Podcasts about bible does

The Bible DOES say Jesus was born of a virgin and His “Father” was the Holy Spirit.

Co-hosts Beth Stovell and Jon Stovell speak with Pete Enns about his research and writing, including his new book, Curveball: When Your Faith Takes Turns You Never Saw Coming (or How I Stumbled and Tripped My Way to Finding a Bigger God) (HarperOne, 2023). Dr. Peter Enns (PhD, Harvard University) is Abram S. Clemens professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University, St. Davids, PA. He has taught courses at several other institutions including Harvard University, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Princeton Theological Seminary. Enns is a frequent contributor to journals and encyclopedias, and is the author of several books, including, The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It (HarperOne), The Bible and the Believer: How to Read the Bible Critically and Religiously (with Marc Brettler and Daniel Harrington, Oxford University Press), Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and The Problem of the Old Testament (Baker), and The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn't Say about Human Origins (Baker).  

Dr. Peter Enns (PhD, Harvard University)  is a frequent contributor to journals and encyclopedias, and is the author of several books, including, The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It (HarperOne), The Bible and the Believer: How to Read the Bible Critically and Religiously (with Marc Brettler and Daniel Harrington, Oxford University Press), Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and The Problem of the Old Testament (Baker), and The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn't Say about Human Origins (Baker).   Purchase Pete's books here: Amazon Help sustain the work of RLC: www.redletterchristians.org/donate/ To check out what RLC is up to, please visit us www.redletterchristians.org  Follow us on Twitter: @RedLetterXians Instagram: @RedLetterXians Follow Shane on Instagram: @shane.claiborne Twitter: @ShaneClaiborne Intro song by Common Hymnal: https://commonhymnal.com/ 

For a variety of reasons, I am excited about this message. Have you ever said this: I can hardly wait to get my hands on that person!  I'm pretty sure that's NOT what the Bible means when it speaks of this “laying on of hands.”But I also am pretty sure that this is one of those really confusing ideas we read in Scripture and don't automatically understand what it's talking about.I mean - on one hand, you have pentecostal preachers out there (some on tv) who claim to have the gift of healing people by laying hands on them. You find others laying hands on folks who then break out in tongues and things get chaotic. And so on that one hand, people tend to not WANT to know about the laying on of hands - especially if it means that kind of experience. Kinda scary to many people, ya know?But then on the other hand, you see that the Bible DOES instruct the Church to participate in the laying on of hands…and if it's commanded in Scripture, then we know it must be important…So what does it mean to have hands laid on you? What does that signify?Well, this will be a journey that may take us a couple of weeks to get through - which is fine. I would rather us have a more thorough understanding, because this is one of those issues that represents, what I believe, to be the power of life-transformation that God designed us to experience. And for that reason, I don't want us to misunderstand the source of that kind of power.

The biblical covenants which give shape to Scripture finally culminate in the New Covenant established by Jesus Christ. What does this mean for the church, God's New Covenant people? Timestamps Introduction - 00:51 What Has Feedback Been Like for This Month? - 3:30 The Covenant With Adam - 5:00 What is the Relation Between Creation and Covenant? - 07:55 The Continuing Relevance of the Creation Covenant - 11:27 How Does the Covenant of Noah Interact with the Rest of the Biblical Story? - 14:54 The Noahic Covenant Effects Your Political Theology - 19:31 Where in the Bible Does the Noahic Covenant Help Us Understand Salvation? - 23:38 Abrahamic Covenant: One Covenant or Two? - 25:50 How Do We Move From Abraham to Christ in Preaching? - 32:32 What are Some Key Things in Understanding the Mosaic Covenant? - 35:48 How is ‘the Law' Related to ‘Natural Law'? - 41:03 What is the Davidic Covenant? - 45:53 How Does this Covenant Move towards the New Covenant? - 52:40 How Do Old Testament Saints Relate to the New Covenant? - 56:53 How Does 1689 view of the Covenant of Grace Differ or Relate to the Progressive Covenantalist View of the New Covenant? -  58:35 What about the Covenant of Redemption? - 1:03:57 How Has Progressive Covenantalism Helped in Preaching? - 1:06:43 Outro – 1:11:03   Resources to Click What Is Progressive Covenantalism Part 1 by Stephen J. Wellum What is Progressive Covenantalism Part 2 by Stephen J. Wellum How to Interpret the Covenants and the Nature of Typology: A Companion Article – Stephen J. Wellum   Books to Read Kingdom Through Covenant: A Biblical Theological Understanding of the Covenants (Second Edition) – Peter J. Gentry & Stephen J. Wellum God's Kingdom through God's Covenants: A Concise Biblical Theology – Peter J. Gentry & Stephen J. Wellum Progressive Covenantalism: Charting a Course Between Dispensational and Covenant Theologies – ed. Wellum and Parker Christ From Beginning to End – Trent Hunter & Stephen J. Wellum

With Brad Bright.  Speaker & Author. As always, Like & Subscribe if you have found this podcast helpful. A lot of Christians are reacting again. This time, because some folks are using    ChatGPT to rewrite the Bible. Now, of course, that's not a good thing…   However, I'm encouraged. Let me explain why.   Oscar Wilde, who wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray, said,    “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” Most of us have heard that quote,    and maybe even uttered it.   However, that is not the complete quote. Mr. Wilde's full statement is a bit more—    shall we say, descriptive. But I will circle back to that in a few moments.   First, let me say, that if Oscar Wilde was right,    then Christians should feel very flattered.     So, if you are concerned about ChatGPT twisting scriptures,    start viewing it as an opportunity to    engage the people around you in spiritual conversations    about what the Bible DOES say. Not by LECTURING them with your finger in the air,    but by graciously offering them something better.   However, unlike the federal government,    you can't give away what you don't own. So, make sure you are daily and weekly,    equipping yourself to have those spiritual conversations,       by being in God's Word.   God is the issue—in every issue. So, let's use ChatGPt    to go out and MAKE him the issue.   00:00 INTRO 01:03 Oscar Wilde Quote 03:01 PETA used ChatGPT to give the Book of Genesis a vegan makeover 04:02 Complete Oscar Wilde's quote 06:01 Next time ChatGPT comes up with another FAKE imitation of the Bible 09:28 If you don't know what the Bible says, you can't easily have those conversations. 10:38 Matthew 13 12:28 Conclusion

Matthew 6:34 is a good reminder not to worry needlessly about the future. But the Bible DOES tell us to prepare for it. We'll talk with David Spika about that today on MoneyWise.  Matthew 6:34: “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. David Spika the Chief Investment Officer at Guidestone, a financial services firm helping those in ministry as well as the broader Christian population, and an underwriter of this program. The recent debt ceiling impasse brought uncertainty to the markets, even though a default on U.S. debts was highly unlikely. So now that the dust has settled on that agreement, what's currently driving the economy?  WHAT NOW?  Spika says it's the same thing that's been driving the economy for the last year and a half: interest rates and inflation. We still have core inflation as high as it's been in more than two decades.  The Fed is committed to bringing inflation down to 2%. So they've got the Fed funds rate over 5%, and the rate hikes could continue for as long as two years in an effort to get spiraling costs under control.  Ultimately, he says, we cannot reduce inflation to a realistic and sustainable level unless we have a recession. And to do that you have to reduce consumer spending by reducing employment. So those are going to be the key factors in the near future. MARKET DIP APPROACHING?  Spika adds that stocks are still very expensive today at 20 times future earnings, and they do not reflect higher interest rates or higher inflation. Nor do they reflect the potential for a recession and much lower earnings growth. So odds are strong that we'll see the market come down soon. Ultimately, though, that's good for long-term investors, particularly those who have cash on the sidelines and are looking for a better entry point. FIXED INCOME SECURITIES Fixed-income securities have taken a hit over the last year or so quite a bit. What should we expect in the near future?  Spika says he believes a brief pause in rake hikes, likely followed by rike hikes that are smaller than previous increases, could create much lower interest rate volatility. That would be positive for bonds, as near its peak, interest rates should be relatively stable and ultimately will go lower. So there's a good chance bonds will produce the best total return we've seen since 2007. GUIDESTONE OPTIONS Guidestone offers multiple options for people who really are concerned about their savings and looking for peace of mind. The first is their Defensive Market Strategies Fund. This is a low-volatility strategy that tends to incur only half of the volatility on the downside of the s&p 500. So that's a great place to have equity exposure on the bond side, or low and medium-duration bond funds, both with yields nearing 5%. They also offer an Impact Bond Fund. This is a relatively new fund, which provides for impact investing in areas such as the sanctity of life and the spreading of the Gospel. It's a true core bond portfolio that does have a good place in most investors' portfolios. You can learn more about Guidestone at Guidestonefunds.com.  On today's program, Rob also answers listener questions:  -How do you decide whether to self-manage your money and investments or hire a professional?-What's the best way to shop around for term life insurance? -How do you determine what to do with retirement funds after moving them out of a company-directed 401k? -What's the best way to research life insurance policies that would pay off your mortgage when you go home to be with the Lord?  RESOURCES MENTIONED: -  Find a Certified Kingdom Advisor-  Betterment-  Schwab Intelligent Portfolios-  Fidelity-  Sound Mind Investing Remember, you can call in to ask your questions most days at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on the Moody Radio Network as well as American Family Radio. Visit our website at FaithFi.com where you can join the FaithFi Community, and give  as we expand our outreach. 

This Quoircast Podcast episode is brought to you by The New Evangelicals: Pushing the Evangelical Church forward and to re-think how it approaches key cultural issues.  In this episode we chat with Pete Enns Dr. Peter Enns (PhD, Harvard University) is Abram S. Clemens professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University, St. Davids, PA. He has taught courses at several other institutions including Harvard University, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Princeton Theological Seminary. Enns is a frequent contributor to journals and encyclopedias, and is the author of several books, including, The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It, The Bible and the Believer: How to Read the Bible Critically and Religiously, Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and The Problem of the Old Testament, and The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn't Say about Human Origins. Pete's latest book Curveball: When Your Faith Takes Turns You Never Saw Coming (Or How I Stumbled And Tripped My Way To Finding A Bigger God) was released Feb 7, 2024 You can connect With Pete Enns on: Facebook     Twitter     Instagram     TikTok You can find all things Pete Enns related on his website check out Pete's Podcast The Bible For Normal People You can Pete's new book Curveball on Amazon.com You can connect with This Is Not Church on: Facebook     Instagram      Twitter     TikTok     YouTube Also check out our Linktree for all things This Is Not Church related Please like and follow our Quoircast Partners: Heretic Happy Hour     Messy Spirituality     Apostates Anonymous  Ideas Digest     The New Evangelicals Each episode of This Is Not Church Podcast is expertly engineered by our producer The Podcast Doctor Eric Howell. If you're thinking of starting a podcast you need to connect with Eric!

Omniscience, Omnipresent, Omnipotence. These are big words that describe three characteristics of God.  He is omniscient.  He is omnipresent.  He is omnipotent.  But do we actually know what these words mean?  Moreover, where do we find these specific words in the Bible?  Truth is, the terms "omniscient", "omnipresent", and "omnipotent" don't actually occur anywhere in the Bible, yet we know that God is all three.  The Bible DOES describe these three terms, even if it doesn't use them specifically.  John is flying solo this week to show us where these characteristics of God show up in Scripture, and how we can lead our mentees into understanding both the concept, and the significance of these three characteristics in their lives.Purchase the You Can Mentor book:  You Can Mentor: How to Impact Your Community, Fulfill the Great Commission, and Break Generational Cursesyoucanmentor.com 

God's view on sex may be a little different than what you would expect. Have you heard Christians say that sex is "dirty" or "bad" or that we shouldn't talk about it? Have you thought that the Bible "just doesn't address it that much"? or that the Bible only talks about punishment for sex outside of marriage and the things you can't do? Well, I've got news for you, the Bible DOES talk about sex and even encourages it, promotes it, and describes the pleasure of it. I promise you that the Bible is actually full of the JOY of sex and the fact that the above perceptions of it are wrong. Listen to this 31 minute episode and learn GOD's view on sex. You don't need an app or anything to listen, just press the play button. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/pastor-steven/support

A study of ALL that the Bible DOES and DOES NOT teach about celestial angels, covering their constitution and character, origin and potential corruption, capabilities and characteristics, and other issues related to the spiritual realm.17 includes:Q&A and Final Discussion on Angels and the Celestial Realm Part 1: The Creation of Angels, the Original Unity of the Angels, the Motives for a Corruption in the Celestial Host, The Origins of Evil, Can Celestial Angels still Fall?, God's Mysterious Ways and more STRONG CAUTIONARY NOTE: Due to the subject being covered, some of these classes on angels could be potentially offensive (or at least controversial) to those who see the issue of the Devil as something or someone other than a celestial being. Please take that into consideration when following these classes, as it is my intent to be open and direct on my position on this subject, but it is NOT my intent to be offensive in doing so to those who believe differently who I love deeply.

A study of ALL that the Bible DOES and DOES NOT teach about celestial angels, covering their constitution and character, origin and potential corruption, capabilities and characteristics, and other issues related to the spiritual realm.18 includes:Q&A and Final Discussion on Angels and the Celestial Realm Part 2: The Potential Process of the Testing of Angels, No Redemption for Angels who have been Corrupted, Judgment of Angels, Chains of Everlasting Darkness, Guardian Angels, Angels over Nations, Experiences with Angels, and more STRONG CAUTIONARY NOTE: Due to the subject being covered, some of these classes on angels could be potentially offensive (or at least controversial) to those who see the issue of the Devil as something or someone other than a celestial being. Please take that into consideration when following these classes, as it is my intent to be open and direct on my position on this subject, but it is NOT my intent to be offensive in doing so to those who believe differently who I love deeply.

A study of ALL that the Bible DOES and DOES NOT teach about celestial angels, covering their constitution and character, origin and potential corruption, capabilities and characteristics, and other issues related to the spiritual realm.16 includes:Celestial Beings and the Spiritual Realm: Third Heaven and the Heavenly Realm and Why Corruption could Exist in Heaven without it Existing in Third Heaven, and the Dearth of Biblical Evidence Against Corruption in the Celestial Realm STRONG CAUTIONARY NOTE: Due to the subject being covered, some of these classes on angels could be potentially offensive (or at least controversial) to those who see the issue of the Devil as something or someone other than a celestial being. Please take that into consideration when following these classes, as it is my intent to be open and direct on my position on this subject, but it is NOT my intent to be offensive in doing so to those who believe differently who I love deeply.

A study of ALL that the Bible DOES and DOES NOT teach about celestial angels, covering their constitution and character, origin and potential corruption, capabilities and characteristics, and other issues related to the spiritual realm.15 includes:Evil Spirits part 3: Jesus' interactions with evil spirits/demons, The knowledge about Christ and his identity that evil spirits/devils demonstrated that proves that those possessed by them were not just mentally ill human beings, and Experiential evidence for evil spirits/demons being supernatural entities STRONG CAUTIONARY NOTE: Due to the subject being covered, some of these classes on angels could be potentially offensive (or at least controversial) to those who see the issue of the Devil as something or someone other than a celestial being. Please take that into consideration when following these classes, as it is my intent to be open and direct on my position on this subject, but it is NOT my intent to be offensive in doing so to those who believe differently who I love deeply.

A study of ALL that the Bible DOES and DOES NOT teach about celestial angels, covering their constitution and character, origin and potential corruption, capabilities and characteristics, and other issues related to the spiritual realm.14 includes:Evil Spirits part 2: Properly defining the Greek terms for demons, devils, and evil spirits in the New Testament and why doing so PROVES that they can ONLY be supernatural spirit entities and NOT mental or emotional conditions, and How evil spirits/demons are defined and addressed in the New TestamentSTRONG CAUTIONARY NOTE: Due to the subject being covered, some of these classes on angels could be potentially offensive (or at least controversial) to those who see the issue of the Devil as something or someone other than a celestial being. Please take that into consideration when following these classes, as it is my intent to be open and direct on my position on this subject, but it is NOT my intent to be offensive in doing so to those who believe differently who I love deeply.

A study of ALL that the Bible DOES and DOES NOT teach about celestial angels, covering their constitution and character, origin and potential corruption, capabilities and characteristics, and other issues related to the spiritual realm.13 includes:Evil Spirits part 1: The different uses of the term "spirit" in the Bible and the different beings referred to as spirits, Potential references to evil spirits / demons in the Old Testament, and The different ways that a human being can be tempted or caused to experience oppression, as well as mental or emotional conditionsSTRONG CAUTIONARY NOTE: Due to the subject being covered, some of these classes on angels could be potentially offensive (or at least controversial) to those who see the issue of the Devil as something or someone other than a celestial being. Please take that into consideration when following these classes, as it is my intent to be open and direct on my position on this subject, but it is NOT my intent to be offensive in doing so to those who believe differently who I love deeply.

The Bible doesn't tell us everything.Seriously! There are huge gaps in the Bible. God's Word doesn't tell us everything—but it does tell us everything we need to know. God works the same way in our lives, and thankfully, the Bible DOES tell us that we can trust Him, even when we don't understand what He's doing.What can we do when the life God has promised us looks nothing like the life He has given us?In this episode of Live the Bible, we're starting a series on Joseph—a man whose story from Genesis will encourage you to trust God completely.

A study of ALL that the Bible DOES and DOES NOT teach about celestial angels, covering their constitution and character, origin and potential corruption, capabilities and characteristics, and other issues related to the spiritual realm.12 includes:Evidences for the Corruption (Fall) of Celestial Beings Part 4: Theories regarding Ezekiel 28 being a Description of Satan and his CorruptionSTRONG CAUTIONARY NOTE: Due to the subject being covered, some of these classes on angels could be potentially offensive (or at least controversial) to those who see the issue of the Devil as something or someone other than a celestial being. Please take that into consideration when following these classes, as it is my intent to be open and direct on my position on this subject, but it is NOT my intent to be offensive in doing so to those who believe differently who I love deeply.

A study of ALL that the Bible DOES and DOES NOT teach about celestial angels, covering their constitution and character, origin and potential corruption, capabilities and characteristics, and other issues related to the spiritual realm.11 includes:Evidences for the Corruption (Fall) of Celestial Beings Part 3: Theories regarding Isaiah 14 as a Description of Satan and his CorruptionSTRONG CAUTIONARY NOTE: Due to the subject being covered, some of these classes on angels could be potentially offensive (or at least controversial) to those who see the issue of the Devil as something or someone other than a celestial being. Please take that into consideration when following these classes, as it is my intent to be open and direct on my position on this subject, but it is NOT my intent to be offensive in doing so to those who believe differently who I love deeply.

A study of ALL that the Bible DOES and DOES NOT teach about celestial angels, covering their constitution and character, origin and potential corruption, capabilities and characteristics, and other issues related to the spiritual realm.10 includes:Evidences for the Corruption (Fall) of Celestial Beings Part 2 STRONG CAUTIONARY NOTE: Due to the subject being covered, some of these classes on angels could be potentially offensive (or at least controversial) to those who see the issue of the Devil as something or someone other than a celestial being. Please take that into consideration when following these classes, as it is my intent to be open and direct on my position on this subject, but it is NOT my intent to be offensive in doing so to those who believe differently who I love deeply.

A study of ALL that the Bible DOES and DOES NOT teach about celestial angels, covering their constitution and character, origin and potential corruption, capabilities and characteristics, and other issues related to the spiritual realm.09 includes:Evidences for the Corruption (Fall) of Celestial Beings Part 1 STRONG CAUTIONARY NOTE: Due to the subject being covered, some of these classes on angels could be potentially offensive (or at least controversial) to those who see the issue of the Devil as something or someone other than a celestial being. Please take that into consideration when following these classes, as it is my intent to be open and direct on my position on this subject, but it is NOT my intent to be offensive in doing so to those who believe differently who I love deeply.

A study of ALL that the Bible DOES and DOES NOT teach about celestial angels, covering their constitution and character, origin and potential corruption, capabilities and characteristics, and other issues related to the spiritual realm.08 includes:Nature and Disposition of Celestial Angels and Whether Celestial Angels Mindless, Emotionless, and Will-less Automatons or Thinking, Feeling Beings who are Capable of Choice Part 2, and Scriptures which Describe Corrupt and Evil Spirit and Celestial Beings STRONG CAUTIONARY NOTE: Due to the subject being covered, some of these classes on angels could be potentially offensive (or at least controversial) to those who see the issue of the Devil as something or someone other than a celestial being. Please take that into consideration when following these classes, as it is my intent to be open and direct on my position on this subject, but it is NOT my intent to be offensive in doing so to those who believe differently who I love deeply.

A study of ALL that the Bible DOES and DOES NOT teach about celestial angels, covering their constitution and character, origin and potential corruption, capabilities and characteristics, and other issues related to the spiritual realm.07 includes:Nature and Disposition of Celestial Angels and Whether Celestial Angels are Mindless, Emotionless, and Will-less Automatons or Thinking, Feeling Beings who are Capable of Choice Part 1STRONG CAUTIONARY NOTE: Due to the subject being covered, some of these classes on angels could be potentially offensive (or at least controversial) to those who see the issue of the Devil as something or someone other than a celestial being. Please take that into consideration when following these classes, as it is my intent to be open and direct on my position on this subject, but it is NOT my intent to be offensive in doing so to those who believe differently who I love deeply.

A study of ALL that the Bible DOES and DOES NOT teach about celestial angels, covering their constitution and character, origin and potential corruption, capabilities and characteristics, and other issues related to the spiritual realm.06 includes:Constitution and External Characteristics of Celestial Angels: Appearance (in heaven and on earth) and Abilities, including Whether or Not Celestial Beings Only Appear as Male and Whether or Not Celestial Beings Have Wings STRONG CAUTIONARY NOTE: Due to the subject being covered, some of these classes on angels could be potentially offensive (or at least controversial) to those who see the issue of the Devil as something or someone other than a celestial being. Please take that into consideration when following these classes, as it is my intent to be open and direct on my position on this subject, but it is NOT my intent to be offensive in doing so to those who believe differently who I love deeply.

A study of ALL that the Bible DOES and DOES NOT teach about celestial angels, covering their constitution and character, origin and potential corruption, capabilities and characteristics, and other issues related to the spiritual realm. 04 includes: The Roles and Responsibilities of Celestial Beings and Key Bible Passages Describing Celestial Beings Part 1 STRONG CAUTIONARY NOTE: Due to the subject being covered, some of these classes on angels could be potentially offensive (or at least controversial) to those who see the issue of the Devil as something or someone other than a celestial being. Please take that into consideration when following these classes, as it is my intent to be open and direct on my position on this subject, but it is NOT my intent to be offensive in doing so to those who believe differently who I love deeply.

A study of ALL that the Bible DOES and DOES NOT teach about celestial angels, covering their constitution and character, origin and potential corruption, capabilities and characteristics, and other issues related to the spiritual realm.05 includes:The Roles and Responsibilities of Celestial Beings and Key Bible Passages Describing Celestial Beings Part 2 (including the evidence for why the angel John was interacting with in Revelation 19 and 22 is almost certainly NOT a human being)STRONG CAUTIONARY NOTE: Due to the subject being covered, some of these classes on angels could be potentially offensive (or at least controversial) to those who see the issue of the Devil as something or someone other than a celestial being. Please take that into consideration when following these classes, as it is my intent to be open and direct on my position on this subject, but it is NOT my intent to be offensive in doing so to those who believe differently who I love deeply.

A study of ALL that the Bible DOES and DOES NOT teach about celestial angels, covering their constitution and character, origin and potential corruption, capabilities and characteristics, and other issues related to the spiritual realm. 03 includes: The use and misuse of the title "angel", including evidence for why it is NOT biblically correct or biblically consistent to interpret individuals referred to as angels in the New Testament, described as corrupted or evil in their actions, as human false ministersSTRONG CAUTIONARY NOTE: Due to the subject being covered some of these classes on angels could be potentially offensive (or at least controversial) to those who see the issue of the Devil as something or someone other than a celestial being. Please take that into consideration when following these classes as it is my intent to be open and direct on my position on this subject but it is NOT my intent to be offensive in doing so to those who believe differently who I love deeply.

A study of ALL that the Bible DOES and DOES NOT teach about celestial angels, covering their constitution and character, origin and potential corruption, capabilities, and characteristics, and other issues related to the spiritual realm. 02 includes: Terms and Titles Used for Angels and Types of Angels in the Bible Part 2STRONG CAUTIONARY NOTE: Due to the subject being covered some of these classes on angels could be potentially offensive (or at least controversial) to those who see the issue of the Devil as something or someone other than a celestial being. Please take that into consideration when following these classes as it is my intent to be open and direct on my position on this subject but it is NOT my intent to be offensive in doing so to those who believe differently who I love deeply.

A study of ALL that the Bible DOES and DOES NOT teach about celestial angels, covering their constitution and character, origin and potential corruption, capabilities, and characteristics, and other issues related to the spiritual realm. 01 includes: Foundational Issues, Origin and Creation of Celestial Angels, and Terms and Titles Used for Angels and Types of Angels in the Bible Part 1STRONG CAUTIONARY NOTE: Due to the subject being covered some of these classes on angels could be potentially offensive (or at least controversial) to those who see the issue of the Devil as something or someone other than a celestial being. Please take that into consideration when following these classes as it is my intent to be open and direct on my position on this subject but it is NOT my intent to be offensive in doing so to those who believe differently who I love deeply.

Unlike our cancel culture, the Bible offers a means of forgiveness from the wrongs we've all done, by faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Forgiveness is desperately needed in our world and only found in the Bible. The Impact of the Bible: Does the Bible still matter in our modern world? In this brief series, Dr. John Neufeld reflects on the relevance and impact of the Scriptures on humanity. After thousands of years, the Bible remains poignant and powerful for all times and places. God has a message for our world, and that's why Back to the Bible Canada is committed to faithfully teaching Scripture every day.

Great parts of our culture like human rights and modern science come from a knowledge of the Christian Scriptures. Introducing this series, Dr. John argues that societies that have a Biblical knowledge are greatly advantaged over others.The Impact of the Bible: Does the Bible still matter in our modern world? In this brief series, Dr. John Neufeld reflects on the relevance and impact of the Scriptures on humanity. After thousands of years, the Bible remains poignant and powerful for all times and places. God has a message for our world, and that's why Back to the Bible Canada is committed to faithfully teaching Scripture every day.

In this episode that You Are Not Listening To, I share some thoughts I have about an article published in the Adventist Review titled “Headship Matters – What the Bible Does and Doesn't Say About Male Headship.” By Laurel Damsteegt. The article presents itself as attempting to address abuses perpetrated by supposed “godly” leaders or husbands, by providing a better interpretation of Scripture as it relates to marriage and church leaders. However, as you'll hear, it only helps to prop up the poor interpretations that lead to these abuses by informing women of their subordinate position in the eyes of something the author keeps calling God. I find the article and the mind frame behind it to be abhorrent. It is not treatment, it is the disease. **Trigger warning: rape, marital rape, and sexual abuse are referenced in the article and are addressed in the Podcast. Not in any detail nor for very long, but if those topics are uncomfortable for you, maybe skip this one.** Link to the Adventist Review article: https://adventistreview.org/commentary/head-matters/

We are so excited to announce a new book club podcast: Reading Mission! Reading Mission is a live podcast where we read some of our favourite books about mission, justice, and social change together. If you are exploring what mission is and what it means to live a missional life, this is the book club for you! Every episode will be recorded live in our Discord, so you can listen in and contribute to the discussion in chat. Don't worry if you can't make it to the live recording, we will be putting out every episode as a podcast so you never miss a conversation. Reading Mission will have its own podcast feed, available wherever you get your podcasts. The first book we'll be exploring is Make Poverty Personal: Taking the Poor as Seriously as the Bible Does by Dr Ash Barker. We hope you join us! -- Join the conversation: http://embody.org.au/discord Follow us: http://facebook.com/embodyau http://instagram.com/embodyau Credits: Our theme music is 'Golden Sunrise (Instrumental Version)' by Josh Woodward, http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Josh_Woodward Used under Creative Commons. We respectfully acknowledge the traditional owners of the lands and waters of Australia, and pay respects to elders past and present. We recognise their continuing connections to land, waters, and culture.

The Bible is clear: Becoming a Christian is no guarantee that we will avoid trying times. But there are different kinds of trials for different reasons. There are also times when no reason is shared by God at all. What the Bible DOES promise, is a way of navigating through these ordeals! Click on your […]

What do American Christians really want in the Trump era? I think that we just want representation. We want someone to stand for us, to fight out battles. But that gets tricky. There is a story in the Old Testament that gives us some clues about how that temptation can hurt us in the end. Discussion Questions: Have you ever received a gospel tract? What was your reaction? What kind of information do you think is essential on a tract? Have you ever received a tract for a different religion? How did that make you feel? How did you know it was from a different religion? Is it okay for corporations to evangelize? What are the risks of that? The benefits? Are capitalism and Christianity the same thing? If so, where does it say that in the Bible? Does it feel threatening to question the connection between capitalism and Christianity? Why?

Have you ever wondered, What is the Bible? Does it matter to my life today? You’re not alone. The Bible is one of the most influential books of all time, but it can sometimes feel overwhelming and confusing to know how to read it and what to do with it. In part one of this four-part series, we’ll unearth what the Bible is, why it matters, and how it has the power to transform our lives. Trust us: Whether you’ve read the Bible your whole life or are new to faith, this four-part series will help you experience the Bible in a new light. NEXT STEPS Have you made a decision to follow Jesus? You may be wondering what’s next on your journey. We want to help! Let us guide you to your next steps in your walk with Christ: www.journeyelkgrove.com We love worshiping together online and in person! The Journey Church's mission is to help people progress along their spiritual journey. Website -- journeyelkgrove.com Facebook -- www.facebook.com/journeyelkgrove Instagram -- www.instagram.com/journey_church_elk_grove Give -- pushpay.com/g/journeyelkgrove Phone -- (916) 542-2505 Email -- egjourney@gmail.com Address -- 9645 Elk Grove Florin Rd Elk Grove, CA 95624 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/journeychurchelkgrove/message

When you think of Samson in the Bible, you picture a buff guy fighting: bulging muscles, bronze tan, long hair, angry face... except the Bible never describes Samson except for the part about cutting his hair! What the Bible DOES say is that God's Spirit filled him with power. Wherever you are today, whatever you're facing: God is able and willing to give you the guidance and strength (in more ways than one) to overcome your struggles when you rely on Him and focus on maintaining a temple that's ready for Him to reside in. Today we study how Samson did that, and how you can, too. Thank you for joining us! No rights are reserved; share this message with anyone and everyone you can; help point people towards hope. Today's Scriptures: Judges 13:2-5 // Judges 15:9-15 // 1 Corinthians 6:19 // Acts 4:29-31

What’s the point of reading the Bible? Does it actually make a difference? Tearfund USA’s CEO shares his story—you’re going to want to talk about it with others. This podcast is from Life.Church for LifeGroups and friends: www.life.church/lifegroups. Get the episode 5 Conversation Guide here: https://go2.lc/YHISGuide5

Written and presented by Clyde Kilough At this sacred time on the Christian calendar, we need to consider: Why is Easter so different from what we find in the Bible? Does it really matter? Read online

This week we get down and dirty with the sexual ethics of Leviticus. What was the purpose of these laws? Do they apply to all homosexual behavior? What did these laws accomplish? How do they fit into the rest of the Old Testament?We were fortunate to have Susan Cottrell on our episode this week, sharing her own story of transformation when her daughter came out to her. You’ll learn about how her church friends reacted and the decisions she had to make. Ultimately, she counts herself blessed that her daughter came out to her.Susan now has a thriving ministry helping other parents navigate the challenges she faced herself. She’s the founder and director of Freed Hearts Ministry as well as the author of several books. She has a TedX talk that you should definitely listen to. Connect with her and learn more about her work below:Freed HeartsTedX talkTwitterBooksAt the top of the episode, Steve and Alicia talked about some recent news. Eikon church in Kyle, TX recently announced that they are an open and affirming church for LGBTQ people with no limits in participation or membership. Pastor Dan Matlock explained it all in his sermon, “Clarity.” Yet they also hold space for members who may not be in agreement. Being personally affirming of same-sex relationships is not a requirement of membership, employment, or participation either. We love what they are doing and encourage you to check it out!Eikon Church“Clarity” SermonFor those of you using this podcast for group discussions, we offer the following questions:Let’s say a close friend or family member comes out to you (or maybe they have). Or let's say you are LGBTQ yourself. In all honesty and as realistically as possible, how would that impact how you see this topic?What difference should it make whether or not someone has a close personal connection to a particular ethical decision? Who is best placed to understand and make a decision? People who are involved emotionally and relationally? People who are more detached?In listening to these podcasts about the Old Testament law, what has challenged your thinking the most?Has the way you see the Old Testament or the way you think about the laws in the Old Testament changed from what it was before?Have you thought much about the Canaanites in the Bible? We talked about how they were characterized as immoral people who therefore could be exterminated so the Israelites could claim the promised land. Sadly, this is similar to rational Christians have used to displace and at times commit genocide against indigenous people. What is the moral compass you use for sorting out such difficult topics in the Bible?Does understanding how these texts were used and understood in scripture change the way you interpret them today?Since what we call the Old Testament was the Bible for Jesus and Paul, how do you think they were informed by Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13? Thank you so much for listening! We love bringing you these podcasts on topics about sexuality, Christianity, LGBTQ issues, and homosexuality. If you are learning and growing from these episodes, help get the message out by sharing our podcast! Thank you!

Where do we see deacons in the Bible? Does the church really need deacons? What is the role of a deacon? How do deacons relate to elders? Who is qualified to be a deacon? Who cares?  Pastor Blake Arnoult

Does Science contradict the Bible? Does the Bible contradict Science? I believe the debate from both extremes is hinged on a false premise, so I talk about it. Enjoy!

In this episode Seth, Chris, and Omar get a chance to sit down and talk To Pete about his new book "How to read the Bible.." and have a very fun conversation exploring some tough questions or challenges around reading the Bible. Chris gets saved, and Seth bust into spontaneous worship as a result. It was a blast!... Oh and Omar smoked a LOT of weed.  Pete Enns is an American Biblical scholar and theologian. He has also written several books including:  The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn't Say About Human Origins The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable To Read It The Sin of Certainty: Why God Desires Our Trust More Than Our "Correct" Beliefs How the Bible Actually Works   In this interview, Pete also suggested Bradley Jersak's book Her Gates Will Never Be Shut Music for the episode was written by Dan Koch, and can be found on his website: dankoch.net  Support for the podcast comes from listeners like you. Visit Podbean.com/fadetograypodcast to join the crew who help to keep the network on air.  Check out everything we have to offer on our network at: FadeToGrayPodcast.com  

When I was a kid growing up, the most well known Bible verse was probably John 3:16. Even people who didn't go to church knew about that verse, and would probably see it quoted on TV, or held up on a sign at some point every year. I think that has changed in the last few years - the most well known Bible verse today, at least to people that would not identify as Christian, is likely Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge, so that you won't be judged." Our main question of the day is: "must Christians never judge? Let's read the chapter together, and then discuss what Jesus is teaching here. In a 2013 message when David Platt, former head of the Southern Baptist IMB, was pastor at the Church at Brookhills in Birmingham, he tackled the issue of church discipline - something that is commanded in Scripture. The thorny question for many in the church is how can church discipline happen when we are told not to judge each other? It's a great question, and Platt gives a great answer: “What about Matthew 7:1,” people ask. Well, keep going to Matthew 7:5. Yes, Jesus gives us warnings about judgment in Matthew 7:1, but when you keep reading, you hear Jesus say, “Why do you see the speck [of sin] that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log [of sin] that is in your own eye?… first, take the log out of your own eye, and then …” Follow this! “… you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” (Matthew 7:3, 5). The whole implication is that you need to look inward first and humbly examine your own purity, so that you can help a brother or sister become pure. People say, “Well, it's not my place to judge you, and it's not your place to judge me.” But we just read in 1 Corinthians 5, church, that it is our place to judge. Look at 1 Corinthians 5:12. “Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?” (1 Corinthians 5:12) The question is, how? We're going to talk about how in a moment, but suffice to say at this moment that we don't hide behind phrases like, “It's not my place to judge,” or, “He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone. So since I still sin, I can't say anything.” Brother or sister, if you see me walking into sin, caught in sin, being pulled into sin, please don't use super-spiritual jargon like that. Pull me back. And let God use the whole deal to sanctify you in the process, too! That's what Matthew 7:1–5 is all about; it's what 1 Corinthians 5 is all about. David Platt, “The Cross and Christian Discipline—Part 1,” in David Platt Sermon Archive (Birmingham, AL: David Platt, 2013), 3919–3920. David Platt's teaching here reminds me of Galatians 6:1, " Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so that you also won't be tempted." This does show us that sometimes Christians are called to help restore and lead other Christians to repentance when they sin - but it MUST be done with a gentle and humble spirit. There is never any room in the people of God for what people call judgmentalism or pharisaical attitudes. Jesus gives us an incredible picture of what that is in Luke 18: 9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.11 The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I'm not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.'13 “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!' 14 I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14 The self-righteous attitude of the Pharisee here is always wrong and always at odds with Jesus' commands about judging. However, as Platt has pointed out - there IS a time to make judgments among the people of God. And those judgments can and should happen in only one particular area: INSIDE the church in terms of church discipline. Before we discuss that, I do need to say a word about what is NOT being forbidden by Jesus here. When the Bible is very clear about a certain practice, lifestyle, behavior, attitude of mind, or action being sinful and against God, it is NOT even remotely judgmental to teach and practice biblical truth. MOST of society considers people in the church to be judgmental when they proclaim certain truths in the Bible and call people to repent of their sins. While there is CERTAINLY a way to do this in a pharisaical, extremely arrogant and self-righteous way, that does NOT necessarily mean the person is judgmental. John the Baptist, for instance, was beheaded for calling out the sexual sin of Herod the Tetrarch, who had been trying to be intimate with his brother's wife. John told him that such behavior was NOT biblical. Was John the Baptist being judgmental? ABSOLUTELY NOT - he was being RIGHTEOUS and obeying Jesus' other major command on judging, "Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment.” (John 7:24) Standing on biblical truth in a humble way that is preceded by self-repentance and not accompanied by hypocrisy is NOT being judgmental. Jesus is NOT outlawing that - He is NOT advocating a "to each his own" kind of philosophy. Paul in 1 Corinthians 5 is very clear that the church must make judgments when there are people who are claiming the name of Jesus, but not living the teachings of Jesus: 11 But actually, I wrote you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. 12 For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Don't you judge those who are inside? 13 God judges outsiders. Remove the evil person from among you. 1 Corinthians 5:11-13 It is also clear from Scripture that the Word of God IS A JUDGE of our actions. Consider Hebrews 4:12 " 12 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. " So, in that one fairly narrow arena, Christians are commanded by the Word of God to make righteous judgments and to make those judgments in a righteous way. A righteous judgment is one that is done in accordance with the Bible and not opinion. Do you think somebody is wrong for being a vegan? The Bible tells you NOT to judge them in Romans 14. Do you think somebody is being unethical and insensitive for eating meat? The Bible tells you NOT to judge them in Romans 14. Because the Bible neither condemns vegetarianism nor meat-eating, then Christians must not pass moral judgment on such things. In areas where the Bible DOES give clear commands, however, it is unfaithful for us to fail to follow those commands and call other Christians to as well. When we AGREE with the Word that something is a sin, we aren't make an ungodly judgment, but are making a righteous judgment. A righteous judgment is a biblical judgment, but even righteous judgments must be done in a righteous way. You simply CANNOT make a judgment if you have not repented of the obvious sin in your life - otherwise, you will be a plank-eye looking down on a speck-eye, and that is foolishness, as Jesus pointed out. Once God has cleansed the plank from your eye, you will be in a better place to make a righteous judgment in a righteous way, and you will do so with the HUMILITY of somebody who has just had a plank taken out of his eye, and not the ARROGANCE of a self-righteous jerk. Frankly, there are way too many self-righteous jerks running around in Christian clothing, and they are bringing shame to the name of Jesus. Even though I believe that Jesus allows (and even commands) for a certain narrow type of making judgments (given the above parameters), I believe the preponderance of Scripture gives us multiple warnings about making judgments. The overarching concern seems to be that Christians walk in humility, not hypocrisy, and be quicker to point the finger at our own sin (and repent of it!) than to point the finger at the sins of others. These Scriptures bear that philosophy out, and should be a challenge to every fiber of our judgmental, pharisaical and self-righteous beings: Romans 14:2-4: " 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while one who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge another's household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand." Psalm 31:8-10 " Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed. 9 Speak up, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy. " Romans 2:1-3 " Therefore, every one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. 2 We know that God's judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. 3 Do you really think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God's judgment? " Romans 14:9-12 "9 Christ died and returned to life for this: that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living. 10 But you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written,As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.13 Therefore, let us no longer judge one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother or sister." 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 " 3 It is of little importance to me that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I don't even judge myself. 4 For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 So don't judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts.  Colossians 2:16-17 " 16 Therefore, don't let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is Christ. " James 2:2-6 "2 For if someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor person dressed in filthy clothes also comes in, 3 if you look with favor on the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor person, “Stand over there,” or “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,” 4 haven't you made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Didn't God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 Yet you have dishonored the poor." James 4: " 11 Don't criticize one another, brothers and sisters. Anyone who defames or judges a fellow believer defames and judges the law. If you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? " I'll close this section on Judging with some great Gospel truth that reminds us who the ultimate judge is: " 30 “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31

When I was a kid growing up, the most well known Bible verse was probably John 3:16. Even people who didn't go to church knew about that verse, and would probably see it quoted on TV, or held up on a sign at some point every year. I think that has changed in the last few years - the most well known Bible verse today, at least to people that would not identify as Christian, is likely Matthew 7:1, "Do not judge, so that you won't be judged." Our main question of the day is: "must Christians never judge? Let's read the chapter together, and then discuss what Jesus is teaching here. In a 2013 message when David Platt, former head of the Southern Baptist IMB, was pastor at the Church at Brookhills in Birmingham, he tackled the issue of church discipline - something that is commanded in Scripture. The thorny question for many in the church is how can church discipline happen when we are told not to judge each other? It's a great question, and Platt gives a great answer: “What about Matthew 7:1,” people ask. Well, keep going to Matthew 7:5. Yes, Jesus gives us warnings about judgment in Matthew 7:1, but when you keep reading, you hear Jesus say, “Why do you see the speck [of sin] that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log [of sin] that is in your own eye?… first, take the log out of your own eye, and then …” Follow this! “… you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” (Matthew 7:3, 5). The whole implication is that you need to look inward first and humbly examine your own purity, so that you can help a brother or sister become pure. People say, “Well, it's not my place to judge you, and it's not your place to judge me.” But we just read in 1 Corinthians 5, church, that it is our place to judge. Look at 1 Corinthians 5:12. “Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?” (1 Corinthians 5:12) The question is, how? We're going to talk about how in a moment, but suffice to say at this moment that we don't hide behind phrases like, “It's not my place to judge,” or, “He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone. So since I still sin, I can't say anything.” Brother or sister, if you see me walking into sin, caught in sin, being pulled into sin, please don't use super-spiritual jargon like that. Pull me back. And let God use the whole deal to sanctify you in the process, too! That's what Matthew 7:1–5 is all about; it's what 1 Corinthians 5 is all about. David Platt, “The Cross and Christian Discipline—Part 1,” in David Platt Sermon Archive (Birmingham, AL: David Platt, 2013), 3919–3920. David Platt's teaching here reminds me of Galatians 6:1, " Brothers and sisters, if someone is overtaken in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual, restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so that you also won't be tempted." This does show us that sometimes Christians are called to help restore and lead other Christians to repentance when they sin - but it MUST be done with a gentle and humble spirit. There is never any room in the people of God for what people call judgmentalism or pharisaical attitudes. Jesus gives us an incredible picture of what that is in Luke 18: 9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and looked down on everyone else: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.11 The Pharisee was standing and praying like this about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I'm not like other people—greedy, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of everything I get.'13 “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even raise his eyes to heaven but kept striking his chest and saying, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner!' 14 I tell you, this one went down to his house justified rather than the other; because everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14 The self-righteous attitude of the Pharisee here is always wrong and always at odds with Jesus' commands about judging. However, as Platt has pointed out - there IS a time to make judgments among the people of God. And those judgments can and should happen in only one particular area: INSIDE the church in terms of church discipline. Before we discuss that, I do need to say a word about what is NOT being forbidden by Jesus here. When the Bible is very clear about a certain practice, lifestyle, behavior, attitude of mind, or action being sinful and against God, it is NOT even remotely judgmental to teach and practice biblical truth. MOST of society considers people in the church to be judgmental when they proclaim certain truths in the Bible and call people to repent of their sins. While there is CERTAINLY a way to do this in a pharisaical, extremely arrogant and self-righteous way, that does NOT necessarily mean the person is judgmental. John the Baptist, for instance, was beheaded for calling out the sexual sin of Herod the Tetrarch, who had been trying to be intimate with his brother's wife. John told him that such behavior was NOT biblical. Was John the Baptist being judgmental? ABSOLUTELY NOT - he was being RIGHTEOUS and obeying Jesus' other major command on judging, "Stop judging according to outward appearances; rather judge according to righteous judgment.” (John 7:24) Standing on biblical truth in a humble way that is preceded by self-repentance and not accompanied by hypocrisy is NOT being judgmental. Jesus is NOT outlawing that - He is NOT advocating a "to each his own" kind of philosophy. Paul in 1 Corinthians 5 is very clear that the church must make judgments when there are people who are claiming the name of Jesus, but not living the teachings of Jesus: 11 But actually, I wrote you not to associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister and is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or verbally abusive, a drunkard or a swindler. Do not even eat with such a person. 12 For what business is it of mine to judge outsiders? Don't you judge those who are inside? 13 God judges outsiders. Remove the evil person from among you. 1 Corinthians 5:11-13 It is also clear from Scripture that the Word of God IS A JUDGE of our actions. Consider Hebrews 4:12 " 12 For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. " So, in that one fairly narrow arena, Christians are commanded by the Word of God to make righteous judgments and to make those judgments in a righteous way. A righteous judgment is one that is done in accordance with the Bible and not opinion. Do you think somebody is wrong for being a vegan? The Bible tells you NOT to judge them in Romans 14. Do you think somebody is being unethical and insensitive for eating meat? The Bible tells you NOT to judge them in Romans 14. Because the Bible neither condemns vegetarianism nor meat-eating, then Christians must not pass moral judgment on such things. In areas where the Bible DOES give clear commands, however, it is unfaithful for us to fail to follow those commands and call other Christians to as well. When we AGREE with the Word that something is a sin, we aren't make an ungodly judgment, but are making a righteous judgment. A righteous judgment is a biblical judgment, but even righteous judgments must be done in a righteous way. You simply CANNOT make a judgment if you have not repented of the obvious sin in your life - otherwise, you will be a plank-eye looking down on a speck-eye, and that is foolishness, as Jesus pointed out. Once God has cleansed the plank from your eye, you will be in a better place to make a righteous judgment in a righteous way, and you will do so with the HUMILITY of somebody who has just had a plank taken out of his eye, and not the ARROGANCE of a self-righteous jerk. Frankly, there are way too many self-righteous jerks running around in Christian clothing, and they are bringing shame to the name of Jesus. Even though I believe that Jesus allows (and even commands) for a certain narrow type of making judgments (given the above parameters), I believe the preponderance of Scripture gives us multiple warnings about making judgments. The overarching concern seems to be that Christians walk in humility, not hypocrisy, and be quicker to point the finger at our own sin (and repent of it!) than to point the finger at the sins of others. These Scriptures bear that philosophy out, and should be a challenge to every fiber of our judgmental, pharisaical and self-righteous beings: Romans 14:2-4: " 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while one who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat, and one who does not eat must not judge one who does, because God has accepted him. 4 Who are you to judge another's household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand." Psalm 31:8-10 " Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed. 9 Speak up, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy. " Romans 2:1-3 " Therefore, every one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. 2 We know that God's judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth. 3 Do you really think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God's judgment? " Romans 14:9-12 "9 Christ died and returned to life for this: that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living. 10 But you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. 11 For it is written,As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to me, and every tongue will give praise to God.12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.13 Therefore, let us no longer judge one another. Instead decide never to put a stumbling block or pitfall in the way of your brother or sister." 1 Corinthians 4:3-5 " 3 It is of little importance to me that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I don't even judge myself. 4 For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 So don't judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts.  Colossians 2:16-17 " 16 Therefore, don't let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is Christ. " James 2:2-6 "2 For if someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and a poor person dressed in filthy clothes also comes in, 3 if you look with favor on the one wearing the fine clothes and say, “Sit here in a good place,” and yet you say to the poor person, “Stand over there,” or “Sit here on the floor by my footstool,” 4 haven't you made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Didn't God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? 6 Yet you have dishonored the poor." James 4: " 11 Don't criticize one another, brothers and sisters. Anyone who defames or judges a fellow believer defames and judges the law. If you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? " I'll close this section on Judging with some great Gospel truth that reminds us who the ultimate judge is: " 30 “Therefore, having overlooked the times of ignorance, God now commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31

«The Doubter's Guide to the Bible»: Does the Story Make Sense? How Can the Mess be "Good News"? John Dickson Fra Veritaskonferansen 2019 - https://veritaskonferansen.no

What does the word predestination mean in the Bible? Does it mean that God chooses certain people to be saved? Or does it mean that God chose to first go to the Jewish people first, and then the Gentiles? Listen in as Mike and Kevin discuss this very important subject. Want to connect with us? Email us thegracecoach@gmail.com

Have you ever wondered how much of what we do when we gather as the church is actually in the Bible? Does the Bible even teach us how we ought to be worshiping God? In this series Charlie and Adam will be joined by special guest David Fields to discuss some difficult questions regarding the church and how we worship. The aim of this series is to draw us all into God's Word to challenge our traditions and motives behind our worship. We welcome you to join us in this valuable conversation and may Christ be exalted through it.

Sermon Recording Sermon OutlineSpeaker: Rev. Scott StrickmanSermon Series: The Preeminence of ChristColossians 1:15-23 (ESV) 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.Sermon OutlineLife in the presence of an invisible God has challenges. 1. The instinct for an image betrays us. 2nd commandment (Exodus 20:4-5)2. Jesus, the image, restores.the manifestation of God – “all the fullness of God” (v19) Questions for ReflectionWhat do you find challenging about not being able to see God?Why does God prohibit us from making images or representations of Him (in the 2nd commandment)? What can go wrong?In what ways can things we see become idols? How do we adore, devote ourselves to, hope or trust in things we can see in ways that are problematic? What do we do about this?How do you engage the true God, and avoid simply creating an idea of God that suits your desires or is shaped by your fears? Is it possible to come to know God? How?Reflect on the statement that Jesus “is the image of the invisible God”. What does this mean? What are some implications of this?Is it true that we can learn what God is like by looking to Jesus? What are the most important things we can learn about God by looking to Jesus? Are there things we can’t learn this way?How does a study of who Jesus is and what he has done shape how we read the rest of the Bible? Does the whole of Scripture tie into Jesus? How?In Jesus we learn of God’s mercy, compassion, love, justice, etc. When you are struggling (in whatever way), what are ways looking to Jesus can help you? How is the goodness of God most fully revealed in Christ?Prayer of ConfessionOur Father, forgive us for the ways in which we have looked to other things instead of looking to you. We admit we have loved things we can see, understand and control more than we have loved you, the one greater than what our minds can conceive of. We have given our admiration and devotion to created things. We have constructed false images in our minds that misrepresent you. We have sought to confirm what we already believe; we have not been quick to believe what you have made known. Pardon our sin, and open our eyes to the ways you have manifested yourself in Jesus Christ. Thank you that in him we have the forgiveness of sins. We look to Christ for hope in all things. Amen.

The Bible is the centerpiece of Christianity, and for the last 2000+ years it has been the most controversial book written. We are told that the translation that we have today is corrupted, that men have changed the Bible through the years, and that the Bible is simple unreliable. Are we to believe all of this? In this sermon we take a look at what Paul said in 2 Timothy, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God", that means all of it. So what textual evidence is there out there for the historical accounts of the Bible? Does it stand up to the comparison of other writings of its time and can it be considered reliable?   

Do you ever find yourself reading the Bible and coming away going..."wait! what does this mean?"? Me too; which is why I'm so happy to release this weeks conversation with Pete Enns on How The Bible Actually Works*... Guest Bio: Peter Enns (Ph.D. Harvard University) is Abram S. Clemens professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University. He has taught undergraduate, seminary, and doctoral courses at numerous other schools, including Princeton Theological Seminary, Harvard Divinity School, and Temple University. Pete speaks and writes regularly to diverse audiences about the intersection of the ancient setting of Bible and contemporary Christian faith. He is a frequent contributor to journals and encyclopedias, and has written, edited, and contributed to nearly 20 books, including The Sin of Certainty: Why God Desires Our Trust More than Our “Correct” Beliefs; The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It, Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament, and The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn’t Say about Human Origins. Enns resides in suburban Philadelphia with his wife Susan. His popular blog, The Bible for Normal People, can be found at peteenns.com. Music for this episode is from Matt Tipton featuring tracks from his newest release called Blessed King.  Tracks Include:  I Will Comfort You, Romans V, Thanks Be To God, Blessed King You can also find selections from all our episodes on our Spotify Playlist.  What are you waiting for; consider becoming a Patreon supporter of the show. You'll have access to many perks as well as guaranteeing the future of these conversations; even $1/Month goes so far as this show is 100% listener supported.  https://www.patreon.com/canisaythisatchurch

You guys keep telling us you love our Rapid-fire 10 in 10 episodes so here is a Part3 for you! Please keep in mind that in this format it is impossible to give a complete treatment to every topic. if something doesn’t sound right, ask us about it, if there is interest we would be happy to do a complete episode to go deeper. Here are the questions we cover… Does the Bible actually talk about Tattoos and piercings? What is the most surprising thing in the Bible? Does the Bible say anything about Dinosaurs? What’s your top recommendation for resisting temptation? Who was your favourite of the Protestant reformers? Is social media a blessing or a curse? What is your strongest spiritual gift? Does the Bible support the use alcohol or grape juice for celebrating the Lord’s Supper? What does the Bible say about spiritualism? What Bible character do you resonate with the most? Why? Join us for the conversation, and please comment below! Download This Episode – 10 Questions in 10 minutes Pt3 – Mashup Edition 10 Questions in 10 Minutes Pt3 by Dave Luke, Matt, Ben & Nathanael | Rapid-fire Round https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/austabletalk/ATT+10in10.mp3

What do you believe about the Bible? Does it have the authority to lead you to know God? Does it direct how you live? Discover how Jesus saw the scriptures and see why that effects us in how we see it. Then you can decide what you believe and what you will do about it

04/13/2018 Sandi MacCalla // Founder and President // Etiquette For You and LifeSkills Academie The post Where in the Bible Does it Say which Fork to Use? appeared first on KIROS.

This week, we tackle the idea of interpreting Bible passages well. We want to be faithful to the Scripture and what they actually mean and that requires intentional study. We share five questions to ask before you decide that your interpretation of a Bible passage is correct. We also include some helpful thoughts on Bible study.  What does the passage actually say? What would it have said to the original audience?  Does this interpretation disrupt any major theological truths?  What is the narrative on the topic throughout the whole Bible? Does this interpretation agree?  What does this interpretation say about the character of God?  Does this interpretation play out in real life? (and across the world, not just middle-class America) Uniquely Woman Instagram Delighting in My Days Instagram, Facebook Phylicia Delta Blog Instagram, Facebook

Are dinosaurs mentioned in the Bible? Does the Bible say anything about gambling? On today's program, Shawn and the senior coordinator for Bibleinfo.com, Kevin Ames, answer some of the most-asked questions on Bibleinfo.com.

Are dinosaurs mentioned in the Bible? Does the Bible say anything about gambling? On today's program, Shawn and the senior coordinator for Bibleinfo.com, Kevin Ames, answer some of the most-asked questions on Bibleinfo.com.

How literal do you interpret the miracle stories? What happens when science disproves certain “miraculous” events found within the Bible? Does one simply ignore the cognitive dissonance that has been created or step into the deeper challenges of interpretation? Join me today as we look at Joshua and the day the sun stopped rotating around […] The post Episode 24 | When Time Stood Still appeared first on Tony Wuerfel.

My guest today is Pete Enns. Dr. Peter Enns (PhD, Harvard University) is Abram S. Clemens professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University, St. Davids, PA. He has taught courses at several other institutions including Harvard University, Fuller Theological Seminary, and Princeton Theological Seminary. Enns is a frequent contributor to journals and encyclopedias, and is the author of several books, including, The Bible Tells Me So: Why Defending Scripture Has Made Us Unable to Read It (HarperOne), The Bible and the Believer: How to Read the Bible Critically and Religiously (with Marc Brettler and Daniel Harrington, Oxford University Press), Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and The Problem of the Old Testament (Baker), and The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn't Say about Human Origins (Baker). Special Guest: Pete Enns.

The topic today might actually be a first for Christian radio, or at least it is here at the Voice of Prophecy. Can you really find marijuana in the Bible? Does the Bible condone the use of marijuana? A small group of Christians actually believe it does. In today's program, Shawn and Jean read the Bible to take a close look at the arguments this group has made.

The topic today might actually be a first for Christian radio, or at least it is here at the Voice of Prophecy. Can you really find marijuana in the Bible? Does the Bible condone the use of marijuana? A small group of Christians actually believe it does. In today's program, Shawn and Jean read the Bible to take a close look at the arguments this group has made.

What is a concubine? Why did God allow men to have concubines in the Bible? Does the Bible condemn concubinage?

Is there any significance to colors in the Bible? Does the Bible give any special/spiritual meaning to colors?

No rules! Just right! ....What? If I understand the Bible one way and you understand the Bible another way...It's all gravy...right? Can we have our own private interpretation of the Bible? Does it matter? - click to take a listen. All you need is five minutes.  Brought to you by the Washington, PA and the Greensburg, PA churches of Christ.  

The audio and the full text of the sermon are below. There are also questions for reflection at the bottom. Feel free to discuss on our sermon discussion group on Facebook.This is part two in a five part series on The Servant Songs. Isaiah 42:1-61Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights;I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. 4 He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his teaching. 5 Thus says God, the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and what comes from it,who gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk in it: 6 I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you;I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind,to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. 8 I am the Lord, that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to idols. 9 See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare;before they spring forth, I tell you of them. In 1922, Bernhard Duhm identified the Servant Songs in Isaiah in a particular way. His theory was that someone other than the prophet, and indeed other than the author of second Isaiah, if there are multiple authors of the book, wrote the Servant Songs, and an editor inserted them into the book.This was really at the heart of Duhm’s identification of the Servant Songs. He contended that the character of the songs was different from much of what is found in second Isaiah. Declaring that they have a different author allows us to pull the songs out of Isaiah and interpret them without reference to the rest of the text.I don’t think we should do this, though. Even if Duhm is correct about the authorship of the Servant Songs, which is seriously disputed, someone did weave them into a particular text, and communities have accepted these as the prophets words, and in fact, God’s word, for centuries. All of this is to say that the context of the Servant Songs is important.Isaiah 42 is not the first use of the imagery of “servant” in Isaiah. In First Isaiah (ch. 1-39), the word is always used to refer to either someone specific (e.g. Isaiah 20:3 “…Just as my servant Isaiah has walked…”), or to servants in general (e.g. Isaiah 37 “When the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah…”).In Second Isaiah we get the first instance of Israel being identified as the servant. This happens in Isaiah 41:8-9, one chapter before the first “Servant Song”:“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend;you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners,saying to you, ‘You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off ’;”The motif of Israel/Jacob being the servant continues strongly throughout much of Second Isaiah. Servant is used exclusively to refer to Israel/Jacob from Isaiah 44 to 48.It would seem that at least when it comes to the first Servant Song, we need to ask whether it may in fact be about Israel. This is our first question, because the context of second Isaiah demands it.Second Isaiah is addressed to those Israelites who are in exile from their homeland in Babylon. It begins at chapter 40 with a powerful image of a highway being made by God through the wilderness: the promise of a straight road to lead the exiles home. Chapter 41 assures the people that they are cared for by God. They are collectively his chosen servant, and God will strengthen them.Isaiah 42, uses the same language to talk about the servant as is found in Isaiah 41. The servant is a chosen one. This was about Israel in chapter 41. Can it still be about Israel?V. 1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit on him he will bring forth justice to the nations.” This can only be about Israel if we see the servant as a personification of the nation, and if we believe that God’s intention was to bring justice to the earth through his chosen people. There is in fact strong evidence in the Old Testament to support that the very reason God had a chosen people was a bless and to bring about justice or righteousness to the world, through them.As you read through the other verses in the servant song, you will find that the words can be applied to Israel. V. 2 “He will not cry or lift up his voice…” This is in reference to the way God’s people would bring about justice: not through mighty declarations or speeches, but quietly, presumably through faithful actions.V. 3 “A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.” A bruised reed and a dimly burning wick refer to those who are weak. This is saying that God’s chosen people will not bring forth justice by trampling on the weak. God’s justice will come not through the oppression of people. We could continue and draw out how this may refer to Israel, but we should know that this text is not to be seen as referring to what Israel did, but rather the hope of who Israel could be.You may not quite be with me in thinking that the first servant song refers to Israel. Perhaps you’ve been taught that all four of the songs must be about Jesus. We’re coming to that, I promise.But first, we need to know something about the Greek translation of the Old Testament. One of the earliest translations of the Old Testament took place over the 3rd to 1st centuries BCE. This version of the Old Testament, along with some other books that are not part of Scripture, is called the Septuagint.The Septuagint is what most of the New Testament writers used when they were quoting from the Old Testament, because it was in Greek. Most of the New Testament writers would have also known Hebrew and would have been familiar with the Hebrew text. Translations are problematic because meaning can be lost or slightly changed. The Septuagint is problematic in an even greater way because it was likely translated from a variant, or several variants of the Hebrew Bible. This means that the Septuagint may not have been translated from exactly the same version which became the authoritative Hebrew version of the Scriptures passed down by the Scribes.So, there are sometimes fairly large discrepancies between the Greek version of the Old Testament and the Hebrew version of the Old Testament. Some worry about these discrepancies, but they can give us insight into how the ancients were interpreting texts. We can get insight into how they understood a text based on the choices they made in translation.Isaiah 42 has a discrepancy. The Septuagint opens like this: “Jacob is my servant; I will uphold him. Israel is my chosen, my soul has accepted him. I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth judgment to the nations.”Clearly, someone at some point, very early in the interpretation of Isaiah, wished to identify the servant of Isaiah 42, as Israel - just like in the surrounding chapters. An argument can be made that the basic understanding before Christ was that this text was talking about Israel.Enter the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew quotes from the Old Testament more than any of the other gospels. There are quotes all over the place - and no single book is quoted more than the book of Isaiah. The longest quote in Matthew is found at Matthew 12:15-21, just as Matthew is reaching the mid-way point of his story.What does he quote? The first four verses of the first Servant Song: Isaiah 42:1-4.Matthew usually quotes from the Septuagint. But this time he doesn’t seem to. Matthew goes back to the original text, removing any hint of this being about Israel. Why? Because Matthew applies the text to Jesus.Did Matthew not know that the basic interpretation of this Servant Song was that it was talking about Israel? He knew, but Matthew was doing something magnificent. Matthew was saying that Israel being the chosen servant, establishing justice for all peoples, and doing it faithfully without trampling on the already downtrodden - Matthew was saying that all of that - is fulfilled in Jesus. The servant is Israel personified, yes - and that is Jesus. Jesus fulfils God’s hope for his chosen people.Frederick Dale Bruner has an excellent commentary on the Gospel of Matthew. Im going to share some of what Bruner writes about Matthew’s use of Isaiah 42:1-4.But first, you need the context of the quote in Matthew 12. It is can be easily supplied by looking at Matthew 12:14-17. Just before this, Jesus had done a healing on the Sabbath day. Then we get this: “The Pharisees went out and plotted how they might kill Jesus. Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. He warned them not to tell others about him. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:”Bruner explains that there are two purposes in Matthew supplying the quote from Isaiah.1) To give an explanation for why Jesus withdrew and why he gave a command to keep silent about his identity.2) To give what Bruner calls a “mid-Gospel review of Jesus’ whole mission.” Bruner points out that withdrawal is “an unusual description of a Messiah.” “Messiahs do not ordinarily retreat, but advance. Messiahs do not seek to be hidden, but to be known.”Christian interpreters have made a big deal about the way in which Jesus went about his mission. This is commented on widely. It isn’t just that he is Savior and Lord, Messiah and King, it is vastly important how he exercises these roles. Matthew Henry commented “He could have secured himself by miracle but chose to do it in the ordinary way of flight and retirement.”What is interesting to me is that Jesus was already attracting great crowds. If he had wanted to lead a political revolution, he could have. But this is not his way. The way of Jesus is not to shout about his Messiahship. He simply heals people and teaches people. When the challenge about his identity comes, he flees and commands silence. This is mysterious, because shouldn’t we shout from the rooftops that He is Lord?The answer to this question, it seems, is no - or at least, not until we understand what it really means for Jesus to be Lord and Messiah. Jesus is Lord, Jesus is king and ruler in the sense of Isaiah’s text. He is a servant King. Jesus’ hesitation to claim his rightful title guards against our misunderstanding of who he really is. The piece about the bruised reeds and flickering wicks is important. Jesus is always one who pays attention to the least of these. We tend to follow powerful people who extend their power at the expense of the weak, even, sadly quite often, when they claim to be working for the weak. The Church has even done this for years and years holding so solidly to the truth that we stop caring for real people in the name of that truth. Jesus challenged the powerful, held to the truth, and never trampled on the least of these. It was as if he knew we needed to see him as servant before we proclaimed him Lord. Bruner puts it this way, quite beautifully, I think:“To be sure, his failure ‘to shout and scream’ as revolutionaries and the Spirit-filled of all times are wont to do, his failure to work at the great social intersections (as contemporary revolutionary and revivalist strategies both advise), and his strange penchant for working with bruised rather than with polished reeds, with flickering rather than with glowing flames, will still turn people away from Jesus.”Then, Bruner quotes Matthew 11:6 where Jesus says, “But blessed is the person who is not offended by me.”Jesus is supremely interested in righteousness, in justice. He works and ultimately gives his life to put us right with God. But while he gives his own life, notice that he sacrifices no one else’s. Jesus is the suffering servant of God. Only when we see him as such can we readily call him Lord, can we understand that his way of ruling over us is in fact to give himself up for us. When we see this, when we place him as the head of our movement, or of our body, we are saying that our gain ought never be at the expense of someone else’s loss, except his. Our King died for the least of these, not just for us. We must see him as servant King.So far, we have addressed the idea of the Isaiah text illuminating the fact that Jesus fled from a fight with his opponents and commanded his followers to keep quiet about his identity. Incidentally, Jesus stays quiet about his identity when on trial for his life as well.We have not addressed the idea of these few verses from Isaiah providing a mid-gospel summary of Jesus’ mission. I’d like us to look at two central aspects of Jesus’ life to this point in the gospel as key for understanding his overall mission. The first is to be found by looking at the opening of the Servant Song: “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights.”The word servant in Greek can also mean “child,” or possibly “son.” Knowing this, we discover that this phrase seems echoed in Jesus’ baptism. As Jesus comes up out of the water, God’s voice declares in Matthew 3:17, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”We spoke last week about Lent being a time to reflect on the vows we make in baptism, to think about renewing our life in Christ. Here we have another connection. God chooses his servant, as God has chosen you. The servant, Christ Jesus, is declared as God’s beloved in His baptism. You too are God’s beloved child and servant. The second aspect of Jesus’ ministry that is pointed to here is his teaching, and specifically how his teaching is intended to go throughout the world.In Isaiah 42:4 it is phrased like this: “and the coastlands wait for his teaching.”This gets changed by Matthew to “And in his name the Gentiles will hope.” That’s quite different. Where does Matthew get that from? He copied it word for word from the Septuagint. Earlier he followed the original Hebrew text. Here he follows the Greek text. Why? To point us to Jesus. When we reflect on this, we find that taking the Hebrew and Greek together, we find an even greater meaning.First, the easy one: the word “coastlands,” which can also be translated “islands.” This gets changed to “Gentiles.” The first description is geographical. The second is political or ethnic. The geographic description is meant to conjure the idea of those who are far off. The Septuagint interpreter can insert “Gentiles” here, because they are those who are politically and ethnically far off - they are those who are not part of Israel. This makes things more clear for Matthew’s purposes. He is not wanting to say that there are certain coastlands or islands that are awaiting Jesus. He wants to say that all people, even people traditionally outside of God’s covenant with Israel, are in need of Jesus.Saying Gentiles or Nations is perhaps more accurate. Saying coastlands or islands is maybe more poetic. It is like saying - until every last nook and cranny on earth has heard the message.The substitution of “name” for “teaching” is more difficult, however. We can’t know why the Septuagint inserted the word “name” there, but in some ways it is a blessing that it did. Looking at the Hebrew that is translated teaching, we find that it is actually the word Torah. That can be “teaching,” but it can also be “law.” We must also understand what is meant by the Gentiles hoping in Jesus’ name. It isn’t literally the name Jesus. It is who the name refers to. It is the person of the servant - of Jesus. What has happened here, even through translation and interpretation, is that the person of Jesus has taken the place of the law. It’s quite remarkable.As we look on Jesus’ actual teaching, we find that while he provides excellent commands that we ought to follow, the main thrust of what we learn, is in fact about Jesus himself. He is ultimately the content of the teaching, and he is the fulfillment of the ultimate teaching, God’s teaching, the law.This bit of Isaiah points to Jesus’ whole mission because his mission is one of connecting others to God. This was formally done through adherence to the law. Now it can be done in Christ. The new covenant is found in Christ, and is open to more than just Israel. The servant King’s mission is to the least of these, to those who are far off, to the Gentiles of the coastlands and islands.The mission involved obeying his commands, keeping our vows, but it’s more than that. His mission is for us to be connected to him, or as Jesus puts it, to be disciples. This all comes together at the very end of Matthew’s Gospel, where he sends out his closest followers. Listen to what he tells them to do, and where he commissions them to go.Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”With Jesus firmly in mind, the second half of our Servant Song comes alive for us.6bI have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, 7 to open the eyes that are blind,to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. 9 See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare;before they spring forth, I tell you of them. We should see right away that these verses can apply to both Israel and Christ. The themes of covenant and God’s chosen ones being a light to the nations are all over the Old Testament, but we believe those themes reach their climax in Jesus. Martin Luther said that Isaiah’s prophecy “paints the entire Christ.”Here we have the great themes that weave together in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus: covenant, light to the nations, healing, salvation and freedom, the old life being gone and new things being declared.The early believers saw these connections between their scriptures and this one who had come. He did not rule as anyone else. He did not lord over people, he was a suffering servant and is our king.Questions for Reflection1) Martin Luther said that Isaiah’s prophecy “paints the entire Christ.” What did Luther mean by this?2) In what ways does Jesus fulfill or complete the law? In what ways does Jesus fulfill the entire Hebrew Scriptures?3) How do you feel about the discrepancies between the different manuscripts of the Bible? Does this challenge your faith? Does it add to it in any way?4) How is saying “the Servant Songs are prophecies about Jesus” different from saying “the Servant Songs are to be applied to Jesus” (or “inform our understanding of Jesus”)?5) The argument was made that Jesus commanded his followers to remain silent about him to guard against a potential misunderstanding of his true identity as servant Messiah. Does this effect how we talk about Jesus with others today? 6) When discussing “dimly burning wicks” and “bruised reeds” the following statement was made: “The Church sometimes holds so solidly to the truth that we stop caring for real people in the name of that truth.” What do you think this means? How do you respond?7) If we apply the servant song to Jesus, what does it mean to say he is “a covenant to the people, a light to the nations?” Source Note:F. Dale Bruner, Matthew: A Commentary (2 volumes; revised and expanded edition, Eerdmans, 2004)

Bro. Keith covers how Jesus discusses the judging of others. He starts with general observations concerning the text, what Jesus does NOT mean in His teaching about judgment, what Jesus (and the Bible) DOES teach about judging, and three takeaways on avoiding a judgmental(critical) spirit. (Matthew 7:1-6)

Does archaeology prove the Bible? Does it disprove the Bible? Or is archaeology irrelevant to the Bible? In this Sunday school lesson, David Capoccia explains the basics of biblical archaeology and why it’s important for Christians to know about. Specifically, David Capoccia defines biblical archaeology, briefly describes its history and process, and then discusses why… The post What is Biblical Archaeology and What Can It Do? appeared first on Calvary Community Church.

Who was Cyrus in the Bible? Does the biblical account of Cyrus match what secular history says about him?

Sometimes I think we get the idea that God actually WANTS or NEEDS our money. C'mon, he's all powerful! But the Bible DOES speak of money A LOT...why is that?

What is the Shepherd of Hermas and should it be in the Bible? Does the Shepherd of Hermas present an accurate understanding of the end times?

Judging Others.... How to secure the death of the Planet! Do you and I judge others? Do we look down on people because their life-choices are out of step with the Bible? Does this judgment solve the problem or simply separate us from the problem? The Scriptures talk loudly about judgment and its results. Jesus spoke clearly on this subject.

Tozer speaks at a Alliance Conference on the a topic of discerning whether or not a experience or new doctrine is truly from God. He outlines and gives 5-6 reasons how we can surely know if it is from God: Does it glorify Christ? does it magnify Christ? Can it be found in the Bible? Does it promote unity and love for the brethren? This is a worthwhile teaching to hear and re-listen to.