Tag: christianity

1 TIMOTHY 3: ELDERS; Rebuking elders

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Let’s look at the office of elders in the church. First, a little word study. 1 Timothy 3:1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. The Greek for overseer is episkopé: Oversight, visitation, office of a bishop. It is the word that the Episcopalian church used to describe their “bishops”. The Episcopal Church is structured around bishops, who oversee geographic areas called dioceses. Bishops are considered the primary shepherds of the church, and their authority is equal to that of the Apostles. An overseer here is obviously the same as an elder in Titus 1 and 1 Peter 5:1 but a different Greek word is used there. Titus 1:5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you. 1 Peter 5:1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder …” Both times the Greek word is presbuteros: elder, older, presbyter (emphasis on an older man). The Presbyterian Church has presbyters. The word “Presbyterian” comes from the Greek word πρεσβύτερος (presbyteros), meaning “elder.” Accordingly, Presbyterian church government is elder-ruled church government, as we see clearly taught in the New Testament. BTW 1 Timothy 5:17 17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. The word for elders here is presbuteros, so that shows that the overseers in 1 Timothy 3:1 are the same as elders. Then in Titus 1:7 7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain.” The word for overseer is episkopos which is the same office as presbuteros translated elder in Titus 1:5. So they are the same office.

There is a 3rd word for elders. (AI) “The Greek word for pastor is poimēn (poy-MAYN). It appears in the New Testament 18 times, but is translated as “shepherd” in every instance except Ephesians 4:11, where it is translated as “pastor”. Poimēn is a noun that means “one who shepherds” or “one who serves as guardian or leader”. The verb form of the word is poimaino, which means “to tend a flock as a shepherd”. In the Bible, the terms “pastor,” “bishop,” and “elder” are used interchangeably to refer to the same office. Ephesians 4:11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds (or some translations “pastors”) and teachers. The work of elders is to shepherd the flock. 1 Peter 5:2 shepherd (poimanate) the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight (episkopountes), not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. Again, that equates the elders (presbuteros) of 1 Peter 5:1 with the overseers (episkopos) of 1 Peter 5:3 as being the same office. Acts 20 combines all 3 words. Paul has called the elders from the church at Ephesus to come meet him at Miletus. Acts 20:17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders (presbuteros) of the church to come to him. 18 And when they came to him, he said to them… 28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers (episkopos), to shepherd (poimainein)the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. So elders (presbuteros), overseers (episkopos), and pastors or shepherds (poimen) all refer to the same office although some churches have separated them. Some churches call the preachers “pastors” but unless they are qualified elders, that is not the Biblical use of the word.

The early church met in house churches. The structure was simple. Each church hopefully had some qualified men as elders and some lesser qualified men as deacons. Philippians 1:Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons. That was it. There might have been some elders who shepherded all the house churches in a given city. Paul told Titus in Titus 1:5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you” but that could mean elders in every house church in every city and not elders over all the house churches in every city. I do think that it is God’s plan for every house church to have elders and deacons. I don’t think it was God’s plan to have paid preachers, church groups owning property and buildings, etc. After all, nowadays churches have “trustees” and are incorporated. Where is that in the New Testament? Do the trustees make major decisions? Technically they probably due based on the church’s “charter”.

“During the 2nd century, the Christian church leadership transitioned from a system of multiple elders to a more centralized structure with a single bishop at the head of each congregation, assisted by a group of presbyters (elders) and deacons, marking a significant shift towards a more formal “episcopal” style of leadership; this development is particularly evident in writings from figures like Ignatius of Antioch.” This is not the scriptural organization of church leadership. “Kruger then points to evidence from the Didache, 1 Clement, and the Shepherd of Hermas  to show that during the first century a plurality of elders leading a local church was the most common pattern.” (The Simple Pastor) It evolved after the 2nd century to eventually be the Catholic church organization: (AI) The Catholic Church has a hierarchical structure with several levels of leadership: Pope: The head of the Catholic Church and God’s representative on Earth. Cardinals: A group of close advisors to the Pope who usually choose the next Pope when the current one dies or resigns. Archbishops and bishops: Oversee multiple churches in a region. Priests: In charge of individual churches. Deacons: Assist with practical works of charity and have a more limited liturgical role. This is not the scriptural pattern of church organization either.  

That’s a lot, but important info on elders. Now let’s look at the qualifications of elders. The first elders had miraculous gifts. Ephesians 4:11 11 And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers.” These are 5 miraculously gifted leadership positions in the early church. Paul established churches in Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe on his first missionary journey, and immediately backtracked through those cities appointing elders. Acts 14:23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” They did not have the New Testament. 1 Timothy 3:6 says the elders could not be a “new convert” but these new elders were new converts. The only way they could shepherd the church and protect it against false teachers was to have those miraculous gifs. James 5 is probably talking about some of those miraculously gifted elders who could heal people. James 5:14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer of faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.By the time Paul wrote 1 Timothy, the church would have access to almost all of the New Testament books so the need for miraculously gifted elders would have diminished.

The qualifications: 1 Timothy 3:1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, skillful in teaching, 3 not overindulging in wine, not a bully, but gentle, not contentious, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into condemnation incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into [f]disgrace and the snare of the devil.”

Titus 1 has these qualifications: 5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, 6 namely, if any man is beyond reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of indecent behavior or rebellion. 7 For the overseer must be beyond reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not overindulging in wine, not a bully, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, loving what is good, self-controlled, righteous, holy, disciplined, 9 holding firmly the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict it.

I think most of these are self explanatory. All Christian men should have most of these. The ones that are unique to elders: 1) Husband of one wife. 2) Skillful in teaching. 3) Believing children. 4) Not a new convert. 5) Manages his own household well keeping his children under control (to prove that he can manage the household of God). 6) Able to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict it. This last one is very important if the elders are to fulfill what Paul asked elders to do in Titus 1:9 and Acts 20:28 Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you [u]overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them.”

It might be surprising to some that elders could drink wine, just not be addicted to or overindulge in wine. Several questions might arise. What if a man is divorced and remarries? He is the husband of one wife, but is he stll quallified? What if his wife dies? Do all of his children have to be “believing”? Does that mean baptized believing children? If a man becomes an elder but one or more of his believing children leave the faith after he becomes an elder, should he resign? What if there are two elders in a church and one dies or resigns: should the remaining elder resign?

The main work of elders is to “shepherd” (poimen) the flock. Ezekiel has a scathing rebuke against the elders of Israel: Ezekiel 34:34 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘This is what the Lord [b]God says: “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should the shepherds not feed the flock? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep [e]without feeding the flock. 4 Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you searched for the lost; but with force and with violence you have dominated them. 5 They scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every animal of the field and scattered. 6 My flock strayed through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search or seek for them.”’” The work of the elders of Israel was to shepherd. To make sure the flock is fed well. To strengthen the sickly. To heal the diseased. To bind up the broken. To search for and bring back the lost sheep. They had not done these things. They “dominated” the sheep: the Hebrew is “with force (chozqah: Strength, power, might) you have ruled (radah: To rule, to have dominion, to subdue)”. Peter talks about that in 1 Peter 5:2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not with greed but with eagerness; 3 nor yet as domineering (katakurieuó: to exercise dominion over: also translated “not lording it over”) over those assigned to your care, but by proving to be examples to the flock.” Elders are not to act like dictators over the flock. They must not be carried away with power over the flock. Instead they should be “examples”: the Greek word is tupos: the mark (of a blow), an impression, stamp (made by a die). They should be such good examples of what a Christian should be that the sheep want to be an exact imprint just like them.

Too often men are appointed as elders in a church just b/c they are important in their worldly occupations. The eldership becomes a “board of directors” whose main job is to “control” the flock. They push their opinions on the flock and shut out those who disagree. They don’t personally shepherd the sheep. They become the business managers of the church instead of shepherds. They spend more time in elders’ meetings than they do in shepherding. Lynn Anderson wrote the best book I have ever read of elders: They Smell Like Sheep. He told of a man who resigned from a “board of directors” eldership so he could actually shepherd the flock. He told of changing such an eldership from a “board of directors” model to a shepherding model. He told of a church having just a few elders even though there were many more men qualified to be shepherds, men who in some way were. shepherding at least a few of the sheep. That church went from 5 elders to 25 elders. They turned the business of the church over to deacons and trustees so that they could spend their time shepherding. They met rarely, and when they did, it wasn’t a business meeting: instead it was a prayer meeting and discussion of how to shepherd the flock better. I know of a church of 1,000 memers with 7 elders. That church no doubt had 30 or 40 men who were not elders but were just as qualified to be elders as those 7 elders. When that church added any elders, it was always adding 2 or 3 that totally agreed with the way the elders were doing business. I asked one of those 7 elders, “why don’t you appoint all those 30 or 40 qualified men as elders”? He said, “we might lose control if we did that”. 7 elders can control a flock as a board of directors but they can’t effectively shepherd the flock. 30 or 40 elders could divided the flock of 1,000 into small groups and actually effectively shepherd each group they are assigned to with small house church type groups. Each shepherd could have a small group that he could actually know the physical and spiritual needs of that group and shepherd that group. I know of a church that had several men who were not elders but were continually shepherding sheep in the flock, taking care of members. But those men, though fully qualified, would not allow the flock to make appoint them as elders. They saw the elders as a board of directors whose job was to make decisions for the flock and control the flock and they didn’t want that responsibility to be that type of an elder. So that church has 3 elders when they could have 15 elders.

Another important point is “how long should elders be appointed for”? Is it like a supreme court justice: appointed for life? The church I was raised in had no procedure to assess whether elders were doing a good job or not. The church voted them in as elders, but had no way of voting them out if need be. Some churches therefore have a “reup” each year or some time interval where they vote to reaffirm the current elders, which sounds like a good idea. Elders must have the confidence of the flock if they are to shepherd well.

That brings us to 1 Timothy 5: 17 The elders who lead well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.” 19 Do not accept an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. 20 Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning. 21 I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels, to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality. 22 Do not lay hands upon anyone too quickly and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.” “Double honor” would be the honor of serving as an elder but also getting some monetary help if need be. An elder might need supplemental income from the flock if he is devoting so much time to both shepherding and preaching. But where would they “preach” in addition to shepherding? In the New Testament, the word “preach” comes from the Greek word kerusso, which means to proclaim, to declare, to announce, or to herald a message. It was the message proclaimed by the kerux, who was the official spokesman or herald of a king.Used to describe the act of proclaiming the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.” It would not be the word used of an elder shepherding his house flock, although he might preach the gospel basics if a non Christian is visiting the group gathering. Apparently some elders would go to surrounding locations and actually preach the core gospel message to those who were not Christians. That might take time from their trade and incoome to support their family. The paid preacher system is not Biblical, but paying shepherds in some cases (rare) actually is. Most elders have full time jobs and don’t need any financial help from the flock.

Paul cautions about receiving an accusation against an elder unless there are 2 or.3 witnesses to some specific sin of an elder. It is easy for some sheep to sit back and overly criticize the elders. On the other hand, elders could and should be rebuked publicly if necessary. Remember, however, that Timothy was inspired by the Holy Spirit and would have miraculous guidance from the Spirit in rebuking an elder. An uninspired person might try to rebuke an elder in some kind of a power struggle. If, after a correctly done rebuking of an elder, he continues to sin, then he should be forced to resign. There should be no partiality in dealing with elders. If an elder sins, he should be rebuked whether we like the man or not. He should not be given any preferential treatment.

We do not have miraculously gifted elders as they did in the very early church (AD 30-70). Elders must realize that when making decisions. They must refute heresy, but they must be careful in what they deem to be “heresy”. I know of a church that forced an elder out b/c they said he was teaching heresy, but what he was teaching was not “heaven or hell” doctrine. Very few doctrines are “heaven or hell” essential doctrines. Elders must be careful not to force their opinions on non-essential on the flock. Elders must be very wise. I know a church where the elders made a very unwise decision that caused the church to split unecessaily. There was a way that the elders could have kept the flock together in love but they chose not to do that. They were more interested in controlling the flock.

I hope this is a beneficial study of elders.


1 TIMOTHY 2:8-10: How should godly women dress? What is “modest” dress? What about wearing jewelry?

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Instructions for Believers 2:8-15

1 Timothy 2:8 Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger and dispute. 9 Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or expensive apparel, 10 but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. 11 A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. 12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. 13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. 14 And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a wrongdoer. 15 But women will be preserved through childbirth—if they continue in faith, love, and sanctity, with moderation.”

I decided to make this a separate blog article b/c of the current discussions about the role of women in the church today. I believe that these instructions in these verses refer to the role of the men leaders when the church gathers, which was in house churches. As Guzik says: “Makes it clear Paul assumed men would take the lead at meetings of the congregation. Since the lifting up of hands was a common posture of prayer in ancient cultures, this text speaks of men leading public prayer — men representing the congregation before God’s throne.” Prayers without anger (having no vindictive feeling against any person; harboring no unforgiving spirit) or disputes (dialogismos: Reasoning, thought, argument, debate, doubt). Regardless of one’s views on the role of women in the church, surely we can agree that God wants male leadership in the church. Often women have to step up to leadership roles just b/c the men are not leading like they should. Deborah became the only woman judge b/c no men would step up. Barak reluctantly agreed to help her figt the Midianites, but Deborah said the glory of victory would be given to a women, and not to him. That was fulfilled when the woman Jael drove a tent peg through the temple of the Midianite commander Sisera as he slept in her tent.

So what about the role of women in the church? Paul says that topic really starts with the way they dress. First of all, I don’t think these verses apply to the role of women in society. He is not talking about women principals in schools, women elected to public offices, etc. Notice the most important thing he tells the women church members about their role is the way they dress before he even discusses them being silent. Sometimes the way Christian women dress speaks more loudly than what they say verbally. 1 Timothy 2:9 Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or expensive apparel, 10 but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. It is their dress: modestly (aidós: Modesty, reverence, shame, respect, i.e. dressing in a way that would honor God) and discreetly (kosmios: Orderly, respectable, well-behaved: For early Christians, adopting a “kosmios” lifestyle was a way to distinguish themselves from the surrounding pagan culture and to bear witness to the transformative power of the Gospel.) We tend to think of “modest dress” as length of skirts, but here it seems to refer more to not dressing lavishly in vanity. Of course, a woman honoring God would not wear short skirts or tops that reveal too much, but skirt lengths standards do vary. (AI) “Pilgrim women were expected to dress modestly, which meant their clothing covered their ankles completely, as showing any part of the leg was considered inappropriate according to the societal norms of the time.” Is that still modest dress today? Is a skirt length just below the knee modest today? Most would say so. So each Christian woman must decide on how she will dress. Will she dress in the latest style with dresses way above the knee? She must decide if that is still honoring God? What about length of shorts? Which brings up another issue. Moms and dads, how will you allow your daughters to dress? Will you allow them to wear really short shorts? As a teacher, we have a dress code during school hours. But away from those school hours, you see good Christian girls wearing really short shorts. Is that honoring God? Have their parents talked about that with them? Have their parents set limits?

 
Not with braided hair, gold, pearls, or expensive apparel. Is this a command that all Christian women should obey? No pearls or gold jewelry? No expensive dresses? No $100/month to go to beauty parlor for your hair? No hours of doing makeup? The Church of God was known for taking these commands literally. Of course, the rest of us say we can pick and choose which commands are for us today, and which can be interpreted in some other way that the obvious. For example, Jesus commanded his disciples to wash one another’s feet in John 13:14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.” Most of us say that can be fulfilled by just serving one another. So the commands for women here: can we just interpret that to mean “don’t overdress with expensive jewelry and clothes; don’t be known for your outward dress”? Maybe. Instead, ladies be known by your good works (helping the poor, taking care of the sick and elderly, raising children for the Lord, being a godly submissive wife). That is what you would expect from women living for God and not for the vanity of this life. Peter says about the same thing. 1 Peter 3:Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they see your respectful and pure conduct. 3 Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— 4 but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. 5 For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening.” Peter focuses on the gentle and quiet spirit of a submissive godly wife, with Sarah as the chief example. He says that is the way you can convert an unbelieving husband to the Lord.

I know styles change. But ladies, don’t let the world dictate how you dress. You might not appear as attractively, worldly speaking, if you dress like an Almish woman. (AI) “mish women typically wear solid-color dresses with long sleeves and a full skirt, covered with a cape on the bodice. Some less conservative groups allow the women to wear short sleeved dresses but never sleeveless. Clothing is fastened with straight pins or snaps, stockings are black cotton and shoes are also black.” But maybe the Almish are wiser than we are (in some ways). It is a real challenge for Christian women to mix in with modern society and fashion and yet dress “modestly and discreetly”. But it gets back to “why” you dress like you do? To honor God or to be fashionable even if it draws more attention to your body that God would want? Even if it looks like your main concern is dressing lavishly with jewelry and clothes or with good works? A woman going to do the dirty work of helping a poor, elderly person would probably dress pretty modestly and simple.

Maybe the church of God had it right. No jewelry allowed. Many women have thousands of dollars in jewelry in very nice jewelry boxes. Is that a sin? I don’t think so. But it might say a lot about what a woman values. Or how many pairs of shoes can a woman need? Or how many purses can a woman need? Ok, now I am meddling and getting in trouble with women readers! But it is something to think about. We won’t talk about how many shoes a man should have or how many big boy toys he should buy to play with or how much he should spend on watching his favorite college football team! We’ll save that for another time!

I know I have given a lot of opinion in this article. You can decide on how valid my opinions are. There is a lot of talk about men being “misogynists” today. I hope I am not one of those, just trying to keep women in outdated submissive roles. I hope I am just teaching the roles for women as God laid out in scripture.

Thanks for reading.



1 TIMOTHY 2:11-15: Women’s silent in the church?Women elders and preachers?

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Continuing the study of 1 Timothy 2:8-15, let’s get to the controversial part. 11 A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. 12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. 13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. 14 And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a wrongdoer. 15 But women will be preserved through childbirth—if they continue in faith, love, and sanctity, with moderation.” The word “quietly” in 2:11 and “quiet” in 2:12 is hésuchia: Quietness, silence, tranquility. In the New Testament, “hésuchia” refers to a state of quietness or tranquility, often in the context of demeanor or lifestyle. It implies a peaceful and calm disposition, free from disturbance or agitation. This term is used to describe both an external quietness and an internal peace of mind.” I don’t think it means absolute silence at all times, although silence could be included at times. A submissive women in marriage or in the church will have a peaceful, calm demeanor and not be aggressively speaking out or challenging their husbands or the men in the church leadership. She cannot “teach or exercise authority over the man”. All this does not mean that the women could not speak in church gatherings. In 1 Corinthians 11, the women were told that they could pray and prophesy in a mixed men/women group if they would wear a veil to show that they were in submission and not trying to take over from the men. That has to be vocal prayer (prayer in silence would make no sense) and prophesying was vocal. This was based on the order given in 1 Cor 11:3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.” That order would apply to the home and church. But in 1 Cor 14:26 What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.” Paul gives some guidelines for “when you come together” in any group of Christians, house church, small group, church building. This would have to include women who had a miraculous gift like prophecy b/c he had just told the women they could use their gift of prophecy as long as they wore a veil. So the women could use their gifts in a mixed assembly to teach or prophecy or pray aloud (maybe in tongues) or sing a solo song, etc. But in 1 Cor 14:33 As in all the churches of the saints, 34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.” The forbidden “speaking” here is sigaó: To be silent, to keep silence, to hold one’s peace. Guzik: “Some have said the reason for this is because in these ancient cultures (as well as some present-day cultures), men and women sat in separate sections. The thought is that women interrupted the church service by shouting questions and comments to their husbands during the service. Clarke expresses this idea: “It was lawful for men in public assemblies to ask questions, or even interrupt the speaker when there was any matter in his speech which they did not understand; but this liberty was not granted to women.” So the context of 1 Cor 14:34 women not speaking is indeed silence but silence under certain circumstances and not some general rule that in the assembly the women can’t use their gifts aloud at all, which would be a contradiction of 1 Cor 11.

I was raised in a church that used 1 Cor 14:34 to say that the women could not pray aloud in the assembly *even if veiled) or share a teaching in the assembly. I think that is a unbiblical restriction of the use of gifts that women in the church have to edify the church. Plus my church was so inconsistent on applying the rule. Women could sing in the assembly, but that goes against their literalist interprestion of not speaking at all. They could share a truth in a mixed Bible class before the assembly began but could not do the exact same thing once everyone went into the “sanctuary”. The early church only met in house churches, and there would be no such distinction between a Bible classroom and the sanctuary. The male leaders of the church are allowing the women to use their gifts in a mixed group gathering. The women are not “usurping” the authority of the men, trying to take charge, when they modestly use their gifts, yielding to the male leadership when need be.

BTW I need to add this. If women did lead prayer in a mixed group, I don’t think they would need to wear a veil to show submission. That was a cultural way in the first century of showing submission but that is not our culture here in the U.S. I think a woman could lead a prayer in a mixed group without a veil. I think it is obvious if a woman praying is being submissive or not without a veil. It is interesting that some of our churches of Christ stil encourage the ladies to wear little doillies during the assemblies. That is weird really since they are not even allowed to pray out loud, which is the reason for wearing a veil in 1 Cor 11, i..e. only if a woman is praying aloud in a mixed group. If a woman’s conscience tells her to wear a doillie like that, then she should follow her conscience. Hopefully she would not judge others who choose not to do so, and those who choose not to do so would not judge her (Romans 14:1-3).

Does this mean that women can’t be elders and preachers? The elder part of that question is obvious to me. 1 Timothy 3: one of the. qualifications of an elder is “husband of one wife”. Unless you are a LGBQT proponent of a wife having only one wife, that rules out women being elders. Sometimes I see unwise elders making terrible decisions for the flock and I wish some of the wise women in the. pews could be the elders instead, but we must trust God’s wisdom on this matter. What about women preachers? That is a little more difficult to answer. I concede that a woman can come into the gathering (even the main church assembly in the sanctuary) and share a teaching aloud to the flock as long as she does not try to usurp authority and take over from the men leaders. Then could the men agree to allow her to. preach a 30 minute sermon in the same assembly. Technically, I guess so. But this brings us back to a bigger issue. Why do we have a 30 minute sermon, even by some man preacher?

In the early church, there were many miraculous gifts for mutual edification. 1 Cor 12:4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” Then in 1 Cor 14 Paul gives instructions on how to use those gifts in any assembly or gathering of sainst. 1 Cor 14:26 What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up. 27 If any speak in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn, and let someone interpret. 28 But if there is no one to interpret, let each of them keep silent in church and speak to himself and to God. 29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged, 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets. 33 For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.”

No one gift dominated the time in the assemblies. We don’t have those miraculous gifts, but “prophecy” might be close to our concept of preaching today since the preacher is doing what the prophets did, which is revealing the word of God to people (although not miraculously like the prophets). So, 2 or 3 prophets, and apparently, if one of them goes too long and takes over the time, then a prophet sitting in the flock, then the long winded prophet was to “be silent” and let the one sitting speak. Apply that to church preachers today. Can you imagine 10 minutes into the preacher’s 30 minute sermon some man in the pews telling him that he has a teaching from the word of God that needs to be preached. He tells the main preacher to sit down and then he speaks for 10 minutes. Bottom line, the way we do it is not not scriptural. The assembly should be using our gifts (even if not miraculous gifts) to edify the flock. Use diverstiy of gifts: we don’t need more than 2 or 3 of any gift. Do not let any one gifted person dominate the time, even a paid preacher.

Which brings to a bigger question. Why do we have paid preachers in congregations? In the early church, you had house churches with elders (hopefully) in each group. You had miraculously gifted elders and teachers in each group. You would never think to hire a paid full time preacher for the group. If anything, 1 Timothy 5 will say that an elder might need supplemental income from the flock if he is devoting so much time to shepherding and preaching. 1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.” But where would they “preach” in addition to shepherding? In the New Testament, the word “preach” comes from the Greek word kerusso, which means to proclaim, to declare, to announce, or to herald a message. It was the message proclaimed by the kerux, who was the official spokesman or herald of a king.Used to describe the act of proclaiming the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.” It would not be the word used of an elder shepherding his house flock, although he might preach the gospel basics if a non Christian is visiting the group gathering. Apparently some elders would go to surrounding locations and actually preach the core gospel message to those who were not Christians. That might take time from their trade and incoome to support their family.

The “evangelists” in the early church would go to different places for limited periods of time. Paul left the evangelists Timothy in Ephesus and Titus in Crete to work with those churches. The church might give them food and clothing, but they did not become full time paid preachers. They would stay for a while and then move on to preach the gospel somewhere else, establish a church, or work to correct a church that needed help (like Ephesus or Crete). The Didache (late 1st century church manual) says that if they stayed more than 2 or 3 days, they were false teachers preaching only for money! Didache Chapter 11 “Travelling teachers — Apostles — Prophets: 3 And concerning the Apostles and Prophets, act thus according to the ordinance of the Gospel.  4 Let every Apostle who comes to you be received as the Lord, 5 but let him not stay more than one day, or if need be a second as well; but if he stay three days, he is a false prophet. 6 And when an Apostle goes forth let him accept nothing but bread till he reach his night’s lodging; but if he ask for money, he is a false prophet.” So already in the first century they had problems with men preaching for money!

I know we are discussing whether women should be full time paid preachers. The bigger question: should anyone, man or woman, be a full time paid preacher. My answer is no. There are some full time paid preachers who have done a lot of good, but overall the full time paid preacher system has been a negative. It has killed mutual edificatioin in church assemblies. It has put too much power in the preacher, his talents, his opinions, his influence. It has become a job for many. It has become a real problem when the preacher commits some money or sex scandal. Very few paid preachers are out preaching the core gospel message to unconverted sinners. Most of what they preach is just edifying messages from the word but there are most likely several men who could do that, for free, with short messages without a 30 minute sermon.

But how could a big church with a building, a budget, etc. function without a full time paid preacher that draws the crowds? It probably can’t, although I would love to see an established big church try to do without a paid preacher. Do you see the problem? The house church is growing, using mutual edification and no paid preachers, so we decide to rent a bigger place to meet. Then we get even bigger and decide to build a church building. Then we decide to hire a full time paid preacher who can give us 30 minute sermons instead of mutual edification. We have now done what Israel did: ” Give us a king so that we can be like the other nations”. We have enetered the big church business competition. Some get a talented paid preacher that can draw new members (usually not new converts but Christians coming from other churches). Do you see the problem? So to correct all that, do we disband big churches, sell the property and use the money to drill wells overseas and print Bibles for mission work, and encourage members to start meeting in house churches? Or, do we just try to make the best of it, live with the system, hire good men to preach good edifying messages, and allow the flock to love and serve one another within the current system? (BTW I still fill in to preach an occasional sermon at our church). Or do I pull away from the big church and start a house church in my home, hoping to draw even non Christians to our group? And if our group gets too large, then split and start another evangelistic house church.

Enough said on that! The questions was “should women be preachers”? If we mean, full time paid preachers (as I think the question would imply), then “no”. But maybe neither men or women should be full time paid preachers. I guess if you decide to use unscriptural full time paid preachers, then you are making up your own rules for doing church work. If you do that, then I guess the argument could be made to allow men or women full time paid preachers. The problem even there might be if she is considered to be the “senior pastor” as many denominations do. The word for “pastor” in the New Testament refers to elders, so a woman can’t be a senior pastor elder. The male elders might have to rebuke false teacher men in the flock. A woman elder might have to do that, which would be usurping authority over men, which is forbidden. If a woman preachers is considered to be the senior pastor, even if not appointed as an elder, then she would perhaps need to rebuke false teacher men in the flock. Do you see the problem?

In conclusion, Paul gives the reasons that women are not to usurp authority over the men. 1 Timothy 2:12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. 13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. 14 And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a wrongdoer. 15 But women will be preserved through childbirth—if they continue in faith, love, and sanctity, with moderation.” The chain of authority is 1 Cor 11:3 But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.” But is this just a first century cultural thing? In 1 Timothy 2, Paul says that this order goes back to the creation story in Genesis 1-3. 1) The order in which Adam and Eve were created. Adam was created and then Eve was created to be a “helper” to Adam. An electrician has an apprentice helper, but you can’t have 2 heads, 2 people in charge. The main electrician is the one in charge. 2) Eve was deceived by Satan, but Adam was not deceived. So what? The implication, to me, is that women might the more likely of the two to be deceived in spiritual matters. Why might that be? B/c God has given women some unique qualities for birthing, nursing, and caring for little children while men out working in the weeds to provide for the family. Men think with their head, and women think with their heart. So, yes, women might be more easily deceived. So the men are given the responsibility of leading the home and making the tough spiritual decisions and women are to be in submission. Paul says this same logic would mean that women were not to usurp authority over the men in the church also. BTW Paul added this about the subject: 2 Timothy 3:6 For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, 7 always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.”

I know I have given a lot of opinion in this article. You can decide on how valid my opinions are. There is a lot of talk about men being “misogynists” today. I hope I am not one of those, just trying to keep women in outdated submissive roles. I hope I am just teaching the roles for women as God laid out in scripture.

Thanks for reading.



1 TIMOTHY 2:1-7 A CALL TO PRAYER FOR ALL PEOPLE

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Here is the David Guzik commentary on 1 Timothy 2. I encourage you to read this:

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/guzik_david/study-guide/1-timothy/1-timothy-2.cfm

A Call to Prayer 2:1-7

1 Timothy 2:1 First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed as a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”

Our prayers tend to focus on ourselves, our friends, our fellow church members, and our families. But we must remember to pray for “all people” around the world, especially for rulers all over the world that have the power to create war or peace. Peace is good since the gospel can spread better and can fulfill God’s plan for “all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth”. I don’t know how God works to answer our prayers for all people and for rulers, but providentially He does work. My prayers each day should include the people in the Ukraine/Russian war zones, the oppressed people in Communist North Korea, the people in Communist China, the people in Lebanon, Gaza strip, and Israel caught up in the Middle East Crisis facing the terrorists group that create constant war among them, the people in Venezuela due to Venezuela due to the high risk of wrongful detentions, terrorism, kidnapping, crime, civil unrest, poor health infrastructure, the people facing militant Islamist violence in Africa, the people in Iran most of whom would probably like to do away with their Shia Muslim leadership that is determined to destroy Israel as they await the return of the Imam Mahdi to establish worldwide Islamic rule, the people in India as Hinduism is so predominate that it is hard to search for the truth of Jesus, the people in Muslim controlled countries who are persecuted if they become Christians, the people in the U.S as our country is spiralling into moral and doctrinal decline, the people in Africa who don’t have clean water for good health, the people in refugee camps caught up in the middle of war torn regions, etc.

We should pray for rulers all over the world, even for evil dictators, atheistic regimes, or radical Islamist leaders.  Guzik said this: “The early church leader Tertullian explained: “We pray for all the emperors, that God may grant them long life, a secure government, a prosperous family, vigorous troops, a faithful senate, an obedient people; that the whole world may be in peace; and that God may grant, both to Caesar and to every man, the accomplishment of their just desires.” (Clarke)

We should pray for the people all over the world, even in peaceful regions, that they may come to be saved by Jesus who “gave Himself as a ransom (antilutron: Ransom, Redemption Price: used only here in the New Testament. (AI) “ In the Greco-Roman world, the concept of a ransom was well understood. It was a price paid to free a slave or a prisoner of war. The idea of a ransom also appears in the Old Testament, where it is associated with the redemption of individuals or property. In the New Testament, this concept is applied to the spiritual realm, where Christ’s death is seen as the ultimate ransom that liberates believers from the bondage of sin and death.” The Greek word for “redemption” in the New Testament is “apolutrosis” (ἀπολύτρωσις).  “Aplutrosis” essentially means “deliverance” or “being set free by the payment of a ransom,” which aligns with the Christian concept of redemption through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice. It is used in Romans 3:24, Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 2:14 of our redemption through the blood of Jesus (which was the “antilutron” redemption price paid to God Himself to satisfy His wrath against our sins and to free us from the captivity of sin and death. Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us.” I have a little prayer pad, but my prayer requests are for friends, family, and church members. I am not praying for all people as Paul told Timothy to do. I plan to include all people in future prayers, including those I just mentioned above. Again, I don’t know how the providence of God can answer those prayers, but I believe He will. One way such prayers work is to get us aware of the spiritual and physical needs of people all over the world. That might get us to be directly involved in mission trips or humanitarian trips around the world. Or it might get us to use our vast monetary resources to help people all over the world, often through agencies like Healing Hands International. Or agencies like Eastern European Missions who print the Bible in the major world languages so people can learn about Jesus dying for their sins. Don’t forget to pray for missionaries who are preaching the gospel all over the world, even in Muslim countries.

There is one mediator between God and man, i.e. Jesus Christ. The term “mesités” refers to a mediator, one who intervenes between two parties to restore peace, make a covenant, or ratify an agreement. In the New Testament, it is primarily used to describe Jesus Christ as the mediator between God and humanity, highlighting His role in reconciling sinful humans to a holy God through His sacrificial death and resurrection. The Greek word for “reconciliation” in the New Testament is “katallage” (καταλλαγή). Meaning:“Katallage” literally means “exchange” or “adjustment of a difference,” and in the context of the Bible, it refers to the act of restoring a broken relationship, particularly between God and humanity through Jesus Christ. It is used in 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

I decided to split 1 Timothy 2 into 2 articles. I just want this first part, the call to prayer for all people and rulers all over the world, to be something that we all need to do more of. I plan to try to answer that call better in the future.

How about you?

1 TIMOTHY CHAPTER 1

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First, let’s establish the time of writing and circumstances of writing. These charts help:

Acts closes with Paul in Rome during those 2 years. He was released, traveled widely over the Roman Empire for 2-3 years, going perhaps as far as Spain, before his last imprisonment and martyrdom. He wrote 1 Timothy from Macedonia (1 Tim 1:3) in 66 AD (on his way to Nicopolis, Tit 3:12) to Timothy who was in Ephesus. He states a desire to visit Timothy (1 Tim 3:14,15;4:13). The style and subject matter are very different, but it would make sense that, as Paul nears death and the end of the miraculous period is nearing, he directs Timothy (and Titus later also) in matters like public prayer, the subjective position of women, qualifications for future elders and deacons, church support of widows, rebuking of elders, and the use of wealth. He also condemns the Law teaching Judaizers, Hymenaeus and Alexander by name (2 Tim 2:17), warns of an apostasy, warns against worldly fables, warns about false teachers who have a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words and constant friction who are preaching for gain (6:3ff), and tells him to guard what was entrusted to him, avoiding arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge” (1 Tim 6:20-21). This last heresy was already developing in Colossians, a Jewish prre-gnostic heresy. He also gives personal encouragement to Timothy in this ministry of teaching and preaching the word, stressing personal purity and faithfulness to his ministry (1 Tim 4:11ff; 6:11ff).

Here is a map of Paul’s last journey after release from Roman house arrest (Acts 28) without showing a visit to Spain (tradition says he did that trip).

Here’s another map that include the possible visit to Spain before he heads to Crete.

There are some good commentaries on 1 Timothy such as: blueletterbible.org is good by David Guzik. This is an intro:

https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/eo/1ti/1ti000.cfm. Then it has studies of each individual chapter.

My goal is to try to examine how each chapter applies to us and to “church” today.

Chapter 1

Warning Against False Teachers 1:3-11

https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/guzik_david/study-guide/1-timothy/1-timothy-1.cfm by David Guzik

1:3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.”

The church at Ephesus has quite a history. Paul established the church there in Acts 19 on his 3rd missionary journey (53-57 AD: see the chart above). He stayed 3 years there. After a riot led by Demetrius the silversmith who made idols of the goddess Diana (or Artemis), he left for Macedonia. He returned near Ephesus at Miletus where he called for the elders of the Ephesian church to come. He warned them: Acts 20:28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” He wrote the letter to the Ephesians while in 2 years of house arrest (Acts 28) in Rome (60-62 AD), but there is no mention of false teachers in that letter. But it is not surprising, as he warned, that false teachers, even from among the elders, would arise in the church by the time he wrote this letter, 1 Timothy, to Timothy in Ephesus in 63 AD, about 5 years after he established the church there. On his missionary journey after he was released from house arrest in Rome, he passed near or through Ephesus (probably only near Ephesus) and left Timothy there to deal with the false teachers.

It was about this same time, 63 AD, that John the apostle wrote Revelation. In Revelation 2: “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

2 “‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’ John commends the church at Ephesus, led by its elders, for identifying and refuting false apostles there, even the Nicolaitans. The church must have become very rigid about fighting false teachers and maintaining doctrinal purity. The Nicolaitans were a heretical group of Christians in the early church who were known for their immoral and idolatrous practices. John did rebuke the church at Ephesus for leaving their “first love”. We can only wonder if the church at Ephesus heeded John’s warning and returned to their first love. Some say the church died out in the 2nd century, although I have seen no hard proof of that. It is possible today to have a church today that is committed to fighting doctrinal error but one that has lost the love that Jesus wanted his followers to be known for (John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” I was raised in a church that kinda fits that description. My church was so intent on fighting doctrinal error that it ended up creating its own sectarian legalism, unlovingly judging and condemning any who disagreed with their sectarian teaching.

Guzik: “Perhaps the endless genealogies (1 Timothy 1:4) had to do with Gnostic-type theories of “emanations” from God. Perhaps they were connected with Jewish-type legalism that sought righteousness by virtue of one’s ancestry. Or perhaps he had in mind doctrinal systems based on mystic readings of Old Testament genealogies. Ancient Jewish writings have been discovered which dig into the most complex genealogies, connecting them with wild speculations about spiritual mysteries. A consuming interest in these kinds of things will crowd out godly edification which is in faith.”

Christian history is full of such false doctrines over the past 2,000 years. Church of God of prophecy claims to have traced the the genealogy of the ‘lost 10 tribes” of the northern kingdom of Israel, with Ephraim being Great Britain and Manasseh being the U.S. Mormons add the Book of Mormon to the same authority as the New Testament. Latter-day Saints believe the Book of Mormon to be a record of God’s dealings principally with another group of Israelites he brought to the Western Hemisphere from Jerusalem about 600 b.c. They anticipated the birth and coming of Jesus Christ and believed in his Atonement and gospel. Such false doctrines lead to speculation since none of them can be verified. They distract from “the stewardship of God which is by faith”. Paul spoke of this stewardship (oikonomia: Stewardship, administration, management, dispensation) in Ephesians 3:1 “For this reason I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles— 2 assuming that you have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for you, 3 how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly.” A person would be appointed to manage the estate or affairs of someone. Paul, by the direct revelation of the Holy Spirit, was made a steward to tell the Gentiles about the mystery (musterion) of the gospel, i.e. uniting Jew and Gentile believers in the one body of the saved, i.e. the church. The other apostles had been led to “all truth” by the Holy Spirit (John 16:13; 14:26). Paul was an apostles of equal authority. The New Testament contains all the truth that we need to not be tossed about by every wind of doctrine. Ephesians 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” Beware of any doctrine that is not clearly taught in the New Testament.

1 Timothy 1:5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.”  Those who teach the revealed gospel (whether it is the original apostles and Paul or us today) are charged (paraggelia: Command, instruction, charge) to teach the gospel without changing or adding to it. Those teaching must have pure motives: a pure heart, good conscience, and a sincere faith. The motives of most false teachers are lust, money, sex, and power. The paid preacher system can put preachers on a pedestal that leads them to scandals involving sex or money. The cult leaders are key examples of impure motives of sex, money, and power.

1:8 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.”

“Sound (hugiainó: To be sound, to be healthy, to be well; often used of someone bein in good physical health) doctrine”: in other words, teachings that will promote good spiritual health. Apparently the false teachers in Ephesus taught unhealthy doctrines that promoted the sins listed in these verses. Apparently they tolerated or allowed these sins. Does that sound like many of the liberal Christian denominations today? For example, “homosexuality” is arsenokoites: Homosexual, sodomite: Derived from ἄρσην (arsen, meaning “male”) and κοίτη (koite, meaning “bed” or “lying down”), indicating a male engaging in sexual activity with another male. This is the same word used in 1 Corinthians 6:9 list of sins. Paul was “entrusted” with teaching the gospel but the gospel called for repenting of sins. But what is sin in the eyes of God? People might define sin based on their opinions and emotions, but sin must be defined based of God’s word as given us by, in this passage, Paul. Of course, many liberals say that Paul was not inspired by the Holy Spirit, that he was just giving his homophobic opinions that we don’t have to follow today. But Paul was an inspired apostle. At the same time, almost all would say that Peter was an inspired apostle. But Peter wrote this in 2 Peter 3:15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” The apostle Peter is saying that Paul’s writings are “scripture” just like the other scriptures (old testament scriptures). The writings of Paul, Peter, John, Matthew, and others would be considered scriptures also. So if you accept Peter as an apostle, and few Christians question that, then you have to accept Paul as an apostle.

Christ Jesus Came to Save Sinners 1:12-20

1:12 I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

In this section Paul seems to be telling how and why he was entrusted with the gospel even though he was formerly a “blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent (hubristés: Insolent, violent, arrogant, one who behaves with wanton violence or outrage)”. Paul began persecuting Christians in Acts 7:58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. Then some time later, Acts 9:1 And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. Acts 9:1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.” He told Agrippa in Acts 26:9 “I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 10 And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. 11 And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities. Acts 22:4 I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women. It was on his way to Damascus that the resurrected Jesus appeared to him. He became a believer in Jesus, was baptized by Ananias in Damascus (Acts 22:16 And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name), and began his ministry to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. He returned to Jerusalem but Jesus appeared to him again, telling him to get out of Jerusalem b/c the Jews there would not listen to his preaching. Acts 22: 19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20 And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ 21 And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” Galatians 1:13 For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it.”

But Paul received mercy b/c he acted “ignorantly in unbelief”. He thought that the Jewish Christians were blasphemers b/c Jesus claimed to be equal with God (John 5:18 This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.) He sincerely thought that he was doing what God waned him to do by killing Christians. He became a mass murderer and torturer of Christians, entering homes to find Jewish Christians to beat them. But in 1 Timothy 1:14 the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” All his past sins were “washed away” when he was baptized (Acts 22:16).

Baptism alone does not save, but it is part of saving faith. It is an act of faith; it is not a work that one does to earn salvation. We believe the gospel, confess Jesus to be the Son of God, repent of our sins, but it is in baptism that our sins are washed away. Saul (Paul) was not saved on the road to Damascus when he saw Jesus. He was saved when he was baptized. This is what Jesus, after he was raised from the dead, told the apostles in Mark 16:15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Peter told those asking “what must we do to be saved”, Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Forgiveness of sins comes after baptism, not before (as some teach).  It is an act of faith: Colossians 2:12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses”. Baptism is the moment of being raised from being spiritually dead (also raised up from the water) to walk in newness of life. Romans 6:3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Some think that we are teaching a works salvation when we teach that one is not saved till they are baptized, but we are not. We are just saying that the Scriptures teach that baptism is an essential part of saving faith, just like repentance and confess. Peter is the apostle who taught that forgiveness comes after baptism (Acts 2:38 above). Later in one of Peter’s letters Peter even used the phrasse, “baptism now saves you”. 1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.” Was Peter teaching baptism only saves? No, but he was teaching that it is at baptism that one is saved by water, just as Noah and his family were saved by water from the sinful society that surrounded them. I’v heard many preachers say, “baptism doesn’t save”, but Peter plainly said “baptism now saves you”. In context, we understand why Peter could say that. I always compare baptism to Namaan’s dipping in the Jordan River 7 times to be healed of leprosy. That was what Elisha the prophet had told him to do, and he was reluctant at first. He did go dip 7 times and was healed of his leprosy. Was it the water that healed him? No. Was it the number of times he dipped? No. Could Elijah have just healed him without the dipping in water? Yes, but he didn’t. But the fact remains, he was healed after he obeyed in faith the command to be dipped 7 times in the Jordan River. I think baptism is an act of faith similar to the story of Namaan.

Please remember that baptism in the name of Jesus (also in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) was only a command for salvation for those living after the death of Jesus. It was a new covenant command. That’s why the thief on. the cross could be saved while on his cross without being baptized. Someone will say, “what if someone is on his way to be baptized and falls dead before he gets to the water?” That doesn’t change what the scriptures teach about baptism and salvation. I do feel, however, that God is a gracious God so I will leave that person’s salvation up to God. What if a person is sprinkled instead of immersed? The Greek word for baptism is baptizó: To baptize, to immerse, to dip. I know I would want to do exactly what Jesus said, to be immersed. Namaan was told to “dip in the Jordan River”, not to just pour some water on his head. Again, though, I will leave to God the salvation of a person who is sprinkled with water instead of immersed. Mother Teresa, being a Cathholic, ws probably sprinkled as a child instead of adult believer immersion, but I would hope that would not keep her out of heaven! If she doesn’t make it, how can I? What if a person does the “sinner’s prayer”, asking Jesus to come into his heart and save him before baptism, later to be baptized as an outward sign showing that he was saved? Again, surely God would still saved that person even if that isn’t exactly the way it was done in the book of Acts. As you can tell, I am pretty convicted that the scriptures teach that baptism is essential to salvation, but I am pretty tolerant of those who don’t understand baptism the way I do.

Back to 1 Timothy1:12-17. Paul said that the grace and mercy that saved him, the “chief of sinners b/c of his killing Christians, confirmed the saying: 15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” If God’s grace could saved Paul in spite of his sins, then God’s grace can save anyone. Paul said that his salvation was “an example” for others for all time. John Newton was a slave trader, but was saved.

Paul closes chapter 1 with 18 This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, 19 holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, 20 among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.
Apparently some prophet had predicted that Timothy would be an evangelist, preaching the gospel. Paul told him to have that “sincere faith and good conscience” that he mentioned in 1:5. We don’t know the exact sins of Hymenaeus and Alexander except that it was bad enough for Paul to hand them over to Satan, i.e. to withdraw fellowship from them as heretics. 2 Tim 2:17 does mention a Hymenaeus who was teaching that the resurrection of the dead had already happened, so that might be the same Hymenaeus here in 1 Timothy 1, and that might be his heretical sin.

Again, I encourage you to study this chapter using the blueletterbible.org site by David Guzak. I encourage you to be saved just as Paul was in order to receive the grace of God no matter how sinful you have been. I encourage you, as part of your saving faith, to be baptized (immersed) in water for the forgiveness of sins just as Paul was (Acts 22:16). I hope you would study the subject of baptism in the new testament if need be to get your own conviction of what baptism should be.

Thanks for reading.

A review of martyrs facing death and how Jesus faced His death. How will I face death?

On By nrfaughtLeave a comment

Have you thought much about actually facing the moment you know you are dying or about to die? How do you think you will feel? Afraid? Peaceful? Confident? Relieved? Excited?

As I get older (soon to be 75), I think a lot about facing death. I watched my dad face death when the docs told him he had 2 years to live (72 at the time) and there was no cure for his lung disease. I think he found a much deeper faith and peace during that 2 years. I watched my mom die at 90? I think she was relieved. She told me, “I am tired of living (b/c of the pain)”? She was ready to go. I watched my wife’s dad die of Alzheimer’s. As many of you know, a terrible way to die. A self made man, WWII vet, always the one who was strong and took care of others. But left to have others take care of him and be totally dependent on others with no quality of life.

Of course, I don’t know how I will die. Many have died for their faith over the 2,000 years of Christian history. Jesus spoke of those killed by the Jews for their faith in the Old Testament. Matthew 23:29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? 34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, 35 so that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah the son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” God avenged the death of those martyrs in 70 AD when He sent the Romans to destory the temple and Jerusalem, killing one million wicked Jews. Abel, Zechariah (2 Chronicles 24:20-21 a Zechariah son of Jehoida was stoned for condemning the sins of the king but he wasn’t the son of Barachiah so who is the Zechariah Jesus spoke of?), Uriah (killed by King Jehoiakim in Jeremiah 26:20-23), Isaiah (if tradition is true and he was sawn into, Hebrews 11:37), and many others that we don’t know about. Elijah spoke of martyrs: 1 Kings 19:9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” Wicked Jezebel killed the prophets: 1 Kings 18:4 and when Jezebel cut off (karath: To cut, cut off, cut down, make a covenant: probably means killed in this verse b/c Obadiah hid 100 prophets from her) the prophets of the Lord, Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water.)

John the Baptist was beheaded for condemning Herod’s marriage. Stephen was the first New Testament martyr for faith in Jesus that we know about (Acts 7), followed by James the apostle (Acts 12), Antipas (Rev 2:12,13). Tradition says that Paul was beheaded by Nero and Peter was crucified upside down, considering himself to be unworthy of dying in exact same manner that Jesus died. Tradition says that all the apostles died a martyr’s death (https://www.usfra.org/groups/ChaplainsCorner/blogs/how-the-apostles-died). John the apostle died a martyr’s death contrary to many saying that he lived to the age of 100 and died a peaceful death. Jesus predicted his martyrdom (Mark 10:39 And Jesus said to them (i.e. the apostle brothers James and John), “The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized,” That cup can only be death since Jesus prayed in the Garden “Father, let this cup pass from me” (Matthew 26:39). The early church father Papias (60-130 AD said that John the apostle did die a martyrs death by a group of Jews. He doesn’t give the date of John’s death, but he says that John died a martyr just as Jesus predicted for the 2 brothers. I think the time of his death could only be before 70 AD when the Jews had the ability to kill Christians. Tradition says they killed James the Lord’s brother just before 70 AD. The Jews would not have been able to martry Cristians around 100 AD. Be that as it may, he died a martyr’s death of else Jesus’s prediction was false. John’s brother James the apostle died a martyr in Acts 12. BTW this tells us that all of John’s gospel and letters (1,2,3 John and Revelation) were written before he died before 70 AD.

Then there were the famous martyrs of early Christian history. Polycarp of Smyrna in 203 AD: According to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire failed to consume his body. Justin Martyr in 165 AD. Perpetua and Felicity (her slave servant who was pregant): Perpetua, age 22; had an infant son (still nursing, but gave the child to Christians to keep), killed at military games in honor of the emperor. The 40 martyrs of Sebaste: in 320 AD: this story is so interesting that I am quoting it from Wikipedia:”According to Basil, forty soldiers who had openly confessed themselves Christians were condemned by the prefect to be exposed naked upon a frozen pond near Sebaste on a bitterly cold night, that they might freeze to death. Among the confessors, one yielded and, leaving his companions, sought the warm baths near the lake which had been prepared for any who might prove inconstant. Upon immersion into the cauldron, the one who yielded went into shock and immediately died. One of the guards, Aglaius, was set to keep watch over the martyrs and beheld at this moment a supernatural brilliancy overshadowing them. He at once proclaimed himself a Christian, threw off his garments, and joined the remaining thirty-nine.[3] Thus the number of forty remained complete. At daybreak, the stiffened bodies of the confessors, which still showed signs of life, were burned and the ashes cast into a river. Christians, however, collected the precious remains, and the relics were distributed throughout many cities. Veneration of the Forty Martyrs became widespread.[1]  “Forty Martyrs of Sebaste”. Oxford Reference. Retrieved 10 March 2024. Agnes of Rome: A virgin, her high-ranking suitors, slighted by her resolute devotion to religious purity, sought to persecute her for her beliefs. Her father urged her to deny God, but she refused, and she was dragged naked through the streets to a brothel, then tried and sentenced to death. She was eventually beheaded,” in 304 AD. (Wikipedia)

The Middle Ages: Jan Huss: 1415, he was burned at the stake for heresy against the teachings of the Catholic Church. Joan of Arc: She was put on trial by Bishop Pierre Cauchon on accusations of heresy, which included blaspheming by wearing men’s clothes, acting upon visions that were demonic, and refusing to submit her words and deeds to the judgment of the church. She was declared guilty and burned at the stake on 30 May 1431, aged about nineteen. Girolamo Savonarola: In 1498 he was condemned, hanged and his body burned. William Tyndale:

The Reformation Period. Willaim Tyndate: Tyndale “was strangled to death[e] while tied at the stake, and then his dead body was burned”.[43] His final words, spoken “at the stake with a fervent zeal, and a loud voice”, were reported later as “Lord! Open the King of England’s eyes.”[44][45]

While the aforementioned martyrs are some of the most famous martyrs, the statistics for modern Christian martyrdom is unbelievable. Here is a great site: http://theestherproject.com/statistics/

Sharing some of those stats from that site: More than 70 million Christians have been martyred in the course of history (some question that statistic, saying that much of the killing was ethnic related than Christian martyrdom). More than half were martyred in the 20th century under communist and fascist government (Gordon-Conwell Resources).In the 21st century, roughly 100,000  to 160,000 Christians were killed each year (Gordon-Conwell Resources and World Christian Database, respectively). Roughly 1,093,000 Christians were martyred, worldwide, between 2000 and 2010 (World Christian Database). 800,000 Christians were targeted for their faith and martyred in the Democratic Republic of Congo between 1998 and 2007, in the time surrounding their civil war (World Christian Database). Roughly 50,000 Christians were martyred during the North-South Sudan violence that officially ended in 2003 (World Christian Database). An estimated 700,000 Christians were killed in North Korean prison camps between 1948 and 1987 (Crimson Crucible).

The organization Voice of the Martyrs has since 1967 been telling the story of persecuted Christians all over the world, inspiring efforts to relieve their suffering in many ways. The organization was founded by Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian pastor who experienced severe persecution under the communist regime in his country, which likely influenced the choice of the name. Indeed, many of the VOM stories are martyrs, killed for their faith. After all, 322 Christians are killed for their faith worldwide each month.

This article began as my own feelings about facing my death. Reading my own research about Christian martyrs, past and present, makes me a little ashamed. All those martyrs courageously died for their faith, looking forward to eternal life with God. I don’t think any of them ever had any doubts about how they would face death. Hebrews 12:Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. “For the joy set before Him”. I never thought of it like this, but Jesus was a martyr. Early Christians considered Jesus to be the first and greatest martyr because of his crucifixion. Someone might disagree with that b/c Jesus said that his was giving up his life voluntarily (John 10:18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”), but he was still killed for his faith in the Father, so I think that is martyrdom.

How did Jesus face death? Matthew 26:36-46 New American Standard Bible

The Garden of Gethsemane

36 Then Jesus *came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and *told His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 And He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with Him, and began to be grieved and distressed. 38 Then He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”

39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40 And He *came to the disciples and *found them sleeping, and He *said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41 Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink from it, Your will be done.” 43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45 Then He *came to the disciples and *said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up, let’s go; behold, the one who is betraying Me is near!”

“Deeply grieved and distressed to the point of death”. (AI) “Jesus was suffering in his soul and body, overwhelmed and sorrowful as he was betrayed and abandoned. He experienced grief, rejection, humiliation, and ridicule. He opened himself to hatred and hostility, persecution, and threats on his life”. From Christina Williams: “He confesses a deeply troubled state of mind. Jesus describes this as being so distressed that He almost feels the emotion would kill Him. Jesus’ language describing His distress resembles some of what David wrote in the Psalms. For instance, David wrote in Psalm 143:3–4, “For the enemy has pursued my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead. Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled.” Jesus even felt forsaken by the Father. “My God, my God, what hast thou forsaken me?” He knew he was volunteering to die for the sins of the world. He knew he was doing it for His Father. He was “taking one for the team”. He was obeying the Father. Hebrews 5:7 ” In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. 8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.” The Hebrew writer adds “with loud cries and tears” to the gospel accounts of that last night in the Garden of Gethsemane. How loud were his cries in the Garden? The disciples still didn’t wake up. Can you just imagine that scene? Your friend and master is “a little ways” off from you. He has told you to “keep watch” for him. He is crying “loudly” in agony, and yet you fall asleep. Jesus returns and rebukes them, and goes off again. 3 times he this is repeated, and you fall asleep each time. Truly, “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”.

Jesus found no “joy” while he suffered and while he was being crucified. But “for the joy set before him”, knowing that after his death he would be raised from the dead and ascend back to the Father to be restored to the glory he had with the Father before the world began. John 17:4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” He no doubt kept thinking about that as he was suffering on the cross.

I hope that I would have the courage to die as a martyr for my faith if it came to that. In America, I don’t think we really think that is possible. In North Korea, for example, that is a real possibility. Maybe I will die by an accident of some kind, but most likely I will some day die of some disease. Again, I can’t predict who I will handle that. Hopefully, my thoughts about this world will leave me. I won’t be worried about things b/c they won’t matter any more. I won’t be worried about “what if” b/c the “what if” is finally here. Time to face the music. Hopefully my thoughts will focus on the “joy set before me”, the joy of eternal life. The joy of seeing my parents again. Will we know each other? I don’t know, but I think so. The joy of being reunited with other loved ones and people I helped lead to Jesus over the years. Hopefully with the courage to face death that will be an example to my kids and grandkids and others to encourage them to give their lives to Jesus to prepare for their death some day.

This article was for me, but I hope it was encouraging for you.


ISAIAH 44 THE FOLLY OF IDOLATRY; MODERN IDOLATRY

On By nrfaughtLeave a comment

In an earlier blog on Isaiah 41-45, Isaiah challenged the gods of the pagan idols to prove their very existence (41:1 set forth your case) by predicting the future (with 100% accuracy). He then gives several predictions about the temple being destroyed (586 BC, 120 years in the future), the return from Babylonian captivity to rebuild the temple (536 BC, 160 years in the future) allowed by Cyrus the king of Persia, naming Cyrus by name about 100 years before he was even born. I gave many other prophecies about nations that were fulfilled in the old testament.

But not only does Isaiah show that the pagan gods cannot predict the future, he then goes on to show the “futility of idol worship” (the foolishness).

Isaiah 44:9 All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. 10 Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing? 11 Behold, all his companions shall be put to shame, and the craftsmen are only human. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together.

12 The ironsmith takes a cutting tool and works it over the coals. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretches a line; he marks it out with a pencil. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. 14 He cuts down cedars, or he chooses a cypress tree or an oak and lets it grow strong among the trees of the forest. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. 15 Then it becomes fuel for a man. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, “Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire!” 17 And the rest of it he makes into a god, his idol, and falls down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god!”

18 They know not, nor do they discern, for he has shut their eyes, so that they cannot see, and their hearts, so that they cannot understand. 19 No one considers, nor is there knowledge or discernment to say, “Half of it I burned in the fire; I also baked bread on its coals; I roasted meat and have eaten. And shall I make the rest of it an abomination? Shall I fall down before a block of wood?” 20 He feeds on ashes; a deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?”

There is not much need of commentary here. Isaiah scoffs at the idea of a man planting and growing a tree, cutting it down after it is grown, using half of the fallen tree to make fires to rost his meat, and uses the other half to make into a delicately and lavishly carved wooden idol to worhip his pagan god.

We must go to Romans 1 for commentary.

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.”

Paul is saying that there is no excuse for not believing in God who created everything. While his attributes of eternal power and divine nature should be “clearly perceived” by all. Read my blog article “Praising the God of creation” for all the arguments for the existence of God (intelligent design of all animals and plants, the periodic table, the human body, the many constants of math and physics that must be finely tuned to have life on earth, etc.). That is called “natural revelation” (nature reveals that there is a creator God). The psalmist said “the fool has said there is no god” (Psalm 19:1). But let us suppose that someone does perceive that the universe and life could not just come into existence from nothing. That would not tell us about that God who created everything. That would take “special revelation”, i.e. that creator God would reveal himself and his plans through inspired messengers or prophets by miraculous inspiration. But suppose that person believes there must be a creator God but doesn’t have access to any of God’s special revelation of HIs word through prophets. He might decide to. start worshipping God through what God created. This could be “animism”: Animism is the doctrine that every natural thing in the universe has a soul. If you believe in animism, you believe that ostriches, cactuses, mountains, and thunder are all spiritual beings. Animism comes from the Latin word anima, meaning life, or soul. Animists believe in innumerable spiritual beings that are concerned with human affairs and capable of helping or harming human interests. Animistic rituals are a variety of practices that serve to maintain relationships between humans and spirits, such as sacrifices, taboos, ancestor worship, shamanism (witch doctors), etc. You can undersand in remote areas of Africans the practice of animism by sincere worshipers of the Creator God when they don’t have the word of God. It is the church’s responsibility to get the word of God to them in their own languages, which many have tried to do, often leding to their deaths.

Idolatry is different than animism. A great AI (I love AI b/c it usually says things better than I do and in less words!) distinction: “While both terms are related to the worship of something other than a single, supreme deity, idolatry specifically refers to the act of worshipping a physical object like a statue as a god, while animism is the belief that all things in nature, including animals, plants, and even inanimate objects, possess a spirit or soul, and can be interacted with on a spiritual level; essentially, animism is a broader concept that encompasses the idea of spiritual agency in all things, not just physical representations of deities like in idolatry.” For example, Ancient Egypt: The polytheistic religion of ancient Egypt featured large idols that were often animals or included animal parts. Bull and cow, cat and dog, ram and goat were considered to be the incarnations of different deities, and so were lion and lioness, jackal and scorpion, crocodile and hippopotamus, the poisonous cobra (also called the “uraeus” serpent) and several birds, among them the falcon and the vulture. They worshipped the sun god Ra and many other gods but focused on the animals. Ancient Greece: The Greek civilization favored human forms for divine representation. The ancient Greeks worshipped many gods, including the 12 Olympians, who lived on Mount Olympus (Zeus- the main god, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Hermes, and either Hestia or Dionysus.). They worshipped idols that were a representation of the gods themselves. The most important group of deities of the Romans were the Deii Consentes, the twelve gods and goddesses of the Roman pantheon: Jupiter (the main god) and Juno, Neptune and Minerva, Mars and Venus, Apollo and Diana, Vulcan and Vesta, Mercury and Ceres. The Romans basically worshipped the same gods that the Romans did, they just changed the names. Isolatry has existed in all cultures. The Canaanites practiced polytheism, which is the worship of multiple gods. Their gods included: Astarte: A war goddess.  Baal: A fertility deity and one of the most important gods in the Canaanite pantheon.  Asherah: The wife of El, also known as Athirat.  Anat: A war goddess. Many, many other examples of idolatry and false pagan gods could be given.

Paul sums up idolatry in Romans 1:22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. Idolaters made images of “man and animals”, worshipping the things the creator created instead of the creator Himself. Isaiah says this is just downright folly of foolishness. Even if you don’t have special revelation, it just doesn’t make sense to make up different false gods and then create idols to worhip them by. Again, it is the church’s responsibility to get the word of God to them, but there would be no excuse for the Greeks and Romans discussed above. The Jews had collected the 39 books (scrolls) of the old testament by the time the Greeks and the Romans came into existence. Those books condemned idolatry, a sin that Israael itself continued to practice. They could have turned from idolatry just as Rahab turned from the worship of the Canaanite gods like Baal to worship the one true god YHWH of Israel. I think that is probably true for all idolaters in the world. Hinduism in India is full of worhsip of many gods and goddesses with idols. But the word of God has been preached in India for centuries. If a person was seeking the truth about God, he could find it in India if he really wanted to. Buddhism has its many statues of Buddha and follow his teaching. They actually don’t worship Buddha himself or his statue, but for all practical purposes they do. But the word of God has been in Buddhist countries for centuries. Islam only began in the 7th century AD, about 600 years after Jesus lived and dead and 600 years after the New Testament was completed. Muslims definitely had the word of God but chose instead to follow Mohommed and the Koran. At least hey don’t practice idolatry, however, but they do deny that Jesus is the Son of God.

Jeremiah condemns the folly of idolatry: 10:1  Hear the word that the Lord speaks to you, O house of Israel. 2 Thus says the Lord: “Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, 3 for the customs of the peoples are vanity.
A tree from the forest is cut down and worked with an axe by the hands of a craftsman. 4 They decorate it with silver and gold they fasten it with hammer and nails so that it cannot move. 5 Their idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field, and they cannot speak; they have to be carried, for they cannot walk.
Do not be afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to do good.” 6 There is none like you, O Lord; you are great, and your name is great in might. 7 Who would not fear you, O King of the nations? For this is your due; for among all the wise ones of the nations and in all their kingdoms
there is none like you. 8 They are both stupid and foolish; the instruction of idols is but wood!

(AI) “n the Bible, Ezekiel saw several examples of idolatry in the temple in Ezekiel 8, including:

  • 1) An idol outside the temple: Ezekiel saw a foreign idol standing in front of the temple’s northern gate. This idol was a symbol of Israel’s rejection of God. Maybe a giant idol off Asherah? or Baal?
  • 2) Idols on the walls: Ezekiel saw images of crawling animals, detestable creatures, and idols of the house of Israel on the temple walls. This would be from Egyptian gods probably.
  • 3) Women weeping for Tammuz: Ezekiel saw women weeping for Tammuz, a Babylonian god of fertility. Ezekiel sees several other sacrilegious things, but Tammuz is the only deity mentioned in the vision, showing one of the foreign gods Israel had strayed after.
  • 4) Men worshiping the sun: Ezekiel saw 25 men facing east and worshiping the sun. Sun worship has been practiced in many cultures throughout history, including: 
    • Ancient Egypt: The sun god Ra was worshipped, and the ancient Egyptian god of creation, Amun, was believed to reside in the sun. 
    • Ancient Greece: The sun god Helios was worshipped. 
    • Ancient Rome: The sun god Sol was worshipped. 
    • Ancient Persia: The sun god Mithra was worshipped. 
    • Ancient India: The sun gods Surya, Savitr, and Mithra were worshipped. 
    • Ancient Sumer: The sun god Utu was worshipped. 
    • Ancient Babylon: The sun god Shamash was worshipped. 
    • Inca civilization: The sun god Inti was worshipped, and the ruler of Peru was considered an incarnation of Inti. 
    • Aztec religion: The sun gods Huitzilopochtli and Tezcatlipoca demanded human sacrifice. 
    • Japanese Shintoism: The sun goddess Amaterasu was worshipped, and sun symbols are still used to represent the Japanese state. 
    • Albanian tradition: The sun god Dielli is worshipped, and the sun and moon are sacred elements of Albanian tradition. 
    • Native American tribes: Some tribes still practice a sun dance to renew their connection with the earth and the growing season. 
    • Siberian cultures: The sun goddess is worshipped by the Taymyr Samoyed and the Tungus. 
    • The concept of sun worship is likely as old as humanity itself. In societies that were dependent on the sun for life and sustenance, it’s not surprising that the sun became deified.
  • 5) Leaders offering incense sacrifices: Ezekiel saw leaders offering incense sacrifices to false gods. 
  • Ezekiel’s vision of idolatry in the temple was a condemnation of these practices and explained why God’s glory departed from the temple later in the vision. 

God condemned idolatry as the 2nd of the 10 commandments: Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me 4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me. It is amazing that Israel practiced idolatry all through their history up to the Babylonian captivity ( the exile seemed to cure them of idolatry after that). It is amazing that Solomon (the wisest man on earth) practiced idolatry. 1 Kings 11:1 ” King Solomon loved many foreign women in addition to Pharaoh’s daughter. He loved Hittite women and women from Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon. 2 They came from the nations about which the Lord had said to the people of Israel, “Never intermarry with them. They will surely tempt you to follow their gods.” But Solomon was obsessed with their love. 3 He had 700 wives who were princesses and 300 wives who were concubines. 4 In his old age, his wives tempted him to follow other gods. He was no longer committed to the Lord his God as his father David had been. 5 Solomon followed Astarte (the goddess of the Sidonians) and Milcom (the disgusting idol of the Ammonites). 6 So Solomon did what the Lord considered evil. He did not wholeheartedly follow the Lord as his father David had done. 7 Then Solomon built an illegal worship site on the hill east of Jerusalem for Chemosh (the disgusting idol of Moab) and for Molech (the disgusting idol of the Ammonites). 8 He did these things for each of his foreign wives who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.”

Jereoboam I and King Ahab of the Northern Kingdom of Israel are known for practicing idolatry: Jeroboam IThe first king of the Northern Kingdom, Jeroboam established new places of worship, including golden calves in Bethel and Dan, to divert his people away from the temple in Judah. He also appointed his own priests. Jeroboam’s actions were motivated by a fear that his subjects would become sympathetic to the Southern Kingdom and its king, In the Bible, the prophet Amos condemned idolatry in the northern kingdom of Israel in the book of Amos, specifically in Amos 5:4-5: Amos 5:4-5: Amos tells the Israelites to renounce their idolatry and not enter the idolatrous temples of Bethel and Gilgal. Amos was sent to preach in Bethel of Israel by God to condemn the sins of the northern kingdom, including idolatry, greed, social injustice, and political corruption. Amos’s messages announced God’s anger and impending judgment on Israel. The idolatry of the northern kingdom eventually led to being carried into Assyrian captivity in 722 BC after 19 evil kings.

In the southern kingdom of Judah, several kings practiced idolatry but the worst if probably Manasseh. Known as the “Evil King”, Manasseh’s reign was marked by paganism, including human sacrifice and the worship of Baal and Asherah. He also sponsored the Assyrian astral cult. In contrast, King Josiah led Judah in a reform movement that broke the pattern of idol worship in his family. Josiah’s reforms included: Breaking down altars made by Manasseh, Defiling high places dedicated to foreign gods, and Breaking pillars and Asherim. But idolatry was too ingrained in the people. Josiah’s reforms did not stop the evil practices of Judah, which led the them being carried into Babylonian captivity in 3 exilles in 606 BC, 596 BC, and 586 BC when the temple and Jerusalem were destroyed by Nebuchadnezzer. There was no more idolatry of Judah after the exile, so God’s punishment worked.

I feel good that I don’t practice idolatry since it is such a bad sin. Really? Notice these new testament verses. 1 Corinthians 10:14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. 1 John 5:21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols. Colossians 3:5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. Ephesians 5:5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. What is “modern day idolatry” and some examples?

Modern-day idolatry is the act of misdirecting worship and giving more affection to something created than the Creator. It can take many forms, including: 

  • Materialism: Buying more and more things to build our egos 
  • Pride and ego: Obsessing over careers and jobs 
  • Self-aggrandizement: Self-indulgence through alcohol, drugs, sexual sins, and food 
  • Identity: Placing our identity in something or someone other than God, such as our social media following, our position at work, or our abilities 
  • Entertainment: Being obsessed with being entertained, such as through Netflix, vacations, video games, or podcasts 
  • Comfort: Being promised an easier or simpler or more comfortable life through products 
  • Phones: Becoming addicted to smartphones 

Idols can be anything that we look to for things that only God can give. They can be things that we believe will fulfill our desires, such as love, joy, peace, freedom, status, identity, control, happiness, security, fulfillment, significance, acceptance, and respect.

Ouch! I might not be worshipping some idol in my house or in a Hindu temple, but maybe I am just as much of an idolater as they are! “Turn away from idols” is a phrase that appears in the Bible, and it is a call to stop worshiping idols and to serve the true God: Ezekiel 14:6: “Repent and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your disgusting and vile acts” . Genesis 35:2-3 So Jacob told everyone in his household, “Get rid of all your pagan idols, purify yourselves, and put on clean clothing. We are now going to Bethel, where I will build an altar to the God who answered my prayers when I was in distress.” Some of his family had brought with them the household idols of Laban from his 20 years in Haran. Rachel hid hers from Laban when he caught up with Jacob fleeing Haran, searching for his household idols that had been stolen. So before Jacob could build an altar to worship God at Bethel, he made everyone put away their pagan altars. Maybe that’s what we need to do before we worship. Too many Christians go to some church assembly to worship with songs and praise, but then they go right back to their time, energy, and money being dominated by their modern idolatry idols listed above. God is a “jealous God”. Joshua 24:19“And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he is an holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins”. Joshua knew that the Israelites would worship the Canaanite gods after his death. In the Bible, God is described as jealous because he wants exclusive devotion from his people and commands that they love and worship him alone. He wants the same exclusive devotion that married mates would want from each other.

Am I an idolater? Are you an idolater?

Isaiah 40: WHAT A GREAT CHAPTER!

On By nrfaughtLeave a comment

The Messianic prophecies in this last part of the book of Isiah are discussed separately in the blog article “isaiah Messianic Prophet, but here are some other neat passages in this section.

COMFORT FOR GOD’S PEOPLE

40:1Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. 2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A lot of this chapter has Messianic overtones, especially since it starts with the prediction o the coming of John the Baptist (40:3).

THE WORD OF GOD STANDS FOREVER

40:6 “A voice says, “Cry!” And I said,] “What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass withers, the flower fade when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. 8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” This great verse is quoted in 1 Peter 1:22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for“All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” The primary meaning is probably that God’s predictions will always come true, but it is amazing that the word of God has stood all these centuries when many have tried to destroy it. From AI: 1) “Antiochus (in the 2nd century BC) also destroyed copies of the Torah and sentenced to death anyone who was found to possess a copy of the Torah or observed its teachings. Antiochus ordered the total suppression of Temple sacrifices, Sabbath observance, and the practice of circumcision.” 2)According to the Book of Jeremiah, King Jehoiakim (one of the last kings of Judah) attempted to destroy the written word of God (which included Jeremiah’s predictions of the fall of Jerusalem to happen in 586 BC) by cutting up and burning a scroll containing Jeremiah’s prophecies. From AI: 3) “In 303 AD, the Roman Emperor Diocletian ordered that the Christian Scriptures be confiscated and burned. When Christians were found, they would give them copies of deuterocanonical books or other Christian literature, and the pagans, unsuspecting, burned them.”

THE GREATNESS OF GOD

40:9-26. Vs 9 Go tell the world “Behold your God who is coming”. A series of questions beginning with “who” showing how great God is:

1) 40:12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Imagine a God so big that he can scoop up all the waters from the rivers, lakes, and seas in his hands. You can only scoop us maybe a cup of water in your hands. A span is about 9 inches in the Bible, the length of an outstretched hand. Can you imagine trying to measure the distance from Huntsville to Mobile using a ruler (which is 12 inches)? But God’s hands are so big that he can use His span to measure all the heavens in the universe, maybe just a few of his spans. Can you imagine weighing the Rocky Mountains on a bathroom scale? Or on a small balance in the lab that weighs grams of chemicals? But God is so big that His bathroom scales can weigh all the mountains and hills on earth. There is a neat song: Our God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing our God cannot do.”

2) 40:13 Who has measured (takan: To measure, weigh, regulate, estimate, balance)the Spirit of the Lord, or what man shows him his counsel? How big would you estimate that the Spirit of the Lord is? Psalm 139:7Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.” God is spirit (John 4:24) and His spirit fills the universe. The Spirit of God tells us the mind, thoughts, and plans of God. 1 Corinthians 2:10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”

3) Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? We are always trying to learn wisdom at the feet of great men like Socrates and Plato, but God doesn’t have to consult anyone about wisdom. He is the scource of all wisdom for salvation and all things.

40:15 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. 16 Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. 17 All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.” The United Nations recognizes 241 countries and territories when dependent territories are included with a total of 8 billion people. According to estimations, a gallon bucket can hold roughly 1 million drops of water. All the nations in the world are like one drop of water in God’s bucket.

Then to show the greatness of God, Isaiah has two “to whom will you liken or compare God to”?

  1. 40:18 To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him? 19 An idol! A craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts for it silver chains. 20 He who is too impoverished for an offering chooses wood that will not rot; he seeks out a skillful craftsman
    to set up an idol that will not move.” To an idol that a goldsmith forms, that a poor man has made to stand in his house so he can worship it for a long time since he can’t afford to go offer sacrifices on a regular basis?? God is big that: 40:22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; 23 who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. 24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble.” You might could sit on top of a small plastic globe of the earth but God is so big than he can sit on top of the earth sphere. I might stretch out the 6 feet of curtains in my bathtub before I take a shower. God stretches out the endless heavens like I stretch out those curtains. I might set up a little tent to dwell in and spend the night in outside. God sets up His tent with all the heavens of the universe so he can dwell in it. You can blow dust off a countertop to move it. God can blow on the nations and move them wherever He wants. Daniel 12:21 “He removes kings and sets up kings”. This verse also says that God changes times and seasons, gives wisdom to the wise, and reveals deep and secret things.”
  2. 40:25 To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.” Psalm 19:The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.” From AI: The observable universe has ~ 2 trillion galaxies. Each galaxy has ~ 100 billion stars. Each star has about 1.6 planets. Multiplying these gives 3.2 x 10^23 planets in the observable universe.” From AI: “A few hundred stars have proper names, while the International Astronomical Union (IAU) recognizes proper names for 152 planets. There are 88 officially recognized constellations, as defined by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) (like Orion, Pleiades, and Arcturas mentioned in Job 9:8-9: did God name those when he book of Job was written or were they already named that by people?).” But has named each of the 200 billion, trillion stars or planets. How long would it take us to do that? God is a spirit who fills the universe, so that would not be difficult for Him since His spirit is right there everywhere in the universe. There is a “fixed order” of stars and planets in the universe, all on pre-set patterns of movement. 1 Chronicles 16:30 – “He has fixed the earth firm, immovable.” Psalm 93:1 – “Thou hast fixed the earth immovable and firm.” Psalm 96:10 – “He has fixed the earth firm, immovable.”Psalm 104:5 -“Thou didst fix the earth on its foundation so that it never can be shaken.” This fixed order of movement is so precise and dependable that we can safely send men into space and return them from orbit around the moon.

THE NEVER TIRING GOD, THE GOD OF UNLIMITED STRENGTH AND POWER

40:27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?
28 Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.
29 He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.
30 Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
31 Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.”

The remnant often end up asking why God does not avenge their suffering. The souls under the altar in Revelation 6 asked, “How long, God, before You avenge our blood”? Is God asleep? Does He not see what is going on, how we are being persecuted? God even told the souls under the altar that He was going to wait until some more saints were martyred. That sounds like He doesn’t care. Or maybe He is powerless to stop it. Not so. He is the Creator of the universe so He has all power. He knows all that is going on. He is not tired or asleep. He has a plan and we must trust Him. He will give us the strength during those tough times to keep on keeping on. He will give us wings to fly above our trials and problems. He doesn’t always remove the problems, but He will give us the strength to handle them, to overcome them. As Paul said, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” God is all powerful, and the amazing thing is that He gives us enough of His power to handle everything we face or do. Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” It’s like when you are sinking in the water and can’t swim, or sinking in quicksand, and someone reaches down to give you their strong hand and pull up to safety, giving you strength that you can’t possibly have on your own.” From AI” In the Bible, God asks Moses if His power is limited in Numbers 11:23. This occurs when Moses expresses doubt about God’s ability to provide meat for the Israelites for a whole month, and God responds by saying, “Is the Lord’s hand shortened?” The LORD said to Moses, “Is the LORD’S power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not.”

ROMANS 11:25-27 (And all of Romans 9-11)

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Romans 11:25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:[k] a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion,
    he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”;27 “and this will be my covenant with them
    when I take away their sins.”

Romans 11:27 is considered to quote from the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, specifically from passages like Isaiah 59:20-21 and Isaiah 27:9, although the exact wording aligns most closely with the Septuagint translation of these verses, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible used by early Christians;. 

2 main questions from Romans 11:25-27: 1) Who is the “all Israel” that will be saved, and when will “all Israel be saved”? 2) What and when is the “fulness of the Gentiles”?

First of all, I must acknowledge that my interpretation of this passage comes from a full preterist view. That is important b/c that view eliminates futuristic interpretations of the passage. Many scholars believe that the passage is still to be fulfilled in our future, that it refers to the 2nd coming and a salvation of the Jewish people in the future. The full preterism view is that the 2nd coming was in 70 AD, so that would eliminate futuristic views completely. You can read my articles on the 2nd coming to. get a study of the full preterist view if you chose, but in this article I won’t defend the full preterism view.

Having said that, how do I answer those 2 main questions? Let’s look at the context of Romans 9-11. Those 3 chapters describe the process of saving the remnant of Israel (those who would believe that Jesus is the Messiah and be saved in the church) and the grafting in of the Gentile believers into the new covenant church along with the Jewish believers.

Key thoughts in these 3 chapters. 9:4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. That would be fleshly Israel, that nation of Israel in the OT. 9:6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring. “All who are descended from Israel” would be fleshly Israel, the nation. But “belong to Israel” would be the remnant of Israel who would believe in Jesus as the Messiah and be saved in the church. Those would be “the children of God, the children of promise”. “It is not the children of the flesh (the nation) who are the children of God”. In other words, not all who are of the fleshly Israel are in the remnant, only those Jews who believe in Jesus. “It is not as though the word of God has failed”. God made promises in the OT to save Israel in the Messianic Age. For example, Isaiah 27:9 “Therefore by this the guilt of Jacob will be atoned for, and this will be the full fruit of the removal of his sin” (quoted in Romans 11:27). The OT prophets spoke of “restore the fortunes of Israel” (Jeremiah 30:3,7,18; 32:44; 33:7,11; Amos 9:13-15). The cities will be rebult, Israel will return to their land and will dwell securely in the land. Israel will be saved (Jeremiah 33:16  “In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’” God would make a new covenant with Israel (Jeremiah 31:31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah) in which he would “forgive their iniquity and remember their sins no more” (Jeremiah 31:34 For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”) Jeremiah 31:36 “If this fixed order departs from before me, declares the Lord, then shall the offspring of Israel cease from being a nation before me forever.” The future of Israel would be as certain as the fixed order of the sun, moon, and stars in their orbits.

Now, on the surface, this looks as if these passages predict that the entire Jewish nation would be restored to the power of the nation under King David, that the nation of Israel would get and keep all the Promised Land forever in the Messianic Age, that the entire nation of Israel would be saved. But Paul says that “not all Israel belong to Israel” (Romans 9:6). He also says that these OT promises for Israel’s restoration and salvation have been fulfilled at the tiime he wrote Romans (“it is not as though the word of God has failed” Romans 9:6). This shows that those OT promises were made to the nation, but only the remnant (those Jews who accepted Jesus as the Messiah) would be the recipients of those promises. So, were those promises fulfilled phycially or is this figurative language? The remnant Jewish church did not receive the Promised Land that Joshua conquered. They did not rebuild cities. They did not restore the power of the kingdom under David. But they were saved spiritually and were the recipients of the OT promises. Therefore, those promises must be figurative language. Jesus said in John 18:36 “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Jesus said in Matthew 21: 43 “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.” Israel was God’s kingdom on earth in the OT (Exodus 19:6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation). God took that kingdom away from the fleshly nation of Israel and gave it to the church kingdom nation (of Jewish and Gentile believers). 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession. Revelatiiion 1:5 “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” The OT promises made to Israel were: 1) Spiritual, not physical, in nature; 2) Fulfilled only by the remnant of Jewish believers and not the entire nation.

Let’s move on to Romans 9:22 What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, 23 in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory— 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles? 25 As indeed he says in Hosea, “Those who were not my people I will call ‘my people,’ and her who was not beloved I will call ‘beloved.’” 26 “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’” 27 And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: “Though the number of the sons of Israel[c] be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved, 28 for the Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without delay.” 29 And as Isaiah predicted, “If the Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been like Sodom and become like Gomorrah.”

Notice that most of the Jewish nation were “vessels of wrath prepared for destruction”, i.e. the Jews who rejected Jesus as the Messiah would be destroyed, a prediction of the judgment on the Jews in 70 AD when the Romans destroyed the city of Jerusalem and the temple and one million Jews were killed (according to Josephus). But God called the remnant who believed in Jesus as the Messiah to be saved, along with Gentiles who believed in Jesus as the Messiah. In 9:27 Paul quotes Isaiah 10:22. I like Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible “The remnant shall return”,…. This is said in allusion to Shearjashub, the name of Isaiah’s son, Isaiah 7:3 which signifies “the remnant shall return”, and was imposed on him, to give assurance of it; meaning, either that they should return from the Babylonish captivity, as they did, or to God by repentance; or rather the sense is, they shall turn to the Lord, be converted to Christ, to the faith and obedience of him, as some of them were when he came, a few, not all, only a remnant, as it is explained in the next clause”. In other words, Isaiah 10:22 could be a Messianic prediction of the remnant of believing Jews, which is the way Paul used it in Romans 9:27. For sure, Paul is saying that only a remnant of the nation of Israel would be saved in the Messianic Age. Remember that b/c in 11:27 he will say “all Israel will be saved”. Same language as chapter 9. The “Israel” of 11:27 would be the same remnant, spiritual church Israel as in ch 9. The “will be saved” would only refer to the remnant being saved and not the entire nation. Too many scholars intepret 11:27 based on their views of a future 2nd coming in which the nation of Israel will be retored to the Promised Land instead of examinng the context of chapter 9.

Paul concludes chapter 9, saying 9:What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; 31 but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” This is discussing the unbelieving Jews and why they missed out on the spiritual promises of salvation by the Messiah. These would be the “vessels of wrath prepared for destruction”. Why did they miss out? B/c they pursued the Law to earn salvation by keeping the Law and became self righteous, not feeling that they needed the grace and forgiveness that Jesus came to bring the remnant. They were invited to receive that, but their self righteousness kept them from receiving it. “Many are called but few chosen” (Mt 22:14). BTW Calvinism says that only the arbitrarily predetermined elect are called, but Jesus says that not all those called will be chosen for salvation. Also, Paul in Romans 9:30-33 says that the Jews who did not accept Jesus as the Messiah did so off their own freewill choice, that they did so b/c they pursued the Law as a means of righteousness (which cannot save) instead of a means of leading them to the saving righteousness of Jesus (which can save). Does that sound like Calvinism where the elect really don’t have a choice. Paul says that the Jews had a choice, but made the wrong choice in how they pursued the Law. Read the article I wrote on Ephesians 1:15 for a more thorough discussion of predestination and Calvinism.

I know all this figurative fulfillment of OT prophecies for Israel is heresy to those who expect Jesus to set up a physical kingdom at his 2nd coming and that he will restore the nation of Israel to their land forever, but please consider the context of Romans 9. The OT promises to restore the fortunes of Israel and to restore them their land had been fulfilled when Paul wrote Romans. They were fulfilled only in and for the remnant Jews who accepted Jesus as the Messiah. Those OT promises were not fulfilled physically for the nation. Therefore, those OT promises must have been fulfilled spiritually and only for the remnant. I’m sure that could be put in some syllogistic reasoning. Syllogistic reasoning is a type of deductive argument that uses two premises to reach a specific conclusion. Here are some examples of syllogistic reasoning: All mammals are animals, camels are mammals, therefore camels are animals. Maybe, 1) All the OT promises for Israel in the Messianic Age were fulfilled for only the remnant by the time Paul wrote Romans. 2) Those promises were not fulfilled pysically for the nation when Paul wrote Romans. 3) Those promises could only be fulfilled spiritually for the renmnant, not the whole nation. I know figurative language can be confusing or even misleading. The Jews expected the OT promises to be fulfilled literally, for the power of the nation of Israel to be restored and a resoration to the Promised Land to be held forever. I can see why why would think that. That is also the reason they rejected Jesus, i.e. b/c he came to establish a spiritual kingdom, not physical. They expected the Messiah to defeat Israel’s enemies, the Romans, but he said he came to destroy spiritual, not physical, powers of the darkness. Even the apostles expected a physical kingdom, even after the resurrection. Acts 1:6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
In other words, “Lord you didn’t restore the kingdom to Israel (physcially) while you were alive, but now we get it, now you are going to restore it to Israel?” Had they forgotten Mt 21:43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.” The kingdom would not only not be restored to the nation, but it would be taken away from the nation. Remember, Jesus used figurative language a lot. He said that the fulfillment of Malachi 4:5 “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes” was in John the Baptist, not the literal man Elijah coming. Mt 11:13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. 14 And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. Mt 17:11 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist”.

I wish those who expect a literal fulfillment of OT promises to Israel would be consistent. In the same “restore the fortunes of Israel” passages of Jeremiah 33:7,11, it predicts 33:17 “For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, 18 and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever.” Would they not have to say that, since they expect the restoration of Israel to be still in our future, then 33:17 would be fulfilled in our future at the same time? If so, do they expect that when Jesus returns that Christians will go back to having a Levitical priesthood that burns animal sacrifices? That would be a total contradiction of the whole book of Hebrews. No, the literalists would probaly say, “Oh, well that part was fulfilled spiritually”. Do you see how inconsistent their interpretation is? Literal in 33:7, 11 but figurative in 33:17,18. Now, the unbelieving Jews today still expect both the restoration of Israel and the restoration of the Levitical priesthood to be fulfilled when the real Messiah comes in our future (they don’t believe Jesus was the Messiah). At least they are consistent, even if they are totally wrong! Why can’t the literalists see that they are making the same mistake that the unbelieving Jews made when they expected a literal fulfillment of the OT promises to Israel?????? They then might start preaching that the kingdom of God, of heaven, of Jesus is the church and that there is not physical kingdom to be set up at his 2nd coming.

They might even then examine the predictions of Jesus that his 2nd coming would be in the lifetime of those he was speaking to. Mt 11:23 `And whenever they may persecute you in this city, flee to the other, for verily I say to you, ye may not have completed the cities of Israel till the Son of Man may come. Mt 16:27 `For, the Son of Man is about to come in the glory of his Father, with his messengers, and then he will reward each, according to his work. 28 Verily I say to you, there are certain of those standing here who shall not taste of death till they may see the Son of Man coming in his reign. Notice “the Son of Man is about to come” That is the Greek word mello, and it always means “about to be, about to happen”. Thankfully Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) translates it correctly in Mt 16:28. Most translations just say “is going to come”. Jesus is a false prophet if his 2nd coming was not imminent, about to happen, or if some listening to him would not be alive when he returned in his reign or kingdom (same Greek word, basileia: Kingdom. Mt 24:29 “And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from the heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken; 30 and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in the heaven; and then shall all the tribes of the earth smite the breast, and they shall see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds of the heaven, with power and much glory.” This coming of the Son of Man had to occur within the generation of those Jesus was talking to. Mt 24:34 Verily I say to you, this generation may not pass away till all these may come to pass. That word for generation is genea which always is used in the NT of a 40 year period or the people living in a 40 year period, like we speak of the x or z generation. Mt 1 has 42 generations of the genealogy of Jesus which covers about 2,000 years. In the chapter before Mt 24, Jesus had just predicted judgment on the Jews for killing the prophets and the apostles. He told them Mt 23:36 “verily I say to you, all these things shall come upon this generation.” The word generation clearly refers to that generation of Jews that were currently alive when he spoke. They are the ones who will be judged in about 40 years in 70 AD. Jesus told Caiaphas in Mt 26:64 Jesus saith to him, `Thou hast said; nevertheless I say to you, hereafter ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the power, and coming upon the clouds, of the heaven.’ We don’t know when Caiaphas died, but I believe Jesus is not a false prophet. Caiaphas must have lived to at least see the beginning of the 2nd coming in judgement on the Jews. These are the only 4 passages where Jesus predicts his 2nd coming. They all say that his 2nd coming would be within the lifetime of those he was speaking to, that it was “about to” happen. I challenge you to find any othe passage in the gospels where he predicts a “coming” that would not be within their lifetime. It is not to be found. Would that not be strange if a 2nd coming that is still in our future was never even predicted by Jesus in the gospels? Well, I guess I got into full preterism after all, but I still hope you will read my article “The 2nd coming” for a more thorough disscussion.

Back to Romans! Romans 10:3 “For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” This verse again shows that they had the freewill to not submit to God’s righteousness. Why would Paul blame them for not submitting if they did not have the freewill to either accept or submit (as Calvinism teaches)? It also shows again, as 9:32, that their problem was that they pursued the Law as a means of righteousness. The Law was given to show them that they could not obtain righteousness by Law keeping b/c no one could keep the Law perfectly, and the Law did not provide for eternal forgiveness of sisn by animal sacrifices. If someone understood that, they would gladly accept Jesus and receive the righteousness which is by faith in Jesus, the reckoned or imputed righteousness that Paul spoke of in Romans 4:2 “for if Abraham by works was declared righteous, he hath to boast — but not before god; 3 for what doth the writing say? `And Abraham did believe God, and it was reckoned to him — to righteousness;’ 4 and to him who is working, the reward is not reckoned of grace, but of debt; 5 and to him who is not working, and is believing upon Him who is declaring righteous the impious, his faith is reckoned — to righteousness: 6 even as David also doth speak of the happiness of the man to whom God doth reckon righteousness apart from works.”  Then in Philippians 3:9 “not having my righteousness, which [is] of law, but that which [is] through faith of Christ — the righteousness that is of God by the faith.” That reckoned righteousness which comes by faith is Romans 10:9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 for with the heart doth [one] believe to righteousness, and with the mouth is confession made to salvation.” It comes by faith and not keeping the Law (or any law).

Paul then brings up a possible objection: Romans 10:18 But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for “Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” Maybe all fleshly Jews did not have the opportunity to hear the gospel and believe? Paul says that the gospel had been preached to the ends of the (Roman) world. Colossians 1:”23 if also ye remain in the faith, being founded and settled, and not moved away from the hope of the good news, which ye heard, which was preached in all the creation that [is] under the heaven, of which I became — I Paul — a ministrant.” Paul says that the gospel had been preached to the whole Roman world (empire) by the time he wrote Colossians in about 62 AD. Then Paul gives another possible objection, Romans 10:19 “But I ask, did Israel not understand?” Well, they probably didn’t understand the need for the gospel, but it wasn’t b/c they were not capable of understanding. It certainly wasn’t b/c only the predestined elect could understand by “I” (irresistible grace in Calvinism) when God would send His Spirit basically allowing and forcing the elect to be able to believe (Calvinism). Paul says that they simply refused to believe. Romans 10:21 But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” They could have chosen to believe but refused to. It is amazing to me how Calvinists use Romans 9-11 as a proof text of their teaching when the context refutes Calvinism over and over.

All this might sound like God has rejected the whole nation of Israel. Paul anticipated that thought. Romans 11:”I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means!” He had rejected those Jews who refused to accept Jesus as Messiah and prepared them as vessels of wrath for destruction in 70 AD. But Romans 11:5 “So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.” God had not rejected the remnant of Jews who would believe in Jesus as the Messiah. Back to the remant idea. Yes, “chosen” but chosen by grace through faith; not the chosen of Calvinism (the elect chosen with irresistible grace without their freewill choice to believe or not). Romans 11:7 What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.” If you didn’t read the context of chapters 9 and 10, you might say this is pure Calvinism in these verses. The “elect” obtained salvation and grace but God gave a stupor of unbelief that made them not believe in Jesus???? The context of chapters 9 and 10 show that the Jews had the freewill choice to accept Jesus as the Messiah or not. It shows why they failed to accept Jesus as the Messiah, i.e. they pursued the Law as a means of righteousness, which implies they were to blame and would be held accountable for their unbelief. In Calvinism, you have to blame God if someone is lost b/c He has arbitrarily predestined some to be lost regardless of their freewill choices. Again, Calvinism is wrong. Paul explains how God gave them a “spirit of stupor” that they could not see or hear. How did God do that? By somehow making their hearts unable to believe? No. Romans 11:9 And David says, “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; 10 let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,and bend their backs forever.” The design of salvation was the death of Jesus on a cross like a common criminal. That was an intentional design to weed out those who would not accept God’s plan b/c of their pride. The cross would be a stumbling block to the Jews b/c they were looking for physical blessings and kingdom. 1 Corinthians 1:21 for, seeing in the wisdom of God the world through the wisdom knew not God, it did please God through the foolishness of the preaching to save those believing. 22 Since also Jews ask a sign, and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 also we — we preach Christ crucified, to Jews, indeed, a stumbling-block, and to Greeks foolishness, 24 and to those called — both Jews and Greeks — Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God,25 because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” In spite of Isaiah 53 predicting the death of the Messiah, they did not expect the Messiah to die.

Paul anticipates another thought. Romans 11:11 “So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means!” By this he means was the stumbling of the unbelieving Jews a permanent thing that left them with no hope? By not means, he says. “Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!” So, if those unbelieving Jews eventually see the Gentiles saved and are filled with jealousy, and if they change and accept Jesus as the Messiah, they can be saved. That would be their “full inclusion” (YLT). That would mean that, when you add them to the ones who initially accepted Jesus as the Messiah, you then have the “full” remnant that will be saved before 70 AD. BTW this pretty well answers the question in 11:27 “who is the all Israel who will be saved”. It is when the entire remnant is gathered by 70 AD by the preaching of the gospel in the whole Roman empire. Jesus spoke of this “gathering of the elect from the four winds” in Mt 24:31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. We have to assume that there were many such Jews who initially rejected the gospel but later accepted it and were added to the church. Paul warns the Gentile believers not to be arrogant toward any unbelieving Jews who later believe. He says that if God did not spare the unbelieving natural branches (the unbelieving Jews) b/c of their unbelief, then He will not spare Gentile believers fall away. Those unbelieving natural branches (unbelieving Jews) were cut off the tree, but they will be grafted back into the tree (just as the Gentile believers were grafted into the tree) if they repent and later believe in Jesus. BTW doesn’t this help up with the 11:27 “the fulness of the Gentiles”? The language of 11:12, “the full inclusion”, meant when all the remnant was saved and gathered. So does that mean that the “fulness of the Gentiles” would be similar, i.e. when all the Gentile believers were gathered by 70 AD? Maybe so.

That brings us to the actual topic we started with. Romans 11:25 Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers:[d] a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; 27 “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” Again, 2 main questions from Romans 11:25-27: 1) Who is the “all Israel” that will be saved, and when will “all Israel be saved”? 2) What and when is the “fulness of the Gentiles”?

  1. Hopefully we have already seen that the “all Israel will be saved” refers to the gathering of all the remnant of the Jews who believed in Jesus as the Messiah. This gathering of the remnant would take place when “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; 27 “and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” This is a quote from Isiah 59:20 “And a Redeemer will come to Zion,  to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the Lord.21 “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.” There is a lot of debate on this quote b/c Isaiah says “to Zion” and Romans 11:27 says “from Zion”. You have to think that this is in reference to the 2nd coming, coming to Zion (Jerusalem) to establish the new covenant of Isaiah 59:21 where he will saved the remnant and take away their sins. You can research the “to” or “from” Zion if you want to dig deeper, but it is safe to say that 11:27 is referring to the 2nd coming of Jesus. In Mt 24, the elect remnant would be gathered (24:31) within that generation (24:34) and the 2nd coming (24:30) would be within that generation. So the timing and event match.
  2. The fulness of the Gentiles. 11:27 “the fulness of the Gentiles”? The language of 11:12, “the full inclusion”, meant when all the remnant was saved and gathered. So does that mean that the “fulness of the Gentiles” would be similar, i.e. when all the Gentile believers were gathered by 70 AD? Maybe so. There was a process of natural branches being broken off, Gentile believers being grafted in, and then unbelieving Jews who later believed being grafted back in this Messianic church kingdom tree. All this would be fulfilled by 70 AD and the 2nd coming. That doesn’t mean that the process would stop after that. There would continue to be Jews and Gentiles converted, but Paul is peaking specifically of the process developing by 70 AD when the plan of redemption was finally realized. Here is a good statement AI from the internet. “The fullness is the state of being fully included in the covenant. A transitional period between Christ’s great commission and the destruction of Jerusalem (and the sacrificial system).” So by 70AD the gentiles are now fully included in the covenant.ApHere is a great image of that from pinterest.

Paul closes with this doxology: Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” God’s plan from all eternity was to save Jews and Gentiles who would accept His Son as the Messiah who died for their sins, and unite them in one body, the church. That was the mystery of Ephesians 3. Revelation 10:7 but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets. What a great statement. Who would have ever thought that this would be God’s plan of salvation. Amazing!

I hope this is beneficial to you. Long but it needs a careful examination.

Thanks for reading.

WHEN WERE THE 4 GOSPELS WRITTEN?

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Were the 4 gospel really written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? Were they written early, or as some say, in the late first century (if so, not written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John b/c they died before 70 AD. Here is the liberal view on all that.

According to Bart Ehrman, the four gospels were written in the following order:

  • Mark: Written around 70 CE
  • Matthew and Luke: Written around 80–85 CE
  • John: Written around 90–95 CE 

Bart Ehrman has said that the Gospels were written and circulated anonymously, and that Christian leaders later attributed them to Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John: 

I believe all 4 gospels were written before 70 AD. First, let’s look at the 3 synoptics: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. There is one main proof for me. All 3 predict in detail the destruction of the temple and city of Jerusalem to happen in the future after writing the gospels. A whole chapter in each gospel predicts that: Mt 24, Mk 13, and Lk 21. There are many other such predictions in the gospels, like the parable of the wheat and tears in Mt 13, but we will

focus on those 3 chapters. For example, Mt 24 predicts several events to be fulfilled within that generation (24:34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.). Mk 13 and Lk 21 do the same thing. The word genea in the NT always refers to a 40 year period or the people living in a 40 year period. For example, Mt 1 lists 42 generations from Abraham to Jesus, which is about 2,000 years. Mt 23:36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. The word genea there obviously is referring to the generation of Jews that Jesus is speaking to.

Now, if Matthew was written after AD 70, don’t you think that he (or whoever wrote the gospel) would have said that prediction of 70 AD was already fulfilled, proving Jesus to be a true prophet? Matthew often quotes prophecies, like the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem (Mt 2), showing the fulfillment of that prophecy. Surely he would have done that with the Mt 24 prediction if it had already been fulfilled when he wrote the gospel. That means that the predictions in Mt 24 had not been fulfilled at the time of writing of the gospel. That means that the gospel was written before 70 AD.

For example, suppose we found an old, old book about the persecution of Jews in history, but we don’t know when it was written. Suppose that it tells about AD 70, about the killing of Jews in the Crusades, the killing of Jews during the Black Plagues (some blamed the Jews for the plague), etc. But suppose that it did not discuss the Holocaust. To me, that means that the book was written before the Holocaust happened. That means the book was written before 1945 AD. Do you see the point?

The gospel of John is a different case, but I believe that it was written before 70 AD (in spite of tradition saying that he wrote Revelation in 96 AD. Why do I believe that? The main reason is that I believe that he died before 70 AD. The church father Papias (60-130 AD) said that John died a martyr’s death as the hands of the Jews (he did not give a date). He supported that saying the John died a martyr just like Jesus had predicted that the brothers James and John would die. Jesus predicted that James and John would be martyred in the Bible, in Mark 10:35–45. In this passage, Jesus tells the brothers that they will “drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with”. We know James the apostle was martyred by Herod in Acts 12. The only time John could have been killed by the Jews would have to be before 70 AD. A million Jews died in the siege of Jerusalem and 200,000 were carried away captive (according to Josephus who was present during the siege). Most say John lived to the year 100 AD and died a natural death, but that would contradict what Jesus predicted. Also, if he died as a martyr around 100 AD, surely there would be church father testimony to that fact, but there is none. The Jews did not have the ability to kill Christians around 100 AD. There is just the speculation that he wrote Revelation in 96 AD based on the statement of one church father (Irenaeus, 130-202 AD). That statement is not even clear as to what he is saying. But the internal evidence of the book of Revelation says that it was written during the reign of Emperor Nero (54-68 AD). Rev 17:9 This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 10 they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. Refer to my Revelation articles for a more thorough discussion but the seven kings here are the first 7 emperors of Rome starting with Julius Caesar. I know many historians say that the first emperor was Augustus, but Josephus at least twice says that Augustus was the 2nd king, not the 1st, and Josephus lived at that time and would know who was considered to be the first king of Rome, i.e. Julius. Also Seutonius, (a Roman biographer, 69-122 AD) wrote The Lives of the Twelve Caesars, beginning with Julius, not Augustus. So, at the time of writing Revelation, 5 kings were dead, “fallen” (Julius through Claudius), the 6th, “one is”, is reigning when the book is written, i.e. Nero (54-68 AD). So the book had to be written before Nero died in 68 AD. That certainly fits the Papias statement that John died a martyr’s death at the hands of the Jews. If John died before 70 AD, then obviously he wrote his gospel of John, and his letters (1,2,3 John and Revelation) before he died in 70 AD. There is some internal evidence also that John wrote his gospel before 70 AD. John 5:1 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic[a] called Bethesda,[b] which has five roofed colonnades. He says there “was” a feast that Jesus went to (past tense) but then he says there “is” a pool in Jerusalem (present tense). The pool was Bethesday was still there when he wrote the gospel. After 70 AD, there would no longer be a pool there since the Romans destroyed everything. Like wise with Rev 11: 1Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there. The temple was still standing and Jews worshipping there when he wrote Revelation. It was destroyed in 70 AD, so the letter had to be written before 70 AD.

I hope this establishes that the 4 gospels were written before 70 AD. That means they were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, since the early church would have rejected a forgery gospel while the 4 men were still living. The church fathers of the 2nd century all accepted the 4 gospels as being written by the 4 men. That’s why they were put in the NT canon later. In his work Against Heresies, Irenaeus of Lyons argued that there should be four Gospels because of the four zones of the world, the four winds…Irenaeus declared that the four he espoused were the four pillars of the Church: ‘it is not possible that there can be either more or fewer than four‘ he stated, presenting as logic the analogy of the four corners of the earth and the four winds (1.11. 8). The early church fathers quoted or cited the 4 gospels thousands of times as Scripture. Would they have done that if the 4 gospels were written by anonymous authors? If they accepted the 4 gospels as authentic and rejected many other gospels (like the gospel of Mary Magdelene, etc), then would they not have also rejected the 4 gospels unless they were very confident that they were genu

Why is it so important to establish the early date of writing of the 4 gospels? If they were written before 70 AD, then those who read the gospels would have been able to refute their authenticity, authorship, the stories and miracles they recorded. If they claimed a resurrection of Jesus within 40 years of his resurrection in 30 AD, then people living before 70 AD would have had the opportunity to refute that resurrection. If I claiimed that a certain man was raised from the Maple Hill Cemetry 10 years ago, then people could research that and either refute it or verify it. If I said a that man was raised 50 years ago, there would be very few living that could verify that or refute it. If the miracles of Jesus were mere legend, as well as his resurrection, as many claim them to be, then 20 or 30 years would not be enough time for a legend to be established. If the gospels were written anonimously by whoever in the late first century, how would they get their facts about Jesus ministry and miracles. Luke 1:1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. Luke could interview witnesses if he wrote his gospel before 70 AD while many witnesses were still alive. If he wrote it the late 1st century, many would be dead.

I’m sure some of the Christian apologists could make more arguments for the early date of writing of the gospels, but this article has my reasons. BTW the same logic used here could be used to say that the entire NT was written before 70 AD. Paul was beheaded by Nero around 66 AD, so all of his letters had to be written before he died and thus before 70 AD. Many of Paul’s letters also predict the coming of Jesus in 70 AD also (like 2 Thess 2), so they had to be written before that event.Hebrews was not written by Paul, but it has internal evidence that it was written before the temple was destroyed in 70 AD. Heb 9:8 By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the holy places “is” (present tense) not yet opened as long as the first section “is” (present tense) still standing 9 (which is symbolic for the present age). That present tense “is” shows that the temple was still standing when the letter was written. Heb 10: 37 For, “Yet a little while,
and the coming one will come and will not delay”. The only “coming of Jesus” here can be is the coming in judgment on Jerusalem in 70 AD, the “2nd coming”. No other coming would fit this verse if the book was written after 70 AD. This prediction came true in 70 AD, proving that the author, whoever it might be, is inspired by the Holy Spirit. James 5:8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Thus James predicts the coming of Jesus to be “at hand” (i.e. soon, shortly) and this can only refer to the coming of Jesus in 70 AD. That proves that the book is written before 70 AD. Peter was an apostle and was killed by Nero, so he died about 66 AD and obviously 1,2 Peter were written before he died, before 70 AD. Jude was a brother of Jesus. Jude mentioned the coming of the Lord and the judgment of the great day, which I believe is 70 AD, so Jude was written before 70 AD.

In summary, from the internet (AI), “The primary evidence suggesting the Gospels were written before 70 AD is that they describe Jerusalem and its Temple as still standing, despite the fact that both were destroyed by the Romans in that year; this indicates the authors were writing before the destruction event, as they would have mentioned it if they were writing afterwards.”

Thanks for reading. You can trust your 4 gospels!!!!!!