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The Gospel Observer

August 27, 2017 / 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) Premillennial Concepts Refuted by the Bible (Tom Edwards)
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Premillennial Concepts Refuted by the Bible

Tom Edwards

In seeing what the Bible says about the kingdom having already come (Mark 9:1; Col. 1:13), Jesus already reigning over it (Acts 2:29-36; Eph. 1:20-23), and the universal resurrection for all on the “last day” (Jn. 5:28-29), we are also seeing how the Bible today disproves popular and particular beliefs concerning Premillennialism.

For Premillennialism teaches that as we near the second coming of Christ, it will be preceded by a “rapture” that will take place at the beginning of the 7-year Great Tribulation (though some premillennialists teach that the rapture will occur during the middle of that time; while others, at a time closer to the end of that 7-year period). In the rapture, according to the theory, all the Christians living and deceased will be snatched up to meet Christ in the air.

Though we might normally think of this word “rapture,” which is actually not used anywhere in the Bible, to mean “ecstatic joy or delight,” as Webster defines its primary definition, yet he also gives lastly its archaic meaning as “the act of carrying off.” It stems from Middle French, from about A.D. 1600.

But how and when did its premillennial meaning, with all that pertains to it, come about? The doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture is said, by various authors, to have begun in the 18th century by two Puritan preachers by the name of Increase Mather and his son Cotton; and was popularized in the 1830s by John Darby and the Plymouth Brethren; and eventually gained popularity in the U.S. in the early 20th century through the widely used Scofield Reference Bible (Wikipedia).

It appears that this idea of just the Christians being in the rapture is based on 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, which speaks of the Lord’s return when “the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.” This is how Paul, by divine inspiration, had answered the Thessalonians’ concern about their loved ones who had passed away as Christians. So that is why his focus is on just them, instead of everyone in general. He even concluded the thought, by saying, “Therefore comfort one another with these words” (v. 18). Yes, the believers can have comfort when their loved ones pass away as Christians, knowing that their spirits have not only gone to a better place, but that they will also be resurrected and caught up first when the Lord returns, and then immediately followed by those Christians still living at that time! The Greek word for “caught” (harpazo) in verse 17, in the phrase “caught up together,” means “to snatch out or away” (Thayer’s third definition). So though that is the archaic meaning of “rapture,” yet it has no reference to the premillennial rapture theory.

Concerning that time when the dead in Christ and the living Christians will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air, that will also be the same time when all people – regardless of whether they are saved or lost — will be caught up. For as we saw recently, that will all happen for the righteous and the unrighteous within the same “hour” (Jn. 5:28-29) on that “last day” and regardless of how long one has been deceased (Jn. 6:39-40; 12:48).

If there were to be a rapture, followed by seven years of the Great Tribulation, which would end by the Lord’s second coming, then what would virtually anyone be able to do – and without the use of even a calculator? For those who missed the rapture, they would then be able to easily pinpoint the day that Christ would return by merely adding 7 years to the date of the rapture! But what does the Bible say? It shows that when the Lord comes again, it will be “like a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:2). In other words, He will come unexpectedly. Yet, through the years, many folks have predicted what they believed to be the exact time of His return — which turned out to be incorrect. It would seem they have either not read the Scriptures concerning this or have disregarded it.

This might answer a question that has arisen while reading up to this point: As you might have also guessed, the premillennialist doesn’t view Christ coming back for the Christians in the rapture as His second coming. They just want to call it the “Rapture” and have His second coming later on.

But another thing the Premillennial view makes more of — than what the Bible teaches — is on the resurrection. For instead of there being just one universal resurrection (as cited above), they have 1) a resurrection of the deceased Christians for the rapture; 2) a resurrection at the end of that 7-year period for those who had become Christians during that Great Tribulation, but also had died during that time; and, included with them, all the saved people of the Old Testament Times; and 3) a resurrection at the end of the Lord’s 1,000-year reign on earth that will be for all the lost souls of all time. So, according to this view, there is not one, nor not two, but three resurrections yet to come! And note, too, that there will be 1,007 years between the first resurrection and the third! That sure doesn’t sound like the “hour” of which Jesus said all would be raised – the saved and the lost (Jn. 5:28,29; Acts 24:15)!

Concerning the idea that the future Great Tribulation will be the worst time this world has ever known, Jesus had said that about the time pertaining to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70: “For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will” (Matt. 24:21). He then spoke more concerning that time and also pointed out the nearness of it, by saying, “…this generation shall not pass away until all these things take place” (v. 34).

Some believe that during that 7-year Great Tribulation it will also be a time of the greatest work of evangelism ever carried out. In his book, The Late Great Planet Earth, Hal Linsday, a premillennialist, writes, “After the Christians are gone, God is going to reveal Himself in a special way to 144,000 physical, literal Jews, who are going to believe with a vengeance that Jesus is the Messiah.” These will evangelize, and “…the earth will never know a period of evangelism like this period” (p. 110).

It will be at the end of that 7-year tribulation that Jesus will return, according to the Premillennial belief. He will then fight His enemies in the battle of Armageddon and defeat them. It will also be at that time when He will establish His kingdom on earth and sit on the throne of David to rule for a thousand years from here on earth.

As we have seen, however, Jesus is already sitting on the throne of David and ruling over the kingdom (cf. Luke 1:31-33; Acts 2:29-36; Dan. 7:13-14). And, note, too, the prophecy concerning this in 2 Sam. 7:12-16. Though this prophecy has a dual fulfillment in pertaining to Solomon as well as to Christ, it is in Acts 2:29-36 that we see that it was to the Christ that David had looked to be the ultimate fulfiller of it. The prophecy states: “When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established for ever.”

With that prophecy in mind, now notice Acts 2:29-36: “Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that HE WAS NEITHER ABANDONED TO HADES, NOR DID His flesh SUFFER DECAY. This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says, ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET.”‘ Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ — this Jesus whom you crucified.”

So Jesus who built the church (Matt. 16:18), which is also referred to as “the house of God” (1 Tim. 3:15) and the Lord’s “kingdom” (Col. 1:13), is now ruling over that (Eph. 1:20-23). For “…God has made Him both Lord and Christ…” (Acts 2:36), which indicates that Jesus is an “anointed ruler,” since “Christ” literally means “anointed”; and “Lord” can mean “ruler.” So the promise that God the Father would give Jesus “the throne of His Father David” (Luke 1:32) has been fulfilled. And going along with that, to help you understand it better, David’s throne is sometimes referred to as “the throne of the LORD.” For Solomon “sat on the throne of David his father” (1 Kings 2:12), yet it is also said that “Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father” (1 Chron. 29:23). It is called “the throne of the LORD” because God had anointed David to reign as king over the Lord’s people and do so as the Lord instructed. Solomon was then to continue in that when he succeeded his father to the throne. And how perfectly Jesus Christ is now doing so! Therefore, Jesus being on the throne of David is not talking about a literal, physical throne, which the Lord would have to sit upon here on earth; but, rather, just as it was to be God’s rule through David and Solomon as they reigned over His people, it is God’s rule now through Jesus Christ, God’s anointed, who is not just a king of a kingdom, but also “a King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16) who rules over all (with the exception of God the Father)!

We considered earlier that at Christ’s second coming, according to the Premillennial view, the Lord will put an end to the Great Tribulation; will raise all the Old Testament saints from the dead and those who had become Christians during the Great Tribulation and died; that the Lord will defeat His enemies in the Battle of Armageddon and set up His kingdom on earth where He will reign over it for a thousand years. But what did we just read in 2 Samuel 7:12 concerning the time that God would set up His kingdom? The Lord told David, “When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers…” In other words, when David was deceased, all this was to happen. But the Premillennial view has David resurrected and alive when God would set up His kingdom on earth.

Think, too, about Christ having to come back to earth to literally dwell on it again, sitting on a physical throne in Jerusalem, as the Premillennial view teaches. Would this not be some type of demotion for the Lord – rather than an exaltation to a glorious position?! But where He is right now at the right hand of God, having all authority and power in heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18), having been given “dominion, Glory, and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him…” (Dan. 7:14), being exalted over all creation (cf. Col. 1:15-18), and having all things in subjection to Him with the exception of the Father (1 Cor. 15:27), how could Jesus ever have more dominion, be more glorified, or be more exalted than that?! Nothing can top what He already has!

Let us be sure that the religious doctrines we believe and follow are of God and not merely of men.

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

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

The Gospel Observer

August 20, 2017 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) “What About the Kingdom?” (Tom Edwards)
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“What About the Kingdom?”

Tom Edwards

In last week’s bulletin we saw that when Christ returns, several major events will take place – and all on what is referred to as the “last day.” For on that day, all will be raised from the dead (Jn. 5:28,29; Acts 24:15; Jn. 6:39,40,44,54; 11:24); all will be judged (Acts 17:30,31; Jn. 12:48); the earth and all the universe, along with time itself, will cease to be (2 Pet. 3:4, 10-12; Gen. 1:14-19); and every person, from the first man Adam on down, will end up at one of two destinations where to spend an eternity.

So some might wonder, “What about the kingdom that Christ is supposed to set up here on earth?” This question is asked because the kingdom is what many premillennialists are still waiting for. They believe that because of the Lord’s rejection by the Jews, He was not able to establish His kingdom; so the church was then set up as a “substitute” until the kingdom would come; and that the church was not a part of God’s eternal, predetermined plan; but, rather, a mere afterthought in the mind of God. This is also referred to as the “Parenthesis Theory,” with the church being the “Parenthesis” that fills the gap.

The Bible, however, shows that not only was the establishment of the church a part of God’s plan before the world began, but that it is also that “kingdom” that was to come! Notice, for instance, in Ephesians 3 that Paul says: “To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be MADE KNOWN THROUGH THE CHURCH to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. THIS WAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ETERNAL PURPOSE which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord…” (vv. 8-11, emphasis mine). So the church was a part of God’s “eternal purpose” and, therefore, that which had been in His mind before there was even a universe — and not a mere afterthought or last-minute substitution for the kingdom!

The coming kingdom is first seen in prophecy, way back during Old Testament Times. Daniel, for instance, shows a succession of world-ruling empires in Daniel 2, as he interprets King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. These kingdoms are Babylon (vv. 37,38 – which reigned as a world-ruling empire for 70 years), the Medes and the Persians (v. 39 – about 200 years), Greece (v. 39 – about 130 years), and Rome (vv. 40-43 – about 500 years as an undivided kingdom). All these kingdoms ruled in succession as world-ruling empires, but it would be during the days of the Roman Empire that God would set up His spiritual kingdom on earth (vv. 44, 45).

Jesus was born into this world during the time of the Roman Empire, and His message was “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). John the Baptist also preached the same (cf. Matt. 3:2). That coming kingdom was so near that Jesus was able to say in Mark 9:1, “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” Though some folks today would say the kingdom has not yet come, should we believe them or what Jesus and John the Baptist said about it?

Though Isaiah does not use the word “kingdom” in Isaiah 2:2-4, yet he is referring to it and shows that it will be in the “last days” that it would be established. Note here that he does not say the “last day” (when Christ comes the second time), but the “last days,” which is referring to the Gospel Age that began after the Lord’s death on the cross (cf. Acts 2:15-17). For His death did away with the Old Covenant and established the New Covenant of the Gospel Age (cf. Col. 2:14; Heb. 8:6-13; 2 Cor. 3:6-18; Heb. 9:15-17; Heb. 10:1-10, 16-22). Isaiah declares:

“Now it will come about that
In the last days
The mountain of the house of the LORD
Will be established as the chief of the mountains,
And will be raised above the hills;
And all the nations will stream to it.
And many peoples will come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
That He may teach us concerning His ways
And that we may walk in His paths.’
For the law will go forth from Zion
And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem”
(Isa. 2:2,3).

That prophecy came to pass in Acts 2 on the day that the church (kingdom) was established. For it was there in Jerusalem when the Holy Spirit fell upon the apostles, and they miraculously preached (with the gift of tongues) in the languages of those Jews who were “from every nation under heaven” (v. 5). For they were in Jerusalem to observe the annual feast of Pentecost, and what they heard was “of the mighty deeds of God” (v. 11). As a result, 3,000 souls were converted that day when they believed and obeyed the gospel plan of salvation (vv. 36-38, 41). In their doing so, the Lord Himself then added them to His church (v. 47).

“Mountain” is sometimes used in the Bible to figuratively refer to a “kingdom” (cf. Dan. 2:35,44-45). So here in Isaiah 2:2, God’s kingdom is shown as being superior to all other kingdoms. For it is a “mountain” that is “chief of the mountains.” The word “kingdom” in the New Testament, from the Greek word “basileia,” refers primarily to “1) royal power, kingship, dominion, rule 1a) not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom” (Thayer). But Thayer also goes on to show that it can mean in addition: “1b) of the royal power of Jesus as the triumphant Messiah” and “1c) of the royal power and dignity conferred on Christians in the Messiah’s kingdom.” And, secondarily, “2) a kingdom, the territory subject to the rule of a king.” And “3) used in the N.T. to refer to the reign of the Messiah.” So we see God’s kingdom first of all pertains to His royal power and rule, and then of those whom He is ruling over who have become a part of His kingdom. With these thoughts in mind, notice, too, that upon the Lord’s “mountain” there is also a “house of the LORD” (Isa. 2:2). So the Lord’s house is built upon God’s mountain and identified with it — rather than with any of those inferior mountains of the world. And just as Isaiah refers to “the house of the LORD” that is on “the chief of the mountains,” God’s church is also referred to as being “the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15); and it has been built by Christ and is established upon Him who is the foundation of it (cf. Matt. 16:16-18; 1 Cor. 3:11).

The church is also referred to as God’s “kingdom,” for those in it are those who have submitted to God’s rule. And while Acts 2:47 shows that “…the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved,” Paul also speaks of God being the One who has “rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:13,14). So the terms “kingdom” and “church” can be used interchangeably when referring to that body of God’s people during the Gospel Age. The apostle John also refers to himself as having been a “fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus…” (Rev. 1:9).

So, obviously, God’s kingdom has come — and it came almost 2,000 years ago — and still is! It, therefore, has been around much longer than 1,000 years, and Christ has been reigning over it all the while (cf. Eph. 1:20-23; Col. 1:18; 2:10). In His preaching to those on that day of Pentecost, Peter also declared, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ — this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). “Lord” literally means “ruler”; and “Christ,” the “anointed” or “anointed one.” Therefore, when we put the two together, we see Jesus as being an “anointed Ruler”; and, thus, reminding us of the anointing of kings long ago. So this reference to God having sworn to David “to seat one of his descendants on his throne” is now being fulfilled by Christ whom David had looked forward to as being the fulfiller (cf. Acts 2:29-36).

So when Christ returns, it will not be to set up a kingdom; but, rather, to deliver God’s kingdom, that has long been on this earth, up to His Father in heaven: “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death” (1 Cor. 15:22-26).

Now is the time to become a part of God’s kingdom. The instructions of how to become a member of the Lord’s church and live as a Christian are also the same for how one is to enter the kingdom and live as a member of that—since they refer to the same.

In addition, if Christ’s kingdom has not yet come, then how could we acceptably serve and worship God? For are we not to do that from in His kingdom — or can we remain in Satan’s domain of darkness and worship God from there? When Jesus ascended back to the right hand of God (following His death, burial, resurrection, and the 40 days He spent on earth, proving His resurrection and Deity), that ascension had already been prophesied by Daniel centuries prior, as seen in the following:

“…He came up to the Ancient of Days
And was presented before Him.
And to Him was given dominion,
Glory and a kingdom,
THAT ALL THE PEOPLES, NATIONS AND MEN OF EVERY LANGUAGE
MIGHT SERVE HIM.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
Which will not pass away;
And His kingdom is one
Which will not be destroyed”
(Dan. 7:13,14, emphasis mine).

Notice one of the purposes for that kingdom: “THAT ALL… MIGHT SERVE HIM”! Unlike the Law of Moses, which was for only the Jews, the gospel is for all people of every nation; and all the redeemed become a part of the one body, the church, the kingdom; and, as a member, can serve and worship God acceptably.

So Christ is not a king without a kingdom. For, as we have seen, God’s kingdom has come; and the concern of each of us should, therefore, always be to live in God’s kingdom as His loyal subjects, by living unto Jesus Christ as our great “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Rev. 19:16).

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

The Gospel Observer

August 13, 2017 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) When Christ Returns (Tom Edwards)
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When Christ Returns

Tom Edwards

Of all the events down through time, what could be more dramatic and emotionally stirring than when Jesus returns? For when He does, though He will not set foot on earth, there will be a great gathering together to meet Him in the air (cf. 1 Thess. 4:13-18). That in itself we certainly be a major event! And notice, too, of the other great occurrences that the Lord’s second coming will usher in:

A Universal Resurrection

Not only will the saints be raised on that day when Christ returns, but also all people – the righteous and the unrighteous! For as Jesus declares, “…an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28,29). Paul also shows of the universal involvement in this when saying “…that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked” (Acts 24:15). Notice that he doesn’t speak of a plurality of resurrections, such as one for the redeemed and another for the lost; but, rather, says that there will be “a resurrection” — singular — “of both the righteous and the wicked.” And regardless of how long one has been deceased, all will be raised on that day – from the first man Adam and to all his descendants down through time! What a great number that will be!

A Universal Judgment

Also taking place when Christ returns will be the Great Judgment Day! And all will be there. The rich and the poor, and all in between; the famous and the infamous, along with the billions who are unknown to us. All will stand before God to give an account. Your favorite athletes, musicians, actors, painters, sculptors, inventors, poets, doctors, writers, political leaders, all your friends and relatives, and any other category of people, they will all be there – billions of us! “…For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God” (Rom. 14:10). “So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God” (v. 12).

It is, therefore, a time for which we need to prepare. For “…God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead” (Acts 17:30,31). Jesus also shows the reason why His Father entrusted this duty to Him: “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him” (Jn. 5:22, 23).

To prepare for the judgment, we need to look to the gospel. For it is the standard whereby we will be judged. Jesus says, “he who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day” (Jn. 12:48). This, of course, also includes those words that were not given until Jesus ascended back to the right hand of God and sent the Holy Spirit to lead the apostles into all the truth; because while He was on earth, the apostles were not yet ready for all He wanted them to know. As the Lord Himself states: “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and he will disclose to you what is to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and disclose it to you” (Jn. 16:12-14). So let us make sure we are using God’s word, and not just the teachings of men, to prepare ourselves for that Great Judgment Day.

The Universe Will Cease To Be

Peter writes of this time in connection with the Lord’s second coming. For after speaking of those mockers who would be saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?” (2 Pet. 3:4), he goes on to say that “…the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up” (v. 10). And “Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!” (vv. 11,12).

Time Will Come To An End

Since the universe will cease to be, then time will also come to an end. For, according to Genesis 1:14-19, our time is based on heavenly bodies and on our earth’s revolving and orbiting. On the fourth day of creation, “God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth’; and it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.”

The day the Lord returns will, therefore, be the “last day.” For, as we just saw, that is the day that the universe and time will cease to be. So it will definitely be the last day. But also we had noted that the great judgment would take place on that day; and, corresponding to that, Jesus also declares in John 12:48 that “the word I spoke is what will judge him at the LAST DAY” (emphasis mine). In addition, the day of the resurrection is also referred to as being on the “last day” (John 6:39,40, 44, 54). Martha also knew that. She said to Jesus, concerning her deceased brother Lazarus: “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day” (Jn. 11:24).

Eternity

When time, as we know it, ends, eternity, which is timeless, will still be what it has always been! Someone once pointed out that time will end because it is something that can be measured. Eternity, however, cannot be measured. It has no beginning, and it has no end. For like God Himself, eternity has always been.

The concern of each one, therefore, should be as we see in this following, old hymn that sings out in the chorus, “What will it be? What will it be? Where will you spend your eternity? What will it be, O what will it be? What will your answer be?” The song begins by pointing out that “Someday you’ll stand at the bar on high, Someday your record you’ll see; Someday you’ll answer the question of life, What will your answer be?” And then the second stanza: “Sadly you’ll stand, if you’re unprepared, Trembling, you’ll fall on your knee; Facing the sentence of life or of death, What will that sentence be?” Then the wise exhortation in the third stanza: “Now is the time to prepare, my friend; Make your soul spotless and free; Washed in the blood of the Crucified One. He will your answer be.” This song was written by Tillit Sydney Teddlie (1885-1987) in 1935.

Heaven or Hell — the Only Two Destinations!

Where we will spend our eternity depends on us — and whether we will accept and abide in God’s way of salvation or not, while here on earth. For there will be only one of two possible outcomes for each individual, depending on whether that person truly belongs to the Lord or not — and either one is eternal. Jesus shows of this in Matthew 25:46, when saying, “And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” The same word used to express the punishment (in the English and the Greek) is also used to describe the reward. It is the word “eternal” (“aionios”).

What side will we be on? “…when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed…” (2 Thess. 1:7-10). When Christ comes again, there will be a separation of the saved and the lost (cf. Matt. 25:32-46).

The Bible shows that God does not want anyone to be lost (cf. 2 Pet. 3:9), and this is why He sent His Son to make an atonement by His death at Calvary for every sinner (Heb. 2:9; Jn. 3:16). But we each must be willing to accept His conditions in order that we can benefit from that sacrifice. For Jesus “…became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation” (Heb. 5:9). Though we cannot earn nor deserve it, yet when we submit to God’s terms of pardon, we can then have His grace, His mercy, and His forgiveness in our lives and become a part of His eternal family. And those conditions are that we hear the gospel (for that is how faith comes — Rom. 10:17), that we believe in Christ for whom He truly is (Jn. 8:24), that we repent of our sins (Luke 13:5), that we confess our faith in Christ (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38), that we be baptized in water for the remission of sins (Mk. 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Rom. 6:3,4; Gal. 3:26,27; 1 Pet. 3;21), and that we strive to be faithful unto death (Rev. 2:10; Heb. 10:36-39).

The apostles would be going through a most difficult time, which would involve persecutions and even death. (Judas killed himself; but all the other apostles, according to tradition, are said to have been martyrs, with the exception of John of whom the attempt was made to put to death by boiling in a pot of oil, but was miraculously spared and exiled to the island of Patmos where God gave him the Revelation.) I wonder how often they must have thought of that beautiful promise that Jesus had given them, prior to His own crucifixion: “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also” (Jn. 14:1-3). And will not the Lord also do the same for all others who will be the redeemed in heaven? For will not He be the Maker of all things for us there as well? We, therefore, will not have to rely on whatever carpentry skills we acquired while on earth to build our own home in heaven! Rather, we can trust in the One who is “the builder of all things” (Heb. 3:4); and even now be like Abraham, in ancient times, who “was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God” (Heb. 11:10)!

Let us, therefore, turn to the Lord and submit to Him so that heaven will be our eternal destination. For it will be a blissful place where “God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain… (Rev. 21:4).

As we have seen, various major events will take place when Jesus comes again. So may we each strive to be ready for that great day!

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

Tebeau Street
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Sunday services: 9:00 a.m. (Bible class); 10 a.m. & 5 p.m. (worship)
Wednesday: 7 p.m. (Bible class)
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (912) 218-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com
http://thomastedwards.com/go (Older version of Gospel Observer website without pictures, but back to March 1990)
http://tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org/
http://ThomasTEdwards.com/audioser.html (audio sermons)

The Gospel Observer

August 6, 2017 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) “Jesus Calls Us” (Tom Edwards)
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“Jesus Calls Us”

Tom Edwards

Written in 1852 by Cecil Frances Alexander, “Jesus Calls Us” is a comforting hymn with a drawing affect upon the humble, contrite, and sincere heart of a true believer. For he knows that Jesus is greatly concerned; and for whatever the troubles of life, He is the One to whom we should turn and to whom we can cast all our cares and anxieties upon “because He cares” for us (1 Pet. 5:8). The greatest problem of all, of course, is sin. But whatever our distress, “Jesus calls us o’er the tumult of our life’s wild, restless sea; day by day his sweet voice soundeth, saying, ‘Christian, follow me!’” (the first stanza).

According to Daniel Webster, a tumult can be not only that which is external, such as the “violent and noisy commotion or disturbance of a crowd or mob; uproar,” but also that which is internal, as a “turbulent mental or emotional disturbance.” But for either kind, Jesus can help us through! For He can give rest to the weary and heavy-laden (Matt. 11:28-30). He can give peace to the troubled and fearful (Jn. 14:27; Luke 12:32). And He can relieve us of our cares and anxieties (1 Pet. 5:7). Though the state of the sinner is sometimes compared to an agitated sea (Isa. 57:20, 21), yet there can be sweet rest for those who come to the Lord — and Jesus calls all of us to do so!

The second stanza tells us that “Jesus calls us from the worship of the vain world’s golden store, from each idol that would keep us, saying, ‘Christian, love me more!’”

Here we see that the Christian is urged to put Christ above all worldly things. Even in the family relationship, where the head of the family is concerned of meeting the physical needs of his loved ones, his ultimate concern should still be for their spiritual well-being. And though he loves his family, yet his love for them is increased by his having even more of a love for God.

To be called “from the worship of the vain world’s golden store” sounds likes something Solomon would have written, who had experienced so much of what he later referred to as vain things in life. For he had enlarged his works, “built houses for himself,” “planted vineyards,” “made gardens and parks… [and] planted in them all kinds of fruit trees,” “made ponds…to irrigate a forest of growing trees,” had “both male and female slaves” and also “possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded” him in Jerusalem. He “collected…silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces.” He provided for himself “male and female singers and the pleasures of men – many concubines.” He “became great and increased more than all who preceded” him in Jerusalem. He said, “All that my eyes desired I did not refuse them. I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure… Thus I considered all my activities which my hands had done and the labor which I had exerted, and behold all was vanity and striving after wind and there was no profit under the sun” (Eccl. 2:4-11). And as he also declares, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity” (Eccl. 5:10).

This is really the main message of the book of Ecclesiastes that all is actually vanity without God in one’s life. We were not made to go through this life without Him. Some have viewed this book as containing Solomon’s confession of his wrongs and his urging and instructing others to how they should really live, which he then brings to their attention in the very last two verses of this book, where he declares, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Eccl. 12:13, 14).

In the New Testament, we are also directed toward the heavenly rather than just getting lost in the worldly. As Paul writes, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind [affections in the KJV] on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:1-3).

As the hymn also shows, Jesus has called us “…from each idol that would keep us.” How foolish for one to be kept in bondage by a lifeless thing that can do nothing for that individual (cf. Isa. 57:13; Ezek. 14:2-6). God states that His people were “estranged” from Him because of their idols, which indicates they were “turned away in feeling or affection.” Note specifically the place where the Lord shows these idols had resided. They were not merely on a mantle, or on a table, or set on some other piece of furniture; but, rather, the Lord went to the real core of the problem by pointing out in Ezekiel 14:3 that their idols were set up “in their hearts”! And though these idols were lifeless, powerless things, yet what great damage they could do to the worshiper of them! For idolatry was a violation of one of the Ten Commandments, and sin will separate a person from God (cf. Isa.59:1,2). The Thessalonians, however, were commended for their turning to God from idolatry (1 Thess. 1:9), which was a wise move on their part. They would not let those idols “keep” them.

We must remember that though it would probably be rare to find people in America today literally setting up idols to worship, yet even greed (or covetousness) is equated with idolatry (cf, Col. 3:5; Eph. 5:5). And it is one of the reasons why “the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience” (Col. 3:6). Greed, therefore, is a serious matter – but often not recognized. La Salle, for example, has been noted as being one of the most popular priests during the Middle Ages who heard tens of thousands of people’s confessions, over the years. And he once said that out of that great number, not once did he ever hear anyone admit to being guilty of having the love of money. Could it be that greed can be deceptive? Unrecognizable at times? And how tragic — for what a deadly enemy greed can be! An Associated Press article once published a story about a ragged peddler who had been found dead in his apartment. The day before his death, the peddler had told a friend that he didn’t even have $5 to pay a debt; but when he was found dead the next day among the littered filth in his apartment, it was also discovered that he had $61,000 in bonds and currency – and this was long ago, when that amount would have had much greater value than today! He was only 48 years old, but the report ironically stated that he died of malnutrition. Was it greed that had become such a cruel master that it made him deprive himself of even the needed food for his body? Was he caught in greed’s terrible snare?

The third stanza then sings out, “In our joys and in our sorrows, days of toil and hours of ease, still he calls, in cares and pleasures, ‘Christian, love me more than these!’”

Whether we are happy or sad, been working hard or taking it easy, still Christ is to be put above all else. His kingdom must be sought after first (cf. Matt. 6:33). Surely, Paul’s exhortation to Timothy to “be ready in season and out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2) applies in principle to us as well. The International Standard Version renders that as “Be ready to do this whether or not the time is convenient.” And whether in joy or sorrow, Christ needs to always be exalted on the throne of our heart, so that, according to 1 Peter 3:15, we can “always be ready” to make a defense of the hope that is within us to anyone.

The last stanza declares, “Jesus calls us! By thy mercies, Savior, may we hear thy call, give our hearts to thine obedience, serve and love thee best of all.”

It’s interesting that these two words are coupled: “serve” and “love.” Of course, one can’t truly serve the Lord if one doesn’t love Him; nor can one truly love the Lord, if one doesn’t obey Him (cf. Jn. 14:23, 24). For there is that need for both. This might also remind you of another pair the Bible puts together, though many people try to pull them apart – and that is faith and works! This has been illustrated as two oars that a man was using to row his boat. The oars were held in u-shaped oarlocks or braces that served as pivot-supports and helped with the rowing. One oar was called “faith,” while the other was called “works.” In neither case, could the rower use just one of those oars and expect to make it to his destination. For to do so, would have him just going in circles. But when he plied with both of them together, he made progress and arrived safely at the shore.

We need to each examine our service to the Lord, not just when we meet together at church, but also in our daily activities. Can we honestly say we love the Lord by the way we live? If we shirk our responsibilities, are we any better off than the one-talent man who buried his talent instead of using it? What was his retribution? “And cast out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 25:30).

May this song, “Jesus Calls Us,” encourage us toward a deeper commitment to Christ — and may it also be a wonderful invitation for those who have not yet come to Him, that they, too, will want to be a follower of the Lord. For what a marvelous thing it is that God would actually call us to Himself that we might each enjoy a relationship with Him – and that for now and for all eternity!

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

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

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

The Gospel Observer

July 30, 2017 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) The Wording of the King James Bible (and comparing 122 of its words with the NASB and seeing the Greek or Hebrew definitions) (Tom Edwards)
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The Wording of the King James Bible

Tom Edwards

It was back around 1973 when I first read through all of the King James Version of the Bible. Having been originally written in 1611, its different wording also had an interesting appeal to me – the “thee’s” and the “thou’s” and the words with the “eth” endings, such as “heareth,” “findeth,” “bringeth,” etc. But, of course, even more important than the mere sound was the message of those old English words that can instill faith and show the way of salvation that leads to eternal life. Since the KJV was written during the time that Shakespeare had been writing his plays, which he did from 1590 to 1612, and his sonnets in 1609, we find much similarity in his wording and that of the Bible.

Some folks, however, have viewed some of these words in the King James Version as if they are sacred or a way of expressing more reverence to God — though probably more so a few decades ago. Bob Crawley, for instance, who had preached about 24 years for the University Heights church of Christ in Lexington, Kentucky, was once asked, “Is it disrespectful to use ‘You’ in our prayers? Some of our members think we should always say ‘Thou’ when we are talking to God.”

What is one reason some people might have thought that way? Would it not be because it was the version that was often being heard from the pulpit back then, which would seem to make those words more special? For rather than being used in day-to-day conversation, they were words being heard in places where people worshiped God and heard His word proclaimed, and in their own study of God’s message.

But folks need to realize that the KJV language was just simply the common language of that day back in 1611. As Bob Crawley writes, “the ‘thee’ and ‘thou’ style of speech was as much the language of the street as of the church, of the gutter as well as the pulpit, and of cursing as well as of praying. Such words do not, then, of themselves, signify respect. To insist upon a particular old fashioned style of speech and attribute to it an exclusively religious superiority is to make the same mistake which is made by the Amish people, and others, in requiring a dress code which is not particularly spiritual but merely out of date.” Bob makes a good point.

In addition, if the KJV style of language is what is necessary to address God reverently, then what about all the years prior to that kind of language?

But notice this also. Even in the Bible, the “thee’s” and the “thou’s” are not used exclusively for God – or, in other words, used to show a special reverence or respect only to Deity. For consider the Lord’s model prayer in the KJV: Matt. 6:9-13. In it, the Lord uses the terms “thy” and “thine” (in vv. 9 & 13) in speaking of God; but if you look back several verses (vv. 3 & 4), the “thy” and “thine” are also used in addressing ordinary people, as Bob points out. In Ezra 9:15 in the KJV, Ezra declares, “O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous…”; and that same “thou” is also used throughout the Bible in referring to just people – and even evil people (cf. Acts 13:10)! Obviously, the word “thou” in itself does not indicate deep reverence or respect toward that one.

Bob also points out that “the language of the original New Testament writing (the Greek of the first century A.D.) likewise makes no distinction between the form of the pronouns used for prayer and those used for other occasions.” So the KJV type of speech was not a special language reserved for only sacred texts. It was simply part of the every-day vocabulary that was being used at that time.

But even though all of this is so, what about the one who still feels that using the King James language in addressing God is more respectful? Then, would that not be a personal conviction of that individual and better for that person to then pray that way? It certainly would not be a wrong thing to do – though he should not try to bind his personal conviction or conscience on everyone else as well. We can compare that to what Paul teaches in Romans 14:1-6, 13.

Bob makes another good point when saying, “Respect or disrespect are matters of the attitude of the heart and are not determined by whether one uses modern or old fashioned styles of speech. The truly respectful person will use those words which most naturally express the respect which he has when praying to God. The younger among us will need to be patient with those of us who find it natural to use the old style, which has become so traditional with us. And we, who for so many years have been used to hearing the prayers prayed in the style of the era of Kings James I, of England, will need to realize that those who address God in a dignified, but more up-to-date style are no less respectful than we.”

As mentioned, I had liked the sound of the KJV, but I was finding some of the terms that the apostle Paul used as being unfamiliar to me. So I went with the New American Standard Bible, which I probably bought soon after it had come out in the early ’70s. It was first published in 1971; and I have read through all of that version, too, a number of times.

When going to a Greek Lexicon to look up the meanings of some of the Greek words in the KJV New Testament, I would often find that one of the words in its definition (by Thayer or Strong or some other Lexicon scholar) would be how it was already translated in the NASB. So that also had me liking that version even more.

If one is going to use the KJV, it will be helpful to better understand some of the terms that now no longer mean what they originally did. For word-meanings can change over a period of time – and especially over 406 years! One example of this, would be the word “conversation.” In 1 Peter 2:12, for instance, “Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles…” sounds like only one’s speech, doesn’t it? For we know we are to speak the truth and not lie. But the Greek for “conversation” (anastrophe) is defined by Thayer as “manner of life, conduct, behavior, deportment.” So it means much more than merely speech alone. And how does the NASB render it? It translates it as “behavior,” which is one of the definitions that we just saw Thayer give for the Greek word it stems from.

And how about the word “banqueting” in 1 Peter 4:3? What do you think of when you think of a banquet? Probably much food for many people! Webster defines the English word as “1. a lavish meal; feast. 2. a ceremonious public dinner, as to honor a person or benefit a charity.” But is that what it meant back in 1611? What does the Greek word it comes from in 1 Peter 4:3 actually mean? James Strong defines it as “a drinking bout or carousal.” Thayer shows it to mean, “a drinking, carousing.” And in Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament, it is “a drinking, a drinking together, drinking bout.” After hearing these three similar definitions, one might be prone to blurt out, “Where’s the beef?!,” like in that old 1984 Wendy’s commercial. Or where is mention in the definition of any vegetables, fruits, or any other food? None of that is mentioned because the Greek word does not pertain to it. So how does the NASB translate it? It says “drinking parties” in 1 Peter 4:3 – with no mention of food.

What are some other terms that do not mean what folks might think? How about the word “answer” in 1 Peter 3:21 of the KJV? “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Would you not think of an “answer” as being the exact opposite of a question, a query, or an inquiry? According to the Thesaurus it is. But what does the Greek word (“eperotema”), from which “answer” is translated in the KJV, actually mean? James Strong defines it as “an inquiry.” Thayer gives the definition of “1) an enquiry, a question 2) a demand 3) earnestly seeking 3a) craving, an intense desire.” And how is it translated in the NASB? It renders it as an “appeal,” which Webster defines as “an earnest plea; entreaty: an appeal for help.” So through baptism that appeal was being made. Look how clearly that is seen in the “God’s Word” version of the Bible: “…baptism is a request to God for a clear conscience.” This doesn’t mean, of course, that the request takes the place of baptism; but, rather, that the request is actually being made in a non-verbal way by being baptized, after it had been preceded by faith in Christ (Jn. 8:24), repentance (Luke 13:5), and a confession of one’s faith in the Lord (Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:36-38). For baptism is the last step to put one into Christ (Gal. 3:26,27), where there is no condemnation (Rom. 8:1), and from which one rises up to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3,4).

In 1 Thessalonians 4:15 (KJV), Paul says, “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.” Notice the word “prevent” in this passage. What does it mean? We, of course, know that the definition of the English term “prevent” means simply “1. to keep from occurring; stop … 2. to stop from doing something…” Webster then also shows its archaic meaning of “to precede.” And “precede” is also part of the meaning of the Greek word that “prevent” is translated from in 1 Thessalonians 4:15. Thayer defines it as “1) to come before, precede…” And how does the NASB translate it? It uses the word “precede.”

Another word that might give some folks a wrong idea is seen in Acts 17:22 – the word “superstitious.” In thinking of how we use that term today, what comes to your mind? James Strong shows the Greek word to mean “more religious than others.” And Thayer’s primary definition for it is “reverencing god or the gods, pious, religious.” So how does the NASB translate it? It speaks of those people as being “very religious.”

Something else that should be pointed out to folks who use the KJV Bible is the use of the word “Easter” in Acts 12:4. Out of at least 24 different Bible versions I looked this up in, the KJV was the only one that uses the word “Easter” in this verse. The Greek word for it is “pascha,” which is used in 27 verses of the Bible; and in all of those verses, except there in Acts 12:4, the KJV renders it as “passover.” Since it is the same Greek word, why does not the KJV render it as “Easter” in all those other verses, too? According to Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, “The word in our King James Version is an ecclesiastical term of later date, and ought not to have been employed here.” Albert Barnes gives the following explanation for its use: He says, “In the translation by Wycliffe, the word ‘paske,’ that is, ‘Passover,’ is used. But Tyndale and Coverdale used the word ‘Easter,’ and hence, it has very improperly crept into our King James Version.”

What is the difference between a translation and a transliteration?

A translation is simply converting text from one language to another language. In doing so, the word-meaning from that one language will be translated into a word of the other language that means the same. For example, Paul shows in Galatians 5:22 that “patience” is a fruit of the Spirit. The word patience is a “translation” from the Greek into English, which is much more helpful for us who speak English. In Thayer’s Greek Definitions, the Greek word for patience is defined as “1) patience, endurance, constancy, steadfastness, perseverance…” So we see that the first word in this definition is being used to translate that Greek word to an English word in the KJV and various other versions of the Bible as well – and making it easy for us to understand.

But if that Greek word were transliterated instead of translated, then it would be seen as “makrothumia” (or something similar) in the KJV and other English versions, which is simply taking the Greek letters of that word and replacing them with the corresponding letters of whatever language it is being converted to — and in our case, English. This is what has been done with the word “baptize” and its various forms. In the Greek, the word for “baptize” is “baptizo.” Those letters that make up that Greek word are beta, alpha, pi, tau, iota, zeta, and omicron. Some of the letters in Greek look very similar to our English letters. This is true of the letters for alpha, beta, delta, epsilon, iota, kappa, omicron, sigma, tau, upsilon, and zeta. So, again, in just changing Greek letters to their corresponding letters in another language’s alphabet is a transliteration and does not involve the meaning of the word, but just its letters. Thayer defines the Greek word for baptism (baptisma) as “1) immersion, submersion…” So it does not include sprinkling (rhantizo) or pouring (epicheo). Of course, even if one didn’t know the meaning of baptism, it can be inferred from the verses that speak of it as being a burial, such as Romans 6:4, “…we have been buried with Him through baptism…” But what if the Greek word for “buried” was transliterated instead of translated? It would then be in our English Bibles as some form of “sunthapto,” which we might not find too helpful in understanding the passage. If “baptizo” had been translated instead of transliterated, then we would be reading passages with the following or similar renditions: “He that believeth and is immersed shall be saved…” (Mk. 16:16). “…Repent, and be immersed every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38). And for the Greek word “baptisma,” “…corresponding to that, immersion now saves you…” (1 Pet. 3:21), etc.

As mentioned, there are many KJV words that are archaic and unfamiliar. Consider the following, which gives a comparison between words from the KJV and how those same words are translated in the NASB, to determine which is easier for you to understand. As you can see, the listing below is in an alphabetized order based on the KJV words:

The following sources have been used for the Greek and Hebrew Definitions:

BDB = Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions
Strong = Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries
Mounce = Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary of the New Testament
Thayer = Thayer’s Greek Definitions
Moulton and Milligan = JH Moulton and G Milligan: The Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament

Matthew 5:39: “ADO” (KJV) or “COMMOTION” (NASB). Thayer: “to make a noise or uproar, be turbulent…to wail tumultuously”
Luke 14:32: “AMBASSAGE” (KJV) or “DELEGATION” (NASB). Thayer: “an embassy”
Deuteronomy 22:19: “AMERCE” (KJV) or “FINE” (NASB). BDB: “to fine”
1 Corinthians 16:22: “ANATHEMA” (KJV) or “ACCURSED” (NASB). Thayer: “…a man accursed, devoted to the direst of woes”
Exodus 30:25: “APOTHECARY” (KJV) or “PERFUMER” (NASB). BDB: “perfumer”
Genesis 4:22: “ARTIFICER” (KJV) or “FORGER” (NASB). BDB: “metal craftsman”
Isaiah 14:23: “BESOM” (KJV) or “BROOM” (NASB). Strong & BDB: ”broom”
Isaiah 8:21: “BESTEAD” (KJV) – See “HARDLY BESTEAD.”
Isaiah 16:3: “BEWRAY” (KJV) or “BETRAY” (NASB)
Exodus 9:9: “BLAINS” (KJV) or “SORES” (NASB). BDB: “blisters, boils”
Exodus 9:31: “BOLLED” (KJV) or “BUD” (NASB)
1 Samuel 26:7: “BOLSTER” (KJV) or “HEAD” (NASB). BDB: “place at the head…”
Deut. 28:27: “BOTCH” (KJV) or “BOILS” (NASB). BDB: “boil, inflamed spot…”
Philemon 1:7: “BOWELS” (KJV) or “HEARTS” (NASB). Thayer shows that though the Greek word for “bowels” is sometimes used literally for the “bowels, intestines, (the heart, lungs, liver, etc.),” it was also used to refer to “the seat of the more violent passions, such as anger and love; but by the Hebrews as the seat of the tenderer affections, especially kindness, benevolence, compassion; hence our heart (tender mercies, affections, etc.).”
Jeremiah 51:3: “BRIGANDINE” (KJV) or “SCALE-ARMOR” (NASB). Strong: “a coat of mail”; BDB: “armor”
Jeremiah 10:22: “BRUIT” (KJV) or “REPORT” (NASB). BDB: “report, news, rumour”
2 Samuel 22:31: “BUCKLER” (KJV) or “SHIELD” (NASB). BDB: “shield”
Leviticus 26:16: “BURNING AGUE” (KJV) or “FEVER” (NASB). BDB: “fever”
Luke 10:41: “CAREFUL” (KJV) or “WORRIED” (NASB). Though we normally think of the word “careful” to mean “cautious in one’s actions,” yet Webster also gives a fifth definition, which is archaic, but shows it had meant “troubled” and “anxious” long ago.) Thayer: “1) to be anxious 1a) to be troubled with cares”
Isaiah 3:18: “CAULS” (KJV) or “HEADBANDS” (NASB). BDB: “1) front band 1a) for a woman’s head”
Numbers 7:13: “CHARGER” (KJV) or “DISH” (NASB). BDB: “dish, platter”
Colossians 3:5: “evil CONCUPISCENCE” (KJV) or “evil DESIRE” (NASB). Thayer: “desire, craving, longing, desire for what is forbidden, lust”
Exodus 30:35: “CONFECTION” (KJV) or “PERFUME” (NASB). BDB: “spice-mixture, perfume, ointment.”
2 Chronicles 4:12: “CHAPITERS” (KJV) or “CAPITALS” (NASB). BDB: “1) capital crown, capital of a pillar”
Isaiah 32:5: “CHURL” (KJV) or “ROGUE” (NASB). BDB: ”scoundrel, knave”
Isaiah 3:22: “CRISPING PINS” (KJV) or “MONEY PURSES” (NASB). BDB: “bag, purse”
Galatians 2:13: “DISSEMBLED” (KJV) or “JOINED HIM IN HYPOCRISY” (NASB). Thayer: “to act hypocritically with”
Genesis 45:6: “EARING” (KJV) or “PLOWING” (NASB). BDB: “ploughing, ploughing time”
John 2:6: “FIRKINS” (KJV) – See “TWO OR THREE FIRKINS.”
Isaiah 28:25: “FITCHES” (KJV) or “DILL” (NASB).
2 Samuel 6:19: “FLAGON” (KJV) or “RAISINS” (NASB). BDB: “raisin-cake”; Strong: “something closely pressed together, that is, a cake of raisins or other comfits”
Deuteronomy 32:20: “FROWARD” (KJV) or “PERVERSE” (NASB). BDB: “perversity, perverse thing”
Matthew 3:12: “GARNER” (KJV) or “BARN” (NASB). Thayer: “1) a place in which anything is laid by or up. 2) a storehouse, granary”
Job 18:9: “GIN” (KJV) or “SNARE” (NASB). BDB: “1) bird trap, trap, snare”
Zechariah 6:3: “GRISLED” (KJV) or “DAPPLED” (NASB). BDB: “spotted, marked”
Exodus 28:32: “HABERGEON” (KJV) or “COAT OF MAIL” (NASB). BDB: “corselet”; Webster defines corselet as “2. a. a suit of light armor covering the entire trunk”
Judges 3:22: “HAFT” (KJV) or “HANDLE” (NASB). Strong: “a handle”
Luke 12:58: “HALE” (KJV) or “DRAG” (NASB). Thayer: “1) to draw down, pull down 2) to draw along, drag forcibly”
Mark 9:45: “HALT” (KJV) or “LAME” (NASB). Thayer: “lame…deprived of a foot, maimed”
Acts 17:27: “HAPLY” (KJV) or “PERHAPS” (NASB)
Isaiah 8:21: “HARDLY BESTEAD” (KJV) or “HARD-PRESSED” (NASB). BDB: “to be hard pressed”
Deuteronomy 12:15: “HART” (KJV) or “DEER” (NASB). Strong: “a stag or male deer”
Luke 15:4: “HOLPEN” (KJV) or “GIVEN HELP” (NASB). Thayer: “to help”
Josh.11:6: “HOUGH” (KJV) or “HAMSTRING” (NASB). BDB: “2) to cut, hamstring”
Acts 19:38: “IMPLEAD” (KJV) or “BRING CHARGES” (NASB). Thayer: “to come forward as accuser against, bring charge against”
2 Timothy 3:3: “INCONTINENT” (KJV) or “WITHOUT SELF-CONTROL” (NASB) Thayer: “without self-control, intemperate”
Matthew 5:18: “JOT” (KJV) or “SMALLEST LETTER” (NASB). Thayer: “1) the Hebrew letter, the smallest of them all 1a) hence equivalent to the minutest part”
Genesis 32:15: “KINE” (KJV) or “COWS” (NASB). BDB: “cow, heifer”
Exodus 25:33: “KNOP” (KJV) or “BULB” (NASB). BDB: “bulb, knob, capital, capital of a pillar”
Psalm 5:6: “LEASING” (KJV) or “FALSEHOOD” (NASB). BDB: “a lie, untruth, falsehood, deceptive thing”
Zephaniah 1:12: “LEES” (KJV) – See “SETTLE ON THEIR LEES.”
John 3:8: “LISTETH” (KJV) or “WISHES” (NASB). Thayer: “to will… to desire, to wish…”
1 Samuel 8:3: “LUCRE” (KJV) or “DISHONEST GAIN” (NASB)
Matthew 6:24: “MAMMON” (KJV) or “WEALTH” (NASB). Mounce: “wealth, riches”; Thayer: “1) mammon, 2) treasure 3) riches (where it is personified and opposed to God)”
Judges 4:18: “MANTLE” (KJV) or “RUG” (NASB). Strong: “a rug”
Proverbs 25:18: “MAUL” ((KJV) or “CLUB” (NASB). BDB: “scattering club”
Genesis 43:34: “MESSES” (KJV) or “PORTIONS” (NASB). BDB: “1) …portion… 1d) portion, present, largess, gift, contribution, offering, tribute”
Luke 12:59: “MITE” (KJV) or “CENT” (NASB). Moulton & Milligan: “the smallest piece of money in circulation”; Thayer: “a small brass coin…worth about 1/5 of a cent”
Exodus 29:6: “MITRE” (KJV) or “TURBAN” (NASB). BDB: “turban (of the high priest)”
Matthew 7:3: “MOTE” (KJV) or “SPECK” (NASB). Mounce: “any small dry thing, as chaff, stubble, splinter”
Isaiah 3:19: “MUFFLERS” (KJV) or “VEILS” (NASB). Strong: “a long veil (as fluttering)
Exodus 9:3: “MURRAIN” (KJV) or “PESTILENCE” (NASB). Strong: “a pestilence”
Jeremiah 2:22: “NITRE” (KJV) or “LYE” (NASB). BDB: “mineral potash (so called from effervescing with acid)”
Genesis 37:7: “OBEISANCE” (KJV) or “BOWED DOWN” (NASB). BDB: “to bow down”
2 Samuel 16:23: “ORACLE” (KJV) or “WORD” (NASB). Strong: “a word”
Exodus 28:11: “OUCHES” (KJV) or “FILIGREE SETTINGS” (NASB). BDB: “plaited or filigree or chequered work (of settings for gems)”
Matthew 4:24: “PALSY” (KJV) or “PARALYTICS” (NASB). Thayer: “paralytic”
Acts 1:3: “PASSION” (KJV) or “SUFFERING” (NASB). Strong: “to experience a sensation or impression (usually painful)”
1 Peter 2:9: “PECULIAR” (KJV) or “A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESION” (NASB)
Matthew20:2: “PENNY” (KJV) or “DENARIUS” (NASB). Strong: “a denarius.” A denarius was the equivalent of about our 16 cents, and it was what a common laborer made for a full day’s work when Jesus walked this earth.
2 Chronicles 4:12: “POMMELS” (KJV) or “BOWLS” (NASB). BDB: “1) bowl…1b2) of bowl shaped portion of capitals of pillars of the temple”
Luke 19:16: “POUND” (KJV) or “MINA” (NASB). Strong: “mina”
Jeremiah 51:31: “POST” (KJV) or “COURIER” (NASB).
1 Sam. 10:5: “PSALTERY” (KJV) or “HARP” (NASB). BDB: “2) harp…”
Matthew 10:3: “PUBLICAN” (KJV) or “TAX COLLECTOR” (NASB). Thayer: “2) a tax gatherer, collector of taxes or tolls”
Daniel 1:12: “PULSE” (KJV) or “VEGETABLES” (NASB). Strong: “a vegetable”
1 Corinthians 5:11: “RAILER” (KJV) or “REVILER” (NASB). Thayer: “a railer, reviler”
Proverbs 23:16: ”REINS” (KJV) or “INMOST BEING” (NASB). BDB: “1b) of seat of emotion and affection (figuratively)”; Strong: “figuratively the mind (as the interior self)”
Romans 1:28: “REPROBATE” (KJV) or “DEPRAVED” (NASB). Strong: “unapproved, that is, rejected; by implication worthless (literally or morally)”
Isaiah 58:8: “REREWARD” (KJV) or “REAR GUARD” (NASB)
Acts 12:4: “QUATERNIONS” (KJV) or “FOUR SQUADS” (NASB). Strong: “a quaternion or squad (picket) of four Roman soldiers”
1 Samuel 27:10: “ROAD” (KJV) or “RAID” (NASB). BDB: “1) to strip, invade, strip off, make a dash, raid, spread out”; Strong: “to spread out (that is, deploy in hostile array)”
Isaiah 3:18: “ROUND TIRES” (KJV) or “CRESCENT ORNAMENTS” (NASB). BDB: “1) moon, crescent 1a) as ornament; Strong: “a round pendant for the neck”
Isaiah 13:21: “SATYRS” (KJV) or “SHAGGY GOATS” (NASB). BDB: “1) hairy (adjective) 2) he-goat, buck (noun masculine)…”
Matthew 10:10: “SCRIP” (KJV) or “BAG” (NASB). Strong: “a wallet or leather pouch for food”
Exodus 23:19: “SEETHE” (KJV) or “BOIL” (NASB). BDB: “1) to boil, cook, bake, roast…”
2 Kings 4:42: “SERVITOR” (KJV) or “ATTENDANT” (NASB). Strong: “to attend as a menial or worshipper; figuratively to contribute to”; BDB: “to minister, serve, minister to”
Zephaniah 1:12: “SETTLED ON THEIR LEES” (KJV) or “STAGNANT IN SPIRIT” (NASB).
Isaiah 17:4: “SHALL WAX LEAN” (KJV) or “WILL BECOME LEAN” (NASB). Strong: “to emaciate, that is, make (become) thin (literally or figuratively)”; BDB: “1) to be or become or grow lean…”
Daniel 3:2: “SHERIFFS” (KJV) or “MAGISTRATES” (NASB). BDB: “magistrate”; Strong: “judicial, that is, a lawyer”
Genesis 38:18: “SIGNET” (KJV) or “SEAL” (NASB). BDB: “seal, signet, signet-ring”
John 13:26: “SOP” (KJV) or “MORSEL” (NASB). Strong: “a crumb or morsel (as if rubbed off), that is, a mouthful”; Thayer: “a fragment, bit, morsel”
Isaiah 3:24: “STOMACHER” (KJV) or “FINE CLOTHES” (NASB). BDB: “rich or expensive robe”
Matthew 7:13: “STRAIT” (KJV) or “NARROW” (NASB). Strong: “narrow”
Matthew 19:14: “SUFFER” (KJV) or “LET” (NASB). Thayer: “to permit, allow, not to hinder”
Exodus 35:22: “TABLES” (KJV) or “BRACELETS” (NASB). BDB: “1) ornaments, golden ornament 1a) maybe – armlets of gold”; Strong: “a jewel (probably gold beads)”
Exodus 26:6: “TACHES” (KJV) or “CLASPS” (NASB). BDB: “hook”
Exodus 5:18: “TALE” (KJV) or “QUOTA” (NASB). Strong: “a fixed quantity”; BDB: “1) measurement, a measured amount”
1 Samuel 17:6: “TARGET” (KJV) or “JAVELIN” (NASB). BDB: “1) javelin, short sword, dart”
2 Chronicles 9:15: “TARGET” (KJV) or “LARGE SHIELD” (NASB). BDB: “3) shield, large shield, buckler”
Ezekiel 24:17: “TIRE OF THINE HEAD” (KJV) or “TURBAN” (NASB). BDB: “head-dress, ornament, turban”
Isaiah 3:18: “TIRES” (KJV) — see “ROUND TIRES.”
Matthew 5:18: “TITTLE” (KJV) or “STROKE” (NASB). Thayer: “of the little lines or projections, by which the Hebrew letters, in other respects similar, differ from one another; the meaning is, ‘not even the minutest part of the law shall perish.’”
Isaiah 43:17: “TOW” (KJV) or “WICK” (NASB). Strong: “flax; by implication a wick”
John 2:6: “TWO OR THREE FIRKINS” (KJV) or “TWENTY OR THIRTY GALLONS” (NASB). Thayer defines the Greek word for “firkin” as “containing somewhat less than nine English gallons or about [40 l].” Since an English gallon is the equivalent of 1.2 U.S. Gallons, then 9 English gallons is about 10.8 gallons. And 40 liters is about 10.56 gallons. But the “somewhat less” than that could easily be thought of as “10” gallons.
1 John 2:20: “UNCTION” (KJV) or “ANOINTING” (NASB). Mounce: “anything which is applied by smearing; ointment; in NT an anointing, in the reception of spiritual privileges”
Acts 2:40: “UNTOWARD” (KJV) or “PERVERSE” (NASB). Thayer: “perverse, wicked.”
Matthew 25:27: “USURY” (KJV) or “INTEREST” (NASB). We use the word “usury” today in referring to an exorbitant amount of interest rate, but Strong and Thayer show that the Greek word for it simply meant “interest.” Webster also includes the definition of “interest paid for the use of money,” as his third definition, but shows that meaning of “usury” to be obsolete for our time.
Matthew 5:18: “VERILY” (KJV) or “TRULY” (NASB). Mounce: “in truth, most certainly, so be it…amen; truly”
Acts 12:10: “WARD” (KJV) or “GUARD” (NASB). BDB: “1) guard, watch”
Isaiah 17:4: “WAX” (KJV) – See “SHALL WAX LEAN.”
Isaiah 3:22: “WIMPLES” (KJV) or “CLOAKS” (NASB). BDB: “cloak”; Strong: “a wide cloak (for a woman)”
Isaiah 63:2: “WINEFAT” (KJV) or “WINE PRESS” (NASB). Strong: “a wine press”
Acts 3:17: “WOT” (KJV) or “KNOW” (NASB). Thayer: “to see” and “to know.”
Mark 10:1: “WONT” (KJV) or “ACCORDING TO…CUSTOM” (NASB). Thayer: “to be accustomed”
Exodus 28:14: “WREATHEN” (KJV) or “CORDED” (NASB). BDB: “1) cord…”; Strong: “something intwined..”
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

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

The Gospel Observer

July 23, 2017 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) God’s Grief (Tom Edwards)
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God’s Grief

Tom Edwards

Last week, we considered how special we are to God. That though we are so unworthy and have nothing in ourselves, apart from Christ, to be deserving of eternal life, yet God has treated us as having tremendous value by sending His Son Jesus to suffer and die that we might be saved. We noted that God regards His people as being “much more valuable…than the birds!,” as being “a treasured possession” (Deut. 26:18), as being “a people for God’s own possession” (1 Pet. 2:9), as being “precious” (“valuable,” James Strong) in God’s sight (Isa. 43:1), and as being “the apple of His eye” (Zech. 2:8), which Webster defines as “someone or something very precious or dear to one…”

Something else that also indicates God’s affection toward us is in knowing that He can be grieved by our sin and ungodliness. We are first made aware of that in Genesis 6:5,6: “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.”

The Bible sometimes uses “accommodating language” or what is also referred to as “speaking in the fashion of man,” such as when it says in Genesis 11:5, “The LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built.” Did God have to literally come down? Even from heaven, the LORD “sees all the sons of men” (Psa. 33:13). And surely, the Lord knew — before He even made man — of what man would do, which would result in the need for a Savior. For Jesus’ death on the cross is said to be according to “the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23); and when speaking of being “not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold…but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ,” Peter goes on to say, “For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you” (1 Pet. 1:18-20).

So, apparently, God wanted to have a people for Himself – even though it would also include some grief on His part along the way!

Psalm 78:40, a historical psalm, declares, “How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness And grieved Him in the desert!”

“In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled And grieved His Holy Spirit; Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them” (Isa. 63:10).

According to WebMD, “Grief and grieving are the natural response to a major loss, such as the death of a loved one.” How, therefore, could God be grieving over others unless they had been of importance and value to Him, and were now a great loss?

Being a God of justice, the Lord cannot condone or overlook transgression. So those who remain in their sin, refusing to repent, will have to suffer the consequences; but that is not what the Lord desires to carry out – but He must! For as He says in Ezekiel 33:11: “Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’”

And what about when man dies “spiritually,” as Adam and Eve did on the day they took the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? (See Gen. 2:17.) Sin results in spiritual death, which has been defined as a separation from God. See Isaiah 59:1,2. James writes: “…each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death” (James 1:14,15). “For the wages of sin is death…” (Rom. 6:23). So the point is, would not God be just as grieved over those who have spiritually died because of sin as He was toward those whose sin had resulted in a physical death?

To grieve over those you love is also seen of Jesus in Luke 19:41-44: “When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, ‘If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.’” The Lord’s heart had gone out to these who were heading toward suffering. He wanted to save them, but they were unwilling.

This is also seen in Luke 13:34 where the Lord probably said bemoaningly, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, just as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not have it!”

Jesus came to this world to also show what His Father in heaven is like (cf. Jn. 14:7-11). For His love and concern for others is identical to that of Jesus. Notice also the compassion Jesus manifested toward those emotionally suffering over the death of Lazarus. Jesus was there to raise Lazarus from the dead, but when He saw Mary “weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to Him, ‘Lord, come and see’” (John 11:33-34). Then the next verse so tenderly tells us that “Jesus wept.” Some who saw that had said, “See how He loved him!” (v. 36). Yes, Lazarus was a good friend of the Lord’s whom He loved; but was not the Lord’s weeping because of these others — or at least also — and out of love and sympathy for them?

Isaiah prophesied about 700 years prior to Jesus’ birth into this world and shows the extent to which He was willing to go, due to His love for His Father and for humanity: “For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken; Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him” (Isa. 53:2-6). God loved us that much – and still does!

To express the grief God had toward His wayward people of Old Testament times, He is sometimes depicted as a husband toward them, and they as an unfaithful and adulterous wife, such as when God speaks of “the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them” (Jer. 31:32). And by their going after the false gods of idolatry, they were then referred to as not only unfaithful, but also as adulterers and harlots. “Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, ‘Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, bear now the punishment of your lewdness and your harlotries” (Ezek. 23:35). “For they [Samaria and Jerusalem, v. 4] have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands. Thus they have committed adultery with their idols and even caused their sons, whom they bore to Me, to pass through the fire to them as food” (v. 37; See also Jer. 32:35).

To better understand the grief that God went through by His people being disloyal toward Him and going after false gods, the Lord had Hosea marry a woman prone to harlotry, “for the land commits flagrant harlotry, forsaking the LORD” (Hos. 1:2). Her name was “Gomer” (v. 3), and she did go after other lovers (Hos. 2:5); but God said He would “hedge up her way with thorns” and “build a wall against her so that she cannot find her paths. She will pursue her lovers, but she will not overtake them; And she will seek them, but will not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go back to my first husband, For it was better for me then than now!’” (Hos. 2:6-7). And in spite of all the wrong she had done and all the grief she had brought to Hosea, he still took her back — having paid the fee to do so (Hos. 3:2)! How much more meaningful Hosea’s message to the people of His day — of God’s love for them and His desire for them to repent and return to Him — must have been for all those who had known of Hosea’s love for Gomer. For they were like her, in a manner of speaking, being spiritual adulterers by their unfaithfulness to God and going after the false gods of idolatry. But God still loved them and wanted them to come to their senses, repent and return, that He may welcome them again and His grief be turned to joy!

So let us each live, according to the gospel, so that we will not bring grief to the Father, to the Son, nor to the Holy Spirit (Eph. 4:30)! For they do greatly care for each of us!

(All Scripture from the NASB.)
——————–

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

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

The Gospel Observer

July 16, 2017 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) Are We of Any Value to God? (Tom Edwards)
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Are We of Any Value to God?

Tom Edwards

The Bible makes it clear that God “so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son…” (Jn. 3:16). We also see that He did this not because “we loved God,” but because “He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation [the atoning sacrifice, NIV] for our sins” (1 Jn. 4:10). For this took place “while we were enemies” of God (Rom. 5:10), “sinners” (v. 8), “ungodly” and “still helpless” (v. 6), which also indicates that His love for us was not based on our earning or deserving it – for we had not, nor ever would be able to! These, along with numerous other verses in the Bible, clearly show that God truly does love each one of us.

But what we want to answer in this article is whether we are also of any value or worth to God. For how often have we humbly felt so worthless in His sight by realizing that we have no value in ourselves, apart from Christ, by which we can stand justified and deserving of eternal life? Perhaps it causes us to also think of the words of Isaiah: “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away” (Isa. 64:6). But does our own feeling of worthlessness mean that we are of no value or worth to God?

What the Bible shows is that regardless of who we are, God treats us as being of great value to Him! For is that not expressed in His having Jesus to make an atonement by His death on the cross — and not for just a special few, but in order to impartially “taste death for everyone” (Heb. 2:9) — and be “the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (1 Jn. 2:2)? Without exception, Jesus died for every transgressor! And does that not in itself imply that we are of value to God? As the Bible says, “knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you” (1 Pet. 1:18-20).

If we had to pay monetarily for salvation, how much would we be willing to give? Would it not be everything we had? But, of course, even all the wealth of the world and the universe combined would not be enough! The psalmist says, “No man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him – For the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease trying forever” (Psa. 49:7,8).

If anyone would ever wonder, “Why did Christ have to die to make the atonement?” Or, “Could there not have been some other way?” Would not the answer be that by Jesus’ atoning and sacrificial death, God showed His love to the world in the greatest way possible! And He did that, as we saw, while we were “sinners” and His “enemies.” We should, therefore, never have any doubt of His love for us. For what Jesus did at Calvary indicates that we are important, special, and of great value to God!

Jesus did not die for rocks and trees and buzzing bees, nor for fish and birds and mountains and seas, nor for plants and animals and their many fleas, nor did He die for any other non-human thing! For they were not created in God’s image, and they do not have eternal souls! How much more, therefore, God values and is concerned for mankind and truly wants each one saved from the wrath to come — and for all eternity! (cf. 2 Pet. 3:9.)

So being made “in the image of God” and having been given dominion over all other living creatures on earth (Gen. 1:26,27) and having an eternal soul also indicates that we are special to God and of whom He values above all else on earth.

When speaking of the concern some might have for food and clothing, Jesus points out that God takes care of even the ravens by feeding them; but then also says, “how MUCH MORE VALUABLE you are than the birds!” (Luke 12:22-24, emphasis mine). So His disciples were not just “more valuable,” but also “MUCH MORE VALUABLE” in God’s sight!

To the nation of Israel, Moses said, “The LORD has today declared you to be His people, A TREASURED POSSESSION, as He promised you, and that you should keep all His commandments; and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, for praise, fame, and honor; and that you shall be a consecrated people to the LORD your God, as He has spoken” (Deut. 26:18,19, emphasis mine). Our possessions usually have value to us — and especially if they are a “TREASURED POSSESSION”! And just think how much greater God can treasure what He treasures!

In our time, the church is the “spiritual Israel” that has a special relationship with God as being “A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY” (1 Pet. 2:9-10). As the writer shows, Christians are “A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION” — and that sounds mighty special!

Since we are the objects of God’s love, His compassion, and His concern, would not our worth to God be based on that love He has for us – rather than anything worthy in ourselves? For we are not worthy. Just think of the great love God had for Israel, when through Jeremiah He states, “I have loved you with an EVERLASTING LOVE; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness” (Jer. 31:3, emphasis mine). The Hebrew word for “loved” (ahab) in this passage is defined as “to have affection for” (Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries). The Greek word for “love” (agape) in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,” also can mean “affection” (Thayer). Do we not value the individual who is the object of our affections? In our hearts, that person is special, important, and of great worth to us.

God said of Israel, “you are Mine!” and “YOU ARE PRECIOUS in My sight…and I love you” (Isa. 43:1-4, emphasis mine). The Hebrew word here for “precious” is “yaqar,” which James Strong defines as “to be heavy, that is, (figuratively) VALUABLE” (emphasis mine). So these individuals were VALUABLE to God!

We were “bought with a price” (1 Cor. 7:23) – and one that is more “precious” than “silver or gold” (1 Pet. 1:18,19). “Precious” has also been defined as “of high price or great value” (Webster). Would one pay a great price for that which would be considered worthless or of no value to the buyer?

Regardless of how much we are actually worth, God has treated us as being of tremendous value!

In a world in which some might view the destitute as being worthless, notice the psalmist’s desire in Psalm 72:1,13,14: “Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king’s son. He will have compassion on the poor and needy, And the lives of the needy he will save. He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, And their blood will be precious in his sight.” Since this was to be on the basis of God’s judgments, would not the poor’s blood being “precious” also be the way that God Himself perceives it? In Psalm 116:15, “PRECIOUS in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His godly ones” (emphasis mine). So these individuals are “of great value” to God and “dearly beloved.”

When Peter shows that the adornment of the wives “must not be merely external – braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses”; he then goes on to say, “but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God” (1 Pet. 3:3,4). Since God views this “gentle and quiet spirit” to be precious, doesn’t that also add to the woman being of “great value”?

After considering the greatness of the heavens that the Lord had made, David was also awed by God’s regard for humanity and declares in Psalm 8:4, “What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?” But that is the way God is. For He is love, and He treats us far better than we deserve and even refers to His people as being “THE APPLE OF HIS EYE” (Zech. 2:8, emphasis mine), which Webster defines as “someone or something very precious or dear to one…”

Think, too, of the love parents have for their children and how greatly they care for them and value them! Would God’s love and regard for His own be any less?! To the contrary, His is exceedingly greater!

Though before the creation, God knew that man would sin, which would require the torturous and atoning death of Jesus, yet God went ahead and made man in spite of that! How much He must have greatly desired to have us for His people — to be our Father — and to bless us throughout all eternity!

Paul shows in Ephesians 2:4-7 that God’s love for us, which prompted His mercy and a salvation by grace, is “so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” And “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32). Is this not also another indication that we are of great value to God — in thinking of all that He wants to do for us?

Though we do not deserve it, nor could ever earn it, yet God treats us as being of exceeding worth to Him and has a love for us that far excels any other we have ever known!

How thankful we should be that God treats us way beyond what we deserve! From His perspective, we are important, we are special, and we are valuable! So, yes, we can say we are all of these things to God — but not on the basis of any personal merit; but, rather, because of the way our loving, heavenly Father is and what we mean to Him!

(Unless otherwise indicated, all Scriptures are from the NASB.)
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

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

The Gospel Observer

July 9, 2017 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) “We Shall See The King Some Day” (Tom Edwards)
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“We Shall See The King Some Day”

Tom Edwards

In this world, we sometimes have our troubles, disappointments, and sadnesses. It might involve the car breaking down, losing our health, losing a job, losing a loved one, etc. Times like these can be difficult. But may we never lose sight of the fact that in spite of whatever would come our way, “We shall see the King some day”!

As you probably recall, this quote is taken from a hymn we have often sung. It was written by Lewis Edgar Jones who lived from 1865 to 1936 and wrote this particular hymn in 1906.

Had this song been written back in Job’s day, I imagine he would have sung it from his heart. For he was a man who had that kind of hope. As seen in Job 19:25-27: “As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes shall see and not another. My heart faints within me!” So, yes, Job knew the answer to his rhetorical question, “If a man dies, will he live again?” For he also indicates that in the same passage: “All the days of my struggle I will wait Until my change comes” (Job 14:14).

The hope we have in seeing God in heaven can help us through this earth life. It was certainly an aid to Moses. For by his looking to the “reward” and “seeing Him who is unseen,” Moses was able to choose rather “to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt” (Heb. 11:25-27).

The hope we have, as Christians, in seeing God can also give us that motivating power through our times of troubles and difficulties. The last of the apostles, John, certainly knew about persecution upon the Lord’s people. But he would have them, also, to look to the Lord and His coming again for encouragement through their struggles and making themselves ready for that great day! “Beloved,” he writes, “now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 Jn. 3:2,3).

In the previous chapter, John also writes: “And now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him” (1 Jn. 2:28,29). John also shows that the way we are to “abide” in the Lord is by keeping His commandments (cf. 1 Jn. 3:24).

It is in the second stanza of the hymn that speaks of seeing the King “After pain and anguish, after toil and care…” Who has ever lived without experiencing a measure of suffering to some degree, whether it be physical or emotional? This life can sometimes be likened to a road filled with numerous potholes that cannot be avoided. But let us not forget that even the struggles of life can be for our good! As John Neal points out, “A certain amount of opposition is a great help to man. Kites rise against, not with the wind.” Sometimes it was in the “furnace of affliction” by which God “refined” and “tested” His people (cf. Isa. 48:10). Peter speaks in similar language of “the proof of one’s faith” being “tested by fire” through “various trials,” yet resulting “in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ…” and “obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls” (1 Pet. 1:6-9). Therefore, as James writes, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

We not only have our toils, but also our cares, as the hymn goes on to say in the second stanza. And concerning those cares, we know that even now we can turn to the One who wants to help us overcome them. For Peter exhorted the brethren, who were undergoing extreme difficulties (a “fiery trial,” 1 Pet. 4:12), to “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety [care, KJV] upon Him, because He cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:6,7). Yes, prayer is for the here and now; and it is one of the ways in which we are to deal with our troubles, as seen also in Paul’s instruction: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:6,7).

Surely, the ultimate comfort will be heaven itself – where “there shall no longer be any death…mourning, or crying, or pain” (Rev. 21:4).

But while we are here on earth, there are still spiritual battles to be fought and won. As the hymn includes, we shall see the King “After foes are conquered, after battles won…” The fight we are to engage in is the good “fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12). For faith is needed as part of our spiritual armor that we are to put on, which consists of “loins girded with truth,” a “breastplate of righteousness,” feet shod with “the preparation of the gospel of peace,” “the shield of faith,” “the helmet of salvation,” and “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Eph. 6:10-18).

It is a battle between flesh and spirit: “For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin…” (Rom. 7:22,23). This clash is also seen in the next chapter: “For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him” (Rom. 8:5-9).

So this spiritual warfare also pertains to our very thoughts, which we each must control: “for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:3-5).

It is through the flesh that we can be tempted to sin (cf. James 1:13-15; 1 Jn. 2:16,17). But notice what Paul did about that: “but I buffet my body and make it my slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27). Paul, of course, did not literally beat his body, but the figurative expression stresses the determination he had to be faithfully obedient — even through difficulty and pain – in order to maintain his relationship with God.

Fighting spiritual battles are not always easy – and especially when they lead to intense emotional or physical agony. Yet, Jesus still gives hope and encouragement: “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until [unto, KJV] death, and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev. 2:10).

One day God is going to gather everyone before Him. And though maybe not always with our hymn title, yet how often have we reminded ourselves of that fact that one of these days we are going to see the Almighty God! Oh, what a day that will be for the redeemed! Will you be ready then? May we each be! And as we go through life, let us continue to remind ourselves that “We shall see the King some day”!

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

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

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

The Gospel Observer

July 2, 2017 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) Questions and Answers on the Existence of God (Tom Edwards)
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Questions and Answers on the Existence of God

Tom Edwards

1) “How Do We Know That God Exists?”

We know that God exists because we exist! This doesn’t mean that He exists because we made Him up in our imagination; but, rather, that our very existence is the proof of His reality. Paul indicates this in Romans 1:19,20: “…that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His ETERNAL power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse” (emphasis mine). In other words, since we and everything else in the physical universe had a beginning, it required not only something that preexisted everything else (that Great “First Cause”), but also that which had high intelligence, tremendous power, and awesome abilities to bring about the creation and all things therein.

We also know that God exists by what we can infer in the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies that were given hundreds of years before Jesus came to earth and, therefore, prior to the New Testament Age, yet came to pass with even specific accuracy. God, thus, has that power to know beyond human ability of things to come — and through prophecy and its fulfillment, He has proven that!

2) “How Do We Know That Our Creator Wasn’t Also Created By an Even More Superior Being?”

One might say, however, that “to speak of God as having ‘preexisted’ prior to the creation,” as mentioned earlier, “doesn’t necessarily mean that He has always been. How do we know that He was not created by a God even more superior?” The answer to that is found within the word God has given us. For after acquiring faith through His word (Rom. 10:17), realizing the reality of His existence through the creation and the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, and learning about the goodness of His nature, such as knowing that He cannot lie (cf. Titus 1:2), we can then very easily accept by faith the truthfulness of His word, such as in Isaiah 43:10-13, in which He says: “‘You are My witnesses,’ declares the LORD, ‘And My servant whom I have chosen, So that you may know and believe Me And understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, And there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the LORD, And there is no savior besides Me. It is I who have declared and saved and proclaimed, And there was no strange god among you; So you are My witnesses,’ declares the LORD, ‘And I am God. Even from eternity I am He, And there is none who can deliver out of My hand; I act and who can reverse it?’” God is also referred to elsewhere as being “eternal” (Deut. 32:27), “everlasting” (Isa. 40:28); and, in addition, the idea of His being “the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end” (Rev. 21:6) figuratively expresses His eternal nature.

In view of the indications of God’s reality through the creation and fulfilled prophecy, perhaps these are a couple reasons why the Bible declares that “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ …” (Psa. 14:1, Psa. 53:1). In other words, God’s existence should be easily accepted by any accountable person — and certainly much more reasonable to do so than to believe that everything on earth and throughout the universe came about without an Intelligent Designer behind it all.

Recently, I watched a BBC documentary of a baby developing in the womb. It was interesting to see that in just 18 to 19 days from conception, the heart began to form and then started functioning at around the 21 or 22 day. The heart, of course, is necessary in distributing food and oxygen for the continuation of the baby to develop and is, therefore, said to be “one of the first recognizable organs to form.” But while seeing the entirety of this unformed substance begin to form its own heart, I began to think of how anyone could actually deny this amazing process as having been made possible by God. For how would an unintelligible mass know it needs to first form the heart in order that the rest of the development can also occur? And that is just the heart! Think, too, of all the other organs that will also become necessary to sustain life. It is said that the body is made up of 70 vital organs. The top 10, in countdown fashion, are the bladder, the skin, the small and large intestines, the kidneys, the spleen, the stomach, the liver, the lungs, the heart, and the brain. Each one has its own special function, and each one has its own design, and each one is made up of numerous cells. But how did each cell know of which group of organ cells it was to be a part of and how it was to form with the others of that group to make possible a particular needed organ, and where it was to reside in the body? According to Smithsonian.com, the body is made up of 37.2 trillion cells! But each one is not merely anywhere in some haphazard fashion throughout the body; but, rather, where it needs to be with purpose in forming and performing. We know that all of that was made possible by the DNA code, but how did that highly complex code come about? Could we not compare it to a computer program? Modern technology has provided us with a wide array of programs to use in our computers and other electronic devices. We see on our screens what they can do. But within each program or app is the needed line after line of computer language that gives the instructions that make the program what it is, how it appears, and how it functions. For example, Windows 10 is said to have about 50 million lines of code, while Facebook has 61 million, and Google (with all its Internet services) is 2 billion lines of code! But if we thought of each human genome pair in our DNA as a line of code, it would require 3.3 billion lines! So just as a lifeless computer program has the need for an intelligent programmer, the same is similarly true of us — but of the need for a Creator who can also give life to that which He makes!

Yes, we can know that God exists because we exist!

3) How Do We Know That God STILL Exists, and Is Not Now Dead?

Someone might admit that God once existed, created all things, and set everything up to continue as it does — but could it be that God now no longer exists?

Fifty-one years ago, on the never-before pictureless cover of Time, were the three words — in large, red letters on a black background — that asked the question, “Is God Dead?” It was the cover story for the April 8, 1966 edition. Even 42 years later, the Los Angeles Times referred to it as being one of the “10 magazine covers that shook the world.” Do some still ask that question today? “Is God dead?”

The good news is that God is very much alive and well! He still exists and will always do so, because He is eternal. For that which is eternal cannot die. Even Jesus, who was put to death on the cross, only had His human body (which had a beginning) to die, while His true essence (His eternal spirit, which has always been) was still very much alive and in Paradise (cf. Luke 23:43) for those three days following His death and until His resurrection. Similarly, Jesus speaks of Himself figuratively as being the Bread of Life “which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die” (Jn. 6:50). And that “If anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death” (Jn. 8:52). In saying these things, Jesus does not mean that a person who keeps the Lord’s word will never die physically, but that spiritual death will never come to the one who does so. His soul will remain spiritually alive unto God — rather than spiritually dead.

Imagine, for example, that before God could die, one would have to first go back in a time machine to the “beginning” of God, that time when He first came into existence. But since God has always existed, the individual in the time machine would never arrive at the “time” when God began. God, of course, dwells in eternity and not in linear time as we do or as indicated in this example. But we are using a stretch of endless time in both directions, past and future, to represent eternity and to point out that there will never be an end to God, any more than you could actually find a “beginning” of His existence — since He has always been. And what God, therefore, has always been, He will also always be. This, too, means that He never had to acquire or develop good traits or qualities, as we do. For His virtues have always and perfectly been a part of who and what He is. When the Psalmist, therefore, declares, “…Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (Psa. 90:2), he is not prophesying that God will still be God at some future time; but, rather, that God already is filling all eternity as fully God. It is only because we cannot actually imagine eternity that we think in terms of the linear time that we do know, with its past, present, and future. But how wondrously different an eternity in heaven will truly be!

Isn’t it great to know that this God, the only true and living God who has always been and always will be, also wants us to enjoy an eternity with Him in heaven? What an unsurpassed experience that will be for all those who believe and obey God’s plan of salvation!

(Unless otherwise indicated, all Scriptures are from the NASB.)
——————–

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

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

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

The Gospel Observer

June 25, 2017 / Tom Edwards

Contents:

1) “Prehistoric Man” (Tom Edwards)
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“Prehistoric Man”

Tom Edwards

Since “prehistoric” simply means “of or pertaining to the time prior to recorded history” (Webster), how can that phrase still be used when even the very first day of creation is recorded in the Bible, along with the six following days and what God did on each of those days? Recorded is the account of the first man and the first woman, their descendants, and events from that time that are also included in the book of Genesis to give us a look at the world in that beginning and early period of man.

As the Bible points out, Adam was created in the image of God, along with a female counterpart to be his wife and helper. They were given dominion over all else that had been made. They were to “be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Gen. 1:26-28). We are even shown of their diet to have been vegetarian at that time: “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; it shall be food for you” (v. 29) – even the animals were then vegetarian, rather than carnivorous (v. 30).

We are also given the names of these first two people: “Adam” (Gen. 2:20) and “Eve” (Gen. 3:20). “Adam” is a transliteration from the Hebrew word “adam” and is said to mean “red earth” (Smith’s Bible Dictionary). It is also the same Hebrew word that is found in 348 other Bible verses where, instead of being used as a proper noun, it is used as a common noun that is translated primarily as “man,” and in 9 verses as “mankind.” It is also rendered as “human” (19 times), “person” (6), “anyone” (4), and some other ways in the NASB.

By the way, the Hebrew word for “ground,” from which Adam was made (Gen. 2:7), is “adamah.” And though that verse actually says “dust of the ground,” yet the Hebrew word for “dust” itself is defined by James Strong as “clay, earth, mud.”

We are also told of where that first couple lived, in the garden of Eden, and of the four specific rivers that flowed from the main river running through the garden (Gen. 2:8-14). Two we are probably more familiar with: the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers.

Adam was to take care of the garden (Gen. 2:15); and from any tree in it, they could freely eat – except from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (vv. 16,17).

Adam also had the responsibility of naming all the animals that God had made (vv. 19-20).

We are told of the how and why that Eve came about (vv. 18,21-25) — because it was not good for the man to be alone. Perhaps God did it that way to symbolically show how much the wife was to be a part of her husband’s life, since she was made from Adam’s rib, which God fashioned into a woman.

On and on, we could continue with early events that this first couple on earth experienced, such as their sin and expulsion from the garden (Gen. 3); their children and other descendants (beginning in chapter 4 and more seen in chapter 5); the corruption that led up to the days of Noah, and God’s specific instructions to Noah in building an ark; the great universal flood, and the time spent on the ark (Gen. 6-8). Noah and his family back on dry ground to repopulate the earth, given the promise that God would never again destroy the entire earth with a flood, and now allowed to also include meat in their diets (Gen. 9). More descendants listed in Genesis 10. The Tower of Babel, and the beginning of the different languages; those of the same language going off into their own groups and being scattered abroad over all the earth; and another genealogical record including ages at death and ending in Genesis 11 with Abraham, along with mentioning that his father passed away in Haran. The history then continues of Abraham, followed by Isaac, Jacob, and others through the rest of Genesis — and especially of Joseph in chapter 37 and his time in Egypt in chapters 39-48 and also in chapter 50 which ends with his death.

These are all historical events from a most reliable source. The word “Genesis” actually means “an origin, creation, or beginning” (Webster), which is well-fitting for this first book of the Bible. Genesis covers about a 2,400-year period from Adam (at the beginning of the Creation) to the death of Joseph.

“Prehistoric man,” however, is often depicted as having evolved from an apelike creature, but slowly developing more of today’s human characteristics through long periods of time. In his early version, his vocabulary is sometimes portrayed as not much more than a few different kinds of grunts or other sounds.

But how does that compare with the very first man Adam who was articulate? He communicated with God, with his wife, and had the responsibility of giving names to all the animals. In speaking of his wife, Adam said, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man” (Gen. 2:23). And Eve, when tempted to take of the forbidden fruit, said to the tempter, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die’” (Gen. 3:2,3). Both Adam and Eve could well communicate — and could understand not only each other, but also what God had been saying to them.

According to a published paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, the earliest evidence of man’s use of fire goes back to 1 million years ago; and since evolution teaches that man began evolving from an apelike creature 6 million years ago, then that was about 5 million years before he was able to master the use of fire.

But the Bible, which does not teach the general theory of evolution, nor of man being millions of years on this planet, shows Abel, the son of the first man Adam, offering “the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions” as an offering to God (Gen. 4:4). Would we not assume that fire was used with that sacrifice? During the Mosaical Period, God’s instruction with regard to the firstborn of an ox, a sheep, and a goat was that they were not to be redeemed. Rather, “You shall sprinkle their blood on the altar and shall offer up their fat in smoke as an offering by fire, for a soothing aroma to the Lord. Their meat shall be yours; it shall be yours like the breast of a wave offering and like the right thigh” (Num. 18:17-18). This period of time, however, was about 2,500 years after the time of Abel.

Job, however, was a man who lived during the Patriarchal Age. In a chronological reading of the Bible, the book of Job is placed right after Genesis 11, which mentions Abram’s birth in the end of that chapter and goes more into the life of Abram in Genesis 12. But notice Job 18:5: “Indeed, the light of the wicked goes out, And the flame of his fire gives no light.” And in Job 23:10: “…When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Many centuries later, God said through Isaiah, “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction” (Isa. 48:10, ESV). The use of fire appears to have been very early in the history of man.

Concerning Adam and Eve’s first two sons, “…Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground” (Gen. 4:4).

Cain had a son named Enoch who built a city (Gen. 4:17). Enoch became the father of Irad, who became the father of Mehujael, who became the father of Methushael, who became the father of Lamech. And Lamech became the father of Jabal who was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock, which indicates a nomadic way of life, that kind that is still practiced in some parts of the world today. Lamech was also the father of Jubal who was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe (Gen. 4:20, 21), which is also referred to as stringed and wind instruments. Isn’t it interesting that even way back then, just 8 generations from Adam, the world had musical instruments? Lamech was also the father of Tubal-cain who was a forger of all implements of bronze and iron — and does that not also indicate the use of fire? According to Wikipedia, “Some metals may be forged cold, but iron and steel are almost always hot forged.” How creative early man was — even in that most ancient period of history!

I suppose, however, the speculation of some would be that these individuals – even Adam and Eve — were not until some billions of years after the earth was made. For the general theory of evolution teaches that it took about 4 billion years since the beginning of the earth until man evolved into being similar to how he is today. Yet, as we have recently seen, it was “In the beginning” that God “created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). And man was made on the 6th day of creation (Gen. 1:24-31), with each day being like our 24-hour day, having its evening and a morning (Gen. 1:5,8,13,19,23, 31). So man did not begin 4 billion years after the earth had begun, but within the first week! Jesus’ declaration in Mark 10:6, in a section pertaining to marriage and divorce, also confirms this: “But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female” (emphasis mine).

The depiction of early man by many today is far different from what is revealed in God’s word. And while man’s depiction is from the mind of man, God’s word, the Bible, contains His trustworthy account of those portions of His creation and the events that occurred, which He has seen fit to reveal through His divinely inspired word. What history book could be more authoritative and enlightening of actual fact? For God has never had to speculate, assume, or guess of these things in His account.

May we all, therefore, take the time to read this most important of all books — the Bible. For it is more than a story. More than just a true account. For it also shows the way for fallen man to come back to His Creator, to be redeemed and brought into a meaningful relationship with God, which becomes a way of life — and a life that ultimately leads to the blissfulness of heaven’s glory forevermore!

So may it be a book we each learn to love more and more as we repeatedly consider it, find great comfort in meditating upon it, and enjoy the blessings of God in living according to it — and do so throughout all our days. And for the world, in general, how wonderfully improved the present, the future, and the history of man would be if each one of us would do this!

(Unless otherwise indicated, all Scriptures are from the NASB.)
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The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

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

Premillennial Concepts Refuted by the Bible

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

“What About the Kingdom?”

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

When Christ Returns

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

“Jesus Calls Us”

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

The Wording of the King James Bible

In addition, if the KJV style of language is what is necessary to address God reverently, then what about all the years prior to that kind of language?

What is the difference between a translation and a transliteration?

The following sources have been used for the Greek and Hebrew Definitions:

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

God’s Grief

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

Are We of Any Value to God?

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

“We Shall See The King Some Day”

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

Questions and Answers on the Existence of God

1) “How Do We Know That God Exists?”

2) “How Do We Know That Our Creator Wasn’t Also Created By an Even More Superior Being?”

3) How Do We Know That God STILL Exists, and Is Not Now Dead?

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

“Prehistoric Man”

The Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation

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