Atheist Parenting Book by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=2223

Atheist Parenting Book

by	Eric Lyons, M.Min.

In the July 16, 2007 issue of Newsweek, Lisa Miller informed readers about a new and different parenting book, titled Parenting Beyond Belief. Edited by Dale McGowan, this volume “aims to help folks who are raising their kids without religion deal with the sticky questions that come up about Santa Claus and heaven, and it raises more serious concerns about how to bring up ethical, confident, non-believing kids in a culture saturated with talk about God” (Miller, 2007, p. 10). According to McGowan’s Web site, Parenting Beyond Belief “is the first comprehensive parenting book by a major publisher on raising children without religion” (2007). McGowan added: “We hope it isn’t the last” (2007).

Included in Parenting Beyond Belief is discussion about a new summer camp for children of atheists. Camp Quest: The Secular Summer Camp, which operates in six different locations in North America, claims to be “the first residential summer camp in the history of the United States for the children of Atheists, Freethinkers, Humanists, Brights, or whatever other terms might be applied to those who hold to a naturalistic, not supernatural world view” (Camp Quest, n.d., emp. added).

It seems as if atheists are more determined than ever to indoctrinate children with godless materials and ideologies. In the end, Dale McGowan’s hope of seeing more atheistic materials for families ultimately fails to provide reasonable, not to mention comforting, answers to life’s biggest questions. Imagine the child who ponders his origin for the first time: “Mom, why are we here?” “Ricky,” mom replies, “we’re here because, by chance, billions of years ago a tiny ball of matter exploded. Eventually Earth was formed, life emerged from lifeless matter, and millions of years later humans evolved from lower animals.” “So we’re here by accident?” Ricky asks. “That’s one way of looking at it,” says his mother. Parenting Beyond Belief and Camp Quest no doubt help atheistic parents explain origins and ultimate destinations to their children in a more creative way. However, the bottom line is, children will learn that life ultimately is meaningless because their existence is accidental and there is no life beyond death.

The key to an abundant life, both in the present and in the afterlife, is found only through Christ Jesus (John 10:10). May God help us to teach our children this truth, as well as reach out to those reared by atheists, who may never have heard the answers that Jesus and His Word can provide.

REFERENCES

Camp Quest: The Secular Summer Camp (no date), [On-line], URL: http://www.camp-quest.org/.

McGowan, Dale (2007), “Parenting Beyond Belief,” [On-line], URL: http://www.parentingbeyondbelief.com/.

Miller, Lisa (2007), “BELIEF WATCH: How To,” Newsweek, July 16.

Atheist Finally “Sobers Up” by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1467

Atheist Finally “Sobers Up”

by	Dave Miller, Ph.D.

Nearly 30 years ago, a debate of significant proportions took place. It was September 20-23, 1976. The place was the campus of North Texas State University in Denton, Texas. The disputants were two longtime professors of philosophy—Thomas B. Warren (whose Ph.D. in philosophy was from Vanderbilt) and Antony G.N. Flew (who was teaching in the University of Reading near London, England). The propositions they debated juxtaposed succinctly the real issue between thorough-going (positive) atheism and thorough-going (biblical) theism. Dr. Flew affirmed, “I know that God does not exist,” and Dr. Warren affirmed, “I know that God does exist.”

Dr. Warren once explained why he selected Antony Flew as his opponent in the debate. His rationale was simple: if those who are on the cutting edge of philosophical thought and who are considered to be the leaders in their chosen area of expertise—the “best of the best” if you will—are unable to defend their position when confronted by a fair and accurate defense of the truth, their error will be exposed. Those who were influenced by these leading men would be forced (like the “domino effect”) to recognize the sterility of the viewpoint they had embraced. Antony Flew had been a leading champion of atheism for decades. His writings dominated philosophical journals, and he was a prolific author [his books included Hume’s Philosophy of Belief (1961), God and Philosophy (1966), Evolutionary Ethics (1967), An Introduction to Western Philosophy (1971), and even a book on logic—Thinking Straight (1975)]. Having taught at Oxford, Aberdeen, Keele, and Reading universities in Britain, Flew also served as a visiting professor in many American universities, and conducted numerous debates in the process of defending his atheism.

For the first two nights of the Warren-Flew debate, Flew assumed the affirmative position in an attempt to prove that God does not exist. However, Warren’s kind-but-relentless assault in the negative position seemed to leave Flew battered, bewildered, and disoriented—so much so that when Dr. Warren assumed the affirmative position on the third night of the debate, he spent a few minutes attempting to ascertain the reason for Dr. Flew’s failure, while in the affirmative, to present a sound argument for his atheistic contention in a precise logical way:

It has been suggested that his failure is due to the fact that he is in a foreign country, but such could have little or nothing to do with this proposition. That he is out of his own country has nothing to do with how he handles intellectual material. Neither is his failure due to his not being accustomed to this style of debating. I have heard him in discussion before, and he seemed not to be bothered at all by the kind of format that was involved. Perhaps he did not know the responsibility of an affirmative speaker? But that cannot be so because, in his writings, he constantly chides a man who does not recognize his responsibility as an affirmant. Perhaps because he does not know the arguments? I deny that emphatically. In reading the works of Dr. Flew, I am convinced that he knows the arguments that are involved as well as anybody in the world. Perhaps because he does not understand or accept the law of rationality? The truth of the matter is: he has written very strongly and frequently in defense of it! But he has not acted in harmony with it in this discussion. Ordinarily, when he is writing in the affirmative, and he writes almost constantly of matters that are concerned with God or very closely related to God—at least subjects that are peripheral to the subject of God. In fact, it is the case that he is almost God-intoxicated. He constantly emphasizes in his books that the onus of proof is on the affirmative writer or speaker! But I am afraid that he has not recognized that truth in this discussion (1977, pp. 131-132, emp. in orig.).

In the very next speech—the first negative—Dr. Flew responded to Dr. Warren’s comments in the following words: “Dr. Warren may be assured that I am sobering up from God intoxication. I shall be writing considerably less, if anything, in this area in the future” (p. 143, emp. added). Now, 28 years later, Dr. Flew appears, indeed, to finally have sobered up. At the age of 81, he has announced to the world that, based upon the scientific evidence, he now believes in some type of God (“Famous Atheist…,” 2004). However, do not jump to any premature conclusions. One interviewer spoke with Dr. Flew about his recent adjustments in his thinking, and concluded:

The fact of the matter is: Flew hasn’t really decided what to believe. He affirms that he is not a Christian—he is still quite certain that the Gods of Christianity or Islam do not exist, that there is no revealed religion, and definitely no afterlife of any kind. But he is increasingly persuaded that some sort of Deity brought about this universe, though it does not intervene in human affairs, nor does it provide any postmortem salvation. He says he has in mind something like the God of Aristotle, a distant, impersonal “prime mover.” It might not even be conscious, but a mere force. In formal terms, he regards the existence of this minimal God as a hypothesis that, at present, is perhaps the best explanation for why a universe exists that can produce complex life. But he is still unsure. In fact, he asked that I not directly quote him yet, until he finally composes his new introduction to a final edition of his book God and Philosophy, due out next year. He hasn’t completed it yet, precisely because he is still examining the evidence and thinking things over. Anything he says now, could change tomorrow (Carrier, 2004).

Here is what Flew has stated about whether he believes in God in the biblical sense:

I do not think I will ever make that assertion, precisely because any assertion which I am prepared to make about God would not be about a God in that sense ... I think we need here a fundamental distinction between the God of Aristotle or Spinoza and the Gods of the Christian and the Islamic Revelations…. My one and only piece of relevant evidence [for an Aristotelian God] is the apparent impossibility of providing a naturalistic theory of the origin from DNA of the first reproducing species... [In fact] the only reason which I have for beginning to think of believing in a First Cause god is the impossibility of providing a naturalistic account of the origin of the first reproducing organisms (as quoted in Carrier, italics in orig., emp. added).

It’s a step. But Dr. Flew has a long way to go to arrive at the truth concerning God’s existence. Observe that even when an atheist is forced to recognize that the evidence demands that a purposive, intelligent Being lies behind the Creation, he still endeavors to relegate this intelligence to an impersonal force that does not “provide a postmortem salvation.” Why? Because the same Being also would provide a “postmortem condemnation” in which humans will rightly and justly receive punishment for their sinful behavior on Earth. Can’t have that, can we?! It would mean adjusting one’s daily life choices and relegating one’s stubborn pride beneath the will of God.

Flew also stated: “My whole life has been guided by the principle of Plato’s Socrates: Follow the evidence, wherever it leads” (“Famous Atheist…,” emp. added). If that were true, he would have already been led to the truth that the God of the Bible exists (just read the Warren-Flew debate!). Indeed, all the available evidence leads to that singular conclusion. The very evidence that Flew now believes indicates the existence of some sort of God, is the same evidence that he once insisted supported atheism! It took him 66 years to arrive at this most recent conclusion (Flew has been a self-avowed atheist since he was 15). But given the current human lifespan, he does not have another 66 years to follow the evidence to where it leads.

REFERENCES

Carrier, Richard (2004), “Antony Flew Considers God—Sort Of,” [On-line], URL: http://www.secweb.org/asset.asp?AssetID=369.

“Famous Atheist Now Believes in God” (2004), The Associated Press, December 9, [On-line], URL: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=315976.

Flew, Antony G.N. and Thomas B. Warren (1977), Warren-Flew Debate (Jonesboro, AR: National Christian Press).

Atheist Asks: “Have You Read the Bible in its Entirety?” by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

 

https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1687

 Atheist Asks: “Have You Read the Bible in its Entirety?”

by	Kyle Butt, M.Div.

Since 2008, the Atheist Agenda, a student organization on the campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio, has hosted an event called “Smut for Smut.” The group offers to give a free pornographic magazine to everyone who will turn in the Bible or other religious books like the Quran (Hallowell, 2012). When the event began it received considerable press, but the 2012 event “barely attracted attention” (2012). In fact, only about 30 people stopped by the booth, and the Atheist Agenda collected just five Bibles, one Quran, and one Encyclopedia of Islam.

While the event was a dismal failure in regard to ramping up hype for atheism on the campus, it did bring to light a very troubling fact about many who call themselves Christians. A video clip posted in Hallowell’s article shows one of the members of the Atheist Agenda confronting what looks like a fellow student. This fellow student is holding up a sign in protest of the event and in support of the Bible. The atheist is attempting to explain why his group equates the Bible with pornography. The fellow student disagrees, and then the atheist asks the student, “Have you read the Bible in its entirety?” The student shakes his head almost imperceptibly, and in a very low voice admits he has not read the Bible. After that, he tries to walk away as the atheist follows him explaining to him all the alleged “horrible things” found “in the Bible” that the young man had not read.

The fact that the young man had not read the Bible utterly demolished any credibility he may have had. Of course, the atheist was misrepresenting what the Bible says. In no legitimate way does the Bible compare to a pornagraphic magazine. But the young student could do nothing to defend the Bible because he had not read it. Suppose that question were asked of you? Could you respond that you have read the Bible? Or would you be shamed into silence and forced to walk away as you listened to an enemy of God revile His precious Word. How in the world can Christians always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks them a reason for the hope that is in them (1 Peter 3:15), if those Christians have not studied the Word of God diligently?

In Romans 2, Paul explained to the Jews that their sinful lives were causing the Gentiles to speak evil of the God of Israel. He scolded them in harsh terms when he wrote: “For ‘The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you’” (Romans 2:24). In a similar way, the modern skeptical community delights in pinpointing “Christians” living sinful lives, or being so apathetic to the teachings of Christ that they do not care enough to read the Bible. Let it never be said of you that your stand for the truth was rendered useless to the cause of Christ because you could not honestly say that you had read the Bible in its entirety. “Hear the word of the Lord…. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:1,6).

REFERENCE

Hallowell, Billy (2012), “Atheist Students Encourage Christians to Exchange Their Bibles for…Pornography,” The Blaze, http://news.yahoo.com/atheist-students-encourage-christians-exchange-bibles-pornography-013422828.html.

 

"THE GOSPEL OF MARK" The Parable Of The Growing Seed (4:26-29) by Mark Copeland

 

                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

               The Parable Of The Growing Seed (4:26-29)

INTRODUCTION

1. Of the many parables taught by Jesus, there is one found only in Mark's gospel...
   a. It is "The Parable Of The Growing Seed"
   b. Recorded in Mk 4:26-29 (Read)

2. The setting of this parable is the same as when Jesus told...
   a. The parable of "The Four Soils" - cf. Mk 4:1-20
   b. The parable of "The Mustard Seed" - cf. Mk 4:30-32

[Let's begin by taking a closer look the parable itself...]

I. THE PARABLE ANALYZED

   A. WHAT IT REVEALS ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD...
      1. It describes how the Word of God produces fruit (i.e., how the kingdom grows)
         a. The "seed" is not identified in this parable as the Word of God
         b. But it was defined as such in the parable of "The Sower" - cf. Mk 4:14; Lk 8:11
      2. The growth produced by the Word is a mystery - Mk 4:26-28a
         a. The sower can sow the seed and see it sprout and grow
         b. But the growth is beyond his comprehension, and even grows by itself
      3. The growth produced by the Word is gradual - Mk 4:28b-29
         a. It doesn't all occur at once
         b. But step by step:  first the blade, then the head, then the full grain
         c. But through such growth the harvest eventually comes - Mk 4:29
      -- So the kingdom grows mysteriously and gradually by virtue of God's Word

   B. COMPARING THIS PARABLE WITH "THE FOUR SOILS"...
      1. The parable of "The Four Soils" emphasizes human responsibility
         a. The seed did not produce the desired fruit unless it fell on good soil
         b. It takes "a good and noble heart" for the seed to produce fruit! - cf. Lk 8:15
      2. The parable of "The Growing Seed" stresses the divine power within the Word
         a. A "good and noble heart" cannot bear fruit by itself!
         b. It takes Seed that has within itself the power to germinate and grow in good soil
      -- This parable emphasizes the need to trust in the power of the Seed (God's Word)

[Yes, the Word is the "seed" which contains the power for spiritual life
and growth when planted in the soil of a good and noble heart!  We may
not fully comprehend the true working of that power, but the parable
illustrates how we can still use it!  And for that, let's now consider...]

II. THE PARABLE APPLIED

   A. THE WORD OF GOD IS A POWERFUL "SEED"...
      1. It can cause us to be "born again" - 1Pe 1:22-25; Jm 1:18
      2. It can help us to "grow" - 1Pe 2:1-2
      3. It can indeed "save your souls" - Jm 1:21
      4. It is living and powerful, filled with Spirit-giving life - He 4:12; Jn 6:63
      -- Never underestimate the power of the Word of God!

   B. TWO WAYS TO UTILIZE THE POWERFUL "SEED"...
      1. By receiving it into our own hearts (for spiritual growth)
         a. Here we are talking about the growth of the kingdom of God in our lives
         b. Of course, we must receive it properly
            1) With a good and noble heart - Lk 8:15; cf. Ac 17:11
            2) With meekness - Jm 1:21
            3) As babies longing for their mothers' milk - 1Pe 2:2
            4) "Laying aside" those things that would "choke" the Word - cf. Jm 1:21; 1Pe 2:1
         c. When so received, growth will occur
            1) But remember the parable, for the growth will be gradual - Mk 4:28
            2) Therefore the need to feed daily on the Word, "that you may grow thereby" - 1Pe 2:2
      2. By sowing it as far and wide as we possibly can (for kingdom growth)
         a. Here we are talking about the growth of the kingdom of God in the world
         b. Like the sower in the parable of "The Sower", we must sow the seed everywhere
         c. But like the sower in the parable of "The Growing Seed", we must remember...
            1) Growth comes through the divine power of the seed
               a) It is God who gives the increase - cf. 1Co 3:5-7
               b) We are simply "seed-throwers" and "water-boys"!
            2) Growth comes in stages, not all at once
               a) There will be days when all we seem to be doing is "sowing"
               b) There will be days when all we seem to be doing is "waiting"
            3) Like the farmer, then, we must be patient - cf. Jm 5:7
      -- In our lives and in the world, spiritual growth occurs only through the Word!

CONCLUSION

1. The general lessons in the parable of "The Growing Seed" are these...
   a. In the kingdom of God, as in the kingdom of nature, we are laborers together with God
   b. The results depend on Him, and for the perfection of these results He takes His own time

2. That being the case...
   a. Our duty is to sow the seed, it is for God to give the increase - cf. 1Co 3:6-9
   b. Having sown the seed, we must wait for God's Word to perfect the growth - cf. Php 1:6

3. Therefore this parable teaches us to trust and hope in power of the Word of God...
   a. Do we trust in its power to save the lost?
      1) Or do we look to gimmicks designed by men?
      2) The gospel is God's power to save! - cf. Ro 1:16-17
   b. Do we trust in its power to save your own soul?
      1) Or do we look to self-help methods that promise but really can't deliver?
      2) The Word of God is what is capable of saving our souls! - cf. Jm 1:21

Are you sowing the seed of the kingdom, brother?  Both in the world, and
in your own life as well...?     

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

How Should Christians Respond to the Bathroom Battles? by Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

 

https://thepreachersword.com/2016/05/17/how-should-christians-respond-to-the-bathroom-battles/

How Should Christians Respond to the Bathroom Battles?

This is a confusing and frustrating time for Christians.

Homosexual relations, same-sex marriage, and transgender rights are more than social or political issues, they speak to Biblical principles. Our moral foundation. And our spiritual values. We have occasionally addressed these issues from the perspective of “What does the Bible say?”

The latest cultural bombshell now involves the use of public restroom facilities.

Following a bill passed by the North Carolina Legislature that people could only use restroom facilities based on their God-given gender, the Obama administration declared on May 9^th that such legislation was illegal and discriminatory.

However, four days later came an ever bigger cultural shock. The President issued a directive requiring public schools to accommodate transgender students based on Title IX guidelines.

So boys who self-identify as girls must be allowed to use restrooms, locker rooms and shower stalls of their choosing, and vice versa. Schools that defy these directives could face the loss of federal funding and of course lawsuits. So far the Governors of North Carolina have vowed to resist these edicts.

ThePreachersWord is not inclined to wade into the battle over bathroom use per sae. We comment on social issues, such as a recent post on gender identity, when they fundamentally undermine the Truth of God’s Word.

This battle almost seems surreal. It’s an abandonment of common sense. Personal privacy. And common decency.

However, at the heart of this battle is something more. It’s another opportunity for liberals whose goal is social reengineering and fundamentally changing the culture of our country. Southern Baptist Convention president Ronnie Floyd bluntly expressed it this way. “It’s an outrageous attack on our Creator Himself, upon human sexuality and morality and a further advancement of the flagrant attack on religious freedom in our culture.”

Various other religious leaders have spoken out on this issue and called for Christians to get involved. It seems, as one writer put it that our “country stands at the edge of a great moral abyss.”

However, I am reminded that Christianity was born into a wicked world filled with pervasive perversion. In the midst of a moral morass of putridity, the Gospel flourished. Souls were saved. And the message of Jesus Christ spread to the far-flung corners of the Roman Empire.

We must remember what battle is really all about.   “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12)

We are not opposed to Christian involvement in social concerns and political issues.  But let us filter our opposition with the fruit of the Spirit–love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22)

Let’s not forget our purpose on earth. Our goal. Our message. And our God-given mandate.

Let us pray for our country. For the Church. And for our young people. May parents exercise wisdom in the spiritual training of their children. And let us “speak the Truth in love” to those who may oppose us and our God.

And may we live as Paul admonished, “blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom (we) shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life” (Phil 2:15).

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

HAS BELIEVED AND BEEN BAPTIZED! by steve finnell

 https://steve-finnell.blogspot.com/2017/01/

 HAS BELIEVED AND BEEN BAPTIZED! 

by steve finnell

Jesus made the terms for salvation very simply. Mark 16:16 He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. (NASB)

Repentance and confession are connected to belief and water baptism. Terms of salvation: Belief-Repentance-Confession-Water Baptism.

BELIEF

Acts 2:36-37 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him Lord and Christ--this Jesus whom you crucified." 37 Now when they heard this they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall do?"(NASB)

REPENTANCE AND BAPTISM

Acts 2:38 And Peter replied, "Each one of you must turn from sin, return to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; then you also shall receive this gift, the Holy Spirit. (The Living Bible-Paraphrased)

The 3000 converts on the Day of Pentecost believed, repented, and were immersed in water. That was the first day of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

BELIEF

 John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, (NASB)

BELIEF, CONFESSION AND BAPTISM

Acts 8:34-38.....37[And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."] 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. (NASB)

BELIEF

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish , but have eternal life. (NASB)

REPENTANCE

Acts 17:30-31 Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men  that all people everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." (NASB)

BAPTISM

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. (NASB)

CONFESSION

Matthew 10:32-33 "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. 33 But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven. (NASB)

BELIEF: Mark 16:16, Acts 8:34-38, John 3:16, John 6:40, John 14:6, John 8:24, Acts 16:30-31, Acts 10:43

REPENTANCE: Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19, Luke 24:47, Acts 17:30-31.

CONFESSION: Matthew 10:32, Luke 12:8, Romans 10:9-10, Acts 8:34-38

IMMERSION IN WATER: Mark 16:16, Acts 8:12, Acts 22:16, Romans 6:3-7, Galatians 3:27, Titus 3:5, John 3:5, Ephesians 5:25-27, Acts 2:38, 40,41,47.

It takes a master of deception, a skilled professional, and a willing student, for anyone to believe that Faith, Repentance, Confession, and Immersion in water are not essential in order to be saved.

JAMES by Paul Southern

 

https://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Southern/Paul/1901/james.html

JAMES

1. THE TITLE

This book bears the name of the writer, James (1:1).

2. THE PERSONS NAMED JAMES

Most scholars conclude there are three persons called James in the New Testament.

1. James the son of Zebedee, one of the twelve, elder brother of John, and sometimes called James the Elder or Great (Mt 4:21).
2. James the son of Alphaeus, also one of the twelve, and referred to as James the Less (Mt 10:3).
3. James, brother of the Lord, who was not one of the twelve apostles (Mt 13:55).
3. THE WRITER

Although a moot point, it is believed by many that James the brother of the Lord wrote this book called James. That he was not one of the twelve apostles is indicated by the fact that he did not believe on the Lord until after the resurrection (Jn 7:2-9; Mk 3:21; Acts 1:13,14). He was a pillar in the early church, being associated largely with the saints at Jerusalem (Acts 12:17; 15:13-21; Gal 1:19; 2:9-12). Josephus declared that James was brought before the Sanhedrin by Sadducees, charged of departing from the Jewish Law, and then stoned to death. Clement of Alexander claimed that James was flung down from the gable of the temple, stoned, and beaten to death with a club for speaking to Jews about Christ.

4. THE ONES ADDRESSED

The letter was addressed primarily to the Jews scattered abroad, "twelve tribes which are of the Dispersion" (1:1). Evidently they were Christian Jews, for James called them "My brethren" with respect to the "faith of our Lord Jesus Christ" (2:1). Some were rich and some poor (2:1-10; 5:1-6). Lust, greed and pride were evidenced among them (4:1-12). They were severely persecuted (1:2-4, 12-18). The general state of the ones addressed is not such as a gospel teacher could look on with satisfaction. The poor were oppressed and dragged before the judgment seats by the rich. These trials were not endured with the patience and humility which might have been expected of them as Christians. Instead of seeking wisdom from God they regarded Him as their tempter. Worldliness of spirit created strifes and dissentions among them. They seemed to believe that their nominal Christian faith would save them, without a holy life.

5. TIME AND PLACE OF WRITING

Jerusalem, where James did most of his work, is believed to be the place of writing. The date is uncertain. Some place it as early as A.D. 40; others as late as A.D. 62. Many conservative scholars believe that it was written around A.D. 48. Their argument is based on several factors. Since the issues of Romans 4 and Galatians 3 are absent, it is thought that the book was written before the Jerusalem conference. Evidently it was not written after the dreadful calamity of A.D. 70. The circumstances described and sins condemned are characteristic of early Jewish Christians. Furthermore, there is no reference to Gentile Christians, which allusions would have been natural after A.D. 50. It is probably safe to say that the Epistle of James is one of the earliest of the New Testament books.

6. THE PURPOSE AND CONTENTS

The book was written to warn Christian Jews against their besetting sins and to exhort them to steadfastness under persecution. It is one of the seven General Epistles, so called because they were not addressed to particular persons or churches. The general theme is practical religion, or faith at work (1:27; 2:14-26). Abrupt in style, it has been called "The Christian Book of Proverbs." It omits the word gospel, lacks the doctrinal emphasis found in Paul's writings, makes no reference to the work of redemption, the incarnation, the resurrection or ascension, and mentions Christ's name only twice (1:1; 2:1). With the exception of his references to works, James assumes the doctrinal features of the gospel. He is concerned largely with the social and ethical aspects of Christianity. Luther called the epistle of James "a veritable epistle of straw" because it emphasized salvation by works and did not agree with his doctrine of justification by faith only. There is no scriptural basis for Luther's criticism that Paul and James are contradictory concerning salvation. Each taught that man is saved by "faith working through love (Gal 5:6; Js 2:14-26).

7. EXERCISES FOR STUDENT ACTIVITY
1. True-False
1. The epistle of James was addressed to James, the son of Alphaeus T F
2. In the New Testament there are four persons called James T F
3. The epistle of James was written by the son of Zebedee T F
4. The epistle of James was written from Jerusalem in A.D. 70 T F
5. James, the brother of the Lord, was one of the twelve T F
6. James, brother of the Lord, was a pillar in the Jerusalem church T F
7. The epistle of James is a "General" letter T F
8. There are seven "General" letters in the New Testament T F
9. The ones addressed by James were being persecuted T F
10. Salvation by faith is the theme of James' epistle T F
11. James and Paul contradict each other on doctrinal points T F
12. The book of James defines practical religion T F
13. The epistle of James tells of the resurrection of Christ T F
14. The name of Christ occurs three times in the epistle of James T F
15. Points discussed in the epistle of James are closely connected T F
2. Topics for further study
1. Does the author of James speak with the tone of the Old Testament background or the New?
2. List any indication in the epistle that James is Jewish in thought, style, and doctrine.
3. Compare the epistle of James with the speech of James and the letter recorded in Acts 15:13-29.
4. Discuss temptation as it is presented in James 1:2-4, 12-16.
5. List all the things that James commands Christians to do; not to do.
6. How could the epistle of James be used in employer-employee relations today?
7. Note the teaching of James on each of the following subjects; wisdom, war, life, prayer, oaths, obedience, wealth, and the tongue.
8. List all the similes and metaphors used in James.

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

A tale of two gifts by Gary Rose

 

Christmas day, a day of giving and receiving gifts. Imagine that you received this pair of “rat slippers” for a gift – I wonder, would you even bother to keep them (or maybe re-gift them next year)? Well, it looks like someone not only kept them, but is actually using them! Yuk!

It seems to me that when a person gives another a gift, the gift in someway either reflects the nature of the giver or the receiver. So, in this case, I can only imagine what the character of the parties involved with these slippers may be like.

Question: What if God gave you a gift? Answer: He did, and was named Jesus. The Bible says…

Romans 5 ( World English Bible )

¹⁴ Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren’t like Adam’s disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come.

¹⁵ But the free gift isn’t like the trespass. For if by the trespass of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God, and the gift by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

¹⁶ The gift is not as through one who sinned: for the judgment came by one to condemnation, but the free gift came of many trespasses to justification.

¹⁷ For if by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; so much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ So then as through one trespass, all men were condemned; even so through one act of righteousness, all men were justified to life.

¹⁹ For as through the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one, many will be made righteous.

God’s gift is righteousness, through the sacrifice of Jesus. To my way of thinking, it is the greatest gift anyone could ever receive; to be accounted free from sin and inherit eternal life as the result.

Now, realistically, some people will reject God and his gift, but for them, they just as well might go right out and buy a pair of “rat slippers”. They may keep your feet warm- but, they won’t help you get into heaven!