Month: April 2018

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20).
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Contents:

1) Look Again (R.J. Evans)
2) He “Disrespected” Me (Greg Gwin)
3) How Happy Are You? (Tom Wheeler)
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Look Again

R.J. Evans

Some time ago I read an interesting story. I can’t guarantee its veracity, but it certainly makes a good point. It took place one spring before the Civil War. A young man, in search of a job, came to a prosperous Ohio farmer’s place. The farmer knew nothing about the boy except that his name was Jim, but he gave him a job. Jim spent the spring and summer cutting stove wood, bringing in the cows, and making himself generally useful. He ate in the kitchen, but slept in the hayloft.

Before the summer was over, Jim had fallen in love with the farmer’s daughter. The young man asked to marry his daughter, but the farmer refused to let him marry her — telling him bluntly that he had no money, no name, and very poor prospects. So Jim sadly put his belongings in his old carpet bag and disappeared, never to show up again.

Many years later, the farmer was tearing down his old barn in order to build a new one. On one of the rafters above the hayloft, he discovered that Jim had carved his full name into the wood — James A. Garfield. At that time “Jim” was the President of the United States!

What a shock that must have been to the farmer! His daughter could have been the First Lady of the United States. We all have, at times, made mistaken judgments about another person. We think a certain person won’t amount to anything, he will never make a contribution to society, or he will never live a productive life. But with regard to some, as the years pass, the person matures, he is educated and trained, and applying his skills, he becomes successful.

This is certainly true when it has to do with a sinner and the power of the gospel of Christ. The Apostle Paul said it this way: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:16-17). Jesus taught that we must be born again (Jn. 3:3-5). When a penitent believer is baptized, that puts him “in Christ, he is a new creation.” This is clearly taught in Galatians 3:26-27: “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” The gospel has the power to transform us from being an ugly filthy sinner, into a beautiful forgiven child of God who has been conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 1:16; 8:29; 12:2).

Who could have foreseen that the Apostle Peter would become the bold proclaimer of the gospel of Christ after his denial of the Lord? Who would have thought that Saul of Tarsus would be such a devoted servant and apostle after spending the first part of his life persecuting Christians? Who could have predicted that John would become known as “the Apostle of love” after he and his brother were nicknamed “Sons of Thunder”? Remember, it was he, and his brother James, who wanted the Lord to command fire to come down and destroy a Samaritan village (Mk. 3:17; Lk. 9:54).

Yes, there are times when we need to look again — take a second look. John Billings, the 19th century American humorist, once said: “I have lived in this world just long enough to look carefully the second time, into things I am the most certain of the first time.”
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“JIM” IN TODAY’S ARTICLE

James A. Garfield was a member of the Lord’s church. He obeyed the gospel on March 4, 1850. He preached the gospel up until he became president. He was shot 3 months into his presidency and died 3 months later in 1881 at age 49. Another interesting story is told about him. The first week after his inauguration as President of the United States, a member of his cabinet insisted on an urgent meeting at 10:00 Sunday morning to handle a threatened national crisis. Garfield refused to attend because he had a more important appointment. The cabinet member demanded to know what it was. The president replied, “I will be as frank as you are. My engagement is with the Lord to meet Him in His house at His table at 10:00 tomorrow, and I shall be there.” You can read more about him online. Google: James A. Garfield, Church of Christ.

— via bulletin for the Southside church of Christ, Gonzales, Louisiana, January 28, 2018
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He “Disrespected” Me

Greg Gwin

It’s common to hear the young folks speak of someone “dissing” another person. That is a shortened slang word for “disrespecting,” which means to treat with contempt or rudeness. Sadly, this happens far too often. In fact, it happened to me just the other day. The offender was a man in a position of governmental authority. I was a simple law-abiding citizen. In a verbal exchange, he was rude and mean-spirited. He “dissed” me!

Later, I was thinking about this episode, and considering what I could have said or done. I imagined quick and cutting replies I could have made. This man needed to be taught a thing or two. “Put him in his place,” I thought. Or, perhaps I should have gotten his name and notified his superiors concerning his inappropriate behavior. Let his bosses deal with this arrogant fella. After all, if he is to be out in the public, he needs to know how to relate to others in the right way. I was angry — downright mad — and there was surely some way to “get even” with this haughty, obnoxious individual.

But then, it occurred to me that it didn’t really matter. So what if he was rude? It didn’t harm me in any significant way. The only damage was to my pride, and that isn’t important at all. In fact, the only thing my pride does is get me in trouble. He “dissed” me, but I’m no worse for the episode.

Our Lord taught us that when our pride is assaulted we ought to “turn the other cheek” and “go the extra mile” (Matthew 5:38-42). The only reason this is hard is because we are tempted to “think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think” (Romans 12:3).

We are not implying that such “disrespect” is OK, or that it is excusable. Neither are we saying that God won’t hold men accountable for such things. But, the lesson for us is that we learn to live with it in a way that will not harm our relationship with the Father or our influence on others. In the final analysis, that’s really all that matters.

— Via the bulletin of the Collegevue church of Christ, March 18, 2018
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How Happy Are You?

Tom Wheeler

“Rejoice in the lord always: and again I say rejoice” (Phil. 4:4).

Look at all of the blessings that Christians have. The material blessings are available for everyone and they are without number. We live in a country that is well blessed with material things, freedom, beauty of all kinds — and how long could the list be! Even the air that we breathe, the water that we drink, and the ground that we walk upon are blessings from God. In addition to these things Christians have the forgiveness of sins, fellowship with God and fellow Christians, and the hope of an eternity in the presence of God. God has written to us about the assurance of His love, the blessedness of His hope, and the wonders of salvation. We can, by adhering to His word, bask in the sunshine of His love.

When we look around us and observe fellow Christians, what do we see and hear? There is murmuring and complaining. There is worry about mundane things and things that we cannot do anything about, and we complain about everything in sight.

We must learn to exercise our minds, and learn to separate the good from the evil. God says “rejoice” and we need to be learning how.

— via bulletin for the Collegevue church of Christ, December 10, 2017
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

1) Hear the gospel, for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).
2) Believe in the deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:26-27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith, living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Sunday services: 9:00 a.m. (Bible class); 10 a.m. & 5 p.m. (worship)
Wednesday: 7 p.m. (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://thomastedwards.com/go (Older version of Gospel Observer website without pictures, but back to March 1990)
http://tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html (audio sermons)

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20).
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Contents:

1) The Better Covenant (Tom Edwards)
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The Better Covenant

Tom Edwards

Last week, we considered some things about the Law of Moses and concluded with the better covenant Jesus has made possible by His atoning death at Calvary.

One of the things we noted was that the Old Covenant was not without fault (Heb. 8:7); and that fault was that the Law of Moses could not blot out sin, which is also the reason in the same verse for why a second covenant was necessary — “for the Law made nothing perfect” (Heb. 7:19).

To see the contrast, notice how James refers to that second covenant (the gospel): “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does” (Jms. 1:25, emphasis mine).

So we have a covenant with God today that is perfect!

Consider also Roman 8:3-4: “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

Another reason why we have a better covenant today is because it also contains “better promises” (Heb. 8:6).

The writer then goes on to speak of that in verses 10-12: “FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO THEIR MINDS, AND I WILL WRITE THEM ON THEIR HEARTS. AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. AND THEY SHALL NOT TEACH EVERYONE HIS FELLOW CITIZEN, AND EVERYONE HIS BROTHER, SAYING, ‘KNOW THE LORD,’ FOR ALL WILL KNOW ME, FROM THE LEAST TO THE GREATEST OF THEM. FOR I WILL BE MERCIFUL TO THEIR INIQUITIES, AND I WILL REMEMBER THEIR SINS NO MORE.”

It was by the death of Christ that the atonement for sin was made and the New Covenant was inaugurated. And that atonement was not just for those from that time onward, but also for those through the prior ages as well.

For after showing that God sent Jesus into this world at the right appointed time, Paul then goes on to tell of one of the purposes for that: “so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:5). Here the focus is on those who were under the Old Covenant, as the Hebrew writer also makes mention of: “For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance” (Heb. 9:15, emphasis mine).

It is said of those who were forgiven during Old Testament times that their sins were “rolled forward” each year on that day of atonement. “For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near” (Heb. 10:1). “But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (vv. 3-4).

So it appears those sins were “rolled forward,” in a manner of speaking, to the cross of Christ by which they truly could be blotted out. For are we to think that those living prior to His death could be forgiven without the need of the Lord’s atonement? We know that people could be forgiven and brought into a right relationship with God by their faith during Old Testament Times, but was that not because of what God knew His Son would accomplish at Calvary? Even the great people of faith — like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Daniel, and any other — still had need of the atonement Jesus made for every sinner throughout all time.

In Hebrews 8:6, we also saw that the “better covenant…has been enacted on better promises.” In this, we see a close connection between a covenant and a promise. For a covenant is “an agreement…between two or more persons to do or not do something specified” (Webster). So would not that also be a promise? Webster also gives for the 3rd definition of covenant: “the conditional promises made to humanity by God, as revealed in the Scripture” (Random House Webster’s College Dictionary).

Many of God’s promises during the Mosaical Age pertained to blessings of a physical nature. Deuteronomy 28, for example, begins with specific blessings in the first 14 verses for those who are faithful to Him. In being that way, they would have their offspring multiplied, have an increase in flocks, have plenty of food from abundant crops, have protection from the enemy, and have no lack of rain. The next 54 verses then specify various curses that God would bring on them if they would not obey.

In the New Testament, though God promises to meet the physical needs of His children, yet the focus is on the spiritual — and even above the physical necessities of life. For instance, Jesus says, “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:31-33).

Though Jesus came into this world and lived and died under the Old Covenant, we very much think of Him in connection with the New Covenant because it was by His death that He did away with that Old Covenant and established the New, which has now been in existence for about 1,985 years. And He is spoken of as “having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they” (Heb. 1:4). Surely, we think of angels as being holy and without even the slightest trace of sin — but Christ is esteemed far above any of them: “For to which of the angels did He ever say, ’YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU’? And again, ‘I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME’? And when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says, ‘AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM’” (vv. 4-6). Angels were created — but Jesus is the Creator!

As we have seen, the Lord being “made for a little while lower than the angels” (Heb. 2:9) does not mean He became inferior in rank. For Christ was still Deity and supreme to them. But this verse is speaking of that inferior body (compared to that of the angels) that Jesus took upon Himself. And the same verse also tells why: “that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”

Hebrews 7:19 also goes on to bring out another “better” something that we have in the New Covenant — and it is a “better hope”: “(for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.”

What if we lived in 515 B.C. and were still awaiting the coming of the Messiah? Do you think our faith would be a little more challenged? In 2 Peter 3:4, Peter speaks of even those in these last days who would mockingly say, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” But for us today, we can look back and see that He came the first time as promised — and, therefore, also know with full assurance that He will come again, for us to meet in the air! (1 Thess. 4:13-18).

Hebrews 6:18-20 also shows why we have a better hope: “in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

This hope helps us to set our eyes on heaven with eager expectation, to stabilize us in our relationship with God, and to take us through the veil (figuratively speaking) and into the presence of God.

Today we need not go through a human intermediary as many of God’s people did in Old Testament times. Now we who are Christians, as spiritual priests, can go directly to God through Jesus Christ.

What a great hope we have! As children of God, we can glory in the song that tells us, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness…” And what a great title for it — “The Solid Rock.”

When Moses and Elijah were with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, God the Father said of His Son, “listen to Him” (Matt. 17:5). It is implied in this verse that Jesus, who made the New Covenant possible, is superior to these two men and to the Law and the Prophets. And just as God the Father had told Peter, James, and John to listen to Jesus, we must each also do that today! For there is salvation in no other! (cf. Acts 4:10-12; Jn. 14:6.)

Thanks be to the Lord for this better covenant that He has made for us!

(All Scripture from the NASB.)
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

1) Hear the gospel, for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).
2) Believe in the deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:26-27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith, living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
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Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Sunday services: 9:00 a.m. (Bible class); 10 a.m. & 5 p.m. (worship)
Wednesday: 7 p.m. (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 614-8593
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://thomastedwards.com/go (Older version of Gospel Observer website without pictures, but back to March 1990)
http://tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html (audio sermons)

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20).
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1) Genealogies (Derek Long)
2) The Law of Moses (Tom Edwards)
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Genealogies

Derek Long

As we read the Bible, we encounter lists of genealogies of various individuals or groups of individuals.  Oftentimes these lists contain many names we are unfamiliar with and are difficult for us to pronounce.  Why are these lists of genealogies recorded for us in the Bible?  Why are they important?

​When Paul writes to Timothy and Titus, he speaks about the attitude they should have toward certain genealogies.  In 1 Timothy 1:4 we read, “nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.”  In Titus 3:9, Titus was commanded, “But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless.”  Do these verses teach us we should ignore the genealogies we find recorded in scripture and treat them as unimportant?  Obviously Paul is not speaking of what is recorded for us in the lists of genealogies throughout the Bible.  Paul plainly taught, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness …” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).  All scripture, including the lists of genealogies, is profitable to be taught and studied.  Therefore, Paul must have been talking either about uninspired genealogies or elaborations of the genealogies we find in the Bible.  Such genealogies are not a part of God’s revealed truth and are to be avoided.

Why are the lists of genealogies recorded in the Bible important?  Below are some of the thoughts I have on why these lists are helpful and recorded for us:

• The genealogies allow us to see the events in the Bible are historical events.  The genealogies show we are not dealing with fables or legends.  The Bible contains records of real people who lived in real history.

• The genealogies allow us to see where certain nations came from.  The book of Obadiah is essentially a book pronouncing judgment upon the nation of Edom for their treatment of the nation of Israel.  The book speaks of Edom’s “violence against your brother Jacob” (Obadiah 10).  If we know Jacob and Esau were brothers and Israel descended from Jacob and Edom descended from Esau, we can understand what Obadiah 10 is talking about.  Many other examples like this could be produced with regards to other nations throughout scripture.

• The genealogies allow us to see important things regarding various tribes of Israel. There are several lists of genealogies showing who was part of which tribe of Israel and how many people were a part of each tribe.  The initial censuses of Israel were conducted as a way of determining how many men twenty years old and above were in each tribe of Israel (Numbers 1:2-3; 26:2-4).  The second census would serve the purpose of verifying God’s promise for all the preceding generation to pass away was carried out (Numbers 26:63-65) and also served as a basis to determine how much land each tribe would receive (Numbers 33:54).  There are also several lists of people from the tribe of Levi and priests.  These genealogies were important to verify those who served as priests were from the proper tribe.  Those who could not verify their genealogy after returning from captivity were excluded from serving as priests (Ezra 2:62; Nehemiah 7:64).

• The genealogies allow us to see God keeping His promises with certain individuals. God promised through Abraham’s seed all nations of the earth would be blessed (Genesis 12:3).  Therefore, keeping up with the descendants of Abraham allows us to see this promise being fulfilled.  God promised David would never lack a man to sit upon His throne (2 Samuel 7:11-14).  If we have a list of David’s descendants, we are able to see the fulfillment of this promise.  God promises to leave no descendants of certain individuals alive in scripture.  If we know who their descendants are, we can tell how these promises are fulfilled at times.

• The genealogies serve as a record of the individuals through whom the Christ came into the world.  Perhaps some of the most important genealogies recorded in the Bible have to deal with the people through whom Jesus was born.  The New Testament begins with a listing of Jesus’ genealogy going back to Abraham (Matthew 1:1-17) and Luke records Jesus’ genealogy going back to Adam (Luke 3:23-38).  We can see Jesus fulfills God’s promises to Abraham, Judah, and David by examining these genealogical lists.

Other purposes for the genealogies may exist but these are just some I thought of.  I hope this helps us as we attempt to study these oft-neglected portions of inspired Scripture.

— Via Understanding the Bible, January 20, 2018
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The Law of Moses

Tom Edwards

What do we know about the Law of Moses?

A. It was given to reveal what sin is (Rom. 3:19-22; 7:7).

B. It served as a tutor to lead men to Christ (Gal. 3:24-25).

C. It was given exclusively to the Jews — and not to the world at large (Exo. 31:12-17).

D. It was abolished by the sacrifice of Christ (Col. 2:14; Eph. 2:13-16).

E. To go back to the Old Law today would be to fall from grace and cut oneself off from Christ (Gal. 5:4).

F.  Though some today make a distinction between the law of Moses and the Law of God during the Old Testament times, saying one is a “ceremonial law and done away with in Christ while the other remains for our time,” this is not what the Bible shows.  For example, Nehemiah 8:1, 8 use the phrases “law of God” and “law of Moses” interchangeably to refer to the same thing.

This, of course, is not to say that God no longer sees lying, stealing, adultery, murder, etc., as sins in our time; but that is because the Lord will always see these iniquities as sinful; and are, therefore, seen as prohibitions in the New Testament for our Gospel Age as well, though not all of them with the same severe earthly penalties for violating, as in the Old Testament times.  In 1 Corinthians 5, for example, the one guilty of incest (with his father’s wife) was disfellowshiped rather than put to death; and that led to his coming to his senses, repenting, and being restored, as indicated in 2 Corinthians 2:6-11.

G.  And, lastly, Hebrews 8:7 indicates that the Law of Moses had fault.  But that “fault,” however, does not mean there were mistakes in the Law of Moses; but, rather, that it could not provide forgiveness of sins.  For, as the Hebrew writer declares in Heb. 10:4, “For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

So though everything in the Law of Moses was true, the fault was in its inability to provide an atonement that could blot out sin.  And the fact that its Laws were correct can also be inferred from what Jesus states in Matthew 5:18, that “…Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (KJV). The “jot” and the “tittle” have been described as the dot on the letter “i” and the horizontal line on the “t” — just small parts of letters.  The NASB translates this passage as, “…until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”  So the implication is that the Law was without error in being all that God wanted it to be, but it just did not have the ability to atone for sin.

Going along with that, you might recall Galatians 2:21, in which Paul points out that “if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.”

And by that death, Jesus not only did away with the Old Covenant, but also established the New and Better Covenant, as the Hebrew writer points out:  “But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion sought for a second” (Heb. 8:6-7).

Hebrews 9 speaks more of this: “But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption” (vv. 11-12).  “For this reason He is the mediator of a new covenant…” (v. 15).  And that this required His death is also seen in the next verse: “For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it” (v. 16); and that is what Jesus was willing to undergo for us — and, thus, made it possible that sins can be blotted out.

(All Scripture from the NASB, unless otherwise indicated.)
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

1) Hear the gospel, for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).
2) Believe in the deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:26-27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith, living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
——————–

Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA  31501
Sunday services: 9:00 a.m. (Bible class); 10 a.m. & 5 p.m. (worship)
Wednesday:7 p.m. (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://thomastedwards.com/go (Older version of Gospel Observer website without pictures, but back to March 1990)
http://tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html (audio sermons)

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20).
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Contents:

1) Bible Prophecy (8) (Tom Edwards)
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Bible Prophecy (8)

Tom Edwards

Last week we considered in prophecies and their fulfillments of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It was by the power of that resurrection that He was “declared the Son of God” (Rom. 1:4).

In Acts 1:3, Luke speaks of that time between the Lord’s resurrection and His ascension, by saying, “To these [the apostles] He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.”

The Greek word in this verse for “convincing proofs,” which Liddell & Scott defines as “a sure sign or token,” is worded in the King James Version as “infallible proofs.”

During that 40-day period, Jesus not only appeared to the apostles, but also to many others — even “to more than five hundred brethren at one time” — and “most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep” (1 Cor. 15:6).  So that means that when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians from Ephesus, about A.D. 55, there were still many of those witnesses who could testify toward having seen the resurrected Christ for themselves, about 22 years prior.

Following that 40-day period, Jesus then ascended back into heaven; and Luke goes on to write of this in Acts 1:9-11: “And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.  And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them.  They also said, ’Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.’”

The ascension is also spoken of in the accounts of Mark and Luke.  Mark writes: “So then, when the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God” (Mark 16:19).  Luke words it as follows: “And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they, after worshiping Him, returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising God” (Luke 24:50-53).

Christ also spoke of His ascension.  After He arose from the dead, He told Mary Magdalene, who was apparently overjoyed in seeing Him alive, to “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God’” (Jn. 20:17).

Prophecy of the Lord’s ascension is also seen way back in the book of Daniel, who lived several centuries prior to that marvelous event. Daniel declares in Daniel 7:13-14:

“I kept looking in the night visions,
And behold, with the clouds of heaven
One like a Son of Man was coming,
And He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
That all the peoples, nations and men of every language
Might serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed.”

Notice the three things given to Him at that time: 1) dominion, 2) glory, and 3) a kingdom.  So all of this was received when Jesus ascended back to His Father in heaven.

Many folks are still awaiting God’s kingdom. But it came in Acts 2 when the church was established.  So Christians are in that kingdom now, and which has been around for about 1,985 years!  This is also seen in Colossians 1:13, where Paul told the brethren that God “…delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.”  The Colossian letter was written about A.D. 60 to 62.  And, of course, since Christ right now is “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16), how could that be so — if He had no kingdom to rule over?

Going  back to Daniel 7:13, we note, too, that Jesus was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom “That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him.”  So if He has not yet received that, then how could individuals of every nation serve Him?  Would we not then have to all wait until that kingdom comes?

But being in the kingdom is also what the apostle John acknowledged in Revelation 1:9: “I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus…”  And being a fellow partaker of the kingdom is also true of every Christian.  Therefore, as the Hebrew writer exhorts in Hebrew 12:28, “We should be grateful that we were given a kingdom that cannot be shaken. And in this kingdom we please God by worshiping him and by showing him great honor and respect” (CEV).  Or as the English Standard Version words that last part, “…and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe.”

The psalmist also speaks of the Lord’s ascension in Psalm 66:18:

“You have ascended on high,
You have led captive Your captives;
You have received gifts among men…”

Where we find this cited in the New Testament, there is a slight change of the Lord giving gifts, rather than receiving them.   But in the NT context, the gifts Christ gave were apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:7-12).  And wouldn’t all these also be “gifts” He had received from the Father to, in turn, give?  For of the apostles, Jesus says, “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word” (Jn. 17:6).  And not only the apostles, but the Lord also speaks of His “sheep” as those whom His Father “has given” to Him (Jn. 10:29).

Jesus is now at the right hand of God (Col. 3:1).  Stephen, while being stoned to death by an angry mob, saw him there (Acts 7:55).  And from heaven, Jesus is not only ruling over the church, but over all, with the exception of God the Father (cf. Eph.  1:20-23; Phil. 2:9-11; 1 Cor. 15:23-28).  Peter writes of Jesus as having “gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him” (1 Pet. 3:22).  And Paul shows that the Lord “ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things” (Eph. 4:10).

That the Lord ascended for this coronation is also seen in comparing certain Bible passages.  For instance:

“The LORD says to my Lord:
‘Sit at My right hand
Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.
The LORD will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying,
‘Rule in the midst of Your enemies’” (Psa. 110:1-2).

Then, in Hebrew 10:11-13: “Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET.”

Jesus also cited Psalm 110:1 when questioning the Pharisees.  He asked, “’What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?’  They said to Him, ‘The son of David.’ He said to them, ‘Then how does David in the Spirit call him “Lord,” saying, “THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, ‘SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET’”’? If David then calls Him, ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?” (Matt. 22:42-45).

Though we read in Acts 1:11 of the angels who had said to the apostles that “This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven,” yet Christ will not be setting foot on earth again.  Rather, when He returns, it will be to meet Him in the air, according to 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.   For He will return on the “last day” (Jn. 6:39-40, 44, 54; Jn. 12:48).   After which the universe and time itself shall be no more (2 Pet. 3:7, 10-12).

(All Scripture from the NASB, unless otherwise indicated.)
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“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” (Eph. 5:1-2, NASB).
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

1) Hear the gospel, for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).
2) Believe in the deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:26-27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith, living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
——————–

Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA  31501
Sunday services: 9:00 a.m. (Bible class); 10 a.m. & 5 p.m. (worship)
Wednesday: 7 p.m. (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://thomastedwards.com/go (Older version of Gospel Observer website without pictures, but back to March 1990)
http://tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html (audio sermons)

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20).
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Contents:

1) Bible Prophecy (7) (Tom Edwards)
2) News & Notes
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-1-

Bible Prophecy (7)

Tom Edwards

Last week’s installment centered around prophecies pertaining to the crucifixion and death of Christ.  Today’s article will focus on His resurrection.

David declares in Psalm 16:8-10 the following:

“I have set the LORD continually before me;
Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will dwell securely.
For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol;
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.”

If you have read the book of Acts, then you probably find this previous passage familiar.  For it was cited by Peter on the day that the church was established.  Notice Acts 2:22-27: “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know — this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. For David says of Him, ‘I SAW THE LORD ALWAYS IN MY PRESENCE; FOR HE IS AT MY RIGHT HAND, SO THAT I WILL NOT BE SHAKEN. THEREFORE MY HEART WAS GLAD AND MY TONGUE EXULTED; MOREOVER MY FLESH ALSO WILL LIVE IN HOPE; BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT ABANDON MY SOUL TO HADES, NOR ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.”

Peter also shows that because David “was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY” (Acts 2:30-31; See also 2 Sam. 7:12-16 and Luke 1:30-33).  So Jesus was raised from the dead for that as well, and “exalted to the right hand of God.”  For “God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:29, 36).

That Jesus would be raised from the dead is also seen in Acts 13:34, but first let us see another prophecy concerning this in Psalm 2.  The psalmist writes:

“But as for Me, I have installed My King
Upon Zion, My holy mountain” (v. 6).
“I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD:
He said to Me, ’You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession’” (vv. 7-8).

Going back to Acts 13, we now see that the thought of God begetting Jesus is actually referring to His resurrection — rather than being conceived by the Holy Spirit in the virgin Mary.  Luke writes: “And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb. But God raised Him from the dead; and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ’YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’ As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ’I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE blessings OF DAVID.’ Therefore He also says in another Psalm, ’YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY’” (Acts 13:23-35).

Numerous passages throughout the New Testament speak of the Lord’s resurrection.  In selecting an apostle to take Judas’ place, one of the qualifications was to have been a witness of the Lord’s resurrection (Acts 1:22).  Peter, in speaking of himself and the other apostles, testified that “This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses” (Acts 2:32).  That God raised Jesus from the dead is seen in Acts 3:5, 4:10; 10:40; and 13:30.  In doing a search for “resurrection” and “raised dead” in a computer Bible, I came across 31 passages in the New Testament that speak of the Lord having been resurrected — and that is not all of them.

The resurrection of Christ was a main theme in the preaching of the apostles.   For they were to be His witnesses of that (Acts 4:33; Acts 10:38-43).  Paul had also testified toward the Lord’s resurrection when in Athens (Acts 17:3, 18, 31), when before King Agrippa (Acts 26:23), in Antioch of Pisidia (Acts 13:14), and elsewhere.

Jesus was “declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead…” (Rom. 1:4).

Because Jesus was raised from the dead, those who are spiritually dead in sin can be raised to a spiritual life, after submitting to God’s plan of salvation.  As Paul explains, “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:3-4).

From this passage, we see that it is  baptism — and not merely belief in Christ only, nor belief in Christ and repentance only — that is that last step by which we receive the “newness of life.” For baptism puts us “into Christ” (Gal. 3:26-27).  As Paul writes in Colossians 2:12, “having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.” Baptism is the “in which” we are raised up from in order to be “raised up with Christ” (Col. 3:1).

Paul also wrote of that to the Ephesians: “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world…  But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Eph. 2:1-2,5).  Compare also Colossians 2:13.

Notice, too, that when we compare Romans 6:3-4, in which baptism is part of how one acquires the “newness of life,” with the above passage in Ephesians 2, we can conclude that even in being baptized, it is also still a part of God’s grace — rather than some type of meritorious work through which salvation could be deserved or earned.  For we are saved by grace — which certainly does not nullify the need to hear God’s word (Rom. 10:17), believe in Jesus (Jn. 8:24), repent of sins (Luke 13:5), confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10), and be baptized (Mk. 16:16; 1 Pet. 3:21).

Consider also Colossians 3:1: “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”  This, again, reminds us of Romans 6:3-4 which speaks of the new life we have in Christ when coming up out of the water of baptism.

But also because of the Lord’s resurrection, all the literal dead, down through the ages, will also be physically resurrected.  For “if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised… For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised” (1 Cor. 15:13,16). The implication is: since Christ was raised, the dead will also be raised.

This is also seen in John 5, where Jesus says, “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment” (vv. 28-29).

This is talking of a physical resurrection. For the “Do not marvel at this” is pointing back to the spiritual resurrection spoken of in verses 24-25: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.”  So when Jesus goes on to say, “Do not marvel at this,” He then continues with another type of resurrection that might require more faith to accept — and that is a physical resurrection.  Notice, too, that the physical resurrection is not limited to only the saved.  For the lost will be raised as well.  Everyone.  This is one of the reasons why it is so important to make our souls ready by accepting God’s way of salvation while we now have the time to do so.

When Jesus says, “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven” (Matt. 22:30), He is not talking about a spiritual resurrection; but, rather, a physical one. For He was answering the question the Sadducees had asked concerning a woman who had become a widow 7 times by 7 brothers.  Since they had each died, the question was, “In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be?” (v. 28).  The Sadducees, of course, “say there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit” (Acts 23:8); so they were simply trying to entrap the Lord with their question.  But the point I want to emphasize from this is that there will be a physical resurrection.  For if Matthew 22:30 is speaking of just a spiritual resurrection (in which the sinner has become a saint by being born again and having that new life as a Christian in Christ), then it is while on earth that Christians “neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.”  But who would think that — especially in view of all the Bible passages, such as Ephesians 5:22-33, that give instruction for husbands and wives.

Martha, whose brother had been physically dead for four days, knew that he would “rise again in the resurrection on the last day” (Jn. 11:24).   And Jesus, who referred to Himself as “the resurrection and the life” (v. 35), merely gave the command, “Lazarus, come forth” (v. 43) — and it was so!

To be ready for that physical resurrection in the last day, we must first undergo that spiritual resurrection by submitting to the gospel plan of salvation, which includes the need to hear the gospel, to believe in the Deity of Christ, to repent of sins, to acknowledge faith in Christ, and to be baptized for the remission of sins.  We are then to also follow through in maintaining that new life in Christ.  For Jesus died for us that we might live for Him (cf. 2 Cor. 5:15).

(All Scripture from the NASB, unless otherwise indicated; and all underlining for emphasis mine.)
——————–

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

1) Hear the gospel, for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31).
2) Believe in the deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 3:26-27; 1 Pet. 3:21).
6) Continue in the faith, living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
——————–

Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA  31501
Sunday services: 9:00 a.m. (Bible class); 10 a.m. & 5 p.m. (worship)
Wednesday: 7 p.m. (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://thomastedwards.com/go (Older version of Gospel Observer website without pictures, but back to March 1990)
http://tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html (audio sermons)