Tag: god

HOSEA: A STRANGE MARRIAGE

On By nrfaughtLeave a comment

The prophet Hosea prophesied in the 8th century B.C.E., during the reign of Kings Jeroboam II and Hoseah.  King Jeroboam II (787-747 BCE) was the 13th king of Israel and King Hoseah (731-722 BCE) was the 19th and last king of Israel. Hosea had a very long prophetic ministry, probably from about 750 to 722 BCE.  He prophesied to the northern kingdom of Israel in the 30 years before they were carried into Assyrian captivity in 722 BC as punishment for idolatry. We don’t know how or where he died. Jereboam I (931-910 BC), the 1st king of Israel,

had began the idol worship by making the two golden calves at Dan and Bethel, but the worship of Baal and Asherah persisted throughout the history of the northern kingdom (from 931-722 BC). Especially King Ahab (874-853 BC), the 7th king of Israel, who built a temple for Baal in Samaria. His wicked wife Jezebel had 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah who “ate at her table”. Elijah had the test at Mt Carmel and then they killed all those prophets of Baal and Aserah. Jehu (841-814 BC), the 10th king of Israel, was anointed king by Elijah for the purpose of killing all of Ahab’s descendants and killing Jezebel. He did just that, beheading 70 of Ahab’s sons and killing Ahab’s son, Ahaziah (853-852 BC), the 8th king of Israel, and all his relatives. He pretended to host a banquet for the followers of Baal, only to trap and kill them. He tracked Jezebel down and some men cast her down from an upper story as she put on her makeup. The dogs ate all of her except her hands, feet, and skull. The dogs licked her blood in the same place that Jezebel had Naboth killed to get his vineyard for Ahab. Unfortunately, Jehu eliminated Baal worship from Israel but he continue to worship the golden calves of Jereboam I.

Hosea 1:1The word of the Lord that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.” That would be Jereboam II (793-753 BC), the 13th king of Israel (no kin to Ahab). From https://www.julianspriggs.co.uk/pages/KingsOfIsrael “Jeroboam restored the land to the same boundaries as in the days of David and Solomon (14:25). He also had control over Damascus, as ordained by God and spoken through the prophet Jonah (14:27). During Jeroboam’s reign, Assyria had a succession of weak leaders. The peace brought economic prosperity and trade with Phoenicia.Hosea and Amos condemned the north for abandoning God and oppressing the poor. Ivory was used to build mansions. Some administrative documents have been found. Great quantities of oil was bought at low price from the farmers (Amos 6:6). These economic as well as the moral iniquities caused the decline of Israel.” During the reign of Mehahem (752-742 BC), the 16th king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser III (called Pul – 15:17) became one of the strongest rulers of Assyria. 

During the reign of Pekah (740-732 BC), the 18th king of Israel, “Tiglath-pileser’s campaign of 734-732 took him to Philistia, which he subdued, then on to Israel by 733, destroying cities in Galilee and Naphtali. People were deported to Assyria, as was his custom. After Israel, the Assyrians continued up to Damascus, which they took in 732. Rezin was killed, thus ending the nation which was often used by God to judge Israel. Damascus became an Assyrian province (2 Kg 16:9-10). Pekah was spared by Tiglath-pileser.” Again, from https://www.julianspriggs.co.uk/pages/KingsOfIsrael During the reign of Hoshea (732-722 BC), the 19th and last king of Israel: “By this time, Israel had become a small vassal state paying regular tribute to Assyria, who had occupied the whole of Galilee and the Transjordan.Hoshea rebelled and made an alliance with So, the weak king of Egypt. When Assyria came to suppress the revolt, Hoshea tried to give them tribute again. It did not work and he was put in prison, the land was invaded and Samaria was besieged for three years (17:1-5). Unable to withstand, Samaria fell and its inhabitants were deported to Assyria and further east in the land of Media (17:6).”

All that history of the northern kingdom to tell you what things were like in Israel when Hosea prophesied. Israel’s doom of Assyrian captivity was sealed and we think Hosea lived to see it happen. But his book is not just more condemning of Israel. It is a stange love story. From AI: “In the Bible, Hosea’s marriage to Gomer, a woman described as a prostitute, served as a symbolic representation of God’s covenant with Israel, where God, like Hosea, remained faithful despite Israel’s repeated unfaithfulness and idolatry, illustrating God’s enduring love for his people even when they stray away from him; essentially, Hosea was commanded by God to marry Gomer, who then committed adultery, mirroring Israel’s betrayal of God through worshipping false idols.” Their 3 sons had names symbolizing the punishment about to come on Israel. Chapter 3 is a key chapter. Apparently Gomer left Hosea and her sons and went back into prostitution, ending up on the auction block. Hosea 3:1 And the Lord said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by another man and is an adulteress, even as the Lord loves the children of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love cakes of raisins.” 2 So I bought her for fifteen shekels of silver and a homer and a lethech of barley. 3 And I said to her, “You must dwell as mine for many days. You shall not play the whore, or belong to another man; so will I also be to you.” 4 For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or household gods. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and they shall come in fear to the Lord and to his goodness in the latter days.”

So, even though Hosea condemns Israel, he gives Messianic hope for at least some of them. We know this is a Messianic chapter b/c “David will be their king in the latter days”. Ezekiel 37 had made this same prophecy: 37:24 “My servant David shall be king over them, and they shall all have one shepherd.” So that is figurative language fulfilled in Jesus as the future Messianic king. Isaiah and Jeremiah both said that a “root (or descendant) of Jesse” would arise in the Messianic age (again that was fulfilled in Jesus). David being king and Israel being restored would happen in the “latter days”, or the last days of the Jewish Age (from 30 AD to 70 AD). The northern kingdom would be without a king for many years until the Messiah would come. Benson Commentary: “And this prediction was remarkably fulfilled upon the ten tribes, when made captives by Shalmaneser, (compare Hosea 9:4,) and upon the two remaining tribes, after the destruction of their temple and commonwealth by Nebuchadnezzar, and during their captivity in Babylon.” I think Benson is correct in saying that this prediction would include Judah after her exile in Babylon. The exiles cured Israel and Judah of her idolatrous practices. There is no more mention of idolatry in Judah from the time of her return from Babylon in 536 BC until Jesus came.

I find this prediction amazing. God still loved the northern kingdom of Israel in spite of her idolatry. They were carried into Assyrian captivity to become known as the “lost 10 tribes of Israel’. “Once exiled, the tribes gradually integrated with other populations, losing their distinct identity and cultural practices.  Due to the lack of historical records after their exile, the exact location of the “Lost Tribes” remains unknown, leading to various theories and speculation about their descendants.” From gotquestions.org “Many of the Jews who remained in the land intermarried with people from Cutha, Ava, Hamath, and Sepharvaim who had been sent by the Assyrian king to inhabit Samaria (2 Kings 17:24; Ezra 4:2–11).” They became the “Samaritans” of the New Testament. There are many mysteries, legends, and traditions as to what happened to the ten “lost” tribes of Israel. One legend says that the ten tribes migrated to Europe (the Danube River, they say, got its name from the tribe of Dan). Another legend says the tribes migrated all the way to England and that all Anglo-Saxons today are actually Jews—this is a teaching of the heretical British Israelism (Herbert W. Armstrong who claimed that the United States is descended from the tribe of Manasseh, while England and the British Commonwealth are descended from the tribe of Ephraim). A surprising number of groups around the world claim to have descended from the “lost” tribes: there are people in India, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and North America who all claim such ancestry. Other theories equate the Japanese or the American Indians with the ten “lost” tribes of Israel (taught by the Mormons). The truth is that the “lost tribes of Israel” were never really lost. Many of the Jews who remained in the land after the Assyrian conquest re-united with Judah in the south (2 Chronicles 34:6–9). Assyria was later conquered by Babylon, who went on to invade the Southern Kingdom of Israel, deporting the two remaining tribes: Judah and Benjamin (2 Kings 25:21). Remnants of the northern tribes would have thus been part of the Babylonian deportations. Seventy years later, when King Cyrus allowed the Israelites to return to Israel (Ezra 1), many (from all twelve tribes) returned to Israel to rebuild their homeland. In the Gospels, the prophetess Anna (Luke 2:36) was from the tribe of Asher (one of the ten supposedly lost tribes). Anna wasn’t lost at all. Both Zechariah and Elisabeth—and therefore John the Baptist—are from the tribe of Levi (Luke 1:5). Jesus promises the disciples that they will “sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel” (Luke 22:30). Paul, who knows he is from the tribe of Benjamin (Romans 11:1), speaks of “the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night” (Acts 26:7)—note the present tense. James addresses his epistle “to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations” (James 1:1). In short, there is ample evidence in Scripture that all twelve tribes of Israel are still in existence and will be in the Messianic kingdom.”

Thus the 10 tribes dispersed and no longer existed as distinct tribes after the Assyrian captivity, but they still claim to know which tribe they descended from. The amazing thing is that God still had a remnant from among the 10 tribes who would become part of the Jewish remnant church of the book of Acts, which would have included Jewish Christians from all 12 tribes.

Worshipping other gods is spiritual adultery, or “whoredom (spiritual prostitution)”.

Hosea 4:12 “They ask a piece of wood for advice! They think a stick can tell them the future! Longing after idols has made them foolish. They have played the prostitute, serving other gods and deserting their God.”

Hosea 9:1 “O Israel, do not rejoice as other nations do. For you have been unfaithful to your God, hiring yourselves out like prostitutes, worshiping other gods on every threshing floor.”

Ezekiel 6:9 “Then when they are exiled among the nations, they will remember me. They will recognize how hurt I am by their unfaithful hearts and lustful eyes that long for their idols.” NOTICE THAT GOD IS HURT BY SPIRITUAL ADULTERY JUST AS A HUSBAND OR WIFE WOULD BE BY THE ADULTERY OF A MATE.

Ezekiel 16:32 “Yes, you are an adulterous wife who takes in strangers instead of her own husband.”

Jeremiah 3:1 “If a man divorces a woman and she goes and marries someone else, he will not take her back again, for that would surely corrupt the land. But you have prostituted yourself with many lovers, says the Lord. Yet I’m still calling you back to me.”

Isaiah 1:21 “See how Jerusalem, once so faithful, has become a prostitute. Once the home of justice and righteousness, she is now filled with murderers.”

Judges 2:17 “Yet Israel did not listen to the judges but prostituted themselves by worshiping other gods. How quickly they turned away from the path of their ancestors, who had obeyed the Lord’s commands.”

Leviticus 20:5“I myself will turn against them and cut them off from the community, because they have committed spiritual prostitution by worshiping Molech.”

God is a “jealous God”, just like a husband or wife would be jealous of an adulterous mate who gives their love to a stranger. Exodus 34:14 “You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God who is jealous about his relationship with you.”

Jesus has a passionate love for us, his bride, but do we still have a passionate love for him? Zechariah 8:2 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: ‘My love for Mount Zion is passionate and strong; I am consumed with passion for Jerusalem!’” You became the bride of Christ when you became a Christian. Your loyalty and devotion to God must be pure like that of a loyal husband or wife. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”

Maybe you are thinking, “I’m glad I don’t worship idols like Israel did”. But read what James said: James 4:4 “You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.” James says that friendship with the world is spiritual adultery. The solution: James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” Greed is idolatry. 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.”

We have a Hindu temple right here in Huntsville, Al, which is hard to believe in the Bible belt. I have taken my Bible classes there on several occasions to walk around the temple and see all the Hindu god and goddess idols around the walls. They still practice idolatry in that temple. But how many of us Christains practice idolatry when we give our devotion to our idols of materialism, sports, hobbies, and greed? The Ephesian church in Revelation 2 had “lost their first love”.

God, please help me to restore that passion I had when I first became a Christian, when I was in my honeymoon stage of my spiritual marriage to Jesus. Help me to destroy or give up all my idols, things that I put ahead of God and Jesus in my life.

But the comforting thing comes from the book of Hosea. In spite of all the many times that I have committed spiritual adultery, God and Jesus still have a passionate love for me and will forgive me. I may find myself at the bottom of the barrel spiritually, like Gomer when she ended up on the auction block, but God still loves me and will buy me back (which is the meaning of the word “redemption). I don’t deserve that love any more than an unfaithful husband deserves a loving wife who forgives him after he has had an affair.


BAAL AND ASHERAH WORSHIP IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL

On By nrfaughtLeave a comment

I wanted to do an article on this and found a great article from https://www.gotquestions.org/Baal-and-Asherah.html that was better than anything I could have come up with. But here is a summary of Baal and Asherah worship using quotes from the article. Why reinvent the wheel? Maybe I can add a little.

“God had commanded Israel not to worship idols (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7)—indeed, they were to avoid even mentioning a false god’s name (Exodus 23:13). To prevent compromise, they were warned not to intermarry with the pagan nations and to shun practices that might be construed as pagan worship rites (Leviticus 20:23; 2 Kings 17:15; Ezekiel 11:12). Israel was the nation chosen by God to one day give rise to the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Yet, even with their heritage and so much riding on their future, Israel was continually drawn into dalliances with Baal and Asherah.

Baal was the supreme god in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. As the storm god, he was usually depicted holding a raised lightning bolt. His consort, Asherah, was the chief female deity and was represented by a carved pole or limbless tree trunk planted in the ground. Baal and Asherah are often mentioned together in Scripture. Sometimes Baal is mentioned with the goddess Ashtoreth who, in Canaanite mythology, was closely related to Asherah and may have been for a time considered the same goddess. All of them were fertility gods, and their worship rites involved sexual perversion.”

History of the worship of Baal and Asherah (or Ashtoreth) in Israel: it goes back to Balaam. Balak, the king of Moab, had hired Balaam the prophet to curse Israel as they passed by his land on the way to the promised land. Numbers 22:41 And in the morning Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal, and from there he saw a fraction of the people.” The pagans gave Baal various compound names (similar to Yahweh Rophe, Yahweh Shalom, etc.) and named places after Baal: Baal-gad (“lord of good fortune”, Joshua 11:17), etc. The Spirit did not allow Balaam to curse Israel, but instead through Balaam blessed Israel 4 times. But Balaam got his money by a cunning move. He knew God would curse Israel if they worshipped the gods of the pagans, like Baal. So he persuaded Balak to get Moabite women to intermingle with and worship the gods of the Moabites, which included having sex with them. That happened at Baal-peor. Numbers 25:1 While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab. 2 These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods. 3 So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.” Numbers 31:16 Behold, these (i.e. the women who had sex with the Israelite men at Baal Peor), on Balaam’s advice, caused the people of Israel to act treacherously against the Lord in the incident of Peor, and so the plague came among the congregation of the Lord.” 24,000 died before Phinehas drove a spead through an Israelite man and Moab woman as they were having sex brazenly right in the camp of Israel.
The history of Baal worship continues in Judges. “After the death of Joshua, the worship of Baal and Asherah became a plaguing and perennial problem for Israel. It didn’t take long: in the very next generation after Joshua, “The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord; they forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs” (Judges 3:7). Later, God told the judge Gideon to clean house: “Tear down your father’s altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah pole beside it” (Judges 6:25). (Judges 8:33 No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals.) They set up Baal-Berith as their god.Again, in the days of Jephthah, “the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord. They served the Baals and the Ashtoreths” (Judges 10:6).”

The last judge Samuel persuaded the Israelites to stop worshippin Baal and Asherah at least for a little while. 1 Samuel 7:3 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the Lord only.” After Samuel anointed Saul as the first king, the people confessed: 1 Samuel 12:10  ‘We have sinned, because we have forsaken the Lord and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth (i.e. during the period of the judges).”

The “peak”, or maybe better called the “low”, of Baal and Asherah worship came under King Ahab and his wife Queen Jezebel. 1 Kings 16:30 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. 31 And as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, he took for his wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him. 32 He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made an Asherah. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.” The prophet Elijah confronted “four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and . . . four hundred prophets of Asherah, who eat at Jezebel’s table” (1 Kings 18:19) at Mt Carmel. 1 Kings 18: 21 And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.”The prophets of Baal and Asherah could not get Baal to bring down fire on the altar, but Elijah drenched the altar with water 3 times and then Yahweh consumed the altar with fire. The Israelites killed all 850 prophets of Baal and Asherah. Jezebel then swore to kill Elijah within the next 24 hours and that caused Elijah to flee, ending up at Mt Sinai. He was depressed that Jezebel had not been killed, that his life was in jeopardy. He told God, 1 Kings 19:10 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.”” God rebuked him in a gentle breeze, telling him to get back to his work as a prophet and leave the judging to God. He was to anoint Hazael as king of Syria (who God would use to kill many Israelites), Elisha (to take Elijah’s place later), and Jehu as a later king of Israel (whom God would use to kill all of Ahab’s descendants, cutting off the heads of 70 of his sons (2 Kings 10), to kill Baal worshippers in a trap (2 Kings 10), and to kill Jezebel (he told men to thrown her down from a 2nd story and she died with the dogs eating all of her but her hands, feet, and skull). He told Elijah, 1 Kings 19:18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” Unfortunately, 2 Kings 10:28 Thus Jehu wiped out Baal from Israel. 29 But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin—that is, the golden calves that were in Bethel and in Dan.”

Ahab’s evil son Ahaziah was the next king. He fell through the lattice and was severely injured. Elijah told him: 2 Kings 1:16 He told the king, “This is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!”

It was b/c of this persistent worship of false gods, the worhsip of the golden calves set up by Jereboam, and especially the worship of Baal and Asherah that in 722 BC God sent the Assyrians to take the 10 northern tribes into exile, to be lost forever in history. 2 Kings 17:14 But they would not listen, but were stubborn, as their fathers had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 15 They despised his statutes and his covenant that he made with their fathers and the warnings that he gave them. They went after false idols and became false, and they followed the nations that were around them, concerning whom the Lord had commanded them that they should not do like them. 16 And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made for themselves metal images of two calves; and they made an Asherah and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal. 17 And they burned their sons and their daughters as offerings and used divination and omens and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 18 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight. None was left but the tribe of Judah only.”
You would think that the southern kingdom of Judah would see what happened to the northern kingdom and would not worship foreign gods or Baal and Asherah. But apparently the worship of Asherah began early during the reign of the first 3 kings of Judah. It says of the 3rd king, Asa, 2 Chronicles 14:2 And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. 3 He took away the foreign altars and the high places and broke down the pillars and cut down the Asherim.” “The “Asherim” refers to the cultic symbols or sacred poles associated with the Canaanite goddess Asherah, essentially representing her presence in worship and considered idolatrous by the Bible; they are often translated as “Asherah poles” in English translations.” (AI) Of the 4th king Jehoshaphat it says, 2 Chronicles 17:3 The Lord was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the earlier ways of his father David. He did not seek the Baals”.

The next king of Judah was Jehoram. He married Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and no doubt she reinforced the worship of Baal and Asherah in Judah. 2 Chronicles 21: 6 And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. 7 Yet the Lord was not willing to destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that he had made with David, and since he had promised to give a lamp to him and to his sons forever.” That promise was the only things that kept God from sending Judah into captivity earlier than he did. After the death of Athaliah’s evil son, Ahaziah, Athaliah killed all of the royal house of Judah except for one son, Joash, who was hidden from her for 6 years, making herself queen. The priest Jehoida had her executed and Joash made king. 2 Chronicles 23:16 And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king that they should be the Lord’s people. 17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.”  Joash began restoring the temple and made this comment in 2 Chronicles 24:7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken into the house of God, and had also used all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord for the Baals.”

The 12th king of Judah was Ahaz. 2 Chronicles 28:And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done, 2 but he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel. He even made metal images for the Baals, 3 and he made offerings in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom and burned his sons as an offering, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 4 And he sacrificed and made offerings on the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.” King Ahaz of Judah was the first king of Judah to sacrifice his son in a pagan ritual. According to the Bible, Ahaz sacrificed his son by fire to the god Moloch. 

“According to the Book of Hosea, the prophet Hosea prophesied during the reigns of four kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Hosea’s prophetic ministry primarily focused on the northern kingdom of Israel under King Jeroboam II, but his writings also reference the aforementioned Judah kings.” (AI) Several times he condemned northern kingdom’s worship of Baal. The book of Hosea aptly uses adultery as a metaphor to describe Israel’s idol worship. Forsaking the God of their covenant and chasing after false gods such as Baal and Asherah was akin to spiritual adultery.

The 14th king of Judah was the wicked grandson of Ahaz. Ahaz’s son Hezekiah had made many great reforms in Judah, but that didn’t last long. 2 Chronicles 33:2 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to the abominations of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel. 3 For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had broken down, and he erected altars to the Baals, and made Asheroth, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them. 4 And he built altars in the house of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem shall my name be forever.” 5 And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the Lord. 6 And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and used fortune-telling and omens and sorcery, and dealt with mediums and with necromancers. He did much evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. 7 And the carved image of the idol that he had made he set in the house of God, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my name forever, 8 and I will no more remove the foot of Israel from the land that I appointed for your fathers, if only they will be careful to do all that I have commanded them, all the law, the statutes, and the rules given through Moses.” 9 Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do more evil than the nations whom the Lord destroyed before the people of Israel.” Manasseh’s son was Amon: 2 Chronicles 24:22 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasseh his father had done. Amon sacrificed to all the images that Manasseh his father had made, and served them.” But Manasseh’s grandson was Josiah, who began reigning at the age of 8. When he was 16: 2 Chronicles 34:3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and the metal images. 4 And they chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 6 And in the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, and as far as Naphtali, in their ruins all around, 7 he broke down the altars and beat the Asherim and the images into powder and cut down all the incense altars throughout all the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.”

Josiah’s reforms were “too little, too late”. Jeremiah began prophesying in the 13th year of Josaih and prophesied for 40 years during the reigns of five kings of Judah: Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin (also known as Jeconiah), and Zedekiah. He condemned the worship of Baal many times during his 40 years. Zephaniah prophesied during the reign of Josiah and predicted the fall of Judah. Zephaniah 1:“I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem;
and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal and the name of the idolatrous priests along with the priests, 5 those who bow down on the roofs to the host of the heavens, those who bow down and swear to the Lord and yet swear by Milcom (the god of the Ammonites), 6 those who have turned back from following the Lord, who do not seek the Lord or inquire of him.”

You must be a history buff if you are still reading this long article! We have to ask ourselves, why was the worship of Baal and Asherah such a tempting, persistent problem in the entire history of Israel, going all the way back to Balaam and when the new generation was headed into the Promised Land?

From https://www.gotquestions.org/Baal-and-Asherah.html “There are several reasons why the worship of Baal and Asherah was such a problem for Israel. First, the worship of Baal and Asherah held the allure of illicit sex, since the religion involved ritual prostitution. This is exactly what we see in the incident of Baal of Peor, as “the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods” (Numbers 25:1–2). During this episode an Israelite named Zimri brazenly brought a Midianite woman into the camp and went straight to his tent, where the two began having sex (verses 6–8, 14–15).

Another reason that the worship of Baal and Asherah was a perennial problem for Israel is what we could call international peer pressure. Israel wanted to be like the other nations (see 1 Samuel 8:5, 20). The other nations worshiped Baal and Asherah, and so many Israelites felt a pull to do the same.” In order to placate their gods, the Canaanites would offer their children to the gods and bury them in the foundations of a house under construction.

Many statues of Baal have been uncovered.


Many images of Asherah have been uncovered:

The article from gotquestions.org ends this way:

“The problem of Baal and Asherah worship was finally solved after God removed Israel from the Promised Land. Due to the Israelites’ idolatry and disregard of the law, God brought the nations of Assyria and Babylon against them in an act of judgment. After the exile, Israel was restored to the land, and the people did not dally again with idols.

Christians today may be quick to judge the Israelites for their idolatry, but we should remember that idols take many forms. Idolatrous sins still tempt the modern-day believer (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8–10). Instead of bowing down to the ancient forms of Baal and Asherah, we today sometimes honor possessions, success, and physical pleasure to the dishonoring of God. Just as God disciplined the Israelites for their idolatry and forgave them when they repented, He graciously disciplines us and extends the offer of forgiveness in Christ (Hebrews 12:7–11; 1 John 1:9; 2 Peter 3:9).”

We need to heed the words of John: 1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” I need to examine my heart. Have I put my money, possessions, prestige, and hobbies above God in my heart, my time spent, my devotion, my priority in life?

FIGURATIVE FULFILLMENT OF MESSIANIC PROPHECIES

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Malachi 4:55 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” The Jews expected Elijah to come in person, but Jesus said that John the Baptist was the fulfillment of Malachi’s prediction. Matthew 11:13 For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, 14 and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. 17:10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.”

This is a great example of Old Testament prophecies being fulfilled in a figurative or spiritual way instead of a literal way. John the Baptist would have the same type of ministry as Elijah did, i.e. of trying to get the Jews to repent before judgment fell on them. For Elijah, that judgement on the northern kingdom would be the Assyrian captivity. For John, that judgement would be the Romans killing one million Jews when they destroyed the temple and Jerusalem in 70 AD. Many OT Messianic prophecies were fulfilled figuratively in the new Messianic kingdom of Jesus in the NT. The prophets Jeremiah and Ezekiel predicted that David would be the prince, shepherd, and king of the Messianic kingdom (Ezekiel 34:23,24; Jeremiah 30:9), but most agree that figuratively refers to Jesus as our king, Prince of Peace, and Good Shepherd. Jesus predicted that the kingdom to be established in the days of the 4th empire of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue (Daniel 4) was “at hand”. He even said that some of those he was talking to would be alive to see Him coming (2nd coming) in his kingdom. Matthew 16: 27 `For, the Son of Man is about to come (mello which always means “about to) in the NT) 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.’ Was Jesus a false prophet or mistaken in this prediction of an imminent establishment of the kingdom of Daniel 2? Of course not. That prediction was fulfilled figuratively in a spiritual kingdom, the church. Paul said that the Colossians were in that kingdom. Colossians 1:13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. Revelation 1:To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— 6 and He made us into a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Another example: Jeremiah 33:14 ‘Behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good word which I have spoken concerning the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will make a righteous Branch of David sprout; and He shall execute justice and righteousness on the earth. 16 In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety; and this is the name by which it will be called: the Lord is our righteousness.’ 17 For this is what the Lord says: ‘David shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; 18 and the Levitical priests shall not lack a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to prepare sacrifices continually.’” The Branch of David always is a prediction of Jesus in the OT, so this is a prediction for the Messianic Age to come. “David not lacking a man to sit on his throne” is a prediction based on God’s promise to David in 2 Samuel 7:12-13. That is fulfilled by Jesus siting on the throne of David figuratively, forever.

But what about vs 18? If this was to be fulfilled literally, then in the Messianic Age, which is the church age now, will the Levitical priesthood with Aaron’s descendants being the high priests be restored, and will animal burnt offerings be resumed? I like these comments: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers(18) Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man . . .—Here again we have a promise which received a fulfilment other than that which the words appeared to imply, and which doubtless was in the prophet’s thoughts. The Levitical priesthood passed away (Hebrews 7:11), but Christ was made a Priest after the order of Melchizedek; and by virtue of their union with Him, His people became a holy priesthood (Hebrews 10:19-22), offering, not the burnt-offerings and meat-offerings which were figures of the true, but the spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving (1Peter 2:5; Hebrews 13:15,16), the sacrifice of body, soul, and spirit, which alone was acceptable to God (Romans 12:1).” The burnt offerings would be the offering of Jesus’ body for our sins on the cross once for all time. This prophecy could include the spiritual sacrifices that we offer as a spiritual priesthood.

But what about the predictions that Israel would be restored and live in the holy land again? Jeremiah 30:2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘Write all the words which I have spoken to you in a book. 3 For behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.’ The Lord says, ‘I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers, and they shall take possession of it.’” 33: 7 And I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, and will rebuild them as they were at first.” Ezekiel 36:26 Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and follow My ordinances. 28 And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.” Was the restoration of Israel to the promised land to be fulfilled literally, or is that another prophecy to be (and has been) fulfilled figuratively in the church? A key to interpret this correctly is vs 27: “I will put My Spirit within you”. That was fulfilled during the last days of the Jewish Age (AD 30-AD 70) as Jesus poured out the Spirit on believers in the church (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:17-22), so we expect the land prediction to be fulfilled at the same time. Also, who is to be filled with the Spirit? Is it the nation of Israel even though most of them rejected Jesus as the Messiah? Of course not. It refers to spiritual Israel, i.e. the remnant of the Jewish nation who would accept Jesus as the Messiah and become the first church. The first Jewish remnant church in the book of Acts did not receive the physical holy land as a fulfillment of Ezekiel’s prediction. This prophecy was, like all the others, fulfilled literally. Jesus said the “meek would inherit the earth”. Any kingdom must have land. The spiritual kingdom, the church, has spiritual land. That spiritual land is the “new heavens and new earth that Isaiah predicted in Isaiah 65:“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing.” The new heavens and earth is the spiritual realm of the kingdom of Jesus over which he rules in the church. It does not refer to the nation of Israel receiving the holy land in 1948 as many claim. It is fulfilled spiritually. It refers to a restoration of the fortunes of only the remnant of Jews who accepted Jesus. It refers to spiritual, not physical land. The “new Jerusalem” of Isaiah 65:18 is a prediction of the church which is the new heavenly spiritual Jerusalem. Hebrews 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, 23 to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven.”

Likewise, 2 Peter 3 is not referring to something in the future where the heavens and earth are destroyed to prepare the way for the earth to be restored to the Garden of Eden state. It is predicted the imminent destruction of the old heavens and earth, i.e. the Jewish system and replacing it with the spiritual new heavens and earth which is the Messianic system.

Revelation predicted things that would happen shortly. Revelation 1:1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, 2 who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw. 3 Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near.” 22:6 And he said to me, “These words are faithful and true”; and the Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent His angel to show His bond-servants the things which must soon take place. 10 And he *said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.” The time restraints of “soon” and “near” must mean soon in he lifetime of those John is writing to. The warning is that they must repent and keep the commands written in the book b/c the time was near and soon in their time frame, not God’s. Sure, a day is as a 1000 years and 1000 years as a day to God, but that is not the context when God is warning people to repent b/c of imminent judgement on them in their lifetime.

Revelation 21:1-4 must be interpreted in light of those time restraints. 21: 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”

The book of Revelation was written during the reign of the 6th emperor of Rome, i.e. Nero. Revelation 17:10 and they are seven kings; five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain a little while.” Beginning with Julius as the first king of Rome (Josephus affirms that and he lived in the first century so he should know who was considered to have been the first king of Rome), Nero would be the 6th, the “one is”. He died in 68 AD so the book had to be written before 68 AD. The book’s main prediction is the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Romans in 70 AD. In chapter 17, the harlot Jerusalem is destroyed by the sea beast Rome. 17:16 And the ten horns which you saw, and the beast, these will hate the prostitute and will make her desolate and naked, and will eat her flesh and will burn her up with fire. 17 For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose, and by giving their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God will be fulfilled. 18 The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.” Chapter 11 identifies who the “great city” (which is the same as the harlot) as Jerusalem, the place where the Lord was crucified. 11:8 And their dead bodies will lie on the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.”

So 21:1-4 had to be fulfilled soon after the time of writing (and it was written before 68 AD). It was fulfilled spiritually in a spiritual new heavens and earth (the new spiritual realm of the Messianic kingdom) and a spiritual new Jerusalem, the church. These came down to earth soon after the time of writing and could only refer to spiritual things. It also calls this new Jerusalem the bride of Christ which we know refers to the church. 21:9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls, full of the seven last plagues, came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.”

This figurative spiritual fulfillment of Messianic predictions is the reason Paul could say in Romans 9 that God had kept his promises to Israel. 9:6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed.” The Israel that would receive the Messianic promises would only be the remnant Jews who accepted Jesus as the Messiah. 9:27 Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, “Though the number of the sons of Israel may be like the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved.” 11:5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice.” Those Messianic promises were received figuratively spiritually by the remnant. The rest of the Jews who rejected Jesus as the Messiah would be judged in 70 AD.

It is so misleading to hear many saying that the OT Messianic prophecies are being fulled literally over in Israel, especially beginning in 1948 when Israel was officially given statehood by the UN. Please study the nature of fulfillment of those prophecies to see that they were never meant to be fulfilled literally in the Messianic Age. Paul said that God kept his promises to Israel (the remnant) but many are basically saying that he has not kept those promises yet (they are expecting a literal fulfillment).

I know this is a controversial topic, but I hope this article helps.  

KING ASA OF JUDAH: PRIDE GOETH BEFORE A FALL

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King Asa, the 3rd king of the southern kingdom of Judah, reigned for 41 years and was one of the more righteous kings of all 19 kings of Judah. But “pride goeth before a fall”, which means “People who are overconfident or too arrogant are likely to fail.” Humility might be the most important thing for sinners who are seeking a right relationship with God. James 4:6 Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.” 1 Peter 5:5 All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” Luke 14:11 For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Here is a great image of King Asa’s reforms in Judah.

2 Chronicles 14:2  And Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. Judah had decayed morally to the point that there were male shrine prostitutes, which Asa remove. He removed pagan altars. Judah had peace with no wars for most of his reign. He bullt walled cities. He had an army of 580,000 men of valor from the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin (which made up the southern kingdom after the kingdom split).

Even when Zerah the Ethiopian attacked Judah with one million men, Asa humbly prayed “O Lord, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak. Help us, O Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this multitude. O Lord, you are our God; let not man prevail against you.”  (2 Chronicles 14:11). Psalm 149:4 For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.” God gave Asa the victory b/c he was humble and trusted God in battle.

The prophet Azariah told Asa, ““Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you” (2 Chroniclles 14:2). After hearing those words, Asa immediately responded by tearing down pagan altars throughout Judah. He persuaded all the people of Judah and Benjamin, and even those from some of the northern kingdom tribes who had moved to Judah to get away from the idolatry in the northern kingdom, to enter a covenant to seek the Lord with all their heart and soul. Whoever broke the covenant would be put to death. He even removed Micaah, his own queen mother, from being queen b/c she built a detestable image for Asherah. “The heart of Asa was wholly true all his days” (2 Chronicles 15:17).

But things changed in the 35th year of his 41 year reign. The evil king Baasha of the northern kingdom built Ramah on the border between the two kingdoms in order to stop defectors from leaving the northern kingdom to go to Judah to live. There was war between Baasha and Asa. God would have given Asa victory over Baasha if he had just humbly trusted God like he did in the victory over Zerah. Instead, Asa bribed King Beh-hadad of Syria with gold and silver from the temple to attack Baasha and force Baasha to withdraw from fighting Judah. It worked! Apparently Asa was feeling pretty confident in his ability after that.

Hanani the prophet met Asa and told him ““Because you relied on the king of Syria, and did not rely on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Syria has escaped you. 8 Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a huge army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet because you relied on the Lord, he gave them into your hand.” (2 Chronicles 15:7-8) How did Asa handle this rebuke from the prophet? Did he humbly repent and ask forgiveness? 2 Chronicles 15:10 Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in the stocks in prison, for he was in a rage with him because of this. And Asa inflicted cruelties upon some of the people at the same time.”

What happened that changed Asa from the humble man who sought God with all his heart to one who would in a rage put God’s prophet in stocks in prison and inflict cruelties upon some of the people? PRIDE. Proverbs 16: 18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” In the 39th year of his reign, he was afflicted with diseased feet, but instead of seeking the Lord for help, he only sought his physicians. He died without any record of his repenting of his pride.

It is hard to be humble in America when we have so many resources to rely on. Not all, but most o us Christians have money, medical insurance, retirement funds, prestige at work, and respect at work. But when we have a crisis, like health, money, job, marital, or family problems, who do we turn to first? God has given us doctors and there is nothing wrong in seeking help from doctors. But who do we turn to first in a medical crisis: physicians or The Great Physician. When there is a crisis at work or possibly losing my job, who do I turn to first? In a money crisis, who do I turn to first: a financial counselor or the word of God? In a marital crisis, who do I turn to first: a marital counselor or God? Who do I rely on to help me either solve a problem or cope with the problem? The one you turn to first in a crisis is the one you trust to be fully able to help you in the crisis.

God told Solomon after he built and dedicated the new temple: 2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Proverbs 14:34 Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” I think that our country is at a critical point right now. We have been blessed with so many material wealth. “In 2023, the mean personal income in the United States was $63,510. The median household income was $80,610.” “According to the World Bank’s classification, the mean income in “third world” countries, categorized as low-income economies, is typically below $1,145 per capita per year, with lower middle-income countries ranging between $1,146 and $4,515 per capita”. “According to data from the World Bank, around 84% of the world’s population lives in “developing countries,” which is often considered synonymous with “third world countries,” meaning the majority of the global population resides in these regions.” Many complain about lack of money, but usually that is b/c of mismanaging money and debt from a high standard of living. The U.S. has more military might and capability than ever before. “The United States military is considered the most powerful in the world, with a large budget, advanced technologies, and a global presence. The US military’s strength is measured by its capability, capacity, and readiness to handle missions.” 70 % in our country say they believe in God, but according to a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, only 54% of US adults believe in “God as described in the Bible”. So only half of our people believe in Yahweh of the Bible. That other 16% would believe in the god of some of the world religions like Buddhism. Only 30 % attend church. I am not a big proponent of organized churches, but church attendance is still a good indicator of an active faith in God. Only 25% believe that homosexual relations is a morally wrong and a sin. 64% believe that homosexual relations are morally acceptable.

All those statistics sound to me like America is in need of moral reform. If the prophet Azariah was here today, I think he would tell us the same thing he told Asa, “The Lord is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you” . That means believing in the Bible as the verbally inspired error free word of God (the orginals were error free and the translations we have are trustworthy). If the Bible says that homosexuality or adultery or drunkenness in a sin, then it is a sin. That means relying on Yahweh as the only true God and Jesus Christ as the only Savior from our sins. That means relying on God for how we live, think, and do. That means humbling ourselves to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. That means fellowshipping with other Christians in house churches or even orgainzied churches.

MAGA: “make America great again”. I’m all for that. But I prefer MAHA: “make America humble again.”

THE INAUGURATION OF JESUS AS KING OF KINGS

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Most of us are watching the inauguration ceremony of Donad Trump as I write this article. I am amazed at the bureaucracy of the federal govenment, but also anxious to see what reforms Trump will initiate very soon once he is inaugurated. I am anxious to see if anyone will actually curb government spending and try to balance the budget (fat chance!). Boos and cheers at the ceremony as different ones walk in: sounds more like a sporting event. Oh well, enough of that. First time in 47years that it is indoors (due to the cold). I hope that it not a bad omen! All smiles as the most recent presidents are announced. A stirring rendition of “Glory, glory hallelujah, His truth is marching on”. I pray that God’s truth in morals will truly march on. Will we truly have one of those “grass roots revivals” that America experienced like the 1st and 2nd Great Awakenings and the Lampier Prayer revival? That remains to be scene. The smiles have rescended among some as Trump takes shots at the past administration. Very interesting that he claimed that he was saved by God from the assassination attempt on his life so that he can make America great again. Several standing ovations and applause. He just declared that the government would recognize two genders, male and female. Closing with a moving prayer by Pastor Sewell, quite appropriate on MLK day, reminiscent of a MLK speech.

I want to focus on a far more important inauguration, i.e. the inauguration of the king of kings, Jesus Christ. I read several articles that suggested different moments in the life of Jesus in which he was inaugurated. Was it at His baptism, Last Supper, or maybe His ascension?

We need to look at a couple of key passages in discussing this.

Daniel 7:13 “I saw in the night visions,and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”

Most say this refers to the ascension of Jesus into heaven, but there’s a passage in Luke that needs to be considered.

Luke 19:11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ 24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”

Several things to notice in this parable. Some supposed that “the kingdom was going to appear immediately”. The kingdom referred to in the kingdom promised in Daniel 2:44-45 that would be established in the days of the 4th kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar’s statue, i.e. the Roman Empire. Both Jesus and John the Baptist had said “the kingdom is at hand”. The phrase “at hand” means “at hand” in the time frame of those Jesus is speaking to. Jesus made that even clearer in Mt 16:27  “For, the Son of Man is about to come ( mello, which. always means “about to be or about to happen” in the NT) 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.” (YLT) Not only does Jesus say that the judgement and 2nd coming was “about to” happen, but He also says that some of those he was speaking to would still be alive to see Him coming (His 2nd coming) in his kingdom. That kingdom that was “at hand” would indeed be established in the first century, but it was not a physical kingdom like that of the Jewish kingdom in the OT. It was a spiritual kingdom, the church. Jesus had said, John 18:36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world; if my kingdom were of this world, my officers had struggled that I might not be delivered up to Jews; but now my kingdom is not from hence.” (YLT) Jesus had said to Peter in Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.” Peter used the keys to open the door to enter that kingdom when he preached the first “gospel sermon” in Acts 2 and 3,000 were baptized for the remission of sins, becoming the first church, which is the spiritual body of Jesus of which he is the head. The kingdom of Jesus on earth in the NT was the church. Paul said, Colossians 1:13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” The Colossian Christians were in that kingdom.

So that kingdom of Daniel 2:44,45 was to be established within the lifetime of those Jesus spoke to, but in Luke 19 some supposed it was to appear immediately (i.e. immediately after Jesus’ lifetime which ended in about 30 AD). The establishment of that kingdom, the church, would indeed begin soon in Acts 2, but would involve a transition period of 40 years, from 30 AD to 70 AD. The parable says that “the nobleman would go into a far country to receive a kingdom and then return”. It says that “having received the kingdom” (in the far country) that he would “return” (the 2nd coming) to “reign”. That tells us Jesus did not officially receive his reign over his kingdom until his 2nd coming (his “return” from the farcountry).

Doesn’t that sound just like our inauguration process? We elected a president back in November. There was a transition period until Jan 20 till the official inauguration. The president elect did not take over the powers of the president until Jan 20. Jesus ascended into heaven to receive his kingdom, so technically he became king at this ascension. But he would not officially begin to reign fully until 70 AD, just as in the parable of Luke 19. Jesus’ official inauguration as King of Kings began in 70 AD and continues today since his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.

I close with Revelation 11: 15 Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying, “We give You thanks, Lord God, the Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign.” This would be fulfilled after the events of the imminent destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. God and His Christ would begin to reign in the everlasting church kingdom from then on and He is reigning today over His spiritual kingdom, the church, which is above all the kingdoms of the world.

Gabriel told Mary, Luke 1:32 He (her baby Jesus)will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Isaiah had predicted, Isaiah 9:For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this.”

Peter preached Acts 2:29 “Brothers, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 So because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. 32 It is this Jesus whom God raised up, a fact to which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore, since He has been exalted at the right hand of God, and has received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, He has poured out this which you both see and hear. 34 For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’ Peter is saying that Jesus was raised and exalted at the right hand of God and had begun sitting on the throne of David. Not the physical throne of David as in the OT, but sitting on a spiritual throne of David (figurative fulfillement of 2 Samuel 7). He has been sitting on that throne since Acts 2 in 30 AD.

Zechariah adds another promise, Zechariah 6:13 Yes, it is He who will build the temple of the Lord, and He who will bear the majesty and sit and rule on His throne. So He will be a priest on His throne, and the counsel of peace will be between the two offices.”’ Jesus will be king and priest at the same time. That would nto be possible under the Law since Jesus was of the tribe of Judah but the high priest could only come from the tribe of Levi. I think all Christians agree that Jesus is our high priest today. That must be in heaven since the Hebrew writer said, Hebrews 8:4 Now if He were on earth, He would not be a priest at all, since there are those who offer the gifts according to the Law”. A little deductive reasoning here: 1) Jesus is our high priest in heaven now, and He could not be high priest on earth. 2) He is our king at the same time that he is our high priest. 3) Therefore, he must be king in heaven and not of earth.

His kingdom must be a kingdom that was established in the first century. That could only be the spiritual kingdom, the church. This debunks all the theories that Jesus will return some day to establish a physical kingdom on earth and reign a thousand years in that kingdom. Most say that Jesus did plan to establish a physical kingdom in the first century, but that he delayed that b/c of his rejection by the Jews. Hebrews debunks the notion of a delayed kingdom (and 2nd coming): Hebrews 10:For yet in a very little while,
He who is coming will come, and will not delay. That was written in about 62 AD and predicts that Jesus would come in a “very little while” (the 2nd coming) and would not delay. That fits his 2nd coming in 70 AD.

Even if you don’t agree with some of this article, we can all agree that Jesus is the King of Kings, Lord of Lords. We can agree that the church is an important part of his kingdom, even if not all agree on the establishment of some future kingdom. Let us offer praise to the King of Kings.

One of my favorite songs is King of Kings by Hillsong. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQl4izxPeNU

Listen to that song as you read the lyrics:

In the darkness we were waiting
Without hope, without light
‘Til from Heaven You came running
There was mercy in Your eyes
To fulfill the law and prophets
To a virgin came the word
From a throne of endless glory
To a cradle in the dirt

Praise the Father, praise the Son
Praise the Spirit, three in one
God of glory, Majesty
Praise forever to the King of Kings

To reveal the kingdom coming
And to reconcile the lost
To redeem the whole creation
You did not despise the cross
For even in your suffering
You saw to the other side
Knowing this was our salvation
Jesus for our sake you died

Praise the Father, praise the Son
Praise the Spirit, three in one
God of glory, Majesty
Praise forever to the King of Kings

And the morning that You rose
All of Heaven held its breath
‘Til that stone was moved for good
For the Lamb had conquered death
And the dead rose from their tombs
And the angels stood in awe
For the souls of all who’d come
To the Father are restored

And the church of Christ was born
Then the Spirit lit the flame
Now this gospel truth of old
Shall not kneel, shall not faint
By His blood and in His name
In His freedom I am free
For the love of Jesus Christ
Who has resurrected me

Praise the Father, praise the Son
Praise the Spirit, three in one
God of glory, Majesty
Praise forever to the King of Kings

Praise forever to the King of Kings

Amen and Amen!

PAUL’S LAST LETTER: 2 TIMOTHY (PT 2)

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7) 3:1-9 Avoid false teachers in the “last days” who slip into households and lead believers astray. They are like Pharoah’s magicians (Paul even names them even though they are not named in Exodus) who tried to lead Pharoah into not believing that Moses was giving him the word of God. Those “last days” would be the last days of the Jewish Age (from 30 AD to 70 AD when the temple was destroyed by the Romans), but Paul’s warning would apply to us today living in the Messianic Age (the “age to come”). Look at the list of sins given in these verses and you will see the same today. There are still plenty of false teaches who “slip into” the church and lead believers astray, starting up cults or splitting churches, preaching for money and interested in power and control.

8) 3:10-12 Follow my (Paul’s) teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, and sufferings.” Paul said, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” in 1 Corinthians 11:1. Would you recommend that someone you are mentoring follow your example in these matters? We are to follow Jesus’ example, but it sure helps to have some mentor in our lives to set the example for us. I’ve had mentors like that. When my wife and I first left Birmingham to attend a school of preaching for 2 years in West Monroe, La, we met Hugh and Dorothy Minor. They became mentors and examples to my wife and I all through the years during the school and after that as our paths crossed over the years. We had the privilege of working with them for many years here in Huntsville before they passed away. Hugh especially was my mentor with the way he handled church matters and problems. His wisdom, love, and patience was so obvious. I only wish we had spent more time with them. Unfortunately, that’s what we often say when a friend dies, so go spend more time with that person now.

9) 3:13-17 Continue in the scriptures that you were taught from childhood that are able to make you wise unto salvation in Jesus through faith. That would be OT scriptures that he would have been taught in childhood of course. But Paul then gives a great statement on all Scriptures: 3:16 All Scripture (graphé: Scripture, writing) is inspired (theopneustos: God-breathed, inspired by God) by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man or woman of God may be fully capable, equipped for every good work.” From AI: “ In the New Testament, “graphé” primarily refers to the sacred writings of the Old Testament, regarded as divinely inspired and authoritative. It is used to denote the collection of books that constitute the Hebrew Bible, which were considered the Word of God by early Christians. The term underscores the belief in the divine origin and enduring authority of these texts.” A good definition of “inspiration” is found in 2 Peter 1:20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Their original writings and teachings were infallible words of the Holy Spirit even though they were allowed to use their own vocabulary and thoughts. We don’t have the original OT or NT writings, but we have plenty of manuscripts and translations that are trustworthy. The battle today is about the inspiration of the Bible. From the gallup poll, 2022: “A record-low 20% of Americans now say the Bible is the literal word of God, down from 24% the last time the question was asked in 2017, and half of what it was at its high points in 1980 and 1984. Meanwhile, a new high of 29% say the Bible is a collection of “fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man.” Bottom line, if you believe fallible men wrote the Bible, then it is not the authoritative word of God binding on us today. The inspiration of the apostle Paul is questioned when he condemns homosexuality. Those who question that might still say they believe the Bible is the word of God, but they would “twist” his writings (2 Peter 3:16), saying that Paul’s writings are just his homophobic opinions not binding on us. So it is important that we correctly understand the claim of the inspiration of the Bible.

When Paul says “All Scripture” I think he is here including any of the NT inspired writings along with the OT scriptures. Peter calls Paul’s writings “Scripture” 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.” By 67 AD when Paul wrote 2 Timothy, there would have been several NT inspired writings like the gospels, Paul’s other letters, and the rest of the NT letters that were being circulated and copied by the churches.

10) 4:1-5 Do the work of an evangelist: preach the word at all times, patiently correcting, rebuking, and exhorting. Paul said that times would come when men would “not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths.” BTW, Paul also said: 4:1 I do fully testify, then, before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is about to (mello, always means “about to” in the NT) judge living and dead at his manifestation and his reign”. That imminent judgment was the motivation for being diligent in preaching the word, to get people ready for that judgement. The Bereans were the example of those who searched the OT scriptures to see if Paul’s teaching about the Messiah was true. Acts 17: 11 Now these people were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” Paul told the Thessalonian believers: 1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of mere men, but as what it really is, the word of God, which also is at work in you who believe.” Contrast that with those that Paul predicts would accumulate teachers who would simply tell them what they want to hear and not what the word of God says. We are faced with that today big time. The Bible is clear in condemning the LGBQT movement and teachings. But that movement still has hundreds of paid preachers who tell them what they want to hear, i.e. that homosexuality is not a sin, even though the word of God clearly condemns it.

11) 4:9-15 Come to me in Rome as soon as possible, before winter (4:21), bringing Mark, my overcoat, and books. We don’t know if Timothy made it to see Paul before he was beheaded in 67 AD. Only Luke is with Paul in this 2nd Roman imprisonment, others having deserted him or gone on to do evangelistic work (like Titus to Dalmatia).

12) 4:19-21 Greet Aquila and Priscilla and Onesiphorus. Aquila and Priscilla had made tents with Paul in Corinth before moving to Ephesus, and had a housechurch in Ephesus when Paul wrote 2 Timothy. Onesiphorus is only mentioned twice in the NT (here and 2 Timothy 1:16). He had served Paul during the 3 years Paul spent in Ephesus on his 3rd missionary journey. He had come to Paul in his 2nd Roman imprisonment and helped Paul. So Paul ends 2 Timothy with “tell everyone hello; give them my love.”

In closing, let’s notice Paul’s “mood and state of mind” during this 2nd imprisonment. He was fully expecting to die soon. 4:6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.” He is disappointed at those who forsook him and left him, no doubt fearing they would be imprisoned. 1:15 You are aware of the fact that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes.” 4: 10 for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica.” 4:16 At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.” But he is not “doom and gloom”. 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things; but I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to protect what I have entrusted to Him until that day.” 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 4:17 But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fully accomplished, and that all the Gentiles might hear; and I was rescued out of the lion’s mouth. 18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed, and will bring me safely to His heavenly kingdom; to Him be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Will you be able to say, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” when your death is imminent? Will you be fully confident that the Lord will reward you with eternal life in the heavenly kingdom? Paul is such a great example for us to follow. He said in Philippians 1 that he preferred to die even during his first imprisonment in Rome (Acts 27, 28) but that he thought that the Lord wanted him to live and preach longer, and he was indeed released. “For me to die is gain, but to live is Christ”, he said. But now in 2 Timothy, he is ready to go. After reading what all Paul suffered since becoming a believer in Jesus, you can see why he was ready to go. 2 Corinthians 12: in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. 24 Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift at sea. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; 27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. 28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak without my being weak? Who is [k]led into sin without my intense concern?” Paul was probably about 30 years old when he was converted (Acts 9) and about 60 years old when he died. Paul had 30 long, tough years as the apostle to the Gentiles! He sufferred much and often. He gave his life for Jesus, martyred in Rome by Nero.

I’m glad Paul wrote this last letter to Timothy before he died. There is so much in it for us today!

 

PAUL’S LAST LETTER: 2 TIMOTHY (PT 1)

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Acts 27,28: Paul is in a Roman prison when he wrote the “prison epistles” (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon). Actually, more like “house arrest” in his own quarters with a guard for 2 years. He had appealed to have his trial before Caesar and apparently was wating for that trial. We don’t have any follow up on that trial, but we think that he was released after the 2 years and made another missionary journey.

Here is a great map from thebiblejourney.org tracing of his last missonary journey after he was released.

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“Paul commissioned Titus to be the leader of the local church while in Crete (which Paul had visited only briefly before, en route to Rome – see Titus 1:5 & Acts 27:8-9). He visited Miletus (and left Trophimus there because he was ill – see 2 Timothy 4:20) and then left Timothy in charge of the church at Ephesus (see 1 Timothy 1:3) (see 2 on Map 28). He may have visited Colossae (see Philemon 1:22) before he continued to Troas (where he left his coat with Carpus – see 2 Timothy 4:13) (see 3 on Map 28).

Paul then went on to Philippi in Macedonia (see 1 Timothy 1:3) where he wrote his First Letter to Timothy and his Letter to Titus between 63 and 66AD (see 4 on Map 28). He may have visited Ephesus again (see 1 Timothy 3:14 & 4:13) before travelling back via Corinth (see 2 Timothy 4:20) (see 5 on Map 28) and Nicopolis (see Titus 3:12) (see 6 on Map 28) to Rome (see 7 on Map 28) where he was imprisoned in the Mamertine Prison (see 2 Timothy 1:8,16-17 & 2:9). From Rome he wrote his Second Letter to Timothy shortly before he was beheaded (as he was a Roman citizen) in c.67AD during the intense persecution of Jews and Christians by Nero (see 2 Timothy 4:6).

Paul may also have visited Spain at some time between 63 and 67AD (see Romans 15:24 & 28) but we have no Biblical evidence of such a visit.”

I encourage you to take time right now to read 2 Timothy (12 minutes reading time). As you read it, think about the mood that Paul was in during his last months in prison in Rome before he was beheaded. It says a lot that he would write his last letter to Timothy, “my beloved child” (2 Timothy 1:2; 2:1), his “child in the faith” (1 Timothy 1:2). If you knew your death was imminent and that you could write one last letter, who would you write it to? I would probably write it to my surviving family, but Paul had no surviving family that we know of. His family was his church family. His brothers and sisters were those who worked with him preaching the gospel to the Roman Empire. You can just feel the emotion as he thinks about his time with Timothy: 2 Timothy 1:3 I thank God whom I serve, as did my ancestors, with a clear conscience, as I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. 4 As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.” He hoped that Timothy could come to him soon: 2 Timothy 4:9 Do your best to come to me soon.” We don’t know if Timothy made it to see Paul before he died.

Paul had a lot of instructions for Timothy.

1) 1: 6 “Kindle afresh (anazópureó: To rekindle, to stir up, to fan into flame) his gift (i.e. his evangelistic miraculous gift, Ephesian 4:11). The ESV translates it “fan the flame”. That’s not to say that Timothy’s zeal had begun to waver. It is just a reminder to constantly keep that zeal blazing, just like you stoke a fire constantly to keep the fire bright and burning.

2) 1:8 Don’t be ashamed of Paul’s imprisonment. Some of Paul’s enemies might try to make Timothy be ashamed of Paul being in prison as a condemned criminal worthy of death. Especially Jewish unbelievers might say that Pauls’ death proved that he was just another misled false teacher of this false sect called Christianity. After all, his imprisonment was at the time that the Jewish rebels were rebelling against Rome, trying to convince all Jews that victory over Rome was imminent.

3) 2:1-7 Be strong, suffering hardship as a good soldier, a competitive athlete, and a hard working farmer. Those are 3 down to earth examples to show Timothy how to handle his suffering.

4) 2:2 Entrust the gospel to faithful men who would then be able to teach others. An evangelist must train others to carry on the work. This verse was our “mission statement” when we went to Trinidad to do 3 years of mission work. There were already hundreds of baptized believers in Trinidad due to evangelistic campaigns and several churches already established (we worked mainly with two of them in the south). We baptized several more and established 3 new congregations while there. But our main focus was identifying and training their leaders to carry on the work after we left. We had a “Saturday school” where we taught many of the church leaders the same Bible courses that we had studied in our 2 years in a school of preaching in West Monroe, La. Apparently that worked b/c those leaders carried on the work in the churches for the next 50 years without depending on U.S. money to pay preachers there! I recently talked to several of those leaders via WhatsApp. That was very encouraging to me. Those leaders also continued to train other men. A son of one of those leaders worked with some of the new congregations and did mission work over in Guyana, South America. Paul wanted Timothy to do the same training of leaders, and I’m sure that he did.

5) 2:14-19 Remind those faithful men (and all believers) to “accurately handle the word of truth”. Avoid disputes over words, worldly and empty chatter. Especially avoid heretical teachings like that of 2 men who were saying that the resurrection had already taken place. Paul had said that “there is about to be (mello, which always means “about to” in the NT) a resurrection of the righteous and unrighteous (Acts 24:15). That would be the resurrection of Daniel 12:2 which would occur at the end of the Jewish Age in 70 AD. The OT dead in hades would be raised to receive their final sentencing in 70 AD. Paul wrote 2 Timothy in 67 AD, so that resurrection had not taken place yet. We don’t know exactly what arguments were used by those 2 men to say the resurrection had already happened. It is interesting that Paul did not just say, “it is obvious that the resurrection has not happened yet b/c no one has seen bodies coming out of the tombs”. Apparently, the resurrection as Paul taught it was not a bodily resurrection as many teach or else Paul could have said that and used that argument against them. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul taught that the resurrection would be changing to immortal spiritual bodies, not physical bodies raised. He even told them in 15:50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.” He told them that some of those he was writing to would still be alive at the resurrection that was “about to happen” (Acts 24:15). But dead or alive, the believers would be given immortal, spiritual bodies at that resurrection. Either Paul is a false prophet predicting this to happen in their lifetime or else it did happen, and it did. Yes, that means that I am saying that, based on Paul’s writing, the resurrection “has already happened” at 70 AD. You might say I am a heretic for teaching that just like those 2 men. But the difference is when those 2 men made that statement and when I am making that claim (which is today, long after 70 AD). Food for thought!

6) 2:22-26 Flee youthful lusts and purse righteousness, faith, love, and peace. Don’t be quarrelsome in trying to correct those teaching error. Many who try to “defend the faith” end up being very argumentative, thinking their opinion on doctrine is the only correct one. That leads to sectarianism. The church I was raised in taught a lot of truths but also became very argumentative about minor doctrines, condemning those who disagreed.

THE “NONES” (NOT THE “NUNS”): A BIG THANK YOU TO ACC IN AUBURN, AL.

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According to the new set of data, 28% of Americans classify themselves as “nones” (atheists, agnostics or “nothing in particular”) when asked about their religion. So that is 3 out of every 10 Americans classify themselves as “nones” in religion. I always blame the millennials, but they are a big part of the “nones”.
According to pewforum.com, only 50 percent of Millennial ages 18-29 are certain they believe in God. Then there is Gen Z:  Eighteen percent of Gen Z affirmatively identify as either atheist (9 percent) or agnostic (9 percent). In contrast, fewer than one in 10 (9 percent) baby boomers and 4 percent of the silent generation identifies as atheist or agnostic.”

Breaking the “nones” (which includes all Americans) down further:

Our survey (pewresearch.org) data shows:

  • Most “nones” believe in God or another higher power. But very few go to religious services regularly.
  • Most say religion does some harm, but many also think it does some good. They are not uniformly anti-religious.
  • Most “nones” reject the idea that science can explain everything. But they express more positive views of science than religiously affiliated Americans do.

So, according to pew, “most” still believe in God or a higher power, so that is good. Most likely they accept that higher power could be the god of many different world religions like Buddhism, Hindusim, Islam, etc., so they might not believe in Yahweh of the Bible as the one true God. They are not necessarily “anti-religous”, but they certainly have little interest in “going to church” and being a member of a certain religion. They might be more likely to not believe the Biblical account of creation. They might not believe that the Bible is the actual word of God, our authority for all matters today. They might reject the apostle Paul’s denouncing of homosexuality, saying that is just his homophobic opinion not binding of Christians today. So even the “nones” who stlll believe in God don’t necessarily believe that the Bible is the authoritative word of God for us today. Many feel that they can determine what sin is without going by the Bible, which is why so many are following the LGBQT movement, even among Christians.

One comment said that there is little evidence that the “none” will ever start going back to church attendees. That is probably true. But we can rejoice that many of the Gen Z (maybe not the “nones” among the Gen Z) are turning to God and a belief in the word of God. My granddaughter goes to Auburn (to my dismay, “Roll Tide), and she and many of her friends attend ACC (Auburn Community Church). I looked up their website to read their beliefs. ACC believes the bible is the “verbally inspired word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God–breathed.” ACC “believes God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe, the one true Holy God”. ACC “believes Jesus Christ is completely human but, at the same time, completely God. He is the only plan for bringing people who are far from God back into a right relationship with God. He lived a perfect life, so that He could be a substitution for us in satisfying God’s demands for perfection. He defeated death in His resurrection so that we could have life.” ACC “believes that the church, which is the body and bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born–again persons. We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. We believe in the autonomy of the local churches, free of any external authority and control. We recognize believer’s baptism and the Lord’s supper as scriptural means of testimony for the church.” ACC ” believes that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins.” They believe that people “will exist either eternally separated from God by sin or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation.” ACC “believes the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Savior, and effects regeneration.” ACC “believes marriage as a simple yet profound covenant: one man and one woman, committing to each other for a lifetime. It’s a unique, God-ordained covenant that grows and sustains, reflecting the deep, enduring love Christ has for his Church. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. In God’s wisdom, men and women are not simply interchangeable, but rather they complement each other in mutually enriching ways.”

I’m pretty sure they don’t mind me quoting from their statement of faith on their website! ACC is what we call a “fundamentalist” church. From AI: “A fundamentalist church is a church that adheres to the beliefs of Christian fundamentalism, a conservative Protestant movement that emphasizes the literal truth of the Bible. The Bible is literal and inerrant. They believe in the Virgin Birth, Resurrection, and Atonement of Jesus Christ. Christian fundamentalism began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a reaction to theological liberalism and cultural modernism . The movement was fueled by opposition to the teaching of evolution and biblical criticism. Fundamentalists are almost always described as upholding beliefs in biblical infallibility and biblical inerrancy, in keeping with traditional Christian doctrines concerning biblical interpretation, the role of Jesus in the Bible, and the role of the church in society.”

I am so thankful that ACC is helping ground Auburn students in their faith in Biblical truth. I probably would not agree with their beliefs on a lot of issues, but I totally agree with their statement of faith in the basics. So then I go to school where I teach and one of our teachers is struggling over her church going with the LGBQT split in the Methodist church. She feels betrayed by her church’s liberal views. Many others are caught in that same drama. I am thankful that the ACC pastor came to Auburn to establish this church 10 years ago. He would truly be like the apostle Paul who did not want to build on the foundation others had laid, but instead establish churches where needed. This is alarming: “Barna Research estimates that 70% of high school students who identify as Christian will lose their faith or have little to no faith after entering college. They also project that 80% of people raised in the church will be “disengaged” from their faith by age 29.” “When a young adult goes to college for the first time they are saying goodbye to friends, family and their faith. According to the Barna Group, roughly 70% of high school students who enter college as professing Christians, will leave with little to no faith.” That makes you really think about where to send your child to college. Maybe you should seriously look at conservative Christian colleges so that your child will be mentored by sincere Christian teachers and wll be taught that the Bible is the word of God. That doesn’t guarantee that they will not lose their faith even while attending a Christian college, but it surely increases the odds of them not losing their faith.

So, a big thank you and praise God for ACC! I am so thankful that my granddaughter has ACC to attend and be an active part of. It is the closest thing you can get to having a “Christian college culture” in a public college. It is taking that culture to a public college instead of isolating that culture in a private Christian college. No doubt ACC will convert and ground students who might never have become Christians and who certainly would never attend a Christian college.


IT ONLY LEAKS WHEN IT’S RAINING

On By nrfaughtLeave a comment

Ok, I got over my “You had a bad day” (see the article) and moving on. I found the two plumbing leaks: one around the base of a commode and the other in the copper pipe between the hot and cold taps on our whirlpool tub. Fortunately, they only leak when you use them. So I told my wife that the solution was “just never use that commode or take a bath in the master bedroom tub. Good, cheap solution, yes? It’s like a roof that leaks. It only leaks when it’s raining, so you don’t pay much attention to it until it is raining. So you don’t worry about fixing it until it’s raining, and you can’t fix it when it’s raining. So, when the rain quits, you forget about fixing it.

Is that the way you solve problems in life? You have a conflict with someone that only reignites when you get together at some family get together. So you suffer through that event, wishing you could reconcile with that person. But then you go home after the get together, and the conflict doesn’t show up again (it is still there though) until the next get together, and the same cycle repeats itself. You know that the conflict needs to be addressed, but you don’t have the courage or faith or wisdom to address it with the person. That’s no way to handle conflict resolution.

Can you think of similar problems that you put off trying to solve? I thought of James 1 when I wrote this. James 1:
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

The Holy Spirit has given us the wisdom of God to handle any and all trials or problems. That doesn’t necessarily mean the removal of the trial or problem (though it might), but the wisdom to make it through the trial or problem and to find the good that God can bring from that trial or problem. Remember Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Paul said, Philippians 4:12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” God did not remove Paul’s problems. He left him with his “thorn in the flesh”. 2 Corinthians 12: 7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” He endured suffering and persecution as a Christian until his death which ended with him being beheaded. But God gave him the wisdom and strength to make it through all his trials, using them to the glory of God. So he was content with his trials and problems b/c they helped him trust in God’s power.

I am very impatient. I want a solution to problems immediately. I google a solution on my own and rush into trying to solve the problems on my own without consulting God and asking for wisdom (James 1:5). I remember problems David faced. Here is a great article by Maurice Bassali: https://tafj.org/2012/01/06/davids-nine-inquiries-of-the-lord/ He discusses the 9 times where it explicity says that David “inquired of the Lord” and asked the Lord what to do when faced with a danger during the 10 years in the wilderness that he fled from King Saul. For example, he “inquired of the Lord” if he (David) should take his men and resure the city of Keilah from the Philistine attack. The Lord told to go rescue them and that he would be successful. But after rescuing them, Saul found out that David was in the city of Keilah and Saul was coming to get the men of Keilah to surrender David so he could kill him. So David “inquired of” the Lord and asked him if the men of Keilah would be loyal to David and not surrender him to Saul or would they give him over to Saul. God told David that they would give him over to Saul, so David left Keilah and was spared. That’s just two of the 9 instances where David “inquired of the Lord” for how to handle problems. Don’t ask me how God gives us wisdom and answers to problems, but I believe he does. But we must ask, and we must ask in faith.

But at other times it seems as if David’s problems got worse when he did not “inquire of the Lord” for how to deal with them. 1 Chronicles 21 is one example. God was about to allow Satan to bring some punishment on Israel b/c of their sins. David did not inquire of the Lord on what to do. Instead, he panicked and told Joab to number the fighting men of Israel. Apparently David expected an enemy was about to come attack Israel as had happened many times in the past, and he wanted to know his military strength to ward off such an attack. Joab advised him against that, but did what David ordered. But then God punished David for trusting in his military strength and not inquiring of the Lord on how he should handle the crisis. God then gave him 3 choices for his punishment.

David got quite desperate at times and didn’t always inquire of the Lord when facing danger. One time he faked being mad in order to get the king of Philisia to not kill him but to allow him to live safely in Philistia. That led to David going out to kill many Canaanites and yet lying about that to the kind, telling the king that he had been killing Israelites. That let to the king wanting David to be his right hand man in attacking Israelites. I don’t know what David would have done if the Philistine commanders had not objected to David going with them to fight Israelites which caused the king to take David out of the attack. David did not inquire of the Lord in these situations and look what it led to.

So, my recommendation. Write down all the trials and problems that you are currently facing, short term and long term. Ask God for how to handle those. Be specific. Then do your research and see if you can find God’s wisdom on what to do. Trust that He will in some way give you a specific answer to each problem. Consult with others whom God might use to help you find solutions. Then act on God’s answers and trust him that He will work with you no matter what happens. He might not remove the trial or problem, but He will help you handle it and gain something good from it.

COLOSSIANS 3-4 THE SPIRITUAL MINDSET

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Ephesians 1-3 is doctrine (spiritual blessings in Christ, predestination, salvation by grace through faith, Jews and Gentiles united in one body, the mystery revealed). Ephesians 4-6 is practical (the 5 “walks” or conduct Christians should have, and stand up to the devil using the armor of God).

Colossians is very similar. Both letters were written while Paul was in “house arrest” in Rome for 2 years (Acts 27,28). But in the Colossian letter Paul is fighting specific heretical teachings about Jesus. The first two chapters are doctrinal, stating the preeminence of Jesus Christ. They deal with the person and work of Jesus Christ. Christ is sufficient for all our spiritual and doctrinal needs. He condemns the false teaching of asceticism, mysticism, Jewish laws being bound on Gentiles, and gnosticism (at least early gnostic thinking if not full blown gnosticism of the 2nd century). Please refer to my last blog to read that discussion and see a couple of very good short videos.

The last section of Colossians is practical. Since Christ is all-sufficient for our spiritual and doctrinal needs, we don’t need to be distracted by human philosophy, religious rules, visions, asceticism, etc. The last verse of chapter 2 gets us ready for chapters 3-4: “22 according to human precepts and teachings? 23 These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”

So, now Paul is ready to talk about the real issue facing Christians, and that is how to “stop the indulging of the flesh”. Someone can be a great debater of doctrine, or a very strict religious rule keeper, but if he/she then lives in lust, adultery, hate, jealousy, greed, etc. then all his religion is worthless.

3:1  If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

These 4 verses set the tone for chapters 3 and 4. 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.” You were raised from spiritual death and made alive in Christ. So, what should I be seeking? What should be the main priority and purpose of my living? It should be seeking the kingdom of God. It should be things that are above, i.e. spiritual things. Set (phroneó: To think, to set one’s mind on, to have a mindset) on things above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God, on spiritual things. Can you picture Jesus sitting at God’s right hand somewhere in heaven. He is watching everything I do and say. HIs Spirit is working on me to help me fight the flesh and be a good example of a cleansed sinner. What is he thinking about how I am acting? Is he pleased or displeased? Am I in total submission to him? What does he want me to work on in my life? What plans does he have for me?

Romans 8:5 For those who live according to the flesh set (phroneó: To think, to set one’s mind on, to have a mindset) their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” I like that word for “set”, i.e. “one’s mindset”. (AI) “A person’s mindset is a set of beliefs that influences how they think, feel, and act in different situations. It also affects how they perceive the world and themselves.” Is my mind set on the things of the flesh or the things of God? Do I spend most of my time thinking about materialism, pleasure, fulfilling my lusts of the flesh, eye, and pride of life? What is my mindset? Is my mindset on spiritual beliefs and things? Is that spiritual mindset strong enough to guide me and stop my from “indulging in the flesh” (2:23)?

So, if you have the proper spiritual “mindset”, here is what you will do. You will “put to death” earthly, sensual thought, deeds, words, and lusts. 3:5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” You will “put away” these things: 3:8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” You have been re-created by the grace of God into a new spiritual person, constantly cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Now act like such a cleansed sinner should act. You don’t have to be perfectly sinless in putting off these old self practices, but you must make a sincere effort to do so.

Picture being given a new white beautiful dress or a sharp all white men’s suit. Your old clothes are covered in dirt, mud, grease, paint, and holes. You are so thankful for the new clothes that were given to you out of love and compassion. You put off the old clothes and put on the new. How hard would you try to keep that new white dress or suit clean? If you wore it all the time, you would probably spill food or drink on it, or get it dirty, but you would try your best to keep it clean. And if you get it dirty, you have this magic “stain remover” that you quickly apply so that your dress or suit remain white. To me, that is the example of putting off the old self and putting on the new.

Having sincerely tried to put off the old self and old sinful practices, you will try to put on the new self and new practices. 3:12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony (teleiotés: Perfection, maturity, completeness).” In the New Testament, this word is used to describe the process of becoming spiritually mature and fully developed in faith and character. A Christian who is not a loving person is not a mature Christian. He will have little influence on others for Jesus no matter how religious he is or how doctrinally sound he is.

One could do a sermon on each of these new attitudes and practices that we need to “put on”, but their meaning is quite easy to understand. How hard am I trying to work on putting on these? For example, do I have compassion for those less fortunate and the lost? That’s not just to “feel sorry” for them, but to help them. On a scale of 1 to 10, how am I doing in each of these areas? And “above all these put on love”. Would people call me a “loving person”? Love makes one compassionate, kind, forgiving, and patient.

3:15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” The peace of Christ will rule (brabeuó: To rule, to arbitrate, to decide, to govern: From the root word βραβεύς (brabeus), meaning “an umpire” or “a judge.”) in our hearts. It will be an umpire or judge to tell you, “No, your feelings for that person or the way you are treating that person is not right: change your attitude and action.” It will be an umpire that will call fouls on you when you violate the rules of Christian conduct. You were once alienated from Christ, an enemy of God due to your sin, but the grace of God has brought you into a state of being reconciled to God and peace with God. That peace is a spiritual peace with God and it brings an inner peace in your hear with your inner self and your dealings with all people. A person who has a troubled, sinful inner self will not be concerned about being kind to others. A person at peace with God and self will say, “God has been so good to me, saving me, and I want to share that peace with others and help them to find that peace.” 3:15 “and be thankful” for what God has done for you.

Let the word dwell (enoikeó: To dwell in, to inhabit) in you richly. Not just “dwell in you” but “dwell in you richly”. The way the word gets in you is by reading, studying, and meditating on the word of God. But, as the SEC radio slogan says, “it’s not that you schedule your child’s birth around college football games, it just means more than that”. It means that the word of God lives in you and influences and guides you in everything that you do. Of course, you have to know what the word says, thus the reading and studying. Once the word gets in your mind and heart, picture the Spirit of God constantly urging you to apply what the word says to your life. The Spirit through the word nudges you to not do something bad that you were about to do and urges you to do something good that you need to do. My mom wrote long letters telling how she felt about things. I read those letters at times and it is a constant reminder of what she would want me to do. Her spirit speaks to me through those written letters. It’s the same with the Spirit and the word of God. Hebrews 4:2 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” But the word is only “living and active” if you are intent on letting the Spirit energize that word to influence and guide you. I am a full preterist in doctrine and feel that I can really help people understand the Bible in context in such a way that it will increase their faith in Jesus and the word. That means a lot of the word in my mind. But I struggle to let the Spirit use the word to help me put away certain bad thoughts and deeds, and put on love, compassion, and kindness. That’s what I need to work on! How about you?

The word dwelling in you will also motivate you to teach (didaskó: To teach, instruct) and admonish (noutheteó: To admonish, to warn, to instruct) one another. A good way to do this is with singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in our hearts. Psalms were singing the 150 psalms of the Old Testament. Hymns were praise songs sung by a congregation. Spiritual songs would be any song that the Spirit led them to sing about our new life in Christ. This is not just a command for the assembly on Sunday morning. It is not a command that would forbid singing songs with instrumental music. The Greek word for psalms is psalmos and is derived from the verb ψάλλω (psallō), meaning “to pluck” or “to play a stringed instrument.” 5568 psalmós – a psalm (“Scripture set to music”). Originally, a psalm (5568 /psalmós) was sung and accompanied by a plucked musical instrument (typically a harp), especially the OT Psalms.” That doesn’t mean that we can only sing psalms with an instrument, but it certainly does not rule out using an instrument to sing psalms with. My church has made such a big issue of non-instrumental worship, even calling the use of instruments a sin, perhaps a sin that would condemn one’s soul. That is sad. It has caused division instead of eliminating it.

Finally, 3:17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” That covers it all, doesn’t it. Whatever you do in word or deed, do it by that authority and command of the head, Jesus, always giving thanks. Let a thankful heart be always in you. If someone saved my life, I would be always thinking about what they did for me and how I could show gratitude to them.

That leads Paul to state the commands for wives to submit to husbands, husbands to love their wives, children obey their parents, fathers don’t provoke your children, slaves server your masters as if you were serving Jesus himself, and slave masters to be fair and kind to their slaves.

A few personal instructions close the letter to the Colossian church. “3:2 Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison— 4 that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak.5 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” This speak of God’s providence opening doors for the preaching of the gospel. Organizations like Eastern European Missions are constantly looking for and finding open doors for printing and distributing Bibles and children’s Bible story books all over the world in many languages. Paul was in prison in Rome and yet God opened a door for him to preach to the imperial guard (they guarded the emperor) (Eph 1:13). The Colossians are told to pray for God to open a door for Paul to preach the gospel. I don’t know how intercessory prayer works, but it works.

Salt preserves and adds flavor. Our speech should be seasoned with salt. We should be encouragers when others are frustrated and pessimistic. We should be praising and thanking God when others are cursing. We should be peacemakers when people are arguing and fighting. We should be giving a special word to someone who needs it. We should be able to make a defense to anyone who asks us about the hope we have in Jesus (1 Peter 3:15). Especially to non-Christians, outsiders, who are watching us closely to see if we really are sincere Christians.

Then some very personal comments. Several names. Tychicus would carry the letter to the Colossians. Onesimus was the runaway slave of Philemon who was converted in Rome by Paul. Philemon was a member of the Colossian church. Aristarchus was a fellow prisoner, actually with Paul on his 3rd journey and as a prisoner with Paul on the ship to Rome. Markm the cousin of Barnabas, was back in favor with Paul after Paul rejected him going on the 2nd journey b/c he left them on the 1st journey. Jesus called Justus comforted Paul in prison. Those 4 men were the only Jewish Christians that helped him in prison. Most of the Jews in Rome who came to hear Paul preach in prison rejected His gospel message. The physician Luke who traveled with Paul on his 3rd journey and was with Paul in Rome. Demas was still in grace at this time (and in Philemon 24) but later left Paul, loving the present world (2 Tim 4:10). Nympha was a member of the church in Laodicea and had a house church in her church. Archippus was told to fulfill his ministry, maybe as a pastor in the church at Laodicea. The Colossians were to pass their letter to the Laodicean church and then read the letter Paul wrote to the Laodiceans, which we don’t have. Paul wrote this letter with his own hand.