Monthly Archives: November 2007

Gospel of John, Deity of Jesus

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Inasmuch as this post has generated open attempts at proselytization Surprised, and though I really didn’t intend for it to be a purely doctrinal/theological discussion, I think a brief detour concerning the Deity of Christ might be useful here. 

If you look at most of the world’s cults and religions, the one thing they all have in common is their view of Jesus Christ: nearly all false religions and cults deny His Deity.

I have heard people say, “the Bible does not teach that Jesus of Nazareth was God.” 

Which statement, of course, is patently false.  

These doubters would be better off saying, “I don’t believe what the Bible says about Jesus.” That, at least, is their prerogative, i.e., to disbelieve the Bible. But to assert that the Bible does not teach Christ’s Deity is intellectually dishonest. 

In fact, the NT very clearly records the Seven Characteristics of Deity as being seen in the Life of Jesus.  

At the risk of being a bit ponderous, please allow me to present the following study from my notes, culled mostly from Shedd and Thiessen, as well as Conner, for your consideration. Though I have reduced it substantially, there’s still a lot of information. I have quoted certain passages in full, and merely listed the references of others.

Perhaps this could be useful for later reference if one wished to save it to their files. 

Here are the seven areas at which we will be looking:

1. DIVINE NAMES ARE APPLIED TO JESUS.

 2. DIVINE ATTRIBUTES ARE ASCRIBED TO JESUS.

3. DIVINE WORKS ARE ATTRIBUTED TO JESUS.

4. DIVINE PRAYER IS ADDRESSED TO JESUS:

5. DIVINE WORSHIP IS ACCEPTED BY JESUS

6. DIVINE SINLESSNESS IS ASSERTED OF JESUS.

7. DIVINE PREROGATIVES ARE ASSUMED BY JESUS.

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1. DIVINE NAMES ARE APPLIED TO JESUS: 

A name is that by which something or someone is marked or known. In regard to the Names of God, these are descriptions of His Person, Attributes and Purposes. 

A. Jesus is called LORD, or Jehovah.   

    1) By Jeremiah: 

5 "Behold, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "When I shall raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely And do justice and righteousness in the land. 6 "In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell securely; And this is His name by which He will be called, 'The LORD our righteousness.’” (Jer. 23:5-6, NASB)  

    2) By Paul: 

3 concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, 4 who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 1:3-4, NASB)  

    3) By James: 

1:1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad, greetings. (James 1:1, NASB)  

    4) By Peter: 

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Pet. 1:3, NASB)  

    5) By Jesus Himself: 

21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. 22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ (Matt. 7:21-22, NASB)   

    6) Additionally, it is an interesting study to compare the many OT passages which refer to the LORD — Yahweh or Jehovah in the Hebrew — with the NT writings which interpret these passages as referring to Jesus.  

Here are a few:

  a. Compare Joel 2:32 with Romans 10:9-13, where Paul refers to the OT Jehovah, as Jesus.    

  b. Compare Isaiah 6:1-10 with John 12:34-41, where John quotes the OT Jehovah, whom Isaiah saw, as Jesus.    

  c. Compare Psalm 102:25-27 with Hebrews 1:8-12, where the writer of Hebrews refers to the OT Jehovah, as Jesus.    

  d. Compare Psalm 68:17-18 with Ephesians 4:7-10, where Paul refers to the OT Jehovah, as Jesus.  

B. Jesus is called Savior:    

  1) In the OT, Jehovah calls Himself “Savior,” and furthermore, says He is the only One who is Savior. (See Ps. 106:21, Isaiah 43:3,11, 45:15,21, 49:26, 60:16, Hos. 13:4 and Ps. 3:8)    

  2) Note how the NT calls Jesus, “Savior”: 

11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:11, NASB) 

31 "He is the one whom God exalted to His right hand as a Prince and a Savior, to grant repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. (Acts 5:31, NASB) 

3 but at the proper time manifested, even His word, in the proclamation with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior; 4 to Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. (Tit. 1:3-4, NASB)  

C. Jesus is called the First and the Last, the Beginning and the Ending, Alpha and Omega:    

  1) This is a title/name addressed to the LORD, Jehovah, of the OT: 

4 "Who has performed and accomplished it, Calling forth the generations from the beginning? 'I, the LORD, am the first, and with the last. I am He.'" (Isaiah 41:4, NASB)  

Also, see Isaiah 44:6, 48:12.    

  2) In comparing these verses from the OT to the following passages in the Book of Revelation, we see this title/name as being applied to Jesus: 

7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen. 8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty”…12 And I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; 13 and in the middle of the lampstands one like a son of man…17 And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as a dead man. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last.” (Rev. 1:7-17, NASB) 

Also, see Rev. 21:6, 22:13.  

D. Jesus is called “God.” 

This, after all, is the ultimate proof of Deity.    

  1) By demons. Matt. 8:29.    

  2) By Isaiah. Isaiah 7:14, 9:6.    

  3) By Gabriel. Luke 1:35.    

  4) By Peter. Matt. 16:17.    

  5) By Paul. Tit. 2:13.    

  6) By Thomas. John 20:20.    

  7) By the Father. Heb. 1:8.    

  8 ) By Christ Himself: 

70 And they all said, 'Thou, then, art the Son of God?' and he said unto them, 'Ye say it, because I am;' (Luke 22:70, Young’s Literal Translation) 

It is sometimes claimed that Jesus never referred to Himself as "God," nor wanted anyone to think He was God, which the above verse shows to be untrue. Christ’s followers knew He asserted that He was very God, as did His enemies, which is why they opposed Him: 

17 But He answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working."  18 For this cause therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God. (John 5:17-18, NASB) 

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2. DIVINE ATTRIBUTES ARE ASCRIBED TO JESUS: 

An attribute may be defined as the qualities of a person. There are five of these distinctly Divine qualities, called the Incommunicable Attributes, which are possessed only by God, and which are not found in His creation. All five of which are ascribed to, and manifested in the Life of Jesus. 

  A. God is ETERNAL.   

By this we mean that God has no point of beginning nor point of ending. He has always been, and will always be. He is free from all succession of time, and abides in an ever-abiding present tense. Gen. 21:33; Ex. 3:14; Deut. 33:27; Ps. 90:2; Isaiah 57:15; 1 Tim. 1:17; Rev. 1:4.

    1) Jesus is ETERNAL: 

2 "But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Too little to be among the clans of Judah, From you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, From the days of eternity." (Mic. 5:2, NASB)

The NT interprets this verse from Micah as referring to Jesus in Matthew 2:6. 

6 For a Child hath been born to us, A Son hath been given to us, And the princely power is on his shoulder, And He doth call his name Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6, YLT) 

11 They will perish, but Thou remainest; And they all will become old as a garment,12 And as a mantle Thou wilt roll them up; As a garment they will also be changed. But Thou art the same, And Thy years will not come to an end." (Heb. 1:11-12, NASB) 

24 but He, on the other hand, because He abides forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Heb. 7:24-25, NASB) 

18 “…and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.” (Rev. 1:18, NASB)  

B. God is OMNIPRESENT.  

By this we mean that God is everywhere present at once. He transcends the limits of the universe, and is immanent in every part of it, with His whole Being. He is not bound by the constrictions of time and space. 1 Kings 8:27; Ps. 139:7-8; Jer. 23-24; Acts 17:27-28.

  1) Jesus is OMNIPRESENT: 

13 “and no one hath gone up to the heaven, except he who out of the heaven came down — the Son of Man who is in the heaven.” (John 3:13, YLT) 

20 “for where there are two or three gathered together – to my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (Matt. 18:20, NASB)  

C. God is OMNIPOTENT.  

By this we mean that God is all-powerful, which power is underived and irresistible. Nothing is impossible for Him to accomplish if He so wills it. God can bring to pass whatever He wishes through the mere exercise of His Will. Gen. 1:1, 17:1, 18:14; Jer. 32:17; Rev. 19:5-6. 

  1) Jesus is OMNIPOTENT:    

    a. Over demons. Mark 5:1-15; Luke 4:33-41.    

    b. Over disease. Matt. 4:23-24; Mark 1:30-34.    

    c. Over nature. Matt. 8:23-27, 21:19; John 6:6-14.    

    d. Over death. Matt. 9:18-26; Luke 7:12-17; John 11:1-46.    

    e. Over angels. 1 Pet. 3:22.    

    f. Over all things. Matt. 28:18; Eph. 1:20-22; Rev. 1:8.  

D. God is OMNISCIENT. 

By this we mean that God is all-knowing, and knows all things at all times, immediately, simultaneously, exhaustively, and perfectly.  There is nothing that He does not know, and has not known, from all eternity. He knows all of what will come to pass, as well as what might have happened. He has nothing to ever learn. 2 Chron. 16:9; Ps. 139:1-6, 147:5; Isaiah 46:9-10; Dan. 2:28; Acts 15:18; 1 John 3:2.  

  1) Jesus is OMNISCIENT:   

    a. He knew how He would die.  Matt. 16:21; John 12:31-33, 13:1.    

    b. He knew all men.  John 2:23-25.    

    c. He knew the personal history of people.  John 4:16-19,29, 21:18-19.    

    d. He knew His betrayer.  John 13:21-30.     

    e. He knew the future.  Matt. 7:21-33, 23:34-39, 24:1-51.    

    f. He knew all things.  John 16:30, 21:17; Col. 2:3; Heb. 4:12-13.  

E. God is IMMUTABLE.  

By this we mean that God is constant and unchanging in His Being and in His Will. He remains forever the same, faithful to Himself and to His Word. 1 Sam. 15:29; Ps. 33:11; Mal. 3:6; Heb. 6:17-18; Jas. 1:17.  

  1) Jesus is IMMUTABLE:   

Compare Heb. 1:10-12 with Ps. 102:26-27.

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever. (Heb. 13:8, NASB)  

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3. DIVINE WORKS ARE ATTRIBUTED TO JESUS: 

There are certain works that are restricted to God, and are only capable of being performed by God. We see these works performed in the Life of Jesus: 

  A. Jesus created all things. John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:1-3,10. 

  B. Jesus gives eternal life. John 1:4;1 John 5:11-13,20. 

  C. Jesus will raise all the dead and give them immortal bodies. Phil. 3:20-21. 

  D. Jesus will judge all things. Acts 10:42, 17:31; 2 Cor. 5:10; 2 Tim. 4:1; Rev. 19:11, 20-21. 

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4. DIVINE PRAYER IS ADDRESSED TO JESUS: 

See Matt. 8:25; Luke 5:8; Acts 1:21-26, 7:59-60; Romans 1:7-8; 1 Cor. 1:2.

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5. DIVINE WORSHIP IS ACCEPTED BY JESUS: 

Worship is only to be directed to God Himself. Ex. 20:3-5; Deut. 5:7-9.

 A. Jesus is worshiped by angels. Rev. 5:11-12; Is 6:1-5,10 with John 12:37-41; Heb. 1:6; Luke 2:9-14. 

 B. Jesus was worshiped by the Three Wise Men. Matt. 2:1-2,11. 

 C. Jesus was worshiped by men. Matt. 8:2, 14;33, 15:25, 28:9,17; John 9:38. 

  D. Jesus is worshiped by all creation. Rev. 5:13-14. 

Jesus never refused this worship, which would have amounted to deception — as well as blasphemy — if He was not God: 

14 — for you shall not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. (Exodus 34:14, NASB) 

10 Then Jesus said to him, "Begone, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'" (Matt. 4:10, NASB) 

See also Acts 10:25-26; Rev. 19:10, 22:8-9.     

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6. DIVINE SINLESSNESS IS ASSERTED OF JESUS: 

Sinlessness is derived from the Divine Attribute of Holiness. By this we mean that God is absolutely pure in all He thinks, says, and does, and maintains His own moral excellence without effort or thought. He absolutely abhors sin. Ex. 3:5; Lev. 19:2; 1 Sam. 2:2; Is. 6:1-5, 57:15; Hab. 1:13; and compare 1 John 4:14. 

The NT asserts this Holiness/Sinlessness of Jesus: 

  A. By Gabriel. Luke 1:30-35. 

  B. By demons. Mark 1:23-24. 

  C. By men. Matt. 27:19; Luke 23:39-41; John 18:38, 19:4. 

  D. By the Apostles. Matt. 27:3-4; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 1 Pet. 1:18-19. 

  E. By Himself. John 8:46, 15:10. 

Also compare Ps. 40:6-8 and Isaiah 53:1-12.  

The sinlessness of Jesus is important for several reasons: 

  1) If Jesus was sinful, he couldn’t be the Savior of the world.  See Heb. 7:24-28.  

  2) If Jesus was sinful, He would have needed a Savior Himself. See Matt. 1:21; 1 Tim. 1:15; and compare Luke 1:47. 

  3) If Jesus was sinful, he would not have been able to be raised, nor raise Himself, from the dead. See John 10:15-18; Acts 2:24-27; Rom. 1:4 with 6:23; and compare 1 Cor. 15:12-22. 

  4) If Jesus was sinful, He would not have been God, for God is absolutely Holy.  

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7. DIVINE PREROGATIVES ARE ASSUMED BY JESUS: 

  A. Jesus claimed to be able to raise the dead. John 5:27-29, 6:39-40,54, 11:25-26. 

  B. Jesus claimed to be the Judge of all. Matt. 25:31-34,41; John 5:22,27-30. 

  C. Jesus claimed to be able to bestow eternal life. John 4:7-14, 5:24-25, 10:27-28, 11:20-26, 17:1-3. 

  D. Jesus claimed to have All-power. Matt. 28:18.  

  E. Jesus claimed to be Omnipresent. Matt. 18:20, 28:20. 

  F. Jesus claimed that prayer should be made to Him. John 14:13-14 

  G. Jesus claimed to be able to forgive sin. Mark 2:1-12; Luke 7:36-50; Acts 5:30-31. Compare Acts 8:14-22. 

  H. Jesus claimed to have the same Glory as the Father. John 17:5. 

  I. Jesus claimed to be God. Matt. 26:63-64, 27:11; Luke 22:70. 

34 Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written in your Law, 'I said, you are gods'? 35 "If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God '? (John 10:34-36, NASB)

-joebib

It’s the most depressing time of the year

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Whoever wrote "It's the most wonderful time of the year" must have been smoking mistletoe – or at the very least lived in an age when the economy didn't have so many people in hock to their eyeballs … my version of the song would probably start out like this:

It's the most depressing time of the year
When the kids start their begging
And employers are saying "no raise this year"
It's the most depressing time of the year

Presently, my family on the wife's side draw names to exchange gifts, a change from several years ago when everyone gave everyone else a gift (15 times 15, or so). I suppose my memory has become somewhat exaggerated, but it seems like that first Christmas together it took nearly 4 hours to open all the gifts, with some half dozen 30 gallon trash bags filled with crumpled wrapping paper. I'd never seen the like.

At Thanksgiving the next year, I was asked about the tradition of my family – simple really. None of my siblings give each other Christmas or birthday gifts. Each of us gives dad a gift and he gives us one in return. Otherwise, gift exchanges are between my sibs and their spouse and children. I suppose it could be said that we believe Christmas is for kids. Reactions ranged from agreement to shock, including a stern look or 2 when I dared suggest my niece and nephews were spoiled.

That Christmas, watching the kids open gifts seemed like watching a feeding frenzy – piranhas devouring a wildebeest comes to mind. My oldest nephew had perfected the 'one-handed snatch' wherein he deftly removed the wrapping from his gifts at the rate of 6-8 gifts per minute – not unlike watching someone jerk the table-cloth from beneath place settings for 12. My fondest memory and validation for my observation that the kids were spoiled came when my nephew opened a gift – specifically a backpack – which he spiked to the floor yelling "NOT A TOY!" It was the next year we went to the name draw for the adults and cut back on the gifts for the kids.

This year, we graduated the kids to 'adult' status, whereupon they are now included in the name draw. Effectively, we've gone from (15 x 15) gifts to (15 x 1), with a few exceptions. Still, for me, it's the most depressing time of the year for reasons spiritual and financial.

To me, there is something very dishonest about Christmas – it is celebrated under the auspices of Jesus birthday – yet as a society we devote so little time to Him on that day and rarely bring Him a gift. After all, the Biblical account is of wise men bringing gifts to Jesus, NOT of giving gifts to one another.

Deep down, I long for something more honest, real / genuine – but I don't know how to get off this merry-go-round of materialism without offending everyone who has come to expect our participation in the gift giving madness. Knowing what we know about Jesus birth, that there is no Biblical basis for celebrating his birthday, no tree, no gift exchange, why do we continue doing it? How do you deal with it?

Sam

Christian Pick Up Lines

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From the Facebook group, I Appreciate Christian Pick Up Lines.

Here are some of the best:

1) "nice bible."

2) "is this pew taken?"

3)  "im a man who discovered the wheel and built the Eiffel Tower out of metal and brawn. That's what kind of man I am."

4)  ''you put the 'cute' back in persecution…''

5)  "so, my parents are home, you wanna come over?"

6)  "welcome to the christian family… the only family where brothers and sisters can marry each other"

7)  "i'm a proverbs 32 kind of guy and you're a proverbs 31 kinda woman…"

8)  "im interested in full time ministry, and not only that… i also play the guitar."

9)  "i'm pretty much considered an elder in the congregation these days"

and my absolute favorite… 

10)  "look, you're nearly 22. most christians are 3 years into marriage by now… just settle for me."

Over 100 Million Christians?

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 I came across the following article this morning:

"The number of Christians in the communist Republic of China is estimated to have reached the 100 million mark. The increase is mainly the result of the virtually mind-boggling growth of local evangelical house churches. These consist of smaller groups who meet in private apartments or houses. Some estimates state that over 70 million Chinese are members of such house churches.

According to the Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung, house churches are conspicuously watched by government agents and sometimes persecution is evident. In Beijing alone, there are between two and three thousand house churches.

In contrast, there are only eight officially registered Protestant churches.  

Estimates about the number of Catholics in China run between 12 and 18 million, of which about 6 million, according to the report, are faithful to their church policy.  

Because the government can no longer control house churches, no serious attempt is made to enforce street control. One representative stated: 'The police knows about our churches, but does not try to oppress us. We are advised not to admit foreigners in our groups and not to encourage the house church to become too large.'

In other provinces, however, strict control of house churches is implemented. Between the months of May 2005 and May 2006, approximately 2,000 Christians have been arrested." 

[IdeaSpektrum, Jan. 2, 2007, pg. 12]

Isn't it interesting that in a land of political and religious persecution the Church of Jesus not only exists, but thrives? Interesting how the temptation of becoming too institutionalized large is held in check by the government mandate. Wink Seems refreshingly biblical to me.

I've always felt that the Lord would one day cause His Church to return wholesale to the pattern of the house-church evidenced in the Book of Acts.

Makes me wonder about the real benefit of our highly-touted religious freedom here in the USA. Freedom to construct opulent, money-driven, religious megaliths that have a questionable affect on winning the world with the Gospel. John 2:13-17 comes to mind.

Maybe we need a healthy dose of heavy-handed, governmental persecution over here.

-joebib 

Do Christians need Bible scholars? A response to Hungry on the Harbor

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Question: Do Christians need Bible scholars? Should Christians take time to read Bible dictionary articles and Bible commentaries or should they stick to the easier to read popular paperbacks?  Would it be better for believers just to spend their time in prayer getting revelation directly from the Holy Spirit rather than actually studying the Bible? Join Hungry on the Harbor and I as we discuss these important questions: 

Hungry on the Harbor asks: [When it comes to the Bible] what exactly is it that is supposed to be taught? 

Hungry: We are to teach the whole Bible to the whole Church. In my view, each section of the Bible has some beneficial knowledge for Christians to help them live for Jesus Christ. A problem with many churches is the topical sermon approach: the pastor-king can select whatever he wants to put together sometimes casting a spell of false doctrine over an entire congregation. More challenging is expository preaching/teaching through the Bible. The plus is that it is a little bit more difficult for a preacher to concoct false doctrine that way, but the challenge is not to make it too routine. 

Hungry on the Harbor asks: Has humanity changed so much that we need scholarly tools and 'Bible specialists' to tell us what the word of God says? 

Hungry: Humanity is still sinful like it has been from the beginning of time. Yes, we need scholars and scholarly tools to help us interpret the Bible. Are they equal to God? No. Can the average Christian get edified from the Bible without them? Yes. But, how else would we know many things, e.g., that the social structure of ancient Israel (high priestly families, priests, Levites, congregation) was based on its temple purity system which saw the holies of holies as the most sacred of all places and everything away from it as moving in lesser levels of holiness? Thus, there was a religious justification for social stratification and the accumulation of wealth at the top of this social pyramid. Sure, the Holy Spirit could show this social fact to a sincere Christian, but have you ever heard of him showing someone this insight by revelation rather than study? 

Hungry on the Harbor queries: Do you think God is pleased to see how complicated His word has become… 

Hungry: If God is the author of His word, then to follow your logic, are we not able to say that it is his own fault that the Bible has become so complicated? ;  )  The Bible is shown to be very complicated in some circles but does that mean that we run away and hide in our personal closets of anti-intellectualism? When I have a scholarly question, I go to a scholar for an answer. When I have a prophetic question, I go to a prophet for an answer. When I have a psychological question, I go to a psychologist for an answer. When I have a pastoral question, I go to a pastor for an answer. The trouble with the Senior Pastor cult is that too many senior pastors try to function in all of these realms themselves and they fail. We need every gift in the Body of Christ. 

Hungry on the Harbor queries: …that once again the 'scholars' believe the average readers of the scriptures can't understand them enough to really benefit? 

Hungry: Which scholar did you quote here to support your thought? Scholars are professionals just like any other profession. Just because they publish their articles using Hebrew, Greek, Latin, French and German terms in scholarly journals that most of us never read does not mean that they think that the average reader cannot benefit from reading the Bible! The challenge is that scholars should be willing to submit their ideas to the discernment of the average Christian reader just as much as the average Christian reader should be willing to allow his revelations to be critiqued by scholars. Paul did not leave anyone out when he said, “Test all things; hold fast that which is good.” 

Hungry on the Harbor asks: Aren't we perpetuating the myth of hierarchical importance of a man? 

Hungry: The undo exaltation of a human being can and does happen in all walks of life. Some people swear by their family doctor only to find out later that he received little or no training in basic nutrition while in medical school. Some Christians believe everything their pastor says over the pulpit even though too many read popular paperbacks rather than dig into deeper Bible reference works. Something is a “myth” only if it turns out not to be true. Why not read what scholars have to say and then, if you disagree with them, give your reasons? Isn’t this what good education is all about – even Christian education? 

Hungry on the Harbor says: … which too often means [that we make the Bible say] what we want it to say. 

Hungry: Everybody makes the Bible say what he or she wants it to say at times. Some do this more often than others, and we all have to guard against it. In an effort to avoid this kind of over-subjectivism is the reason why scholars submit their articles to their peers for critique both before and after publication. Unfortunately, I haven’t observed too much of this in the Senior Pastor cult. I remember once when a certain senior pastor had me read a paper he had written on Jeremiah. After I read it, I told him that, in my view, the paper left a lot of room for improvement. He never asked my opinion again. Why? It appeared to me that he didn’t really want constructive input, he just wanted a pat on the back.  

Hungry on the Harbor writes: I used to think more 'scholarly' in my views, I remember about 8-9 years ago paraphrasing the entire book of 1 John… and writing all my gleanings down…I was so proud of myself. 

Hungry: I would like to read your paraphrase of I John sometime. I’ll bet that it’s very edifying. May I ask, why do you think less “scholarly” in your views now? Maybe the Holy Spirit is emphasizing a different season in your life. I believe that he does this: at times, he calls us deeply into prayer and Bible meditation without any other books; at other times, he will call us to go to the library and read many articles or books on a certain topic. In my view, it all depends on what spiritual season we find ourselves in. I think it’s good that you wrote all or your thoughts down on paper. How do you know that the Lord will not want to use those gleanings in the future? You said you were so proud of yourself for doing so. One does not have to become proud through studying and note taking. Pride tends to come when we think that we don’t need the other gifts in the Body to balance and complement our own; also, when we think that we know all that there is to know about something. In I Cor. 8:1-3,  verse 2 corrects or balances out verse 1c, the verse commonly quoted by anti-intellectual Charismatics.  

Hungry on the Harbor says: The very best way to study the Bible is with a concordance and the Bible. 

Hungry: Studying the Bible with a concordance is a good start, but if one limits oneself to that, many pitfalls await. I mentioned this in an earlier blog: the main Bible study method that one of my favorite Bible teachers in Bible college still uses is the concordance. He goes through various books of the Bible and looks up every key word in an English concordance and categorizes them. When this teacher first showed me this method, I was indeed impressed, but as I began to expand my study skills, I began to see its clear limitations if not dangers. Briefly: 

(1) If you use an English concordance, e.g., Strong’s, you will miss many of the same Hebrew or Gk words that are simply translated differently. Using New Englishman’s Greek or Hebrew Concordance is better because they give you every place the Heb or Gk words is used in the text no matter how it has been translated. 

(2) The concordance method by itself does not provide the student with the historical, grammatical or cultural background of the text. The simple fact is that we cannot understand the Bible properly without studying it in context. 

(3) This method actually can give the student many false views of Scripture because it compresses worlds of meaning into a list of words. E.g. just recently I corresponded with one of my former teachers in Bible college about his published beliefs on tithing. In his last email to me, he said that I needed to go through my concordance on every verse in the Bible on tithing to try to get a more accurate picture of it. I have done that, and it was a start, but in my forthcoming book, I hope that I can demonstrate that just like going down one’s concordance will not get you to the truth about tithing, neither is it the complete answer for any other question a sincere believer might ask. 

(4) The student is falsely taught to read back into the text (eisegete) the symbolic or metaphorical meaning from one reference in the NT that is said to “interpret” most, if not all, of the others. E.g., just because “leaven’ has a negative meaning in I Cor 5:8, it does not necessarily have that same meaning in the OT sacrifices that contained it. This is why, in my view, Kevin Conner’s book, The Symbols and the Types, contains some good insights, but since it was built on the concordance method, is more of an exercise in plays with similar English words rather than solid biblical interpretation which is available in scholarly Bible dictionaries and commentaries. 

ORU

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Just came across this article in USA TODAY:

 ROBERTS RECEIVES "NO CONFIDENCE" VOTE

TULSA (AP) — Embattled Oral Roberts University president Richard Roberts, facing accusations he misspent university funds to support a lavish lifestyle, has received a vote of no confidence by the tenured faculty at the evangelical university.

The resolution was approved by faculty Monday and obtained late Tuesday by the Associated Press. Faculty plan to distribute the non-binding document to the school's Board of Regents and the faculty assembly at an upcoming meeting.

Donald Vance, a professor of biblical languages and literature who voted with the majority, said the vote by a quorum of faculty was "nearly unanimous," but he declined to give the exact tally.

"It's essentially how the university has been run," said Vance, who has taught at the 5,700-student school for 13 years. "We see the Board of Regents as allies wanting to do the right thing, but we're not sure they know everything and we're not sure they knew how the faculty felt."

Jeremy Burton, a spokesman for Oral Roberts University, declined to comment on the vote Tuesday.

Accusations of lavish spending were detailed in a wrongful termination lawsuit filed Oct. 2 by three former ORU professors. The lawsuit includes allegations of a $39,000 shopping tab at one store for Richard Roberts' wife, Lindsay, a $29,411 Bahamas senior trip on the university jet for one of Roberts' daughters and a stable of horses for the Roberts children.

In a recent interview with the Associated Press, Richard and Lindsay Roberts denied wrongdoing. Richard Roberts has said the lawsuit amounted to "intimidation, blackmail and extortion."

Tulsa attorney Gary Richardson, who filed the lawsuit against ORU on behalf of the former professors, said he was "encouraged" to see that steps are being taken to preserve the university.

"When we filed the suit, I said I really personally believe that this lawsuit is very much like surgery," Richardson said Tuesday. "When there's disease in the body, sometimes it requires surgery in order for there to be healing."

Last week, Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley announced a Senate investigation into whether six televangelists violated their organizations' tax-exempt status by living lavishly on the backs of small donors.

The Robertses were not among the six. But those targeted include three members of the school's Board of Regents: Creflo Dollar, Kenneth Copeland and Benny Hinn.

-joebib

Adivce from a recovering legalist

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We get letters, lots and lots of letters:

My name is G.E., I am a recovering legalist.

I attended PBC from 1979-1981. I did not attend church at Bible Temple but I did end up in 1984 with a Bible Temple Affiliate/Franchise – Living Hope Fellowship, pastor Jess Strickland now in Aloha OR. After many years of trying to fit in and be part of the leadership team, I found myself rejected and very bitter and hurt. It took a long time to recover and I am still recovering, but I have found a place of grace in my walk with Jesus and in ministry. I eventually left Living Hope in 1993 and wandered for a bit and then found myself right back in the same system with another MFI church. After more hurt and abuse I almost did not make it through but thank God I have been free from the MFI "set man" pastoral system for about 8 years now. There are several things that helped me in breaking free and recovering and I am sure that you know these resources but I thought maybe if you wanted to recommend them on your blog it may help others.

The first is a couple of books 1. "The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse" by David Johnson and Jeff VanVonderen. This book was a great help to me to understand that it was not my fault. 2. " Tired of Trying to Measure Up" by Jeff VanVonderen. For years I thought there was something wrong with me because I was not able to follow the program or measure up to the approval of the pastor.

The second are the teachings of Frank Viola of Present Testimony Ministry (www.ptmin.org ). I was given a booklet he wrote called "So who is your covering" and God used it for me to expose the whole pastoral covering deception and the fallacy of the "set man/one man pastor" principle that MFI churches teach and practice. His perspective and insight on leadership, church and especially home churches has been a blessing over the years.

The third and perhaps the greatest influence on my life is a relatively unknown author – Steve McVey ( www.gracewalk.org). Through his book "Grace Walk" I began my journey to shed the old doctrines of religious bondage and truly begin to discover and live in God's grace.

Reason #128 why Christians can’t get married

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….they post crazy ads like this on Craigslist:

Need 2 Dates for Dec. 7 Church Event 

Seeking two normal, single, available, 30-something Christian guys who are respectful, interesting, and not into playing fantasy internet games because they can't handle interacting with the real world kind of people. Only single men who have a real personal relationship with Jesus Christ and seek to know Him every day should inquire. My house-mate and I are looking for two nice guys that would accompany us to a classy musical church event on Friday, December 7th. It would be a cheap date too, 10 bucks each! We would probably want to meet up before the event just to make sure you are reasonably presentable, not creepy or wierd, and can carry on an appropriate conversation. It would be nice if you would send a photo of yourself in your reply. Bonus points for anyone over 5'6, steadily employed, musical, active, and outdoorsy.

Hat Tip Chris, who I have no doubt has already responded to this ad and will be in the front row of this musical singing along excitedly with his two dates and the rest of the congregation.

Gospel of John, Pt. 2

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Continuing with our discussion of the Gospel of John. 

"and the Word was God."

John is the only NT writer who refers to Jesus as the Word. In the Book of Revelation, when John sees Jesus returning to the earth at His Second Coming, he says this:

11 “And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True; and in righteousness He judges and wages war. And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Him which no one knows except Himself.  And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God.” (Rev. 19:11-13, NASB) 

Though I’m not generally a big fan of the (too?) many different versions of the Bible which have flooded the market today — as I feel a lot of them play a bit too fast and loose with the words of Scripture —  I do like how a couple of them have rendered this particular verse in John 1:1. The CEV has, “The Word was with God, and was truly God,” and the REB has, “…and what God was, the Word was.”

I think these do a good job in bringing out what John was really trying to say…that this Word was equal to, or the same as, God. 

Now, the New World Translation, the official version of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, renders this verse as follows: 

1 In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god. (John 1:1, NWT) 

In glossing through many of the other 400 or so English translations of the Bible that I could find, I notice that there are a few —  less than 1%, I suppose — which render this verse like the Witnesses do, and make the Word to be merely “divine” (little “d”), or “a god” (little “g”). Their rationale rests on their interpretation of a rule of Greek grammar known by the high-falutin title of “The Anarthrous/Articular Use of the Definite Article,” and also whether or not another grammatical rule — Colwell’s — applies.  

To save a lot of boring reading, the bottom line comes down to this: the overwhelming majority of Greek scholars behind these 400-some translations have rendered this verse with the word “God” — using a capital “G” — and thus understood John’s intention to present the Word as God Himself.  

And setting forth the Deity of Jesus is nothing new for John. A bit later in this same chapter, he states: 

18 No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. (John 1:18, NASB) 

Towards the end of his Gospel, John records the confession of Thomas to Jesus: 

28 "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28, NASB) 

And three verses later, John gives the reason he wrote his Gospel in the first place: 

31 but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name. (John 20:31, NASB) 

Later, at the end of his life, John wrote the following about Jesus in his First Epistle: 

20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20, NASB) 

In case you may be interested, in all of these four passages, John uses the definite Greek article in referring to Jesus as (the) God. 

Interestingly, the New World Translation translates this last passage very similarly to the NASB: 

20 But we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us intellectual capacity that we may gain the knowledge of the true one. And we are in union with the true one, by means of his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and life everlasting. (1 John 5:20, NWT) 

I suppose their punctuation checker overlooked the capital “G” in that verse, since it’s so close to the back of the Bible  Wink 

Question:  

Would it matter to you if the NT did not, in fact, teach the Deity of Jesus Christ? If He was merely some sort of super-angel, but not God Himself? Would it affect the way you feel about your salvation?

-joebib 

Willow Creek & Bill Hybels repents?!

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Here is part of an interesting blog about the mega-church, Willow Creek, and its highly popular seeker-friendly ministry philosophy. This excerpt is from a blog hosted by the editors of Leadership Journal. If interested, look for Willow Creek Repents Part 2 on the same site: 

…Having put all of their eggs into the program-driven church basket you can understand their shock when the research revealed that “Increasing levels of participation in these sets of activities does NOT predict whether someone’s becoming more of a disciple of Christ. It does NOT predict whether they love God more or they love people more.”

Speaking at the Leadership Summit, Hybels summarized the findings this way:

Some of the stuff that we have put millions of dollars into thinking it would really help our people grow and develop spiritually, when the data actually came back it wasn’t helping people that much. Other things that we didn’t put that much money into and didn’t put much staff against is stuff our people are crying out for.

Having spent thirty years creating and promoting a multi-million dollar organization driven by programs and measuring participation, and convincing other church leaders to do the same, you can see why Hybels called this research “the wake up call” of his adult life.

Hybels confesses:

We made a mistake. What we should have done when people crossed the line of faith and become Christians, we should have started telling people and teaching people that they have to take responsibility to become ‘self feeders.’ We should have gotten people, taught people, how to read their bible between service, how to do the spiritual practices much more aggressively on their own….

In Part II, Greg Hawkins responds to the question:

Is Willow Re-thinking its Seeker Focus?

Simple answer – no. My boss would say that Willow is not just seeker-focused. We are seeker-obsessed. The power of REVEAL’s insights for our seeker strategy is the evangelistic strength uncovered in the more mature segments. If we can serve them better, the evangelistic potential is enormous, based on our findings.

source: www.blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/2007/10/willow_creek