Bible teaching, encouragement, homiletics, exegesis, etc.

Witnesses to the Deity of Jesus Christ

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Οὐ δύναμαι ἐγὼ ποιεῖν ἀπ᾽ ἐμαυτοῦ οὐδέν· καθὼς ἀκούω κρίνω, καὶ ἡ κρίσις ἡ ἐμὴ δικαία ἐστίν, ὅτι οὐ ζητῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμὸν ἀλλὰ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πέμψαντός με. John 5:30, NA27

I am not able to do from myself. As I hear I judge and my judgment is just because I do not seek my will but the will of the one who sent me. John 5:30, personal translation from the NA27

Our Lord Jesus Christ, as the Apostle John said in John 1:1-5, “Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν θεόν.  πάντα δι᾽ αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν. ὃ γέγονεν ἐν αὐτῷ ζωὴ ἦν, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ἦν τὸ φῶς τῶν ἀνθρώπων·  καὶ τὸ φῶς ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ φαίνει, καὶ ἡ σκοτία αὐτὸ οὐ κατέλαβεν.”, and in v14, “Καὶ ὁ λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐθεασάμεθα τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, δόξαν ὡς μονογενοῦς παρὰ πατρός, πλήρης χάριτος καὶ ἀληθείας.”, translated as, “In the Beginning was the word and the Word was with God and God was the Word. This one was with God in the Beginning. All things came to be through him and without him not one thing came to be which came into being. In him was life and the life was the light of men and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not grasp it.” and in v14, “And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us and we gazed upon his glory, glory as of the only one from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Our Lord Jesus Christ, being God the Son, the second person in the Holy Trinity became flesh and “tabernacled” among us. The Gospel of John was written by the Apostle as a “witness” of our Lord’s incarnation and is without a doubt the most profound exposition of Jesus as both God and man. View article →

Who Has Eternal Life?

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Ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ὁ τὸν λόγον μου ἀκούων καὶ πιστεύων τῷ πέμψαντί με ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον καὶ εἰς κρίσιν οὐκ ἔρχεται, ἀλλὰ μεταβέβηκεν ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου εἰς τὴν ζωήν. John 5:24, NA27

“Amen, amen I say to you that the one who hears my Word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and does not come into judgment, but has been transferred out of death into life. John 5:24, personal translation from the NA27

I was listening to a discussion today between several theologians as they contrasted the reaction the 1st Century Jews had to Jesus’ claim to deity with that of the heretics who came later. These 1st Century Jews took Jesus’ words in John 5 about his relationship to the Father as claims of deity, that is, making himself equal with God (John 5:18). Heretics who were not from the time of our Lord and were not Jews of that period were the ones who came up with Arianism, Modalism, et cetera. Each of these types of attack on doctrine of the Holy Trinity are proofs that those doing this may have indeed heard the truth (Jesus’ Word), but they have most certainly not believed the Father who sent him. If so they would most certainly not attack that wonderful doctrine that is so hard for the unregenerate to accept let alone believe. What did Jesus say about those who hear his Word and believe him who sent him? These have been granted eternal life. View article →

The “Script” Underlying Spiritual Warfare Christianity

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At the recently concluded Passion 2013 youth conference Louie Giglio brought in the Jesus Culture movement extending from Bethel Church, where heretical NAR proponent Bill Johnson is pastor.

Inherent in that movement is the false idea that God has given a mandate that Christians are to walk in “power” with signs and wonders following as they war spiritually with satanic forces in the heavenly realms in order to take dominion of this world back from Satan.

So, Apprising Ministries brings back an earlier article of sound teaching on the topic of spiritual warfare by Dr. Orrel Steincamp where we uncovers the dangers of this movement. View article →

Our Father Who Is in Heaven

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Οὕτως οὖν προσεύχεσθε ὑμεῖς· Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς· ἁγιασθήτω τὸ ὄνομά σου· Matt. 6:9, NA27

“You, therefore, pray in this way: ‘Our Father who is in heaven, let your name be hallowed, Matt. 6:9, personal translation from NA27

As one who desperately wants to stay on the narrow way, bearing my own cross as I follow my Lord each and every day, I have found that there are times when my circumstances seem to overwhelm me and there is anything but peace in my life as those very circumstances appear to be about to consume me or destroy me or something indeed horrible. It is as I am driven to prayer as per Hebrews 4:14–16 that my perspective is altered and what seemed such a large problem is seen in a completely different light. Do the issues or problems still exist? Yes they do, but when viewed from the perspective of a child who has come before his heavenly father who has properly prayed for him to reveal himself, his majesty, his power, his grace, his mercy, his love, et cetera to me in a way that brings him glory in and through me then I know that my temporal problems are nothing when it comes to eternity. View article →

Interpreting Scripture by Scripture

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16All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Tim. 3:16–17

I have a Bible that was given to my grandfather by all his children as a gift after several life changing events took place in his life (the death of my grandmother, him having to retire from the pastorate for heath reasons, et cetera). He was born in 1877 and I was born in 1951 so my memory of him was always of a very old man. He became a Baptist preacher in the late 1800’s after his wife led him to Christ and taught him to read and write. Here is the note they wrote to him that is pasted to the inside cover.

Dear Dad,

We have said we love you many times, but we want to say it again in this way. The knowledge that you have put this Holy Word above all things will stay with us always.

Then each of his children and their spouses signed the note. This had to have happened in the early 1950’s when I was very young. My grandmother died when I was 3 years old. My grandfather died in 1963 on Christmas Eve. His funeral was held at the First Baptist Church in Purcell, Oklahoma and it was packed. Before my Dad got Alzheimer’s Disease and died and we could still discuss these things I asked him many times about Granddad’s theology and how he handled scripture and what he would have done with all the nonsense going on in the church visible right now. He wouldn’t say much except to say that people’s own interpretations of things meant nothing to him. God’s Word was authoritative and if you could not back up what you were doing or saying from it then watch out. It did not bother him one bit to confront those in error. Also, celebrity preachers were an anachronism to pastors like my grandfather. View article →

What Was The Purpose Of Sign Gifts In The Bible?

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Apprising Ministries alerts you that the Passion Movement of Louie Giglio is aligning with the ecumenical evangelical magisterium and with New Calvinism.

The issues surrounding signs and wonders in the Bible will then become an important issue in younger sectors of the mainstream of professing Christendom.

Here’s a balanced starting point. View article →

The Wisdom of This World Is Folly with God

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18 Μηδεὶς ἑαυτὸν ἐξαπατάτω· εἴ τις δοκεῖ σοφὸς εἶναι ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, μωρὸς γενέσθω, ἵνα γένηται σοφός. 19 ἡ γὰρ σοφία τοῦ κόσμου τούτου μωρία παρὰ τῷ θεῷ ἐστιν. γέγραπται γάρ· ὁ δρασσόμενος τοὺς σοφοὺς ἐν τῇ πανουργίᾳ αὐτῶν· 20 καὶ πάλιν· κύριος γινώσκει τοὺς διαλογισμοὺς τῶν σοφῶν ὅτι εἰσὶν μάταιοι. 1 Cor. 3:18–20, NA27

18 Let no one deceive himself; if anyone supposes himself to be wise among you in this age, let him become foolish that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it has been written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”  20 and again, “The Lord knows the reasoning of the wise and they are vain.” 1 Cor. 3:18–20, personal translation from the NA27

I remember it like it was just the other day. It was in the Spring of 2006. I was preparing to teach my Bible Study class on Sunday morning to young couples. There were about 5 in there that were usually there and then another couple that were preparing to be married and a fellow about their age that I didn’t really know. I got ready to start the class. I asked for prayer requests then I prayed. Before I began the young lady who was preparing to be married asked me if she could ask a question. I said, “Sure!” She asked me to tell her what Paul meant in Ephesians 1 with the terms “Predestined” and “Elected.” I simply read those passages, put them in context and before I could even begin to give an explanation her fiancé and the fellow who was with them began a tirade. I was never given a chance to explain anything. I finally put my Bible down, gave them the look I used to give the fellows under me in Boot Camp in the Navy and it got real quiet. I asked, “Do you have a problem with me or the Apostle Paul? Perhaps it’s the Holy Spirit who inspired Paul to write this…” By then some of the other people in the class told them to shut up or leave. That was the beginning of the end of my time at the church. View article →