Teachings of Jesus (Part 33) Enough Faith by Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=1925

Teachings of Jesus (Part 33) Enough Faith

Sometimes we are own worst enemy. What I mean is, because of our own doubts and fears we put off doing things or sometimes never go after or do what we dream about doing no matter how good it may be. And until we get past those doubts and fears and simply get going, nothing is going to get done and nothing is going to change in our life, no matter how much we pray about it.

But what I have come to realize from this lesson is that God has given us an amazing power, and amazing gift which we call faith.
Some of us in the church have read and some have even memorized Hebrews 11:1 which say, “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” And this is a good definition of faith, but I believe much more can be said about faith.

In Luke 17 Jesus taught His disciples that they needed to be forgiving people. Even if someone does something to hurt you seven times and comes back to you and repents and apologizes, He said that we are to forgive them. In another place I, in Matthew, He said that even if someone come backs to you 77 times we are to forgive them.
And in Luke 17:5 one of the apostles responded by asking the Lord to increase their faith. But in a roundabout way Jesus lets them know that they already had all the faith they needed.

He goes on to say, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you.”

In other words, even if they have a little faith (a tiny bit, even as small as a mustard seed) they could accomplish what may seem like an impossible task; just like telling a tree to be uprooted and plant itself in the sea.

The point is, if you and I have any amount of faith, you have all you need. But the secret or key is, we need to put aside our fears and doubts, maybe even our lazy behavior and get going. We need to tap into that faith and start doing something in line with what we believe.

Someone once said, “Faith is not about our ability to do a job, but God’s ability to do the job through us.”
When we trust God and turn the task over to Him, and then allow Him to work through us, we can do what may seem impossible, even if we only have a wee bit of faith.

This apostle who asked for more faith was asking for something he already had enough of. Jesus knew that these men had enough faith to forgive others; they had the power, they had the ability, they just need to buck up and do it.

Let me ask you this; ‘Do you believe that with God’s help you can do amazing things? Do you believe you the we can do almost anything that God would have you do thru Christ who give us strength?’

If so that’s faith… if you are only 10% sure and put it in God’s hands and allow Him to help you, if it is His will you will accomplish that task and even if everyone else tells you are a fool for trying. Here lies the power of faith.

But just saying we have faith is not how one will accomplish something great, rather it’s more about trusting God enough to step out and do something.
James wrote in 2:14, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?”

In 2:17 he wrote “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

In 2:18 he writes, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”

He goes on to write in verses 20-25. “You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?  Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.  You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?  As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

We already have the power to do utterly amazing things.

You may even have in mind what you would like to do. But unfortunately our problem is our own doubts and fears; and sometimes when we share what we want to do, others rain on our parade and discourage us. But we can do amazing things if we just trust God and get moving and do something.

In the next story in Luke 17, Jesus heals 10 men with leprosy. As He is on His way to Jerusalem 10 men saw Him and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us.”

These guys wanted to be healed, and so He tells them to go and show themselves to the priests (that is the ones who could declare them clean so that they could go home and be part of the community again).

Even before they are healed they leave Jesus to show themselves to the priests. Their faith in Jesus ability to heal them is seen by their action to move, and somewhere along the way they notice that their leprosy is gone.

I think the lesson here is that we may pray for things over and over to happen, but if we don’t at least take the first steps or start doing something God may not bless our prayers if He knows that we need to do something too.

On a side note, only one of the ten came back to thank Jesus and praise God for his healing, and he was a Samaritan, a foreigner. Even though Jesus seem glad to see this man He seemed a bit disappointed that the other 9 did not also come back and thank Him and Praise God for their healing.

But Jesus does let this one grateful man know that it was because of his faith he was healed (faith that not only led the man to ask Jesus for help but also faith that motivated the man to get up and head off to see the priest.)

Do you remember David, how he took down the Philistine champion, Goliath? He trusted in God and put faith in Him to do the work. He knew what he wanted to do and trusted that God would help him. And even though everyone else did not believe he could do it, and even tried to talk him out of it he walked up to the giant and said, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”  1 Samuel 17:45-47

There probably wasn’t a Jewish man on that battle field that had not prayed that God would somehow take care of that giant who for 40 day defied the Lord and challenged them. But here again faith coupled with willingness to get up and move, to take action is what was needed.

Do you have faith and believe in God? I know that you do. Maybe God has put something on your heart to do; maybe something special.
Maybe giving up a bad habit, or starting a business, or going back to school, or getting a new job, or starting a ministry, like visiting the elderly once a week, or teaching a class, or start sharing the Gospel message more with people you know.

We can pray about these things over and over, and drag our feet for years and still not do anything. Maybe God is just waiting for us to start taking some steps toward that goal before He’ll step in and work it out thru us.

Maybe you’ve already thought about something enough, and prayed about it enough; and maybe it is time to recognize you already have all you need to do what you want to do; especially with God’s help.

I believe that faith is a wonderful gift from God, but like any other gift it doesn’t do us any good unless we take it out and use it and learn to enjoy it.
I pray that as God prompts you to do this, that, or the other thing, you will not let your fears and doubts hinder or rob you of what you could or even should be doing.
Yea, you may get a bit anxious, and feel some fear or have doubts, but remember you are not in alone. If something is God’s will, you will also be able to do what may seem impossible, like telling a tree to uproot itself and plant itself in the sea.

The Allegory of the Vine and the Branches by Wayne Jackson

http://www.oldpaths.com/Archive/Jackson/Boyd/Wayne/1937/vineandbranches.html

The Allegory of the Vine and the Branches

The Holy Scriptures are supremely rich. The Christian who does not plumb the depth of these treasures is poorer indeed.

There is a brief context in John’s Gospel record that we would like to explore briefly, not only for the instruction and edification that it imparts on its own, but also for the opportunity of illustrating how one may reap great rewards in surveying a biblical text analytically, though we do not mean to suggest that this study exhausts all possibilities.

Near the end of his earthly ministry, the Lord Jesus, speaking to his disciples, declared: (Note: The following rendition employs more contemporary language for those not versed in ancient, agricultural vocabulary.)

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word I have spoken unto you. Remain in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it remains in the vine; so neither can you, unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches: He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit: for away from me you can do nothing. If a man does not remain in me, he is thrown away as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in me, and my words remain in you, ask whatsoever you will, and it shall be done unto you” (John 15:1-7; with supplementary instruction following).

In the following study we wish to explore these elements: the contextual background, the literary format, the characters in the illustration, some verbal forms, along with some vocabulary points of emphasis and interest.

The Background

Jesus and his disciples had concluded the meeting in the upper room in Jerusalem where they celebrated the Passover. Apparently they had just left that event, and were making their way eastward toward the garden of Gethsemane situated on the western slope of the Mt. of Olives (John 14:31b; 18:1). Undoubtedly, the disciples were exceedingly anxious (cf. 14:1), and perplexed as to what loomed ahead.

The discourse in chapters 15-17, therefore, was calculated to calm, to instruct, and to strengthen these courageous (though somewhat fragile — at least at this point) men. They needed some crucial preparation for the ordeal that would follow in the next twenty-four hours.

Literary Format

The literary format of the narrative is that of the “allegory.” An allegory is an expanded metaphor. The metaphor is a figure of speech where a comparison is made between two objects for the purpose of illustration. It constitutes a more dramatic mode of teaching than by means of a simple prosaic narrative.

The allegory draws the comparison, but without the use of common comparative terms (e.g., as, like, such like, even as, etc.). This format allows for a more potent form of expression than that of the simile. A good example, comparing these two figures, is found in Jacob’s prophecy concerning the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49). He says on the one hand that Judah “is a lion’s whelp” (v. 9a; metaphor); then again, Judah “crouched as a lion and as a lioness” (v. 9b; two similes).

In this allegory, the Savior sets forth some wonderful truths in the motif of the agricultural environment of his day. A good Bible class teacher will do some research in this area, in preparation for his/her presentation. Background details can add real “sparkle” to a class.

The Characters in the Illustration

There are four characters in the Lord’s illustration.

(1) There is the “husbandman.” This term is rather obscure in our modern culture. “Husbandman” does not signify a “husband,” but rather a tiller of the ground, a vinedresser, or, in our vernacular, a farmer. He is the one in charge of the vines and to whom ultimate accountability is to be rendered. He does everything within his power to see that the plant bears fruit. If it does not, the fault is not his.

Jesus identifies the “husbandman” as “my Father,” i.e., God, the Father. Of special notice should be the singular pronoun “my,” rather than “our.” As the Son of God, Christ entertained a very unique relationship to his heavenly Father, and that is emphasized several times in John’s Gospel (5:17-18; 20:17; cf. also Luke 2:49). The expression is a subtle affirmation of the Savior’s deity.

(2) There also is the “vine.” The vine is the source of life for the branches. It provides the water and nutrients by which the grapes are produced. Without the vine, no fruit could ever result. Branches are utterly dependent upon the vine. Without Christ, of course, there is no spiritual life or hope of eternal reward (John 14:6; Acts 4:11-12).

It is interesting that Christ designates himself as the “true” vine. The Greek term denotes that which is genuine; the word stands in contrast to that which is fictitious, counterfeit, imaginary, simulated or pretentious (Thayer, p. 27). Inasmuch as the Israelite nation was portrayed on occasion as a “vine” by the Old Testament prophets (see Isaiah 5:1-7; cf. Matthew 21:33ff), one can scarcely avoid thinking that this is a rebuke aimed at a considerable segment of the Hebrew family; the nation largely had failed in its mission, and was on the precipice of murdering its Messiah (cf. John 10:7ff).

(3) The “branches” are identified explicitly as the Lord’s “disciples” (v. 8). How anyone can possibly contend that Christ is the vine, and various denominational churches are the branches, is an unfathomable mystery; it is an example of the most irresponsible scholarship imaginable.

(4) Finally, there is that ambiguous “they,” to which reference is made in verse 6. These will be responsible for gathering the withered/pruned branches, and committing them to fire for burning. One might surmise that these individuals correspond to the “reapers” mentioned in the parable of the tares (Matthew 13:24-30), identified later as the Lord’s “angels” (v. 39). They will “gather out” of God’s kingdom those who cause others to stumble, and who themselves practice iniquity (v. 41).

Verbal Actions and Vocabulary Emphases

Grammar is very important in a book, the words of which are inspired of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Within this context, there are at least ten significant verbal actions set forth. Some have a positive emphasis; others are adverse. Let us consider the positive first, and then the negative. We will survey five actions in each category.

(1) Christ spoke of the necessity of the branches “bearing (i.e., producing) fruit.” The term is used eight times in this chapter. The present tense form indicates a sustained productivity. The unfruitful branch is considered worthless. The fruit, in the immediate context, consists of the converts one personally makes, or is instrumental in helping to bring to the Lord (see vv. 8,16; cf. Romans 7:4). Elsewhere in the New Testament, however, there is also the admonition to produce the “fruit” of Christian character (Galatians 5:22-23).

(2) There is a “cleansing” or “purging” that takes place even with reference to productive branches. The purpose in the cleansing (an allusion to trimming) is to enhance branch production. Every disciple should attempt to be wise enough to be grateful to God for whatever disciplinary procedures are necessary for the development of his service to Christ (see Hebrews 12:7ff). Just as the farmer uses the cutting knife to sever dead branches, even so he “often cuts back the living wood so far that His method seems cruel [to the spiritually dull]. Nevertheless, from those who have suffered the most there often comes the greatest fruitfulness” (Tenney, pp. 227-228).

(3) The Lord emphasized the necessity of “abiding” (i.e., remaining) joined to him. Seven times in this general context there is stressed the urgency of “remaining” with the vine (Christ). The verb meno (118 times in the NT; 67 times in John’s writings) carries the idea of sustaining a union with, continuing with, being steadfast, or enduring. The exhortation assuredly implies the possibility of not doing so!

(4) For those who abide in the Lord, there is the promise that they may “ask” God for those things necessary for their personal spiritual development and the conversion of others (v. 7). Of course many of us have insufficient faith to “ask,” hence, we do not receive (James 4:2). The Christian life is one of trust; and trusting, we petition our Father for heavenly-oriented needs.

(5) In response to unselfish requests (cf. James 4:3), there is Heaven’s pledge that “it shall be done,” i.e., God will respond to our prayers. This promise, of course, is not without limitation. The “whatsoever” of the text must be qualified by other passages that bear on the same theme. See Paul’s requests, and the Lord’s response, in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Even Jesus, when praying that “the cup” pass from him, qualified the request, “your will be done.” This is the most selfless request of all!

(6) But there are verbals of a different tone. Every branch that does not bear fruit is to be “taken away” (v. 2). In this context, the Greek word aireo signifies to “take off” that which is attached to something else — to rend or cut off (Thayer, p. 16). Practically speaking, it is the equivalent of being “severed from Christ,” the expression used by Paul to depict certain Judaizers who were corrupting the gospel (Galatians 5:4). It is utterly incredible that any scholar could suggest: “We should not regard this as proof that true believers may fall away” (Morris, p. 594). What else could have been said to make it plainer? What lengths men will go to, in order to preserve their cherished doctrines!

(7) Those who choose not to remain with Christ are to be “thrown away” (v. 6). They are trash; unfit for further use.

(8) The “cast off” state is said to be subject to “withering.” The original word suggests the idea of simply “drying up.” Interestingly, the verb is in the passive voice; the thrown-away branches “are withered” (as a result of forces exercised upon them). Could this hint of the removal of divine blessings? Or might it be the accelerated influences of the world in a spiritually impoverished environment?

(9) There is reference to the withered branches being “gathered” in preparation for final disposal. As noted earlier [see “Characters in the Illustration,” (4)], this could have to do with the work of angels at the time of the Judgment.

(10) Finally, there is the verb “burned” (v. 6). Dead branches are thrown into the “fire” where they are burned (literally, being burned — present tense). There can hardly be any doubt but that Christ is here warning about the danger of eternal punishment in the hell of fire (Matthew 13:41-42; 25:46). And, as Lenski observes, the verb “affords no support for the annihilation of the wicked — the cast off branches are burning” (p. 1038). Calvinists, of course, would emasculate this context of any reference to hell, because they do not believe that a child of God can fall from grace (cf. Beasley-Murray, p. 273).

Conclusion

In concluding this summary of John 15:1-7, one other word-combination should be stressed. Six times in this context the Lord used the expression “in me.” The term is employed of those who are in “union” with Christ. It initially referred to those “disciples” to whom he was giving instruction on that occasion; later, though, the application would be to those who have become “disciples” in a more technical sense (Matthew 28:19), and thus have entered into the “in Christ” relationship by means of obedience to the gospel (Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:26-27). These became known formally as “Christians” (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16).

Wayne Jackson

Sources/Footnotes

• Beasley-Murray, G.R. (1987), John – Word Bible Commentary (Waco: Word).
• Lenski, R.C.H. (1943), The Interpretation of St. John’s Gospel (Minneapolis: Augsburg).
• Morris, Leon (1995), The Gospel According to John — Revised (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans).
• Tenney, Merrill C. (1948), John — The Gospel of Belief (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans).
• Thayer, J.H. (1958), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Edinburgh: T.&T. Clark).
• 
  

Copyright © 2013 Christian Courier. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

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

Anxious by Gary Rose

These two pictures reminded me of a conversation I had with Ruth Justice on the way to church the Sunday before last. She had been holding onto the handle over the passenger window and I mentioned to her that it reminded me of my Grandmother (pictured at the right in the family photo). My Grandmother was the first to attempt to teach me to drive. She held onto the passenger handle for dear life and in a panic kept crying: “Manny boy, slow down, slow down!”, So I did (from 20 mph to 15). She didn’t mean to be a “back seat driver”, but she was. So, when I saw the graphic of the “back seat driver’s license” today all these memories came rushing back to me and make me laugh. Along with this I thought of my reading assignment for our upcoming Bible class on the book of Philippians and this passage came to mind…


Philippians 4 ( World  English  Bible )
4 Rejoice in the Lord always! Again I will say, “Rejoice!”  5 Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.  6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.


To paraphrase: Don’t be anxious; pray. I wish I had known this verse in the 1960’s when Grandma tried to teach me to drive; it might have made things a bit quieter.

P.S. From left to right
1. My mother, Vivian K. Rose
2. My younger brother, David D. Rose ( about 3 ½ -4 years old ? )
3. My maternal grandmother, Gladys B. Krauss
4. Me in the front ( about 5 or 6 years old )

P.S.S. Please note the commissioner's name: G M I Nervous

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN" Witnesses For Jesus Christ (5:6-10) by Mark Copeland

"THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN"

Witnesses For Jesus Christ (5:6-10)

INTRODUCTION

1. Earlier in his epistle, John stressed two important things...
   a. That Jesus Christ has come in the flesh - 1Jn 4:2
   b. That those who believe Jesus Christ has come in the flesh are "of
      God"; indeed, they have been "born of God" - 1Jn 4:2; 5:1a

2. In the text for our study (1Jn 5:6-10), John offers several 
   "witnesses" in support of these claims made about Jesus...
   a. The key word is "witness", and in various forms is found eight 
      times in our text (nine, if you count verse 8)
   b. The word in Greek  is "martureo" {mar-too-reh'-o}, and it means:
      1) "to be a witness, i.e. testify"
      2) "to give evidence for, to bear record:

[In our lesson we shall briefly list these "Witnesses For Jesus Christ"
and see how each of them has their part in providing evidence about 
Jesus.  

We begin with two witnesses, actually, who together tell us something 
about Jesus coming in the flesh...]

I. THE WITNESS OF THE WATER AND THE BLOOD (6a,8b)

   A. THE LIKELY CONTEXT OF JOHN'S WORDS...
      1. Evidently there was a doctrine that denied Jesus Christ as 
         coming in the flesh - 1Jn 4:1-3; cf. 2Jn 7
      2. A heretical movement later known as Gnosticism was developing
         at this time
      3. One representative of Gnosticism, a man named Cerinthus, taught:
         a. That the divine Christ descended upon Jesus at the time of his baptism
         b. And then left him before he died on the cross
      4. Thus the Gnostics claimed that the "Christ" did not experience death

   B. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WATER AND THE BLOOD...
      1. The "water" likely refers to Jesus' baptism, and the "blood" 
         to His death on the cross
      2. John's emphasis is that Jesus Christ came by both water and 
         blood, and not by water only - cf. 1Jn 5:6a
      3. Thus emphasizing that not only was the Christ present at the 
         baptism, but that He also suffered in the flesh on the cross

[Like the stones set up by Jacob and Laban served as a "witness" (cf. 
Gen 31:43-52), so the waters of Jesus' baptism and the blood that 
flowed from His side offer testimony concerning who Jesus Christ truly was.

But these two "witnesses" (water and blood) are not alone, they are 
joined by another...]

II. THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT (6b,8b)

   A. THE SPIRIT ALSO BEARS WITNESS...
      1. Because of His involvement in the earthly life of Jesus, the 
         Spirit can testify to...
         a. The conception of Jesus - cf. Mt 1:20
         b. The baptism of Jesus - cf. Mt 3:16
         c. The temptation of Jesus - cf. Lk 4:1
         d. The ministry of Jesus - cf. Lk 4:18
      2. According to Jesus, the Holy Spirit was to testify about Jesus
         - Jn 15:26
      3. The Holy Spirit did this by inspiring the apostles and 
         confirming their word with spiritual gifts - cf. Jn 16:13-14;
         He 2:3-4

   B. THE SPIRIT AGREES WITH THE WATER AND THE BLOOD...
      1. The Spirit, the water, and the blood, all three bear witness,
         and agree as one
      2. That is, they all testify that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh!
      3. The significance of having three witnesses agreeing may be 
         taken from the requirement found in Deut 19:15, "by the mouth
         of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established."

[At this point we might simply note that most translations omit the 
words from "in heaven" (vs. 7) through "on earth" (vs. 8).  Apparently
there is good reason for doing so, since these words are found only in
four or five manuscripts, and none dating earlier than the 14th century
A.D.  They are not found in literally thousands of manuscripts dating 
much earlier.  They are likely a gloss.

As we continue, John mentions yet another witness...]

III. THE WITNESS OF GOD (9)

   A. WHICH OUGHT TO HAVE GREAT WEIGHT WITH US...
      1. "If we receive the witness of men..."
         a. This is a simple conditional sentence that is true to fact
         b. It means "Since we receive the witness of men..." (which we
            do in courts of law, don't we?)
      2. Any witness of God would naturally be greater than that of man

   B. GOD HAS TESTIFIED OF HIS SON...
      1. Certainly God has born witness to Jesus on several occasions
         a. At His baptism - Mt 3:17
         b. At the mount of transfiguration - Mt 17:5
      2. It is probable, though, that John has reference to the witness
         of the blood, the water, and the Spirit, that together they 
         form the witness of God

[So we have three witnesses who in agreement speak for the fourth witness (God).

When a person believes the testimony given about Jesus as the Son of 
God, there is even a "fifth witness", that such faith will result in 
one being "born of God"...]

IV. THE WITNESS IN THE BELIEVER (10a)

   A. HE WHO BELIEVES IN THE SON OF GOD HAS THE WITNESS IN HIMSELF...
      1. This statement is reminiscent of Jesus' words in Jn 7:16-17
         a. Those who do the will of God (as taught by Jesus)...
         b. ...shall know that the doctrine of Christ is truly from God
      2. Likewise the one who believes in the Son, receives 
         confirmation "in himself"...
         a. About who Jesus truly is
         b. How one who believes in Him is "born of God"

   B. ADMITTEDLY, THIS IS A VERY SUBJECTIVE WITNESS...
      1. As such, one must be very careful with it
      2. Many people can easily deceive themselves into thinking that 
         some feeling is an indication that they are saved, or that God
         has confirmed something to them - cf. Pr 14:12; 16:25
      3. But if we believe (and act upon) the witness of God concerning His Son...
         a. Revealed in His Spirit-inspired Word
         b. Which agrees with the witness of the water and the blood
         ...then we will have confirmation in ourselves that Jesus is 
         truly the Son of God!
      4. One way we have confirmation is the change that takes place in
         our lives as we grow in Christ
         a. Just as our love for one another is an indication of 
            passing from death to life - cf. 1Jn 3:14
         b. Just as our unity with one another is evidence that Jesus
            was truly was sent from God - cf. Jn 17:20-23
         
CONCLUSION

1. These are the "witnesses", then, that John offers in support of Jesus Christ...
   a. That He came in the flesh
   b. That those who believe Jesus is the Christ are "born of God"

2. The first four (water, blood, Spirit, God) provide their evidence 
   whether you believe them or not; but if you will believe them, then
   you will receive the fifth (the witness in yourself)!
   
3. But suppose you do not believe the four witnesses?  John says you 
   then make God a liar! - cf. 1Jn 5:11b

Do you wish to stand before God on the day of judgment and answer why 
you believed Him to be a liar?  How much better to believe on the Son,
and through obedient faith become His child! - cf. Ga 3:26-27

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

 

Believing What Jesus Believed by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=1223

Believing What Jesus Believed

by	Kyle Butt, M.Div.

It has become increasingly popular to accept certain parts of the Bible and to reject other parts. Such amazing events as the miracle of Creation, Jonah’s being swallowed by a sea creature, and the Flood of Noah often are brushed aside as mere myth, while more “credible” things such as the teachings of Jesus are accepted as fact. Although this line of reasoning might have some initial appeal to our “enlightened” society that rejects biblical miracles off hand, it contains a major flaw. When the teachings of Jesus are analyzed, it can be shown that Jesus Himself believed and taught the Old Testament stories that some label as myth.

For instance, the story of Jonah has come under attack due to its extraordinary details. According to the Old Testament Scriptures, God’s prophet Jonah disobeyed the Lord and was swallowed by a great sea creature. For three days, he dwelt as a damp denizen of that creature’s belly, until finally he was vomited onto the land and given another chance to obey God. To certain scholars, the story of Jonah finds a place in the Scriptures, not as a factual narrative of a specific historical account, but as a myth or allegory. What did Jesus believe about the story of Jonah? His sentiments in this regard were emphatically stated.

Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, Teacher, we would see a sign from thee. But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet: for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh shall stand up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here (Matthew 12:38-41).

Quite clearly, Jesus accepted the story of Jonah as an accurate description of a real, historical event. He included not only the fact that Jonah spent three days in the belly of the fish, but also affirmed that the city of Nineveh repented at the preaching of Jonah. If the story of Jonah were simply an allegory or myth, Jesus’ entire point about being in the belly of the Earth for as long as Jonah was in the belly of the fish would be weakened to the point of ridiculousness. For, if Jonah wasn’t ever really in the belly of the fish, then what would that say about the Son of Man actually being in the belly of the Earth?

Another story endorsed by Christ is the formation of man and woman at the beginning of Creation. Some scholars, in an attempt to find a compromise between the Bible and organic evolution, have postulated that the Creation account of Genesis need not be taken literally, and that room can be found in Genesis to accommodate the idea that humans evolved gradually in Earth’s recent past. What did Jesus say about this idea?

During His earthly sojourn, Christ spoke explicitly regarding Creation. In Mark 10:6, for example, He declared: “But from the beginning of the creation, male and female made he them.” Note these three paramount truths: (1) The first couple was “made”; they were not biological accidents. Interestingly, the verb “made” in the Greek is in the aorist tense, implying point action, rather than progressive development (which would be characteristic of evolutionary activity). W.E. Vine made this very observation with reference to the composition of the human body in his comments on 1 Corinthians 12:18 (1951, p. 173). (2) The original pair was fashioned “male and female”; they were not initially an asexual “blob” that eventually experienced sexual diversion. (3) Adam and Eve existed “from the beginning of the creation.” The Greek word for “beginning” is arché, and is used of “absolute, denoting the beginning of the world and of its history, the beginning of creation.” The Greek word for “creation” is ktiseos, and denotes the “sum-total of what God has created” (Cremer, 1962, pp. 113,114,381, emp. in orig.). Christ certainly did not subscribe to the notion that the Earth is millions or billions of years older than humanity.

Accepting the testimony of Jesus Christ further demands that the global Flood of Noah be taken as a literal, historic event. The Lord Himself addressed the topic of the great Flood in Luke 17:26-30 (cf. Matthew 24:39) when He drew the following parallel:

And as it came to pass in the days of Noah, even so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They ate, they drank, they married, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise even as it came to pass in the days of Lot; they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but in the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all: after the same manner shall it be in the day that the Son of man is revealed (emp. added).

The Lord depicted an impending doom that was to befall the Jews of His day who would not heed the Word of God. For the purpose of this article, however, note the context in which Jesus discussed the Flood destruction of Genesis 6-8. He placed the Flood alongside the destruction of Sodom, and He also placed it alongside the destruction of the ungodly at His Second Coming. John Whitcomb correctly noted that the word “all” must refer to the totality of people on the entire Earth in Noah’s day, and in Sodom during Lot’s time. Jesus’ argument would be weakened considerably if some of the people on the Earth, besides Noah’s family, escaped the Flood, or if certain Sodomites survived the fiery destruction sent from Heaven (1973, pp. 21-22). It is evident from the text that Jesus affirmed that the same number of ungodly sinners who escaped the Flood will be the same number of disobedient people who escape destruction at His Second Coming—none. From His remarks, one can clearly see that Jesus accepted the Genesis account of a global flood as a historical fact.

The sayings of Jesus contain numerous references to some of the Old Testament’s most extraordinary events. A person cannot consistently maintain a belief in Jesus and His teachings, while denying the details of the accounts that He endorsed as factual. The testimony of Jesus and the factual accuracy of the stories He commended stand together.

REFERENCES

Cremer, H. (1962), Biblico-Theological Lexicon of New Testament Greek (London: T & T Clark).

Vine, W.E. (1951), First Corinthians (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan).

Whitcomb, John C. (1973), The World That Perished (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker).

Babylon the Great Has Fallen by Kyle Butt, M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=821

Babylon the Great Has Fallen

by	Kyle Butt, M.Div.

Babylon was one of the richest cities in the world during the years 740 B.C. to 680 B.C. During these “glory days,” the city prospered like it had the Midas touch; everything it touched seemed to turn to gold. It was located between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers—a strip of land so agriculturally productive that today it is known as the “fertile crescent.”

But its agriculture and well-watered plains were not the reason it was famous. Babylon gained its reputation because of its high, massive walls and its strong defensive battlements. In fact, ancient writers described walls that were 14 miles long on all four sides of the city and that reached heights of over 300 feet—taller than most building today. Not only were the walls long and high, but in some places they also were 75-feet thick. But the wall was not the only form of defense. The Euphrates River surrounded the city, making a perfect moat that ranged anywhere from 65 to 250 feet across. This wall/moat combination appeared to make the city unconquerable.

Yet in spite of the strong military and defensive strength of the city, God’s prophets foretold its destruction. In Jeremiah 50:9, the prophet declared that God would “raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country.” This prediction probably seemed unfounded at the time it was made, because none of the countries in the north came close to having enough strength to defeat Babylon. But years after the prophecy, Cyrus, king of the Medo-Persian Empire, mounted a huge force of many different nations and marched southward against Babylon.

The details of the fulfillment are amazing. Jeremiah recorded that God had declared: “I will dry up her sea and make her springs dry” (51:36). Again the prophet foretold: “A drought is against her waters, and they will be dried up. For it is a land of carved images” (50:38). Also, the prophet promised that the Lord had spoken: “I will prepare their feasts; I will make them drunk, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep and not awake” (51:39).

Now listen to the story as history unfolds. The Euphrates River ran underneath the great walls of Babylon. After a siege of two full years, Cyrus was able to divert the river to make it flow into a huge marsh on the western side of the city. By doing this, he “dried up the rivers” of Babylon and provided an easy way for his soldiers to enter under the city walls where the water used to flow. But the Babylonians inside the city had no idea what was taking place. They could have defended the city, but instead they were feasting and getting drunk. Cyrus ordered his men to act like drunken revilers, and by the time the Babylonians knew what had hit them, the city was filled with enemy troops and who ultimately conquered it.

Even though the above circumstances would be enough to prove the accuracy of the prophecy of Jeremiah (and thus the Bible), the prophet’s predictions do not stop there. Chapters 50-51 of Jeremiah’s book are filled with more futuristic condemnations of Babylon, all of which were fulfilled in the smallest detail. Truly, the words spoken by the prophet did come to pass.

Time after time, the Bible has been “dead on” when it has predicted the future. Secular records document the facts about Babylon. So what does this prove? It proves one simple thing—that God Himself inspired the words written between the covers of the Bible. And because that is the case, every human being should welcome the Bible “not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Babel: More Historical Confirmation of the Bible by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=5498

Babel: More Historical Confirmation of the Bible

by	Dave Miller, Ph.D.

The Bible possesses the attributes of divine inspiration with sufficient internal evidence to establish its divine origin. Hence, when it relates a historical incident that occurred thousands of years ago, one would naturally expect that such an incident might well be noted in other historical accounts from antiquity. Of course, one would not expect all, or even many, of the details to match exactly for at least two reasons: (1) the oral transmission of history is inevitably subject to human frailty, including both accuracy of memory and temptation to embellish, and (2) false religion has the tendency to distort and recast history in order to suit its own purposes and achieve its own agenda. An excellent example of these tendencies is seen in the multiplicity of, and variety in, the multitude of accounts of the great Flood of Noah’s day.¹ Though they differ widely from culture to culture, country to country, and century to century, nevertheless, they share substantial agreement in too many significant features not to have arisen from the same historically factual event.

Consider another great event whose historicity is set forth in Scripture as factual:

Now the whole earth had one language and one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there. Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” …So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city. Therefore its name is called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth; and from there the LORD scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth (Genesis 11:1-9).

The great Joseon (Chosun) nation was a Korean dynastic kingdom that flourished for five centuries (1392-1897).² During the 17^th century, Korea was largely closed to the West and somewhat of a mystery to Europeans. But for a group of wayfaring Dutchmen on a journey to Japan, that all changed in 1653 when their ship “De Sperwer” (The Sparrowhawk) was shipwrecked on Jeju (formerly Cheju-do) Island off the coast of South Korea. The 36 survivors were taken into custody by the local prefect and, within a year, transferred from the island to the capitol of Seoul on the mainland where they spent the next 12 years. At the end of 13 years, in September 1666, eight survivors managed to escape to Japan. One of those survivors, Hendrick Hamel, spent the ensuing year in Nagasaki writing an account of his observations and experiences in Korea, which was published in 1668 under the title Journal van de Ongeluckige Voyage van ‘t Jacht de Sperwer. In what was essentially the first Western account, Hamel provided the world with a firsthand description of Korean society and culture. Only recently was his account translated accurately by a Dutchman based on the original manuscript.³

Apart from his fascinating assessment of Korean life in the 17^th century, Hamel provides a portrait of religious life, including the customs and practices of Confucianism. At one point in his narrative, he makes a passing remark concerning the beliefs held by the Confucian monks: “Many monks believe that long ago all people spoke the same language, but when people built a tower in order to climb into heaven the whole world changed.”⁴ Keep in mind that Hamel encountered the monks’ belief circa 1660. No one knows for how long this belief was part of the religious traditions of Korea. Hamel claims that “many” of the monks believed the matter, and that the event occurred “long ago.”

Observe that the belief of the non-Christian monks regarding the Tower of Babel contained four salient points that explicitly and directly connect with the biblical account:

1. The entire world’s population spoke a single language;
2. The people constructed a tower;
3. Their stated goal was to climb into heaven;
4. Their efforts affected the entire world.

All four of these features are included in the biblical record found in Genesis 11:

1. “[T]he whole earth had one language and one speech” (vs. 1).
2. “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower” (vs. 4).
3. “a tower whose top will reach into heaven” (vs. 4, NASB).
4. “So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city” (vs. 8).

Christianity and the Bible have nothing to fear from the unbelief, skepticism, and hostility of infidelity. The more information surfaces from history and nature, the more the Bible is confirmed in its uncanny accuracy and supernatural endowment.⁵

ENDNOTES

¹  See Kyle Butt and Harrison Chastain (2015), “Noah’s Flood and The Epic of Gilgamesh,” Apologetics Press, http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=5194&topic=100; Eric Lyons and Kyle Butt (2003), “Legends of the Flood,” Apologetics Press, http://apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=9&article=64.

²  The following historical details are gleaned from Gari Ledyard (1971), The Dutch Come to Korea(Seoul, Korea: Royal Asiatic Society); Keith Pratt and Richard Rutt (2013), Korea: A Historical and Cultural Dictionary (London: Routledge).

³  Hendrik Hamel (1668), Hamel’s Journal: And, A Description of the Kingdom of Korea, 1653-1666, trans. Jean-Paul Buys (Seoul, Korea: Royal Asiatic Society, Korea Branch, 1994 edition).

⁴  Ibid., p. 61.

⁵  My thanks to Shane Fisher, missionary to Korea, for calling my attention to this  fascinating incident.