1/22/20

"Be Not Unequally Yoked" by Dave Miller, Ph.D.





"Be Not Unequally Yoked"

by Dave Miller, Ph.D.
Paul admonished the Corinthian Christians, “Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14). This statement often has been applied to the question of marriage, with the subsequent conclusion that Christians are commanded not to marry non-Christians. However, this interpretation creates several problems.
First, marriage is not under discussion in the context. Great care must be taken to avoid misapplying the principles taught in a given passage. The application of a passage must be accurate. For example, to apply the injunction “taste not” (Colossians 2:21) to eating chocolate would be a misapplication on two counts. First, it assumes that chocolate is included in the category of substances being forbidden in the context. Second, it fails to perceive the fact that “taste not” was what the opponents of Paul were enjoining. They were wrong in their making of a law that God had not made. Likewise, the prohibition of not being unequally yoked would have to be demonstrated to apply to marriage.
Second, if forming a marriage between a Christian and non-Christian is being forbidden, the only way to repent of such an action would be to sever the marriage. The only way to repent of an illicit relationship is to terminate the relationship (cf. Ezra 10:11; Mark 6:18; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Paul explicitly stated in the context to “come out from among them, and be ye separate” (2 Corinthians 6:17). But this inevitable conclusion would contradict Matthew 19:9, where Jesus stated that there is one and only one grounds for divorce, i.e., fornication—not marriage to a non-Christian.
Third, if marriage to a non-Christian is forbidden, then non-Christians sin when they marry each other. The non-Christian who marries another non-Christian is guilty of not marrying a Christian.
Fourth, if the Christian sins when he marries a non-Christian, what about that non-Christian whom the Christian marries? That non-Christian would not be sinning since he/she is marrying a Christian. Hence, the very action that is sin for one (the Christian) is righteous and proper for the other (non-Christian)!
Fifth, such an interpretation of 2 Corinthians 6:14 implies that marriage is a “Christian” institution. Yet the marriage relationship was formed by God at Creation thousands of years before Christianity was introduced onto the planet (Genesis 2:24). God’s marriage laws apply equally to all people in all periods of Bible history. No one prior to the cross of Christ married a Christian! Yet marriages contracted prior to Christianity were valid if contracted in harmony with God’s marriage laws (i.e., in accordance with Genesis 1:27, 2:24, Matthew 19:3-12, Romans 7:1-3, and 1 Corinthians 7:1-40).
All persons who choose to be married are required by God to “marry in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:39). That is, one must marry in harmony with God’s laws, even as children are to obey their parents “in the Lord” (Ephesians 6:1), i.e., compliant with parental instructions that are in harmony the will of Christ. Marriage of a Christian to a non-Christian may well be fraught with peril. It may be at times inexpedient, unwise, or extremely dangerous spiritually. However, the Bible does not teach that it is sinful.
So what does this passage mean? It means that Christians should not contract any social arrangement (e.g., business) with another that would require the Christian to violate God's law. For example, suppose you form a business partnership with a non-Christian by opening a restaurant. Afterwards, you learn that your partner intends to serve alcohol and sell cigarettes to customers. Or perhaps you find that he is cheating customers by overcharging them. Or you discover that he is not reporting profits to the IRS. In each of these cases, you as a Christian would find yourself in an "unequal yoke," i.e., a relationship that would necessarily involve you in wrong doing. What should the Christian do in such a case? "Come out from among them," i.e., sever the business partnership.

NEW KING JAMES VERSION VERSUS THE LIVING BIBLE - PARAPHRASED BY STEVE FINNELL



NEW KING JAMES VERSION VERSUS THE LIVING BIBLE - PARAPHRASED  BY STEVE FINNELL


Is it possible to read TLB-Paraphrased and still get to heaven? Is it imperative to read a word for word translation like the NKJV in order to understand the gospel plan of salvation? Let us reason together.

TLB John 3:16 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

NKJV John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Looks the same to me.

TLB 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.

NKJV Acts 2:38 The Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Equivalent meanings could not be more apparent.

TLB Romans 10:9 For if you tell others with your own mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord, and believe in your own heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

NKJV Romans 10:9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

These translations are telling the same gospel story.

TLB Mark 16:16 Those who believe and are baptized will be saved . But those who refuse to believe will be condemned.

NKJV Mark 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned.

The TLB and NKJV say the same thing, if you believe and are immersed in water you will be saved.


Men today are not lost and on their way to hell because they are reading the wrong translation of the Bible; they are lost because the reject the clear meaning of the gospel terms of pardon in the translation of their choice.

The gospel plan of salvation is simple. FAITH, REPENTANCE, CONFESSION AND IMMERSION IN WATER (BAPTISM). 

A Soft Answer by B. Johnson



A Soft Answer

“A soft answer turneth away wrath:but grievous words stir up anger” (Pro 15:1).

A soft answer is not necessarily a weak answer. “By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone” (Pro 25:15).
The soft answer seeks to cover transgression in order to seek love. “He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends” (Pro 17:9).
We should not love strife. “He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction” (Pro 17:19).
We should always be seeking peace, not trouble. “It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling” (Pro 20:3).
King David was a man after God’s own heart - a man who was able to fight but longed for peace. “My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace. I am for peace: but when I speak, they are for war” (Ps 120:6-7).
There are times when there can be no peace - especially with false teachers. “To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you” (Gal 2:5).
It is always necessary to contend for the faith of God. “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).
However, as much as possible, we should live at peace with every man and remember that the fear of the Lord (Ps 34:11) is always to seek peace with God. “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it” (Ps 34:14).
Beth Johnson
The Scripture quotations in this article are from
The King James Version.

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

Just one mistake by Gary Rose




And I thought: This is the reason why I am glad that Christians are under the system of grace and not under one of law.(Rom.6:14) One mistake under law and you are guilty and deserve punishment. (Gal. 3:10) As human beings we are prone to err, so we are guilty of disobeying God from time to time. Hopefully, we do not make a habit of doing this, for this would be very dangerous to our eternal destiny. I love how the apostle John puts it in his first epistle:



1 John 1 ( English Majority Text Version )
 [5] And this is the message which we have heard from Him and we announce to you, that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all.
  [6] If we claim to have fellowship with Him, and we are walking in the darkness, we are lying, and are not practicing the truth.
  [7] But if we are walking in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
  [8] If we claim that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
  [9] If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
  [10] If we claim that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. 


When we sin, we must realize that we have sinned and confess this before God. It is often a difficult thing to do, but it must be done. Verse nine (above) begins with a little word – if. This conditional article is so important, for without acknowledgement of our errant thoughts or actions, how can we be forgiven? As I say these words, I think of the most spiritual people I have ever known; they have one thing in common- purity, for they would often say or do things that would reveal they were thinking about pleasing God. Paul comes to mind as the foremost of these; he said to Timothy in his first letter:   [15] Faithful is this word, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. (1 Tim 1:15 EMTV). If Paul, who penned 13 books of the New Testament could say something like this, perhaps it would be advisable for us to take a closer look at our own lives?

Yes, we all make mistakes; some quite small and others, well, a bit too obvious. The world will find fault at just one mistake, but a Christian’s worry is not so much as to what the world thinks, but rather- what will God think about my behavior? Lord, help us all do a special spiritual inventory of our lives and confess our sins; I promise – Jesus is listening!

1/20/20

"THE BOOK OF DANIEL" The Vision Of The Ram And The Goat (8:1-27) by Mark Copeland


"THE BOOK OF DANIEL"

The Vision Of The Ram And The Goat (8:1-27)

INTRODUCTION

1. In previous chapters we've seen visions describing four kingdoms...
   a. The vision of Nebuchadnezzar - Dan 2
   b. The vision of Daniel - Dan 7
   -- These kingdoms were the Babylonian, the Medo-Persian, the Greek,
      the Roman

2. In Dan 8, Daniel relates another vision...
   a. Commonly called "The Vision Of The Ram And The Goat"
   b. In which two kingdoms are described

[As we shall see, the two kingdoms as the same as two of the four
kingdoms in earlier visions.  But just as the vision in Dan 7 related
more information about the fourth kingdom, so now the vision in Dan 8
provides information about the second and third kingdoms...]

I. THE VISION DESCRIBED (1-14)

   A. DATE OF THE VISION...
      1. Received by Daniel in the third year of Belshazzar king of Babylon 
         - Dan 8:1
      2. This would be about 552 B.C., two years later than the vision in Dan 7

   B. DETAILS OF THE VISION...
      1. In the vision, Daniel saw himself in Shushan (Susa) - Dan 8:2
         a. In the province of Elam (western Persia, modern day Iran)
         b. The winter capital of the Persian kings
         c. He was by the river Ulai
      2. He saw a two-horned ram - Dan 8:3-4
         a. Standing beside the river
         b. The horns were high, with one higher than the other which came 
              up last
         c. The ram was pushing westward, northward, and southward
            1) No beast could withstand him
            2) None could deliver from his hand
            3) He did according to his will and became great
      3. He saw a one-horned male goat - Dan 8:5
         a. Coming suddenly from the west
         b. Across the surface of the whole earth, not touching the ground
         c. With a notable horn between his eyes
      4. He saw the goat defeat the ram - Dan 8:6-7
         a. With furious power the goat attacked the ram and broke his  two horns
         b. The ram was unable to withstand the goat, and was trampled
      5. The goat become great, but when he became strong... - Dan 8:8
         a. The large horn was broken
         b. In its place four notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven
      6. He saw a little horn come out of the four with great power - Dan 8:9-12
         a. Which grew exceedingly great
            1) Toward the south and east
            2) Toward the Glorious Land
         b. Which grew up to the host of heaven
            1) Casting down and trampling to the ground some of the host
            2) Exalting himself as high as the Prince of host
         c. By this powerful horn...
            1) The daily sacrifices were taken away
            2) The place of His (God's) sanctuary was cast down
            3) An army was given him to oppose the daily sacrifices
               (because of transgression)
            -- He did all this and prospered
      7. Daniel then heard a conversation between two holy ones - Dan 8:13-14
         a. One asking:  "How long will the vision be, concerning..."
            1) "...the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation..."
            2) "...the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be
               trampled under foot?"
         b. The reply given to Daniel:
            1) "For two thousand three hundred days"
            2) "Then the sanctuary shall be cleansed"

[With the details before us, we are now ready to consider the
explanation provided Daniel...]

II. THE VISION INTERPRETED

   A. GABRIEL ASSIGNED TO EXPLAIN THE VISION...
      1. Daniel was seeking to understand the meaning - Dan 8:15-16
         a. When there stood before him one having the appearance of a man
         b. When a man's voice from the banks of the Ulai charged
            Gabriel to make Daniel understand the vision
      2. Gabriel speaks to Daniel - Dan 8:17-19
         a. He approaches Daniel
            1) Prompting Daniel to fall on his face in fear
            2) Telling him that "the vision refers to the time of the end"
         b. He stands Daniel on his feet
            1) For Daniel had fallen into a deep sleep with his face to the ground
            2) To tell him "what shall happen in the latter time of the
               indignation; for at the appointed time the end shall be"

   B. GABRIEL EXPLAINS THE VISION...
      1. The two-horned ram - Dan 8:20
         a. Depicts the kings of Media and Persia
         b. The larger horn may represent Persia's greater influence - Dan 8:3
         c. The expansion of the Medo-Persian empire illustrated by the
            ram pushing westward, northward, and southward - Dan 8:4
      2. The one-horned male goat - Dan 8:21
         a. Depicts the kingdom of Greece; note that it came from the
            west - Dan 8:5
         b. The large horn representing it's first king (Alexander the Great)
         c. The speed of the goat aptly reflects Alexander's conquests - Dan 8:5
         d. Alexander defeated the Persians in three decisive battles - Dan 8:6-7
            1) At Granicus (334 B.C.)
            2) At Issus (333 B.C.)
            3) At Gaugamela (331 B.C.)
      3. The broken horn and four horns that arose in its place - Dan 8:22
         a. Alexander died at 33 years of age 
         b. His empire was divided between his four generals - Dan 8:8
            1) Ptolemy (Egypt)
            2) Seleucus I (Syria)
            3) Cassander (Macedonia and Greece)
            4) Lysimachus (Thrace and Asia Minor) 
      4. The little horn that became exceedingly great - Dan 8:23-25
         a. Some time later a king shall arise
            1) When transgressors have reached their fullness (when
               Israel has fallen back into sin)
            2) With mighty power, but not by his own
            3) Who shall destroy fearfully, prosper and thrive
            4) Who shall destroy the mighty and also the holy people
            5) Through cunning he shall cause deceit to prosper
            6) He shall magnify himself, and destroy many in their prosperity
            7) He shall even rise against the Prince of princes (i.e., God Himself)
            8) But he shall be broken without human hand (God shall destroy him)
         b. This is most likely Antiochus Epiphanes, ruler of Syria (175-163 B.C.)
            1) Who imposed Greek culture and deities upon his subjects
            2) Who when he conquered Jerusalem:
               a) Set up an image in the temple
               b) Offered swine flesh upon the altar
               c) Encouraged Greek soldiers to commit fornication in the temple
               d) Forbade circumcision, keeping the Sabbath, possessing
                  a copy of the Scriptures (Harkrider)
      5. The vision of the evenings and mornings - Dan 8:26
         a. The number of days the sacrifices will cease, and the temple desolated
         b. Maybe a literal period (a little over six years)
            corresponding to the actual period of time the abomination
            by Antiochus Epiphanes occurred (171-165 B.C.)
         c. Daniel instructed to seal up the vision
            1) For it was to occur "many days in the future"
            2) I.e., almost four hundred years later

   C. EFFECT ON DANIEL...
      1. He fainted and was sick for days - Dan 8:27
      2. Though he afterward arose and went about the king's business,
         he was astonished by the vision (but no one understood it) - Dan 8:27

CONCLUSION

1. This vision is probably the easiest to understand of the four
   visions that Daniel saw...
   a. The identity of the ram and goat are clearly given
   b. History confirms what is described in this vision
      1) The conflict between Medo-Persia and Greece
      2) The division of the Grecian empire following Alexander's death
      3) The rise of Antiochus Epiphanes and his desecration of the
         temple in Jerusalem

2. The purpose of the vision was to prepare the people of Daniel for
   what was to come...
   a. In "the time of the end"
   b. In "the latter time of the indignation"
   -- I.e., the persecution that would come upon Israel toward the end
      of the OT period, during the inter-testamental period (Young)

The remarkable accuracy of this vision has led some to date the book of
Daniel after the events of Antiochus Epiphanes.  But its accuracy poses
no problem for those who accept the inspiration of the Scriptures, and
should remind us of God's power to fulfill His Word:

   "Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there
   is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me,

   "Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times
   things that are not yet done, Saying, `My counsel shall stand,
   And I will do all My pleasure,'

   "Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man who executes My
   counsel, from a far country. Indeed I have spoken it; I will
   also bring it to pass. I have purposed it; I will also do it."

                                             - Isa 46:9-11

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2016

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Why Seven Days? by Kyle Butt, M.Div.



Why Seven Days?

by Kyle Butt, M.Div.
Have you ever wondered why, all over the world, in civilization after civilization, we find people scheduling their lives based on a seven-day week? The origins of other units of time are easy to understand. For instance, a year is the amount of time it takes for the Earth to orbit the Sun. A day is the amount of time it takes for the Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis. A month is the approximate time between new moons. And seasons are determined based on an equinox or solstice. But no celestial, lunar, or planetary movement or system accounts for our seven-day week.
A brief look back into history shows that the seven-day week has prevailed as the paramount routine for humanity in general as far back as historical records can go. Although some societies and cultures did use weeks other than the seven-day week, it still has stubbornly maintained its preeminence. Today, the seven-day week is universally accepted, even though the French attempted a ten-day week during the French Revolution in 1791, and the Soviet Union, as late as the early 1900s, attempted a five-day week—to no avail.
Where did the seven-day week originate? The most plausible explanation comes from the book of Genesis. The first chapter of Genesis explains that God created the entire Universe is six, literal twenty-four hour days. The beginning of chapter two states, “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done” (2:2).
Exodus 20:8-11 gives an explanation as to why God framed His creative activity according to a seven-day week. This passage teaches us that God worked six days and rested the seventh day in order to provide a pattern for the Jewish workweek. Because God worked six days and rested on the seventh day, the Jews were instructed to do the same.
In truth, an all-powerful God could have created the Universe in seven seconds, seven years, seven decades, or seven million years. God’s week of seven days, however, was given purposefully to man as a pattern to follow. This pattern has prevailed for several thousand years. The Sun, Moon, and stars were given “for signs and seasons, and for days and years” (Genesis 1:14), but not for the week. The week was instituted specifically by God, based on His creative activity. The seven-day week is yet another testimony to the truthfulness and accuracy of the Genesis account of Creation.


Why Didn't Adam Die Immediately? by Eric Lyons, M.Min.





Why Didn't Adam Die Immediately?

by Eric Lyons, M.Min.
In the Garden of Eden, the Lord delivered a single, solemn prohibition to man. God commanded Adam saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:16-17, emp. added). The tree of the knowledge of good and evil that stood in the midst of the Garden was off limits to Adam and Eve. God prophesied that disobedience on their part would bring death “in the day” it was eaten. However, the Genesis text does not reveal an instantaneous physical death on the part of the first sinners. Adam lived a total of 930 years (Genesis 5:5), and the text indicates that most of those occurred after the transgression in the Garden of Eden (see Thompson, 2002, pp. 44-46). Is such consistent with Genesis 2:16-17? Was God mistaken in saying, “in the day that you eat of it [the fruit—EL] you shall surely die”? Why is it that Adam did not drop dead the very day he ate the forbidden fruit?
For Genesis 2:17 to represent a legitimate contradiction, one first would have to assume that the phrase “in the day…you shall surely die” must refer to an immediate death occurring on the very day a certain transgression has taken place. The available evidence shows, however, that the Hebrew idiom bªyôm (“in the day”) means the certainty of death, and not the immediacy of it. For example, King Solomon once warned a subversive Shimei: “For it shall be, on the day (bªyôm) you go out and cross the Brook Kidron, know for certain you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head” (1 Kings 2:37, emp. added). As the next few verses indicate, Shimei could not have been executed on the exact day he crossed the Brook Kidron. Solomon did not call for him until after Shimei had saddled his donkey, went to king Achish at Gath, sought and retrieved his slaves, and returned home (approximately a 50-60 mile round trip). It is logical to conclude that this would have taken more than just one day (especially considering a donkey’s average journey was only about 20 miles a day—Cansdale, 1996, p. 38). It was only after Shimei’s return from Gath that King Solomon reminded him of his promise saying, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord, and warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and travel anywhere, you shall surely die?’ ” (1 Kings 2:42, emp. added). Solomon understood that even though he executed Shimei sometime after the day he crossed Brook Kidron, it still was proper to refer to it as occurring “on the day.” As Hebrew scholar Victor Hamilton noted, this phrase (in Genesis 2:17, 1 Kings 2:37,42, and Exodus 10:28ff.) “is underscoring the certainty of death, not its chronology” (1990, p. 172). Thus, it is logical to conclude that when God said, “in the day…you shall surely die,” He did not mean Adam would die on the exact day of his transgression, but that his death would be certain if he ate of the forbidden fruit.
A second problem with the skeptic’s assertion that Genesis 2:17 contradicts 5:5 is that it assumes the “death” mentioned in 2:17 is a physical death. The Bible, however, describes three different kinds of “deaths”: (1) a physical death which ends our life on earth (Genesis 35:18); (2) a spiritual death which is separation from God (Isaiah 59:1-2; Ephesians 2:1); and (3) an eternal death in hell (Revelation 21:8). The fact is, one cannot know for sure which death is indicated by the phrase, “for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die.” Realizing that Adam sinned against the Almighty in the Garden and became “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1; cf. 1 Timothy 5:6), it is possible that the death spoken of in Genesis 2:17 is a spiritual death. If this is the case, the reason Adam did not physically drop dead on the very day of his transgression was because God’s prophecy was referring to a spiritual death, not a physical one.
When Adam chose to follow his own desires instead of God’s will, he cut himself off from God. Without a doubt, man perished spiritually on that day. But, equally certain is the fact that God’s punishment for that sin was a physical death—a death that would occur centuries later. Exactly which death God meant in his prophecy is uncertain. (Perhaps He was referring to both.) Whichever is the case, we can be sure that no contradiction exists.

REFERENCES

Cansdale, G.S. (1996), “Animals of the Bible,” New Bible Dictionary, ed. J.D. Douglas (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press), third edition.
Hamilton, Victor, (1990), The Book of Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans).
Thompson, Bert (2002), “Questions and Answers—A Matter of Time,” Reason & Revelation, 22:41-48, June.
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