. Thus, this passage actually implies that Jesus commanded that His listeners be baptized. It in no way contradicts teachings found elsewhere in the Bible.
Second, Paul’s statements in his letter to the church at Corinth must be taken in their proper context in order to understand their true meaning. In 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Paul was dealing with the division that was plaguing the Corinthian Christians. He had heard of the controversy in Corinth, and begged them to stand united, and resolve their differences.
Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?
I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, lest anyone should say that I had baptized in my own name. Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas. Besides, I do not know whether I baptized any other. For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect (1 Corinthians 1:10-17).
Later, Paul added:
For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase (1 Corinthians 3:3-7).
When a person reads 1 Corinthians 1:14-17 in view of the problem of division in Corinth that Paul was addressing in chapter one and throughout this letter, he or she has a better understanding of Paul’s statements regarding baptism. He was not indicating that baptism was unnecessary, but that people should not glory in the one who baptizes them. Some of the Corinthians were putting more emphasis on who baptized them, than on the one body of Christ to which a person is added when he or she is baptized (cf. Acts 2:41,47; Ephesians 4:4). Paul was thankful that he did not personally baptize any more Corinthians than he did, lest they boast in his name, rather than in the name of Christ (1:15). Likely, this is the same reason why “Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples.” As Albert Barnes surmised: “[I]f he [Jesus—EL] had baptized, it might have made unhappy divisions among his followers: those might have considered themselves most worthy or honoured who had been baptized by him” (1956, p. 213, emp. in orig.). Paul understood that the fewer people he personally baptized, the less likely they were to rejoice in his name. [In 1 Corinthians 1:13, Paul implied that the only way to be saved is to be baptized into the name of Christ, saying, “Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”] Paul’s desire was for converts to tie themselves to the Savior, and not to himself. He knew that “there is salvation in no one else” but Jesus; “for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Paul concerned himself with preaching, and, like Jesus, left others to do the baptizing.
When Paul stated: “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel,” he meant that preaching was his main work, and that others could immerse the converts. He did not mean by this statement that baptism is unimportant, but that the baptizer is inconsequential. Consider this: If Paul did not baptize, but preached, and, if others baptized those who heard Paul’s teachings, what can we infer about the content of Paul’s teachings? The truth is, at some point, he must have instructed the unsaved to be baptized (which is exactly what occurred in Corinth—read Acts 18:1-11; 1 Corinthians 6:11). Similar to how we logically infer from the Ethiopian eunuch’s baptism (Acts 8:36-39), that when Philip “preached Jesus to him” (8:35), he informed the eunuch of the essentiality of baptism, we can truthfully affirm that Paul taught that baptism is essential for salvation. The allegation that Paul and Jesus ever considered baptism non-essential, simply is unfounded.
REFERENCES
Barnes, Albert (1956), Notes on the Old and New Testaments: Luke and John (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker).
Drange, Theodore M. (1996), “The Argument from the Bible,” [On-line], URL: http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/theodore_drange/bible.html.
McKinsey, C. Dennis (2000), Biblical Errancy (Amherst, NY: Prometheus).
Morgan, Donald (2003), “Biblical Inconsistencies,” [On-line], URL: http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/donald_morgan/inconsistencies.shtml.
Thayer, J.H. (1958 reprint), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark).
Wells, Steve (2001), Skeptic’s Annotated Bible, [On-line], URL: http://www.Skepticsannotatedbible.com.

Finding one's self (Who am I) by Eugene C. Perry




http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Perry/Eugene/Charles/1922/Articles/whoarewe.html
 

Finding one's self
(Who am I)
(The following is an adaptation of remarks made as a senior member at a recent family reunion. ecp)

Often, when people get involved in deviant behaviour, seem directionless or manifest other symptoms of troubled lives, we hear the remark, “He/she just needs to find himself/herself?” The person is not lost but rather is confused or unsure of his/her place in the family, community, nation, world. Where do I fit in? What do I stand for? It involves being lost in the sense of needing to decide/determine/find one’s place among the diverse world-views and value systems of a pluralistic society.

A very real part of who I am has to do with FAMILY. That is to say that family usually has much to do with one’s world-view, value system and life-style. WHO ARE WE?

To begin with, in a general sense, all are a part of God’s family. We are His children, His creation. We are daily recipients of His loving care. He provides what is needed to sustain our lives as well as the example and direction that enables us to live “full” lives (Jno.10:10).

Unfortunately, there are those who outright disown this relationship. Others just fail to cultivate or recognize it. God is our father and ideally this defines us – enables us to find ourselves and thus to know who we are and where we stand – our value system and life-style.

In a more particular sense, we are children of [mutual ancestor] whose name many of us bear and who provided us with example and, hopefully, direction. Once again, some might go so far as to deny or reject the relationship and influence while others tend to ignore or neglect to cultivate it. Most of us, however, acknowledge and even take pride in the relationship and accept it as a real part of who we are.

Ideally our forebears are worthy of recognition and their example and instruction defines who we are and influences our life-style and value system which is thus passed down from generation to generation. In our family many generations have been people of faith, defined by a desire to know and do God’s will. Bible study and church attendance have been characteristic along with honesty and a strong work ethic. Many of us, like our forebears, met and married as a result of associations in Bible Schools or churches.

We are a part of this heritage and it will be a part of who we are and what we stand for unless we have either disowned the relationship or are neglecting its significance and influence.

I remember and was impressed by my parent’s dedication to work on the farm. It seemed to take precedence over all else except church. When there were church services or gospel meetings we somehow managed to get some time away from the work. We would sometimes walk seven miles to attend such meetings and walk back home afterwards. Family traits that we were taught include faithfulness, honesty, dependability, hard work and independence.

We were moulded by our parents and this is an ongoing process. Those of you who are parents must face the fact that you have heavy responsibilities in this process. What are you “passing on”? Yes, you are expected to provide food, clothing and shelter. That part usually “comes naturally”. The greater burden on you is the preparation of your children for life by passing on values. Too often, this part tends to be neglected or poorly done.

When God chose Abraham to be the father of His chosen people, He said, “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” (Gen.18:19).

As Moses led Abraham’s descendents and passed God’s instructions on to them, he wrote, “These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ... Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Deut.6:6-9).

Both parents must be involved. Timothy’s “sincere faith” “first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice” (II Tim.1:5). Fathers are instructed to bring their children “up in the training and instruction of the Lord” (Eph.6:4). It is most unfortunate when parents do not work together in this task.

This system breaks down when neglect occurs – when parents fail to assume their responsibility and/or when children reject or rebel against parental teaching and influence.

We are sometimes saddened to observe a downward generational process that goes something like the following. Great-grandpa had the Bible in heart and life, grandfather had it in his head, father on his shelf and son in the attic. May this not be the situation in our families.

WHO ARE WE? We are children of God and descendents of godly ancestors.

Eugene C. Perry

Published in The Old Paths Archive
(http://www.oldpaths.com)

Beauty, position and blessings by Gary Rose


Admittedly, it was the fancy font that first caught my attention, but I must admit I DO like the seal (especially after I adjusted the color so that I could see it properly). Then my attention focused on the text of the picture and lastly on the context (which is listed below).

Ephesians, Chapter 1 (WEB)
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love 5 having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire,  6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved 7 in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,  8 which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,  9 making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him  10 to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in him 11 We were also assigned an inheritance in him, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who does all things after the counsel of his will,  12 to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ.  13 In him you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,  14 who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory.


And that context emphasized the preposition "in", so I underlined it to reflect the train of thought.  What does the word mean, anyway? Well, "in" is what I will call a locater word;it shows position and location. In this case, Jesus, The Holy Spirit and God the father.  If you are a Christian, the you are "in", and if not, then you are logically not in (in other words, outside The Godhead).

If you have some time, just read the passage a few times and I think you will readily see the advantages of being "IN".  Now, that I think about it, that "seal" in the picture looks a lot like a ribbon given to winners. Be one, be in Christ and be blessed!!!   

Your friend,

Gary