Christian Apologetics in the Second Century
The New Testament authors did a great job of laying the ground work for apologetics for Christianity. By the second century there were more accusations from pagans to dilute the Christian faith. There was also opposition from Roman authorities as the Jews and Christians began to disagree more. Due to all of this opposition, the second century required even more diligent people of the faith. Those who were willing to defend the faith during this time was people such as Tatian who composed a harmony of the four Gospels, Athenagoras who is claimed to be the most accomplished philosophical apologists, Theophilus who was also a writer, and Just Martyr who is noted to be the most important and influential figures of the second century. (1) These men of faith had to defend the faith arduously against pagans and Gnostics that did all that they could to tear it down.
The Accusations Against Christians
One of the first accusations against Christians was that Jesus's body was stolen. This was recorded in the New Testament while later Tertullian and Justin Martyr wrote about this implausible notion. (2) Jesus's deity was being attacked by Gnostics. Beilby wrote, "By the second century, Gnostic accounts of Jesus' teachings such as the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of Truth had to be refuted by Christians. (3) The trinity was being attacked by pagans that tried to make Christianity seem like other paganistic religions with many gods. There were several accusations that needed to be defended however, the last that needs to be mentioned is that pagans tried to make Christianity out to be a unmoralistic "religion".
How Did the Apologists Respond
Many of the Apologists defended the faith by writing wonderful works that did well in fighting against heresies in the second century. These writings were philosophical in nature and raised questions in such a way that only the Christian faith could answer. Not only those Apologists write, some like Justin taught Christian doctrine in a private school. (4) These were important ways for those Apologists to defend the faith and could be used in todays culture.
What Apologetic Principles Could be Used Today
All the methods that was used in the second century could and possibly should be used today. Apologetics has evolved quite a bit since the second century and different methods have been applied while there are various views on apologetics. Justin Martyr found analogues to Christian beliefs in Greek mythology in order to make Christian teaching understandable and acceptable to pagan readers. (5) In modern times Groothuis wrote, "The best method for this holy endeavor (apologetics) is to present Christianity as a hypothesis that passes rational testing better than rival worldviews. (6) Groothuis and Justin seem to agree for the most part by demonstrating similarities, but showing the rational of Christianity. This is by far one method that should be used in todays modern culture. Other methods that were used is writing to defend the faith such as those early Apologists did. Another method that should be used is teaching just as Justin did. This can be done in various venues such as at a university or church. Teach it to other believers so that they can go out to defend the faith in a right way.
References
1. Everett Ferguson, Church History: From Christ to the Pre-Reformation, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2013), 71.
2. Douglas Groothuis, Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith, (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2011), Kindle Loc. 6068.
3. James K. Beilby, Thinking About Christian Apologetics: What It Is and Why We Do It, (Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 2011), 44.
4. Ferguson, Church History, 72.
5. Ibid., 72.
6. Groothuis, Christian Apologetics, Kindle Loc. 7023.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Friday, December 11, 2015
Jesus in the Old Testament
Introduction
There
are Christians that do not know that Christ is in the Old Testament. In these
cases those Christians do not read or meditate on the Old Testament. There are
also some that believe that the New Testament should be the only books that
should be read because it has the New Covenant. They also believe that the New
Testament is only portion of the Bible that Christ can be seen. The purpose of
this lesson is to demonstrate how the Old Testament points to Christ.
Outcome: After this lesson the student will know how the Old
Testament points to Christ.
The Incompleteness of
the Old Testament
The
arrangement of the Old Testament is in a way that when you get to the last
prophetic book it seems like there should be more. The history (the Pentateuch),
the Poetic Books, and the Prophets all give a glimpse of something more. The
last book in the Old Testament even leaves the reader desiring to know more. Duguid
stated, “History is the story of God carrying out His grand plan in this world
for the redemption of His people in Christ.”[1] Malachi 4:5 states, “I
will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord
comes.” This kept the Israelites looking for Elijah and the last Old Testament
prophet did not show up until a little over four hundred years which was John
the Baptist.
The Symbolism of
Salvation
In
Israel’s history they were enslaved by the Egyptians and was rescued by God. At
that point they had to cross the Red Sea which symbolizes salvation for the
Israelites, but judgement for the Egyptians.[2] Jesus was born in Egypt
due to a king that would have sought Jesus out to kill Him. In the same
respect, the Israelites were enslaved in such a manner by a tyrannical ruler. Christ
also had a Red Sea moment when He was baptized. Symbolically, in the way the
Israelites were saved by the Red Sea, Christ did this through baptism. He did
not do this for Himself as it was known for repentance and confession of sins,
but for the sins of everyone.
The New David
The New
Testament tells the reader that Christ is the new Adam. Adam is the father of
all creation that was living in Paradise which was a perfect world. In the beginning
Adam was a perfect human however, he fell causing all humanity to fall. Christ
fulfills that perfection that cannot be done by humanity. His life was a
perfect example of a perfect human. Not only was He the new Adam, He was also
the new David. Jesus’s lineage can be traced from Abraham to David and then
born by the Virgin Mary. Though there was some unlikely characters in David’s
lineage, Christ came to restore the throne in a way that no human could do so. He
came as a King, restored the kingship on the cross, and after His resurrection
He sits back on his throne. The Son of David, the New David, was thus fulfilled
just as the Lord promised.
He is the Central
Theme of the Old Testament
Christ
fulfilled the incompleteness of the Old Testament, He demonstrated salvation by
being baptized, and He is the New Adam and New David. From the Book of Genesis
to the Book of Malachi the Old Testament is pointing the reader to Christ. He
spoke through the prophets about Christ, the psalmists sang about Him, and the
sacrifices all pointed to a better way of salvation that no man could ever do
other than the Messiah. It is only through His sacrifice that people can be
saved from their bondage of sin and have a right relationship with God. From
Adam falling to the four hundred years of silence God had a master plan for the
salvation of all mankind which can be found in the Old Testament. Jesus
encompasses every page of the Old Testament that every Christian should read
and meditate on in order to better understand the ministry and work of Christ.
Important Scripture
I like
to read the Old Testament to discover great insights about the Lord. One of my
favorite Scriptures that is thrilling to see is Isaiah 44:6. It states, “Thus
says the Lord, the King of Israel, and his redeemer, the Lord of hosts: ‘I am
the First and I am the Last; besides me there is no God.”
The significance: This is important because there is no other
prophet or anyone else could ever make this claim. We can turn to the Book of
Revelation and see that Christ made this claim about Himself in Revelation 1:8
and 17.
Another
telling verse in the Old Testament that points to the suffering of Christ is
Zechariah 12:10 which states, “I will pour on the house of David and on the
inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and supplication; then they will
look on Me whom they pierced.”
The significance: As discussed earlier David’s lineage was filled
with rough characters. This Scripture tells the reader that God will pour out
grace onto that same lineage. He did this by sending Christ Who was also in
that lineage and demonstrated the perfect life for all humankind. The very
telling part of the Scripture tells the reader that “they will look on Me whom they
pierced.” This tells us that Christ was God and it also prophesied that He
would be pierced. This can be found in the Gospels; hundreds of years after the
prophecy. Finally, it was Israel that had to look upon Him!
Bibliography
Duguid, Iain M. Is
Jesus in the Old Testament? Philipsburg, New Jersey: P&R Publishing,
2013.
Thursday, November 12, 2015
Interpreting Scripture
Here are a couple of questions that have been asked about interpreting Scripture. This is not an exhaustive explanation of interpreting Scripture however, it will give you a good start!
1. Give a definition of “canon.” Where does the word come from and what does it mean with relationship to the study of the Bible? Discuss the development of the New Testament and the criteria of canonicity used by the early church. Why did early Christians feel a need to establish an authoritative list of Scripture? What element in the criteria of canonicity is most important in your opinion? Which element is least important in your opinion? Be sure to give reasons why you chose these particular elements. How would you respond to a person who claimed that the canon of the Bible should still be open?
The word canon means rule or measuring stick. The reason for this is because the books in the Bible make up Scripture or canon that is authoritative. McRay wrote, "The term canon in Christianity refers to a group of books acknowledge by the early church as the rule of faith and faith." (1) Enns stated, "The process of the recognition and collection took place in the first centuries of the Christian church." (2) For the Old Testament to be considered in the canonization of the Bible was whether the book indicated that God gave the divine word to the author, the author had to be recognized as a spokesperson for God, and was the book historically accurate. For the New Testament to be recognized to be added the book was inspired, whether the author was an apostle or under apostle authority, and if the book or "letter" was well recognized by the early church. This is also how I would respond to someone that would exclaim that the canonization should be open; there are too many "uninspired" authors" and false teachings even in writing.
There was a need to create the canonization of the Bible to have a unified Bible that was undoubtedly inherent. There were "false teachers" that were teaching wrong doctrine and the early church fathers wanted to stop that before if continued. Many of the biblical authors would discuss false teachers in their letters and those teachers still continued. It was an important decision to canonize the Bible to to stop false teaching however, it still continues.
The most important aspect that I believe that is important in the canonization process is that whether the Bible was written by an apostle or under the authority of an apostle. The reason for this is because even after the resurrection and ascension of Christ there were others that claimed to be written by the authority of God. Many of those "gospels" are still around such as the gospel of Thomas and Mary. Liberally scholars today are starting to to take these gospels seriously especially the gospel of Mary because it is supposedly wrote by Mary of Magdalene.
2. How important is “literary context” to understanding the Bible properly? What are 3 important principles that should guide the practice of interpretation? Define the following terms: immediate context, book context, and Bible context. Which one of these is most useful in hermeneutics? Why? If you were given the task of teaching a class on interpretation, how would you explain the task of understanding the literary context of a passage? Why would it be important in your opinion? What problems could arise if one doesn’t take the literary context into consideration?
The importance of literary context is that the Scripture that is being read in properly understood. Klein wrote, "Misunderstandings can certainly arise when people hear only part of what is said and base their understanding on it." (3) When reading Scripture this means that the best practice for interpreting a verse is to read the Scripture before and after it. This is called immediate context. This will help to ensure that a better understanding of a particular verse is better understood.
Learning the book's context is to understand the who and why of the book. The reader should know who the author was and why the book was written. This will give the reader a bigger picture and fuller understanding of verse that is being interpreted. Context of the Bible is to understand the message of the whole Bible. There is a word of caution in this area. The Scripture of the that is being studied and interpreted other biblical books should be consulted such as those either on the same subject, in the same testament, or by the same author.
All of the elements are very important in hermeneutics because if even one element is left out Scripture can be interpreted in a wrong manner. I have seen "Christians" take one Scripture in the Bible without fully reading the chapter or reading just a few verses after to justify their sins. I have also witnessed preachers behind the pulpit that have preached a sermon behind the pulpit without referencing another Scripture. Again, I have witnessed evangelists that have taken Scripture wholly out of context to fit their "agenda". This is all disheartening, sad, frankly has made me made when I hear this type of preaching or teaching. Not only are they doing those hearing the sermon a disservice, but they are doing themselves a disservice. Examples of Scriptures taken out of context are the Scriptures that discussed Cain and Abel when Hebrews could have been referenced ( and others), but weren't. 1 John 1:8-10 has been taken out of context without reading the preceding verses or the following chapters to justify sin.
I have had the task of teaching about literary context because of the reasons stated above. It is important because people could justify their wrong lifestyles and sins if literary context is not considered. Another Scripture that is taken out of context is that Christ said that we are not to "judge" when then word really means to condemn. Again, in literary context we would have to look at other Scripture where Christ said that a tree will be known by their fruit. In book context we could also look to Paul when he stated in 1 Corinthians 5:12, "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?" If these contexts are not considered then wrong beliefs about biblical texts are being learned.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Roger D. Griggs
References:
1. J.R. McRay, Canon of the Bible in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A Elwell, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2001), 155.
2. Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Publishers, 2008), Kindle Loc. 3232.
3. William Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr., Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2014), 214.
1. Give a definition of “canon.” Where does the word come from and what does it mean with relationship to the study of the Bible? Discuss the development of the New Testament and the criteria of canonicity used by the early church. Why did early Christians feel a need to establish an authoritative list of Scripture? What element in the criteria of canonicity is most important in your opinion? Which element is least important in your opinion? Be sure to give reasons why you chose these particular elements. How would you respond to a person who claimed that the canon of the Bible should still be open?
The word canon means rule or measuring stick. The reason for this is because the books in the Bible make up Scripture or canon that is authoritative. McRay wrote, "The term canon in Christianity refers to a group of books acknowledge by the early church as the rule of faith and faith." (1) Enns stated, "The process of the recognition and collection took place in the first centuries of the Christian church." (2) For the Old Testament to be considered in the canonization of the Bible was whether the book indicated that God gave the divine word to the author, the author had to be recognized as a spokesperson for God, and was the book historically accurate. For the New Testament to be recognized to be added the book was inspired, whether the author was an apostle or under apostle authority, and if the book or "letter" was well recognized by the early church. This is also how I would respond to someone that would exclaim that the canonization should be open; there are too many "uninspired" authors" and false teachings even in writing.
There was a need to create the canonization of the Bible to have a unified Bible that was undoubtedly inherent. There were "false teachers" that were teaching wrong doctrine and the early church fathers wanted to stop that before if continued. Many of the biblical authors would discuss false teachers in their letters and those teachers still continued. It was an important decision to canonize the Bible to to stop false teaching however, it still continues.
The most important aspect that I believe that is important in the canonization process is that whether the Bible was written by an apostle or under the authority of an apostle. The reason for this is because even after the resurrection and ascension of Christ there were others that claimed to be written by the authority of God. Many of those "gospels" are still around such as the gospel of Thomas and Mary. Liberally scholars today are starting to to take these gospels seriously especially the gospel of Mary because it is supposedly wrote by Mary of Magdalene.
2. How important is “literary context” to understanding the Bible properly? What are 3 important principles that should guide the practice of interpretation? Define the following terms: immediate context, book context, and Bible context. Which one of these is most useful in hermeneutics? Why? If you were given the task of teaching a class on interpretation, how would you explain the task of understanding the literary context of a passage? Why would it be important in your opinion? What problems could arise if one doesn’t take the literary context into consideration?
The importance of literary context is that the Scripture that is being read in properly understood. Klein wrote, "Misunderstandings can certainly arise when people hear only part of what is said and base their understanding on it." (3) When reading Scripture this means that the best practice for interpreting a verse is to read the Scripture before and after it. This is called immediate context. This will help to ensure that a better understanding of a particular verse is better understood.
Learning the book's context is to understand the who and why of the book. The reader should know who the author was and why the book was written. This will give the reader a bigger picture and fuller understanding of verse that is being interpreted. Context of the Bible is to understand the message of the whole Bible. There is a word of caution in this area. The Scripture of the that is being studied and interpreted other biblical books should be consulted such as those either on the same subject, in the same testament, or by the same author.
All of the elements are very important in hermeneutics because if even one element is left out Scripture can be interpreted in a wrong manner. I have seen "Christians" take one Scripture in the Bible without fully reading the chapter or reading just a few verses after to justify their sins. I have also witnessed preachers behind the pulpit that have preached a sermon behind the pulpit without referencing another Scripture. Again, I have witnessed evangelists that have taken Scripture wholly out of context to fit their "agenda". This is all disheartening, sad, frankly has made me made when I hear this type of preaching or teaching. Not only are they doing those hearing the sermon a disservice, but they are doing themselves a disservice. Examples of Scriptures taken out of context are the Scriptures that discussed Cain and Abel when Hebrews could have been referenced ( and others), but weren't. 1 John 1:8-10 has been taken out of context without reading the preceding verses or the following chapters to justify sin.
I have had the task of teaching about literary context because of the reasons stated above. It is important because people could justify their wrong lifestyles and sins if literary context is not considered. Another Scripture that is taken out of context is that Christ said that we are not to "judge" when then word really means to condemn. Again, in literary context we would have to look at other Scripture where Christ said that a tree will be known by their fruit. In book context we could also look to Paul when he stated in 1 Corinthians 5:12, "What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?" If these contexts are not considered then wrong beliefs about biblical texts are being learned.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Roger D. Griggs
References:
1. J.R. McRay, Canon of the Bible in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A Elwell, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2001), 155.
2. Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, (Chicago, Illinois: Moody Publishers, 2008), Kindle Loc. 3232.
3. William Klein, Craig L. Blomberg, and Robert L. Hubbard Jr., Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2014), 214.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Is this Real or Propaganda?
I'm still hearing about this "Heaven is for Real" propaganda from people. Now, on the rise is the "90 Minutes in Heaven" that recounts the story of a pastor who was "dead" for 90 minutes and saw the "Pearly Gates".
Personally I have problems with these kind of stories and the millions they make off of them. First, it goes beyond any true doctrine that should be taught. Secondly, it gives people "false hope". Lastly, I truly feel that it's lies that are being taught to bring up more "feel good" religiosity.
I've researched many of these stories. The "Heaven is for Real" story was finally made right by the boy who claimed he was put up to it by his pastor dad. The problem I have with this "90 Minutes in Heaven" story is that there are too many circumstances that surround this story that doesn't make sense. Don Piper was on his way back from a Baptist Convention when the wreck happened and thus declared dead in 1989; for 90 minutes! If you are dead for 90 minutes, you are dead! If you are truly "clinically" dead for 90 minutes body organs to include the brain begin to truly shut down. You will truly be dead and will not live to tell the story. Also, if you see Heaven, you are there to stay. He wrote his book and first publicized in 2004 (after the event happened six years earlier) which made its way to a recent movie format. If he was going to a Baptist Convention, in my mind he was a Baptist minister right? He was also "exiled" from many people in certain circles. However, now he does much of his ministry in the Pentecostal churches. He is even a pastor in a Pentecostal church. In my mind, I think the only denomination that would truly accept this story is the more charismatic religions. I mean I could go on and on about this!
Now, that I have stated my opinion about this, what is your opinion? Should we as Christ's ministers leave this alone because as Christ said, "if they aren't against us, they are for us (paraphrased)." Finally, is this kind of propaganda truly necessary to provide hope to the faithless that Heaven is for Real?
I thought faith consisted more of seeing or hearing such stories as this. "You have faith because you have seen, but better are those who have not seen and have faith".
Ok, begin with your comments!
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
40 Observations from Romans Eight
After meditating on chapter eight of Romans there are several things that can be observed from this chapter. For this discussion I did what Whitney explained as lingering. His explanation of someone coming in from the cold and just walking by the fire was an excellent illustration. I have heard a lot of people say that they can't remember the Word and I have found what Whitney stated to be true in their lives and my own devotional life. He wrote, "The failure to linger is the reason why many fail to remember or find their hearts warmed by the fire of God's Word." (1) For this assignment I took "chunks" of Romans 8 each day and let it kindle my heart until it blazed inside. Foster said, "Meditation is the one thing that can sufficiently redirect our lives so that we can deal with human life successfully." (2) Meditating on Romans 8 can definitely do just that; help us deal with human life more sufficiently.
There are 39 verses in Romans Eight and each verse could have several observations that can be written about. A creative minister or teacher of the Word could easily do a lengthy sermon or teaching series on this particular chapter. There is a lot of meat in this chapter for the Christian. This chapter has a lot to say about the Christian life. To understand what Paul is stating in chapter eight it is best to understand chapter seven first. To sum up chapter seven in two would to use the two docrtinal words justification and sanctification. To be justified before the Lord because of what Christ did is to have peace, but that inner peace grows as believers go further in the sanctification process.
With that understanding here are the observations found in chapter eight:
1. Christ's triumph on the cross brings no condemnation to those who are in Christ (verse one).
2. Those who are in Christ must walk in the Spirit rather than the flesh (verse one).
3. The Law of the Spirit (which is different than the Law written on stone tablets) makes Christians free from bondage (verse two).
4. Though the Law is good it still could not bring freedom because it was weak in the flesh (verse three).
5. Paul revisited John 3:16 by stating that God sent His Son (verse three).
6. Not only did God send His Son, He sent Christ in our likeness (verse three).
7. Christ was an example by defeating sin in His life and on the cross (verse three).
8. The Law can be fulfilled in Christians however, they must walk in the Spirit (verse four).
9. Those who are still carnal, that is walk in the flesh, desire the things of the flesh which is the things of this world (verse five).
10 Those who truly desire to be more Christ-like walk in the Spirit; not in the flesh (verse five).
11. It is a hard truth, but those who walk in the flesh are carnally minded and only have the expectation of death which is spirital death (verse six).
12. Life, eternal life, comes to those who walk after the Spirit (verse six).
13. The person that walks after the flesh, those who are carnally minded, is hostile toward God (verse seven).
14. There is no way that a mind that desires things of the flesh can be right with God (verse seven).
15. While the person that is carnally minded cannot be right with God, that person cannot please God (verse eight).
16. Paul encourages those that are Christians that they are not in the flesh (verse nine).
17. Along with that encouragement Paul goes on to encourage Christians to allow the Spirit of God in (verse nine).
18. Paul goes on to say that those that are carnally minded and do not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Him (verse nine).
19. Due to sin the body is dead (verse ten).
20. Those who are in Christ and have the Spirit have life, that is eternal life (verse ten).
21. The life that Paul speaks of is now in the soul, not the outer body which will decay (verse ten).
22. The life that is given by Christ is only due to the inherited righteousness (verse ten).
*** At this point I will speed things up just a bit***
23. Those who walk in the Spirit have the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead will bring life (verse eleven).
24. Christians then, owe Christ because of the righteousness that God granted through Christ (verse twelve).
25. Christians are sons of God because they walk in the Spirit (verse fourteen).
26. Christians do not have to live life in fear especially fear of death because they have been adopted into a new Kingdom (verse 15).
27. Christians are heirs of the Kingdom of God because of this new life (verse seventeen).
28. Christians, those who walk in the Spirit, will suffer in this life as Christ did and will also be glorified with Him (verse seventeen).
29. There is no comparison between worldly suffering to the coming glory that will be revealed to us (verse eighteen).
30. Not only the Christian, but all of creation, the whole frame of nature, eagerly awaits for the coming of Christ (verse nineteen).
31. All of creation was made subject to sin, but there is hope (verse twenty).
32. Since creation has also been subject to sin and bondage it will also be delivered from bondage when Christ returns (verse twenty-one).
33. Christians receive salvation of hope and hope cannot be something that is seen, but something that is unseen and earnestly waited upon (verses twenty-four and twenty-five).
34. The Christian not only helps Christians with the victory over sin, but the Spirit also makes intercession for them (verse twenty-six).
35. God searches the heart and knows what is on the heart of every soul. He receives the intercession of the Spirit and His saints (verse twenty-seven).
36. The famous verse of, "All things work together for good to them that love God" (twenty-eight).
37. Not against the Christians will, but the Omniscient God knew before hand elected them, called them, and justified them because of Christ will be glorified along with Christ (verses twenty-nine and thirty).
38. Christians will be pardoned on the day of Judgement because He is for us because of the work His Son did on the cross. there is no condemnation for Christians. (The meaning of the phrase, "freely give us all things," is eternal life (verses thirty-one through thirty-four).
39. Paul finalizes this chapter by asking who or what could ever separate Christians from the love of Christ or God (verse thirty-five).
40. Finally, there is nothing in creation from death to anything created can separate Christians from the love of Christ and God (verses thirty-eight and thirty-nine).
1. As mentioned earlier this chapter can be a very lengthy sermon series and to sum up what Christians should believe about God from reading this chapter can also be another sermon series on it's own. However, to sum it all up Christians should believe that God is an Omniscient God who knows all things, has predestined them to be an heir of His Kingdom, and all of this is possible because He loved us so much that He sent His One and Only Son as a perfect sacrifice for them.
2. Again, could also be a lengthy sermon series, but from this chapter the Holy Spirit works in the Christians life by regenerating them and also intercedes for them before God.
References:
1. Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, (Colorado Springs, Colorado: NavPress, 2014), 49.
2. Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, (New York, New York: Harper Collins, 1998), 22.
There are 39 verses in Romans Eight and each verse could have several observations that can be written about. A creative minister or teacher of the Word could easily do a lengthy sermon or teaching series on this particular chapter. There is a lot of meat in this chapter for the Christian. This chapter has a lot to say about the Christian life. To understand what Paul is stating in chapter eight it is best to understand chapter seven first. To sum up chapter seven in two would to use the two docrtinal words justification and sanctification. To be justified before the Lord because of what Christ did is to have peace, but that inner peace grows as believers go further in the sanctification process.
With that understanding here are the observations found in chapter eight:
1. Christ's triumph on the cross brings no condemnation to those who are in Christ (verse one).
2. Those who are in Christ must walk in the Spirit rather than the flesh (verse one).
3. The Law of the Spirit (which is different than the Law written on stone tablets) makes Christians free from bondage (verse two).
4. Though the Law is good it still could not bring freedom because it was weak in the flesh (verse three).
5. Paul revisited John 3:16 by stating that God sent His Son (verse three).
6. Not only did God send His Son, He sent Christ in our likeness (verse three).
7. Christ was an example by defeating sin in His life and on the cross (verse three).
8. The Law can be fulfilled in Christians however, they must walk in the Spirit (verse four).
9. Those who are still carnal, that is walk in the flesh, desire the things of the flesh which is the things of this world (verse five).
10 Those who truly desire to be more Christ-like walk in the Spirit; not in the flesh (verse five).
11. It is a hard truth, but those who walk in the flesh are carnally minded and only have the expectation of death which is spirital death (verse six).
12. Life, eternal life, comes to those who walk after the Spirit (verse six).
13. The person that walks after the flesh, those who are carnally minded, is hostile toward God (verse seven).
14. There is no way that a mind that desires things of the flesh can be right with God (verse seven).
15. While the person that is carnally minded cannot be right with God, that person cannot please God (verse eight).
16. Paul encourages those that are Christians that they are not in the flesh (verse nine).
17. Along with that encouragement Paul goes on to encourage Christians to allow the Spirit of God in (verse nine).
18. Paul goes on to say that those that are carnally minded and do not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Him (verse nine).
19. Due to sin the body is dead (verse ten).
20. Those who are in Christ and have the Spirit have life, that is eternal life (verse ten).
21. The life that Paul speaks of is now in the soul, not the outer body which will decay (verse ten).
22. The life that is given by Christ is only due to the inherited righteousness (verse ten).
*** At this point I will speed things up just a bit***
23. Those who walk in the Spirit have the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead will bring life (verse eleven).
24. Christians then, owe Christ because of the righteousness that God granted through Christ (verse twelve).
25. Christians are sons of God because they walk in the Spirit (verse fourteen).
26. Christians do not have to live life in fear especially fear of death because they have been adopted into a new Kingdom (verse 15).
27. Christians are heirs of the Kingdom of God because of this new life (verse seventeen).
28. Christians, those who walk in the Spirit, will suffer in this life as Christ did and will also be glorified with Him (verse seventeen).
29. There is no comparison between worldly suffering to the coming glory that will be revealed to us (verse eighteen).
30. Not only the Christian, but all of creation, the whole frame of nature, eagerly awaits for the coming of Christ (verse nineteen).
31. All of creation was made subject to sin, but there is hope (verse twenty).
32. Since creation has also been subject to sin and bondage it will also be delivered from bondage when Christ returns (verse twenty-one).
33. Christians receive salvation of hope and hope cannot be something that is seen, but something that is unseen and earnestly waited upon (verses twenty-four and twenty-five).
34. The Christian not only helps Christians with the victory over sin, but the Spirit also makes intercession for them (verse twenty-six).
35. God searches the heart and knows what is on the heart of every soul. He receives the intercession of the Spirit and His saints (verse twenty-seven).
36. The famous verse of, "All things work together for good to them that love God" (twenty-eight).
37. Not against the Christians will, but the Omniscient God knew before hand elected them, called them, and justified them because of Christ will be glorified along with Christ (verses twenty-nine and thirty).
38. Christians will be pardoned on the day of Judgement because He is for us because of the work His Son did on the cross. there is no condemnation for Christians. (The meaning of the phrase, "freely give us all things," is eternal life (verses thirty-one through thirty-four).
39. Paul finalizes this chapter by asking who or what could ever separate Christians from the love of Christ or God (verse thirty-five).
40. Finally, there is nothing in creation from death to anything created can separate Christians from the love of Christ and God (verses thirty-eight and thirty-nine).
1. As mentioned earlier this chapter can be a very lengthy sermon series and to sum up what Christians should believe about God from reading this chapter can also be another sermon series on it's own. However, to sum it all up Christians should believe that God is an Omniscient God who knows all things, has predestined them to be an heir of His Kingdom, and all of this is possible because He loved us so much that He sent His One and Only Son as a perfect sacrifice for them.
2. Again, could also be a lengthy sermon series, but from this chapter the Holy Spirit works in the Christians life by regenerating them and also intercedes for them before God.
References:
1. Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, (Colorado Springs, Colorado: NavPress, 2014), 49.
2. Richard J. Foster, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, (New York, New York: Harper Collins, 1998), 22.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
The Authorship of Acts
The book of Acts is a great book however, it is important to determine the date that it was written and how we know that Luke wrote it. This helps us to interpret Acts correctly and that the historicity is reliable. The following are just a couple of questions that are often asked.
1.
Present
an overview of the evidence for determining the date Acts was written.
What indicators of historical reliability are found in Acts? What role
does Luke as author play?
2.
Give
the evidence to support Luke as author of Acts. How could Luke become
aware of privileged information such as found in Acts 23:25–30, 25:14–22, and
26:30–32? How important are the "we" passages in Acts to
determining authorship?
There
are three different opinions of when the book of Acts was written. The groups
of scholars arrange their dates from A.D. 57 to A.D 150. The first group
consider “early dating” that would date Acts about the year A.D. 64. This is
the date when a majority of scholars dated Acts in earlier times. The second
group dates Acts in the range from A.D. 70 to A.D. 90. The final group date
Acts from A.D. 95 to A.D. 100. The final group claim that Luke used Antiquities written by Josephus.[1]
There are
several historical events that would give a good indicator of when Acts was
written at least within a decade. The first consideration is that Luke mentions
that Jerusalem was surrounded by the armies in Luke 21:20. This would give the
clue about the fall of Jerusalem which happened in A.D. 70. It is also well
known that the book of Acts was the second in a “series” of letters that Luke
wrote; The Gospel According to Luke and then The Acts of the Apostles. The
second consideration is that Luke as a very detailed historian would have used
other accounts as stated in the book of Luke in verses 2 and 3, “Just as those
who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered
them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all
things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent
Theophilus.” The verses indicate that Luke received knowledge of the “gospels”
from “eyewitnesses” and “ministers”. This would give good indication that Luke
received his account from the Apostles. Finally, Luke also mirrors the book of
Mark which is another discussion of the Synoptic Gospels. This would delineate
the later date by using Josephus.
As
stated, the importance of Luke is that he was a very detailed historian. Lea and
Black claim that Paul was still in prison at the end of Acts and state, “Luke
wrote Acts at some time in the early sixties.”[2] Taking into account of
Paul awaiting to be martyred and the knowledge of the fall of Jerusalem the can
be placed between late A.D. 60’s and late A.D. 70’s. As a detailed historian
Luke would have made sure that every detail was correct and would not have
written anything fictitious. It is important to have a correct view of who the
author is as a historian and the correct date to interpret the book of Acts correctly.
Some
infallible proofs that Acts was written by Luke is the “we” statements
throughout the book and external evidence. In the discussion of the “we”
statements Carson and Moo wrote, “Since the author accompanied Paul to Rome and
was probably with him during Paul’s two-year house arrest in Rome, we might
expect Paul to mention him in the letters he wrote during that period of time.”[3] Paul listed Luke as one of
his companions in chains with him. The “we” statements and Paul mentioning Luke
as a companion gives substantial evidence that Luke is the author of Acts.
Bibliography
Carson, D.A. and Moo, Douglas J. An Introduction to the New Testament. Grand
Rapids, Michigan, 2005.
Lea, Thomas D. The New Testament: Its Background and Message. Nashville,
Tennessee: B&H Publishers, 2003.
Polhill, John B. The
American Commentary: Acts. Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishers, 1992.
[1] John B. Polhill, The New American Commentary, (Nashville,
Tennessee: B&H Publishers, 1992), Kindle Loc. 661.
[2] Thomas D. Lea, The New Testament: Its Background and
Message, (Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing, 2003), 284.
[3] D.A. Carson and Douglas
and Douglas J. Moo, An Introduction to
the New Testament, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2005), 291.
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Quiet Talk About Spiritual Warfare
I recently finished and enjoyed reading Rankins Spiritual Warfare. It has been one of the most honest books about spiritual warfare that was written in recent times. It is too easy to get wrapped up in the world and liberality to believe that if adversity is happening then God must not love us or is punishing us. On the other side of the coin there is the belief that God must not exist if there is so much turmoil in the world. Yet, there is a totally different coin that has a different tale. John 16:33 states, "I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world."
Indeed, in this life we will have suffering and adversities. Rankin states, "Does He (God) know how He can be most glorified in your life? Yes, and it's not by putting a hedge of protection around you so that you never have any challenges and struggles." (1) I agree with Rankin. I love teaching people how to be resilient because of adversities that I have gone through. One of my favorite quotes that I use is, "God would not put you in a glass bubble when you become a Christian. If He did He wouldn't be able to test how true our faith is. Even if we were in a glass bubble safe from all troubles and adversities our flesh would still be so selfish to complain about that."
It is all about having faith in God, how we deal with adversity, and perspective about the situation. One of my biggest irritations now is the small things. One thing that I can take from Rankins writings is not to allow the termites get to me. I will incorporate this in my prayer life and ministry. I am getting better, but I know that Satan uses those termites to take my focus off of Christ.
References
1. Jerry Rankin, Spiritual Warfare: The Battle for God's Glory, (Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing, 2009), 202.
2. Ibid., 207.
Indeed, in this life we will have suffering and adversities. Rankin states, "Does He (God) know how He can be most glorified in your life? Yes, and it's not by putting a hedge of protection around you so that you never have any challenges and struggles." (1) I agree with Rankin. I love teaching people how to be resilient because of adversities that I have gone through. One of my favorite quotes that I use is, "God would not put you in a glass bubble when you become a Christian. If He did He wouldn't be able to test how true our faith is. Even if we were in a glass bubble safe from all troubles and adversities our flesh would still be so selfish to complain about that."
The Apostle Paul is one of the main people that I discuss a lot because of his sufferings. As much as he suffered he still stated in Ephesians 6:10, "Be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength." It is only with Christ and His strength that we can get through adversity. Usually when adversities strike a person they tend to focus on themselves and how they will get through it. They do not turn to Christ and his promises. Rankin wrote, "Our fleshly nature is so self-centered that we tend to focus on our comforts and conveniences and feel sorry for ourselves when our plans are disrupted, and we suffer the loss of material things. We fail to realize that God may have a higher purpose in allowing adversity to come into our lives." (2) One of the sorrows (adversities) that I have seen people suffer the most (or I should say suffer the worse) is when a loved one passes away. This is one of the oddest things to me especially for Christians because we know that people are going to die and it is plainly stated in the Bible. Rankins whole point throughout the book is glorifying God. Even the death of a loved one can help us to glorify God by how we go through the mourning process.
I have had a lot of adversities in my life beginning in my childhood however, none has been as bad as the troubles of war and suffering the injury that I have already spoken of. I will admit that when it first happened I questioned why would God allow this to happen to someone that is His child and to someone that surrendered into the ministry. In the beginning I was acting selfishly not realizing that God could use this for His glory. I was selfish because when it first happened I stuttered after the plain ride from Iraq to Germany and my memory was terrible. Now looking back I see there was many blessings that can be found in that situation. Not only have I been able to overcome many of the cognitive issues, but the biggest blessing that I can find in that situation is that my truck got hit by the I.E.D. The I.E.D that hit my vehicle was a large explosive and I was in a RG-31 a vehicle that can take the hit better than humvee's. In my convoy there was two humvee's which had my platoon leader in one and my platoon sergeant in the other along with their crew; both vehicles had at least four people in them. If one of their vehicles would have got hit everyone could have or more than likely died.It is all about having faith in God, how we deal with adversity, and perspective about the situation. One of my biggest irritations now is the small things. One thing that I can take from Rankins writings is not to allow the termites get to me. I will incorporate this in my prayer life and ministry. I am getting better, but I know that Satan uses those termites to take my focus off of Christ.
References
1. Jerry Rankin, Spiritual Warfare: The Battle for God's Glory, (Nashville, Tennessee: B&H Publishing, 2009), 202.
2. Ibid., 207.
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