12/27/19

"THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES" The Preacher's Advice To The Young (11:9-12:7)


"THE BOOK OF ECCLESIASTES"

The Preacher's Advice To The Young (11:9-12:7)

INTRODUCTION

1. As a result of his search for meaning in life "under the sun"...
   a. The Preacher's concluded that "all is vanity" - e.g., 1:2,14; 2:1,11
   b. Even one who lives many joyful years can still anticipate days of
      darkness - 11:8

2. While life "under the sun" (viewed purely from an earthly perspective)
     is vanity...
   a. That does not mean one should simply give up in despair
   b. Throughout, the Preacher has counseled his readers to enjoy what
      good God has given one - e.g., 2:24; 3:12,13,22; 5:18-20; 7:14; 9:7-10

3. The lessons gleaned through the Preacher's own experience need to be
   learned by everyone, especially the young, otherwise they may...
   a. Waste years running after things that really don't satisfy
   b. Miss out on the true enjoyment of life available to them in their youth

[To make sure that young people do not miss the lessons he has learned,
the Preacher directs his attention towards them as he prepares to draw
his book to a close.  In 11:9-12:7, we find "The Preacher's Advice To
The Young", the first of which is...]

I. REJOICE IN YOUR YOUTH (11:9)

   A. GOD WANTS YOU TO HAVE A GOOD TIME...
      1. He wants you to be joyful, to do things that are pleasing
      2. Just as the Preacher had counseled earlier - 9:7-10
      -- Therefore take advantage of the youthful capacity to enjoy life!

   B. DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF THE JUDGMENT...
      1. You will have to give an account for what you do
      2. God will judge both the righteous and the wicked - cf. 3:17;12:14
      -- Therefore be selective in what you do to have fun!

[God has created man with the energy to enjoy life, especially when we
are young.  As long as that energy is directed in the right channels,
youth is to be a time of great joy!  Along the same vein, the Preacher
advises the young to...]

II. REMOVE SORROW AND EVIL FROM YOUR YOUTH (11:10)

   A. REMOVE SORROW FROM YOUR HEART...
      1. Sorrow deprives one of the joy they should have in their youth
      2. Enough sorrow comes without our help...make sure that we do
         does not add to it through youthful indiscretions (which leads
         to the next point)

   B. REMOVE EVIL FROM YOUR FLESH...
      1. Youthful indiscretions contribute to much sorrow
         a. Such as the wrong kind of companions - e.g., Pr 1:10-19
         b. Such as succumbing to the enticements of the wicked - e.g.,Pr 5:1-14
      2. Childhood and youth are fleeting...don't waste them on things
         that only bring much grief and sorrow in life

[Youth, while short, can be a wonderful time of life.  The key is to
heed the next admonition, which has already been alluded in references
concerning the judgment, and that is to...]

III. REMEMBER GOD IN YOUR YOUTH (12:1)

   A. SERVING GOD IS NOT JUST FOR THE ELDERLY...
      1. Great men of God served Him from their youth (e.g., Joseph,
         Samuel, David, Solomon, Josiah, Daniel)
      2. Jesus provided the proper example as well - Lk 2:41-52
      3. Timothy, who had known the Scriptures from childhood, was to
         be an example to others - cf. 2Ti 3:15; 1Ti 4:12

   B. SERVING GOD WILL HELP YOU MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES...
      1. Even as it helped Joseph - e.g., Gen 39:7-12
      2. And as it helped Daniel - e.g., Dan 1:8

[Serving God in your youth will help avoid many of the things that
bring sorrow, and prepare you for the "days of darkness" (11:8) that
will come.  This leads us to the final point in "The Preacher's Advice
To The Young"...]

IV. REFLECT UPON WHAT IS COMING (12:1-7)

   A. DIFFICULT DAYS ARE AHEAD...
      1. Presuming you live long enough
      2. As already stated, these days will be many - 11:8
         a. They will be days in which little pleasure will be found - 12:1
         b. The darkening of the lights of heaven denoting a time of
            affliction and sadness (Barnes) - 12:2

   B. A TIME WHERE AGE AND DEATH CATCHES UP TO US...
      1. The Preacher uses various figures to depict the body in old
         age and death - 12:3-7
      2. What the figures of verses 3-6 possibly represent:
         a. The keepers of the house tremble (the arms weaken)
         b. The strong men bow down (the legs become frail) 
         c. The grinders cease because they are few (the teeth fall out)
         d. Those that look through the windows grow dim (the eyes lose
            their sight)
         e. The doors are shut in the streets (the ears become hard of
            hearing)
         f. The sound of the grinding is low (the mouth and speech
            become unintelligible)
         g. When one rises up at the sound of a bird 
             (the elderly easily awakened)
         h. And all the daughters of music are brought low (the voice
            no longer able to produce music)
         i. They are afraid of height (their fear of falling)
         j. And of terrors in the way (no longer feeling invincible)
         k. When the almond tree blossoms (the wakefulness of old age
            setting in)
         l. The grasshopper is a burden (an old man, bowed like the
            insect, able to move only with some difficulty)
         m. And desire fails (fleshly desires wane)
         n. For man goes to his eternal home, And the mourners go about
            the streets (an obvious reference to death)
         o. The remaining figures, alluding to decay of the body
            1) Before the silver cord (the spinal cord) is loosed 
            2) The golden bowl (the skull) is broken 
            3) The pitcher (the heart) shattered at the fountain 
            4) The wheel (the pelvis) broken at the well 
      3. Finally, the body returns to the dust, and the spirit returns
         to God - 12:7
      -- The purpose of such a description is not to depress the young,
         but to instill the proper degree of sobriety (seriousness), a
         trait becoming the young - cf. Tit 2:6

CONCLUSION

1. The challenges our youth face are great...
   a. The temptations before them are many
   b. The allurements of the world promise much, but deliver little
   c. The young are very susceptible to depression and despair
   -- In a world in which life "under the sun" is vanity, they need all
      the help they can get

2. There is much in life that can be enjoyed, provided one heeds the
   Preacher's admonition:
   a. Rejoice in our youth
   b. Remove sorrow and evil
   c. Remember God in your youth
   d. Reflect upon the days ahead

As the apostle Paul wrote to Christians in Galatia, which certainly
applies to the young:

   "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows,
   that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the
   flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the
   Spirit reap everlasting life.  And let us not grow weary while
   doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose
   heart."  (Ga 6:7-9)

Do we wish to reap everlasting life?  Then let us sow to the Spirit by
walking after the Spirit (cf. Ga 5:16-23) and allowing the fruit of the
Spirit in our lives to produce the good things that we shall reap!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

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The New Testament: A Product of Man or God? by Eric Lyons, M.Min.





The New Testament: A Product of Man or God?

by Eric Lyons, M.Min.


Skeptics frequently claim that the writers of the Bible such as Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John “invented” moments in the life of Jesus. They question how the Gospel writers knew what Jesus thought and did when He was alone. How could Mark have known what Jesus prayed when He was alone in the Garden of Gethsemane? How did Matthew know what the devil said to Jesus when he tempted Him? Do such references reveal an inconsistency? Are these passages of dialogue in Scripture just reconstructions of the kind of thing a character might have said?
Our faith is not based upon what one might have said or what might be right. Our faith is based upon fact. Skeptics totally ignore the fact that the Bible writers were guided by the Holy Spirit. Before Jesus sent the apostles on the limited commission, He promised that the Holy Spirit would guide them supernaturally (Matthew 10:19-20). Later, as Jesus spoke to His apostles on the night of His betrayal, He said: “But the Comforter, even the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said unto you” (John 14:26, emp. added). Shortly thereafter He promised them: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he shall guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13, emp. added).
Not only did Jesus promise that the Holy Spirit would come upon the apostles, but the apostles themselves claimed to be guided by the Holy Spirit when they taught the gospel. On the Day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter claimed the apostles had received the promised Spirit (Acts 2:33; cf. John 16:13). When Paul wrote to the brethren of Galatia, he told them that his teachings came to him “through revelation of Jesus Christ” (1:12). To the Ephesian brethren, Paul wrote that God’s message was “revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets” (3:5, NKJV). These men did not “invent” stories and teachings about Jesus and the church. Neither did they have to rely on their own cognizance to remember the events that took place twenty or thirty years prior to their writing. The reason is because the Holy Spirit revealed the Truth to them.
One might wonder, further, how Mark’s Gospel account can be considered inspired if he was not an apostle. Part of the answer can be found in Ephesians 3:5 where Paul claimed that the Holy Spirit had been revealed to Christ’s “apostles and prophets.” How was the Spirit given to prophets like Mark, Luke, James, and Jude? How can we accept these books as the Word of God? Answer: The apostles could lay hands on individuals and impart to them certain miraculous gifts. One of these gifts was the gift of prophecy (1 Corinthians 12:10). Thus, in addition to apostles, there were prophets in the early church who were guided by the Holy Spirit (Acts 13:1; Ephesians 2:20; 3:5).
Other evidence that points to the Scriptures being the authoritative Word of God is the early recognition of the inspiration of the New Testament. In 2 Peter 3:16, Peter put Paul’s letters on a par with the Old Testament Scriptures when he compared them to “the rest of the Scriptures.” In 1 Timothy 5:18, Paul quoted Luke 10:7 as “Scripture.” Within forty years after Paul had written his first epistle to the Corinthians, Clement of Rome wrote a letter to the Corinthian brethren, noting that apostle Paul wrote “under the inspiration of the Spirit” (The First Epistle of Clement, 47). Thus, the New Testament books were recognized as the inspired Word of God.
In short, none of the New Testament writers “invented” moments in the life of Jesus. Rather, just like the writers of the Old Testament, they were fully inspired by the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Samuel 23:2, Acts 1:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21, 3:15-16, and John 16:13).

The Nazareth House by Dewayne Bryant, Ph.D.



The Nazareth House

by Dewayne Bryant, Ph.D.


Christmas and Easter are the two times of the year when the thoughts of the world are most centered on the person of Jesus Christ. They also attract the unwanted attention of critics and skeptics who work to overturn the biblical portrait of Christ, who offer revisions and new interpretations of the biblical text. It is not difficult to find a documentary claiming Jesus was nothing more than a quirky rabbi, a family man, or a first-century magician. Most recently, Bart Ehrman published his book Jesus, Interrupted in 2009, another in a long line of popular works that criticizes the text of the New Testament (cf. Bryant, 2010, 30[1]:5-7).
On December 21, 2009, archaeologists announced they had uncovered an ancient house in Nazareth dating to the New Testament period. The house, quite small in comparison to modern homes, consists of two rooms and a courtyard totaling about 900 square feet of space, although excavation could uncover additional rooms. Excavation is difficult, particularly since modern structures sit directly on top of much of the ancient site. Pottery from the location shows that a relatively poor Jewish family occupied the residence.
Scholars are quick to point out that the house did not belong to Jesus and His family. It is often impossible to identify the names of the residents of a particular house in antiquity, and this one is no exception. Still, scholars suggest that it may have been a place that Jesus knew. Yardena Alexandre, excavations director at the Israel Antiquities Authority, notes, “This may well have been a place that Jesus and his contemporaries were familiar with,” adding, “A young Jesus may have played around the house with his cousins and friends. It’s a logical suggestion” (Bazar, 2009).
The location of Nazareth has long been known, in part by the tombs that existed outside the city dating to roughly the New Testament period. It was within a walking distance of three to four miles from Sepphoris, where Joseph may have worked as a builder (Greek tekton; Matthew 13:55; Mark 6:3). Some have also suggested that Jesus may have followed in Joseph’s footsteps. Participating in a trade that involved strenuous work with wood and heavy stone probably provided Jesus with considerable physical resilience. Just before His crucifixion, already suffering from exhaustion after an illegal, night-long trial and blood loss from His vicious treatment, Jesus was able to withstand a Roman scourging. The scourge claimed the lives of many of the condemned before the Roman authorities had a chance to crucify them.
Absent from the discussion involving the house in Nazareth is any talk of Jesus’ status as a mythological creation of the early church. Alexandre, as well as other archaeologists commenting in news reports, simply assume the existence of Jesus. This is fully in line with virtually all scholars and historians. Nearly all experts who study ancient history believe Jesus existed, with only the rare exception. Robert Price, a member of the Jesus Seminar, is one of the few scholars who has dismissed Jesus as a historical figure. His peers have roundly criticized his beliefs. One such example is the recently published The Historical Jesus: Five Views. In this volume, the contributors weigh Price’s arguments and find them wanting (Beilby and Eddy, 2009, pp. 84-103)—not surprising, since the Bible does not betray any of the characteristics of ancient mythology (Oswalt, 1996, p. 548).
The discovery of the house has not escaped the notice of critics, who commented on the discovery almost immediately. Comments posted on Richard Dawkins’ Web site (www.richarddawkins.net), as well as the Web site for Sam Harris’ The Reason Project (www.reasonproject.org) are revealing. That the find would elicit any discussion on discussion forums is surprising, since the discovery is not connected explicitly to Jesus. Yet it seems that any mention of Jesus in the media is enough for the militant atheists to release the hounds of frenzied dissent. In one post after another, forum participants downplay the Nazareth house as evidence of Jesus’ life. No reputable archaeologists are making such a claim, however, and the life of Jesus is well-attested in a variety of ancient sources. Such a small discovery unleashed such illogicality from those who claim to prize logic and reason most.

REFERENCES

Bazar, Emily (2009), “Israel: First Jesus-era House Found in Nazareth,” USA Today, December 21, http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-12-21-jesus-house-nazareth_N.htm?csp=34.
Beilby, James K. and Paul Rhodes Eddy, ed. (2009), The Historical Jesus: Five Views (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic).
Bryant, Dewayne (2010), “Jesus, Rudely Interrupted,” http://apologeticspress.org/articles/240291.
Oswalt, John N. (1996), “Myth,” Baker Theological Dictionary of the Bible, ed. Walter A. Elwell (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker).


The Nature of Bible Inspiration by Dave Miller, Ph.D.




The Nature of Bible Inspiration


by Dave Miller, Ph.D.



What does it mean to say: “The Bible is inspired”? Answers to this question are legion (cf. “Theories...,” 1864, 6:312-349). Some regard the Bible as “inspired” in the same way that great authors in history have risen above the average person in their literary pursuits, e.g., Homer, Shakespeare, Dickens, or Eliot. Others would say that the writers of the Bible were influenced by supernatural connections, but that their written records of those connections suffer from the same flaws that mere humans are prone to make. Many people fail to assess the Bible’s own claims regarding its inspiration. Before the Bible can be determined to be “inspired,” it is necessary to conceptualize the meaning and nature of that inspiration. The Bible literally is filled with descriptions of the essence of its own inspiration.
Paul boldly claimed, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Greek term underlying the word “inspiration” means “God-breathed” (Vincent, 1900, 4:317). Paul was affirming that Scripture, referring primarily  to the Old Testament, is the product of the breath of God. God actually breathed out the Scriptures. The Bible is God’s Word—not man’s—though He used man to produce them. Three verses later (4:2), Paul declared, “Therefore...preach the word...” Why? Because it is God’s Word. Just as surely as God’s breath brought the Universe into existence (Psalm 33:6), so the Bible is the result of God’s out-breathing.
Peter alluded to the momentous occasion of Christ’s transfiguration when God literally spoke from heaven directly to Peter, James, and John (2 Peter 1:19-21). God orally boomed forth His insistence that Jesus is His beloved Son, and human beings are commanded to listen to Him (Matthew 17:5). Peter then declared, “We also have the prophetic word made more sure,...knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation.” Peter was saying that the Scriptures provided to us by the prophets are just as certain, and just as authoritative, as the voice of God that spoke on the mount of transfiguration.
Peter further explained that the prophetic word, meaning the whole of the Old Testament Scriptures, did not originate on its own, or in the minds of those who wrote them (the meaning of “private interpretation”). Scripture did not come from “the will of man.” Scripture was not the result of human research or human investigation into the nature of things. Scripture was not the product of its writers’ own thinking (Warfield, 1974, 3:1474). Where, then, did Scripture come from? Peter claimed, “but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” The word “moved” in the original language is the usual word for being “carried” or “brought” (Arndt and Gingrich, 1957, pp. 862-863), hence, to be moved or under a moving influence (Perschbacher, 1990, p. 427). Peter was stating that the Holy Spirit, in essence, picked up the writers, the prophets, and brought them to the goal of His choosing (Warfield, 3:1475). That means that the Scriptures, though written by means of human instrumentality, were so superintended by God that the resulting writings are truly God’s.
This same Peter, while awaiting the coming of the Spirit in Acts 2 on Pentecost, stood up among fellow disciples and declared, “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas,” and then he quoted from the Psalms (Acts 1:16ff.). Peter affirmed that the Holy Spirit governed what David wrote, and the results of David’s writing therefore are designated as “Scripture.”
This same Peter, in 1 Peter 1:10-12, explained: (1) that the inspired spokesmen of the Old Testament did not always understand all the information given by God through them; (2) it was the Spirit of Christ that was operating upon them; (3) this same inspired information was being presented in Peter’s day by the apostles; and (4) the same Holy Spirit was directing their utterances. It is very important to note that Peter was claiming that inspired men had their own minds engaged as they produced inspired material, but the product was God’s, since they did not always grasp all of the significance of their own productions.
This same Peter, in 2 Peter 3:15-16, referred to “our beloved brother Paul” as having “written to you.” He then noted: “as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.” Peter made clear three salient points: (1) Paul wrote epistles; (2) those epistles are classified with “the other Scriptures,” which means that Paul’s letters are Scripture every bit as much as the Old Testament and other New Testament writings; and (3) these writings are divinely authoritative, since to twist them is to invite “destruction”—an obvious reference to God’s disfavor and the spiritual/eternal harm that results from disobeying God’s words, not man’s words. Cornelius well-understood this principle, for when Peter came to his house, he stated: “Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God” (Acts 10:33, emp. added).
 While on Earth, Jesus demonstrated a high regard for Scripture, i.e., the Old Testament. On one occasion, He involved Himself in an interchange with some Jews who accused Him of blasphemy (John 10:33). He repelled the charge by quoting Psalm 82:6, referring to the passage as “law” (vs. 34). But how could Jesus refer to a psalm as “law,” since the Psalms were poetic wisdom literature and not a part of the Torah (the Pentateuch)? He referred to a psalm as “law” in the sense that the Psalms are part of Scripture. Jesus was thus ascribing legal authority to the entire corpus of Scripture (Warfield, 3:1475). He did the same thing in John 15:25. Likewise, Paul quoted from the Psalms, Isaiah, and Genesis and referred to each as “the Law” (1 Corinthians 14:21; Romans 3:19; Galatians 4:21).
After Jesus quoted from a psalm and called it “law,” He added, “and the Scripture cannot be broken” (vs. 35). Notice that He was equating “law” with “Scripture”—using the terms as synonyms. When He declared that “law,” or “Scripture,” “cannot be broken,” He was making the point that it is impossible for Scripture to be annulled, for its authority to be denied, or its truth to be withstood (Warfield, 3:1475). Jesus considered every part of Scripture, even its most casual phrases, to be the authoritative Word of God (p. 1476).
This attitude toward Scripture as an authoritative document is intimated by the customary formula: “It is written.” For example, when facing Satan, Jesus repelled his attacks all three times with a simple, “It is written,” which was sufficient to establish authoritative credibility (Matthew 4:4,7,10)—so much so that Satan attempted to copy Jesus in this respect (Matthew 4:6). After His resurrection, Jesus equated the entire Old Testament (i.e., the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms) with “Scripture,” and again noted “it is written” (Luke 24:44-46). He insisted very emphatically that “all things” in the Scriptures concerning Himself “must be fulfilled.” Earlier in the chapter, He equated “Moses and all the prophets” with “the Scriptures” (vss. 25-27).
No wonder Jesus would rebuke His religious challengers with such phrases as, “Have you not read even this Scripture?” (Mark 12:10; cf. Matthew 21:42); or, “You do err, not knowing the Scriptures” (Matthew 22:29); or, “if you had known what this means...” (Matthew 12:7); or, “Go and learn what this means...” (Mark 9:13). The underlying thought in such pronouncements is that God’s truth is found in Scripture, and if you are ignorant of the Scriptures, you are susceptible to error. Jesus therefore was affirming that God is the Author of Scripture.
Even the words of Scripture that do not constitute direct quotes of deity are, in fact, the words of God. For example, Jesus assigned the words of Genesis 2:24 to God as the author (Matthew 19:4-6). Yet, in the original setting of Genesis 2:24, no indication is given that God was the speaker. Rather, the words are simply narratorial comment written down by the human author—Moses. By Jesus attributing the words to God, He was making clear that the whole of Scripture was authored by God. That means that even the words of Satan, or the words of evil people, are the words of God—in the sense that God has given us an accurate report of what those people said. Paul treated the matter in the same way (1 Corinthians 6:16).
Over and over again, the apostles and writers of the New Testament did the same thing that Jesus did, i.e., they referred to Scripture in such a way that it was clear they considered it to be the authoritative, inspired words of God (e.g., Acts 8:35; 17:2; 18:28; 26:22; Romans 12:19; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Peter 1:16; James 2:8). Perhaps Luke well summarized the prevailing mindset of the Bible writers: “[T]hey received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). In other words, what Scripture says, God says.
Additional evidence of the Bible’s own view of itself is manifested in statements like, “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh” (Romans 9:17), or “And the Scripture...preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand” (Galatians 3:8). But Scripture did not speak to Pharaoh, and Scripture did not preach the Gospel to Abraham. Rather, God did! So the word of Scripture is the word of God! The inspired writers of the New Testament considered “God” and “Scripture” to be so closely linked that they could naturally speak of “Scripture” doing what Scripture records God as doing (Warfield, 3:1477).
It works the other way as well. God is said to say certain things that are, in their original setting, merely words of Scripture. For example, Hebrews 3:7 reads, “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says...,” and Psalm 95:7 is then quoted. In Acts 4:25, God is said to have spoken, by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David, the words of Psalm 2:1. In Acts 13:34-35, God is represented as having stated the words of Isaiah 55:3 and Psalm 16:10. Yet, in both of these cases, the words attributed to God are not, in their original setting, specifically His words, but merely the words of Scripture itself. So the writers of the New Testament sometimes referred to the Scriptures as if they were God, and they sometimes referred to God as if He were Scripture. The Bible thus presents itself as the very words of God.
In Hebrews 1:5-13, the writer quoted seven Old Testament passages: Psalm 2:7; 2 Samuel 7:14; Deuteronomy 32:43; Psalm 104:4; Psalm 45:6-7; Psalm 102:25-27; and Psalm 110:1. The Hebrews writer attributed each of these passages to God as the speaker. Yet in their original setting in the Old Testament, sometimes God is the speaker, while sometimes He is not the speaker, and is, in fact, being spoken to or spoken about. Why would the writer of Hebrews indiscriminately assign all of these passages to God? Because they all have in common the fact that they are the words of Scripture, and, as such, are the words of God.
The same is true with Romans 15:9-12 where Paul quoted from Psalm 18:49, Deuteronomy 32:43, Psalm 117:1, and Isaiah 11:10. The first one he introduced with the formula “as it is written”; the second one is introduced by “again he says”; the third with simply “again”; and the fourth is prefaced with “Isaiah says.” Yet, in the Old Testament setting, only in the Isaiah passage is specifically God talking—and Paul assigns those words to Isaiah. So “it is written,” “he says,” and “Isaiah says,” are all different ways of saying the same thing, i.e., “God says”! Sometimes the New Testament writers assigned Scripture to its human authors. Yet it is clear that when the writers said, “Moses said,” or “David said,” such was simply another way to say, “Scripture says,” which, again, was the same thing as saying “God says.”

VERBAL INSPIRATION

Notice that the inspiration that the Bible claims for itself is “verbal” inspiration, i.e., God’s superintendence extends even to the words of the writer. Paul based his argument on a plural noun, and insisted that God intended the word to be understood in its singular sense (Galatians 3:16). As noted previously, Jesus based an argument on the precise verbal form of Scripture (John 10:34). He based His point on a particular word in Matthew 22:43, on a particular tense in Matthew 22:32, and even on the letters and their minute strokes in Matthew 5:17-18. In the latter passage, Jesus said that Exodus 3:6 was spoken to the Sadducees with whom He was conversing—even though the original context of Exodus 3:6 has God speaking to Moses. That proves that Jesus expects all people on Earth to understand that the Bible is written to every single accountable human being, and that Scripture is intended to be authoritative for human living.
Paul also affirmed verbal inspiration in 1 Corinthians 2. He claimed that his speech and his preaching were not “words of human wisdom” (vs. 4). Rather, his words were “in demonstration of the Spirit.” He claimed that he and his fellow apostles were speaking the wisdom of God (vs. 7). He claimed that the things which they had been speaking were revealed to them by God through the Holy Spirit (vs. 10). Then he affirmed very clearly: “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches” (vs. 13). So inspiration involves the very words, and that makes it verbal inspiration.

NEW TESTAMENT INSPIRATION

Most of the passages examined thus far are New Testament references to the inspiration of the Old Testament. Liberal scholars have claimed that the New Testament does not make the claim of inspiration for itself. That claim is not true. As already noted, in 2 Peter 3:16, Peter classified Paul’s epistles as “Scripture,” and he affirmed that Paul’s writings carry such divine authority that those who twist them will be destroyed. It also was noted that Peter linked the apostles with the Old Testament prophets (1 Peter 1:10-12). And, as just seen, Paul made a comparable claim in 1 Corinthians 2.
As one reads the New Testament, it is clear that the writers made the extension of Old Testament inspiration to their own writings. They did not for a moment consider themselves—the ministers of the new covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6)—to be less in possession of the Spirit of God than the ministers of the old covenant (Warfield, 3:1482). Jesus, without question, declared the impending inspiration of the authors of the New Testament. In Matthew 10:17-20, and the parallels in Mark 13:11 and Luke 12:12, Jesus explained to the apostles that the Holy Spirit would direct their verbal activities in terms of both how and what they spoke. He reiterated the same thing in Luke 21:12-15, urging them not to worry how to defend themselves when hauled before the authorities, since He would provide them with “a mouth and wisdom” that their adversaries would not be able to withstand. So Jesus pre-authenticated the teaching of the apostles, and insured respect for their authority.
Jesus directed several promises to the apostles in John chapters 14, 15, and 16. Allusion to just one of these will suffice. Jesus promised the apostles: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come” (John 16:12-13). Just prior to His ascension, Jesus promised to the apostles the impending baptism of the Holy Spirit, which would enable them to be Christ’s witnesses throughout the world (Acts 1:5,8). This promise commenced its fulfillment in Acts 2 when the apostles were baptized with the Holy Spirit and empowered to preach the message God wanted preached.
Numerous passages indicate the fulfillment of these promises to the apostles to the extent that the words which they spoke were God’s words (Acts 4:8,31; 5:32; 15:8,27-28; 16:6-8). As already noted, Paul claimed direct guidance of the Holy Spirit for the words that he spoke (1 Corinthians 2). He did the same thing in Galatians 1:12. In Ephesians 3:1-5, he claimed that his message was made known to him “by revelation” (vs. 3), along with the other apostles and prophets (vs. 5). Other passages reflect the same point (1 Timothy 4:1; Galatians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 12:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:13). A good summary of Paul’s claims to inspiration is seen in his firm declaration: “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 14:37). His inspiration extended to both his oral utterances as well as his writings (2 Thessalonians 2:15; 3:6,14; cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:2,15; Galatians 1:7-8). In 1 Timothy 5:18, Paul quoted Luke 10:7 and referred to it as “Scripture.” So Luke’s Gospel record was already available and classified with the inspired canon of Scripture.

CONCLUSION

The unbiased individual can easily see that the Bible claims for itself the status of “inspiration,” having been breathed out by God Himself. That inspiration entailed such superintendence by God that even the words came under His influence. Thus the Bible is “verbally inspired.” This conclusion does not imply that the writers merely took “dictation.” Rather, the Bible indicates that God adapted His inspiring activity to the individual temperament, vocabulary, educational level, and stylistic idiosyncrasies of each writer. The Bible is “infallible” in that it is incapable of deceiving or misleading, and is therefore completely trustworthy and reliable. “Plenary” inspiration means that inspiration extends to all of its parts. Thus the Bible is fully inspired.
The Bible is also “inerrant,” that is, it is free of error. God used human beings to write the Bible, and in so doing, allowed them to leave their mark upon it, but without making any of the mistakes that human writings are prone to make. God made certain that the words produced by the human writers were free from the errors and mistakes characteristic of uninspired writers. This influence even extended to matters of science, geography, and history. Proof for the inspiration of the Bible is a separate and necessary inquiry. However, it is important that a person understand what the Bible means when it claims for itself “inspiration.”

REFERENCES

Arndt, William and F.W. Gingrich (1957), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press).
McGarvey, J. W. (1883), “Remarks on the Preceding Lectures,” The Missouri Christian Lectures (Rosemead, CA: Old Paths Book Club, 1955 reprint).
Perschbacher, Wesley J., ed. (1990), The New Analytical Greek Lexicon (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson).
“Theories of the Inspiration of the Scriptures” (1864), American Presbyterian and Theological Review, 6:312-349, April.
Vincent, Marvin (1900), Word Studies in the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1946 reprint).
Warfield, Benjamin (1974 reprint), “Inspiration,” ISBE, ed. James Orr  (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans).

WOULD JESUS BE HIRED AS "PREACHER" IN YOUR CHURCH? BY STEVE FINNELL



WOULD JESUS BE HIRED AS "PREACHER" IN YOUR CHURCH? BY STEVE FINNELL


   WOULD THE PREACHING OF JESUS BE ACCEPTED IN  CONTEMPORARY CHURCHES? WOULD JESUS BE HIRED AT YOUR CHURCH? IF JESUS WERE TO BE HIRED WOULD HE THEN BE FIRED?


JESUS SAID: JOHN 8:24 'THEREFORE I SAID TO YOU THAT YOU WILL DIE IN YOUR SINS; FOR UNLESS YOU BELIEVE THAT I AM HE, YOU WILL DIE IN YOUR SINS."(NASB)

WOULD JOHN 8:24 BE DEEM TOO NEGATIVE AND UNLOVING TO BE PREACHED IN YOUR CHURCH?


JESUS SAID: JOHN 8:44 YOU ARE OF YOUR FATHER THE DEVIL, AND YOU WANT TO DO THE DESIRES OF YOUR FATHER. HE WAS A MURDERER FROM THE BEGINNING, AND DOES NOT STAND IN TRUTH BECAUSE THERE IS NO TRUTH IN HIM. WHENEVER HE SPEAKS FROM HIS OWN NATURE, FOR HE IS A LIAR AND THE FATHER OF LIES. (NASB)


IF JESUS WERE TO PREACH THAT THOSE WHO PERVERT THE GOSPEL TERMS FOR PARDON ARE LIARS, JUST LIKE THE DEVIL, WOULD HE BE FIRED BY YOUR CHURCH LEADERS?


Jesus said: Matthew 23:9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven. (NASB)

If Jesus said to your congregation do not call anyone your spiritual father, would He be banished from preaching?

Jesus said: Matthew 15:3-9 And He answered and said to them, "Why do you transgress the commandments of God for the sake of your traditions?......9 ' But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men!" (NASB)

If Jesus were to tell your denomination to stop teaching from man-made creed books and other doctrines invented my men, would He be fired on the spot?

Jesus said: Matthew 24:10 At that time many will fall away....(NASB)
Revelation 3:1-5 .....5 He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life....(NASB)

If Jesus said, "Those Christians who do not repent will have their names erased from the book of life?" Would He retain His preaching position at your church?

 John 3:3-5 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."........ (NASB)

If Jesus were to say, "Being born of the waters of childbirth is being born the first time. Being born of the waters of baptism is being born again." Would Jesus be allowed to continue preaching at your church?


Could Jesus be hired to preach in your denomination?

Would Jesus be fired if He preached His truth at your church?

If Your Enemy’s Ox Goes Astray by B. Johnson



If Your Enemy’s Ox Goes Astray

“If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again” (Exodus 23:4).
The Old Testament Law was given to the Israelites as a nation for their government as well as for their spiritual training. On the surface it was merely a set of rules regulating the people as they lived among other such nations.
A man like King David might see the principles behind the laws and learn to have the heart of God while others merely observed the outward show and did not discern the justice, judgment and equity cloaked within.
Having studied the New Testament principles today makes it easier for us to see that much of the Levitical system had to do with a higher standard of living than just legalistic obedience. Such was the command to do good to their enemies by having compassion on the enemy’s animal that was in distress.
What New Testament command is there for us today concerning our enemies? How are we to do them good and why?
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?” (Matt 5:43-47).
From this passage, what good works are we to do? Whether or not we like the idea, we can see that we are to love our enemies. We are to bless them that curse us and do good to them that hate us. Then as if that were not hard enough, we are told to pray for them that despitefully use us and persecute us. Some would say this is impossible for humans to do.
Why should we do this? We want to be children of the Father (our Heavenly Father), and what is He like? He makes the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and He sends the rain on the just and on the unjust.
What further reasoning is there for this action? If we love the ones who love us, what reward is there? Even the publicans do that much. If we salute our brethren (and friends), what do we do more than others in the world? Even the publicans do the same things. We must reach for a higher standard and learn to treat people like our Heavenly Father treats them. That truly is a good work.
Beth Johnson
The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The King James Version.

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

Sonshine by Gary Rose



Sunshine on my shoulders
(click on the above link to listen to John Denver)

I happened to see this picture today and it reminded me of John Denver’s song “Sunshine on my shoulders” from the early 70’s. What a beautiful song, by such a marvelous songwriter/performer. From the title of the song, it sounds like he is talking about nature, but I am not so sure. It could be nature, but perhaps it could be a loved one? If a loved one, then probably a young child, for he talks about sunshine on his shoulders. On second thought, it is probably a person; someone very near and dear. Who do you hold dear? For the Christian, the answer is obvious – Jesus. Consider these passages from the Bible…


Isaiah 60 ( World English Bible )
[1] ”Arise, shine; for your light is come, and the glory of Yahweh is risen on you.

Habakkuk 3 ( WEB )
[3] God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and his praise filled the earth. [4] His splendor is like the sunrise. Rays shine from his hand, where his power is hidden.

John 8 ( WEB )
[12] Again, therefore, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Matthew 17 ( WEB )
[1] After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves. [2] He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light. [3] Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him. [4] Peter answered, and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, let’s make three tents here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” [5] While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”

Revelation 1 ( WEB )
[12] I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. Having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. [13] And among the lampstands was one like a son of man,* Daniel 7:13 clothed with a robe reaching down to his feet, and with a golden sash around his chest. [14] His head and his hair were white as white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. [15] His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters. [16] He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.

Revelation 19 ( WEB )
[11] I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes war. [12] His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has names written and a name written which no one knows but he himself. [13] He is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood. His name is called “The Word of God.” [14] The armies which are in heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in white, pure, fine linen. [15] Out of his mouth proceeds a sharp, double-edged sword, that with it he should strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod.* Psalm 2:9 He treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. [16] He has on his garment and on his thigh a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”


Jesus, the son of God, clothed with brightness and surrounded by light – is in fact, GOD IN THE FLESH. He gives the world a message of hope; of salvation from their sins. His sacrifice on the cross shed his blood and redeems all to who obey him. (Rev. 1:6 and John 3:36) This same Jesus ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the father and someday will return to defeat all evil (Rev. 19 above).

Do yourself a favor, become a Christian and be blessed by Jesus. Otherwise you will find yourself fighting against Jesus someday; and that is something you really don’t want to do. But, the choice is yours! Choose wisely!!