Only Begotten

Posted on December 5, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

“And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him” (John 1:18).

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16).

“… he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18).

“God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9).

The wording is familiar. Five times, in the King James Version, Jesus is referred to as the “only begotten” Son of God. What do these words mean?There is much controversy over the original word “monogeneses.” The first part of the word is without controversy. “Mono” meaning “one” or “only” or “alone”. The second part of the word is the controversial part. Some think that the word is derived from “gennaoo,” meaning “to beget”. Others think that the word is derived from “genos,” meaning “stock” or “kind”.

Those who object to the translation “only begotten,” some times argue: (1) All Christians are begotten of God (1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18). Therefore, Jesus could not be the “only begotten”. Answer—It is the true that all Christians have been “begotten” of God. However, such is a figurative usage of the term. We were not begotten as Jesus was begotten. (2) Isaac is referred to as Abraham’s “only begotten” (Hebrews 11:17). Yet, Isaac was not literally Abraham’s “only begotten,” remember Ishmael? Answer—Isaac was Abraham’s only begotten according to the promise. (3) It is pointed out that while John speaks of Jesus as “only begotten,” Matthew-Mark-Luke speaks of Jesus as the “beloved” son (agapetos) (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; Mark 1:11; 9:7; Luke 3:22; 9:35; 20:13). Thus, the term has nothing to do with His birth. Answer—I do not see these terms as necessarily parallel. Moreover, I do not see how this helps matters, for we too are “beloved of God” (Romans 1:7).

Some suggest that what is actually being taught is that Jesus was a unique, one of a kind son. Hugo McCord’s New Testament renders this “unique son”.

Those who support the rendering “only begotten” point out: (1) The original term is used of those who had only one child (Luke 7:12; 8:41-42; 9:38). Thus, “only begotten” seems the most natural rendering. (2) The original term occurs nine times in the New Testament (Luke 7:12;8:41-42; 9:38; John 1:14; 1:18; 3:16; 3:18; Hebrews 11:17; 1 John 4:9). Three of these times refer to an only begotten child (Luke 7:12; 8:41-42; 9:38). Only one passage on the surface seems a difficulty in so rendering (Hebrews 11:17), and it can be explained. (3) The most reliable translations have rendered it “only begotten” — KJV, NKJV, ASV, NASB. (4) Ancient translations—Robert Taylor, Jr., writes, “In 1879 Murdock gave the English-speaking world what he called ‘a literal translation from the Syriac-Peshito version.’ Only begotten, occurred in John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; and 1 John 4:9. Murdock did not vary as much as a particle in dealing with this treasured term” (Studies in John, The 18th Annual Denton Lectures, edited by Dub McClish, p. 616).

It is evident that some translations have missed the mark on the original term. Some have rendered it “only” (RSV, NRSV, ESV), or “one and only” (NIV). These are half translations. They are translating “mono” but leaving “genes” untranslated. It must mean something.

The more I study this, the more I am convinced that the KJV got it correct. However, the Bible, clearly teaches—(1) Jesus was one of a kind. (2) He was (is) the God-Man (John 1:1 cf. 1:14; 17:5; 1 Timothy 3:16). (3) He was supernaturally begotten of God (Matthew 1:20; 1:23).

“Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:

God was manifested in the flesh,

Justified in the spirit,

Seen by angels,

Preached among the Gentiles,

Believed on in the world,

Received up in glory” (1 Timothy 3:16).

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Two Pentecostal Excuses

Posted on December 3, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

Pentecostal preachers claim to be able to work miracles.  However, when one asks to see such, it is not uncommon for excuses to be offered.  Here are two common ones:

1.  It is wrong to seek a sign.

“’Teacher we want to see a sign from You.’  But he answered and said to them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seek after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.’” (Matthew 12:38-40).   Some have used this passage to teach that it is always wrong to ask for a sign and Pentecostal preachers have used this verse to avoid ever giving a sign to anyone who asks.

But, understand that the cases are not congruent. Here’s why: First, Jesus had already worked a sign in their presence (Matthew 12:22-24 cf. Matthew 12:38-40). The same point could be made in other context as well (Matthew 16:1-4 cf. Matthew 15:33-38; John 6:30 cf. John 6:9-13, 24-26).   Second, watch the fact that Jesus did not say, “there will be no sign given” and leave it at that. He said, “no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” Jesus, upon that occasion was not going to give them another sign. But, He said in effect, “here is the evidence that I’ll give you – the sign of Jonah.” His resurrection would declare Him to be the Son of God (Romans 1:4).

This passage does not teach that it is wrong to ask for evidence. In truth, the Bible demands that we examine things based upon adequate evidence (1 Thessalonians 5:21; 1 John 4:1; Acts 17:11).

2.  I can’t because of your unbelief.

“Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58). Notice that it does not say that, “He did no mighty works there,” but, “He did not many…” Mark’s record supplies us with even more insight saying, “Now he could do no mighty works there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief…” (Mark 6:5-6).

J.W. McGarvey commented on this situation saying, “The statement that ‘he could do there no mighty works’ etc., does not mean that it was physically impossible; for the same power which healed a few could have healed more; but he could not do more because it was improper. When he had wrought a number of miracles without shaking the unbelief of the people, others… would have been worse than useless; to work them therefore, would have been an improper expenditure of time and power.” (Commentary on Matthew and Mark, pages 299-300).

Yes, unbelief may be an excuse for some so-called “miracle healers” today not being able to give any signs. But such is not a Biblical excuse. Jesus did some miracles there. Moreover, on other occasions He likewise did His miracles in the presence of unbelievers (Matthew 9:1-8; Luke 22:50-51; cf. also Acts 2, Acts 13:7-12, etc.).

Matthew 13:58 is used by some today to say, “I can’t do it in your presence because you don’t believe.” Don’t let people use this passage on you this way!

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The Truth Will Come Out!

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

I have read Ann Coulter’s book, “Treason.”  The book is controversial but interesting and thought-provoking.

She revisits the facts concerning Senator Joseph McCarthy.  Most history books for the last 50 years have portrayed the Senator from Wisconsin as a raving lunatic.  But she paints a very different picture.  She indicates that he has been misrepresented for years.  She also defends him.  She writes, “June 11, 1995.  On that day the U.S. government released a cache of Soviet cables that had been decoded during the cold war in a top-secret undertaking known as the Venona Project.  The cable proved the overwhelming truth of McCarthy’s charges Soviet spies in the government were not a figment of right-wing imagination.”

She likewise revisits the Alger Hiss case.  Many have maintained over the years that Richard Nixon was wrong about Alger Hiss.  The high-ranking man in both F.D.R.’s and Truman’s administrations could not be a Soviet spy, could he?  The man who helped create the United Nations, a spy?  Coulter writes, “In 1995, it was no longer uncertain.  That was the year the Venona Project was unveiled, revealing Soviet cables that established that Hiss was a Soviet agent.”

What about Julius and Ethel Rosenberg?  Some have defended them over the years.  Were they really spies?  She refers to Nikita Khrushchev’s memoirs which were published in 1990.  Khrushchev said of the Rosenbergs that they provided “very significant help in accelerating the production of our atomic bomb.”  Moreover, referring to the Venona Project she writes, “The Soviet cables indisputably proved the guilt of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.”  She indicates that J. Edgar Hoover risked acquittal rather than reveal that the U.S. had cracked the Soviet code.”

The Point

Brethren, my point is not to argue history.  However, as I read the book a couple of thoughts went through my mind that I want you to consider.

First, regardless of the truth about Senator Joseph McCarthy, people are misunderstood, and misrepresented, and even lied about in this life.  Sometimes the truth comes out in the life.  Sometimes it does not.  Sometimes it comes out immediately, sometimes 50 years later, sometimes in eternity.  But, the truth will eventually come out (1 Timothy 5:24-25).  We have a redeemer (vindicator) that lives (Job 19:25).

If you try to live for God and proclaim the truth to others, some might write you off as a nut, a radical, a fanatic, an extremist, and the such like.  Take comfort in the fact that one day such mockers will know the truth (Ezekiel 2:5; 33:33).

Second, as to the guilt or innocence of some, things are not always clear in this life.  Sometimes, the evidence is clear.  Sometimes the evidence only becomes known years later.  But, know this, the facts will come out (if one does not meet God’s conditions for pardon) in eternity.  Even secret things cannot be hid (Ecclesiastes 12:14; Romans 2:16; 1 Timothy 5:24-25).  Man may hide things from man, but man  cannot hide things from the all-seeing eyes of God (Proverbs 15:3).

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“…The Temple of the Lord, The Temple of the Lord, The Temple of the Lord…”

Posted on November 28, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

Jeremiah 7:4 says, “Do not trust in these lying words, saying, ‘The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD are these.'”  What is meant my these words?  What is the warning?

Observe the first words, “Do not trust in these lying words” (Jeremiah 7:4).  Now watch the fact that Jeremiah 7:8-11 begins the same way saying: “Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit.  Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’?  Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes?  Behold, I, even I, have seen it,’ says the LORD.”  See how the nearly same words begins both Jeremiah 7:4 and Jeremiah 7:8-11?

What, therefore is meant by the words, “The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD…?”  Simply this, God’s people during that time thought that as long as the temple stood, all was okay.  They thought that as long as they came before God at the appointed times to make sacrifice, then all their sins would be ignored.

Let’s fast forward to modern times.  God wants us to be, “doers of the word, and not hearers only” (James 1:22).  Pure and undefiled religion before God includes more than church attendance, and partaking on the Lord’s Supper each fist day.  It includes visiting the “orphans and widows in their trouble” and  keeping oneself “unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).  Let us not be deceived thinking that being at worship services on Sundays, listening to the sermons, partaking of communion, praying, singing, and giving unto the work of the church will cause God to overlook an habitual life of sin.  Worship was never designed for such!

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Where Are The Nine? (Luke 17:11-19)

Posted on November 26, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

The disease that we call leprosy today (Hansen’s Disease) is a disease of the nerves and of the skin.  “Patients with leprosy experience disfigurement of the skin and bones, twisting of the limbs, and curling of the fingers to form the characteristic claw hand.  Facial changes include thickening of the outer ear and collapsing of the nose.  Tumor like growths called lepromas may form on the skin and in the respiratory tract, and the optic nerve may deteriorate.  The largest number of deformities develop from loss of pain sensation due to nerve damage.  For instance, inattentive patients can pick up a cup of boiling water without flinching… some leprosy patients have had their fingers eaten by rats in their sleep because they were totally unaware of its happening; the lack of pain receptors could not warn them of the danger” (answersingenesis.org).  The disease is spread by skin contact and nasal secretions (ibid).

Was leprosy in the Bible inclusive of Hansen’s Disease?  Possibly.  It certainly was a disease that affected the skin (Leviticus 13:2-8, ff), and it appears contagious (Leviticus 13:46).  However, the Biblical disease may have been used in a much broader sense.  Some think that it may have included numerous diseases including “leprosy, syphilis, smallpox, boils, scabies, fungus infections, all of which are of known contagious potentiality… In addition… molds and fungus growths in houses and cloth (cf. Leviticus 13:47-ff.; 14:33-ff. B.H.)”  (Zondervan’s Pictorial Dictionary, pp. 217-218).

Israelite law required that the leper be quarantined from society (Leviticus 13:46; Numbers 5:23; 2 Kings 15:5).  If the non-infected came near, the law required that the leper cry out, “Unclean!, Unclean!” (Leviticus 13:45). Whatever this disease was, one did not want it.  It was terrible to be diagnosed with leprosy.

Near the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, Jesus journeyed towards Jerusalem.  He encountered ten lepers who stood afar off.  They lifted up their voices, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”  Jesus instructed them to go show themselves to the priests, which was a requirement of a healed leper before he was reintroduced into society (Leviticus 14:1-2).

The ten lepers went in faith, even before they were healed.  They were healed as they went.  Just one returned to give thanks, and he was a Samaritan (cf. Luke 10:25-37; 17:11-19).  Such displeased Jesus.  He said, “Were there not ten cleansed?  But where are the nine?”

Why did the nine not express their gratitude?  1) Did they want the benefit from Jesus without being identified with Him?  Many “feared the Jews (Jewish leaders – B.H.), for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was the Christ, he would be put out of the Synagogue” (John 9:22; 12:42-43).  2) Did they have a sense of entitlement?  Some do not express gratitude because they think that they are entitled to the benefit.  3) Were they self-centered, thinking of nothing and no one outside of self? Some are takers and not givers. They do not even give “thanks.”  4) Did they think that it was too far, and too much trouble to return to express thanks?

Whatever kept them from expressing thanks, it displeased Jesus. The Holy Spirit included this in scripture for a reason. It must be that this is included to teach us a lesson about expressing thanks.  God wants us to be a thankful people.  A lack of thankfulness is sin (Romans 1:18-21; 2 Timothy 3:1-4).

Here are some questions:

1.  Are you thankful for life itself?

2.  Are you thankful for the forgiveness of sins?  “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

3.  Are you thankful for your family?

a)  Husbands, are you thankful for your wife and all that she does for you and the        family?

b)  Wives, are you thankful for your husband and all that he does for you and your family?

c)  Parents, are you thankful for your children?  They are a gift from God.

d)  Children, are you thankful for your parents?   Do you appreciate their instruction and guidance, hard work and sacrifice for you?

4.  Are you thankful for true friends? They are there in the good times and in the bad.

5.  Are you thankful for the church?  The assembly ideally is a place which provides strength, encouragement, comfort and knowledge to deal with life.

6.  Are you thankful for those who labor in the Lord?  Bible class teachers, preachers, elders, deacons and others are those who care about your soul.

7.  Are you thankful for this nation?  Yes, it has its flaws, but it still provides us with opportunities and freedom rarely seen in history.

8.  Are you thankful for those who went before and on whose shoulders we stand and still reap benefits?

9.  Are you thankful for the Bible?  God has given us an objective standard by which life should be lived. It gives us clear direction. It is a standard which when followed saves one from many troubles.

10.  Are you thankful for the power and privilege of prayer?  We can approach the throne of grace.

11.  Are you thankful for your job and material possessions?   Or, do you actually believe that no one provided such opportunity but you? Life itself is only possible due to God.

12.  Are you thankful when someone is kind to you?  Do you appreciate such? Or, do you take it for granted.

If you have such thanks, do you express such?

Melinda and I “do not cease to give thanks for you” (Ephesians 1:16).

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Thanksgiving

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

A true Christian should not need the government to set aside one day per year as “Thanksgiving Day” to remember to be thankful. In fact, our lives should exude thankfulness and should be characterized by thanksgiving. 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God…” Colossians 3:15 instructs, “…be  thankful.”

What are some things for which a Christian should be thankful?

  1. We should be thankful for the food we eat (1 Timothy 4:4-5).
  2. We should be thankful for faithful brethren (Ephesians 1:15-16; Philippians 1:38; Colossians 1:3-4; 3:12-15; 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-4; Romans 1:8; 16:3-4; 2 Timothy 1:3-5).
  3. We should be thankful for our families (Psalm 127:3; Proverbs 17:7; 18:22).
  4. We should be thankful for the pattern that God has given us to live within, and by which to conduct our lives (Colossians 2:6-7). This pattern, if followed, will make us better husbands, wives, sons, daughters, neighbors, friends, employers, and employees.
  5. We should be thankful that God has saved us. 1 Corinthians 15:57 reads, “thanks be to God who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Colossians 1:12-14, “… thanks unto the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood,  the forgiveness of sins.”
  6. We should be thankful for what Jesus has allowed us to become (cf. 1 Timothy 1:12). He   took four fishermen, Peter, James, John and Andrew and made them “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). He took Paul, the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15), and transformed him into an apostle. He is not ashamed to call us brethren (Hebrews 2:11)!

Who should be thanked? The answer is God. Consider: 1. It is noteworthy that when Paul considered the good done by brethren, he thanked God (Philippians 1:3-5; 2:13-14; Colossians 1:3-4; 1 Thessalonians 1:2-3; 2:13; 2 Corinthians 9:10-15). This is the case for it is God that motivates man to do the good he does (Philippians 2:13 cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 8:16). 2. It is God that should be thanked for our physical blessing, such as our food (1 Timothy 4:4-5; Matthew 15:35 cf. Mark 8:6; Matthew 14:19 cf. Mark 6:41). In fact, we owe Him thanks for our very existence. The Psalmist instructs, “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD all ye lands, Serve the LORD with gladness; come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God; it is He who has made us and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture” (Psalm 100:1-3). In truth, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (James 1:17). 3. Clearly, it is He from whom all spiritual blessings flow. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who has blessed us with every spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3). “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4). Conclusion: It is God, Who should be thanked.

May we always be thankful. As for me and my house, we cease not to be thankful for you!

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Thoughts on Church Growth

Posted on November 21, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

In my personal reading, I’ve found a few thoughts I wish to share with you:

1.  The church needs to be among society.

Alexander Campbell: “That the church may have an influence upon society at large, there is wanting a fuller display of Christian philanthropy… care for the poor… the expression of the most unfeigned sympathy for the distresses of mankind, not only among the brotherhood, but among all men… an ardent zeal for the conversion of sinners. The full display of these attributes is the most effective means of causing to sound abroad, and to achieve new conquests among our fellow citizens.” (The Christian System, page 254).

 Flavil R. Yeakley Jr.: “Someone once said that the way to build a strong church is to find the hurt in a community and heal it. The source of all the hurt, of course is man’s alienation from God. But many people are not interested in being saved. They do not even know that they are lost. However, they do know other hurts: alienation from other people, the break down of the husband-wife relationship, and the alienation of older people from society in general.   We must start with people where they are in order to lead them where they ought to go” (1977, Harding Lectures, p. 262).

Folks, we need to be out in the world (John 17:15-16). We are to be the salt and light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16), the pillar and ground of truth (1 Timothy 3:15), holding forth the word of life (Philippians 2:16). We need to be looking for opportunities to let out lights shine.

2.  Christians need to be involved in one another’s lives.

 Flavil R. Yeakley Jr. cites a survey of new converts who fell away.   He says, “What was counted… was the number of new friends the person had made in the church and the number of former non-Christian friends the person no longer counted as being close friends. The more changes a person had in his friendship pattern the more likely he was to remain a faithful convert. In this study, 100% of the people who had zero, one or two changes in friendship pattern dropped out… three changes 88% (dropped out); four changes 66% (dropped out); five changes 50%; six changes 11%. The drop out rate was zero for those who reported seven or more changes in their friendship patters.” (ibid, p. 349-350).

God’s people should be a part of each others lives (1 Thessalonians 5:14; Hebrews 3:13; Galatians 6:1-2; James 5:20). We should be provoking each other on to “love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24). We should “greet the friends by name” (3 John 14).

An unknown writer has penned these words – “If this is not a place where tears are understood, where do I go to cry? / If this is not a place where my spirit can wing, where do I go to fly? / If this is not a place where my questions can be asked, where do I go to seek? / If this is not a place where my feelings can be heard, where do I go to speak? / If this is not a place where you will accept me as I am, where do I go to be me? / If this is not a place where I can try and fail and learn and grow, where can I be – just me?” ~ Jimmy Jividen, Koinonia, page 119. Fellowship in Christ is helpful to spiritual health. Love should richly flow through the assembly.  “Let all that you do be done with love” (1 Corinthians 16:14). “Let all things be done for edification” (1 Corinthians 14:26).

3.  All member should be included in the work.

Alexander Campbell: “Too long has it been considered the duty, the almost exclusive duty, of the preacher to convert the world… while (others) have only to look on and pray for his success… the work of the Lord will never progress… the regenerating influence of the church will amount to little or nothing – so long as it is thought to be not equally the duty of every member… All are called to labor for the Lord. I hold that every citizen in Christ’s kingdom is bound to take up arms for the King, as much as I am” (The Christian System, p. 254).

It is our duty to “proclaim the praises of Him who  called (us) out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). The early church “went everywhere preaching the Word” (Acts 8:4). There comes a time when we each “ought to be teachers” (Hebrews 5:12). It is unimaginable the results which would be achieved if every child of God took serious their responsiblity to proclaim and teach the Gospel. This is the key to realizing growth potential.

4.  Our giving should be liberal.

V.P. Black wrote a book in 1969 entitled “My God and My Money.” In the book he gives figures from the year 1944 on how much Americans spent on this or that. He records that the sum total of all American giving (in all types of churches) to mission work amounted to only half what they spent on dog food each year. He wrote, “If this does not indicate that the people of America care twice as much for dogs as religious people care for the souls of those outside our own land, what does it prove?”(p. 57).

Again, he wrote, “Money is not filthy lucre. It is not the devil’s coin, it is stored up human power. It is so much of myself which I can keep at work furthering the purposes of my Lord through His church… My money is an indispensable factor in advancing the purpose of my God…” (p. 56)

Folks, let us always keep our treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:21). Let us keep our priorities in order (Matthew 6:33). What we spend our money on may indicate what it is we truly value

Also remember in the work at hand, “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully” (2 Corinthians 9:6). How much are we investing into reaching souls?

5.  Money is no substitution for work.

Jerry Jones: “We cannot reach the world with dollars (alone) but with people” (1982 Harding Lectures, p. 58). Sometimes people use their giving to excuse themselves from true involvement.

It takes both. Paul said, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:16). The love of Christ should constrain us (2 Corinthians 5:14), also the terror of the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:11).

6.  We need to put into practice what we know.

Carl Mitchell said, “I know of a brother that was asked for the third time to teach a personal evangelism course in the local church. The first evening he went to class and saw the same people who had been there in the prior classes he had taught, so he dismissed the class saying he refused to teach the same people the same thing for the third time! The did not need another class on personal evangelism! The needed to do what they already knew how to do!… When we cooperate with the effort to turn the church inward, we join the force of him who opposes it being turned outward” (ibid, p. 119).

Let us be “doers of the word and not hearers only” (James 1:22).   “Lead me to some soul today/ O teach me Lord just what to say/ Friends of mine are lost in sin/ And cannot find their way/ Few there are who seem to care/ And few there are who pray/ Melt my heart and fill my life/ Give me one soul today (song: Lead Me to Some Soul Today by Wendell P. Loveless).  How long has it been since we taught another the Gospel?

 

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Christians Do The Same

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

There is frequently a cry of moral equivalency between Islam and Christianity. “Muslims have been violent, but so have Christians. Muslims are waging jihad, but what about the crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and the Conquistadors? The Quran teaches warfare, but so does the Bible.”

How do we respond? Is Christianity on par with Islam? Is Christianity a violent religion? Does the Bible cause a violent world?

It is not our aim to critically assess Islam or the Quran in this writing. Instead, we just want to examine whether the Bible and Christianity teach and promote wide scale violence. Does true Christianity use the sword to defend and promote truth?

Here is our response:

1. It is true that God instructed the cleansing of the Promised Land of the Canaanite people. He enjoined this on the Israelites of the Old Testament. Their moral depravity was “full” (Genesis 15:16). “They had slumped to such an immoral depraved state, with no hope of recovery, that their existence on this Earth had to be ended – just like in Noah’s day when God waited while Noah preached for years but was unable to turn the world’s population from its wickedness” (Dave Miller, The Quran Unveiled: Islam and New Testament Christianity in Conflict, p. 193). Now let it be pointed out that this was not an annihilation of all unbelievers, only these Canaanites whose society had become so corrupt. “Unless you happened to be a Hittite, Girgashite, Amorite, Canaanite, Perizzite, Hivite, or Jebusite these Biblical passages simply do not apply to you” (Robert Spencer, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam, p. 29).

2. The nation of Israel was a nation. “Since the nation of Israel was also a civil entity in its own right, the government was also charged with implementing civil retribution upon lawbreakers. However, with the arrival of New Testament Christianity – an international religion intended for all persons without regard to ethnicity or nationality – God has assigned to civil government (not the church or the individual) the responsibility of regulating secular behavior. God’s people who lived posterior to the cross of Christ… are not charged by God with the responsibility of inflicting punishment on the evildoers. Rather civil government is charged with the responsibility of maintaining order and punishing lawbreakers – Romans 13:1-7; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-14″ (Miller, ibid).

3.  All was not fair in love and war, according to the Old Testament. The Israelites were given rules of engagement. Read Deuteronomy 20. Cities (with the exception of the Canaanites) were to be given opportunity in war to surrender (Deuteronomy 20:10-18). There was to be no scorched earth policies (Deuteronomy 20:19-20). Moreover, we know that unjust practices were frowned on (Genesis 34:6-30a cf. 49:5-7).

4.  Another issue is imprecatory Psalms. Things to understand: (a) The Psalms are not narratives calmly recording history. They are poetry and the nature of oriental poetry is that it often contains strong emotion and flowery language. (b) These are prayers directed to God. God was petitioned but things were left in His hands. Steve Wiggins has written, “The imprecatory Psalms can be of tremendous assistance to the Christian. They teach us when we feel anger and hostility we should verbalize it in prayer to God rather than expressing it through actions” (Firm Foundation, Oct. 2003 article “A study of Imprecatory Psalms” by Steve Wiggins). We all need to vent from time to time. (c) We should understand who many of these enemies were. They were not just personal enemies, but enemies of God and justice. The Psalmist was not merely wanting vengeance on his personal enemies –  but, in many cases, but upon God’s enemies and injustice (Psalm 5:10; 59:13; 109:13, 15, 16, 17). Steve Wiggins adds, “The key to solving this… seems to lie in understanding that the imprecations are grounded in the Abrahamic covenant in which God promised to curse those who cursed Abraham’s descendents. The Psalmist then, merely appealed for God to fulfill his covenant promise to Israel” (ibid).

5.  The New Testament clearly, does not teach violence. It teaches things like: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). “Turn the other (cheek) also” (Matthew 5:39). “Repay no man evil for evil… if it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men” (Romans 12:17, 18). “Pursue peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).

However, some have wrested some New Testament passages from their context in order to claim moral equivalency. (a) Luke 19:26-27. The fallacy here is that these words are about the coming judgement upon Jerusalem set forth in a parable, and are not Jesus instructions to wage jihad. (b) Matthew 10:34-35. Jesus is not saying that He wants such things to happen, but He is warning that they will happen. He is not instructing His disciples to wield the sword; He is warning of the cost of discipleship.

6.  What about the crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and the Conquistadors? The only sword the Christian is authorized to use in the promotion and defense of the Gospel is “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this word. If my kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight…” (John 18:36). True Christianity does not “wrestle against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12).

The crusades are a much misunderstood period of history. The crusades were not unprovoked attacks by Europe against the Islamic world. There were years of aggression, hardship, and persecution that had happened to the west by Muslims. Moreover, the crusades weren’t made to force Jews and Muslims to become Christians, it was over 100 years after the first Crusade that Europeans organized a missionary effort to convert the Muslims. A Spanish Muslim, Ibn Jubayr, wrote in the 12th century that the Muslims had it better in lands under control of Crusaders than in lands under Islamic control. True, there were many atrocities during these years of the crusades. It is true that much anti-Semitic violence existed in Germany and Hungary by Crusaders. It is worth noting that in spite of this, most Jews still chose to live in the west and not in Islamic land. [For a study of the Crusades, see The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades)].

The Inquisitions were brutal, torturous, and bloody. I would suggest that they did not get such from reading God’s instructions to the church. God has stated how false teachers, and heretics are to be handled (see Acts 20:28-32; Romans 16:17; 1 Timothy 6:3-5; Titus 1:7-11; 3:10; 2 John 10-11). We are in the market of ideas. We are to reason with people and try to change them. We are not to support false teachers. We need to mark and avoid them. There is a time to withdraw from such. But we are never told to torture and punish them physically.

The Conquistadors, I have read, justified their taking of land in the “New World” and their treatment of the natives by appealing to God’s giving the Promised Land to the Israelites, and by what the Israelites did (or were to do) with the Canaanites. If this is true this is a great misuse of scripture. There is a big difference: Israel was so instructed of God; the Conquistadors, nor we have been so instructed in the New Testament.

Some have appealed to Timothy McVeigh and others as an example of modern Christian terrorism. Now, I am not saying that one could not zealously do terrorist activities and try to defend them by appealing to the scriptures, but to my knowledge Timothy McVeigh never did this. I know of no scripture he ever appealed to, yet many want to classify him as a Christian terrorist and cry for moral equivalency. I guarantee you this if McVeigh, or any others, appealed to the New Testament to justify their terror – they took the passage out of its context. Read the New Testament It is not a book of violence.

7.  Some have acted as if Christianity and religion in general would just go away then all violence would just disappear and there would be utopia on Earth (just ponder the words of John Lennon’s atheistic anthem “Imagine”).

Man is violent without religion. In truth, anti-Christian and atheistic governments have unquestionably murdered more people in the last hundred years than all other movements. Mao is responsible for the deaths of an estimated 40 million, Stalin 20 million, Hitler 15 million (figures go as high as 34 million if you count the war). Pol Pot killed about 2 million, almost one-third of his country. Which of these did their deeds due to their Christian beliefs? It is said that communist tyranny has killed a minimum of 94 million this last century and perhaps as high as 150 million (figures from Deliver Us From Evil, Sean Hannity; and surfing the internet). As Benjamin Franklin once said, “If men are so wicked with religion, what would they be without it?”! In a letter to the editor of The American Spectator, a Peter Skurkiss of Stow, Ohio well said, “Just as the former Soviet Union has been discredited, so has its religion of materialism. The experiment has been tried and has been a colossal failure. Instead of freeing man from God and being a route to utopia, atheism has brought unimagined grief to the world.” (Sept. 2007).

Christianity has done much to lift this world to a higher level (Recommended reading Wayne Jackson, Apologetics Press article, The Benevolent, “Leavening” Influence of Christianity by Wayne Jackson).

Whether a book be classified as violent or not must be determined by the book itself and not by what some associated with it may or may not do. The New Testament is a religion of peace.

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Does God Hear the Prayers of Sinners?

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

This is not a question which can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” The terms need to be defined before answering.

What is meant by “hear”? The word “hear” can mean “to hear a sound without understanding” (e.g. Acts 9:7), or it can mean “to hear with understanding” (e.g. Acts 22:9). It can mean “to hear with understanding whether favorably or unfavorably received” (e.g. Acts 17:32), or it can mean “to hear favorably or receptively” (e.g. Matthew 18:15; 1 Timothy 4:16).

God certainly hears with understanding all that men say. Consider: 1) Job 42:7, “The LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” God knew what they had said. 2) Psalm 139:4, “There is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.”   3) Matthew 12:36-37, “Every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” 4) James 2:12, “So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty.”

Therefore, let us clarify the issue. The issue is – does God favorably receive the prayers of sinners? Do sinners have a welcomed audience before His throne? Are they favorably received?

What is meant by “sinners”? Some may mean “those who sin, or have sinned” (e.g. Luke 18:13-14). However, the term “sinner(s)” is frequently used in the Bible in contrast with the righteous (e.g. Psalm 1:5; Proverbs 11:31; Matthew 9:13; Luke 5:32; 15:7), and in contrast with those who are sons of God (Luke 6:32-36).

It must be clarified that the term “sinners” is being used in the second sense. If not, who could pray (Romans 3:23)?

1.  The Bible is clear that the unrepentant sinner will not be heard (Psalm 34:15-16; 66:18; Proverbs 15:8; 15:29; Isaiah 1:15-17; 59:12; John 9:37; 1 Peter 3:12). Do not pursue a life of sin and rebellion before God, and then think that you can petition Him in prayer. A child of God needs to repent and pray for forgiveness when he sins (Proverbs 28:13; Acts 8:22; James 5:16). Such is the only kind of prayer which should be given. One will not have a successful prayer life so long as he refuses to repent and confess his sins to God.

2.  The Bible warns the Christian that a bad home life will hinder prayers before God (1 Peter 3:7). A good home life is not just about tranquility in the home. It is about maintaining a good relationship with God.

3.  The Bible teaches that it is the prayer of the righteous which avails much (James 5:16). Man today can be counted righteous only in Christ (Philippians 3:8-9). The alien sinner is never instructed to pray for salvation. There is no example of “the sinner’s prayer” in all of the New Testament. The alien sinner’s pray for salvation will not be heard. One must believe, repent, confess and be baptized to be saved (Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:47; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:36-37).

Is God receptive to any prayer offered by the alien sinner? Wayne Jackson speculated, “If an alien sinner sincerely seeking to know and do the will of God, and praying that somehow he might come in contact with the truth so that he could ascertain the Lord’s will relative to being saved, it is surely possible that God, consistent with His providential means, could work matters out where the individual would be exposed to the preaching of the Gospel” (A Question From A Reader, Christian Courier, Dec. 1981). Perhaps so (cf. John 7:17; Acts 10:1-6). However, the fact remains that prayer alone will not save the alien sinner.

What about Cornelius? Didn’t God receive his prayers before he became a Christian? Yes, he did (Acts 10:3-4; 30-31). I believe that Cornelius lived in a transitional time. Michael Hatcher has written, “The application of what Jesus did was not seen for the Gentiles until Cornelius (Acts 10). During that time (between Christ’s death and Cornelius), if a person was faithful to the Law of God given through the fathers (Patriarchal Law), then he would have been in a right relationship with God and thus have a right to pray… Now the Law of Christ was coming into effect for the Gentiles he needed to hear the word of Christ and obey it…” (2000 Bellview Lectureship, p. 303-318, quoted in Apologetics Press article, Does God Hear and Respond to the Prayers of Alien Sinners?)

4.  The Bible teaches that God cares about one’s attitude (Psalm 51:17; Luke 18:10-14), motive (Matthew 6:5), and genuineness (Matthew 6:7) in prayer. He is not impressed with self-righteousness. He does not want a performance for men. He does not want vainly repeated words.

May we, at the Youngsport church of Christ, truly be a people of prayer. Let us offer the kind of prayer that ascends like incense before Him (Psalm 141:2).

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Hospitality

Posted on November 14, 2014 by Bryan Hodge

Three men appeared before Abraham in the heat of the day, as he sat in the door of his tent (Genesis 18:2).  These, though they had the appearance of men, were no ordinary men.  At least two of these men were angels (Genesis 19:1 cf. 19:12-ff.). It seems that the third man was a Theophany, visible appearance of a member of the Godhead, in this case in human form (Genesis 18:1,2,13,22 cf. 19:1), though I do recognize that this may simply be language of agency whereby the LORD is said to have said or done something when actually He performed through the agency of another.

How would we behave if we knew that before us stood was an angelic being, or even God Almighty Himself?  Abraham, without even knowing Who stood before him, demonstrate himself to be a man of hospitality (Genesis 18:1-8).  Lot likewise did (Genesis 19:1-4). We would do well to emulate them in this regard.  We are to be hospitable people (Romans 12:13; 1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8; Hebrews 13:2; 1 Peter 4:9). Jesus said that how we treat our fellow-man is how we treat Him (Matthew 25:31-46).  “In as much as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me… In as much as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me” (Matthew 25:40, 45).

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