The Book of Davis

Testing the Spirits (and Yourself)

2011-12-30T17:22:00.000-08:00

Judging Prophecy in the New Testament

In my last post, I took a look at Deuteronomy 18:22 and how is not used in the New Testament to test prophecy. Today I will explore the emphasis that is placed on the spirit behind prophecy.

“Having found disciples, we stayed there seven days. These said to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem.”
- Acts 21:4

"As we stayed there some days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, and taking Paul's girdle, he bound his own feet and hands, and said, Thus saith the Holy Spirit, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles."
- Acts 21:10-11

Notice that Paul doesn’t say, “Thanks Agabus, but if this doesn’t come to pass, then you’re a false prophet”. He also doesn’t say, “Hey Agabus, I’ll believe your prophecy when you perform a sign to confirm it.” It’s interesting that a prophecy is never delivered as “Thus saith the Holy Spirit” in the Old Testament and a prophecy is never delivered as “Thus saith the Lord” in the New Testament. Also, in the Old Testament, “The Word of the Lord” usually comes to the prophet but it’s not described in those terms in the New Testament:

The Spirit said to Philip, "Go near, and join yourself to this chariot."
- Acts 8:29

As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them."
- Acts 13:2

The gifts are not only given through the spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8) but they validate the “Word of the Lord”.

"God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders, by various works of power, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to his own will?"
- Hebrews 2:4

So the gift of prophecy is used to confirm the "Word of the Lord" and even though signs were also used to validate the Gospel message, they are never recommended as a device to test prophecy in the Church:

"For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones."
- Matthew 24:24

So false prophets will do signs but Jesus refuses to give them:

But he answered them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but no sign will be given it but the sign of Jonah the prophet."
- Matthew 12:39

"Then answered the Jews, and said to him, What sign showest thou to us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spoke of the temple of his body. When therefore he had risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this to them: and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had spoken."
- John 2:18-22

These two signs that Jesus does give, refer to his death and resurrection, which did come to pass and thus, validated his message. However, he gave many signs to his disciples:

"Therefore Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book;"
- John 20:30

Perhaps many in the church today don’t see the wonders of God because they resist them like the Jews resisted Jesus and thus, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy (no pun intended).

Without the use of signs to validate prophecy and recognizing the emphasis of the spirit in prophecy, John writes this:

"Beloved, don't believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit who confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit who doesn't confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God, and this is the spirit of the Antichrist, of whom you have heard that it comes. Now it is in the world already."
- 1 John 4:1-3

Paul echoes the same idea:

Therefore I make known to you that no man speaking by God's Spirit says, "Jesus is accursed." No one can say, "Jesus is Lord," but by the Holy Spirit.
- 1 Corinthians 12:3

In 1 Corinthians Paul placed “discerning spirits” next to prophecy, just like he puts speaking in tongues next to interpreting them.

“and to another workings of miracles; and to another prophecy; and to another discerning of spirits; to another different kinds of languages; and to another the interpretation of languages.”
- 1 Corinthians 12:10

It’s important to realize that the focus here is on what the person says when they are prophesying and is not dealing with the person’s personal belief or doctrine. So John and Paul are saying to take what the spirit says during the prophecy and compare it to the “Word of the Lord” that’s already been validated. We can look to the Bible to find this, but beware:

"You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me. Yet you will not come to me, that you may have life."
- John 5:39-40

The question quickly becomes, if you aren’t receiving the word that’s already been given, how will you receive a word that given by prophecy in the Church today?

Also, there may be some words from God that appear to contradict His previous words:

He saw heaven opened and a certain container descending to him, like a great sheet let down by four corners on the earth, in which were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and birds of the sky. A voice came to him, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat!" But Peter said, "Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." A voice came to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed, you must not call unclean." This was done three times, and immediately the vessel was received up into heaven.
- Acts 10:11-16

Old Testament Law strictly forbade the eating of certain animals.

False teachers in Ephesus were saying that the salvation of the Gentiles was a direct contradiction to previously given prophecies but Paul responds:

“and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.”
- Ephesians 3:9

So we must check prophecy against Scripture but we must also realize our understanding of Scripture may not be infallible. It is sometimes our own hearts that keep us from understanding.Paul makes a great point when the Corinthians were looking for proof that his message was correct:

"seeing that you seek a proof of Christ who speaks in me; who toward you is not weak, but is powerful in you."
- 2 Corinthians 13:3

Paul responds to this by saying:

"Test your own selves, whether you are in the faith. Test your own selves. Or don't you know as to your own selves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified."
- 2 Corinthians 13:5

So perhaps the best way to test prophecy, is to test yourself first.

Deuteronomy 18:22 and Prophecy

2011-12-29T17:26:00.000-08:00

Can We Use It To Test Prophecy?

In my last post I took a look at why one should not use 1 Corinthians 14:29 and 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 as a basis for testing prophecy. In this post, I’ll take a look at Deuteronomy 18:22.

“When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”
-Deuteronomy 18:22

Many use this as a standard to judge prophecy today. They say any prophecy that doesn’t come true is a false prophecy and the person who gave it is therefore, a false prophet. The problem with this is that one doesn’t know if the prophecy is true until after it happens. If one doesn’t take heed of the prophecy and it does happen, then one is guilty of not listening to the Word of the Lord. The problem is compounded if the prophecy pertains to something far into the future and one may not be able to see whether it comes to pass in their lifetime.

This problem is solved by the use of “signs”. In order to validate what a prophet was saying, a sign was often given. Moses was given the leprous hand and the staff/snake as signs to validate his message. However, sometimes a prophecy of a shorter time frame was used as a “sign” to validate a prophecy of a longer time frame. Isaiah offers a good example:

“Go and tell Hezekiah, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city. “‘This is the LORD’s sign to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: I will make the shadow cast by the sun go back the ten steps it has gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.’” So the sunlight went back the ten steps it had gone down.
-Isaiah 38:6-8

However, the validity of signs was qualified in Deuteronomy:

If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.
-Deuteronomy 13:1-3

Signs in the New Testament

Signs are never demanded for prophecy in the New Testament except for one prophecy: The message of Jesus. Just like the “Word of the Lord” came to prophets in the Old Testament, so too did Jesus speak the “Word of the Lord” and, in fact, John calls Jesus himself to be the “Word”. And the apostles declared this “Word of the Lord”:

“The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.”
- Acts 13:49

This is why it’s such a big deal that Jesus and the apostles performed signs and wonders. It’s not just a display of God’s power but the validation of the message they were declaring. Jeremiah gives us insight into why the Jews were so opposed to the gospel message. During a showdown with a false prophet, Jeremiah invokes Deuteronomy 18:22 but with one qualifier:

”But the prophet who prophesies peace will be recognized as one truly sent by the LORD only if his prediction comes true.”
Jeremiah 28:9

Jeremiah says only the prophet who prophecies peace is subject to Deaut. 18:22. This is exactly what Jesus and the disciples were declaring. Because of certain Old Testament prophecies, the Jews expected that God would destroy the Gentiles, but Jesus and the apostles declared peace and salvation to the Gentiles. That’s why the Jews were so adamant about demanding signs.

“For Jews ask for signs, Greeks seek after wisdom”
- 1 Corinthians 1:22

I think it’s interesting that the Church in the New Testament is never exhorted to use Deaut 18:22 to test prophecy. Is New Testament prophecy somehow different than Old Testament prophecy? Well, we do know there are different types of prophecy in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.

Miriam, Deborah, David, Hannah, Mary, and Zechariah give us examples of prophetic songs, which consist of praising God (although some have predictive elements).

Another type of prophecy consist of revealing someone's heart or about their life. I believe this is the type of prophecy that Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 13 and we also see Jesus give an example of this type:

The woman answered, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You said well, 'I have no husband,' for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly." The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet.
- John 4:17-19

One cannot easily apply Deaut. 18:22 to these types of prophecies, since there are no predictions to confirm.It appears that some prophecies are given without the person realizing they are prophesying:

But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is advantageous for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish." Now he didn't say this of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but that he might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.
- John 11:49-52

In my next post, I’ll take a look at one of the characteristics of New Testament prophecies and what I believe is the correct way to test prophecy.

Judging and Testing Prophecy

2011-12-28T21:14:00.000-08:00

One should NOT use 1 Corinthians 14:29 and 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 to support the idea of testing prophecy

Paul writes the Corinthians and addresses some issues about how the Church should operate when they meet together. One of the issues was the use of the gift of prophecy and Paul writes:

“Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the others judge.”
-1 Corinthians 14:29

Now this verse has relevance for those who believe the gift of prophecy still exists in the church today. It is held up by many charismatics as an example of what to do with prophecy when it is delivered. It is even used to prove that we should not expect the gift of prophecy in the church today to always be accurate but that the church must judge to determine if it is. My point here is not to discuss the accuracy of prophecy in the church today, but simply to show that the verses in question should not be used in that argument. The assumption when reading 1 Corinthians 14:29 is that the thing that is to be judged is the prophecy that was spoken. However, given the context of Paul’s letter, I don’t believe that to be true. Have a look at what Paul writes just a few verses earlier:

“But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all”
-1 Corinthians 14:24

So it’s not the prophecy that is being judged but the one that is being prophesied to. I believe this to be the case for both verse 24 and verse 29.

Let’s take a look at another verse that is used to support the idea of judging/testing prophecy:

“Do not despise prophecies, prove all things; hold fast that which is good;”
-1 Thessalonians 5:20-21

Again, the assumption here is that the things that should be proved are the prophecies. However, if we take a look at the only thing being proved in 1 Thessalonians, it was Paul’s teachings:

“For our exhortation is not of error, nor of uncleanness, nor in deception. But even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts.”
-1 Thessalonians 2:3-4

The Greek word used for “approved” and “tests” is the same Greek word used for “prove” in Thess. 5:21 (dokimazō). There was some question as to the validity of Paul’s teachings in the Thessalonian church. Paul responds by implying that being proved by man is not important but being proved by God is. Paul also mentions that his heart is proved in contrast to having his teachings proved.

Another question that we need to ask is, why were the Thessalonians despising prophecy anyway? Again, we need to look at the context of the letter. If the prophecies that Paul is referring to were prophecies being given by those in the church, then we would expect to find Paul dealing with that issue in the letter, much like he did in 1 Corinthians 13. However, we do not find any evidence of this. The only prophecy that Paul deals with in 1 Thessalonians is Old Testament prophecy, namely, Isaiah:

“You are all children of light, and children of the day. We don't belong to the night, nor to darkness, so then let's not sleep, as the rest do, but let's watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep in the night, and those who are drunk are drunk in the night. But let us, since we belong to the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and, for a helmet, the hope of salvation.”
-1Thessalonians 5:5-8

Paul is making an allusion to the light/darkness theme that runs throughout Isaiah:

“yes, he says, ‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give you for a light to the nations, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.’”
-Isaiah 49:6 (See also Isaiah 2:5, 6:10, 8:20, 35:5, 42:6-7, 43:8, 44:18, 59:9, 60:1)

He is also making an allusion to the breastplate and helmet mentioned in Isaiah:

“He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head; and he put on garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a mantle.”
-Isaiah 59:17

So the Thessalonians were despising Isaiah’s prophecies because false teachers in the church were using Isaiah to say that the Gentiles were in darkness and that God would come in his breastplate, helmet, etc. to destroy them. Since the Thessalonian church was made up of largely Gentiles, this didn’t sit well with them.

Paul counters the false teachers by making the allusions to Isaiah and then saying:

“For God didn't appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,”
-1 Thessalonians 5:9

So when Paul says “prove all things” he is saying, don’t just prove his teachings but the teachings of the false teachers as well. Prove all teachings.

If 1 Corinthians 14:29 and 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 can’t be used to as guidelines for prophecy then what Scriptures can be used? Many would point to Deuteronomy 18:22. I’ll take a look at that verse in my next post.

My New Book!

2010-12-17T20:12:00.000-08:00

I wrote a book and you can order it online if you'd like.

Why does Paul say that prophecies, tongues, and knowledge will cease?

2010-07-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

And when does the "perfect" come?

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

- 1 Corinthians 13:8 (NIV)

The above verse is central in the cessationist/charismatic debate and at first glance may appear to support the view that spiritual gifts no longer exist in the Church today. However, I believe that the context of this verse does not support the cessationist argument but rather shows how the Church should operate in love.

An understanding of the word "perfect" is helpful. In the Greek the word is "teleios" and should not be thought of as what we think of "perfect" today but rather "complete", "whole", or "undivided". "Teleios" is a major focal point in 1 Corinthians because the Corinthian's understanding was incomplete and was causing division among them.

For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.

- 1 Corinthians 11:18 (see also 6:5)

Paul was writing them so that their understanding would be complete (a.k.a. "perfect") and then they could be of one mind - the mind of Christ (1 Corinthinas 2:16) and one spirit - God's Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17, 12:4, 12:8-9, 12:11,13), and one body - Christ's body/The Church (1 Corinthians 10:17, 12:12-14, 12:25,27).

I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought.

- 1 Corinthians 1:10 (NIV)

It is within this context of how the Church should act as a whole and without division that Paul talks about the "cessation" of the spiritual gifts. The Corinthians had been operating in the spiritual gifts in a selfish and individualistic way. Paul instructs them that they should build each other up and not themselves (1 Corinthians 14:3, 12). He gives them the proper protocol so that they can use their gifts in a loving way.

Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.

-1 Corinthians 14:29-31 (NIV)

So prophecy will cease, not permanently, but temporarily so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged.

The same goes for tongues:

How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying. If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret. But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.

-1 Corinthians 14:26-28

In regard to "knowledge passing away", some believe Paul is referring to a "word of knowledge", which, in charismatic circles, is a type of prophecy. However, the knowledge Paul refers to is in regard to the issue he discussed earlier in his letter:

For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.

-1 Corinthians 8:10-14 (NIV)

So if a Corinthian's knowledge destroyed a brother, then that knowledge should be destroyed - in the sense it should not be practiced in a way that was harmful to others.

After Paul says that prophecy, tongues and knowledge will "cease", he continues:

For we know in part and we prophesy in part,

-1 Corinthians 13:9 (NIV)

I think most charismatics believe Paul says this because someone may get a prophetic word from the Lord but may not understand it completely. Again, I don't believe that is what Paul is speaking of here but rather that the Corinthians were a "part" of the whole body. The Greek words used to communicate the idea of "parts" are "meros" and "melos" and are used when Paul speaks about how the parts of the church should operate together in love and not as selfish/prideful individuals.

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts (melos); and though all its parts (melos) are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.

Now the body is not made up of one part (melos) but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts (melos) in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part (melos), where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts (melos), but one body.

-1 Corinthians 12:12-20 (NIV)

Now ye are the body of Christ, and members (melos) in particular (meros).

-1 Corinthians 12:27

Those who had knowledge were a "part" and those who prophesied were a "part" and they needed to be mindful of that when the "whole" body met together.

When the Church acts as a whole and is complete (teleios), then it no longer acts as separate parts (meros).

But when that which is perfect (teleios) is come, then that which is in part (meros) shall be done away.

-1 Corinthians 13:10

"Teleios" was also used to convey the idea of maturity, because a child's understanding would be considered "incomplete". That's why Paul talks about "childish things":

When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

-1 Corinthians 13:11

The theme of maturity is throughout 1 Corinthians (1 Corinthians 3:1-3, 1 Corinthians 14:20). So the Corinthians were incomplete both in their understanding and in the way they operated together.

Paul continues:

For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

-1 Corinthians 13:12

The "now" refers to how the Corinthians were currently operating - as a child and as "parts" - and the "then" refers to how they should be operating - as a man and as "complete". When the Church operates in love and as a whole, then its understanding will increase. But when they are operating as parts and do not operate as a whole, then there is no understanding. Paul's discussion about tongues explains this further:

So it is with you. Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying? You will just be speaking into the air. Undoubtedly there are all sorts of languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning. If then I do not grasp the meaning of what someone is saying, I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me. So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.

For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.

-1 Corinthians 14:9-14 (NIV)

A "glass" is actually a mirror and in those days, they didn't have a clear reflection. So when Paul says "For now we see through a glass, darkly", he is talking about one's concern for themselves (their reflection in the mirror) and how it prevents understanding for others. This is in contrast to "face to face", which is most likely an allusion to Deuteronomy 34:10 and similar Scriptures:

Since that time no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, (NIV)

Those with the gift of prophecy in the Corinthian church mostly likely viewed Moses as a great prophet because of his face to face relationship with God. However, Paul, having that in mind, changes the meaning for his application. His use of the phrase "face to face" is symbolic of their relationship with each other and not with God. Paul is stressing the need to be both clear and concerned with other people (the face they are talking to). When Paul says "then shall I know even as also I am known", he is referring to understanding and being understood. The Greek word that Paul uses for "know" and "known" is not the typical word used and can also be translated "recognize" or "understand". So I think it would be better translated "then shall I understand even as also I am understood". To understand and to be understood is in contrast to "I am a foreigner to the speaker, and he is a foreigner to me".

The gift of tongues was considered the greatest gift by the Corinthians, but Paul says that love is the greatest:

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

-1 Corinthians 13:13 (NIV)

The word "remain" would be better translated "endure" or "don't stop". Love doesn't need to stop no matter what the situation is, as opposed to prophecies, tongues and knowledge, which may need to be temporarily suspended to better love others. Faith and hope are mentioned because some of the Corinthians believed that there was no resurrection of the dead. Paul corrects this by saying faith and hope extend beyond this life:

Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

-1 Corinthians 15:12-20

What is Paul’s Thorn?

2008-12-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

Not a sin, disease, or a demon but persecutions for Christ's sake

In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul mentions a thorn that God would not remove:

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Many have speculated that this thorn was pride or that the thorn was a disease or demon to keep Paul from the sin of pride. Some may have used this verse to say that God does not always want people to be healed. But given the context of 2 Corinthians, I believe the thorn was someone who persecuted Paul and made him look “weak”. I might even speculate and say that that the “messenger” (agellos) of Satan was the govenor under King Aretas (2 Cor. 11:32) since I believe Paul was still speaking about events that happened 14 years previously (2 Cor. 12:2) when speaking of this messenger of Satan.

Paul’s messenger of Satan “buffeted” him. This term in Greek, "kolaphizō", refers often, if not always, to the persecution of the Church and of Jesus. And persecution was a main theme of Paul’s letter:

2 Cor. 11:23-26 (see also 1:5,8-10, 5:1-3 and 6:4-10)
Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I [am] more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty [stripes] save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; [In] journeyings often, [in] perils of waters, [in] perils of robbers, [in] perils by [mine own] countrymen, [in] perils by the heathen, [in] perils in the city, [in] perils in the wilderness, [in] perils in the sea, [in] perils among false brethren;

Also, God was not concerned about Paul “exalting” himself but that others would exalt Paul and not Him. If Paul is seen as strong and did powerful works, then people would think that it was Paul doing the powerful works, but if Paul was seen as weak and did powerful works, then people would know that it was God doing it and that God’s favor was on Paul – just as God says, “My grace (grace=favor) is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” The Corinthians thought Paul was inferior to the false apostles because of the persecution and hardships he was experiencing but Paul boasts in those experiences because God is shown as strong in them.

"Thorn" was also used in the Old Testastament

Paul may have been making an allusion to the Old Testament in his use of the word "thorn". When the Israelites refused to expel the native people out of Canaan, God made them a thorn to Israel:

Numbers 33:55
But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live.

Joshua 23:12-13
But if you turn away and ally yourselves with the survivors of these nations that remain among you and if you intermarry with them and associate with them, then you may be sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become snares and traps for you, whips on your backs and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land, which the LORD your God has given you.

Judges 2:3
Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you."

"Thorn" was used as an analogy in Judges because of Israel's agrarian culture. God had given them a land of milk and honey, a fruitful land. There were no thorns in the land so God made the nations they failed to expel, to be like thorns.

The nations left in Israel by God also had a purpose: To test the Israelites.

Judges 2:20-23
Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and said, "Because this nation has violated the covenant that I laid down for their forefathers and has not listened to me, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the LORD and walk in it as their forefathers did." The LORD had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.

Paul may have had that in mind when he mentions that they did not fail the test.

2 Corinthians 13:5-7
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong. Not that people will see that we have stood the test but that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed.

The "thorns" that God left in Israel also taught the Israelites warfare.

Judges 3:1
These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience)

Warfare in Israel meant that, in their weakness, God would defeat their enemies. This point is played out over and over, especially in Judges. And Paul may have had that point in mind when talking to the Corinthians:

2 Corinthians 10:3
For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.

Lakeland Revival Picked Up In Secular Media

2008-05-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

MSNBC runs article

Click here to read

The Florida Healing Outpouring

2008-05-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

New Revival in Lakeland, Florida

There is a new revival shaping in Lakeland, Florida. It looks to be the next Toronto or Brownsville. It started as a conference with Todd Bentley and now is still going at almost 40 days. Lots of miracles and salvations. They have been airing it live every night and you can watch it on god.tv or Todd Bentley's website.

Lakeland, Florida has an interesting history with revival. Randy Clark got the annointing from Rodney Howard-Browne in Lakeland and took it to Toronto. John Kilpatrick was also impacted by Rodney Howard-Browne before the Brownsville Revival. And it is also interesting the Tampa Bay, which is near Lakeland, was originally called Bay of the Holy Spirit.

Interview with Graham Cooke

2008-03-29T11:54:00.000-07:00

The Church's main calling is NOT the Great Commission

I'm a big fan of Graham Cooke and I like what he has to say about the Church and the Great Commission in this interview. They discuss the Great Commission right around 2min 18sec. into the video below.

Blind Man Healed

2008-01-31T13:48:00.000-08:00

Hiedi Baker tells of healing

Starting a Rightousness Movement

2008-01-02T13:13:00.000-08:00

Can Christians live without sin?

The other day, I had an interesting conversation with my friend and fellow heresy risker, Pete Wilson. He said he believed that it is possible that Christians can live a sinless life. He believes the Lord has been giving him revelation on the issue for the past five years. After he had heated conversations with others regarding the issue, it may have surprised him the I agreed with him. He gave couple of verses as evidence of his position:

Matthew 5:48
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

John 8:11
She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

I objected to the Matthew reference since the word “perfect” or “teleios” in the Greek often has more to do with maturity than perfection as I point out in “A Charismatic Cessationist?” but Pete said the it is possible to translate it as perfect in Matthew and I had to defer since I didn’t know the context of the verse that well and because Jesus is often cryptic. Regardless, I would still agree with his position even without the Matthew reference.

Another possible objection would be Romans 7:15:

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

But when I was at Biola we discussed the view of Biola/Talbot Professor Walt Russell who argued that Paul was referring to the past before coming to Christ. He also says that “the flesh” or “sarx” in the Greek refers not to the our sinful nature or the indwelling principle of sin, but to the Judaizers and their living under Mosaic covenant.

I think most people would object to the possibility of a sinless Christian life because of two emotional perceptions:

They are afraid of living under the pressure of living a sinless life.

They see it as arrogant to say that one is perfect.

To the first objection I would say that a sinless life would be by the power of God and not by performance or self-discipline. To the second, I would say that if one really is perfect then it is not arrogant to say so, giving glory to God. Some people say that the belief that Christ is the only way is arrogant but if it’s true then it’s not arrogant. Is it true or not? Arrogance is irrelevant when arguing the point.

I believe that a sinless life is possible primarily for three reasons:

The power of God is not limited from doing it.

I find major evidence of it in what took place during the “Holiness Movement”.

I find no Biblical objections.

If God can raise the dead, heal the sick and perform miracles, why can’t He remove sin entirely from someone’s life?

The Holiness Movement came out of the Methodist Church in the late 1800’s. People were not only experiencing the Holy Spirit as fire and receiving power but also as water and receiving cleansing with the ability to live a sinless life. The movement became the basis for the Pentecostal movement. Simply Google “Holiness Movement” and you will get much information and views on the somewhat controversial movement but here are two links to some pretty good background on it:

Brief - Encyclopedia Britannica

Lengthy - Wikipedia

It is also interesting that John Wimber and many in the Vineyard had powerful experiences at a holiness conference just before that charismatic movement really took off. Although I would object to the term “Holiness” since I believe it has more to do with being “set apart” than it does with “righteousness” as I wrote in “Christianeeze”. Perhaps if the movement is reignited, we could call it the “Righteousness Movement”. Maybe if we are open to the idea, we will see God move once again in this area. When Christ came to this earth, he came as a man and set aside his Godly powers and yet he lived a sinless life. As Cliff Demick, one of the pastors at my church says, “Don’t expect to sin.”

Me and Jesus

2007-09-13T18:19:00.001-07:00

Big Jesus

This is a photo of Jesus and I when I was at Biola University. You can view more photos of my time at Biola here.

Bill Johnson - Dreaming With God

2007-09-04T18:10:00.000-07:00

Finding familiar revelation

I just finished reading Bill Johnson's book "Dreaming With God" and felt the Lord used it to confirm some things He has revealed to me.

In the book, Bill writes that Scripture is multidimensional:

The Word of God is living and active. It contains divine energy, always moving and accomplishing His purposes. It is the surgeon's knife that cuts in order to heal. It is balm that brings comfort and healing. But the point I wish to stress is that it is multidimensional and unfolding in nature. For example, when Isaiah spoke a word, it applied to the people he spoke to - his contemporaries. Yet because it is alive, much of what he said tehn has its ultimate fullfillment in another day and time. Living words do that.

That is what I wrote about in my post called "Multi-Dimensional Scripture"

Bill also writes about growing in favor and equates favor with grace:

But I do know this - if Jesus needed more favor from God to complete His assignment, how much more of an increase do I need!

As with most everything related to the Kingdom of God, we receive increase through generously givingaway what we have. It is no different with favor - grace.

That is what I wrote about in my post "This Thing Called Grace"

Peter, Paper, Scissors

2007-07-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

What "Rock" is the Church built on?

I’ve already written about the Gates of Hades and the Keys of the Kingdom but I would also like to address the incident when Jesus says he will build his church on the “Rock”

Matthew 16:18
And I tell you that you are Peter (The name “Peter”, means “rock”), and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

Some think the church was built on Peter, some on Peter’s confession or revelation. But I believe the Church was built on Christ.

To get a better picture, it helps to take a look at the use of the word “rock” used earlier in Matthew:

Matthew 7:24-27
"Therefore everyone who hears these words (logos) of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words (logos) of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

In the parable, the house was built on the rock and the rock is symbolic of the “word” (logos). All throughout Matthew, it talks about receiving the “Word”. And we see in John that Jesus is also the “Word”:

John 1:14
The Word (Logos) became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

When Jesus said he would build his Church on the Rock, he was referring to himself! Which Peter had just mentioned:

Matthew 16:16
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

The Church is built on “the Christ, the Son of the living God”!

It may seem odd that Jesus was referring to himself in the third person but we find that elsewhere in Scripture as well:

John 2:19-21
Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" But the temple he had spoken of was his body.

Besides, doesn’t it just make sense? If the church was going to be built on anyone, wouldn’t it have to be Jesus!?

Just like Peter was renamed “Rock” by Jesus, so do we all become rocks when we believe in Jesus. Like living stones that are all built on Christ!

1 Peter 2:4-8
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:
"See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame." Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
"The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone," and,
"A stone that causes men to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

My New Baby Girl!

2007-07-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

A Blessing In My Life

Grace Anne Davis
Born 7-8-07

Photo Fire

2007-07-02T11:13:00.000-07:00

Spirit Filled Photos

I've seen orbs in photos before but never fire! These photos were taken by a person at my church on a mission trip in Mozambique, Africa. They have NOT been altered in a photo editing program.

Gates of Hades or Hades Gate?

2007-03-04T15:36:00.000-08:00

Where are the Gates of Hell?

Matthew 16:18
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

This verse is often interpreted as if the gates of Hades could sprout legs, lift itself off its hinges and come over to the Kingdom of Heaven, banging on the door, trying to get at the Church inside. I disagree with that interpretation.

I think it should be interpreted as The Kingdom of Heaven having a "Hades Gate" that leads to Hades, as opposed to viewing Hades as a walled city with gates. This view would be similar to how ancient Jerusalem had the “Harsith Gate” (see Jeremiah 19:2) that led to the Valley of Hinnom (an area known as Gehennah).

With that understanding, Mathew 16:19 makes more sense:

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

The “keys of the kingdom” are the keys to the gate – to let people into the kingdom. This concept parallels that of the imagery of other parts of Matthew such as the parable of the 10 virgins. The 5 foolish virgins were outside the door, trying to get in.

Matthew stresses the idea of not judging but bringing the sinner back through forgiveness (Matthew 6:12,14, 9:6, 18:21,35). And forgiveness is equated with "loosening":

Matthew 18:27
Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.

This loosening refers to the “binding and loosening” in 16:19 (already quoted above) and also in 18:18.

I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

And we see similiar wording in John 20:23 but instead of binding/loosening, it speaks of forgiveness:

If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.

Hades was understood to be the realm of the dead and those in the church were once dead but now are saved and brought into the Kingdom (through the gate).

Colossians 2:13 (similar to Ephesians 2:1)
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,

So the gates of Hades are not “attacking” the church but trying to “block” it from entering. But the gates of Hades will not prevail because of forgiveness of sins.

Ask For Wisdom? Or Something Else?

2007-02-09T18:09:00.000-08:00

Challenging Assumptions in James 1:5

The originally readers of the letter from James wanted things. Those things were primarily riches and high position. James addresses those issues throughout his letter, such as the following:

James 2:2-5
Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Also, the readers were trying to obtain riches and position through, what they thought, was wisdom. And they were boasting of such wisdom. But James counters and writes that they didn’t have true wisdom and they should not boast as if they did:

James 3:13-18
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

James 4:13-16
Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.

James then moves to point out that since they didn’t have the wisdom to get what they wanted, they should try another way – by asking:

James 4:2-3
You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

James is making the same point in James 1:5:

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Many have misinterpreted this verse by reading it, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God for wisdom.” But that is not what James is trying to say. He is saying, that if you don’t have wisdom to get what you want, then you should ask God for whatever it is you are wanting.

Finding No Rest in the Arid Places

2006-09-27T20:03:00.000-07:00

An interesting parallel between Genesis 8:8-10 and Matthew 12:43-45

Noah sends the dove out of the ark:

Genesis 8:8-10
Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground (dry places); But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters [were] on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. And he stayed yet another seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;

Compare to:

Matthew 12:43-45
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth [it] empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last [state] of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

Is this a true parallel or antithetic and what does it mean? Not sure, but I thought it was interesting.

The Grand Assembly

2006-04-08T13:11:00.000-07:00

In Ephesians the words “inheritance” and “church” are connected and have Old Testament ties.

Throughout Ephesians, Paul talks about inheritance and the church. Here are just two samples:

Ephesians 1:18
I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

Ephesians 1:22
And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,

I believe Paul is using Old Testament terminology to communicate a New Testament idea. Joshua 13-21 tells how the promised land (Israel’s inheritance) was to be divided among the tribes. Joshua 18:1-2 shows how this process took place:

Joshua 18:1-2
The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The country was brought under their control, but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance.

The Israelites called an assembly in order to divide up the inheritance. As I’ve written before, the word “church” actually means “assembly”. I believe Paul has this Old Testament setting in mind when he writes the Ephesians about their spiritual inheritance (side note: I also think the assembly setting is what John saw in Revelation 4). The Ephesians had been “called” to an “assembly” to receive their “inheritance” and Paul makes reference to this idea throughout his letter.

Tower of Babylon?

2006-02-12T14:37:00.000-08:00

Same Hebrew word used for the tower and the city

I noticed that, according to Blue Letter Bible, the Hebrew word "Babel" is translated both "Babel" (in Genesis) and "Babylon" (everywhere else). It seems to me they should just translate it the same throughout the Bible and call the Tower of Babel the Tower of Babylon instead.

Christianeeze

2006-02-10T15:40:00.000-08:00

Taking a look at some Biblical words

I like to know what the root meanings of some words are since we can become blinded by religion and tradition and sometimes loose the true meanings of words. It can also be hard for those who are not familiar with the Bible to understand what some words mean. I’ve already written about “grace”, “word”, and the phrase “fear and trembling” but I have a few more as well.

“Gospel” means “good news” or “good tidings”. The Greek is “euggelion”. In ancient times, when a battle was won, the messenger brought the “euggelion” back to the city. The messenger was an “aggelos” which is the same Greek word used for “angel”.

In Ephesians I came across “saint” and “church”. A “saint” in the Greek is “hagios” or “holy one”. “Holy” means “to set apart”. God set apart Israel from the rest of the nations on earth and He refers to it as His holy nation. Paul has the same idea in Ephesians and points out that Christians have been set apart from the world and are therefore saints, or holy ones.

“Church” in the Greek is “ekklesia” and means “an assembly”. The Israelites were called to assembly during certain times of the year. One of the root words for “ekklesia” is “kaleo” and it means “to call”. Paul talks about the church (or assembly) and the calling of believers throughout Ephesians.

Ephesians 4:4-6
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called — one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

“Tribulation” in the Hebrew is “tsar” and it can mean: narrow, tight, straits, distress, adversary, foe, enemy, oppressor, hard pebble, flint. In the Greek it is “thlipsis” and it can mean: a pressing, pressing together (like a wine press), pressure. But we get the English word Tribulation from the Latin “Trbulum” which is the word for threshing sledge. A threshing sledge was used to separate the chaff from the wheat and you can see what one looks like here.

Woman curses God

2006-02-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

Kenyan tries to go old school on God

I came across this news story:

NAIROBI (Reuters) - A starving Kenyan woman placed a powerful tribal curse on God, accusing him of sending famine, and died in her sleep, local newspapers said on Thursday.

The woman from eastern Kenya's drought-ravaged Kangundo district decided to invoke a dreaded oath from the Kamba community, famed for its potent witchcraft, media reports said.

"Whoever brought this famine, let him perish," the woman chanted, striking a cooking pot with a stick.

"She accomplished the feat at 10 a.m. and waited for the results, but God's wrath struck at night. She died peacefully in her sleep," the Kenya Times newspaper said.

Poor rains for three years running have left more than 3.5 million Kenyans on the edge of starvation, prompting President Mwai Kibaki to declare the drought a national disaster.

The story seems to imply that she was the one responsible for the famine since she is the one that perished. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot! But it also reminded me of what Job’s wife said:

Job 2:9
His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"

Marriage and Tribulation

2006-01-27T12:15:00.000-08:00

And why does Jesus talk about angels and marriage?

In ancient times people thought a time of tribulation was often a judgment against them that came in the form of a war or a natural disaster. When they saw the signs of tribulation coming they would act accordingly and those who were not married did not plan on getting married until the tribulation was over.

By not getting married they would make both the time during the tribulation and after easier. If one were to get married before, then one had the difficult task of providing for a family during hard times. They could lose their husband in battle or their wife could be raped and killed after the battle was lost. It became difficult for a woman to get married again after she had already been married and lost her virginity. So if she lost her husband somehow, life would then become incredibly difficult for her.

Paul is concerned about avoiding marriage during hard times so that things will be easier:

1 Corinthians 7:25-28
Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for you to remain as you are. Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife. But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

I’m not sure what the crisis was that Paul was referring to but I don’t think he was referring to the tribulation that will occur when Jesus returns (although it may refer to that in a multi-dimensional way).

Jesus points out that the people in Noah’s time did not see the disaster coming or else they would have acted accordingly:

Luke 17:27
People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

Marriage carried with it an additional burden since, if they were fulfilling their marriage duties, children would probably come soon after. Having children during tribulation is also difficult. This is why Jesus says things like:

Matthew 24:19-20
How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath.

Luke 23:29-30
For the time will come when you will say, 'Blessed are the barren women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!' Then
" 'they will say to the mountains, "Fall on us!"
and to the hills, "Cover us!"

After the bad times were over, God would assure His people that it was over and encouraged them to act accordingly and that it was okay to get married. See what God says after Jerusalem was destroyed and the people were exiled.

Jeremiah 29:4-6
This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: "Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.

Also, after the flood, God says something similar to Noah:

Genesis 9:7
As for you, be fruitful and increase in number; multiply on the earth and increase upon it.

But notice that God also says this to Adam and Eve. This may imply that a judgment (against Lucifer) had happened just before God created them and would lend support to the Ruin-Reconstruction Theory, sometimes referred to as the Gap Theory.

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

Jesus talks about marriage in what I think is one of the most misinterpreted verses in the Bible:

Matthew 22:30
At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.

People have used this verse to say that there will be no marriage in heaven or that angels do not marry. That may or may not be true but I don’t think that is what Jesus means to communicate. The full account in Luke makes things a little more clear.

Luke 20:27-33
Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. The second and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. Finally, the woman died too. Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"

As Jesus often did, he answered the question by not answering the question. The Sadducees question had to do with what happens after marriage, after the resurrection.

Jesus’ answer is focused on before marriage, before the resurrection – during the Great Tribulation.

Luke 20:34-36
Jesus replied, "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God's children, since they are children of the resurrection.

When tribulation is coming people should act accordingly as they would with any other coming tribulation – by not getting married.

But why does Jesus reference the angels? Not because they do not marry but because “they can no longer die”. We become immortal after the resurrection, just like the angels.

Advancing in Africa

2006-01-24T19:59:00.000-08:00

A little story from Bill Johnson

I was listening to Bill Johnson the other day and he talked about a conversation he had with Rolland Baker. Rolland said he overheard a tv station in Cairo, Egypt saying how the Muslim religion was making advances in North America, Europe and Asia. But then the station said "We've lost Africa. The Christians there are healing the sick, raising the dead and multiplying food. We just can't compete with that." Bill then said, "Hmmm...Why don't we try that in North America!"

A Charismatic Cessationist?

2006-01-23T15:05:00.000-08:00

Why does Paul say some gifts will cease?

I consider some of what I wrote below to be wrong. Please check out my new post for a better understanding.

Last time I took a look at what it meant for hope, love, and faith to remain (or endure). Today I will take a look at why Paul said some of the spiritual gifts would cease.

1 Corinthians 13:8b
But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

In order to interpret this verse, it is good not only to know the context of the chapter but of 1 Corinthians in its entirety. Paul writes how one is to go from spiritually childish to spiritually mature (also translated “perfect”). One of the characteristics of maturity is wisdom and the mature are to use that wisdom to judge/test things. And if those things passed the test, they endured. And if those things did not pass the test then they did not endure (they ceased). I will not list all of the Scripture references as they would be too numerous. A simple reading of Paul’s letter should make the theme obvious. But I will list a few.

Paul speaks of childish vs. mature (perfect):

1 Corinthians 13:10-11
but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

1 Corinthians 14:20
Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults.

Wisdom is a characteristic of maturity (perfection):

1 Corinthians 2:6
We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

I also talk about maturity and wisdom in “Establishing a Tree”.

Wisdom is used in judging:

1 Corinthians 6:5
I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?

1 Corinthians 10:15
I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say.

And judging what is said is exactly what Paul has in mind in when talking about spiritual gifts that cease:

1 Corinthians 14:29
Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.

All prophecies, tongues, and knowledge were to be judged by the wise and mature. Some prophecies would not pass the judgment. They would not endure when tested. They would cease, be stilled, and pass away. On the other hand, there were spiritual gifts that would always endure such as faith, hope and love. In light of this, we see that spiritual gifts do not cease to exist as a whole but that particular instances during the use of a gift may not endure.

Interpreting 1 Corinthians this way has wide implications in the Charismatic/Cessationist debate since both sides use 1 Corinthians for their arguments. Charismatics believe that spiritual gifts such as prophecy and tongues are for today and Cessationists believe those gifts ceased and do not exist today. But I believe that 1 Corinthians does allow for those gifts to exist today and favors the side of the Charismatics.

This post is not as polished as I would like it to be but I did say in my last post that I would address the issue, so I kind of painted myself into a corner. But I feel it is a solid argument supported by Scripture.

Faith, Hope and Love

2006-01-20T13:48:00.000-08:00

Why do they “remain”?

I've written a newer post the better explains what is written below.

1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

People love this verse because they like faith hope and love. They are great qualities no doubt but people often use this verse simply to expound faith, hope and love but it’s never integrated with the rest of what Paul says before it. Obviously Paul talks about love a few verses before but verse 13 is often treated as a short pithy verse that Paul just dropped at the end. But how does it fit within the context of the chapter? Why do they “remain”? What left if they remain? Were they ever in any danger of not remaining? Why does Paul talk about love until verse 8 then talk about other stuff until 13 and then come back to talking about love? And why does he bring up “faith” and “hope” all of a sudden?

The Greek word that’s translated into “remain” is “meno”. “Meno” can be translated “endure” and I think it is helpful to translate it that way in verse 13. Endurance is a theme continued from verse 7. Paul describes love as something that:

1 Corinthians 13:7
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth (Greek is hupomeno) all things.

Not only can you see the “endure” connection but also love is tied in with “faith” (believeth all things) and “hope” (hopeth all things).

Paul talks about endurance because he is contrasting the things that endure (love, faith, hope) with things that do not endure (prophecies, tongues, knowledge):

1 Corinthians 13:8
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

Next time I will explore why Paul says some spiritual gifts will cease and when they should cease.

Was Jesus Poor?

2006-01-19T18:49:00.000-08:00

Is there Biblical evidence for a poor Jesus?

I was thinking the other day about the gifts the wise men gave Jesus. They were expensive gifts! Some of that stuff cost an entire years salary! So I would assume that would have made Jesus financially secure for a little while at least. He was not wanting. Then I thought about Jesus being born in a manger - a picture of poverty it would seem but Jesus was born there not because they couldn't afford it but because there was no room at the inn. It is true that Jesus does say that the Son of Man has no place to lay his head but I'm not sure if that is a reference to poverty. Jesus' words were often cryptic and I think he had a deeper meaning. I came across a fairly good article on the issue of whether Jesus was poor that you can read here.

Stars and Fallen Angels

2006-01-12T20:44:00.000-08:00

Are the tail swept stars symbolic of Satan’s fallen angels?

I was reading a question posed on Theoblogian and it brought to mind some thoughts I had on Revelation 12. Here are the verses in question:

Revelation 12:3-4a
Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth.

Many have thought that the stars that were swept away were the angels that fell with Satan. But I think that is not the case or at least there is a deeper understanding that’s missing. I believe the verses need to be viewed in light of the verses before it

Revelation 12:1-2
A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.

The stars that were swept away were the ones mentioned in the verses before it. Twelve stars are mentioned, therefore, four stars were swept away because four is one-third of twelve. Naturally we would then want to know what the twelve stars represent. Most commentaries say either Israel or the Church. This would imply that one-third of Israel or the Church will be swept away. I’m not convinced that the twelve stars do represent Israel or the Church but it is interesting that one-third of the Jewish population was destroyed during the Holocaust. Perhaps the stars are symbolic of both Israel and angels in a multi-dimensional interpretation since stars are used to represent both in Scripture:

Genesis 15:5
He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

Genesis 37:9
Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me."

Job 38:7
while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?

Revelation 1:20
The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

The Word of God

2006-01-03T15:11:00.000-08:00

Going beyond the Bible

It is important to realize that, in the Bible, the phrase “Word of God” may not be referring to the Bible. We have become accustomed to thinking that the Word of God is synonymous with the Bible and yet the Bible itself points out that it is more than that.

In a historical context, the word “word” in used in conjunction with the king. The “word of the king” was a decree, promise or a law – an expression of the king’s authority. In the Old Testament, God is often viewed as a king and so any expression of His authority would be His word. The word of the Lord came to Abraham in Genesis:

Genesis 15:4-5
Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir." He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

God made a promise to Abraham. Even today, when we make a promise to someone, we refer to it as giving them “our word”.

John refers to Jesus as the word of God that became flesh. Jesus is the expression of God’s authority in human form. John points out that the Word of God can be expressed through something other than words on paper. Jesus points out that the Word is more than just something to be read and studied:

John 5:37-40
And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

John 7:14-17
Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. The Jews were amazed and asked, "How did this man get such learning without having studied?"
Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.

The Bible is the Word of God in written form, Jesus is the Word of God in human form but we too can speak the Word of God with the Holy Spirit in us.

2 Samuel 23:2
"The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me;
his word was on my tongue.

This is what Paul means when he refers to the “sword of the Spirit”.

Ephesians 6:17
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

This verse is usually used to refer to the Bible as the Word of God but Paul was referring to our ability to speak with authority by the Holy Spirit. The things of God are often multi-dimensional and the Word of God proves to be as well.

Sowing And Reaping In Your Life

2006-01-03T14:05:00.000-08:00

How to use an often overlooked principle

How do you get the things you want in life? Hard work? God’s will? Is your destiny determined by God or are you in total control of it? I think both are involved and this is especially evident in the sowing and reaping principle that is in the world and in the Bible. The parable of the hidden talents makes it especially evident:

Matthew 25:14-30
"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

God gives you all that you have but you are responsible for sowing it, for using it, and for being faithful with it. It is a balance of God and man. What are you reaping in life? If those things are not good or are not the things you want for your life then take a look at what you are sowing. Perhaps your sowing and reaping strategy needs to change.

There are two ways to receive in the sowing and reaping process. You can see both of them in the parable of the hidden talents. The faithful servant reaped back what he sowed from the talents but also he received more from the Master for being faithful. But keep in mind that none of the talents became the servant’s, they always remained the master’s who entrusted them to the servant.

What kind of sower and reaper are you? It might be helpful to compare yourself to the 3 types below:

Sow Too Little:
These people do not sow what they have and therefore never reap what could be theirs. That is what happened the servant with the one talent in the parable. People who sow too little may be fearful, lazy, self-conscious, worried about not doing it right, or introverted which holds them back from sowing what they have.

Reap Too Much:
These people do not sow enough because they are always focused on reaping and they sow what they do not have. If you are continually reaping and never sowing, you won’t be fruitful for very long. People who reap too much may be arrogant, extroverted, desperate or greedy.

Balanced:
These people continually sow and reap. Being faithful with what they’ve been given but never going beyond what they’ve been entrusted with.

If you don’t know what God has given you to sow, take a look at what you are passionate about or ask God to reveal to you what He has given you to sow. Regardless, try something new, anything new. Do something different in your life. If you want things to change but always do the same things then you will keep reaping the same things in your life. Experimentation is often the key to revelation!

Track your sowing and reaping. Make a list at the end of each day of all the things you sowed and reaped that day. Everything that you did, list it as sowing. Everything that happened to you, list it as reaping. Give it some time and notice any patterns in your life. And if you start doing something new if your life, see if anything new starts happening to you as well. Invest for the long term. You may not reap what you sow right away or you may not reap anything significant. But keep sowing and keep reaping.

Good And Evil Switcharoo

2006-01-01T14:56:00.000-08:00

Looking closer at some terms we take for granted.

Sometimes the things that we usually think of as strictly evil can be used in a good way and even attributed to God:

Hate

Romans 9:13
Just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

Jealousy

Exodus 34:14
Do not worship any other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.

Anger

Ephesians 4:26a
Be angry, and yet do not sin.

Fear

Psalm 128:4
Thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD.

And vise versa:

Love

1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

This is the same principle of the yeast in the bread. It’s not the bread that is unacceptable but the yeast in it. (Leviticus 2:11)

Being Faithful with Faith

2005-12-31T14:54:00.000-08:00

Can one grow in faith?

As any Christian knows, faith is an important part of the Christian life. At least we know it should be. But what if you feel you don’t have any faith but you know you should? Or perhaps you feel you have little faith but want more. The common response is to try harder or to psyche yourself up. But mostly you just keep telling yourself you need to have faith and little progress is made. What things in life hold you back because you don’t feel you have enough faith? If the faith you had did what you wanted it to do then you wouldn’t be wanting more, but often, when someone says that they want more faith they are pointed to what Jesus said:

Luke 17:5-6
The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"
He replied, "If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it will obey you.

“With the little faith you have, nothing is impossible!” they say. And yet, no mulberry trees are ever moved. That’s because I don’t think Jesus was trying to say that you could move mulberry trees with a little faith but if you plant the seed of faith and let it grow, it will become big enough to do anything:

Mark 4:30-32
Again he said, "What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade."

But even the faith you plant is a gift from God and if you try to have faith in your own strength, you will fail.

Romans 12:3
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.

Romans 12:6
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.

Ephesians 2:8
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

Just like in the parable of the hidden talents (Matthew 25:14-30), he who invested what he was given, was given more. Sow the little faith that you have and it will grow. Faith is meant to grow!

2 Corinthians 10:15
Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our area of activity among you will greatly expand,

2 Thessalonians 1:3
We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing.

Establishing A Tree

2005-12-30T12:50:00.000-08:00

A principle of sowing and reaping gained from Paul, Old Testament Law, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil

I was thinking about what I wrote yesterday and also about principles of sowing and reaping. I’m trying to learn how to sow and reap good things in my life and I was intrigued by Paul when he refused to reap financially from the Corinthians but did accept from other churches. I asked God if there was some other principle of sowing and reaping I might learn from Paul. He brought to mind this verse:

Leviticus 19:23
When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten.

In order to establish a tree and make it healthy, they were not to eat the fruit of it for three years. Paul was employing the same principle in establishing the Corinthians as a church:

1 Corinthians 9:11-12
If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

I also believe that God was using the same principle in the Garden of Eden:

Genesis 2:16-17
And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."

I think Adam and Eve would have eventually been able to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil when they and the tree were mature enough. The phrase “knowledge of good and evil” refers to wisdom. It is the ability to judge wisely, to discern between good and evil:

Genesis 3:6
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.

The serpent in the tree is described as wise:

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made.

The word "crafty" is also translated "prudent" (Prov 16:21, 18:15) which is an aspect of wisdom. Jesus also says:

Matthew 10:16
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Wisdom is for the mature, which takes us back again to Paul and the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 2:6
We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

Let’s learn from these Biblical examples. When sowing and reaping, make sure the level of maturity is there before reaping whether it is in your own life or in others. Not everything may need a lot of time to mature. Wheat only takes a season before one can harvest it but fruit trees need time.

Fear and Trembling - Part II (I Corinthians)

2005-12-29T19:47:00.000-08:00

The phrase “fear and trembling” is meant to point one to a servant’s attitude and not to an unhealthy fear.

Last time we looked at the phrase “fear and trembling” as used by Paul in Philippians and showed how it is meant to show an attitude of humility and servanthood. This time we will look at a similar phrase Paul used in I Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 2:3
I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.

Some have said that Paul said this because he was unsuccessful in Athens right before he came to Corinth (Acts 17). They argue that Paul had tried to argue intellectually with the Athenians and he wasn’t very fruitful, so when he came to Corinth he was discouraged and switched tactics. I think it’s debatable that Paul was unsuccessful in Athens but even if he was a failure there I don’t think he would be so discouraged that he would be in fear and trembling. From what we know about Paul from his writings he appears to be a bull that brings his own china shop with him. This is the same guy who sang praises after he was beaten and then demanded an escort after his release from prison (Acts 16).

Furthermore, Paul affirms that he is using the same tactic that he used in Athens when he says:

1 Corinthians 9:19-22
Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

In Athens, Paul became an intellectual to win intellectuals. If he was not successful then it was because of the soil (Matthew 13:1-23) and not his method of sowing the seed. Paul’s use of the words “fear” and “trembling” have nothing to do with being discouraged or afraid of how the Corinthians would respond but Paul was saying he became weak (a humble position), like them, to win them.

The Corinthians had encountered some people in the Church who had expounded wisdom. This put the authority of Paul into question since he did not speak with the “wisdom” of others. Paul responds by pointing that the wisdom of this world with not worth anything:

1 Corinthians 1:20-27
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

Paul also points out that he could have spoken with wisdom but they were not ready for it yet:

1 Corinthians 3:1-2
Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it.

1 Corinthians 2:1-7
When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.

And just like in Philippians, Paul points out that those who are mature (those with wisdom) should not use their authority in a selfish way but should give up what they are entitled to if it better serves others:

1 Corinthians 4:1
So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God.

1 Corinthians 9:11-12
If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

Fear and Trembling - Part I (Philippians)

2005-12-28T17:02:00.000-08:00

The phrase “fear and trembling” is meant to point one to a servant’s attitude and not to an unhealthy fear.

Philippians 2:12
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

This verse is one that a lot of people aren’t sure what to do with or how to explain. And if they do explain it, it is in an over simplistic way that forces the verse into their own preconceived boxes. The phrase “fear and trembling” instills with it a feeling that you had better not screw up or else you’re going to be in big trouble. But if you look at the phrase within a broader context and historical usage, it will give you a fuller understanding of what Paul was trying to say.

“Fear and trembling” was used to show how a servant relates to a master or how a subject relates to a king. It was a position of humility that recognized that the servant was not above the master and the servant should respond with the appropriate obedience and attitude that was in order for that relationship. Paul points out to the Philippians throughout his letter that they should have a servant’s heart, even in the address of the letter:

Philippians 1:1
Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus…

Also, in Ephesians, Paul directly ties the “fear and trembling” with the servant:

Ephesians 6:5
Servants, be obedient to them that are [your] masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;

The servant attitude Paul promotes is in contrast with the attitudes that the Philippians were coming into contact with and even struggling with themselves. There were those that had an attitude of pride and did not serve others but only looked after themselves.

It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains.

-Philippians 1:15-17 (NIV)

Those that were preaching the gospel selfishly and looking only to their own interest were not serving anyone. Paul writes against that position and uses Jesus as an example:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

-Philippians 2:3-11 (NIV)

Even though Jesus was God, he still came with a servant’s heart and was humble and obedient.

As we listen to Paul’s call for humility and a servant’s heart let’s remember the proverb that God opposes the proud but gives favor to the humble.

Next time I will take a look at the phrase “fear and trembling” in I Corinthians.

Multi-Dimensional Scripture

2005-12-26T14:38:00.000-08:00

Reconciling various views of prophetic scriptures.

When I was at Trinity International University I took a class that went over the various approaches to Biblical prophecy. The study of Biblical prophecy is called eschatology. Please get a quick overview here. I come from a Futurist, Pretrib, Premil background (which most of the students had), but this class caused me to think seriously about other views. It certainly can become a hotly debated topic, right up there with free will vs. predestination. Most of the students in my class balked at the other views other than the Futurist, Premil position. But the professor (Matthew Williams, now over at Talbot) did a great job at presenting the evidences for all views. And the evidences from the other views were compelling. So much so that the students began gravitating towards the evidences of some of the other views but doing so in a smorgasbord kind of way – chopping up Scripture and picking and choosing what they liked from each position but not committing to any position. The professor wisely put a stop to that as it was most certainly an end run around the critical thinking he was trying to get the students to do. He forced them to commit to a position by having them write an essay in support of just one of the positions.

But in doing so he was forcing the students into a logical fallacy known as the “false dilemma”. This fallacy typically involves asking a question and providing only two (or in this case three: Futurist, Preterist, or Historicist) possible answers when there are actually far more or at least one other one. I wish to present another option. All of the positions are true, not in a smorgasbord kind of way but in a mulit-dimensional way. God designed prophecy to be true on multiple levels.

Critics of prophecies used to prove Jesus was the Messiah say that those prophecies were fulfilled much sooner (in Israel’s history) and are taken out of context if applied to Jesus. In many cases prophecies were speaking of Israel AND Jesus. Both are true. This is not a compromise to accommodate the critics but an elevation of Scripture and a fuller of understanding of the characteristics of prophecy. This is one of John’s main points that he stresses throughout his Gospel. The two most quoted Old Testament books in the Gospel of John are the Psalms and Isaiah. The Pharisees had taken much of the Psalms symbolically and much of Isaiah literally. John flips it around and uses Psalms literally and Isaiah symbolically to point to Jesus. Interpretation of prophecy is not meant to be discovered easily but is hidden within layers of meaning. This is similar to Jesus hiding meaning in parables.

Jesus points out the multi-dimensionality of prophecy in John’s writings when he uses the phrase, “a time is coming and has now come”.

John 4:23
Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

John 5:25
I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live.

1 John 2:18
Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come.

Jesus was pointing out things on two levels: is coming and has now come. Some fulfillment had come, more fulfillment is coming.

The Book of Revelation is an obvious source of disagreement when both are true. Those who take it as symbolic and a reflection of the spiritual and those who take it literal and believe it will happen in the physical. But the same issue sparks disagreement in other parts of Scripture as well . The Song of Solomon for example. Does it refer to an actual historic event? Is it an analogy of God and the nation of Israel? Of Christ and the Church? The answer is all three. Paul uses another scripture to show an example of Christ and the Church:

Ephesians 5:31-32
"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

This is not just a coincidence that the analogy fits so nicely but God had planned it that way and Paul had discovered the “mystery”. People who connect so well with symbolism have a hard time taking the Bible literally. Works of literature with heavy symbolism are usually works of fiction. But God is an Author who writes His stories with real people and real events and not just pen and paper.

Cool Clip

2005-12-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

A Clip from a Rienhard Bonnke Crusade in Lagos, Nigeria

This clip is from a DVD called "Called to Populate Heaven" or "Raised from the Dead". I'm not sure which. Both are by Rienhard Bonnke.

Just about everyone I've shown this to has gotten goosebumps.

We Three Kings...

2005-12-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

Some background on the 3 Kings (also known as wisemen or Magi) who gave gifts to Jesus.

I was watching PBS last night (not my usual source for Biblical revelation) and they had a pretty interesting show on the 3 kings. They pointed out that there may not have been three. The Bible does not say how many there were, only that they brought three gifts. Amazing how tradition can become so ingrained without even realizing it.

Also, Chuck Missler gives some good historical background on the Magi in this article. He also links Daniel to the Magi in his Commentary on Daniel.

John 3:16

2005-12-20T12:28:00.000-08:00

Deeper understanding of “the world” in a familiar verse.

John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

This verse is usually quoted to others to assure them that they are not beyond God’s love and “the world” does in fact include them. And that is true. However, there is some historical background that will shed new light on that verse and will highlight the particular issue Jesus was speaking to when he spoke it.

In Isaiah (which is the most quoted book in the Gospel of John) God pronounces judgments throughout the first 30 chapters against various nations and then is summed up in Chapter 34:2

The LORD is angry with all nations;
his wrath is upon all their armies.
He will totally destroy them,
he will give them over to slaughter.

Deliverance is promised only for Israel.

The situation is further expanded by the historical split of Israel. After King Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became king and promptly lost part of the kingdom to a guy named Jeroboam:

1 Kings 12:20
“When all the Israelites heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David.”

So Israel was split into the southern kingdom and the northern kingdom (Judah was in the southern kingdom) and it remained split even until Jesus.

This presents a problem for the Northern Kingdom because according to Old Testament Law, if you are cut off from the Temple then you are cut off from God. The Temple was in Jerusalem and Jerusalem was in the Southern Kingdom. So the Jews had lumped the Northern Kingdom in with the rest of “the world”.

But Jesus comes along and says, "For God so loved the world (meaning all the nations of the world and the Northern Kingdom) that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

John stresses this point throughout the Gospel:

John 1:46 "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. (Nazareth was in the Northern Kingdom).

The Samaritan Woman and Temple worship in John 4.(Samaria was in the Northern Kingdom)

John points out where most of the 12 disciples were from (the Northern Kingdom).

One Primary History

2005-12-19T13:42:00.000-08:00

Here’s one that all the heresy hunters out there will enjoy. I am really leaning toward the belief that Genesis through II Kings (minus Ruth) was written by one single author after the Babylonian Exile. Now before you burn me at the stake let me explain a few things.

I was exploring the unity of the Pentateuch (Genesis thru Deuteronomy) by examining the common themes, issues and overall writing style. To get a broader scope of things I dipped into Joshua and it seemed like it was written by the same author that wrote the other books in the Pentateuch. So I researched it on the internet to see if anyone else thought so. I did find a reference to one scholar that thought there was a chiastic structure that ran through Genesis to Joshua. But I also found another website that talked about the unity of Genesis thru II Kings (minus Ruth) which is called the “Primary History”. Although the views on that website were a bit liberal (it seems to think of the Bible as myth), it did present interesting ideas about the unity of the Primary History and evidences that it was written by one author. He points out similar themes that run throughout such as being exiled to the east (Adam and Eve, Cain, the Israelites).

I also found evidences on my own which includes Israelite king references before there was a king of Israel:

Genesis 36:31
These were the kings who reigned in Edom before any Israelite king reigned

And a sort of chiastic structure that runs throughout on a broad scale:

Genesis-Judges: Calling of a nation (Abraham), Exodus, various judges

ISamuel-IIKing: Calling of a king (David), Exile, various kings

I thought about how there are various references in the Gospels about how Moses wrote the Penteauch. However, the Primary History could have included what Moses wrote so technically that is correct. This is not to be confused with the JEDP theory but more similar to the Tablet theory.

I asked Dr. Ramey over at inthebeginning.org and he said, “It is clear to me from reading the Hebrew text that there were different authors of Genesis – 2 Kings. The grammar and syntax varies. This is very pronounced by reading the text in the original.” But isn’t that what JEDP theorists say about Genesis? And yet Dr. Ramey uses chiasmus to disprove the JEDP theory. Regardless, I am still interested in it and would like to learn more both for and against it.

If it were true that it was written by one author it would be a bit ironic since much of the New Testament was written by one author (Paul). Who might the author of the Primary History be? I don’t think we could ever find out for sure but it was probably a priest or scribe. Ezra has been suggested since he did find the book of the Law. But I think Jeremiah could be a possibility since the last chapter in Jeremiah and II Kings are almost exactly the same. Jeremiah also uses the phrase “void and without form” in regards to Jerusalem, which harkens back to Genesis 1. However, that is further speculation.

Elders and Healing

2005-12-16T10:09:00.000-08:00

There is a verse in James that says that if anyone is sick that they should have the elders of the church pray for them:

James 5:14
“Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.”

Many churches don’t even have the elders pray for the sick but the ones that do often do so without understanding. They simply shuffle out the elders on to stage every time someone is desperate enough to ask for their prayers. But they do so out of obedience and simply because the Bible tells them that is what they should do. Obedience is good but understanding is good too.

Often it is perceived that the elders have the ability to heal (and that is a big if to a lot of people) simply because they are elders. However, if we read a bit further in James, we find the true catalyst for healing:

James 5:15
“And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven.”

Faith is the key here. And this is where people get confused. Elders are supposed to be chosen because they are full of faith. They do not have faith because they are elders.

Stephen in the book of Acts was chosen because of the same criteria:

Acts 6:5
“This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.”

DDWJS – Don’t Do What Jesus Said

2005-12-15T19:16:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, the gospels. Aren’t they great. Filled with all sorts of things that Jesus said. And yet I feel that the Church today has missed and misinterpreted the words of Jesus.

I think there is great misunderstanding around what a parable is. It is often touted as a devise to help people understand, to make things clear for them. Even the infamous movie “Last Tempation of Christ” has Jesus claiming to speak in parables to help the simple farm folk understand what he is teaching. But parables are not about that. In fact, they are just the opposite. They are meant to hide things. That is why he was always having to explain them to his disciples.

Matthew 13:13-15
This is why I speak to them in parables:
"Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
" 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
For this people's heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.

A parable was almost like a riddle. And a riddle back in the ancient day was used to make the one who spoke the riddle seem wise and the one who can’t figure it out seem foolish. Jesus spoke parables to make the “know it all” Pharisees seem foolish while at the same time the Pharisees were drilling Jesus with questions to make him seem foolish. Jesus won pretty much all the time.

So next time you read a parable, don’t be so quick to understand it. There not meant to be understood quickly.

Another tactic of Jesus was to challenge a position by taking a seemingly extreme opposite position on something. The title of this article kind of uses the same tactic.

Matthew 18:8
If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.

Most people understand that Jesus was not saying that we should cut off our hands but they still don’t go far enough. They regulate it to something like the following practical application:

If your tempted to drink too much (or you can insert any of your personal weaknesses here) then stay away from the bar (or insert the item, place, or thing that seems to make you sin when you get around it).

But that was not Jesus’ point at all. His point was that neither the hand nor the foot cause you to sin and although it may seriously hinder your ability to sin, it does not change your heart. And avoiding the bar does not fix the spiritual conditions that make you want to drink too much. You are simply playing a game of containment if you avoid the bar but it does not provide a permanent solution.

Matthew 5:20
For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven..

Same thing here. It’s not that the Pharisees needed to not be hypocrites in addition to all the things the did. Jesus meant that the Pharisees would not be righteous (and neither would you) no matter what good things they did, because their very nature was unrighteous. They were sinners to the core and if they just would’ve admitted it, then all would have been well.

So the gospels are great but cryptic and it would be a mistake to over simplify them.

Chiasmus Structure

2005-12-14T15:55:00.000-08:00

Chiasmus Structure is the name of my new band. Just kidding. Actually, I was outlining Genesis the other day and it just wasn’t working out. I felt like it wasn’t flowing and that I was cramming it into a literary structure that was never intended. So, I thought to myself (or the Holy Spirit said), I wonder if the ancient Hebrews had a different way of outlining their literature. Turns out I was right. There is an ancient form of literary structure called chiasmus and it will help make much better sense of much of the Bible.

What is chiasmus? I will defer that question to
inthebeginning.org

For some examples of chiasmus, check out this
webpage

It has been a wonderful discovery and the chiasmus structures in the creation account of Genesis punches holes in the JEPD theory

Good and Evil doesn’t matter

2005-12-14T11:27:00.000-08:00

I thought it was interesting how Jesus makes an issue about how good and evil doesn’t matter in some things. Even though people are evil, they can still do good and they certainly know how to use the sowing and reaping principle:

Matthew 7:11
"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! "

Luke 18: 4-5
"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "

Luke 16:8
"The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly (wisely)."

Matthew 22:10
"So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests."

Matthew 5:45
"...He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.. "

Dead Faith

2005-12-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

The following proposes a new perspective on the concerns that James was addressing in his letter. Take a look at chapter 3, verses 14-18 as follows.

14What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.

We relate this passage to our time saying it is like when someone tells us of problem that they have. The common response in the Church is to say “I will pray for you”. Although prayer is good, the typical pastor will say, you should do more for them than that. You should actually take steps to help the one who has the problem. But I propose this is not what James had in mind when writing those verses.

The readers of the letter of James would have seen or heard of or even experienced occasions such as the one mentioned in Acts:

1One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 8He jumped to his feet and began to walk.

Here is an occasion where a person is in need, in want of any hand out but in particular money. But Peter and John don’t blame others for not taking care of his needs, they don’t start a shelter for the homeless, and they don’t even give him any money. But by faith the man walks. Paul is involved in another incident as well:

8In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. 9He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

I believe the readers of James had been attempting the same as Peter and Paul. By speaking to the one in need saying “keep warm and well fed” they believed they were like Paul saying, “Stand up on your feet”. They would then claim that they had done something to help them and they had done it by faith. The difference between their account and the accounts in Acts is that nothing happened when they spoke and this is the point that James highlights in saying that “with out works, you faith is dead”.

The Lonnie Frisbee Project

2005-12-10T12:38:00.000-08:00

There is a new documentary film out that looks really good. It’s about the life of Lonnie Frisbee. Many may be familiar with John Wimber or Chuck Smith but Lonnie seems to be a fascinating character that not many know about.

lonniefrisbee.com

This Thing Called Grace

2005-12-10T12:36:00.000-08:00

The word “grace” has always been a word with an elusive meaning, especially in religious circles. It’s become a word that’s been religionized and comes preloaded with a lot of doctrine. But the other day I stumbled upon a discovery that brought new meaning to the word. I was studying about the “favor” of the Lord and how to get more of it. I learned that the Greek word for favor is “charis”. Then I learned the Greek word for grace, which is also “charis”. So it appears that, in the New Testament at least, grace and favor our one in the same word. I thought that was helpful and can draw more meaning from grace when I replace it with the word favor, especially in light of the ancient tradition of gaining favor in the middle east with kings and such.

Can one grow in grace/favor? Or is it a one time blessing that we automatically get when we accept Christ? Keep in mind the following verses:

Luke 2:52, "Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor (charis) with God and men."

(2Peter 3:18), “But grow in grace (charis), and [in] the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him [be] glory both now and for ever. Amen.”