5/13/20

"THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW" Jesus And The Law (5:17-19) by Mark Copeland


                        "THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW"

                      Jesus And The Law (5:17-19)

INTRODUCTION

1. Up to this point, Jesus has been describing the "citizens" of the kingdom...
   a. Their character and blessedness - Mt 5:3-12
   b. Their influence on the world - Mt 5:13-16

2. The next section details the "righteousness" of the kingdom...
   a. The righteousness conduct Jesus would expect of His disciples
   b. In contrast with the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees

3. He begins by correcting any false impression some may have had about
   His relationship with the Law of Moses and the Prophets...
   a. Had He come to destroy the Law and the Prophets?
   b. Are His teachings contradictory to the Law and the Prophets?

[In Mt 5:17-19, we find His answer to such questions. Our first observation is 
that...] I. HE CAME NOT TO DESTROY, BUT TO FULFILL A. SOME MAY HAVE THOUGHT JESUS INTENDED TO TOTALLY DISREGARD
THE LAW...
1. That His coming and teaching would regard the Old Law in a negative light 2. For the expression "to destroy" means literally to "to destroy utterly, to overthrow completely" (VINE) B. ON THE CONTRARY, HIS PURPOSE WAS TO "FULFILL" THE LAW AND
  THE PROPHETS...
1. For they foretold the coming of the Messiah (Christ) a. There are approximately 330 prophecies concerning the Christ found in the Law and the Prophets b. For example, Deut 18:15,18-19; Isa 53:1-12 2. For they foretold the coming of the kingdom of God a. One example is Dan 2:44 b. Jesus proclaimed the fulfillment of that prophecy was now at hand
- Mk 1:14-15 3. For they also foretold the establishment of a new and different covenant for the people of God a. See Jer 31:31-34 b. That Jesus brought in this new covenant is confirmed in He 8:6-13 C. THEREFORE, UNTIL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS WERE
FULFILLED, JESUS TAUGHT THAT...
1. The Law would be as permanent as the heavens and the earth
 - Mt 5:18 a. As He said in Lk 16:17, "It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail." b. There would be no change at all, until it was fulfilled c. Not even a "jot" or a "tittle" (Hebrew grammatical markings, similar to the dotting of an "i" or the crossing of a "t") 2. A person's treatment of the Law (while still in force) would affect their standing in the kingdom - Mt 5:19 How so...? a. Remember that the kingdom has a future aspect - Mt 7:21-23 b. Those who lived before the coming of the kingdom in its present sense (i.e., the church) could still be in the kingdom
in its future sense 1) Note what is said about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob - Mt 8:11 2) But then notice what was said about the "sons of the kingdom," those Jews who by the Law had the right to inherit the kingdom but did not appreciate its fulfillment in the coming of Jesus Christ! - Mt 8:12 -- Thus, one's standing in the kingdom (in its future sense) would be affected by their treatment of whatever Law of God was in effect when they were alive! D. AN IMPORTANT QUESTION: "DID JESUS FULFILL THE LAW?" 1. If He did not... a. He failed His purpose in coming to this earth! - Mt 5:17 b. We had better observe the Law in its strictest sense! - Mt 5:18-19 (including circumcision, and not eating unclean
  meats!) 2. If He did... a. He accomplished His purpose! (notice Jn 17:4) b. We should not be surprised to find a NEW Law or Covenant governing God's people today 3. Indeed, Jesus must have fulfilled the Old Law... a. For there has been changes: 1) In the priesthood - He 7:11-14 2) In the Law itself - He 7:18-19,22 b. As the Law itself foretold, it has been replaced by a New Law
  - He 8:6-13 [Though Jesus ultimately fulfilled the Law and the Prophets, at the time He was preaching this sermon they had not been fulfilled. So, true to His statement in verse nineteen, He taught His disciples to be faithful to God's Law as it then stood. But what about the contrasts found in Mt 5:21-48? Are not these to be viewed as comparisons between the Old and New Law? Here are some thoughts along these lines...] II. THE CONTRAST MADE BY JESUS A. MANY UNDERSTAND JESUS WAS CONTRASTING THE
"OLD" AND "NEW"...
1. I.e., comparing the "Law of Moses" with the "Law of Christ" which would govern His kingdom 2. This in essence has Jesus teaching: a. That the "Old Law" only condemned the outward actions b. But that the "New Law" introduced by Jesus condemned the inner conditions which lead to the outer actions B. HOWEVER, I UNDERSTAND THE CONTRAST TO BE DIFFERENT... 1. It was a contrast between: a. The "traditional interpretation and application" of the Law b. The "righteousness of the kingdom" Jesus would require of His disciples 2. In fact, Jesus demonstrated that the righteousness of the kingdom... a. Was not only contrary to the manner many had interpreted and applied the Law b. But was in harmony with the original spirit of the Law as given to Moses and the Israelites C. REASONS FOR SUCH A VIEW... 1. The other view would seem strange in light of verse 19 a. Jesus had just warned against any alteration of the
commandments of the Law! b. The first view has Jesus doing the very thing He had just
warned against! 2. If Jesus was referring to what Moses had commanded in the Law itself, it is likely different wording would have been used a. At other times, when Jesus was definitely referring to what the Law actually said, He prefaced it with things like: 1) "Moses commanded" - Mt 8:4 2) "It is written" - Mt 4:4,7,10 b. Instead, we find Jesus repeatedly using phrases more likely to refer to ORAL teachings and interpretations rather than the WRITTEN Word of God: 1) "You have heard that it was said to those of old"
- Mt 5:21,27
2) "Furthermore it has been said" - Mt 5:31 3) "Again you have heard that it was said to those of old"
 - Mt 5:33
4) "You have heard that it was said" - Mt 5:38,43 3. In two of the contrasts, Jesus refers to statements not even found in the Law of Moses! a. "...and whoever murders will be in danger of the
 judgment"- Mt 5:21
b. "...and hate your enemy" - Mt 5:43 -- Here, Jesus reacted, not to the Law itself, but to the way it was often used! 4. We should also remember that the "Law and the Prophets" were just as concerned with the inner thoughts of the heart as the Law of Christ is - cf. Deut 6:4-7; Isa 29:13-14 CONCLUSION 1. So Jesus came... a. Not to destroy the Law, but to fulfill the Law b. Which He did, by fulfilling its many prophecies -- That Law has now been replaced by the New Covenant of our Lord 2. In illustrating the righteousness expected of those under the
New Covenant, Jesus will... a. Contrast it with the traditional interpretations and applications
  orally handed down b. Demonstrate how our righteousness must indeed exceed that of the
 scribes and Pharisees! In our next lesson, we shall begin looking at the righteousness Jesus demands...

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

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Helping Souls Find the Truth by Eric Lyons, M.Min.


http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=5292

Helping Souls Find the Truth

by  Eric Lyons, M.Min.

Nothing will ever replace personal, face-to-face evangelism and Bible study. For thousands of years, God’s people have taught the lost and edified the saved while looking deeply into the eyes of precious souls, helping them see what God says is most important and pressing in life, and challenging them to become real and serious servants of the Savior. Simply put, the church of God’s dear Son should always invest a great amount of time, energy, and money in the teaching and preaching of the will of God in a fervent and personal way.

At the same time, the church of Christ must also realize the amazing opportunity that awaits her on the World Wide Web. According to InternetLive­Stats.com, more than 3.2 billion people around the world have access to the Internet. That number represents 40% of the world’s population, including 280 million users in the United States. Similar to how the Lord spoke to Paul saying, “I have many people” (potentially) in Corinth (Acts 18:10), He has even “many more people” who will potentially be open to the Truth that they find by the grace of God on the Internet.

Are you and the local congregation that you are a part of involved in an effective, active outreach and edifying ministry on the Internet? Have you considered helping those who have a long history of helping millions of souls that you or I will never personally be able to meet, much less teach? What would you think about helping a group of Christians who are involved in disseminating over 22 million electronic pages of biblically sound material a year? Would you like to be a part of a work that is freely “passing out” the equivalent of 62,671 Bible articles, books, and media selections every day? If so, then I humbly ask you to consider supporting the nonprofit work of Apologetics Press.

By the grace of God, in 2015 the Apologetics Press Web site received over 22,875,000 page views from individuals located in some 235 countries and territories worldwide. Only five years ago, the yearly page views at AP stood at just under five million. Though in that same time period (2010-2015), the number of Internet users worldwide increased by nearly 40%, the amount of Web traffic that ApologeticsPress.org received increased by 460%. Every minute 43.5 pages of electronic soul-enriching Bible material on the AP Web site is viewed. In other words, one electronic page on the AP site is seen somewhere around the world every 1.4 seconds. For this, we thank God and give Him all the glory.

We are humbled and overjoyed that God is providentially providing millions of people around the world opportunities to access the AP Web site and to receive logically and biblically sound answers to their questions. Consider the individual who has never heard of the AP site, but googles the Bible phrase “calling on the name of the Lord.” The very first item that appears (out of 68.6 million results) is an article on the AP Web site explaining the true, biblical meaning of the phrase (as of January 2016).

Will You Help Us?

For many years, the staff of Apologetics Press has prayed that God would providentially put our materials into the hands of open, honest-hearted souls who are searching for serious answers to serious questions. Whether non-Christians investigating the Truth or Christians in search of faith-building materials, we pray that, if the Lord wills, He will use us and those who support us in this work to lead lost souls to Christ and to strengthen the Lord’s church.

So how can you help us in this cause? What could you do to assist us in this work? Below are a few ideas that we pray you will consider:

  • Bookmark our Web site and visit us when searching for answers to questions about God, Creation, the Bible, Jesus, Islam, evolution, the culture war, various doctrinal matters, etc.
  • Link to us on your personal Web site or blog.
  • Tell your friends about us.
  • Share relevant AP articles, audio, videos, etc. on your social media pages.
  • Ask the elders of your local congregation if they will link to us on your church Web site.
  • Pray that the Lord would use the AP site to His glory in helping others.
  • Last but not least, would you consider supporting us monthly or yearly in this work? With the financial help of faithful Christians, we believe we could do more and more work through apologeticspress.org. We would be honored and extremely grateful if you would consider assisting us in disseminating tens of thousands of Web pages of material everyday to individuals around the world. For more information, see /Donation.aspx or call 334-272-8558.

Hell and the Omnipresence of God by Eric Lyons, M.Min.


http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=2690

Hell and the Omnipresence of God

by  Eric Lyons, M.Min.

Q:

Since God is omnipresent, does that mean that He will be present in hell?

A:

The Bible certainly indicates that God is all-knowing and ever-present. “[A]ll things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). Through the prophet Jeremiah, God asked: “Am I a God near at hand...and not a God afar off? Can anyone hide himself in secret places, so I shall not see him?... Do I not fill heaven and earth?” (Jeremiah 23:23-24). Indeed, God does “fill heaven and earth.” Solomon said: “Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You [God]” (1 Kings 8:27). No one can flee from God’s presence (Psalm 139:7). He is omniscient and omnipresent.

The Bible does, however, speak of God’s presence in different senses. God is present on His throne in heaven (Hebrews 8:1; 12:2; Revelation 21:5). Solomon referred to “heaven” as God’s “dwelling place” from which He hears the prayers of His people (1 Kings 8:30). God is present in and among His church (1 Corinthians 3:16). Though God has hidden His face from sinners who have separated themselves spiritually from God (Isaiah 59:1-2), God still fills the Earth with His presence, knowing and seeing everything (Hebrews 4:13; Jeremiah 23:23-24). What’s more, though God is with Christians (Hebrews 13:5), and is ever-present on Earth, God also has made more direct, periodic appearances in spirit or fleshly forms (Genesis 18:1; Acts 9:5,17; Acts 23:11).

The Bible reveals that God is even present in Sheol (“the abode of the dead.... [T]he Hebrew equivalent of the Greek Hades...to which both the righteous and unrighteous go at death”—see “Sheol,” 1986). The psalmist asked, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there” (Psalm 139:7-8, NASB, emp. added). Job declared that “Sheol is naked before Him [God], and Destruction has no covering” (Job 26:6; cf. Proverbs 15:11). Whether one enters into the afterlife on the side of Paradise (Luke 23:43; 16:22) or torments (Luke 16:23), God is there in some sense. He knows all and sees all.

In addressing his desire to leave this present life and be with Jesus, Paul wrote: “So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8, emp. added; cf. Philippians 1:23). In one sense, Christ was “with Paul” as a Christian and an apostle (Matthew 28:20; Acts 18:10), in another sense, while here on Earth Paul was “absent from the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6). Once again, Scripture refers to the presence of God in different senses.

In the end, the saved will “meet the Lord in the air” and “always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). We are going to the place that He has prepared for us and be where He says, “I [God] am” (John 14:2-3). But what about the inhabitants of hell and the omnipresence of God? It would appear that, since God created hell for the devil, his angels, and all of the wicked (Matthew 25:41), and since the Bible makes clear that prior to the Judgment God has some kind of presence in sheol/hades, even though there is a great gulf separating Paradise and torments (Luke 16:26), God’s presence is in hell in some sense. Though on one hand the wicked will be separated from God forever (Matthew 7:23; 25:41), they will never escape His ever-present and everlasting judgment.

REFERENCE

“Sheol” (1996), Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Electronic Database: Biblesoft).


Hebrews 6:4-6 and the Unpardonable Sin by Kyle Butt, M.Div.



http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=5152

Hebrews 6:4-6 and the Unpardonable Sin

by  Kyle Butt, M.Div.

Forgiveness is one of the most sublime concepts in the Bible. To think that our Creator loves us in spite of grievous sins that we have committed is thrilling. And to know that the blood of Jesus can forgive us when we repent and obey is nothing short of amazing (see Lyons and Butt, 2015). One of the most terrifying ideas, however, is the thought that maybe we have done things that are so wicked and sinful that we are beyond God’s forgiveness. Some believe this due to an incorrect understanding of two concepts in the Bible—the unpardonable sin and a statement in Hebrews 6:4-6.

The idea of an unpardonable sin scares some people, because they believe they may have committed it, even though most of them do not have a proper understanding of what the sin actually is. We read about the unpardonable sin in Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:28-30, and Luke 12:10. The sin is the very specific sin of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. That means the act of speaking evil of the Holy Spirit. It was committed by those who actually saw Jesus perform miracles and attributed His power to Satan. Because no one today can see Jesus perform such miracles, then the sin apparently cannot even be committed today. Some have suggested that the sin is any sin that is unrepented of, or murder, or adultery, or various other behaviors. The text is plain that those sins cannot be the unpardonable sin. It was specifically blasphemy that was the result of seeing Jesus’ miracles (see Butt, 2003).

With the idea of an unpardonable sin in mind, many people then go to Hebrews 6:4-6 and are convinced that they have fallen away from God and that it is now impossible for them to be saved. A closer look at Hebrews 6:4-6 will show the problem with this thinking. The text reads:

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame (Hebrews 6:4-6).

Notice what the text does not say. It does not say it is impossible to forgive a person who has fallen away. This is in contrast to the unpardonable sin. The gospel writers describe that sin as an “eternal” sin, for which there was never any forgiveness. The text in Hebrews says that if people fall away it is impossible to “renew them again to repentance.” The difference between forgiveness and repentance is profound. The message in Hebrews 6 is not that those who fall away have committed sins that God will not forgive, it is that their hearts have become so hard that they will not repent. Thus, if a person is willing to repent, he or she cannot be one of those who have fallen away according to Hebrews 6:4-6. A similar idea is found in 1 Timothy 4:2, where we read about those who have “their own conscience seared with a hot iron.” Again, it is not that God will not forgive these people, it is that they will not repent and come back to God.

An excellent example of the difference between forgiveness and repentance is seen in the lives of Judas and Peter. In a very real sense, both of these apostles betrayed their Lord. Judas sold Him to the Jewish leaders, and Peter denied three times even knowing Him. Their actions after their sins, however, show that Peter was willing to repent and come back to his Savior, but Judas’ heart was so calloused he would not repent. Peter was forgiven and Judas was lost, not because Judas’ sin was so much more grievous than Peter’s, but because Judas had allowed his heart and conscience to be so seared that he would not repent.

In summary, any person who reads Hebrews 6:4-6 and wonders if he or she is a person who is without hope and has fallen away from God can easily answer that question. If that person is willing to repent of sins and obey God, that passage cannot apply to him or her.

REFERENCES

Butt, Kyle (2003), “Blasphemy Against the Holy Spirit—The ‘Unpardonable Sin,’” Apologetics Press, http://apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=11&article=1218.

Lyons, Eric and Kyle Butt (2015), “Receiving the Gift of Salvation,” Apologetics Press, http://apologeticspress.org/pdfs/e-books_pdf/Receiving%20the%20Gift%20of%20Salvation.pdf.

WHO CONTROLS CLIMATE, GOD OR MAN? by steve finnell



http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com/2017/03/who-controls-climate-god-or-man-by.html

WHO CONTROLS CLIMATE, GOD OR MAN? by steve finnell


Can man control the earth's climate, or is God in control of the weather? Do man-made carbon dioxide emission control the climate of the earth or does God control the weather? Who created the weather, man or God?

Genesis 7:4 "For after seven more days I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, and I will destroy from the face of the earth all living things that I have made."(NKJV)

Question: Did man-made CO2 emissions cause it to rain forty days and forty nights, and destroy everything but what was on the ark with Noah?

Matthew 8:24-27......26 But He said to them, "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith? Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea. And there was great calm.........(NKJV)

Questions: Did man-made CO2 emissions cause the storm. Did man calm the storm by controlling their carbon footprint?

Job 37 1-24.... 6 For He says to the snow, 'Be on the earth': Likewise to the gentle rain and heavy rain of His strength......(NKJV)

Question: Do men have the ability to control the climate by controlling man-made CO2 emissions?

Psalm 135:6-7 Whatever the Lord pleases He does, In heaven and on earth, In the seas and in all deep places. 7 He causes the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He makes lightning for the rain; He brings the wind out of His treasuries.(NKJV)

Question: Can men control the climate by controlling man-made CO2 emissions?

Who is in control of the climate, God in heaven or puny men on earth?

[NOTE: Carbon dioxide is not a pollutant; neither is oxygen nor water. CO2, O, and H2O are necessary to sustain life.]

Can we be the church of the New Testament? Yes, if we hold fast the New-Testament pattern of sound words by Roy Davison



http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Davison/Roy/Allen/1940/Canwebe/ntpattern.html

Can we be the church of the New Testament?

Yes, if we hold fast the New-Testament pattern of sound words

Continual shelling during the First World War reduced the countryside in West Flanders, Belgium to a sea of mud. More than a million men died.

The beautiful Weaver’s Guild-Hall at Ieper, built in the 12th century, was reduced to rubble. After the war, the British wanted to leave the whole city of Ieper in ruins as a memorial to the war! Understandably, the people of Ieper thought otherwise! Some wanted to replace the Guild Hall with a modern structure. But city architect Jules Coomans insisted that the Weaver’s Hall be rebuilt.

And with the help of fellow architect, P.A. Pauwels, the building was restored to its original grandeur. When the restoration was complete in 1959, the building looked exactly as it did before. This was possible because they used the original building plans and the same type of stones.

Jesus built His church in the first century (Matthew 16:18). Two millennia later the world is full of denominations that are very different from the church Jesus built. People have used their own plans and their own stones to establish thousands of denominations according to their own liking and for their own glory.

Churches of Christ exist in all parts of the world because certain people want to be nothing more and nothing less than the church of the New Testament. They must endure much criticism, however, from those who call this an impossible dream, an unattainable objective, an impracticable ideal.

Can we be the church of the New Testament? Why not, if we use the original building plans and the same stones, if we follow the pattern of the New Testament?

The question is: Do we really want to be the church of the New Testament? Or do we prefer something else, something modern or something medieval? Do we want to serve God His way or our way?

Many, if not most people in Christendom do not even try to be the church of the New Testament. Is that acceptable to God?

Jesus said about religious groups in His time: “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch” (Matthew 15:13, 14).

If we belong to some religious group other than the church Jesus built, we will be uprooted. If we blindly follow blind guides, we will fall into a pit. We must be the church of the New Testament if we want to be saved.

People in denominations -- which are conspicuously different from the New Testament church -- often try to justify the difference by claiming that it is not possible to be the church of the New Testament.

Can we be the church of the New Testament? Can we be the same church we read about in the Scriptures? Certainly, if we use the original plans, if we follow the original pattern.

Is the New Testament a pattern for the church?

People who want to do their own thing, do not like patterns. Thus, they simply declare that the New Testament does not provide a pattern for the church. What does the New Testament itself say?

Does the New Testament claim to be a pattern?

Paul told Timothy: “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 1:13). Paul told Titus to “speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1).

An elder must hold “fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict” (Titus 1:9). The law is for anything “contrary to sound doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:8-11). Apostate Christians “will not endure sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:3, 4). Thus, these ‘sound words,’ this ‘sound doctrine’ is a pattern that is to be held fast by preachers and elders, and this pattern will be rejected by people with itching ears who want to please themselves rather than God.

Paul wrote to the Romans: “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered” (Romans 6:17). ‘Form of doctrine’ can be translated ‘pattern of doctrine’. Notice that it does not say that this pattern of doctrine has been delivered to us, but that we have been delivered to a pattern of doctrine! Rather than being subservient to sin, we are now subservient to a pattern of doctrine that we must obey from the heart!

The New Testament is our pattern. Only false teachers claim otherwise.

We certainly can be the church of the New Testament if we hold fast the New-Testament pattern of sound words.

To follow the New-Testament pattern, our speech must be pure. We must avoid theological formulations, and use Scriptural words to express our faith.

These words are not accidental. They are from God. Paul wrote: “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches” (1 Corinthians 2:13). Peter wrote: “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Peter 4:11). “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20). To be the church of the New Testament we must use the language of the New Testament in our teaching and preaching.

Human interpretation of these Spirit-taught words is not allowed. We must observe their true meaning. “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:19-21).

These Spirit-taught words come from Christ. We can be the church of the New Testament if we abide in the word of Christ. Jesus tells His followers: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31, 32). His word will judge us: “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him -- the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48).

Jesus has given us His word through the apostles and the Scriptures.

The first church “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42). The church is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:20). If we continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, we will be the same church.

The holy Scriptures, inspired by God, provide all the information we need to be the church of the New Testament. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul said: “These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:14, 15).

In his second letter Paul admonishes Timothy further: “But as for you, continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:14-17).

This pattern is normative and must be followed accurately. Paul told the Corinthians not to go beyond what is written (1 Corinthians 4:6). John warned: “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 9).

Yes, we can be the church of the New Testament, but only if we have the same faith and obey the same gospel contained in the New Testament. Jude wrote: “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3). Paul wrote to the Galatians: “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).

The New Covenant must be kept.

In Greek, the word for testament and for covenant is the same [διαθήκη]. A covenant is a formal, solemn and binding agreement relative to the performance of certain actions. A confirmed covenant cannot be annulled or changed (Galatians 3:15).

The New Testament is a God-given covenant! It was ratified when Jesus died on the cross (Hebrews 9:16, 17). Through this covenant God grants blessings on specified conditions. This new covenant lays down the requirements for being a Christian and a church of Christ. These specifications cannot be changed. God, as sovereign Lord, has defined the conditions. We can be the church of the New Testament, but only if we comply with the provisions of the covenant God has given us.

Under the old covenant, God told Moses exactly how the tabernacle was to be made: “According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it” (Exodus 25:9). “And you shall raise up the tabernacle according to its pattern which you were shown on the mountain” (Exodus 26:30).

The necessity of following this pattern is mentioned twice in the New Testament. Stephen said: “Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as He appointed, instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen” (Acts 7:44). In Hebrews it is explained that the tabernacle was a “copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, ‘See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain’” (Hebrews 8:5).

God foretold that the old covenant would be replaced: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah -- not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke” (Jeremiah 31:31, 32).

Can we be the church of the New Testament?
Yes, certainly. If we follow the pattern of the New Testament, if we comply with the conditions and provisions of the new covenant, if we abide in the word of Christ, if we continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine, if we hold fast the pattern of sound words, if we use the Scriptures for doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction, if we obey from the heart that form of doctrine to which we have been delivered, if we do not go beyond what is written, if we hold fast the faithful word, if we have the same faith and obey the same gospel, if we abide in the doctrine of Christ... we can be the church of the New Testament.
Roy Davison

The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The New King James Version. ©1979,1980,1982, Thomas Nelson Inc., Publishers.
Permission for reference use has been granted.

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

A transplanted rainbow by Gary Rose



Over the years, I probably have posted at least a dozen times about rainbows;frankly, I love them. Their beauty, the magnificent way they fill the sky and the sheer wonder of them fills my heart with joy. There is just something so exciting about seeing a rainbow, that each time I see one, I just think- Today is going to be a wonderful day.


Rainbows come in varying shapes and sizes and occur in various heights and quantities (sometimes even three or more). They may even be vertical.


Most of all, they remind me of God and his promise not to destroy the Earth with the flood, ever again. I love the reassurance of the constant nature of God and his promises, which gives hope in this dreary world we live in.


BUT, here is a rainbow that is NOT in the heavens, but rather on Earth; how can this be? Puzzling indeed! After some thought I realized that it is not as difficult to understand as I thought at first, for this could just be a reflection of a rainbow in heaven. And, why not, for God has brought his promise to make a NEW COVENANT to Earth in the person and works of Jesus Christ.


Consider….


John 6 ( World English Bible )


38 "For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. "

39 "This is the will of my Father who sent me, that of all he has given to me I should lose nothing, but should raise him up at the last day. "

40 "This is the will of the one who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in him, should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.”"



If God can came to Earth, why not rainbows? God fulfills his promises to both Noah and all those who will fervently trust in HIM. I know, this rainbow is very unusual, but then again so is Jesus, for God only had one son (the rest of us are adopted into the family of God). And that son, loved us so much that he sacrificed himself on a cross for the likes of you and me. That is better than all the rainbows that I have ever seen!