The New Testament Review (2)

This is part 2 of 3 of chapter 7 of my book, Biblical Glasses.

What can we learn?

Today, many people avoid the Christian life, because they think they will have to change who they are or give up a lot of fun stuff they like to do. What they often do not realize is that the fun stuff may become not so fun, and new fun stuff will be more fun than they ever could have imagined! Perhaps the greatest Christian to ever live was Paul, whose life we briefly examined in the previous chapter. Paul said, “‘Everything is permissible for me’—but not everything is beneficial. ‘Everything is permissible for me’—but I will not be mastered by anything” (1 Corinthians 6:12; 1 Corinthians 10:23).

Paul had to neither behave in a certain way, nor do certain things, nor abstain from certain things in order to be saved. He was saved by God’s grace alone! That said, Paul allowed the Holy Spirit, upon understanding God’s grace, to change him from within, conforming him into the image of Christ. Paul learned to live for Christ out of gratitude for God’s gift of amazing grace. Paul realized he was no longer bound by laws and rules and regulations. Rather, he was free to do all things for the glory of God. Anything done not for the glory of God was worthless; everything done for the glory of God was priceless.

The same experience Paul had should happen to the new Christian, all by God’s grace. Can you substitute your name for Paul’s throughout the above paragraph? The new Christian may slowly realize, when his or her actions are not glorifying God, he or she must change (or be changed). Once people become aware of sin in their lives, they should do everything to rid themselves of that sin.

Paul experienced one of the greatest conversions to Christianity of anyone; he recognized that sin does not belong in the life of the Christian. Despite the fact that grace through faith saves us, we should still live according to God’s law. Paul said: “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that [God’s] grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer” (Romans 6:2)?

When we accept Christ’s death as a substitutionary death—He died in our place for our sins—we receive an abundance of God’s grace. The more sin we carry to God, the more sin Christ nailed to the cross, the more grace we receive in being forgiven. Jesus explained to Simon the Pharisee that the person with the larger debt is more gracious when his debt is forgiven than the person with a smaller debt whose debt is also forgiven (see Luke 7:36-47).

We should not take advantage of God’s grace as if each little bit was worthless. Jesus paid a great price to offer us forgiveness. He gave all He had—His life. We do not show Him much appreciation or gratitude when we continue to sin. Paul said: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, Who is in you, Whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

When we accept by grace the gifts of forgiveness and eternal life, we are born again! Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). Once we become Christians, we should no longer live for ourselves, but for Him Who died for us.

Take the following example: Say you are outside digging in the garden all day in the pouring rain. Upon completing your work, you are covered with mud and soaking wet. What next? Do you take a bath and put the same clothes back on? No! You take a bath and change clothes! Sin sticks to us like wet, muddy clothes. When we become Christians, we must make every effort to get rid of sin, those nasty clothes. We do not put them back on after we become Christians. We publicly demonstrate our faith, as well as our having been cleansed of sin, in baptism and by putting on clean, dry clothes; we are clothed with Christ. Days, weeks, months, and years down the road, we can look back at ourselves when we were in sin, in those dirty garments, and praise God for making us clean.

J.I. Packer mentions several critical aspects of baptism. Baptism is a sign of our faith, that we understand the Gospel. Baptism symbolizes our marriage to Christ through burial with Him in death to the world and resurrection with Him to new, eternal life. Baptism is like a spiritual birthday celebration, though not necessarily our actual spiritual day of rebirth; it is like an admission ceremony into God’s adopted family and a commissioning service to be under Christ’s Lordship as a servant.

When we choose to be baptized, we are obeying the command of Jesus Christ and giving others a sign of our genuine faith. Is baptism required for salvation? No. Jesus said: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Notice He only condemned those who do not believe! We can look further at the words of Christ as He spoke to the thief crucified next to Him. Their dialogue follows:

One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at Him: ‘Aren’t you the
Christ? Save yourself and us!’ But the other criminal rebuked him. ‘Don’t you
fear God,’ he said, ‘since you are under the same sentence? We are punished
justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this Man has done nothing
wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.’
Jesus answered him, ‘I tell you the truth, today you will be with Me in
paradise’ (Luke 23:39-43).

The thief made a last-minute confession of faith in Christ, and Jesus said he would be in heaven. The thief had no good works to rely on, no baptism to show others as a sign of his faith, but God knew his heart. God graciously gave him faith in Christ. This criminal was guilty on earth and rightly condemned to death, and apart from God’s grace, he would have also been rightly condemned to the second death, a spiritual death that would have destined him to hell for eternity, permanently separating him from God. By grace, he was forgiven of his sins and declared innocent of wrongdoing. He still died that day on the cross next to Christ, but he lives now with Christ in heaven for all eternity. He never had a chance to come down off that cross and do good works or be baptized, but we do have the opportunity to serve God through good works and obey Him in baptism.

As I mentioned earlier, baptism is a point of disagreement among Christians today, but that disagreement is based primarily on the who or when and the how, not so much the what and why, of baptism. When we read the Bible, examining the passages where believers are baptized—see the Book of Acts for the majority of cases—it is clear that immersion was the how; the who consisted of those who were of the age to decide for themselves whether or not to be baptized; immediately upon realizing the need to be baptized, generally after confession of and repentance from sin, was the when.

In the Bible, the faithful were often asked to give a sign of their faith, usually in baptism. As mentioned earlier, the original New Testament was written primarily in Greek. “The Greek for the word ‘baptizo’ means to immerse, plunge, dip, or bury in water.” Because of these cases in Scripture, many Christian churches trying to follow the Bible as closely as possible will demand baptism by immersion as a requirement for membership. Some even go too far by declaring that baptism is a requirement for salvation.

Of course, in many other Christian churches today, sprinkling is the how, infants are the who, and within a couple months after birth is the when of baptism. Perhaps an oxymoron, a sprinkling baptism for infants did not become prevalent until the twelfth century A.D. and even then only as a matter of convenience. While there are Scriptural references to being cleansed by sprinkling (see Ezekiel 36:24-29; Numbers 8:5-7, 19:20; Hebrews 10:15-22)12, they neither mention nor associate with a physical baptism. Instead, they relate with more of a spiritual baptism, which is, without objection, more critical than the physical baptism anyway. I think if we make the effort to obey Jesus Christ in our walk with Him, then we will allow ourselves to be baptized both physically and spiritually, just as the Bible illustrates.

Libertarian Free Will Flaws

Those who affirm the libertarian "free will" of man often teach the doctrine of ELECTION as follows: God, before He created the world, foreknew, from eternity, who would yield to the Spirit, and therefore elected to salvation all those whom He foresaw would do so. In other words, God looks down the corridors of time to see who will believe and then "predestines" them based on the exercise of their autonomous free will to choose Him. In this system of belief the absolute free will of the natural man is necessary to preserve human responsibility. But this concept of foreknowledge ironically ends up destroying itself. There is no person who believes in free will that can consistently believe this theory of foreknowledge, and still go around teaching his views as to God's salvation. Why so? Consider the following:

1. No Libertarian free will theist can consistently say that God foreknew who would be saved and then also teach that God is trying to save every man. Surely if God knows who will be saved and who won't be saved, then how could anyone argue that He is trying to save more? Certainly, it is foolish to assert that God is trying to do something which He knew never could be accomplished. Some embracing the free will or foreseen faith position charge Augustinians that preaching the gospel to the non-elect is mockery since God has not elected them. If there is any validity in that objection, then it equally applies to them as well who preach to those who God knows will never be saved. To the Augustinian, God commands that the Gospel be preached to all, because, when we indiscriminately cast forth the seed of the gospel, the Spirit germinates the seed of those He came to save (1 Thess 1:4, 5 John 6:63-65). People are not saved in a void but under the preaching of the Gospel and the Spirit brings forth life through the word of truth.

2. No Libertarian who embraces the foreseen faith position can consistently say that God foreknew which sinners would be lost and then say it is not within God's will to allow these sinners to be lost. Why did He create them? Let the libertarian freewill theist consider that question. God could have just as easily refrained from creating those that He knew would "freely" choose to go to Hell. He knew where they were going before He created them. Since He went ahead and created them with full knowledge that they would be lost, it is evidently within God's providence that some sinners actually be lost, even in the libertarian scheme. He, therefore, has some purpose in it which human beings cannot fully discern. The libertarian freewill theist can complain against the truth that God chose to allow some men a final destiny of Hell all they want, but it is as much a problem for them as for anyone. As a matter of fact, it is a problem which libertarians must face. If he faces it, he will have to admit either the error of his theology or deny foreknowledge all together. But he might say that God had to create those that perish, even against His will. This would make God subject to Fate.

3. No Libertarian freewiller can consistently say that God foreknew who would be saved and then teach that God punished Christ for the purpose of redeeming every single man that ever lived. Surely we should credit God with having as much sense as a human being. What human being would make a great but useless and needless sacrifice for persons He already knows with certainty would reject Him? Libertarians say that God punished Christ for the sins of those whom He knew would go to Hell. This theory of the atonement--although synergists do not mention this--involves the matter of Christ's suffering exclusively for the purpose of man's salvation--the substitutionary aspect. They fail to have any appreciation for the aspect of propitiation.

4. No Libertarian can consistently say that God foreknew who would be saved and then preach that God the Holy Spirit does all He can do to save every man in the world. The Holy Spirit would be wasting time and effort to endeavor to convert a man who He knew from the beginning would go to Hell. You hear Synergists talk about how the Spirit tries to get men to be saved and if they don't yield to him they will "cross the line" and offend the Spirit so that He will never try to save them again. Bottom line, the Synergist makes a finite creature out of the Divine Godhead. Can God be taken by surprise?

More Evolutionary Silliness

Once again, presuppositional analysis of genuine evidence results in the declaration of "false truth." Just note the language used in this article, and let me point out my observations:

Fossil Suggests Snakes Evolved on Land
By MALCOLM RITTER, AP Science Writer Wed Apr 19, 7:53 PM ET

NEW YORK - A fossil find in Argentina has revealed a two-legged creature that's the most primitive snake known, a discovery that promises to fire up the scientific debate about whether snakes evolved on land or in the sea.

The "fossil find has revealed a two-legged creature..." That's a fact. "...That's the most primitive snake known..." That's an opinion, not a fact. All the fossil shows (see picture) is a two-legged creature. Where is the evidence that it was a snake? There is none. Yet, this fossil "promises to fire up the debate about whether snakes evolved on land or in the sea." Notice the assumptions that snakes actually evolved rather than were created by God as snakes.


This undated photo provided by the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil shows a newly discovered fossil of the most primitive snake known, a crawling creature with two legs, and it provides new evidence that snakes evolved on land rather than in the sea. (AP Photo/University of Sao Paulo, Hussam Zaher)

There is "a crawling creature with two legs," and this SUPPOSEDLY "provides new evidence that snakes evolved on land rather than in the sea." Again, all we have is a two-legged creature, not necessarily even a snake. We might as well suggest that this is a creature God made on the 5th day of creation, which has since become extinct. There's certainly no evidence suggesting otherwise in this particular fossil!

The snake's anatomy and the location of the fossil show it lived on land, researchers said, adding evidence to the argument that snakes evolved on land. Snakes are thought to have evolved from four-legged lizards, losing their legs over time. But scientists have long debated whether those ancestral lizards were land-based or marine creatures.

Yes, let's rely on what the "researchers" said! What do they know? Are they presuppositionally biased to be looking for "proof" of evolution? Why can't they see this fossil for what it is: a two-legged creature. "Creature" simply means, of course, "created being." Created by whom? God! Well, the reason they can't see it is that they have suppressed the truth by their wickedness and darkened their hearts and became futile in their thinking; professing themselves to be wise, they have offered evidence for their foolishness (See Romans 1:18-32).

Notice still, "snakes are thought to have evolved...but scientists have longe debated..." There is always a little bit of truth in these articles that reveals the truth of presuppositional bias.

The newly found snake lived in Patagonia some 90 million years ago. Its size is unknown, but it wasn't more than 3 feet long, said Hussam Zaher of the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil. He and an Argentine colleague report the find in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.

I suppose they "know" where "the snake" (no longer "the creature," as defined earlier) lived, because of where they found the fossil... And I'd love to hear more about how they determined this 90 million year age. Most likely, they are dating the fossil based on the supposed age of the rock bed in which in was found. They'll claim the geologic column as supporting this date claim, but they overlook the assumptions used in that method. I talk more about this in chapter 2 of my book, Biblical Glasses.

It's the first time scientists have found a snake with a sacrum, a bony feature supporting the pelvis, Zaher said. That feature was lost as snakes evolved from lizards, he said, and since this is the only known snake that hasn't lost it, it must be the most primitive known. The creature clearly lived on land, both because its anatomy suggests it lived in burrows and because the deposits where the fossils were found came from a terrestrial environment, said Zaher. So, if the earliest known snake lived on land, that suggests snakes evolved on land, he said.

Why do they think this is a snake? It has features that snakes don't have, like legs and a sacrum. Ah, here is the reason: PRESUPPOSITIONAL BIAS - "That feature was lost as snakes evolved from lizards." There's simply NO evidence for this claim, and yet, look at the logic and reason, also biased, that they use: "since this is the only snake that hasn't lost it, it must be the most primitive known." Well sure it must, if it evolved. But it didn't evolve! It was created after its kind. Oh and then, "the creature CLEARLY lived on land" (emphasis added). Now it's back to the "creature" definition, rather than the "snake" definition. "It's anatomy SUGGESTS it lived in burrows..." Love the loaded language.

There has been little new evidence in recent years in the land-versus-sea debate, and "we needed something new," said Zaher. "We needed a new start. And this snake is definitely a new start for this debate."

And here's the motive for the explanation of the fossil: "We needed something new... a new start." So let's just find something that's not really what we want, and call it what we want so that it fits our view. Great. Nice. Smart. Professing to be wise, they showed their foolishness.

He said that although the creature had two small rear legs, it crawled like a modern-day snake and probably used its legs only on occasion, though for what purpose is unclear. The creature, named Najash rionegrina, is "a fantastic animal," said Jack Conrad, a researcher at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and co-curator of an upcoming exhibit on lizards and snakes. "It's really going to help put to rest some of the controversy that's been going around snake evolution and origins," he said. Conrad said he never took sides in the land-versus-sea debate, but "but this is starting to convince me."

I'm sorry that you're convinced, Mr. Conrad. There's absolutely nothing convincing here, except that this is foolishness. Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying we should stop studying fossils. Fossils go a long way in proving creation, as well as Noah's flood. But it makes no sense to look at a fossil of "a two-legged creature" and call it a snake that proves that snakes evolved on land and not in the sea. Ridiculous.

Olivier Rieppel, a fossil reptile expert at the Field Museum in Chicago, called the find important and said Najash is clearly the most primitive known snake.

Once again, a so-called "fossil reptile expert" is brought in to offer his thoughts that the fossil "is clearly the most primitive known snake." We've already been told that. But we have been told how anybody arrived at the conclusion that the thing was a snake. Why not? Because they know that there's no reason to think such a thing. They've just come with it out of thin air to support what they believe, instead of seeing it for what it is: a fossil of a creature that God made and has since died.

If snakes did evolve on land rather than the sea, their fossil record might be less complete because early fossils would have been better preserved in a marine environment, he said. That, in turn, suggests "we may not know all the lineages of early snake evolution," he said. Maybe several snake lineages lost the legs of their lizard ancestors independently, he said.

And here's the motive behind the motive. "If snakes did evolve...their fossil record might be less complete." Picture them saying, "We have no proof of our position, so let's come up with a reason for having no proof. Ah, let's take this fossil of a creature that is not a snake and call it a snake and say that it CLEARLY evolved in such a way and in such a place that there is not much evidence of it having done such. That will get us where we WANT to go, without having to have true evidence of it!" Professing to be wise, they became foolish.

The creature's name comes from a Hebrew word for snake and the Rio Negro province of Argentina, where the discovery was made.

The New Testament Review (1)

This is part 1 of chapter 7 of my book, Biblical Glasses.

Chronologically, we have already looked at much of the New Testament of the Bible, as the Book of Acts took us from about 30–62 A.D. We examined how the Church got started in Jerusalem, how, with the stoning of Stephen, the apostles spread out led by the Holy Spirit to share the Gospel throughout present day Israel, how Paul, among others, took the Gospel message to Asia Minor and Europe, and how Christian churches were founded throughout the region. We also looked at what is means to be a Christian. In this chapter, we will examine the letters of the New Testament to determine what they can teach us about our lifestyles and our own relationships with Jesus Christ.

What problems did the young Church have?

Of the twenty-seven New Testament books, the final twenty-two are epistles or letters. These timeless letters were directed to a specific Christian church or person and usually solved a problem or addressed a concern within the Church; but they can convey invaluable truths regarding doctrine and the Christian lifestyle even today. In this section, we will observe the problems and concerns that invaded the young Church.

I have listed below the letters of the New Testament, along with their approximate written dates, authors, and intended audience. This information comes from the New International Version of the Life Application Study Bible. Below each listing is a brief description of each letter’s content; however, please note that a complete reading of each letter is critical to understand the author’s desired message. Volumes have been written by expert theologians and Bible scholars on each of the individual letters; I would be doing an injustice to attempt to adequately summarize each letter in only a few paragraphs.

Letter to the Romans, written: 57 A.D.
Author: Paul, to the Christian church at Rome
Paul had long desired to visit the believers in Rome, including his friends and church founders, Aquila and Priscilla, but the Holy Spirit had not yet given him the opportunity. This young church likely did not yet have a full teaching of the Christian faith, so Paul offered a sample in his letter. A summary of his overall message, Paul’s letter to the Romans is a strong statement of true Christianity, an expression of what a Christian should believe and how a Christian should behave.

Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). Paul discussed in detail issues such as: Faith, God’s wrath against man for sin, God’s righteous judgment based on truth, the relationship between man and the law, man’s ongoing struggle with the sin nature, election, justification, propitiation, redemption, sanctification, and glorification. Paul also wrote about the power of the Holy Spirit, God’s sovereignty in all things, Jesus as a stumbling block to the Jews, unity among believers, the importance of supporting missionaries, and the general behavior of the believer. Paul said:

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by
His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. … For the wages of
sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”
(Romans 3:23-24, 6:23).

First Letter to the Corinthians, written: 54–57 A.D.
Author: Paul, to the Christian church at Corinth
In what was actually the second of four letters to the Corinthian church (the first and third letters are not included in the Bible and presumed lost), Paul identified significant problems causing division and disorder in the church. He offered solutions to help unify the members of the Corinthian church as the Body of Christ by teaching them how to live righteously as Christians in a corrupt society; “for the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).

Some of the issues with which the believers at Corinth struggled included: Following different preachers instead of Christ Himself, not knowing how to treat a so-called fellow believer who was continuing in blatant sinful behavior, how to handle legal disputes between believers, sexual immorality, marriage concerns, eating certain foods that had been sacrificed to pagan idols, and worship regulations. In addition, Paul encouraged the Corinthians to experience true freedom in Christ, worship God in an orderly fashion, commune together by celebrating the Lord’s Supper, work together using the unique spiritual gifts given to each individual by the Holy Spirit, celebrate the resurrection while looking forward to Christ’s second coming, and above all, show brotherly love to everyone.
In the passage below, try replacing your name where Paul mentions love; you will find it does not always work. Then try replacing love with the precious name of Jesus Christ; it always works, because God is love! Paul said:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not
proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it
keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the
truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love
never fails (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Second Letter to the Corinthians, written: 54–57 A.D.
Author: Paul, to the Christian church at Corinth
In what was actually his fourth letter to the Corinthian church, Paul had to refute false teachers who had not only invaded the church, but also persuaded many of its members to consider that Paul lacked authority to teach them about Christ. So Paul, in sort of an autobiography, wrote this painful letter giving his testimony and explaining that his authority to teach did indeed come from Christ Himself, through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Since many Corinthians continued to be led astray by false teachers, Paul said, “[Satan] has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4). Paul was honest about the Gospel; his motives were twofold: To obey God’s will for his life and to win as many people to faith in Christ as possible. False teachers were dishonest with the Gospel; their motives were generally selfish, using any means to gain financially. The false teachers compared themselves with other men, by worldly standards. Paul and other teachers of truth only compared themselves to God’s standards. We can know if teachers are deceptive by comparing their motives to those of Christ and their words to God’s Word.

Paul explained that the Gospel message, the revelation of God to man, is preached by the people God has chosen. Those people are not infallible; they are jars of clay. In fact, all men have bodies like jars of clay. They are breakable, for the earthly body is temporary; but the spirit is eternal. God will provide new, eternal bodies for our spirits in heaven. Eternity, however, begins here on earth, as we are new creations in Christ when we place our trust in Him. When Jesus said to Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:9), Paul rejoiced, “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. … For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Paul included in this letter additional guidelines for our lives. We should be pure out of reverence for God. We must not be unequally yoked; in other words, a Christian should not marry a non-Christian. We should be generous. The Old Testament discussed a tithe, a tenth of one’s gross income, as an appropriate amount to give for God’s work on earth. The New Testament takes this idea of a tithe even further, saying we should give as God has given to us. Well, God gave His only Son to die for us. God has given us everything. We should be stewards with what God has blessed us. Everything belongs to God anyway, and we surely cannot take it with us to the grave!

Even the prophet Malachi wrote that God said: “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this … and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it” (Malachi 3:10). When we give, we are not only providing for someone else’s needs on earth, but also storing up treasures in heaven for all eternity. The more we give, the more we are blessed. Paul said:

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided
in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a
cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all
things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good
work (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).

Letter to the Galatians, written: 49 A.D.
Author: Paul, to the Christian churches throughout Galatia
In Paul’s earliest written letter, he refuted those so-called Christians who claimed that keeping the Jewish law was a requirement for salvation. Paul instead declared that salvation was by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone; nothing could be done to earn the gift of salvation.

Paul let the churches in Galatia know that the law was given to show people their sins, so they would turn to God. J.I. Packer said: “God’s law expresses His character. It reflects His own behavior; it alerts us to what He will love and hate to see in us. It is a recipe for holiness, consecrated conformity to God, which is His true image in man.”
Jesus kept the law, because He is God. His character fit the law, which is a direct result of His character.
Therefore, we must place our trust in the only One Who was able to keep God’s law.

When we are in Christ, we have the privilege of being free from sin. Freedom in Christ does not mean that we no longer sin, but it does mean we no longer desire to sin. We strive to conquer sin in our lives by turning over control of our lives to the power of the Holy Spirit. Relinquishing control is not easy; Jesus said in Matthew 26:41: “The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” This is one reason that the true Christian longs to be made perfect in heaven, to receive a new body that cannot be tainted by the sin nature. Paul said, “If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself” (Galatians 6:3).

Paul described the vices that keep us from experiencing freedom in Christ and the virtues that are fruits of the Holy Spirit, signs we are allowing the Holy Spirit to live and work inside us. The vices include: Sexual immorality, impurity, lust, hatred, discord, jealousy, uninhibited anger, selfish ambition, dissension, arrogance, envy, murder, idolatry, witchcraft, drunkenness, wild living, homosexuality, adultery, cheating, stealing, lying, and greed. These vices, even today, penetrate the lives of strong Christians, and they continue to wreak havoc in the lives of unbelievers and even young Christians. The virtues include: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These virtues, also seen in our lives today, are pleasantly welcomed in every situation and help turn a bad circumstance into a bearable or even pleasant condition.

I have often found myself detesting certain sins, such as adultery or homosexuality, worse than others, such as hatred or envy. I must remember that the standard set by God is perfection, and every sin of every variety is detestable to God! We cannot pick and choose which sins are really bad and which sins are okay to commit every once in awhile. Paul said, “Now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again” (Galatians 4:9)?

Letter to the Ephesians, written: 60 A.D.
Author: Paul, to the Christian church at Ephesus
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians was an encouragement to remain strong in faith, avoiding false teachers. Paul proclaimed that Christ’s love surpasses all knowledge and understanding. We cannot comprehend the love of God for His creation, but we know that His chosen people are saved “in order that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7).

Personal knowledge of Christ involves a growing, intimate relationship with Him. It will transform our lives, beginning immediately when the Holy Spirit convinces us to accept Christ as Savior and continuing through this life into the next, where we will see Christ face to face. This progression offers a taste of eternity, and speaking from experience, it is exciting! Christ becomes the foundation of all that is built in the Christian life. Paul said, “We were by nature objects of [God’s] wrath. But because of His great love for us, God, Who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:3-5).

Paul desired, as God does, for the Church to be unified as the Body of Christ, with each part of the Body working together to meet the needs of the Body. Paul explained that followers of Christ must put on the full armor of God to stand firm against the temptations of evil in this world. The full armor of God includes: The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes to spread the Gospel in peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Interestingly, the only offensive equipment listed in God’s armor is the sword, the Bible itself, the Word of God. For a detailed discussion of the armor of God, I encourage you to read The Covering, by Hank Hanegraaff.

Letter to the Philippians, written: 60–61 A.D.
Author: Paul, to the Christian church at Philippi
Paul wrote to the generous church at Philippi to express gratitude for their gifts, which would be presented to the church at Jerusalem as it struggled through a famine. The Philippian church was not wealthy, yet its members humbly gave more than they could afford out of gratitude for what God had given to them in His Son. They were glad to give as Christ had given—sacrificially. Paul told the Philippians, “Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:7-8).

What price are you willing to pay to know Christ? Are you willing to read the Bible with an open mind to find out if it is true? Are you willing to forgive others as Christ offers to forgive you? Are you willing to give of your time, heart, and money in a sacrificial way? What is your most prized possession? Is it worth the price of eternal life?
Paul went on to explain how we find true joy—not just happiness, but joy—in Christ alone. As we walk in the footsteps of Christ, we experience joy in believing, serving, giving, and even suffering for the precious name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Paul said:

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be
in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of
being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether
living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him Who gives me
strength (Philippians 4:11-13).

Letter to the Colossians, written: 60 A.D.
Author: Paul, to the Christian church at Colosse
The church at Colosse was struggling with Gnosticism. False teachers had infiltrated the fellowship of believers saying that salvation came through a certain secret knowledge. Gnosticism taught that Jesus was not God in the flesh, so it denied the truth of the Gospel. Paul countered Gnosticism by, in effect, saying, “It’s not what you know, but Who you know!”

Paul proclaimed Christ’s sufficiency and showed Christ as God, “the fullness of the Deity in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9). Understanding Christ’s sufficiency as God Incarnate allows us to live for Him out of gratitude. Paul encouraged a Biblical worldview; “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ” (Colossians 2:8).

Paul taught that God’s grace is tough and tender, just and merciful, costly and free. Since the sin nature died with Christ, evil desires no longer need to be satisfied. Instead, “set your mind on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2); “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Colossians 3:17).

Finally, Paul listed several sins that suppress the Holy Spirit living within the Christian. They include: Coveting, sexual immorality, lust, impurity, greed, uninhibited anger, malice, slander, bad language, and lying. To counter these sins, the Holy Spirit provides signs of His life within the Christian. These signs include: Love, compassion, kindness, humility, patience, gentleness, forgiveness, and gratitude. Again, some of the sins seem really bad, and others seem to lack such a sting. Nevertheless, we must use God’s standard of perfection as the true measuring stick, not our own feelings or society’s norms.

First Letter to the Thessalonians, written: 51–52 A.D.
Author: Paul, to the Christian church at Thessalonica
Paul wrote to Thessalonica, because the members of this church were beginning to question their faith. They expected Christ to return almost immediately and certainly before any of their members died. When Christ did not appear, and some of their membership died under fierce persecution, they began to panic and doubt the message of the Gospel. Paul assured them of God’s faithfulness—Christ would certainly return; but no one knows the date and specific time except the Father.

Paul gave the Thessalonians many signs of the end times, which will be discussed in chapter ten, and he encouraged them to be ready, having their house in order when Christ does return. Paul supported their efforts to please God rather than men, and he further encouraged them to lead a quiet life, pray continuously, be joyful always, give thanks in all circumstances, test everything against the authority of God’s Word, and avoid every kind of evil (see 1 Thessalonians 5:14-22). Paul said, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified. … God did not call you to be impure, but to live a holy life” (1 Thessalonians 4:3,7).

Second Letter to the Thessalonians, written: 51–52 A.D.
Author: Paul, to the Christian church at Thessalonica
Paul’s first letter was accepted in Thessalonica, but there were still some believers there who did not understand. Many of them had quit their jobs, expecting Christ’s return to be imminent. Paul suggested instead that they continue to work and prepare for the troubles certain to beset all Christians as the end times approach. Paul warned against idleness; he encouraged the Thessalonians to always be in preparation for Christ’s second coming through caring for the needy, self-discipline, and endurance in faith, hope, and love.

Paul provided additional end times details, especially on the antichrist, which we will also examine in chapter ten. Paul stressed that those who are not saved “perish because they refused to love the truth” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-10), but “from the beginning God chose you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through [the] Gospel, that you might share in the glory of … Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:13-14).

First Letter to Timothy, written: 64–65 A.D.
Author: Paul, to Timothy
In this handbook for church leadership, Paul encouraged his understudy, Timothy, to remain strong in faith under certain persecution. Paul told Timothy there would be false teachers among the true believers leading them astray. It is critical for church leaders to keep the Bible as their source of truth, comparing anything proclaimed by man with what the Holy Scriptures say. Church leaders must also remain humble and gracious, because they are sinners just like everyone else.

Timothy, like all Christians, could overcome objections and defend the faith by knowing the truth. By living above reproach and developing a strong Christian character, we may earn the right to teach others, who respect our lifestyle, to be wholly committed to Christ. In every circumstance, love others; hate and condemn their sins, but love them as imperfect people, just as God loves you. Paul encouraged believers to train themselves through spiritual exercise to be godly; the benefits of godliness are eternal, even better than the benefits of physical exercise.

Finally, Paul discussed the family relationship, the role of women, which we will examine in chapter nine, and problems with money. He said, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). Paul also said, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith” (1 Timothy 6:10). Are you more eager for money or for Christ?

Second Letter to Timothy, written: 66–68 A.D.
Author: Paul, to Timothy
In Paul’s final letter, he again encouraged Timothy to remain strong, standing firm in the faith. Four things concerned Paul the most. They were that Timothy, and all believers, would keep sound doctrine, would remain strong in faith, would maintain confident endurance, and would show enduring love.

Because “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16), Christians should strive to know God’s Word as their sure defense against false teachers, idle so-called believers, heretics, and scoffers. Although the Christian life is difficult and getting increasingly harder as Christ’s return nears, the Holy Spirit sustains the believer and can help him or her teach others about Christ, despite persecution.

Since half the people who have ever lived are alive today, we should be excited about the opportunity to spread the Gospel to the entire world. Paul commands us, “Do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord” (2 Timothy 1:8).
Letter to Titus, written: 64–65 A.D.
Author: Paul, to Titus
Titus was the administrator of the Christian churches on the island of Crete, a place notorious for its liars and thieves and laziness. Paul encouraged Titus to overcome these vices with right living among pagans, so they would see his good deeds and praise God in heaven. Paul recommended that Titus teach the believers to teach others. Paul, comparing himself and Titus, along with all believers, to unbelievers, said:

At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived, and enslaved by all
kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and
hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His
mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy
Spirit, Whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so
that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope
of eternal life (Titus 3:3-7).

Letter to Philemon, written: 60–61 A.D.
Author: Paul, to Philemon
Philemon was a wealthy, yet humble and gracious Christian in Colosse. (The Colossian church may have met at Philemon’s house.) Philemon had a slave named Onesimus who had stolen from him and run away years earlier. Onesimus met Paul in Rome and became a Christian. With a desire to live for God, the slave knew it was right to return to his master. Philemon was urged by Paul to forgive Onesimus and take him back as an equal, a brother in Christ, not just a slave. “Onesimus would no longer be a slave, but a beloved brother; Philemon would no longer be a master, but a beloved brother. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ had set them both free.”

Letter to the Hebrews, written: 68–70 A.D.
Author: Unknown, to second generation Jewish Christians
This letter was beautifully written to an audience under heavy persecution at the hands of both the Roman Empire and non-Messianic Jews. These Christian Hebrews were considering a return to Judaism, because it seemed safer than Christianity. They were uncertain about the return of Christ.

The author of Hebrews, who may have been Barnabas, Silas, or Luke, among others, proclaimed the sufficiency and superiority of Christ, in comparison to angels, priests, and even Moses. The Jews had long admired their high priests, who atoned for their sins once per year (Yom Kippur) by entering the Most Holy Place and offering animal sacrifices to God. The Bible says: “Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22).

But this letter to the Hebrews shows that Old Testament sacrifices were never adequate to atone for sin; they merely pointed the way, by faithful obedience, to the one, true sacrifice Jesus Christ would become. It took the blood of man to atone for man’s sin. Jesus Christ is our High Priest, offering one sacrifice, His own blood, to atone for our sins. “Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them” (Hebrew 7:25).

We can come directly to God only through our High Priest and sole Mediator, Jesus Christ. The author showed how grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone is sufficient as God’s chosen method of salvation, as opposed to any kind of works salvation. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. The author discussed how the Old Testament heroes were justified by their faith, not by their deeds.

Christians are strangers in this world; while looking forward to our heavenly home, we are encouraged to first learn the basics of the faith, like infants drinking only milk, and then move on to maturity in faith, like adults eating meat and other solid food. We must not remain baby Christians! By praising God with our lives, we allow Him to change us for His glory in preparation for eternity. We should be thankful for His faithfulness, despite the fact that we are unfaithful. “See to it that you do not refuse Him Who speaks. … Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 12:25, 3:15, 4:7; Psalm 95:7-8). We must let God transform us with discipline.

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not
disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes
discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we
have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How
much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers
disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us
for our good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at
the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness
and peace for those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:7-11).

Letter of James, written: 49 A.D.
Author: James, the brother of Jesus, to Jewish Christians living in predominantly Gentile areas
James wrote to expose hypocrites and encourage right Christian living. His audience primarily included Jews who became Christians through the church at Jerusalem then moved into Gentile-dominated cities. These Jewish Christians were tempted by society to merely maintain intellectual assent to the truth of the Gospel, not to live out their faith. They were wrongly encouraged to simply acknowledge the truth they had learned without letting it transform their lives. It is not enough to accept God as God. James said, “You believe that there is One God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder” (James 2:19).

These Christians needed to remember that true faith, saving faith, brings good works. Right living is the evidence and result of faith in action. If our lives remain unchanged, then we must question whether or not the Holy Spirit lives within us; we may not truly believe the things we claim to believe. As we examined earlier, belief brings about action. “Faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26). Now, we do good deeds only because of God’s grace through faith in Christ, not before it, along side it, or without it. Good deeds are a result of saving faith, a result of God’s grace. “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth … and humbly accept the Word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:21-22).

In this handbook on Christian living, James encouraged Christians to commit to the values of Christ, not to the values of the world. We must guard our tongues, which can praise God on Sunday and curse men throughout the rest of the week. This should not be! “Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your ‘Yes’ be yes, and your ‘No,’ no, or you will be condemned” (James 5:12). James said: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and He will come near to you” (James 4:7-8).

First Letter of Peter, written: 64–65 A.D.
Author: Peter, to Christians everywhere
Peter’s first letter addressed external issues within the body of believers and supported Christians’ efforts to remain strong in faith and right living under persecution. Writing “to God’s elect, strangers in the world … who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:1-2), Peter reminds all believers to “set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

God chose us out of love before we chose Him; Christ died for us to pay the penalty for our sin while we were still in our sin; the Holy Spirit sanctifies us, purifying and cleansing us from sin. It is easy to give up on God when things in our lives are not going well, but Peter encouraged all believers to count their blessings from God and maintain Christian conduct, especially in tough times. Peter suggested that suffering is due to at least one of three things: Our own sin, the sin of people around us, or the fallen world subject to sin ever since the first man, Adam, sinned.

Peter said, “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He Who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do” (1 Peter 1:14-15). Strive to imitate Christ in all you think, say, and do. “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing. … For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, and detestable idolatry” (1 Peter 3:9, 4:3).

Peter compared the Body of Christ to the Church, made up of believers as living stones and built on Jesus Christ as the solid rock, our foundation and cornerstone.

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
‘the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ and, ‘a stone that
causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.’ They stumble because
they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. But you are
a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God,
that you may declare the praises of Him Who called you out of darkness into His
wonderful light (1 Peter 2:7-9).

Second Letter of Peter, written: 66–68 A.D.
Author: Peter, to Christians everywhere
Three years later, Peter again wrote to the Church as a whole, addressing internal issues. This letter of warning combated the heresy of false teachers by promoting “the authority of Scripture, the primacy of faith, and the certainty of Christ’s return” and encouraged believers to remain strong and grow in faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ, despite the many false teachers looking “to deceive even the elect—if that were possible” (Matthew 24:24).

Peter was an eyewitness to Christ; he maintained Scripture’s divine inspiration by the Holy Spirit. He also recognized Paul’s writings as part of Scripture. Peter offered guidance, explaining that grace and peace come from growing in knowledge of God through His Word; he presented the dangers and hopes that come from knowing Christ as Savior and Lord. He insisted that we must not hear and deny the Gospel message, for that would be worse than having never heard the Gospel in the first place.

Because God has given us salvation and called us to be holy, we should “make every effort to add to [our] faith” (2 Peter 1:5) good works, knowledge, and the fruits of the Spirit. Peter concluded this letter with end times details, which we will look at in chapter ten.

First Letter of John, written: 85–90 A.D.
Author: John, to Christians everywhere
John wrote his letters, as well as his Gospel account, much later than the other writings of the New Testament. Writing from Ephesus to encourage all believers to remain strong, John emphasized the basics of Christianity, so that when nothing else in the world is certain, Christians can rest assured in the truth of the Gospel. John clarified how to tell the difference between truth and falsehood: “[Non-Christians] are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. [Christians] are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us” (1 John 4:5-6).

John explained what it means to have fellowship with God; the reality of God in our lives comes through faith in Christ. You can know your faith is genuine if you love God and strive to obey Him out of gratitude for His atoning sacrifice; “This is love for God: To obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).
Others can know your faith is genuine by seeing your obedience to God’s commands played out in your behavior; “And this is His command: To believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another. … And this is how we know that He lives in us: We know it by the Spirit He gave us” (1 John 3:23-24). John encouraged brotherly love; he said: “This is love: Not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. … We love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:10-11,19).

John further suggested that believers understand God’s testimony, while unbelievers do not. “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:11-12).

John added information on Christ’s second coming, which we will explore in chapter ten. He also reminded believers to be on guard for false teachers, who would certainly distort and deny the message of the Gospel. They would seduce the world, entrenched in sin and suffering, but believers must overcome the world. Despite the fact that “the whole world is under the control of the evil one [the devil or Satan], we know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him Who is true. And we are in Him Who is true” (1 John 5:19-20). Christ is sufficient to overcome the world! John told believers:

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the
love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of
sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does—comes
not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but
the man who does the will of God lives forever (1 John 2:15-17).

Second Letter of John, written: 85–90 A.D.
Author: John, to Christians everywhere
This letter was similar to John’s first letter, but he placed more emphasis on truth and love in following Christ. Truth and love should be automatic; looking at our society and culture today, “all men are liars” (Psalm 116:11). Ironically, you have to swear in court to tell “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you, God.” Of course, swearing before God does not eliminate perjury like it should. Furthermore, many people would be hard-pressed to show significant evidence of love in their lives; few people love others the way they should. So-called Christians who are married in a Christian church, vowing the marriage oath before God to love their spouse “until death does them part,” simply no longer acknowledge that vow as binding. How sad!

John exclaimed that we can praise God, because He alone is faithful in truth and love. The Bible tells us God cannot lie (see Titus 1:2); evidence of His love abounds in His creation, His sustaining our lives, and most of all His redeeming work on the cross and willingness to forgive our sins. The Bible says: “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:11-12).

John encouraged believers to overcome lies with truth and hatred with love; he wrote, “This is love: That we walk in obedience to [God’s] commands. As you have heard from the beginning, His command is that you walk in love” (2 John 6).

Third Letter of John, written: 85–90 A.D.
Author: John, to Gaius
This letter was written specifically to a man named Gaius to encourage him to continue living for Christ and to thank him for hospitality. John expressed that the standard for our lives should be the Gospel, rather than human ideals or worldly values. John said, “Do not imitate what is evil but what is good” (3 John 11). Be a lover of truth, not an ignorant evildoer.

Letter of Jude, written: 64–65 A.D.
Author: Jude, the brother of Jesus, to all Jewish Christians
Jude became a follower of his brother, Jesus, after the resurrection. His audience, under heavy persecution, was planning to compromise the message of the Gospel so their persecution would ease. These Jewish Christians were vulnerable to immoral living because of the influence of unbelievers surrounding them. Unbelievers, who “follow mere natural instincts and do not have the [Holy] Spirit” (Jude 18), have the ability to divide believers; they “speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them” (Jude 10).

Similar to 2 Peter, Jude’s message encouraged believers to remain strong in faith, oppose any heresy, and refute false teachers. The believers were not to strive for political correctness to keep their comfort. Instead, they were to preach and teach the full message of the Gospel, even though it would certainly offend many, and expect and be ready to suffer persecution for the name of Christ. Nothing is more valuable than the truth about God.

Letter of Revelation, written: 95 A.D.
Author: John, to the seven Christian churches in Asia, along with Christians everywhere
The final letter in the Bible was also written by John, in exile on the island of Patmos. This letter was directed toward seven churches of Asia, which were all experiencing harsh persecution under the Roman Emperor Domitian. This apocalyptic letter contains end times information that will be reviewed in chapter ten.

The Early Church (4)

This is part 4 of 4 of chapter 6 of my book, Biblical Glasses.

How did the Church grow?

As the number of believers increased throughout the region, the Herodian family of rulers continued to reign. Herod the Great, who ruled from 40 B.C. until his death in 4 or 3 B.C., was the man who tried to have the Messiah killed as a baby. This Herod was succeeded by his son, Antipas, who beheaded John the Baptist and ruled from 4 or 3 B.C. until his death in 39 A.D. Herod Antipas was succeeded by his son, Agrippa I, who ruled from 39–44.

Herod Agrippa I put to death James, the brother of John, for preaching the Gospel. When he saw how this pleased many of the Jews in Jerusalem, he arrested Peter as well. Peter was going to be put on public trial, but an angel rescued him from prison. When Agrippa could not find Peter, he had the guards executed! Later, Agrippa accepted praise as if he was a god, and he was struck dead immediately, eaten from within by worms. He was succeeded by his son, Herod Agrippa II, who ruled from 50–93, throughout the remainder of Biblical history.

Meanwhile, the fellowship of believers in Antioch was thriving, and the Holy Spirit came to the leaders there, telling them to “set apart … Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” (Acts 13:2,3). So around 47 A.D., Barnabas and Saul set out on a missionary trip. They took along a young disciple named John Mark, the author of the Gospel of Mark, and went from Antioch to the island of Cyprus, where Saul, now called Paul, converted a Roman leader to Christianity after blinding a wicked sorcerer named Elymas, who was attempting to keep the Roman leader from conversion.

Continuing from Cyprus into present day central Turkey, Mark left the group and returned to Jerusalem. (He may have been homesick, as he was still very young.) During the two-year journey guided by the Holy Spirit, Paul and Barnabas worked miracles, preached the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles, and despite significant persecution and even death threats, founded several Christian churches throughout the region of Galatia. They appointed elders as leaders within these churches and then returned to Antioch to report the results of their voyage.

Shortly after their return, many of the Jewish Christians began arguing over the conversion of Gentiles; they said, “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to discuss the matter with James and Peter. They held the Council at Jerusalem and came to the consensus that grace is what saves both Jews and Gentiles, through faith in Christ, not by circumcision.

So the Council drafted a letter to circulate throughout the region among the new churches and clear up any confusion on the method of salvation. The believers in Antioch “read it and were glad for its encouraging message” (Acts 15:31). Basically the Council at Jerusalem determined that one did not first have to convert to Judaism, which required circumcision, before converting to Christianity. Despite the agreement of all the Church leaders, there were many people who still thought the Jewish law must be kept, just as Moses had prescribed. But the Bible says:

Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you
have become as though you had not been circumcised. If those who are not
circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though
they were circumcised? The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys
the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and
circumcision, are a lawbreaker. A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly,
nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one
inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by
the written code (Romans 2:25-29).

Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians, to the churches in the region of Galatia, explaining, among other invaluable teachings, that Gentiles did not first have to convert to Judaism in order to become Christians. Then in 49 A.D., Paul and Barnabas decided to set out on another missionary trip, but they disagreed on who would accompany them. Barnabas wanted to take Mark, but Paul did not, as Mark had left them prematurely during their previous trip. So Barnabas took Mark and went his separate way, back toward Cyprus, and Paul took a disciple named Silas and headed for the churches in Galatia. Despite the disagreement between Paul and Barnabas, there were no lasting ill feelings.

As Paul and Silas declared the Gospel again to the people of Galatia, a young convert named Timothy joined them. Timothy was the first second-generation Christian! His mother and grandmother had converted to faith in Christ at an earlier time. The missionaries worked their way through present day Turkey and then headed into Macedonia. Interestingly, Paul wanted to remain in Asia Minor (Turkey), but the Holy Spirit denied his desire and directed them instead to go west into Greece.

The missionaries arrived in the city of Philippi, where they worked miracles, preached the Gospel, converted many to faith in Christ, and founded a Christian church. One of their miracles involved driving out an evil spirit from a fortuneteller slave girl, thereby eliminating her ability to tell the future; the girl’s owners were upset that their source of profit was gone, so they complained about Paul and Silas to the local authorities.

Believing the false accusations against Paul and Silas, the authorities beat them severely and imprisoned them without offering a trial. An earthquake shook the ground that night, and all the prison doors flew open. The jailer was about to kill himself, knowing that the punishment for allowing prisoners to escape was death, but Paul stopped him and preached the Gospel to him. The jailer was immediately converted to Christianity and baptized. The next day, Paul and Silas were legally released from prison, and the local authorities, after finding out that they were Roman citizens, regretted imprisoning them without a trial.

The missionaries traveled on to the city of Thessalonica, where they continued to preach the Gospel of Christ, winning many Thessalonians to salvation in the Lord. Paul “reasoned with them from the [Old Testament] Scriptures, explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead” (Acts 17:2-3). The Jews would have known the Old Testament very well. Nevertheless, there were some Jews in Thessalonica who did not accept the Gospel message; they grew jealous and threatened Paul with death! So the missionaries escaped to Berea, where they continued teaching. The Bible says:

Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they
received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day
to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a
number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men. When the Jews in
Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the Word of God at Berea, they went
there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. The brothers immediately
sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. The men who
escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas
and Timothy to join him as soon as possible (Acts 17:11-15).

Paul was disturbed at the numerous idols in Athens; people worshiped anything and everything. Because great crowds had gathered to hear his preaching, Paul was invited to speak before the Assembly in Athens. Paul masterfully preached the Gospel to these Greek philosophers, beginning with the Book of Genesis to explain what his Jewish listeners already knew: God created the universe. Paul said:

From one man [God] made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole
earth; and He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they
should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for
Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. ‘For in Him we live
and move and have our being’ (Acts 17:26-28).

Many of these Greek philosophers to whom Paul spoke were skeptical, but others liked what Paul had to say and wanted to meet with him again later. Paul was known primarily for his writing of the majority of the New Testament letters, but he was also brilliantly equipped to preach the Gospel to anyone in any setting.

When speaking to Jewish people, who already knew that God created the universe and formed a covenant with their father, Abraham, Paul taught that Jesus was the promised Messiah, Whom they expected, by reasoning from their Scriptures, the Old Testament. When speaking to Gentiles, who had little or no knowledge of the Scriptures and often did not believe in only One God, Paul would begin with the creation account told in Genesis to explain that there is indeed only One, True God, Who has a plan of salvation through Jesus Christ for all of His people. In nearly every situation, Paul was able to gently and respectfully approach anyone with the message of the Gospel. Paul said:

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win
as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those
under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the
law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became
like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under
Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak,
to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible
means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the Gospel, that I may
share in its blessings (1 Corinthians 9:19-23).

Later, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth, where he met up again with Silas and Timothy and continued preaching boldly. Paul made friends with a Jewish couple, Aquila and Priscilla, who came to Corinth from Rome when Emperor Claudius, ruler of the Roman Empire from 41–54 A.D., banished all Jews from Rome. They converted to Christianity and later returned to Rome and founded the Christian church there.

Paul preached in the synagogue at Corinth, but the Jews were unresponsive to the Gospel message, so he went out and preached to the Gentiles. Many in Corinth, including the leader of the Jewish synagogue, believed and were baptized into Christ. Paul remained in Corinth for over a year, corresponding via letters with the church at Thessalonica; then he accompanied Aquila and Priscilla to Ephesus, leaving Greece for Turkey. Paul briefly preached there and then left his friends behind, traveling on to Caesarea, where he greeted the church members. Finally, Paul arrived in Antioch in 52 A.D., where, after over two years on the road, he rested for awhile.

Meanwhile, an up-and-coming preacher named Apollos arrived in Ephesus, where he “learned the way of God more adequately” (Acts 18:26) from Aquila and Priscilla. Then Apollos went to Corinth, where, “on arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ” (Acts 18:27-28).

Paul’s third missionary trip lasted from 52–57, taking him from Antioch back through Galatia and eventually to Ephesus, where he stayed for three years. God allowed Paul to work wonderful miracles in Ephesus, causing more and more people to come to faith in Christ. From Ephesus, Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians, and then “he traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, where he stayed three months” (Acts 20:2-3).

From Greece, he wrote a letter to the Roman church, which he intended to visit but had not as of yet. He also wrote a second letter to the Corinthians. Paul continued to experience persecution throughout his journey. There were always people who could not stand to hear the name of Jesus; it is much the same today!

Hearing of a plan to sabotage his ship, which had planned to sail for Syria, Paul decided to backtrack through Greece and take the long way home. He spent time in Philippi then came to Troas, in present day Turkey on the coast of the Aegean Sea. In Troas:

Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on
talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we
[Luke, the author of Acts, was with Paul for much of this journey] were meeting.
Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep
sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground
from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on
the young man and put his arms around him. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘He’s
alive!’ Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until
daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly
comforted (Acts 20:7-12).

This event is so inspiring to me! I often feel the same as Paul, desiring to always and constantly engage in conversation about the magnificence of God and His ways, but I rarely feel like those around me want to talk about those things. If Paul shared my apprehensions, he did not let them inhibit him; regardless if his audience was listening or sleeping, Paul was so passionate about Christ and God’s Word that he had to talk about them all the time. The Bible says:

Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you
walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols
on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of
your houses and on your gates (Deuteronomy 6:7-9).

Continuing on, Paul left Troas and sailed toward home, despite the likelihood that he would be arrested upon his return to Jerusalem. Paul made several stops along the way; he greeted the elders of the Ephesian church in Miletus, where they had come to meet him. Paul encouraged them to “be shepherds of the Church of God, which [Christ] bought with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). He told them to remain steadfast in faith as they would likely be persecuted by outsiders. Even insiders would lead people astray by distorting the truth as false teachers. After a moment of prayer, the elders sent Paul on his way, knowing they would likely never see him again.

Paul arrived in Caesarea, where he stayed with Philip, one of the seven deacons mentioned earlier. When the prophet Agabus informed Paul of his certain arrest in Jerusalem, many of the disciples cried for him.
However, Paul was not worried. He said, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13).

Paul was indeed taken captive shortly after arriving in Jerusalem in 57 A.D. As he was led away from the crowd, which demanded his imprisonment, Paul spoke to the arresting officer in Greek and received permission to address his accusers. Paul then spoke to the crowd in Aramaic, momentarily earning their respect.

He gave his testimony, explaining how he was born a Jew and Roman citizen, how he studied the law under Gamaliel and was zealous in the Jewish faith, how he desired to put an end to the early Christian movement by persecuting and arresting all who professed faith in the Risen Christ, how he saw the Lord Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus, how he was converted to Christianity by God, and how God had led him to preach the Good News of Christ to the Gentiles. At this testimony, the crowd demanded for his death, and the guard placed Paul in prison.

The next day, he was brought before the Sanhedrin, where he caused a riot among the religious leaders. The Sadducees and Pharisees began arguing over Paul’s life; that night, God promised Paul that he would give his defense before Caesar in Rome. The next day, many of the Jews conspired to kill Paul, but Paul’s nephew found out about the plot and warned him. The Roman guard, who had respect for Paul, sent him from Jerusalem to Caesarea to await trial in safety.

Days later, the Jews from Jerusalem visited Caesarea to press charges; Paul again gave his defense before the court. Two years passed without a formal decision in Paul’s case. The leaders were baffled by his case; there seemed to be no reason for a trial!

Paul took advantage of many opportunities to share the Gospel with the leaders, including Herod Agrippa II. Nevertheless, he was kept on house arrest in the palace of Herod in Caesarea and, after asking to appeal his case to Caesar, was sent with Luke and some other prisoners to Rome in 59 or 60 A.D.

The voyage to Rome was slow going; it turned out to be a disaster. When a storm hit, the ship they were on was tossed about and eventually lost at sea. Paul encouraged the men to remain calm, for he had a vision that all of them would be kept alive. After fourteen days lost at sea, they found land; it turned out to be the island of Malta, and everyone on board got to shore safely. Remaining in Malta for three months, Paul healed every ailing person on the entire island! After many additional stops, the prisoners arrived in Rome, where Paul, still under arrest, was allowed to live in a house with only one guard.

Paul remained under house arrest in Rome for two years until 62 A.D., and he wrote letters to the churches at Ephesus, Colosse, and Philippi, as well as to an individual named Philemon. Paul preached to the Jews and converted many to Christianity. He met with everyone who wanted to speak with him. Apparently, Paul was released after two years, possibly because the statute of limitations expired on his case, which had been pending for at least five years.

Paul may have traveled west to Spain and revisited many of his friends at the churches he had established in Greece and Galatia. During this time, he wrote two letters: One to Titus, the administrator of the Christian churches on the island of Crete, and one to Timothy, his traveling companion and understudy who would continue his work.

Paul was then arrested again, perhaps in 64 or 65 A.D., after the great fire in Rome under the reign of Emperor Nero. When Nero blamed the fire on Christians, persecution against all believers dramatically increased. Paul’s confines were not so likeable this time; he was probably alone in a dungeon, where he managed to write his final letter to Timothy.

Christianity expanded its territory, reaching throughout the entire world, thanks to the efforts of courageous men and women like Paul, John, Peter, Barnabas, James, Timothy, Silas, Mark, Luke, Aquila and Priscilla, and Apollos, among countless others. Led by these strong, devoted followers of Christ, the Church grew rapidly. It was condemned and persecuted harshly, but still it continued to grow and thrive. People were willing to die for what they knew to be the truth. Their love for Jesus Christ was greater than their love for this world.

Immigration ... Step 1

WE NEED A FENCE!

Securing our borders is the first step in any serious immigration reform plan. Before we deal with those illegal immigrants who are already here, we need to keep other illegals from entering.

The first priority of the federal government is national security. National security is inherently incomplete if it does not include border security. Technology and the rise of internationally organized terrorism have made it possible for individuals to carry small weapons that can produce devastation on a scale that previously required armies, missiles or squadrons of aircraft.

We are a nation of immigrants, and it would be contrary to our history and cherished American values if we were to close our borders to legal immigration. However, illegal immigration is another matter, constituting a threat to both our national security and our economy. Our economy needs immigrant workers, but we need legal immigrant workers, not illegal ones.

The border with Mexico must be secured first. That's where the biggest problem is. The Canadian border is about 1,000 miles longer than the Mexican border, yet the vast majority of illegal immigration occurs across the Mexican border. It is not unreasonable to think about the need for a northern security fence once a southern security fence is in place and working. The Israeli West Bank security fence is a good example of the state-of-the-art in border security. Many people have seen photographs and television images showing it to be a concrete wall. Those pictures are deceptive. The concrete wall portion of the barrier is roughly four percent of its overall length. Most of it is a fifty yard wide multi-layered composite obstacle comprised of several elements:

1) A ditch
2) Coils of barbed wire
3) Two tall, sturdy wire fences, with sensors to warn of any incursion
4) A patrol path for vehicles between the fences
5) A smoothed strip of sand that runs parallel to the fence, to detect footprints
6) Closed circuit TV cameras and motion detectors

A barrier is an essential component of any effort to secure our borders; additional manpower alone cannot do the job. Simply adding more border agents won't work unless there is one every hundred yards or so along the entire border. That would require between 150,000 and 200,000 agents and support personnel, rather than the 11,000 at present, and an annual budget of five to ten billion dollars. The cost of a modern border security fence is in line with its national security priority: roughly the cost of 4 B-2 bombers. A 2,000 mile state-of-the-art border fence has been estimated to cost between four and eight billion dollars. Such a fence could be designed with up to two hundred legal crossing points to accommodate commerce, tourism and legitimate commuting. Although expensive in terms of initial outlay, in the long term it is both less expensive and more effective than any other solution currently being proposed. If we build it, they can come legally.

The Early Church (3)

This is part 3 of 4 of chapter 6 of my book, Biblical Glasses.

Unbelievers often cite the following twelve issues as general objections to religion, specific questions regarding Christianity, and problems of clarification with the Gospel:

1) Denying the existence of God
2) Denying the occurrence of actual miracles
3) Claiming religion as a psychological crutch
4) Denying the reliability of the Bible
5) Blaming God for suffering and evil in the world
6) Denying Jesus as the only way to God
7) Pointing out those who have never heard the Gospel
8) Pointing out hypocrites in the Church
9) Demanding that good works are a method of salvation
10) Claiming that Christianity is too simple
11) Questioning the meaning of believe
12) Questioning the assurance of salvation Christianity offers

These twelve issues are worthy concerns, and like doubted truths, they can be left alone, never to be understood, or studied to be comprehended. Briefly looking at each objection, we can see that these issues do not need to be avoided.

First, the existence of God can certainly not be disproved; we have looked in depth at the impossibilities of our existence apart from a Creator God.

Second, after a better understanding of creation, as examined in chapter two, miracles become a non-issue if we believe the universe had a Creator. Creation is, from the human point of view, perhaps the greatest miracle ever!

Third, regarding the psychological side of religion, there are certainly no true believers who would agree with Jesse Ventura’s recent statement; he said, “Organized religion is a sham and a crutch for weak-minded people who need strength in numbers.” Anyone possessing God’s Holy Spirit, along with billions of non-Christians, would admit to a spiritual side of life.

Fourth, we looked at the reliability of the Bible in chapter one.

Fifth, suffering and evil are heart-breaking issues. We all have trouble seeing how a perfect God could allow bad things to happen. What we often forget or do not realize is that we brought it on ourselves. No one is without sin, and the consequences of sin are terrible. We can have peace hoping that God will one day wipe out all evil and suffering. The Bible says: “God Himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21:4-5).

Sixth, regarding the often-thought-of-as-arrogant idea that Jesus is the only way to God, we must examine the words of Jesus Himself; He said: “I am the Way and Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). The apostle Peter said, “Salvation is found in no else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The apostle John wrote, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36). He also wrote, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). If a so-called Christian supports any other religion as an equal path to God, then he or she is calling Jesus a liar and is either not a true Christian or does not really understand Christianity.

Regarding the seventh issue, I have been asked several times, “What about the little children in Africa who have never heard of Jesus? How can they be condemned to hell by God, Who never gave them a chance?” The answer is not often enjoyed, but here it is: God has written His law on the hearts of all His chosen people (see Romans 2:15). Jesus mentioned that those who do not know about Him will be judged less harshly than those who knew about and rejected Him. God is sovereign and can do as He pleases. Remember none of us deserve eternal life; we are all sinners worthy of death. It is only by God’s amazing grace that any of us are saved, so we must share the Gospel with all the nations. It is the hope of the Christian that, God willing, the children in Africa will come to know the Lord through missionary work in obedience to the Great Commission. Hank Hanegraaff resolves this concern with the following:

If Jesus is the only way to God, what happens to those who’ve never heard the Gospel, but follow their own religions? Can they be saved?

‘Isn’t it unfair for God to send people to hell even if they’ve never heard about Him or His Son, Jesus Christ?’ Whether it’s asked with the utmost sincerity or used as a convenient excuse to reject God, we must realize that Christianity’s truthfulness depends not on how this question is answered, but upon the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:13-19).

While the Bible affirms that Christ is the only Savior (Acts 4:12), it also states that God is truly just (Genesis 18:25; Job 34:12; Acts 17:31) and He loves us with an everlasting love (Jeremiah 31:3; John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9). He continues to demonstrate this by making Himself known through His handiwork in creation (Romans 1:19-20), but He also inscribes His knowledge on the very tablets of our hearts, or conscience (Romans 2:14-15). Because no one has been kept in the dark about God, we’re all accountable to Him (Luke 12:47-48).

In spite of this, man has answered God’s love with rebellion, repeatedly rejecting what God has revealed (Romans 3:10-18). All of us deserve to be sentenced to hell. But despite our depravity, God has mercifully chosen to provide a way to save us.

Although God is sovereign and He can deal with individuals in extraordinary ways, He tells us in the Bible that there’s no other way to reach Him except through His one provision—the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6). From this, we can only conclude that those who have never heard of Christ are indeed lost. They’re lost as a result of their own actions, and not because of God.
People don’t end up in hell because of what they haven’t heard; they get there because of their failure to act responsibly on what God has already revealed to them—whether through creation in Romans 1, through their conscience in Romans 2, or through the light of Christ in Romans 3. Let us, therefore, labor all the more to bring God’s message to a world in desperate need of salvation (Romans 1:16, 10:13-15). And remember that if those who’ve never heard the Gospel are indeed going to go to heaven, why should we even be involved in foreign missions? Let’s just keep everyone in the dark. In fact if you really draw this argument out to its logical conclusion, Jesus Christ did not come to seek and save those who are lost, He would have come to seek and lose those who are saved. He would then not be the great Saviour [sic] of the world; He would
become its great destroyer.

I will come back to the eighth issue (hypocrites) in a moment.

Regarding the ninth issue, we have already seen why good works are insufficient. They do not make us perfect; we are perfected only by Jesus Christ, by grace through faith in Him.

Concerning the tenth issue, Christianity certainly can be a simple faith, but there are plenty of complex issues for which we do not have time. Christianity can be simple enough for a child (see Matthew 18) or so difficult that a group of Bible scholars could spend their lifetimes discussing certain issues and never come to a consensus (see Job).

Regarding issue eleven, we have also already looked at the meaning of believe. It drives a person to action, obedience to God’s Word.

Twelfth and finally, assurance is simple. 1 John 5:12-13 says: “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know [emphasis added] that you have eternal life.” We can be sure of the Christian faith!

The concern regarding hypocrites within the Church is possibly the biggest issue keeping people from the Christian faith. Non-believers see so-called believers acting every way but pious. It is unfortunate, because born again Christians should be so immensely appreciative and grateful of the work Jesus did for us that we devote nothing less than the rest of our lives to obeying His commands and following His guidance—living for Him.

Paul wrote, “Those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him Who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:15). Paul also wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Unfortunately, despite being sincere Christians, all believers are all still sinners and will not be completely perfected until after death. We get a really good picture of this by continuing to look at the history of the early Church.