"THE GOSPEL OF MARK" The Call Of Four Fishermen (1:16-20) by Mark Copeland

 

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                     The Call Of Four Fishermen (1:16-20)

INTRODUCTION

1. Jesus began His public ministry by preaching...
   a. Proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom of God - Mk 1:14
   b. That the time was fulfilled, the kingdom of God was at hand - Mk 1:15a
   c. That people needed to repent and believe the gospel - Mk 1:15b

2. As He did so, He also called people to become His disciples...
   a. Calling them to follow Him
   b. Offering to make them "fishers of men"

[His first disciples included two sets of brothers, four fishermen who
later become apostles.  In our text (Mk 1:16-20) we read how Jesus
called them.  Let's take a closer look at them, beginning with...]

I. SIMON AND ANDREW

   A. DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST...
      1. Their background
         a. Sons of Jonah - Jn 1:42
         b. From Bethsaida of Galilee - Jn 1:44
         c. Fishermen by trade - Mk 1:16
         d. Partners with James and John - Lk 5:10
      2. Their call to discipleship
         a. Both met Jesus a year earlier - Jn 1:35-42
            1) In Bethabara beyond the Jordan - Jn 1:28
            2) Andrew had been a disciple of John
            3) Andrew introduced Simon to Jesus
            4) Jesus named Simon "Cephas" (Aramaic), "Peter" (Greek),
               meaning "a rock"
         b. They were called while fishing in the Sea of Galilee - Mk 1:16
            1) They had been washing their nets - Lk 5:1-2
            2) Jesus had Simon take him out in a boat, to teach the people on shore - Lk 5:3
            3) Jesus told him to launch out and cast his net, resulting in a large catch - Lk 5:4-9
            4) Then Jesus called them to follow Him and be fishers of men - Lk 5:10; Mk 1:17
            5) They immediately left their nets and followed him - Mk 1:18

   B. APOSTLES OF JESUS CHRIST...
      1. Their service as apostles
         a. Simon and Andrew were selected along with twelve others - Mk 3:14-19
         b. Simon (Peter) became part of Jesus' "inner circle" - Mk 5:37; 9:2; 14:33
         c. He is well known for his denial of Christ and restoration- Mk 14:66-72; Jn 21:15-19
         d. He is a key figure in the first half of the book of Acts, and wrote two epistles
         e. Andrew is known for introducing people to Jesus - Jn 1:40-42; 6:8-9; 12:20-22
         f. Both asked Jesus about the destruction of Jerusalem - Mk 13:1-4
      2. According to apocryphal (doubtful) literature (cf. ISBE)
         a. Simon (Peter) died a martyr at Rome about 67 AD, along with his wife
         b  Crucified upside down at his own request, felt unworthy to die exactly like Jesus
         c. Andrew is thought to have been crucified in Greece, on a cross in the form of an X
         d. Various sources attribute his missionary work in Bithynia, Scythia, Greece, Ephesus

[Simon and Andrew:  brothers, fishermen, disciples, apostles, martyrs.
One well known, the other lesser known.  Both faithful servants of the
Lord Jesus Christ.  Next we take a look at...]

II. JAMES AND JOHN

   A. DISCIPLES OF JESUS CHRIST...
      1. Their background
         a. Sons of Zebedee - Mk 1:19
         b. Their mother was Salome - Mk 16:1; Mt 27:56
         c. Many believe Salome was Mary's sister, making them Jesus' cousins - Jn 19:25
         d. Successful fishing business (several boats, partners with
            Simon and Andrew, hired servants) - Mk 1:20; Lk 5:10-11
      2. Their call to discipleship
         a. While mending nets by the Sea of Galilee - Mk 1:19
         b. When Jesus called them, they left their father and hired servants - Mk 1:20

   B. APOSTLES OF JESUS CHRIST...
      1. Their service as apostles
         a. James and John were selected along with twelve others - Mk 3:14-19
         b. To whom Jesus gave the name "Boanerges" (Sons of Thunder)- Mk 3:17
         c. Perhaps due to a fiery temper (though see below) - cf. Lk 9:54
         d. John tried to forbid one from casting out demons who did not follow them - Mk 9:38
         e. Both became part of Jesus' "inner circle" - Mk 5:37; 9:2;14:33
         f. They asked to sit at Christ's side in glory - Mk 10:35-37
         g. Both asked Jesus about the destruction of Jerusalem - Mk 13:1-4
         h. Both were present when Jesus appeared the third time after His resurrection - Jn 21:1-14
         i. John was likely the "disciple whom Jesus loved" - Jn 19:26;20:2; 21:7,20
         j. John often worked with Peter - Ac 3:1; 8:14; Ga 2:9
         k. James became the first apostle to be martyred, fulfilling
            the Lord's prophecy that he would drink the same cup as His Master - Ac 12:1-2; cf. Mk 10:39
         l. John went on to write his gospel, three epistles, and the book of Revelation
      2. According to apocryphal (doubtful) literature (cf. ISBE)
         a. Zebedee their father was of the house of Levi, their mother of the house of Judah
         b. Called "Sons of Thunder" because they were of both the priestly house and royal house
         c. James joined Peter in a missionary trip to India; also preached in Spain prior to his death
         d. John is thought to have spent his later years in Ephesus, following his exile on the isle of Patmos (cf. Re 1:9),
            dying around 98 AD

[James and John:  brothers, fishermen, disciples, apostles.  One an
early martyr, the other a lifelong witness.  Both faithful servants of
the Lord Jesus Christ.  Now for some concluding observations...]

CONCLUSION

1. Becoming a disciple of Jesus often involves sacrifice...
   a. For Simon and Andrew, it meant leaving their business behind
   b. For James and John, it also meant leaving their family behind
   c. For all four, it meant lives of service that included hardship,
      ending in martyrdom or exile

2. Becoming a disciple of Jesus means to seek the lost...
   a. Jesus wants His disciples to become "fishers of men" - Mk 1:17
   b. Just as He come to "seek and save the lost" - Lk 19:10

3. As disciples of Christ today...
   a. Are we willing to sacrifice for the Lord?
   b. Are we willing to seek the lost?
   c. If not, can we really claim to be disciples of Jesus Christ?

Jesus would have everyone become His disciple today (cf. Mt 28:19-20).
May "The Call Of Four Fishermen", and the service they rendered to the
Lord, inspire us to greater dedication as disciples...  

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

Who Can Baptize Another Person? by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

 

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=766

Who Can Baptize Another Person?

by	Kyle Butt, M.Div.

When a person reads through the New Testament, he is struck by how much the 27 books have to say about water baptism. When the Jews on the Day of Pentecost asked Peter what they needed to do to be right with God, Peter told them to “repent and let every one of you be baptized…for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). After Saul of Tarsus had spent three days praying and fasting, Ananias came to him and said: “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Paul, in the book of Romans, explained that in the waters of baptism we come in contact with the death of Christ (Romans 6:3), and it is through that contact that we are cleansed by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 1:7). That is why Paul could write in Galatians, “for as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). The importance of baptism in God’s plan of salvation is repeatedly stressed in the New Testament. [For a thorough dealing of this topic, see Lyons and Butt, n.d.]

After realizing the importance of baptism, many honest-hearted truth seekers have asked several sincere questions. One of those questions often is: “Who can baptize another person?” In recent months, we at Apologetics Press have been asked this question on several occasions. It is obvious that it is a question that springs from a genuine desire to be right with God. The place to go for the answer, of course, is the New Testament—the very place we learned about God-ordained baptism in the first place.

When we turn to the New Testament, we learn several things about the person doing the baptizing. The primary lesson learned is that the personal characteristics of the individual doing the baptizing have no bearing on the effectiveness of the baptism. In other words, it does not matter who does the baptizing, as long as the baptism is complete immersion in water (Romans 6:4; Acts 8:38), in the proper name (Matthew 28:19; Acts 19:1-9), and for the proper reason (Acts 2:38). In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul wrote to a group of Christians that were dividing themselves into factions based on their favorite preachers. Some were saying they were of Paul, others of Cephas, others of Apollos, and others of Christ. Paul chastised them for claiming allegiance to any person other than Christ, and he stated: “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). Paul was not minimizing the importance of baptism in this text (see Lyons, 2003), he was minimizing the importance of the person who does the baptizing. He was not saying that baptism is not a part of God’s plan of salvation; he was saying that the person who does the baptizing does not make a difference. The effectiveness of the Corinthians’ baptism was not based on the characteristics of the person who baptized them, but was based on their baptism as it related to God’s overall plan of salvation.

In a similar passage in John 4:1-3, we read that “the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John.” The next verse of the text states, “though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples.” If the characteristics of the one doing the baptizing were important, then Jesus would certainly have been involved in the actual baptizing process of all his disciples due to His perfect, sinless life. Yet what we see in these verses is that the effectiveness of the baptism of those in John 4 was not lessened or diminished because the apostles did the baptizing instead of Jesus.

DOES THE ONE BAPTIZING HAVE TO BE A CHRISTIAN MAN?

Some have looked into the New Testament and concluded that every instance of baptism in the New Testament is one in which a Christian man does the baptizing. Thus, they have concluded, that in order to be properly baptized, a person must be baptized by a man who is a Christian. The principle of following biblical examples and precedents is often an important key to determining biblical authority for certain actions, when explicit commands and other information have not been given. In this case, however, there is major problem with this approach. What if a person claimed to be a Christian, but was not, and baptized people while claiming to be a Christian? Would the fact that he was not a Christian negate the validity of the baptisms that he performed? Think through that scenario. Suppose a person was baptized by this charlatan. That person then went out and baptized 100 people who each baptized 100 people, who each baptized 100, etc. If the original person who was baptized by the fraudulent “Christian” later found out that the man was not a Christian, would that negate the baptism of all those who were subsequently baptized? Certainly not.

Furthermore, how “faithful” would a person need to be in order to be eligible to baptize people? It is most likely the case that many people were baptized by Judas Iscariot in John 4:1-3 when Jesus’ disciples were doing the baptizing. Did all those who were baptized by the “son of perdition” need to be re-baptized based on the traitorous character of Judas? No. The truth of the matter is, it would be virtually, if not actually, impossible to verify the “saved” status of all those across the globe who have baptized or will baptize people. Fortunately, the characteristics of the one doing the baptizing have no bearing on the legitimacy of the baptism. When Paul instructed the 12 men in Acts 19:1-9 to be re-baptized, he did not ask them who baptized them, or what were the characteristics of the person who baptized them. He asked them about their baptism, not their baptizer.

In addition, some have gone so far as to say that the person who baptizes another person must have some type of “official” status in the church as a “pastor” or “ordained” minister. When we look into the New Testament, however, we do not see any such stipulation. In fact, the episode of Saul of Tarsus’ conversion offers some pertinent insight into this question. After Saul had seen the Lord on the Road to Damascus, he was instructed to go into the city and wait for a person named Ananias to come to him. In the texts of the narrative, there is no indication that Ananias held any type of official leadership position in the church. The text says he was “a devout man according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews” (Acts 22:16), but there is no reference that he was an elder, a deacon, and certainly not an apostle. The suggestion that only an “official” of the church can baptize falls prey to the same fallacy inherent in the idea that only a Christian man can baptize.

CAN A WOMAN BAPTIZE?

The New Testament makes a clear distinction between the roles of men and women in the Lord’s Church (see Miller, 2005). [NOTE: It is important to understand that different gender roles in no way imply a different status or value, see Butt, 2011.] Based on that distinction, some have wondered if women are permitted to baptize, since the Bible teaches that men are to be the public teachers and elders in the church. In addition, it is the case that every example we have in the New Testament of a person being baptized has a male doing the baptizing. Does that mean that a woman cannot baptize, or that a baptism that might be performed by a woman would be nullified?

If we are correct that the characteristics of the baptizer do not matter (as we have shown from previous biblical passages), then we must conclude that the gender of the person would not matter either. One can easily envision a scenario in which a non-Christian couple, that might be geographically isolated from others, studies the Bible and learn the importance of contacting Jesus’ blood through water baptism. Upon learning this, they immediately want to be baptized, but there is no Christian man available to perform the baptism. Could they baptize each other? Yes, they could. In fact, not too long ago, a sincere couple contacted our office with that very question. They had been members of what they called “faith only” churches all their lives. When they realized the importance of baptism, they approached several of their religious friends, none of whom were Christians. Since they could find no one to baptize them, they wrote us asking if the Bible permits such a couple to baptize each other. We explained just what has been explained in this article, that the characteristics of the baptizer do not matter, and that such reciprocal baptism would be permissible. We did, however, advise them to find a body of the Lord’s church nearby and begin to assemble and work with the church. In addition, suppose that a group of women, in which no men were available, wanted to become Christians. Would it be permissible for them to baptize each other? Yes, it would.

What do we do with the idea that all the baptisms that are recorded in the New Testament were performed by men? When looking to the New Testament for approved examples, we must be sure that we do not carry the example farther than it is intended to be taken. We do not want to bind where God has not bound. For instance, the apostles met in an upper room to partake of the Lord’s Supper with Jesus, and Paul in an upper room in Troas in Acts 20. Does that mean that we need to eat the Lord’s Supper and preach in upper rooms? No. Those were incidental details that surrounded the relevant example of eating the Lord’s Supper and preaching (see Warren, 1975). As this idea relates to baptism, the examples in the Bible show us (among other things) that (1) immersion is the “mode” of baptism, (2) a believing person is the candidate for baptism, and (3) the remission of sins to contact the blood of Christ is the reason for baptism. But the examples are not given in an attempt to dictate every aspect of baptism. For instance, there is no case in which a person was baptized in a heated baptistery in a church building. Does that mean that those who are baptized in such a way have been “unscripturally” baptized? No, it simply means that the aspects of baptism that are different from the examples in the New Testament can be shown through proper study of the New Testament to be irrelevant. Again, every person in the New Testament who is recorded to have baptized a person was a Jewish male. Does that mean that only Jewish men can perform scriptural baptisms? No, the fact that they were Jewish was incidental and irrelevant to the purpose and effectiveness of the baptisms they performed. The gender of the baptizer has nothing to do with God’s recognition of a scriptural baptism.

All Things Are Lawful, But All Things are Not Helpful

In 1 Corinthians 10:23, the apostle Paul stated: “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful.” Paul did not mean that things like sexual immorality were lawful for him (1 Corinthians 9:21). He meant that there were (and are) some things, like eating meat that was offered to idols, that were lawful to a Christian, but even though such things might be lawful, there may be other circumstances to consider that would be reasons not to engage in the practice. In the context, Paul says that since an idol is not really a “god,” but is merely a stone or clump of metal, then any food offered to such a thing is not in some way spiritually contaminated. He concludes that if we know that an idol is nothing, then eating meat offered to a clump of wood or stone has no spiritual significance. Thus, it is “lawful” for a Christian to eat meat offered to idols. He qualifies that statement, however, by saying that some people in Corinth did not understand that idols were not really spiritual powers. These Christians still believed that such food was contaminated. Thus, it could be the case that a Christian who knew eating meat offered to idols was lawful might cause a weaker, less knowledgeable Christian to stumble. Paul then concluded that, even though eating meat offered to idols is technically “lawful,” under certain circumstances it would not be the most “helpful” or wisest course of action.

This passage relates to our baptism discussion in the following way. In the previous sections, we discussed the fact that there is nothing inherently wrong with the scenario in which those who are not Christians baptize people. We also saw that it would be permissible under certain circumstances for a woman to baptize. But we need to ask ourselves if the practical application of these ideas would, under normal circumstances, be helpful. It seems that the best-case scenario, which would be the wisest course of action, would be that those who baptize others are Christian men. Here are a few reasons why. First, if a person was baptized by a non-Christian, he or she might not have thought through the fact that the qualities of the baptizer do not matter, and he or she might later question the effectiveness of the baptism and be filled with internal doubt about the situation. Second, those who are not Christians viewed the baptism might misunderstand and think that baptism is not associated with God’s plan of salvation and can be done for any reason in any way.

Third, women baptizing could lead some to have a misunderstanding about the woman’s role in the church. While it is true that nothing technically precludes the possibility of a woman performing a scriptural baptism, that could easily lead to the scenario in which those who were viewing the baptism, or who hear of it, might think that performing a baptism indicates a public leadership position in the church.

Paul, through inspiration, wrote, “I do not permit a woman to teach or have authority over a man, but to be in silence” (1 Timothy 2:12). His statement was designed to instruct the church that positions of authority and public teaching positions in assemblies were to be filled by men (Miller, 2005). Sometimes a position of “authority” might be different in one culture than in another. For instance, in the Corinthian church, some women were engaging in acts of worship with their heads uncovered (1 Corinthians 11:1-16). This was a sign in that culture that the women were not under the authority of the men. Thus, Paul explained to them that in their culture, in order to show proper respect for the authority of male leadership in the church, those women should cover their heads (or otherwise go to the logical extreme by shaving their head, since doing so was viewed as a cultural sign of prostitution). The women should not flout the culturally understood modes of showing submission (Moore, 1998). Applying this principle to baptism, then, we would need to assess whether our culture perceives the act of baptizing a person as an action to be performed by the leadership of the church. If we conclude that baptizing is viewed as something done by those in a leadership position, as is often the case with baptisms in mixed church assemblies in the United States, then we would conclude that it should be done by Christian men. If no Christian men are present, however, a woman could perform a baptism and it would not be usurping authority over a man, since none were available.

CONCLUSION

From our study, we have looked briefly at the importance of baptism in God’s plan of salvation. We have seen that while there are certain vital aspects of baptism that must be maintained, there are other aspects of the process that are incidental and irrelevant. By analyzing several passages, we have seen that the personal qualities of the baptizer do not alter or affect the effectiveness of the baptism. The truth of this fact is understood from the biblical passages, as well as from the ridiculous nature of the situations that would occur if a person faked being a Christian and baptized others. From this conclusion, it has been established that, technically speaking, both non-Christians and women can baptize. Looking at the principle of the most “helpful” or “wise” scenario, however, leads us to conclude that under some circumstances, it is wise to have a faithful Christian man baptize a person into Christ, especially in cultures in which the person performing a baptism would be viewed as having some type of authority position. 

REFERENCES

Butt, Kyle (2011), “The Biblical View of Women,” Apologetics Press, http://www.apologeticspress.org/apPubPage.aspx?pub=1&issue=944.

Lyons, Eric and Kyle Butt (no date), Receiving the Gift of Salvation, Apologetics Press, http://www.apologeticspress.org/pdfs/e-books_pdf/Receiving%20the%20Gift%20of%20Salvation.pdf.

Lyons, Eric (2003), “The Bible’s Teaching on Baptism: Contradictory or Complimentary?” Apologetics Press, http://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=6&article=806.

Miller, Dave (2005), “Female Leadership in the Church,” Apologetics Press, http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1407.

Moore, Kevin (1998), We Have No Such Custom: A Critical Analysis of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 (New Delhi, India: Print India).

Warren, Thomas (1975), When Is an Example Binding? (Moore, OK: National Christian Press).

Who Believes in Hell Anymore? by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

 

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1204

Who Believes in Hell Anymore?

by	Dave Miller, Ph.D.

A Harris poll found that while 89% of Americans believe in heaven, only 73% believe in hell (Taylor, 1998). However, even this figure is misleading, since people differ in how they define “hell.” When defined as an actual location—a place of actual torment where people will be sent—only three in ten adults (31%) believe in hell (“Beliefs,” 1996). Most Americans believe that Satan is merely a symbol for evil. Only 27% strongly believe that Satan is real (“Religious Beliefs,” 2001).

American culture has sustained a steady assault from humanistic philosophy for several decades now. This constant bombardment of irreligious values has clearly taken its toll. In school, children have been fed a steady diet of atheistic evolution which holds that human beings owe their ultimate origin to rocks, dirt, and the chance forces of nature. Television sets have surely served as a principal medium through which the moral framework has been undermined and seriously eroded. Consequently, many previously unacceptable behaviors are on the increase in society—behaviors that are far more acceptable to the American people than they ever have been in the past.

These behaviors include such things as divorce, homosexuality, premarital sex, and gambling. The use of foul language is prevalent. The average person uses God’s name in vain. Such profanity is very commonplace—especially on television and in the movies. Fundamental values like honesty have given way to dishonesty in the form of lying, cheating, and deception. Americans now pretty much expect their politicians to lie. Pornography has spread across the land through so-called “adult” bookstores, cable channels, magazines, and the Internet. Satanism, astrology, spiritualism, the occult, and New Age religion are on the increase. More and more people are embracing Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and belief in reincarnation. The courts are literally clogged because of skyrocketing crime rates, and due to the fact that more and more people are retaliating and suing one another. America is no longer a country dominated by church-going peoples—as she was for the first 150 years of her national existence. Where once, Americans were characterized as people who strongly sought freedom for Bible religion, America is more nearly seen today as a culture that strives for freedom from religion. Indeed, forces have been working to eradicate God and the Christian religion from the American way of life.

Despite the fact that Americans in general, and Christians in particular, have many things for which to be thankful, and despite the fact that things usually are not as bad as they seem, nevertheless, much evidence exists to draw the conclusion that American society has become increasingly hedonistic, anti-Christian, and out of harmony with Bible principles. In fact, in many circles in this country the Bible is not even considered to be the verbally inspired Word of God—less than half of all adults (41%) believe the Bible is totally accurate in all it teaches (“Religious Beliefs,” 2001). Indeed, American civilization is deteriorating. The moral, spiritual, and religious foundation of American society—this great nation—is disintegrating.

But there is an antidote, and there is only one antidote. The nation is in desperate need of returning to the Bible—the written instructions of the one God—and to the transcendent Creator of the Universe. The nation must go back to the Bible, back to those life-giving guidelines that will make a nation strong. Only the words of God are capable of sustaining a nation, and getting its citizens through this life in such a way that they will be prepared for life beyond the grave. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).

God’s words can change a person’s (or a nation’s) life by generating faith, obedience, and contentment in this life. Those words of God teach that sin is violation of God’s law (1 John 3:4). Sin is the only intrinsic evil in the world today. People cannot sin against God, and yet expect to be acceptable to Him. Sin, once committed, must be forgiven. But sin can be forgiven only under certain conditions that God, Himself, has specified in the Bible. If a person sins against God by violating His written revelation, and then leaves this life in an unforgiven condition, that person will be punished. Those are the facts of the matter. The Bible clearly teaches that those who leave this life with their sins unforgiven will spend eternity in hell. You cannot believe in heaven—and not believe in hell. The same Bible that teaches there is a heaven, also teaches there is a hell.

Many verses in the Bible verify this fact. Jesus said, “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5). Jesus Christ believed in hell! He warned about violating God’s will, and leaving this life unforgiven (i.e., spiritually unprepared), so that one is required to spend eternity separated from God in hell. Jesus further said: “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and will come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28).

In referring to the end of life on Earth, He declared: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:31). Referring to the disobedient, Jesus explained: “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels’ ” (vs. 41). Earlier in the same chapter He had said concerning the lost, “and cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (vs. 30). He concluded the chapter by saying, “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (vs. 46). To be consistent, a person cannot believe in eternal life, and not believe in eternal punishment. The same Greek word is used in the same verse to describe both of those realms. Just as existence with God after this life is over will be forever or eternal, so separation from God due to disobedience in this life will result in eternal punishment.

Consider another profound, even startling, statement made by Jesus: “[I]f your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire” (Matthew 18:9). Jesus was not teaching that people should mutilate their bodies. He was simply stressing the fact that whatever it takes for a person to be obedient to God in this life—to be conformed to His will, to resist the forces of temptation that try to lure one into their grasp—whatever it takes to be faithful to God, is worth the sacrifice so that the person might enter into eternity qualified to live with God forever, rather than to spend eternity in the fires of hell.

On one occasion, Jesus addressed Himself to the religious leaders of His day. These were religious men, and yet Jesus said to them, “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:33). That was a rhetorical question. Jesus was saying they were so wicked, they were so evil, they were so out of step with God’s will in this life, that He saw no way for them to leave this life without facing condemnation in hell. He also noted: “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:41-42). How can a person possibly listen to those words, spoken by Jesus Christ Himself, and yet say hell does not exist?

The apostle Paul described the fate of those who live out of harmony with God’s will when he spoke of those “who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them” (Romans 1:32). He then stated, “but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil” (Romans 2:8).

In Revelation 20:15, we find this declaration: “[A]nyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” John further recorded: “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone” (Revelation 21:8). There will be a hell. There will be eternal punishment for those who leave this life, having sinned against God, having violated His will, and having failed to receive forgiveness for those sins in the appointed way. Hence, it is imperative to know how to be forgiven.

How is forgiveness attained? The Bible answer to that question is—only through Christ. He is the Savior of all those who truly want to be saved. He is the only one who could atone for human sin and provide the antidote. The New Testament gives definitive teaching on how to be saved initially (in order to become a Christian), and how to maintain that saved status.

Jesus said, “[I]f you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). So the number one prerequisite to being saved and acceptable to God is to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus further said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 17:6). Those are Jesus’ own words. His apostles declared: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). These passages teach that Jesus Christ is the only avenue through Whom a person might be saved. A person must believe in the person of Jesus Christ, and in His Word. The writer of Hebrews wrote: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (11:6). Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). So the New Testament teaches that the first thing a person must do to be acceptable to God, and to avoid hell, is to believe in Jesus Christ by trusting in His Word. Faith comes by hearing God’s Word (Romans 10:17).

But, second, a person must repent of his or her sin. Jesus said, “but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3,5). The biblical doctrine of repentance means that, having come to a belief in Christ and His Word, the individual must change his mind about his past conduct, and his previous erroneous viewpoints. He must put those things behind him, changing his mind in order to bring his thinking into harmony with the Word of God.

Third, the New Testament teaches that a person must confess the deity of Jesus. Paul wrote that “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

So a person must believe in Jesus Christ and His Word, turn from sin by changing the mind about that sin, and then confess the Lordship and deity of Christ with the mouth. But then the New Testament teaches that a person must be immersed in water in order to contact the blood of Christ and be forgiven of sin. Jesus, Himself, said, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). What does it mean to be “born of water and the Spirit”? It means to be immersed in water according to the instructions given by the Holy Spirit in the New Testament (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 5:26).

Many other passages make this point clear. For instance, Paul told the Galatian Christians: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (3:27). That is, a person is clothed with Christ in the action of water baptism. Peter said, “There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism (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). So water immersion is the point at which a person is saved by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. No wonder Ananias said to Saul, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).

To summarize, these Scriptures teach that in order to become a Christian, a person must hear the word, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized. When that person rises from the waters of baptism, he stands cleansed from sin by the blood of Christ. That person is now a Christian. After becoming a Christian, however, the individual is not given a guarantee that he automatically will be accepted in eternity. It depends upon whether he continues to live faithfully (Revelation 2:10). To remain saved, a person must live the Christian life faithfully, and take advantage of the means by which he may continue to be forgiven of sin. Living the Christian life faithfully includes frequent study of the Word of God in order to know how to live the Christian life, and to receive motivation to comply. When the Christian sins, he must repent of that sin, confess it, and pray to God for forgiveness (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9; James 5:20). In this fashion, the Christian may continue to be forgiven by the blood of Jesus while living the Christian life.

Make no mistake. A person dares not leave this life unforgiven and unprepared. The only hope is to commit to Jesus, and be obedient to God in this life. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Corinthians 5:10-11). “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). After all, “our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). And, “the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

Is there a hell? Absolutely! The Bible teaches the existence of hell as certainly as it teaches the existence of heaven, God, and Christ. Hell may be summarized as everlasting fire, everlasting punishment, everlasting destruction, outer darkness, damnation, hell fire, and a lake of fire. If a person believes the Bible, or believes in Jesus Christ, or believes in God—he or she must believe in hell.

While perhaps hell may not be the best or the most mature motivation for loving God and for living faithfully to Him, fear of hell certainly is a legitimate reason, and a valid scriptural motive for causing a person to contemplate his conduct in this life, in order to be prepared to leave this life in good graces with God. The reader is urged to bring his or her life into compliance with the God of heaven by believing in His Son, repenting of past sins, confessing the name of Christ, and being immersed in water for the remission of those sins.

REFERENCES

“Beliefs: Heaven and Hell” (1996), Barna Research Online, [On-line], URL: http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/PageCategory.asp?CategoryID=3.

“Religious Beliefs Vary Widely by Denomination” (2001), Barna Research Online, [On-line], URL: http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/PagePressRelease.asp?PressReleaseID=92&Reference=A.

Taylor, Humphrey (1998), “Large Majority of People Believe They Will Go to Heaven,” [On-line], URL>: http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=167.

Who Are These People? by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

 

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1191

Who Are These People?

by	Dave Miller, Ph.D.

From time to time, we are asked for clarification concerning the identity of the church of Christ. “What do churches of Christ stand for?” “What do they believe?” “Who are these people—the churches of Christ?”

One must take Bible in hand to answer these questions. In Matthew 3:2, John the baptizer declared that the kingdom of heaven was near. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus Himself announced to His disciples that He would build His church and give to them the keys of the kingdom. In Mark 9:1, Jesus further stated that some were standing in His presence who would not taste of death before they would see the kingdom of God come with power. In John 3:5, Jesus explained to Nicodemus that in order for him to enter into the kingdom of God, he would have to be “born again”—which consisted of being “born of water and the Spirit.” After Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, He instructed the apostles to go into all of the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. He who would believe and be baptized would be saved (Mark 16:16).

These passages set the stage for the momentous events of Acts chapter 2. In that key passage, Jesus followed through with His promises. The Gospel was preached, some 3,000 hearers believed and were baptized, and the church of Christ was brought into existence. The year was A.D. 30. The place was the city of Jerusalem. In direct fulfillment of many Old Testament prophecies—including Isaiah 2, Daniel 2, Joel 2, and Micah 4—Jesus established His church.

Churches of Christ today are reproductions of the church of Christ that is described in the New Testament, beginning in Acts 2. Several characteristics are discernible from the Bible that aid in seeing what it takes to be a church of Christ.

In the first place, consider what people in the first century did to become a member of the church of Christ. In Acts 2, after listening to the preaching of the Gospel, the people asked the apostles what they needed to do. Peter responded: “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of your sins” (Acts 2:38). This was in fulfillment of Jesus’ words in Mark 16:16: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.”

The same procedure is depicted over and over again in Acts. Acts 8:12-13 records that “when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized.” In the same chapter, Philip preached Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch. When the eunuch saw water, he insisted upon being baptized. Philip said he could if he believed.

In Acts 10, Cornelius heard the message, believed, and was baptized. In Acts 16, Lydia listened to the message, believed, and was baptized. In the same chapter, the Philippian jailer heard the word of the Lord and was immediately baptized the same hour of the night. In Acts 18:8, many of the Corinthians heard the word, believed, and were baptized. In Acts 19:4-5, some of the citizens of Ephesus listened to Paul’s preaching, believed, and were baptized. Paul, himself, in Acts chapters 9 and 22, heard the word and was baptized to have his sins washed away.

The rest of the New Testament confirms this procedure for becoming a Christian. Paul reminded Roman Christians that on the day they were baptized, they were baptized into Christ, into His death, and were made free from sin to live a new life (Romans 6:1-7). He told the Corinthians that on the day they were baptized, they were baptized into the one body, which is the church of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). He told the Galatians that when they were baptized, they were baptized into Christ, and thus put on Christ, i.e., were clothed with Him (Galatians 3:27). Peter added his support to this same understanding by declaring that one is saved at the moment of baptism, for it is at that point that the benefits of the resurrection of Christ are applied to the believer (1 Peter 3:21).

Notice from these Scriptures that in the first century, a person became a Christian in the same way and at the same moment that he became a member of the church of Christ. First-century people heard the message of salvation and God’s will for their life. They then believed (had faith in) God and Christ (and the teaching about Them), repented of their sins, confessed the name of Christ with their mouths, and then were baptized (or immersed) in water for the remission of sins (cf. Romans 10:9-10; Colossians 2:12; Hebrews 10:22). Who are the churches of Christ? They are those churches that practice that same New Testament plan of salvation.

Second, consider how churches of Christ were organized or structured in the New Testament. Each local congregation was independent and autonomous. There was no hierarchy or denominational headquarters. Each local church was directly under the headship of Christ (Colossians 1:18). Churches of Christ had no synods, councils, or conventions that established policy or provided governing guidelines. Every single local congregation was self-governing and completely autonomous.

Within each of these churches, the New Testament teaches that men who meet the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 are to be appointed by the church members to be elders. Other names for this function in the New Testament are bishops, pastors, shepherds, and overseers (Titus 1:5,7; Acts 20:17,28; 1 Peter 5:1-2). The New Testament teaches that when a church has qualified men, two or more are to be appointed to serve. Churches in the New Testament always had a plurality of elders over a single congregation (Acts 20:17; Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:5). These men are to function as the overseeing authorities in the local church. They shepherd and watch over the members under their charge (Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:1-4). The name “pastor” did not refer to a preacher in the New Testament, but to an elder.

New Testament churches also had deacons appointed who were to meet specific God-given qualifications (1 Timothy 3:8-13). Deacons were assigned responsibilities and tasks that involved serving the needs of the congregation (Acts 6:1-6; Philippians 1:1).

In addition to elders and deacons, churches of Christ in the first century had teachers, preachers, and evangelists (Ephesians 4:11; 2 Timothy 4:5; James 3:1). These men taught and preached Christian doctrine to non-Christian and Christian alike. Female Bible teachers taught women and children (Titus 2:4). All of the members participated together in the work and worship of the church in an effort to glorify God in their lives.

Many improvisations have evolved since the first century as regards church government and organization. But, in summary, the simple structure of Christ’s church according to the New Testament consisted of elders who shepherded the flock, deacons who ministered to the congregation, preachers and evangelists who proclaimed the Gospel, and all other members of the local congregation who worked and worshipped under the oversight of the elders. Who are the churches of Christ? They are those churches that follow this simple New Testament format.

Third, how is the church of Christ to be designated? What are the scriptural names by which God’s people are to be known? The New Testament clearly states that the group of saved people was called the “church of Christ” (Romans 16:16). Remember, Jesus Himself stated that He would build His church (Matthew 16:18). The church, therefore, belongs to Christ, Who is the Head of the body (Ephesians 1:22-23). Sometimes His church was referred to merely as “the church” (e.g., Acts 8:1). “Church” simply means “called out,” and refers to the fact that Christians have been called out of the world and into Christ’s kingdom.

Sometimes, Christ’s church was referred to as “the kingdom” (Matthew 16:19), “the kingdom of God” (Mark 9:1; John 3:5), “the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3), or “the kingdom of His dear Son” (Colossians 1:13). We also find the “church of God” (1 Corinthians 1:2) and the “church of the living God” (1 Timothy 3:15)—no doubt references to Jesus’ deity as owner. We also find the “body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12). Several other names are found in the New Testament for Christ’s church. But observe that most of the names that men have given to their denominational organization are not found in the New Testament. Churches of Christ are those who seek to be scriptural in name.

The same applies to the designations for individual members. The number one name by which church members are to be known is the name “Christian” (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16; Isaiah 62:1-2). This is the name which indicates that one belongs to Christ. Other names included “disciples” [which means “learners”] (Acts 20:7), “saints” (1 Corinthians 1:2), “brothers” (1 Corinthians 15:1), “sons of God” (Romans 8:14), “children of God” (1 John 3:1), “priests” (1 Peter 2:9)—and several other names. These are scriptural names.

But what about the many religious titles and designations used today? The denominational concept of a clergy is foreign to the New Testament. Preachers in the New Testament were merely Christians who prepared themselves to teach others. They were not set apart as a special class of religious people. They did not receive special titles like “reverend” or “pastor” or “father” (Matthew 23:9). Such designations are manmade and serve only to cultivate the praise of men, when, in fact, all praise belongs to God (Luke 4:8).

So who are the churches of Christ? They are those churches that wear the name of Christ—individually and collectively. As the apostle Peter stated, “neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “If any man suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name” (1 Peter 4:16).

A fourth identifying mark of the church of Christ in the New Testament is seen in the absence of denominational trappings. For example, churches of Christ had no official creeds, church manuals, or confessions of faith to which members had to subscribe. The only authoritative document for governing belief and practice was the Bible. The Bible presents itself as the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God—the only reliable guide to get humans from this life to heaven. Who are the churches of Christ? They are those churches that rely solely on the Bible for direction.

A fifth and final facet of the church of Christ in the New Testament is her worship practice. Churches of Christ have reproduced simple New Testament worship in their services—nothing more and nothing less. When one examines the New Testament, one finds that first-century churches engaged in five worship activities on Sunday. First, they met together for the important purpose of partaking of the Lord’s Supper, which consisted of bread and grape juice as symbols of the body and blood of Christ offered on the cross (Matthew 26:26-29; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 10:16-21; 11:20-34). Christians observed the Lord’s Supper every Sunday and only on Sunday. Second, the early church engaged in prayer together (Acts 2:42; 1 Timothy 2:1-8). Third, Christians sang religious songs together (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16). Their congregational singing was unaccompanied by musical instruments. Fourth, they participated in Bible study, either by public reading of the Scriptures or as taught by a preacher or teacher (1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 4:1-4; Titus 2:15). Finally, Christians contributed their money on the first day of the week as a treasury from which the Lord’s work could be carried out (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).

New Testament worship is extremely simple and unpretentious—free from the hype and glitter that bored humans frequently fabricate. Who are the churches of Christ? They are those churches that have restored simple New Testament worship in their congregations. They meet together every first day of the week and commune together around the Lord’s Table; they sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs together; they contribute a percentage of their income to carry on the work of the church; they pray together; and they study the Word of God together.

Members of churches of Christ are certainly not perfect. Just as in the first century, churches of Christ are composed of imperfect people. But the superstructure of the New Testament church has been set in place. It therefore is possible for anyone to be simply a Christian—a member of the church we find described in the New Testament—the church of Christ.

That’s not to say that all groups who bear the name “church of Christ” are following the New Testament portrait of the church. A church may have a scriptural name without engaging in scriptural worship. Some churches of Christ are in the process of going off into apostasy as they restructure the church and make unscriptural changes. We cannot endorse such churches, merely because they continue to wear the name “church of Christ.”

You can be a member of the New Testament church. You do not have to settle for a manmade denomination. We urge you to study what the New Testament says about the church of Christ.

How Faith Relates to Your Feelings by Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

 

https://thepreachersword.com/2020/08/20/how-faith-relates-to-your-feelings/#more-17117

How Faith Relates to Your Feelings

Bill Scott, a West Virginia preacher, relates an incident told by a helicopter pilot who flew from an aircraft carrier in the Pacific.

“I was flying the helicopter back to the ship when a blinding fog rolled in. Flying at a low altitude, I knew that a single mistake would plunge my crew and me into the ocean. Worse yet, I was experiencing a complete loss of balance — which is common for pilots flying by instruments. This loss of balance was so bad that despite the instrument readings I was certain that I was lying on my side.”

“For 15 minutes.” the pilot agonized as he relied solely on his instruments. He admitted that he fought” the urge to turn it according to my feeling.” Then suddenly when they broke safely through the fog, he said, “I was deeply thankful I had been trained to rely upon my instruments rather than on my feelings.”

Religiously, too many people rely on undependable and fleeting feelings. Erwin W. Lutzer was right when he wrote, “A Christian life based on feeling is headed for a gigantic collapse.” Or crash.

I’ve had Christians say, “I don’t feel saved,” because the fog of doubt, discouragement or even despair has enveloped them. They’re allowing a temporary emotion to cloud what they know is true.

On the other hand, I’ve heard of people basing their salvation on some hyper-emotional experience. One lady described her salvation experience at a religious revival as an out of body experience. She said she felt like she was floating on air. She felt as light as a feather. She felt something she’d never experienced. She felt like she was saved.

When a preacher questioned if she really was floating, she admitted she wasn’t. He delicately asked the slightly over-weight woman, if she was as light as a feather, she curtly replied, “No.” “Well maybe you’re not saved either, the preacher suggested.

The Bible teaches that “we walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7). Faith is the solid foundation of our eternal hope. The Bible says, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1).

Furthermore, our faith is founded on facts. We’re not flying blindly into clouds. We have our “instruments,” to guide us. God’s revealed Word. The Bible tells us that we’ve all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Rom. 3:23). But He loves us and wants us to be saved (Jn 3:16). That’s why Jesus Christ died for our sins (Rom 5:8). And his triumphant victory over death through his resurrection assures us that we too will be raised (1 Cor. 15).

The book of Acts tells the story of salvation. People who received God’s saving grace heard the Gospel of Christ. Believed. Repented of their sins. And were baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2). As a result, God added them to the body of the saved, called the church (Acts 2:47). Those are the facts.

Interestingly, when people by faith obeyed the gospel, a good feeling followed. Sinners saved like the Ethiopian Treasurer “went on their way rejoicing.” Your conscience will be clean and clear (1 Peter 3:21). Like the man who found the lost sheep or the woman who found the lost coin, you will share your excitement with others (Lk. 15:7-10).

Faith generates joy (Phil. 1:25). And even allows us to face life’s troubles and trials with a joyful spirit (1 Pet. 1:7-9). There will even be occasions, like in the parable of the prodigal son, where a Christian goes astray. Leaves the Father. And goes into the far country of sin. But when the wayward one returns there will be tears of joy. And a celebration when they come home.

True Christianity is not devoid of emotion. But our feelings are based on faith and rooted in the reliable facts of the gospel. Objective Truth must be subordinate to our feelings, moods, and opinions.

The connection between these concepts is summed up in this short verse by an unknown author.

Three men were walking on a wall,
Feeling, Faith and Fact,
When Feeling got an awful fall,
And Faith was taken back.

So close was Faith to Feeling
He stumbled and fell too,
But Fact remained and pulled Faith  back,
And Faith brought Feeling too.

IF YOU NEED AN INTERPRETER by steve finnell

 

http://steve-finnell.blogspot.com/2017/02/if-you-need-interpreter-by-steve.html

IF YOU NEED AN INTERPRETER by steve finnell

If you need an interpreter to understand God's terms of salvation, or basic Bible doctrine, then you are not really trying. If you put aside pride, and prayerfully study the Bible you will not need an interpreter to understand God's terms for pardon from sin.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him.......... no one comes to the Father but through ME. (NASB)

If you say need an interpreter to understand John 14:6, then you are being dishonest.

Mark 16:16 He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved.....(NASB)

Only a person suffering from delusion needs an interpreter to understand Mark 16:16.

JOHN by Paul Southern

 

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Southern/Paul/1901/john.html

JOHN

1. THE TITLE

The fourth gospel is named for its writer, John, which means "Grace of God," or "God's gift." John, the same as Johanan, is a contraction of Jehohanan.

2. THE WRITER

From internal and external evidences we learn the following things about the writer:

1. He was a son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James (Mk 3:17).
2. It is thought that John's mother was s sister of the Lord's mother (Mk 15:40,41; Mt 27:56; Jn 19:25-27). If so, he was a cousin to Jesus.
3. He was probably born in Bethsaida, and was a fisherman (Mt 4:21).
4. He was probably one of the two whom John the Baptist turned to the Lord (Jn 1:40).
5. Knowledge of Jewish customs indicates that he was a Jew.
6. He was one of the twelve apostles (Mk 3:14-19).
7. He was an eye-witness of what he wrote, having accompanied Jesus during the Lord's ministry (Jn 1:14; 1 Jn 1:1-4).
8. He was one of the three most intimate with Jesus (Mt 17:1; 26:37).
9. He is the writer of First, Second and Third John, and Revelation.
10. Scriptural references show that he was present at the ascension (Acts 1:13); on Pentecost (Acts 1:26; 2:1); with Peter in prison (Acts 3). He protested against the Sanhedrin (Acts 4:13), and remained at Jerusalem during the great persecution (Acts 8:1). Fifteen years after Paul's first visit he was still in Jerusalem (Acts 15:6). The subsequent story of his life is largely traditional. It is thought that he moved to Ephesus, and from there was banished under Domitian's persecution to the island of Patmos where he was forced to work in mines. On Patmos he received the visions of The Revelation (Revelation 1:9). Tradition says he later returned to Ephesus and died around 95 A.D. The New Testament makes no mention of this.
3. THE GOSPEL
1. The date: Perhaps between A.D. 85 and 95, though dates suggested by men range from 68 to 96.
2. Place of writing: It was probably written in Ephesus.
3. Circumstances prevailing: The gospel had been preached in all the Roman Empire, Jerusalem had fallen, Christianity had been sorely persecuted, and most of the New Testament had already been written.
4. Ones addressed: Christians of all nationalities are in mind.
5. Style: Simplicity, sameness, repetition, parallelism, contrasts.
6. Subject: Jesus, the Divine Christ, the Son of God.
7. Purpose: To cultivate and cherish the spiritual life of Christians.
8. Characteristics (Tidwell, The Bible Book by Book):
1. It is the gospel for the church.
2. It is the spiritual gospel
3. It is a gospel of feasts, which furnish material for much of Christ's teaching.
4. It is a gospel of testimony, proving Jesus is Christ.
5. It is a gospel of belief (See John 20:30-31).
6. It is a gospel of symbols. Mystic numbers (3,7) and many symbols are used.
7. It is a gospel of the Incarnation. "The word became flesh," etc. (1:14).
4. EXERCISES FOR STUDENT ACTIVITY
1. Notable omissions: Baptism, temptation, transfiguration, instituting of the Lord's Supper, agony in Gethsemane, and parables of Christ. Why are these great events not given in the Gospel According to John?
2. In the light of the Gospel According to John explain:
1. The causes of unbelief.
2. The results of unbelief.
3. Study the night scenes of the book.
4. Study the "I Am's" of Christ recorded by John.
5. Note in detail the special discourses of Jesus that are found in the book.
6. Make a list of the ones who came to worship Jesus.
7. Discuss the following viewpoints of the gospel writers:
1. Matthew explains the messianic functions of Christ.
2. Mark presents the active work of Jesus.
3. Luke describes the character of Christ as the Savior.
4. John magnifies the person of the Lord.

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

Toward the Son by Gary Rose

 

This picture reminds me of Melrose, New York, my youth and having to walk everywhere. Many, many were the times that I wished that I had had a car, but at the time I didn’t take time to think of the beauty that was right before me (just like this picture).

Now, in my sunset years, I can appreciate the beauty of this scene more than I ever could as a youth – and that’s a good thing. As I continue to reflect upon this picture, I realize there is more than just lush greenery to this scene, there is a well worn dirt road that leads towards the sun.

During our lives, we all take roads, leading to many different destinations- some pleasant and others not-so-much. Today, ask yourself this: Where is my life headed? The Bible has the answer and here it is…

John 14 ( World English Bible )

⁶ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me.

Jesus is the way. He is the way leading to God (because he is the son of God) He is the example of how one should live their lives. He has provided the one and only sacrifice for our sin. The word “way” also means a road or path in the original, so this puts a new spin on the picture at the top.

Again the question: Where is my life headed? If the answer is – toward the Son, then you are headed in the right direction!