Archives for posts with tag: doctrine

Who Is Lord?

2014/06/10 //
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Who is Lord? Think about that question. Who is Master and King? Who is on the throne? You know the answer. You have read it in the Bible. The preachers have told you. You could refer to several verses of Scripture that say “Jesus Christ is Lord,” “He is King of Kings.” Academically … intellectually … you know the answer.

Of course, there are people who deny it. They deny the Truth. It is written on their hearts. The preachers and the Scriptures have told them. You have told them, and they still deny the Truth. They are on the broad way to destruction.

Romans 10:8-13
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, [even] in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

9 … if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

What if I believe in the resurrection and say the phrase, “Jesus Christ is Lord,” then does that mean I am on the narrow way to Life? What if He is not on the throne of my life? What if He is not the master who makes all of the decisions about how I will live my life? What if I do not bow to His will in my life? Isn’t that what the word “Lord” means? He is my King, and I would not dare to live my life outside His Law.

9 … if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus …

When I “confess” something, it does not mean that I am just repeating a phrase I learned from a book. It must be true in my life, to be a confession. I can’t just say an incantation to get into heaven. I must forsake my lordship and turn to His lordship. I must turn away from the path to destruction, and turn to the path of Life.

Who is Lord? Think about that question. Who is Master and King? Who is on the throne?

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Who is Jesus? If I believe in the resurrection and confess “Jesus Christ is Lord,” then does that mean I am on the narrow way to Life? We can easily make a list of false religions that claim that Jesus is part of their way of enlightenment. Does it matter which Jesus I believe in? It is easy to see the answer to that question when looking at an extreme case. What if there is a man down the street who claims to be Jesus? Obviously, if that is the Jesus to whom I refer when I confess “Jesus Christ is Lord,” then I don’t have the right Lord. If someone has the same name as you, does that mean they are the same person as you? Of course not. In the same way, when people fabricate their own version of Jesus to serve, they are still lost. Anyone who invents their own god to worship, is serving a false god.

Luke 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

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The Humanity Of Jesus Christ

2014/03/17 //
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The word “human” is not in the Bible. Yet, in the sense that we use the word today, we know that the Bible teaches the humanity of Jesus, as well as His divinity. Why is this important?

Hebrews 4:15-16
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as [we are, yet] without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

2 John 1:7-9
7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

Hebrews 2:9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

At times, the New Testament uses the word “flesh,” or the phrase “flesh and blood,” in context, for human. For example:

John 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Ephesians 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high [places.]

John 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

Jesus was flesh.

Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

John 1:1,14
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
…
14 And the Word was made 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.

Jesus was a descendant of Adam and Eve.

Genesis 3:14-15
14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou [art] cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Jesus’ genealogy in Luke 3 is traced back to Adam, as proof of the fulfillment of this prophecy.

Jesus was a descendant of Abraham, as well as a descendant of David.

Romans 1:3-4
3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
4 And declared [to be] the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Matthew 1:1 The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

Galatians 3:16,19
16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
…
19 Wherefore then [serveth] the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

The Old Testament always means human when it uses the phrase “son of man,” for example:

Psalm 8:3-5
3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Pronouns aside, “Son of man” is the most common way Jesus used to refer to Himself in Scripture, likely a direct allusion to Daniel chapter seven. “Son of man” always refers to Jesus in the New Testament, and the second chapter of Hebrews beautifully ties together the Old and New Testament uses of this phrase:

Hebrews 2:6-18
6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:
8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing [that is] not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
10 For it became him, for whom [are] all things, and by whom [are] all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified [are] all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,
12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.
13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.
14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;
15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
16 For verily he took not on [him the nature of] angels; but he took on [him] the seed of Abraham.
17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto [his] brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things [pertaining] to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.
18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

All humans are of one blood.

Acts 17:24,26
24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, …
26 … hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, …

When the Almighty God, Our Lord Jesus Christ, came, He came in the flesh. When He came, every physical attribute of Him; His bones, His blood, His brain … His body … was human.

In His sovereignty, God could have remained distinctly distant and exalted high above us lowly humans, but He did better than that. His nobility is so sure, His virtue is so holy, His eminence is so firm, that He was able to humble Himself as a baby in the womb, and even to a humiliating execution as a criminal.

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Precious Gems

2013/11/12 //
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There are many songs in the Holy Bible — of course, the book of Psalms, but also The Song Of Solomon, Exodus 15, Lamentations, and several others.

Because of the nature of the language used in lyrics, some portions of these songs may have a wider range of possible meanings. When we attempt to choose which meaning is intended, then it is important to limit our selection to that which is consistent with sterling biblical doctrine. A crucial concern is that we need to have a solid scriptural understanding of the topic at hand, in order to properly see the message of a passage or phrase in the biblical songs.

When a person writes in verse, then we can try to discern its meaning based on the beliefs and values of the songwriter. In a similar way, when a song is part of Scripture, thus written by God, the whole Bible is the context.

For example, one might look at the following two verses and think of them as being contradictory, because one verse implies that God is asleep and the other verse says that God never sleeps.

Psalm 7:6 Arise, O LORD, in thine anger, lift up thyself because of the rage of mine enemies: and awake for me [to] the judgment [that] thou hast commanded.

Psalm 121:4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

To understand this correctly, we must conform our understanding of the meaning to be completely consistent with all of the doctrine taught elsewhere in Scripture. From what we know of the nature of God, based on the vast teachings and examples in the Bible, it is clear that God would really never sleep. So, when the psalmist asks God to “awake,” it is simply a prayer that God would start doing something He is not yet doing, and poetically likening it to waking up. We are not going to quote Psalm 7 and insist that God really does sleep, in contradiction to everything we know about God.

When Jesus explained to His disciples about the prophecies that He fulfilled, the references included the Psalms. When Jesus said, “scripture cannot be broken,” He had just quoted from Psalms. So, yes, the Psalms are all inspired of God, and they are all good doctrine.

The Psalms and songs of the Bible are each a glorious expression of holy doctrine and biblical truth. These verses are not intended by God to be the foundation. Rather, they are ornaments that beautify the structure of doctrine, as they are securely fastened to the solid foundation of the whole counsel of God.

Some people do not find beauty to be of much value; God does. So, this view of our poetic Scriptures does not, in any way, reduce the appraisal of their worth. They are precious gems.

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Word Study: Repentance

2013/10/13 //
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Word Studies

WordStudies

Jesus preached repentance (Mark 1:15).

John the Baptist preached repentance (Matthew 3:2).

The twelve apostles preached repentance (Mark 6:12).

What did they mean? What is repentance that saves?

Repentance must include admission of sin. But, this is not enough. If we confess sin, but do not turn away from it, forsake it, then we have not repented. The the basis of the Greek word that Jesus used for “repent” is to “turn.” If we confess sin, simply to be forgiven, this is not repentance. We are still facing squarely toward our sin and the only admission we are allowing is that we don’t want to be punished. If all you can say about your sin is that you don’t want to be punished, you are still with the world, on the wide road that leads to destruction. When God forgives you, He does not excuse your sin. As John the Baptist said, “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance.” Luke 3:7-8

So, what is the difference between an unsaved person who sins, but is unhappy about it, and a saved person who falls? This may seem like a subtle distinction, but it is the contrast between life and death. The change is as radical as being born … again. Also, you who are saved, now have a well of living water within you. The difference is that profound.

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.

Yes, repentance will include emotions of remorse, guilt, sadness. That is the root of the English word. But, those emotions will not save you. There is more to saving repentance than remorse.

When we repent, we don’t just turn away from something, we also turn toward something. We change the direction of our lives.

Isaiah 55:6-7
6 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:
7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

In fact, it is only through the power of God that we can hope to live in righteousness.

Romans 8:6-9
6 For to be carnally minded [is] death; but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace.
7 Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

We cannot see the air, but we can see the effect of the movement of the air, sometimes subtly, sometimes powerfully. Can you see the effect of The Spirit moving in your life? (John 3:8) Are you drawing on the power of The Spirit? Or are you just trying to be good?

Mark 1:14-15
14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

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Life Is Complicated

2012/10/07 //
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Many prefer the elegance of simplicity, and who can blame them? It is very nice when something is simple or easy to understand. We are naturally drawn to scenes of organized and predictable arrangements. There are many occasions when we can hunt down, or create, these manageable solutions and enjoy the benefits of such a reliable system.

Life is complicated. Sometimes we can just avoid those knotty situations, but sometimes such avoidance would be sinful negligence. Complexity in life is not going to go away, just because we prefer simplicity. We may be tempted to treat complex issues as if they were elementary.

This is just speaking in generalities, so here is an example. Church discipline is complicated. Thus, it requires much prayer, and probably fasting, for wisdom and guidance, backed by several years of Bible study. That is just an example. You can probably think of several more cases where much diligence, discretion, or responsibility is due.

Much value is added when we make the effort to simplify, yet it rarely happens without this effort. There are portions of the Bible that are easy to study. In contrast, there are some doctrinal topics that are difficult to understand. A preacher does a great service for his audience when he studies the Holy Bible for many hours, then shares some simple insights that God provided. The congregation will never get, from the sermon, the full benefit that the preacher got from the study. But, if they are attentive, they may receive far more listening to a half-hour of preaching than they would have received from a half-hour of Bible study. Among other blessings, this is one profit we receive from the prophet.

1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

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Why Is There Pain And Suffering?

2012/03/17 //
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One of the main excuses people give for rejecting the idea of a loving God, is the fact that there is so much suffering in this world. Their rationalized logic goes something like this: since there is suffering, then God is either not capable of ending the suffering, or He does not want to end the suffering; therefore, if there is any God at all, then He is either powerless or tyrannical. The existence of suffering means that God cannot be both all loving and all powerful, so He is not the God of the Bible.

For example, Charles Templeton decided to reject the omnipotent, benevolent God of the Bible, after “serving” Him for several years in the ministry, when he saw a photo. The photo was a picture of a mother crying because her baby was dying. His reasoning was that the baby was dying because of a drought and no one but God controls the weather, so this suffering disproved the existence of the God of the Bible.

Some would call this line of reasoning by the term “philosophy,” but that would not be exactly the correct word for it, since philosophy means the love of wisdom, and there is nothing wise about it. Since the gap in this logic is hidden, so that the conclusion seems reasonable, the correct word for this would be “sophistry.” Let’s turn to the Bible to shed light on this ideology to show it for the fallacy that it is.

In Genesis we see that God created everything very good. This evaluation was by God’s own standard, so it was perfect. There was no suffering in Eden. Of course, if we lived in Eden today, the foundation for the fallacy against a loving God would not exist. So, are we done refuting the sophistry? No, not yet. If we stop here, we have Deism; those who believe God created, but lacks the love or power to prevent suffering today. It is the suffering today that is the foundation for the sophistry. A Deist would argue that Eden is just a story made up to get God off the hook.

So, we need some more insights from God’s Word. In Genesis we see that the world was cursed due to Adam’s sin. God warned them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam rebelled against God’s throne, against God’s commandment, and plunged the world into sin, death and suffering.

Let’s park here for a minute, before we go on, to look at the correlation between sin and suffering. It is not always some specific sin of mine that causes some specific suffering of mine, is it? Let’s look at some examples.

Job 1-2

According to God, Job’s trial of faith was not due to his sin. God said to Satan that Job was destroyed without cause.

John 9:1-3

Sometimes people suffer because of their own sin, sometimes people suffer because of someone else’s sin, e.g., Adam’s sin. Jesus said this blind man suffered “that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”

Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Luke 24:25-27

It is clear that Christ suffered for our sins, since He had none of His own sins.

OK, so we can see that there is not always a direct correlation between a specific sin of mine and some specific suffering of mine. I will point out why this is important a little later.

For now, we are back to the stage in our Biblical analysis where the world is suffering because of Adam’s sin. So, have we been successful in moving the blame for suffering from God’s shoulders and placing the blame on Adam? Close, but not quite. Why not? Because our antagonist, though his argument is weakening, still counters that God is punishing us for Adam’s sin and that is not just, so God is not good. This is an attempt to put the blame back on God, using smoke and mirrors. It is still the same sophistry, but it is starting to be easier to see the foundation crumble when we realize that all have sinned. Isaiah 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Throughout history, we have proved that we would have done the same as Adam. It is as if Adam represented us in the trial. Even though he was in a perfect environment, with no hardships, no lack of necessary knowledge, no degradation of mental capabilities from genetic faults, he still rebelled against God.

The last vestige of an argument from God’s antagonist is that God should not have allowed sin, thus suffering, into the world at all. This idea is so weak that it is almost self-refuting, but let’s look to God’s Word again to finish. I will grant that God knows better than us, so who are we to question the way He runs the universe. Even though I will grant that, an unbeliever will not. God’s Word has given us some insights into why sin is allowed, so let’s look at some of them.

There are at least three Biblical reasons that this last argument does not stand:

1) God made paradise on Earth. There is a second paradise, also made by God, where there is no suffering. We ruined Eden with our sin, but sin will not be allowed into the new paradise. If it were not for the sin of mankind, no one would die, and there would be no suffering, painfully hard work, disease or thorns. This evil is temporary, and ends in Heaven. So, God has made a world where sin is not allowed and you can choose to go there. This life is your time to decide.

2) God has a purpose for suffering. We learn a lot from suffering. Satan carries out the evil, but God can use all of it for good. It is the knowledge of good and evil. One of the ways we learn about God is by getting a taste of what the world is like without Him. It is like the black in the painting that brings out the colours more brilliantly. Here is where it helps to remember that there is not always a direct correlation between some specific sin of mine and some specific suffering of mine. God created the tree, now we have an entire world of knowledge of good and evil. This life is your time to decide.

3) God made us in His image. If He did not make us with a will to choose, then it would be the same as not making us at all. In order for us to do good, then there must be an alternative. Some claim it is unjust for God to create us with the ability to sin, then punish us when we do. Those same people are stealing God’s own standards of right and wrong, justice. This standard is then applied backwards. It was not evil for God to create us with a will to choose. Furthermore, it is your own decision when you sin, and God’s justice demands condemnation for evil. Do you really want justice, or would you rather have forgiveness? This life is your time to decide.

In the book of Job we have some lessons about the reasons for pain, death, and suffering in this world. Notice that evil men attacked and killed Job’s servants and stole his possessions. God attributed these evil actions to Satan. The point here is not to say that people are not responsible for their own evil actions, but that Satan was the conspirator behind all of this destruction and loss.

There are definitely occasions when we suffer because of our own sin, but one of the main points of the book of Job is that he was suffering in spite of his righteousness, even because of his righteousness. God said to Satan that Job’s destruction was without cause. This helps us to understand that suffering is not evidence of unrighteousness. This seems obvious, since it is easy to find examples, in the Bible and in our own experiences, of those who suffered for righteousness. But that is the very mistake made by Job’s three friends. They claimed that his suffering, and only his suffering, was sufficient evidence to prove that there must be some hidden sin in his life. We can learn from their mistake, or face God’s rebuke, as they did. God convicted them of folly and sentenced them to repentance and offering of sacrifices.

God knows best. We can learn from the book of Job that God is in control of, and limits the influences of, the evil affecting our lives. We can trust Him to gauge and foresee the blessings that only He can envision resulting from our trials. Jesus suffered unimaginably, then died on a cruel cross. From an earthly perspective, this was the most tragic event in history. Not only was it the most agony ever suffered, but it was the highest injustice, due to His complete innocence. From an eternal perspective, this same event was the pinnacle of history. No greater deed has been done. No greater love has been shown. The contrast between these two perspectives, of the same historical event, is a wide chasm. We cannot see across this chasm. We cannot judge, from our limited earthly perspective, the whole picture. Since we cannot see from God’s perspective, until He shows us, we also cannot reject the idea of a loving God on the basis that there is so much suffering in this world.

Psalm 119:71 [It is] good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

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Folly — In The Bible?

2012/03/10 //
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Jester_Hat

Considering the nature of this topic, it seemed best to post the statement of faith and doctrine before this post, for a frame of reference. As an introduction to the teachings of The Job Project website blog, it may seem strange to start with a quote from the following verse.

1 Kings 20:23 And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, Their gods [are] gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

Really, this verse could be a very good starting point for a thesis on systematic theology. This article is no such thesis. The reason the verse is a good starting point is because it is wrong. Yes, it is historically accurate, since this report of the Syrians giving this advice is true. It is wrong in a different way. Here it is saying, in the Holy Scriptures, that the God of Israel can only help armies when they are in the hills. I know it does not bother you to be reminded of this flawed reasoning in the Bible, since the context makes it clear that it is wrong — quite clear.

1 Kings 20:28 And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the LORD, Because the Syrians have said, The LORD [is] God of the hills, but he [is] not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD.

This clarity makes it a good example of a principle of Bible interpretation. You might have noticed that different people come up with different interpretations of what the Bible means. This is to be expected, since there is no limit to the possible errors we can make, causing misunderstanding and faulty interpretation.

It is outside the scope of The Job Project to teach all of the principles of Bible interpretation, but one that applies to the book of Job is that we need to interpret Bible verses in context. In the last portion of the book of Job, God is talking. God condemns some of sections of the book of Job as “folly” and some other parts as “words without knowledge.” Of course, God wants us to base our doctrine, and our lives, on trustworthy knowledge, rather than folly. So, we can completely expect to be able to discern between them, from the context. After all, the Bible cannot be fully authoritative, unless God has given us some reliable way to tell which parts of the record are sound, and which parts God has deemed as folly.

The next blog post will begin to elaborate on this distinction, through an audio drama.

If I say, “I am wearing yellow,” does that mean every thread of my clothing is coloured yellow? On the other extreme, does it mean that some insignificant, hidden thread, holding the toe of my left sock sewed shut, is the only yellow in my apparel? What if I tell you this over the phone, as I am describing my appearance, so you can recognise me, because we are about to meet at the airport? Picture that. Did you imagine someone wearing a shirt or jacket that is mostly yellow? Even with something as simple as the colour of clothing, context makes a difference.

A word can have a very different meaning when used in one context compared to another context. Even a phrase or a sentence can have a different meaning in much the same way.

There are various forms of context that we find in the Bible. The immediate context includes those words that are used together, and the sentence structure, which will help us understand the meaning. So, this is like grammar and syntax, as well as the surrounding passages leading up to and following the text, which can give insights into the intent. There is also the audience. When the words are directed to one group of people, the meaning can be somewhat different than if the audience is another group. Topical context is another very important component in our Bible studies since we can gain a better, more complete, picture of the teaching when we take into account all of the passages in the Bible that inform the subject. In addition, it is good to consider the source. So this is another context based on who is speaking and what effect that has on the meaning of what is being said.

The content of the Bible is not changing, so we can construct a full picture of a teaching by studying all of these contextual views throughout all of Scripture. The biblical phrase for this is: Rightly dividing the Word of Truth.

For example, in Judges 6:23, Gideon is told, “thou shalt not die.” Devoid of the context of the events surrounding this statement, there are several meanings that this short phrase could have. We could have quickly set aside the possibility that the pronouncement is a lie, since the context is that God is telling this directly to Gideon. But, what if Gideon is mistaken, and just thinks God is telling him this? What if he is just imagining that it is God telling him, or he is being misled to think so? Without context, we do not know. Maybe Gideon is being told that he would be like Enoch, who did not die because God caught him up to Heaven instead. Maybe this is just a spiritual death that Gideon will not experience. If it really is referring to physical death, then maybe Gideon is being told that he would live on Earth forever. Maybe he is still alive today! Maybe the world could end before his death! It is likely there are other possibilities that are not listed here. When we look at the context, it is easy to understand “thou shalt not die” means his death is not imminent, and that this conversation with God would not be the reason for his death.

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Statement Of Faith And Doctrine

2012/03/08 //
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Statement of Faith:

1 Peter 1:3-5
3 Blessed [be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Hebrews 11:1-3,6
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
6 But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him:] for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

1 Corinthians 2:5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Romans 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

Ephesians 2:8-9
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

James 2:17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

Revelation 2:10 Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

Statement of Doctrine: A summary of some things which are most surely believed among us. Many of us Christians are united in our stance that the Holy Bible is the authority, yet we disagree regarding some points of meaning. Here lists our view on topics of common interest.

Our Lord Jesus Christ is The Way, The Truth, and The Life and no one can come to the Father but by Him. Jesus is God in the flesh, born of the virgin Mary with no human father, fully human and fully divine.

The Holy Godhead is eternally existent and triune; one God, three Persons: Yahweh, God the Holy Father; Jesus Christ, God the Holy Son; and the Comforter, God the Holy Ghost, who indwells all New Testament believers.

Our Lord Jesus Christ: died on the cross and suffered, taking the punishment for the sin of all humanity; was buried; rose bodily from the dead, conquering death for us; was seen resurrected by many infallible proofs and witnesses; ascended to Heaven; is currently seated at the right hand of God the Father; and shall return, in manifest glory, to this Earth as Judge of the living and the dead.

The 66 books of the Holy Bible are inerrant. God has preserved His Word without error as proclaimed by the Holy Spirit through the prophets by inspiration. The miracles recorded in the Scriptures are real, historical, super-natural events, rather than fiction or myth.

About 4,000 years before Christ was born, God created the world, from nothing, in six days that were consecutive, regular, 24-hour days, rested the seventh day, and has been working ever since.

Eden of primal Earth was paradise, without sin, suffering, or thorns, where no one would have died. By God’s standard, the world was very good. Adam’s rebellion against the throne of God brought a curse on the creation and that paradise was lost. Each man and woman has also gone astray, rebelling against the law of God, proving that we too are sinners, like Adam. God has also made a new paradise, where sin and suffering do not exist, and you can go there. This life is your place to choose.

Hell is a literal place of eternal judgement and torment created by God for the devil and his angels. All men and women, who die rejecting God’s mercy, will be condemned to hell without hope of deliverance. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, and is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. This life is your place to choose.

Human life is sacred from conception to eternity. Human beings are created in the image of God and are to be honoured, regardless of one’s perceived value, or quality, of that life. God and His Word have exclusive authority regarding when it is just for mankind to take a human life.

Marriage is an institution of God. He designed marriage for one man and one woman to become one flesh from the wedding until death parts them.

Government is an institution of God. “The most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.” Daniel 4:17

The Church is an institution of God. As high priest, Jesus is the Head of the Body of Christ, and every believer is a member.

The global flood, of Noah’s day, destroyed the Earth. All land creatures on Earth died, in whose nostrils was the breath of life, except those saved on the ark.

Baptism is of believers; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; as a testimony of faith; by immersion in water; following the example and instruction of Our Lord.

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