Category: Uncategorized (Page 46 of 51)

The Gospel Observer

April 17, 2016 / Tom Edwards

“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” (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).
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Contents:

1) “…My horn is exalted in the LORD…” (1 Samuel 2:1) (Tom Edwards)
2) A Lively Hope (Brian A. Yeager)
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Exodus15_2

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“My horn is exalted in the LORD…” (1 Samuel 2:1)

Tom Edwards

Hannah, the mother of Samuel, began her prayer to God by saying, “My heart exults in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD, My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation” (1 Samuel 2:1).

What does it mean that Hannah’s “horn is exalted in the LORD”?

The “horn” is sometimes used figuratively in the Bible to refer to strength, as it is here. It is derived from the literal horns of animals by which they do battle and, thus, symbolizes their power.

So after the psalmist declares that all God’s “…enemies will perish; All who do iniquity will be scattered” (Psalm 92:9), he then goes on to acknowledge, “But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox…” (v. 10).

And, as for these enemies of the Lord, “…all the horns of the wicked He will cut off, But the horns of the righteous will be lifted up” (Psalm 75:10, NASB).

Compare Jeremiah 48:20,25: “Moab has been put to shame, for it has been shattered. Wail and cry out; Declare by the Arnon That Moab has been destroyed. The horn of Moab has been cut off and his arm broken…” (NASB). Yes, Moab was powerless to save itself from destruction.

Different Bible versions can be of help in better understanding some passages. For instance, “horn” in 1 Samuel 2:1 is rendered as “strength” in the ESV and RSV. And the CEV begins this verse, by saying, “Hannah prayed: You make me STRONG and happy, LORD…” (emphasis mine).

The Hebrew word for it is “qeren,” which among its various definitions is also, “of strength figuratively” (Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions) and “figuratively power” (James Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries).

Like David, we must also realize that the power of our salvation does not lie within ourselves, rather it is in the Lord Himself! For as the psalmist acknowledges in Psalm 18:1,2: “I love You, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the HORN of my salvation, my stronghold” (NASB, emphasize mine).

Yes, salvation can come only from the Lord; but we can also be strengthened in Him as we yield our lives to Him through our faith and obedience to His word; and, as a result, be like the “they” and the “our” of whom the psalmist writes in Psalm 89:16,17: “In Your name they rejoice all the day, And by Your righteousness they are exalted. For You are the glory of their strength, And by Your favor our horn is exalted” (NASB, Psalm 89:16,17).

So may we also make that true of ourselves, in order that, we, too, can sing as Moses and the children of Israel did, that “The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him…” (Exodus 15:1,2).
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1Peter1_3

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A Lively Hope

Brian A. Yeager

In September Calvin preached a sermon on hope. He established that in this world there is no hope. In fact, as he pointed out, the world is full of tribulation (John 16:33). He discussed the difference between the way carnally minded individuals approach hope from how we approach the subject matter of hope. I enjoyed listening to that sermon, as I did all of the classes and sermons I heard here while recovering from surgery.

While listening to that sermon I was overjoyed in considering our hope. I was hanging onto every word in every Scripture that was used during that lesson. One Scripture that I did not catch in the sermon is what we are going to base this lesson upon. Calvin rightly made the points that whatever hope you have in this world is temporary (II Peter 3:10-12). George, in the class before that sermon, rightly taught about how limited and fragile our time in this life is. The Scriptures clearly show us those things (II Samuel 14:14, Psalms 90:10, Psalms 102:11, Psalms 103:15-16, Psalms 144:4, James 4:13-16, and I Peter 1:24).

Therefore, when you think about hope, you realize how dead hope is if it is a worldly hope. Solomon pointed this out throughout the book of Ecclesiastes repeatedly (Ecclesiastes 1:2, Ecclesiastes 1:14, Ecclesiastes 2:1, Ecclesiastes 2:11, Ecclesiastes 2:15, Ecclesiastes 2:17, Ecclesiastes 2:19, Ecclesiastes 2:21, Ecclesiastes 2:23, Ecclesiastes 2:26, Ecclesiastes 3:19, Ecclesiastes 4:4, Ecclesiastes 4:7-8, Ecclesiastes 4:16, Ecclesiastes 5:7, Ecclesiastes 5:10, Ecclesiastes 6:2, Ecclesiastes 6:4, Ecclesiastes 6:9, Ecclesiastes 6:11, Ecclesiastes 7:6, Ecclesiastes 7:15, Ecclesiastes 8:10, Ecclesiastes 8:14, Ecclesiastes 9:9, Ecclesiastes 11:8, and Ecclesiastes 11:10). If all you have in life is physical things then you most certainly are hopeless (Luke 12:13-21 and I Corinthians 15:19). So, we should focus on a living hope.

Our Real Hope Of Life

Notice: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls” (I Peter 1:3-9).

Don’t just read past the Scriptures quoted above. Reread them. Think about them. Hope is a significant benefit of being a faithful disciple of the Lord. Hope is most certainly a huge part of God’s plan of salvation. Consider this: “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it” (Romans 8:24-25).

Our real hope separates us significantly from people of the world. Consider this Scriptural point: “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (I Thessalonians 4:13-18).

As Paul noted to the Thessalonians, in the quote above, people who do not have Christ have no hope in death. We do! The righteous have hope in death (Psalms 37:37 and Proverbs 14:32). Our hope is not temporary. We don’t labor for things that will perish. Doesn’t that make you thankful that you have found and obeyed the Gospel of Christ? Doesn’t that make you thankful that you can have salvation? Let’s all remember, the hope we all have in Christ now hasn’t always been presented to humanity.

The Hope We Now Have Hasn’t Always Been

Notice this: “Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:11-13).

Our hope for life, as you just read, wasn’t always presented to mankind. The Old Testament had promises (i.e. Joshua 1:6), but not as we have in Christ. Those promises of old were temporary or at best presented in a mysterious way (Ephesians 3:1-11). Now consider this great hope we have, that hasn’t always been, and ask yourself what that should motivate you to do.

Our Hope As A Motivator

“And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (I John 3:3). If we want to see God, it’ll be through being pure (Matthew 5:8). Therefore, let the hope of eternal life motivate you to live the right life now so that you gain eternity (John 5:28-29).

Conclusion

We have a living hope. That is, something to live for and look forward to (Colossians 1:5). There is only one hope (Ephesians 4:4). Be thankful that we whom are faithful in Christ have that hope. Let that hope move you forward to the fulfillment of the promise of life.

— Via Words of Truth, December 13, 2015, Volume 16, Issue 13
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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; 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 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 5 PM (worship)
Wednesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html (audio sermons)

The Gospel Observer

April 10, 2016 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) “…Christ did not send me to baptize…” (Tom Edwards)
2) A Simple Observation of a Hebrew Cubit (Tom Edwards)
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“…Christ did not send me to baptize…”

Tom Edwards

The title of today’s article is from a passage that is sometimes used as an argument by those who believe that baptism is not necessary to be forgiven and become a Christian. Of course, we have seen in the two previous bulletins for March 27 and April 3 that baptism is part of God’s plan of salvation. But let us look more into 1 Corinthians 1:17:

The verse fully states, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.”

If Paul were not sent to baptize ever, then does that mean, like the Quakers believe, that baptism should never be practiced today for any reason? In other words, instead of some trying to use this passage to only show that baptism is not needful to be saved, would they not have to also be consistent by saying that “Baptism is also not for those who have already been saved without it”? But would not most people who reject the need for baptism to become a Christian, believe that “Christians are to be baptized in obedience to the Lord’s command,” that it is “an outward showing of an inward grace”? So, why the double standard? If Paul’s not being sent to baptize means that it should not be done, then it should not be done for any reason. But that is not what the passage implies.

From the context, it is obvious that the Lord was not forbidding Paul from baptizing people. For he even speaks of those whom he had baptized in Corinth: Crispus, Gaius, and the household of Stephanas (1 Cor. 1:14,16). Was Paul disobeying Christ by doing that?

Rather than wrongfully viewing the statement in 1 Corinthians 1:17 to imply that Paul was not to baptize, or that baptism is not necessary, we should see that the apostle is simply putting the emphasis on preaching the gospel, rather than on baptism. For without the preaching that instills faith (Rom. 10:17), baptism by itself will not save anyone (cf. Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:36-38).

In the context of 1 Corinthians 1:17, Paul did not baptize many of the Corinthians. These Christians were of a divisive party-spirit. Some said, “I am of Paul,” while others said, “I of Apollos,” “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ” (v. 12). Because of their factions, Paul had exhorted them toward unity (v. 10), so that there “be no divisions” among them.

After speaking of the different groups that each were claiming affiliation with, Paul then says, “Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, SO THAT NO ONE WOULD SAY YOU WERE BAPTIZED IN MY NAME” (vv. 13-15, emphasis mine).

Due to those who would have a misconception of baptism — and think they are being baptized into Paul’s name, rather than into the Lord’s — the apostle had no desire to baptize these. So we see more of the need for preaching that others might rightly understand the purpose for baptism. Therefore, Paul had said, “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel.” We might also see in this the need for “first things first” — and which certainly doesn’t exclude the second and third things, etc.

Similarly are the “not-but” passages (the “emphasis passages”) in which the “not” does not rule out the need for what it refers to. For example, Jesus instructs, “Do NOT work for the food which perishes, BUT for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you…” (Jn. 6:27, emphasis mine). Is Jesus teaching that no one should have a secular job? Of course not. And would we not think that being able to buy food is one of the main reasons for working? Food is essential for the body; but even more important is the spiritual food for the soul. For “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). The great patriarch Job had treasured and esteemed the word of God more so than even “necessary food” (Job 23:12).

If Paul was not to baptize, why did he also baptize those 12 men in Ephesus (in Acts 19:1-7) who had not known about the baptism Jesus commanded, until after Paul taught them?

And remember, too, that Paul is certainly not implying in 1 Corinthians 1:17 that baptism is irrelevant for salvation; For he is the one who had been told by Ananias, whom God had sent, to “arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins…” (Acts 22:16). And it is Paul who teaches the need for baptism “…so we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4); and that we may be “clothed with Christ” by being “baptized into Christ” (Gal. 3:26,27). For “…we are buried with Him in baptism, in which” we are also “raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead” (Col. 2:12); and that God saves us “…by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). Yes, Paul taught the need for baptism.

For a time, John the Baptist was “…preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” ( Mark 1:4). The Jews of his day needed to realize that they had failed in keeping the Law of Moses and repent of that. “But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected for themselves the counsel of God, being not baptized of him” (Luke 7:30).

So John’s baptism was also important. To reject that was to reject God.

That would have also been the baptism that the Lord’s disciples had been administering, prior to the Lord’s death on the cross: “Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were), He left Judea and went away again into Galilee” (John 4:1-3).

Are we to infer that this baptism was irrelevant or of no importance because Jesus Himself did not personally do the baptizing, but His disciples did? Of course not.

Similarly, it was important for the Corinthians to have been baptized, even though Paul emphasized to them that he was not sent to merely do that; but, rather, to preach the gospel. And, according to Acts 18:11, he had remained in Corinth for “a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.” So compare that long period of teaching to the few minutes it would take to baptize someone! What did Paul spend more time doing? For in this we again see why the emphasis should be on the preaching rather than just the baptism. And also because, without the proper understanding and beliefs that the gospel can instill, baptism would be ineffectual.

It is the gospel that is “…the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes…” (Rom. 1:16); and after hearing that message preached, “Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his household, and many of the Corinthians when they heard were believing and being baptized” (Acts 18:8).

The baptism that Jesus commanded as part of the plan of salvation (Mark 16:16) is just as important today as it was way back then! Do not allow the multitudes who believe to the contrary dissuade you from the truth! Examine God’s word for yourself to reach the conclusion He wants you to understand — and then believe and obey His soul-saving message! You will not be sorry in the great Judgment Day for having done so!
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A Simple Observation of a Hebrew Cubit

Tom Edwards

Out of all the different kinds of cubits, it is probably the Hebrew cubit of which we are the most familiar — or maybe it being the only cubit to our knowledge. Yet there were also various others that fall within the range of a 3.31″ difference between the shortest and the longest of them, as seen in the following list:

Roman cubit (17.5″)
Egyptian cubit (17.72″)
Hebrew cubit (18″)
Ezekiel’s cubit (20.5″)
Royal Egyptian cubit (20.67″)
Hebrew Long cubit (20.67″)
Babylonian Royal cubit (20.81″)

I’m glad that this one we find used most often in the Old Testament is the Hebrew cubit, and that it is an even 18″. For it makes it much easier to get a quicker grasp on the sizes, since we merely need to divide the number of cubits by 2 and call it a yard! This came in handy when reading, for example, in Exodus 26 of the various dimensions for the tabernacle, where mention is made of “thirty cubits,” “twenty-eight cubits,” “ten cubits,” “four cubits,” and “one and a half cubits.”

Yes, it is much easier to think of 28 cubits as 14 yards (28 divided by 2), rather than figuring 18 * 28 = 504, which divided by 36 equals 14.

You probably already know these things, but this is for those folks, who like me in the past, used to do it the more difficult way.
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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; 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 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 5 PM (worship)
Wednesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
https://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html (audio sermons)

The Gospel Observer

April 3, 2016 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) Bible Quiz: Water Baptism (part 2 of 2) (Tom Edwards)
2) News & Notes

1pe3_21b
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Bible Quiz: Water Baptism
(part 2 of 2)

Tom Edwards

In today’s lesson, we will consider a few more questions concerning water baptism. If you would like to see the questions covered in part 1, they can be accessed at the following website: https://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com. Once there, just go to the bulletin for March 27.

For today’s lesson, we will again first ask a group of questions and then answer them, along with some brief comments, in the answer section that follows.

The Questions:

10. How many baptisms does Ephesians 4:5 teach are for today?

11. About what hour of the night was the Philippian jailer baptized? (See Acts 16:25-34.)

12. “Both the Ethiopian eunuch and the Philippian jailer rejoiced in Christ before they were baptized.” True or false? (For help with this, consider the previous passage along with Acts 8:38,39.)

13. Must one be baptized for the right reason? (See Acts 19:3-7.)

14. How many “infant baptisms” do we read of in the New Testament?

15. As we examine the Scriptures, baptism is shown as being something one must do for which of the following reasons: a) to have sins washed away and become a Christian; b) to join a particular denomination; or c) to show that sins have already been washed away, prior to being baptized?

The Answers:

Number 10:

One

Ephesians 4:5 shows that there is only “one” baptism. “Which baptism is this?,” someone might ask. “Is it Holy Spirit baptism?” “How can we know it is pertaining to water baptism?”

These are good questions. Actually, there are only two cases of individuals being baptized in the Holy Spirit during the New Testament Age: The first would be that which the apostles themselves received in Acts 2, as the Lord had promised them (Acts 1:8). The only other incident is that which happened about 10 years later at the house of Cornelius (Acts 10,11), as a special sign to the Jews that “…God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life” (Acts 11:18). God had also previously given Peter a vision to help him see that the gospel should be taken to the Gentiles, even though it had been unlawful for Jews to associate or visit them during the Mosaical Period. For the Gentile then was perceived as being “unclean.” But now it was to no longer be that way (cf. Acts 10:28,29); and to show that, God had His Holy Spirit to fall upon them before they were even saved from their past sins. Afterwards, they obeyed the gospel plan of salvation and became the first Gentiles to become Christians, about a decade after the church had been established. So this outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Cornelius’ household took place around A.D. 43.

The writing of the Ephesian letter, in which we read of there being just “one baptism,” was written about A.D. 61.

Now what is the “one baptism” we see occurring after A.D. 61? In 1 Peter 3:21, which was written about A.D. 63, Peter declares, “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience….” Without question, the baptism that saves, which Peter is speaking of here, is water baptism. This is the one baptism that is to continue as long as time lasts.

Furthermore, no one was ever commanded to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. It was a promise given to the apostles, and it appears that those at the house of Cornelius had no idea that the Lord would cause His Holy Spirit to fall upon them. But, as noted above, the Lord did so as a sign to the Jews that He was granting to even the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life (Acts 11:18).

Water baptism, however, is commanded; and it is part of the plan of salvation for any penitent believer who wants to have sins washed away and become a Christian (cf, Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3,4).

Number 11:

About the midnight hour

Acts 16:25-34 shows that it was around midnight when the Philippian jailer obeyed the command to be baptized. Why so late at night? Why not wait until morning, or some other time to be baptized that might be more convenient? Was not his immediate response because he learned that baptism was part of God’s plan to receive salvation in Christ? The Bible shows that the jailer was baptized within the “same hour” that Paul had been preaching to him (v. 33).

Yes, Jesus had said that “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved….” (Mk. 16:16); thus, coupling faith and baptism for salvation.

As we read about baptism in the New Testament, never do we see of anyone — who truly wanted to be forgiven — postponing his baptism until some more convenient time. Have you ever wondered about that? I imagine many were probably baptized during the colder months, too.

We don’t read of any of these even taking the time to eat or sleep before his or her baptism. Doesn’t that in itself tell us something about the importance of it?

All these people understood that their sins would not be forgiven until they met the conditions God Himself had stipulated to become a Christian; and that is that one hears the word (Rom. 10:17), believes in the deity of Jesus (Jn. 8:24), repents of sin (Acts 2:38), confesses faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38), and is baptized in water for sins to be forgiven (Acts 22:16; Mk. 16:16; 1 Pet. 3:21).

Number 12:

False

Neither the Philippian jailer nor the eunuch rejoiced in Christ until after baptism. Why? Because it is not until one comes up out of that watery grave of baptism that he is then able to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:3,4), and be a “new creature” in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17).

Yes, they rejoiced after their baptism because that is when their sins had been forgiven (Acts 2:38; 22:16) and they were, thus, saved from them (Mk. 16:16; 1 Pet 3:21).

Number 13:

One Must Be Baptized For the Right Reason

From what we learn in Acts 19:3-7, one must be baptized for the right reason. In this passage, there were some men who did not know about the baptism Jesus commanded. They knew only of John’s baptism. They, therefore, had to all be taught, which Paul did; and then he also baptized them into Christ.

Though there are similarities between John’s baptism and the one the Lord commanded, there are also differences. For example, the baptism of Romans 6:3-5 puts us into the likeness of Christ’s death and resurrection, so that we might benefit from the atonement He made by His death. John’s baptism, therefore, could not have been for this purpose, since Jesus was still living at that time. This is also why the penitent thief on the cross was saved without having to receive that baptism Jesus spoke of after His resurrection (Mark 16:16). For it was by the Lord’s death that he not only did away with the Old Covenant, but also established the New Covenant, which includes the need to be baptized to be forgiven and become a Christian. So in baptism we not only figuratively put to death the old man of sin, as Jesus was literally put to death on the cross; but we are also spiritually risen to walk in newness of life, as Jesus was literally risen from the dead.

As we think about the seriousness of doing things for the right purpose, consider 1 Corinthians 11:18-34 about the Lord’s Supper. Paul shows that the one who would not take of the Lord’s Supper in a proper manner would be “guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord” (v. 27) and would be eating and drinking “damnation to himself” (v. 29, KJV).

We have learned that baptism is a “burial or an immersion in water”; but just because a person is dunked completely under water, does not necessarily mean that that person has received Bible baptism. For what about young boys swimming in a pond and dunking one another, just for fun?

Obviously, baptism must be received for the right purpose: and that is so that one may be baptized into Christ and have sins washed away by the blood of Jesus.

Number 14:

Not a One!

There is no passage in the New Testament that speaks of infants being baptized.

Actually, there is no need for their being baptized, since they are in a “safe” or “innocent” state, which Jesus indicates in Matthew 18:1-4, and refers to the kingdom of heaven as belonging to them in Matthew 19:14. We, therefore, must also become like little children to enter God’s kingdom (Matt. 18:3); which does not mean that we act immaturely, but that we become “innocent” (through the blood of Christ) and also have a childlike faith and dependence upon God in heaven. For being childlike with the right qualities is one thing — but being childish is another.

Not only infants, but also anyone who would pass away before reaching an age of accountability, will be safe with God and spend an eternity in heaven.

Number 15:

a) to have sins washed away….

After considering what the Bible says about water baptism, how could anyone reach any other conclusion than that it is necessary in order to have our sins forgiven and to become a child of God?

For to sum it up, the Bible shows that baptism…

* is so one can be “saved” (Mark 16:16).

* is so one can enter the kingdom (John 3:3-5).

* is “for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38).

* is to “wash away…sins” (Acts 22:16).

* is to bury one with Christ (Rom. 6:3).

* is so one can rise up with Christ to walk in “newness of life” (Rom. 6:4).

* is so one can be put “into Christ” (Gal. 3:26,27).

* is to make one a child of God (Gal. 3:26,37).

* is so one can be buried and raised up with Christ (Col. 2:12).

* is so we can be saved (Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 3:21).

Baptism is for the penitent believer who has acknowledged faith in Christ and wants now to benefit from the Lord’s atonement by submitting to water baptism for the remission of sins. If you are needing to make your soul right with God, then why not do so this very day, according to His word?

— Via The Gospel Observer (November 15, 1998) (April 2016 revised version)
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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; 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 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 5 PM (worship)
Wednesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
https://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html (audio sermons)

The Gospel Observer

March 27, 2016 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) Bible Quiz: Water Baptism (Tom Edwards)
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Bible Quiz: Water Baptism

Tom Edwards

The following is part one of a two-part quiz on Bible baptism that I had also made for the Internet many years ago, as well as for the bulletin in November 1998. It is primarily for those who do not realize the purpose and need for water baptism, but also to help us in better learning the Bible verses on this subject and with brief comments.

First, the questions:

1. Which of the following men made the statement in one of his epistles that “baptism now saves you”? Was it a) Paul, b) Peter, c) James, or d) Jude?

2. Who in the book of Mark declares that “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved”?

3. What two conditions are specified in Acts 2:38 that one must do in order to have sins forgiven?

4. According to Romans 6:3,4, baptism is for which one of the following reasons: a) to show our sins have already been forgiven, b) to be able to walk in newness of life, or c) to become a member of a particular denomination?

5. In Galatians 3:26,27, Paul shows how one is put into Christ. What two conditions are necessary for this to happen, according to this passage?

6. In John 3:5, Jesus teaches that a man must be born again before he can enter the kingdom of heaven. What are the two things one must be born of in order to make this possible?

7. “Paul’s sins were forgiven after having met the Lord on the road to Damascus and prior to his being baptized.” True or False? (For help on this, see Acts 22:16, which occurs 3 days after Paul’s encounter with the Lord on the road to Damascus.)

8. In Colossians 2:12, does Paul speak of baptism as a) a sprinkling, b) a burial, or c) a pouring?

9. The “WHEREIN also ye are risen with him” (KJV) or, as the NASB renders it, “IN WHICH you were also raised up with Him” (Col. 2:12) is referring to which one of the following? a) baptism, b) faith, or c) the Spirit?

ANSWERS

Number 1: b) Peter

It is in 1 Peter 3:21 where Peter declares that “…baptism now saves you….”

Here is the verse in the Revised Standard Version:

“Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

“Appeal” has been defined as “a call for aid, support, mercy, etc.; an earnest request or entreaty; to appeal is to ask earnestly for help or support….”, which helps us to understand how that people are “calling” non-verbally on the name of the Lord by the act of baptism (see Acts 22:16). They are making their “appeal to God” by that act. Similarly, it can be said that a person had called on his friend by pushing a doorbell button. That would not have been a verbal call, but a calling through the act of pressing that button. To become a Christian, after we have believed, repented, and confessed faith in Christ, there still remains that final step of baptism to call on the Lord.

Consider also Acts 2:21, 36-38. In this first verse, Peter quotes Joel’s prophecy that “…everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved”; but according to the account, the way this was done was not by merely praying a “sinner’s prayer.” Rather, it was accomplished by their faith in Jesus (v. 36), along with their repentance and water baptism (v. 38). They sought God’s mercy and forgiveness by meeting His conditions. And though not mentioned, confessing their faith in Christ was also necessary (cf. Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38).

The KJV states in 1 Peter 3:21 that “…baptism doth also now save us…” and does so as “the answer of a good conscience toward God….”

However, the Greek word rendered as “answer” in this verse is defined as “a question, an asking; enquiry after, seeking by enquiry” (A Critical Lexicon and Concordance to the English and Greek New Testament by E. W. Bullinger).

So, clearly, baptism is not for those “already saved”; but rather for penitent believers who want to make their appeal to God for salvation. (Baptism is part of the condition one must meet to benefit from the death of Christ.)
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Number 2: Jesus

Yes, it is the Lord Himself who states in Mark 16:16 that “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved….”

Surely, if this were the only verse in all the Bible that placed baptism in connection with salvation, that would suffice — but it is not! There are various others that also remain consistent to this truth. For instance, just to show a few, people must be baptized in order to…

* be saved (1 Peter 3:21)

* receive the “remission of sins” (Acts 2:38)

* “wash away” sins (Acts 22:16)

* “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4)

Throughout the New Testament, water baptism is seen as part of the plan to have sins forgiven and become a Christian, which is all in harmony with what Jesus declares in Mark 16:16 that “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved….”
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Number 3: “Repent” and “be baptized”

Contrary to the thinking of many people today, Acts 2:38 shows that one must do more than merely repent to be forgiven — one must also be baptized!

In 1977 I became a Christian. Prior to that time, I had been in various religious denominations that taught salvation by “faith only,” or by praying “a sinner’s prayer.” I can remember reading Acts 2:38 way back then and knowing that it did say I had to also be baptized; but, at the time, I would have to blot out from my mind that “be baptized” part because it wasn’t in harmony with what the denominational preacher and the others there were teaching. How wrong I had been!

I heard a story once about a Christian who was trying to teach a woman the need for water baptism. It seemed that he was not getting anywhere, so he asked the woman to merely read Acts 2:38, while he would not say a thing. After reading the verse, the woman looked up to the silent man and said, “But that’s your opinion.”

Still another non-Christian once said during the course of a Bible study, “You can’t get baptism out of Acts 2:38!” “That’s right, ma’m,” the Christian gladly replied. “It’s there to stay!”

“And Peter said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins….” (Acts 2:38, NASB).

And could this verse be any clearer than how it is worded in the 1973 edition of the New International Version? “Peter replied, `Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ SO THAT YOUR SINS MAY BE FORGIVEN….” (emphasis mine).
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Number 4: b) Baptism

Baptism is “…in order that… we too might walk in newness of life.”

What is this “newness of life”? Isn’t it obvious that it would be referring to the time when one becomes a Christian? Jesus had said that He had come in order that people might have life and have it more abundantly (Jn. 10:10). This is received when one is “born again” (Jn. 3:3-5), which enables the person to be a “new creature” in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17). By far, it is much more than merely “turning over a new leaf.”

Again, it is evident that baptism must be performed before one can receive this new life.
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Number 5: Faith and baptism

Just as Jesus said in Mark 16:16 that “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,” Paul is showing the same need for faith and baptism in Galatians 3:26,27.

It is good to see all the wonderful things the Bible has to say about being “in Christ.” For example, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1); “redemption” is “in Christ” (Rom. 3:24); one is “alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11); “eternal life” is “in Christ” (Rom. 6:23); and there are many other verses as well, along this line. And here in Galatians 3:26,27, one learns the important answer as to how a person can get “into” Christ for all these blessings; and it is through faith and baptism.
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Number 6: “water and the Spirit”

It was Jesus who told Nicodemus of the need for man to be “born again,” to be “born of water and the Spirit” in order to enter the kingdom of God (John 3:3-5).

The only way in which we ever find water in the New Testament used in connection with salvation is in water baptism for the remission of sins.

Surprisingly, I once heard a preacher say, “How much water is in baptism?” After a several-second pause, he then answered his own question by declaring, “Not one drop!” This truly got the attention of the audience. He then went on to point out that the Greek word “baptizo” (from which “baptize” is a transliteration) simply means “to dip or immerse”; but there is no indication in the word itself as to what the element is to be in which the immersing is to be performed.

It is only from other verses in the Scriptures that we learn that Bible baptism is to be in water, so that our past sins will be forgiven (cf, Acts 8:36-38; Acts 10:47,48).
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Number 7: False

In order for Paul to be forgiven, he had to first be baptized in water, as we see in Acts 22:16. Therefore, Paul wasn’t saved by merely “faith only,” after having met the Lord on the road to Damascus. Nor was he saved by his faith and repentance only, which is manifest in the way he conducted himself after having met the Lord: for three days, Paul fasted and prayed, while he waited in Damascus in obedience to the Lord’s command — for there, Paul would be told what he needed to do.

The only thing that Ananias revealed to Paul that he had not already heard from the Lord was the need to “arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins….” (Acts 22:16).

During his three days of fasting and praying, and regardless of how many times Paul must have asked God to forgive him for the wrongs he had committed in his ignorance, he did not obtain forgiveness through prayer. Rather, it required his faith, repentance, confession of faith in the Lord, and baptism before his sins could be blotted out.

For if his sins had been washed away by prayer, then there would have been no need for Ananias to command Paul to be baptized to “wash away your sins” (Acts 22:16).
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Number 8: b) a burial

Paul speaks of baptism as being a burial in Colossians 2:12, just as he also does in Romans 6:3,4. Therefore, we do not even need to know the meaning of the Greek word to understand that baptism is to be an immersion or submersion — and not a mere sprinkling or a pouring.

If sprinkling or pouring were intended, then the Greek word “rhantizo” or “ekcheo” could have been used, respectively. But neither of these terms is used; nor do they convey the idea of a “burial,” as “baptizo” does.
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Number 9: a) baptism

Though many people believe that it is merely some type of “spiritual baptism” — apart from the water — which saves, Paul shows that the baptism involved is one in which a person can be buried in and raised up from — water baptism. And that one is raised up from this baptism in order to be with Christ. As Paul also shows in Romans 6:3,4, one is raised up from water baptism to “walk in newness of life.”

(concluded next week)

— via The Gospel Observer (slightly edited), November 15, 1998
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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; 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 AM (Bible class); 10 AM & 5 PM (worship)
Wednesday: 7 PM (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
https://thegospelobserver.wordpress.com/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html (audio sermons)

The Gospel Observer

March 20, 2016 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) The Christian’s GPS Guide (Steve Locklair)
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The Christian’s GPS Guide

Steve Locklair

Most people are familiar with the GPS, a global navigation satellite system developed by the Department of Defense which transmits precise signals allowing receivers to calculate and display accurate location, speed, and time information to the user. These global positioning systems work in most weather conditions, day or night, 24 hours a day, around the globe, and we can use them to help us get to our destinations. You simply put in your destination address, and it will tell you turn by turn directions for the roads you need to travel to get you there. Some models will even alert you to traffic and construction delays that you might encounter and will allow you to avoid them. Using the acronym GPS, let us consider a few comparisons between this man-made GPS and God, and how we should use our spiritual GPS. First, we should recognize God’s Powerful Sight. God is like the man-made GPS in that He knows exactly where you are at and where you are going, both physically and spiritually, just as he did with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:9-13, 17ff). But while the man-made GPS makes mistakes and is dependent on the accuracy of the installed map, God is infallible, inerrant, and eternal, which all men should realize or they are without excuse (Romans 1:20; Proverbs 15:3). God has given us an inspired, infallible, and inerrant word to correct us when we are wrong and instruct us in doing what is right in His sight so that we will have the wisdom to get to our eternal destination through Christ (2 Timothy 3:14-17; John 14:1-6). Are you doing what is right in your own eyes or the eyes of the Lord (Judges 17:6; 21:25)?

In addition, we should follow God’s Powerful Standard. Just as the GPS has to make choices as to which road to go on, we also make decisions as to our eternal destination. God has created us in His image without sin when we are born, but at some point in our youth we choose to sin (Ezekiel 18:20; Jeremiah 3:25; James 1:13-16; Romans 3:23; 1 John 3:4). When we make choices based upon our feelings without divine revelation, the GPS tells us that it will eventually lead to eternal condemnation (Proverbs 14: 12; Revelation 21:8). We cannot guide our own footsteps in righteousness (Jeremiah 10:23). Thankfully, through the power of His blood and resurrection from the dead, we can be born again to a living hope through the reliable standard of the Scriptures (John 11: 25-26; 1 Peter 1:3-5, 19, 22- 25). If you are not on the right road that leads to heaven (through God’s Powerful Standard), you will not escape the righteous judgment of God (Hebrews 4:12-13).

We must also avoid the Great Prowling Schemer (Satan). Realizing God’s Powerful Sight and following God’s Powerful Standard will put us on the right road, but through our journey, we will encounter many traffic snares, construction delays, and road blocks that we must detour around or persevere through. We also can be honestly and sincerely thinking we’re going the right way but still be wrong. An example of this is following a man-made GPS and taking the wrong turn. Satan disguises himself as an angel of light and uses those who appear to be righteous in order to deceive others (2 Corinthians 11:14-15).

Even though he appears innocent, we must not let our guard down, because the Bible describes Satan as a roaring lion seeking to devour souls (1 Peter 5:8). Satan is always scheming in order to get people to curse God and disobey Him (Job 1:11). But how does he get people to do that?

Satan can use families.

Satan took away everything Job had but allowed his wife to live so that she would do Satan’s bidding when she told Job to “curse God and die” (Job 2:9). What if your loved one told you to quit serving God when you were suffering through trials? Would you do it? Job overcame the great prowling schemer and did not curse God (Job 1:22; 2:10). You must love Jesus more than any other family member and not give in when they tell you to sin; discourage you from doing what is right; or become your enemy; otherwise you are not worthy of Him (Matthew 10:34ff; Luke 6:46). Will you put on the whole armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm and overcome the schemes of Satan (Ephesians 6:10ff)?

Satan can use friendships.

The Bible warns about bad company corrupting good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33). But in an attempt to be popular, or get along with others in order to avoid persecution, many will decide to hang out with the wrong crowd. If you do this and continue to be their friends, ultimately, you will think, talk, dress and act like them. But if you delight in God’s word, you will overcome the GPS (Satan) by saying no to their enticements to sin (Psalms 1:1ff; Proverbs 1:10ff). Even if you have faithful friends, Satan can use them to lead you astray. They may judge you by appearance, traditions, or assumptions (Job 4:8; 8:8; 11:5-6; 19:14; 32:3; 42:7). Will you say no when your friends entice you to sin or will you give in to the great prowling schemer?

Satan can use ministers.

Satan disguises himself as a minister of righteousness so that he can deceive people into believing a lie. “No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds” (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). Satan can use his ministers to tell people… that “all roads lead to heaven”; “just accept Christ as your personal Savior and you will be saved”; “once you’re saved, you’re always saved”; “it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are honest and sincere”; etc. We must not think of any man above that which is written (1 Corinthians 4:6), and we must test the spirits to see whether they are from God (1 John 4:1) so that we will not fall victim to the deceptions of the Great Prowling Schemer.

Finally, we must obey God’s Plan of Salvation. With the man-made GPS, the mileage will change as you get closer to your destination. Even though there are different answers along the way, it is still accurate (unless it has malfunctioned). It is the same way concerning God’s plan of salvation. In the book of Acts, different answers are given to people depending on where they are at spiritually. They are not told everything they need to do at one time. Remember that the sum of God’s word is truth (Psalms 119:160).

An unbeliever should examine the facts of the gospel so that he might believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God or he will die in his sins (John 20:30-31; 8:24). The only way anyone can have faith is by hearing God’s Powerful Standard (Romans 10:17), not by a vision, miracle, feeling, or strong conviction.

A person who believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God must have the conviction to obey everything Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:19-20; John 14:15; Hebrews 5:8). A person who does not obey God’s plan of salvation will be punished forever in torment (2 Thessalonians 1:7ff).

The Ethiopian eunuch heard preaching about Jesus and asked what hindered him from being baptized. He was told if he believed with all his heart he could. Then he said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37). This was in accordance with Jesus’ command to believe and be baptized in order to be saved (Mark 16:15-16).

Those who were pricked in their heart that Jesus is Christ and Lord on the Day of Pentecost were told to repent and be baptized. Why? So that they could have the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). A penitent believer was told to “arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Why was he baptized? So that his sins would be washed away. Then a Christian is told to learn to obey everything Jesus commanded and grow in the grace and knowledge of His will (Matthew 28:20; 2 Peter 3:18).

In conclusion, you will need to use your spiritual GPS (God’s Powerful Standard) everyday of your life so that you will be able to overcome the Great Prowling Schemer and obey God’s Plan of Salvation so that you can eventually go to heaven. Satan is trying to deceive people into believing that the way to heaven is broad and easy and many will go there. Do not be deceived! God’s Powerful Standard is narrow, difficult, and few will actually go to heaven. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

— Via The Watchman Magazine, January 26, 2010
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

The Gospel Observer

March 13, 2016 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) Evidences of Faith: A Prophet Like Moses (Jim Robson)
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Evidences of Faith:
A Prophet Like Moses

Jim Robson

The book of Deuteronomy, which was written somewhere around 1450 BC, records the final words of Moses to the nation of Israel, before their long-awaited entry into the promised land of Canaan. One of the things Moses told the people was this:

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren” (Deuteronomy 18:15).

At first blush, this may not seem very exceptional; throughout the long history of the Israelites, God sent many prophets to them. However, God did not send many prophets like Moses.

On the contrary, God Himself made a distinction between Moses and all of the other prophets:

“Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. I speak with him plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the Lord” (Numbers 12:6-8).

Even among the prophets, Moses was exceptional. God spoke of him in a way that set him, as it were, in a class by himself. So, when Moses indicated that God would at some point raise up another prophet like him, he was saying something truly extraordinary.

And, when we consider Moses’ life as a whole, it was indeed most extraordinary. At his birth, Moses narrowly escaped death: the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, and Pharaoh had ordered all of the male Hebrew babies killed (Exodus 1:15-22). Moses’ mother hid her newborn son as long as she could, then placed him in a waterproofed basket in the reeds at the bank of the river, where Pharaoh’s own daughter found him, had compassion on him, and raised him as her own son (Exodus 2:1-10). Thus, the baby Moses was saved from the king’s decree.

Later in his life, Moses was sent by God to lead His people out of their Egyptian slavery (Exodus 3:9-10). After the people were out of the land of Egypt, they became trapped between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea:

“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided” (Exodus 14:21).

Thus, God effectively gave Moses power over the sea. Moreover, Moses freed the people from their enslavement to the Egyptians: for the Egyptians were driven back into the sea, and Moses closed it on them, drowning every man (Exodus 14:27-28).

To commemorate the people’s deliverance from bondage, Moses established the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread:

“So you shall observe the feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance” (Exodus 12:17).

This feast would serve as a reminder of how the people were in bondage in Egypt and were freed by God through Moses. It reminded them how they went from being slaves, to being God’s chosen people.

As we noted earlier, God spoke to Moses, giving him laws to deliver to the people. Moses then told the people all the words of the Lord and all His judgments (Exodus 24:3). Moses spoke whatever God told him to say (Exodus 4:12). But when Moses was on Mount Sinai, and God was speaking to him, he did something else impressive:

“So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water…” (Exodus 34:28).

Forty days is a long time to go without food or drink. And that is still not all; as a result of his meetings with God, Moses’ appearance changed:

“Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him” (Exodus 34:29-30).

As a result of the meeting with God on the mountain, Moses’ face glowed. No wonder the people feared him!

Because of the people’s continual complaining, Moses came to realize that the responsibility of leading them was too much for him to handle on his own. So, like all men of faith, he brought his concerns to God in prayer:

So the Lord said to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you” (Numbers 11:16).

God answered Moses’ prayer by providing him with seventy men who could help him accomplish his mission.

One of the most impressive things about Moses’ character is that, in spite of the repeated complaints and rebellions of the people, he never stopped caring for them. In fact, Moses continually interceded for the people with God:

“Yet now, if You will forgive their sin — but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written” (Exodus 32:32).

In his prayer, Moses reveals a deep concern for the people, that he cared for them every bit as much as he cared for himself: even to the point of being willing to suffer the condemnation they incurred with their sins.

At this point, you may begin to think of someone else in the Bible who was willing to suffer for the sins of His people. You may think of Jesus, “who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness…” (I Peter 2:24). Interestingly, on the night He was betrayed, Jesus even prayed for His people in such a way that revealed His deep concern for them:

“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24).

Jesus prayed that His people share in His rightful place in heaven, thus showing that He cared for them every bit as much as He did for Himself.

It is also interesting to note that, during His ministry on earth, Jesus had seventy men to work with Him:

“After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go” (Luke 10:1).

You will recall that this is the same as the number of elders who were appointed to help Moses in his work.

You will also recall that Moses’ face glowed while he was on the mountain with God:

“Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light” (Matthew 17:1-2).

Nor was Moses the only one to fast for forty days:

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He became hungry” (Matthew 4:1-2).

Nor indeed was Moses the only one to speak what God told him:

“For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak” (John 12:49-50).

Thus Jesus related the commands of God the Father to His people, just as Moses had done for the Israelites.

Moreover, Moses was not the only one who was involved in freeing slaves. As Jesus said, “…whoever commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34). By giving Himself on the cross, Jesus paid the price for sins, thus setting His people — His disciples — free (John 8:31-36). Not only that, He provided them with a way to remember the event that brought them from slavery to freedom:

“And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me’” (Luke 22:19).

Jesus established this memorial at His last meal with the apostles before His crucifixion. This meal was a Passover meal (Luke 22:7), and so there would be no bread available except unleavened bread. Thus the commemoration established by Jesus, like the one established by Moses, was a feast of unleavened bread.

And, of course, we all remember what happened when Jesus and His disciples were at sea, and a storm arose that threatened the boat and their lives:

“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39).

Jesus evidently had inherent authority over the sea and the wind, whereas Moses could not have parted the Red Sea without God’s direct intervention. And no doubt, Jesus freed His people from a spiritual bondage that has eternal consequences, whereas the deliverance accomplished by Moses was physical and temporal. And while Moses expressed a willingness to die with his people, Jesus actually died for His. In short, Jesus was, in point after point, greater than Moses. Nonetheless, the parallels are striking.

We have yet one more parallel to mention. When Moses was born, Pharaoh had ordered all the male Hebrew babies to be killed, as a security measure. When Jesus was born, it was King Herod’s turn:

“Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men” (Matthew 2:16).

Of course, Herod did not succeed in killing the newborn King, because Joseph had been warned by an angel to flee to Egypt. Thus both Jesus and Moses narrowly escaped death as babies.

Having considered all of these things, it is important to remember that at the time of Jesus’ transfiguration on the mountain, two of the greatest prophets of all time appeared with Him: Moses and Elijah. When Peter wanted to erect tabernacles for the three of them, God said:

“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” (Matthew 17:5)

When the apostles opened their eyes, Jesus was the only one of the three still there. Thus God spoke of Jesus in such a way as to separate Him from all other prophets, as He had once done for Moses. Jesus is indeed in a class by Himself.

Not surprisingly, in Acts 3:22-26, the apostle Peter identifies Jesus as the Prophet whom God had promised, the Prophet like Moses. When we consider that Moses had so many points in common with Jesus, it is difficult to regard them all as nothing more than coincidences. Moreover, Moses was by no means the only foreshadow of Christ in the Old Testament: there are many of them. The various foreshadows do not appear very similar to each other, and yet each and every one points to Jesus. It is simply not within the realm of reason to take all of these as mere coincidence. The Bible is the product of One who cannot only foresee the future, but who can even orchestrate events in such a way as to illustrate what is going to happen hundreds or even thousands of years later. He is a truly mighty God.

— Via The Watchman Magazine, October 1, 1988
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

The Gospel Observer

March 6, 2016 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) Evidences of Faith: Eyewitness Testimony (Jim Robson)
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Acts4_33

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Evidences of Faith:
Eyewitness Testimony

Jim Robson

“And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up — if in fact the dead do not rise” (1 Corinthians 15:14-15). The conviction that Jesus rose from the dead lies at the very heart of the Christian’s faith. Therefore, if we can be certain that He did rise, then we can be certain that we are correct in following Him. Likewise, if we cannot be certain that He rose, then our faith as Christians is without a substantial foundation. It is of the utmost importance, then, that we can be completely certain of Jesus’ resurrection. But, how can we be certain, seeing that we were not present to witness it for ourselves?

This question can be addressed in a number of ways. One way to approach this question is to take a hard look at those who claimed to see the risen Christ: are they reliable witnesses, or a bunch of charlatans? If they are frauds, then there is no reason to follow Christ over any other philosopher or religious figure — for example, Gandhi or Buddha or Muhammad. However, if the individuals who testified of Jesus’ resurrection prove to be reliable witnesses, then we have solid reason to place our faith squarely in Him. Paul indicated that hundreds of individuals saw the risen Christ (1 Corinthians 15:6), but for our purposes we will focus on the handful of witness who knew Him best: the apostles.

In order to determine whether we can believe their testimony, we may start with the question, “What did the apostles have to gain?” If we are going to believe that these men fabricated the resurrection story, then we ought to be able to determine a motive. In point of fact, however, they did not have much of anything to gain. They did not attain wealth for their efforts, nor is there any evidence that they tried to. They did not achieve any political power; in fact, all of their efforts at preaching were focused on the spiritual well-being of the hearers, and no attempt was made to form any kind of political or social movement. Indeed, so far from gaining anything, the apostles suffered grievously for their teaching. They were arrested, imprisoned, and beaten. They were ostracized by the rulers of their own people. Some of them were even killed for their beliefs. These things being so, there is no apparent reason for them to conjure up such a lie. The necessary conclusion, then, is that they were honest men.

To see this point even more clearly, consider in particular the apostle Peter. On the night Jesus was arrested, Peter was so afraid of punishment that he denied knowing Jesus not once, but three times (Matthew 26:69-75). After seeing the resurrected Jesus, and watching Him ascend to heaven, this same Peter began publicly preaching that Jesus is the Christ, and that he himself was a witness (Acts 2:32-36). In fact, Peter had grown so bold that, when he was arrested for preaching Jesus, he proceeded to preach Jesus to those who had arrested him (Acts 4:8-13)! It is difficult to explain such a drastic change in Peter’s character, unless he truly believed that Jesus had risen from the dead: the fabrication of a lie would never transform a coward into a hero, but witnessing a Man risen from the dead could.

Another question that may be asked is, “Were the apostles just a bunch of dupes?” This is a fair question. It is not enough to know that they were honest men; there is, after all, such a thing as an honest mistake. Perhaps they so badly wanted to believe that Jesus had risen, that they were easily convinced. To answer this, we may begin with Mark’s account:

“Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe” (Mark 16:11).

Far from being easily persuaded, these men appear to be downright skeptical. And the account continues:

“After that, he appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen” (vs. 12-14).

The apostles seem to have been reluctant to believe that Jesus had risen, rather than eager to believe it.

Most famous in this regard, of course, was the man from whom we derive the expression, “doubting Thomas”:

“Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ So he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe’” (John 20:24-25).

Clearly, these men were not easily persuaded of the resurrection. Therefore, the fact that they became so thoroughly convinced of it that they were willing to suffer and die in order to preach it to others, gives us compelling reason to believe their testimony.

A Hostile Witness

So far, we have looked at the apostles who traveled with Jesus while He was on earth in order to establish the reliability of their testimony, and we have found them to be credible witnesses. Now, let us look at another individual who claimed to see the risen Christ, and examine his credibility as a witness. Let us look at Saul of Tarsus. When we first encounter Saul of Tarsus, he is guarding the clothes of those who are stoning Stephen to death (Acts 7:58). Stephen was put to death because he was proclaiming Jesus as the Christ, and rebuking those of his countrymen who refused to believe in Him. We are told that “Saul was consenting to his death” (Acts 8:1). Moreover, Saul was not content with the death of one disciple. On the contrary, “he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison” (8:3). When many of the disciples fled from Jerusalem, Saul was not content to let them go:

“Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem…” (Acts 9:1-2).

Clearly, Saul was vehemently opposed to the notion that Jesus was the Messiah. It did not seem likely that he would ever become a believer.

When we consider Saul’s training, and his place in the Jewish society of that day, it is not surprising that he was opposed to the gospel of Christ. Saul was a Pharisee, and the Pharisees were one of the more powerful sects among the Jews. The Pharisees regarded the gospel as a threat to their position and their nation (John 11:47-48). Not only that, they constituted the strictest sect among the Jews (Acts 26:5): they were determined to preserve the precepts of the Old Testament, the law of Moses (Acts 15:5). The disciples of Jesus Christ, of course, were preaching that God had made a new covenant with mankind through the blood of Christ, and therefore the law of Moses was no longer in effect (Hebrews 8:7-13). Such teaching would seem like blasphemy to a Pharisee: and Saul, being a very zealous young Pharisee, was determined to see this teaching stamped out.

So then, let us consider Saul of Tarsus. As any Pharisee, he was a well-educated and well-respected member of his society. His position in life appeared to be secure and comfortable. To him, the gospel of Christ appeared to be blasphemy, and repugnant to everything he stood for. His zealous opposition to the gospel caused him to ruthlessly persecute those who believed and taught it. It would seem abundantly evident that such a man would never become a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Yet, he did become a disciple: and not only a disciple, one of the most energetic and well-known gospel preachers of all time. As you may already know, Saul of Tarsus is the man who is better known to history as the apostle Paul. The question is, what made him change? What could convince such a hostile opponent of Jesus to become one of His most ardent followers? According to Paul, it was the fact that he saw the risen Christ:

“I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished. Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light shone around me, and I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, `Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ So I answered, `Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, `I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting’” (Acts 22:4-8).

The result of this vision was that Paul believed in Jesus, was baptized, and immediately began preaching the gospel to others (Acts 9:10-22).

If there ever was a man who was unlikely to admit to seeing Jesus risen from the dead, that man was Saul of Tarsus. And yet, he not only admitted it, he boldly proclaimed it throughout the Roman Empire. Our next question might be, what did Saul have to gain by becoming a preacher of the gospel? The answer is that, like the other apostles, his efforts to spread the gospel resulted in persecution and suffering, as he wrote to the church at Corinth:

“From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren…” (2 Corinthians 11:24-26).

In exchange for his life of security and comfort, Paul received a life of suffering and danger. Clearly, he did not claim to have seen Jesus for the sake of personal gain. Paul must have truly believed that he had seen the risen Christ.

So then, the question that remains is whether Paul had the mental stability to make him a believable witness. We may begin to answer this by noting that he appears to have had the respect of the rulers of his people. As mentioned above, when Saul went to the chief priest and asked for letters to the synagogues of Damascus, he was given them. He even called upon the high priest and the council of elders as his witnesses, when defending himself before the mob in Jerusalem (Acts 22:5). It is not likely that the rulers of the nation would have placed such trust in a man whom they regarded as unstable. Moreover, when we read Paul’s writings (Romans through Philemon), it appears that he was a highly intelligent man who had a completely rational mind: his method of argumentation is thoroughly logical. It is reasonable to conclude, based upon the available evidence, that Paul was in his right mind.

We have every reason, therefore, to regard Paul as a reliable witness. He had nothing to gain by his testimony, and much to lose. He had every reason to deny that Jesus had risen from the dead. He gave every appearance of being a sane and rational man. So then, we may add Paul’s testimony to our long list of reasons to believe. And, we may ask those who do not believe this question: why not? As Jesus said to Saul, “It is hard for you to kick against the goads” (Acts 26:14).

— Via Watchman Magazine, July 1, 1998
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

The Gospel Observer

February 28, 2016 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) Evidences of Faith: The Blood of the Lamb (Jim Robson)
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Exodus12_13

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Evidences of Faith:
The Blood of the Lamb

Jim Robson

In the May installment of Evidences, we looked at the exodus of the Israelites from the land of Egypt. In particular, we focused on the crossing of the Red Sea, and how that crossing foreshadowed the New Testament concept of baptism. This month, we will focus on another event which God brought about in the course of freeing His people from their slavery: the tenth plague.

In order to convince the Egyptians of His deity, engrave the fear of Himself on their hearts, make Himself known to all peoples, and to convince Pharaoh to let Israel go, God sent a series of plagues upon the Egyptians. The tenth — and final — of these plagues was the most terrible of all:

Then Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the maidservant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the beasts’” (Exodus 11:4,5).

This would be the plague to end the plagues, the one that would finally cause Pharaoh to send Israel out of Egypt. Moreover, it was yet one more instance where God showed that He had chosen a specific people to be His own:

“But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move His tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the Lord does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel” (Exodus 11:7).

God had determined that He would shield His people from the death of their firstborn. However, the Israelites would have to do something in order to avail themselves of this protection.

In chapter twelve of Exodus, God instructed the Israelites to conduct a special sacrifice. On the tenth day of that month, which was henceforth to be the first month in their calendar, each household was to choose a lamb. If the household was too small to eat the whole lamb, then two neighbors could share a lamb. It could not be just any lamb, however:

“Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats” (Ex. 12:5).

While it could be either sheep or goat, it had to be without spot. They were to keep this lamb for four days:

“Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two door-posts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it” (Ex. 12:6,7).

It is interesting to note the phrasing of verse six; it is as if the entire people Israel were coming together to kill one lamb. We know from what has already been said that many lambs were to be sacrificed, and so to say that “the whole assembly…shall kill it” seems enigmatic. It is also interesting to note the time of day. If your Bible has marginal notes, it may point out that the ancient Hebrew expression rendered twilight literally means, “between the two evenings.” But more importantly, there is the blood: why put it around the door?

“For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Ex. 12:12,13).

This is why the meal is called the Lord’s Passover (verse 11). God did not enter the houses where the lamb’s blood was on the doorposts and lintel to destroy their firstborn, but passed over them. Thus God’s people would be saved from the death of their firstborn children by the blood of the lamb.

God commanded the people to observe the Passover perpetually, year after year, to remind themselves that it was He who had freed them from slavery and made them into a nation. Along with the Passover, there was also to be a week-long feast. As you recall, the Passover was sacrificed on the fourteenth day of the first month. This day would also mark the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread:

“In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land” (Ex. 12:18,19).

So, no leavened bread could be eaten with the Passover lamb, or for a week thereafter. The Israelites, God’s first covenant people, were to keep this feast perpetually. Thus it would be an ongoing reminder to them that God had saved them from their bondage to the Egyptians.

While there are many instances of God saving His people from various kinds of predicaments recorded in the Bible, the central problem is always sin. This is a problem we all face, for all have sinned (Romans 3:23). And it is a very serious problem, “For the wages of sin is death…” (Romans 6:23). Moreover, it is a problem which we are helpless to rectify on our own, since everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin (John 8:34). In the first epistle of John, we are told that God is all light, purely good, with no darkness, or evil, in Him. Therefore, we who have sinned cannot have any part with Him, because we walk in darkness. Our sins separate us from God, and therefore also from heaven and eternal life, and there is nothing we can do on our own that can take those sins away:

“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from sin” (1 John 1:7).

If we believe in Jesus, and thereby live according to the example He set for us, God will call us His people, and deliver us from the greatest predicament of all:

“For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life” (Romans 5:6-10).

So, by the resurrection of Christ, by His victory over death, we have hope of everlasting life: if we have first been reconciled to God by His blood. It is the blood of Christ that frees us from our bondage to sin, and saves us from the death that results.

So then, just as the blood of the unblemished lamb saved the Israelites from the death of their firstborn, so also the blood of Christ saves all of His disciples from the consequence of their own sin: death. The sacrifice of Christ is what allows the just God to pass over His people when He executes judgment upon mankind for their innumerable sins…

“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth to be a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:23-26).

Because of the blood shed on the cross, those who are accounted faithful in Jesus Christ will not receive the punishment for their sins, but will receive life by the grace of God. Thus God has delivered us by a truly great deliverance.

Just as we saw that Exodus 12:6 is written as though there was only one lamb for the entire people of Israel, so we truly have only one Lamb who was sacrificed for us. We also noted that the original Passover was sacrificed at twilight, and that the Hebrew expression literally means “between the evenings.” With that in mind, consider what happened when Jesus was on the cross:

“Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama Sabachthani?’ which is translated, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?’ Some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, ‘Look, He is calling for Elijah!’ Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, ‘Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come take Him down.’ And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last’ (Mark 15:33-37).

The ‘sixth hour’ would have been about twelve noon, and the ‘ninth hour’ about three p.m. So, there were three hours of darkness before Jesus’ death, but normal evening did not begin until about three hours after His death. There were, in effect, two ‘evenings’ that day, and Jesus died between them. The Passover is a vivid foreshadow of the sacrifice of Christ.

The apostle Paul refers to this in the context of instructing the church at Corinth to put away from themselves a man who, though called a Christian, would not repent of his sin. The Corinthian brethren, rather than feeling pain when considering the spiritual state of their fallen brother, were evidently proud of their capacity to embrace him even in his sin, and so Paul rebukes them:

“Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8).

Remember the Feast of Unleavened Bread? Just as God’s first covenant people kept that feast beginning with their Passover sacrifice, so also do we. They kept their Passover by killing a lamb; our Lamb has been sacrificed for us once and for all. They kept their Feast of Unleavened Bread by eating that bread; we keep ours by being that bread: by purging out the leaven of sinful attitudes, and living with pure hearts before God.

We have, then, yet another clear example of how the books of the Old Testament anticipate the events and truths recorded in the New Testament. In this present case, the book of Exodus was written about fifteen hundred years before the New Testament was begun, yet somehow the author could foreshadow the cross of Christ. Sure, one may dismiss this as mere coincidence, but then what about the prophecy of Moses, discussed in last month’s issue of the Watchman? Or the bronze serpent (June issue)? Or the crossing of the Red Sea (May issue)? Or the near-sacrifice of Isaac (February)? At some point, we must reject the notion that this is all chance, and admit that there is a pattern. And that pattern leads us to the inescapable conclusion that the Bible is indeed from God.

— Via The Watchman Magazine, November 1, 1998
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

The Gospel Observer

February 21, 2016 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) Evidences of Faith: The Suffering Servant (part 2 of 2, Jim Robson)
2) John 6:26-29 (NASB)
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Evidences of Faith
The Suffering Servant (part 2 of 2)

Jim Robson

III. And By His Stripes We Are Healed

When we return to the passage in Isaiah, we find many more remarkable things. In order to fully appreciate how remarkable Isaiah’s prophecies are, we must remember that he wrote more than seven hundred years before Jesus came to earth. Moreover, we must imagine ourselves to be living before the gospel had been preached all over the world. Let us pretend that we never heard of Jesus Christ, and pick up reading where we left off:

“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 53:4-6).

How can we explain such a passage? Who is Isaiah talking about? How could someone else’s suffering help to heal you or me? How can God lay my iniquities on someone else? It is a truly puzzling message.

Of course, if we stop pretending, the answers are easy. For those of us who have heard the gospel message, it is obvious that Isaiah is referring to Jesus. We know this because the New Testament teaches that all have sinned, and that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 3:23, 6:23). It is through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross that sinners have the opportunity to be forgiven, and to be granted eternal life:

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:27-28).

It is only through the atoning death of Jesus Christ that we have hope of everlasting life, for all “we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

There is yet another point to be observed in these verses. Isaiah indicated that people would think that the Servant had been smitten by God. Rather than seeing that He was suffering willingly, in obedience to God, the people would think that He was being punished by God. And, in fact, that is what happened to Jesus as He hung on the cross:

“And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, ‘You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.’ Likewise the chief priests also, mocking with the scribes and elders, said, ‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, “I am the Son of God”‘” (Matthew 27:39-43).

We can see in the sarcastic taunts of these men that they felt Jesus was lying when He claimed to be the Son of God. Thus, from their point of view, His suffering was what He deserved, being a blasphemous heretic. They felt that He had been smitten by God.

IV. As A Lamb to the Slaughter

You will recall that we were led to this study of the suffering Servant by the eighth chapter of the book of Acts, where Philip the evangelist met the Ethiopian eunuch on the deserted road from Jerusalem to Gaza. The eunuch was reading from the prophet Isaiah, and Philip was able to preach Jesus to him beginning with that passage. Let us now turn to the verses which the eunuch was reading when Philip approached his chariot:

“He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of My people He was stricken” (Isaiah 53:7-8).

Isaiah asserted that the Servant of God would accept His suffering without complaining or defending Himself — even though He was innocent. His suffering, after all, was not for the sake of His own sins, but for the sins of God’s people.

We see here that Isaiah again prophesied about the redemptive nature of Jesus’ sacrifice. Somehow, Isaiah — who wrote more than seven hundred years before Jesus — knew that a Man would give His life to pay for the sins of others — as he wrote a few verses later, the Servant would be an offering for sin (Isaiah 53:10). When considering such a passage, we can see how this would indeed be a perfect place for Philip to begin telling the eunuch about Jesus. On the other hand, if we put ourselves in the place of the eunuch, who had not yet heard of Jesus, we can see why he had trouble understanding these verses. Why would God’s Servant be stricken for the sins of His people?

Of course, it is only in the teaching of Jesus and His apostles that we find the answer to this question. Jesus’ sacrifice was an expression of God’s love for mankind (John 3:16). It was the way of bringing men and women from all nations into one people (Ephesians 2:14-18). It was the only way for God to be just — that is, to punish sin — and also merciful — to forgive the sinner (Romans 3:21-26). Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection were the fulfillment of God’s ultimate plan of redemption, whereby He bought back people from the clutches of sin, and gained the eternal victory over Satan (I Peter 1:17-19; Hebrews 2:14). It is in Jesus that God accomplished the plan of salvation He had announced in the garden of Eden, wherein the Seed of the woman triumphed over the serpent (Genesis 3:15). Once again, we are brought face to face with the fact that the books of the Bible, though penned by some 40 human authors over a period of 1500 years, work in harmony to present one coherent message.

But there is something else about these verses in Isaiah that is striking. Notice that it is prophesied that this Servant, although He did not deserve the punishment inflicted upon Him, would accept it quietly. And, in fact, when we read the passages that describe Jesus’ final hours, we find that He made no attempt to defend Himself, and that He offered no complaints (Matthew 26:47-27:50; Mark 14:43-15:37; Luke 22:47-23:46; John 18 & 19). Although He possessed the ability to eliminate His tormentors in an instant, He accepted their abuse with all the meekness of a sheep before its shearers. Indeed, He is the Lamb of God, the pure and perfect sacrifice for sin (John 1:29).

Again, we need to ask ourselves, why would Isaiah, in the eighth century BC, think to write about these things? What would make him imagine a Servant of God who would suffer for the sins of the people? What would make him think that this Servant would suffer quietly, without defending Himself or complaining? Where would Isaiah get such ideas? It is difficult to explain in naturalistic terms.

In this article, we have looked at eleven verses of Isaiah’s prophecies of the Suffering Servant. We have seen that, in point after point, Isaiah’s predictions were fulfilled in Jesus. The skeptic may suggest that the New Testament writers somehow manipulated their accounts to give the impression that Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophesies, but this assertion is without any factual basis. On the contrary, many of the instances where the New Testament describes how Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy make no mention at all of Isaiah. If they were frauds trying to deceive people into believing that Isaiah’s prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus, they would certainly point out the correlation between their own stories and Isaiah’s prophecies. Moreover, we cannot go to any one book of the Bible to see all of these connections; the passages which show the connections between the Suffering Servant and Jesus are scattered throughout the New Testament. It is simply not within the realm of reason to suppose that all of the men who wrote these books, being in different parts of the world as they wrote, somehow collaborated to produce such a perfectly harmonious correlation between Jesus and Isaiah’s Suffering Servant. Furthermore, when we consider that all of the various passages we have cited blend seamlessly in their context, we conclude that they could not have been fraudulently inserted.

In other words, the passages we have considered are genuine, authentic, and honest. That being the case, we cannot escape the conclusion that Isaiah foretold of a Person and events more than seven hundred years beforehand. That is powerful evidence of the inspiration of the Bible.

— Via The Watchman Magazine, September 1, 1999
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John 6:26-29

“Jesus answered them and said, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves, and were filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man shall give to you, for on Him the Father, even God, has set His seal.’ They said therefore to Him, ‘What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent’” (NASB).
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

The Gospel Observer

February 14, 2016 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) Evidences of Faith: The Suffering Servant (part 1 of 2, Jim Robson)
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Phil2_8_9

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Evidences of Faith:
The Suffering Servant

Jim Robson

In the eighth chapter of the book of Acts, we find Philip the evangelist being sent by God to the deserted road that led from Jerusalem to Gaza. Once there, Philip saw the chariot belonging to the eunuch who was treasurer to the queen of Ethiopia. The Spirit told Philip to overtake the chariot. When he did so, he found the eunuch reading from the book of Isaiah. Specifically, he was reading the passage known to us as Isaiah 53:7-8. Philip established that the eunuch did not understand the prophecy he was reading, and the eunuch asked Philip for help. “Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him” (Acts 8:35).

This is an amazing thing. Philip began preaching Jesus from the book of Isaiah, which was written more than seven hundred years before Jesus’ birth. How could this be? How could a book written centuries before Jesus was born be used to teach someone about Him? If we go to the passage that the eunuch was reading, we will see that, on its own, it is indeed difficult to understand. However, when we view it through the lens of the New Testament, we can get a glimpse of how Philip could have used this passage to lead the eunuch to Christ. We will also see that it becomes very difficult to explain how or why Isaiah wrote such a passage — unless he was truly inspired by God.

Before we look at the passage in Isaiah, it is important to keep a couple of things in mind. For example, remember that the chapter and verse divisions in our modern Bibles were added almost 2,000 years after Isaiah wrote. These divisions are for ease of reference, and do not necessarily reflect a logical division in the author’s line of thought. Also, you will notice that Isaiah, like other prophetic writers, frequently shifts verb tense. He goes from past to present to future tenses while talking about the same events. This may be to emphasize that, whereas the prophet was writing about things that had not yet occurred, God had decided that they would happen, and therefore they were as good as done. Whatever the reason, however, we do not need to be distracted by these things; for our current purposes, we simply need to be aware of them.

I. Exalted, Extolled, and Marred?

Let us turn now to the fifty-second chapter of Isaiah. In the midst of prophecies concerning God’s promise to redeem His people, we find descriptions of a very special Person:

“Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently; He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high” (Isaiah 52:13).

This picture of a Servant of God who would be characterized by wisdom and be held in honor is consistent with other prophecies of the coming Messiah (for example, Psalm 110). From here, however, Isaiah goes in a direction that we would not expect:

“Just as many were astonished at you, so His visage was marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men” (Isaiah 52:14).

Why would God’s Servant be marred? Moreover, how does this fit with the idea of Him being exalted and extolled and very high? Already, we can begin to see why the eunuch might have difficulty understanding Isaiah’s prophecies concerning the Servant. We can also begin to see that it is difficult to explain why Isaiah would write in this manner, if he were merely writing of his own initiative. If his goal were to comfort the people with promises of a great and powerful Messiah, why would he say that God’s Servant would be marred? On the other hand, if he were trying to frighten the people into obedience, he would not be writing promises of a wise and glorious leader. If we try to explain Isaiah’s words in purely naturalistic terms, we will keep running into problems.

If we try to imagine ourselves living before the time when the gospel had been preached all over the world, we can see that Isaiah’s words would be very difficult to understand, even if we believed that he was a true prophet, and his book inspired by God. How could it be, that God’s anointed King would be wise and exalted, and yet be marred more than any man? For one who is acquainted with the gospel, however, Isaiah’s message is perfectly clear. Consider the apostle Paul’s words:

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:5-11).

Jesus was God in the flesh, and He never did anything but good, yet He was subjected to the form of execution reserved for the most despicable criminals: clearly, His visage was marred more than any man. Yet, as Isaiah prophesied, Jesus was subsequently exalted and extolled above all others.

So then, Isaiah 52:13-14 is a passage that is difficult to explain in naturalistic terms. Moreover, even a believer would have difficulty explaining its meaning — if it were not for the gospel. We see then, that the gospel of Jesus Christ, as recorded in the New Testament more than seven hundred years after Isaiah, provides the explanation for Isaiah’s writing. To look at it another way, Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy. If this were an isolated Old Testament passage torn from its context and made to conform to a preconceived idea, then it would not be very compelling. But is that what we have done? Let us return to Isaiah and see.

II. The Mouths of Kings Shut by the Man of Low Esteem

If we pick up the reading in Isaiah where we left off, we find that the prophet had much more to say about God’s coming Servant:

“So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider. Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; and when we see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him” (Isaiah 52:15-53:3).

Where the New King James reads, “sprinkle,” your Bible may say, “startle.” Either way, the prophet is telling us that this Servant of God would have such an impact on the world as to affect many nations. In fact, He would even shut the mouths of kings! And yet, Isaiah tells us that He would not be respected, but rather would be despised and rejected by men. How could both of these things be true?

Once again, we can turn to Jesus to find our answers. In His life as a man, Jesus was indeed despised by the religious leaders of His day (for example, see Mark 12:13,18,28; John 9). Moreover, at the end, multitudes of His own people gathered together and demanded that He be subjected to an excruciatingly painful and disgraceful death:

“Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to releasing to the multitude one prisoner whom they wished. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. Therefore, when they had gathered together, Pilate said to them, ‘Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?’ For he knew that they had handed Him over because of envy. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, ‘Have nothing to do with that just Man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him.’ But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said to them, ‘Which of the two do you want me to release to you?’ They said, ‘Barabbas!’ Pilate said to them, ‘What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?’ They all said to him, ‘Let Him be crucified!’ Then the governor said, ‘Why, what evil has He done?’ But they cried out all the more, saying, ‘Let Him be crucified!’ (Matthew 27:15-23)

But the Jews were not the only ones to show contempt for Jesus. The Romans, too, treated Him as though He were utterly despicable:

“Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole garrison around Him. And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head. And when they had mocked Him, they took the robe off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to be crucified” (Matthew 27:27-31).

Remember that all of this was done after they had beaten Jesus with a scourge, which was a whip with many thongs (verse 26). So, Jesus was treated with the utmost contempt by both Jews and Gentiles. All are guilty of His suffering and death; no one is innocent. When we meditate upon these things, we see that Jesus thoroughly fulfilled the words of Isaiah, “He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”

But Jesus also shut the mouths of kings, even after His crucifixion. Consider, for example, the emperors of Rome. The Roman Empire covered an enormous territory and encompassed many nations. For centuries, Roman emperors persecuted Christians. Their goal was to put an end to the religion of Jesus Christ and preserve their empire by turning the people back to the state religion. In 311 AD, the emperor Galerius, an ardent persecutor of Jesus’ followers, was struck with an incurable illness that caused him intense pain. Realizing he was near death, he reversed his stance, and issued an order that Christianity should be tolerated. Might we not say, insofar as his attack on Jesus was concerned, that his mouth was shut? Of course, his nephew, Maximin II, disregarded the order, and instead increased the severity of his persecutions. But Maximin was defeated by Licinius in battle, and fled. In 313 AD, co-emperors Licinius and Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, which required that Christianity be tolerated. As for Maximin, he died of poisoning that same year.

Of course, the Roman Empire slowly crumbled, and its emperors have long been silent. However, the kingdom of Jesus Christ, which they fought so tenaciously to destroy, continues to thrive. Indeed, no other person has had as much of an effect on human history as Jesus, yet the secular historians of His own time considered Him to be of little significance: they did not esteem Him. Having said all of that, though, we need to recognize that Jesus’ influence on the affairs of this life is as nothing when compared to His influence in eternity. Jesus has gained the eternal victory for His followers. He has gained the ultimate victory over every attempt of man or Satan to establish a lasting religious or political system. In the end, there will be no pretending to resist Him:

“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power” (I Corinthians 15:20-24).

On the day when God calls all mankind to account, there will be no king, emperor, philosopher, scientist, “pastor,” or “reverend,” who will be able to open his mouth in the presence of the glorified Jesus Christ. However, His faithful servants, though lightly esteemed in this life, will shout and sing with triumph and joy.

— Via The Watchman, September 1, 1999
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(part 2 of 2)

Evidences of Faith:
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