2) Learning From Jesus (Wayne Goff)
3) A Bible Syllogism (Tom Edwards)
\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"john18_37-38\"](\"https:\/\/thegospelobserver.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/10\/john18_37-38.jpg?w=676\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n-1-<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Truth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Frank Himmel<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jesus had much to say about truth. Consider these references from the gospel of John.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Truth originates with God.<\/strong> \u201cBut as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God\u201d (John 8:40a). God\u2019s righteousness, omniscience, and timelessness give Him a perspective and insight far beyond ours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n God\u2019s word is truth.<\/strong> \u201cSanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth\u201d (John 17:17). While truth begins in God\u2019s nature, it finds expression in His word, His communication to us of His nature. Apart from that communication, we cannot know His will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus testified to the truth.<\/strong> He told Pilate, \u201cFor this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth\u201d (John 19:37b). Earlier He said, \u201cFor I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. . . Therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me\u201d (12:49-50).<\/p>\n\n\n\n We can know the truth. <\/strong> Logic says if Jesus testified to the truth, we can know the truth by listening to His testimony. Jesus concurred: \u201cIf you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth . . .\u201d (John 8:31-32). Notice in these references that Jesus referred to the truth \u2014 not your truth, my truth, and other such expressions popular in our relativistic culture. There is a fixed body of truth and we can know it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Truth makes us free. <\/strong> That is the rest of the Lord\u2019s statement: \u201cAnd you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free\u201d (John 8:32). Sin results from following error. Knowing God\u2019s will helps us avoid sin. The truth also reveals God\u2019s plan for our salvation from sin\u2019s consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus is the truth. <\/strong>\u201cI am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me\u201d (John 14:6). Jesus did not merely speak the truth, He lived it. More to the point, He is it: God\u2019s plan for all of us comes together in Him. As Paul put it, \u201cFor it was the Father\u2019s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross\u201d (Colossians 1:19-20a).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Spirit completed the revelation of truth.<\/strong> The night before His crucifixion, Jesus told the apostles, \u201cI 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\u201d (John 16:12-13a). The Spirit completed the work Jesus began. Like Jesus, He spoke only the Father\u2019s message (v. 13b). That means when the apostles preached or wrote by inspiration, by the Spirit\u2019s guidance, what they said is just as much truth, just as authoritative, as what Jesus said personally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n God must be worshiped in truth.<\/strong> \u201cGod is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth\u201d (John 4:24). Truth governs everything: every relationship and every action among men, and everything about our relationship with God. That includes our worship in the formal sense, the context of this verse. Our personal preferences do not determine what constitutes acceptable worship: truth does. \u201cThis is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God\u201d (John 3:19-21).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you prefer light or darkness? Are you content with suppositions and guesswork, or do you want the truth? Have you accepted the truth\u2014all the truth\u2014Jesus revealed? If not, reflect on His question: \u201cIf I speak truth, why do you not believe Me?\u201d (John 8:46b).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Via PathLights<\/em>, June 18, 2017 -2-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wayne Goff<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTake My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls\u201d<\/strong> (Matthew 11:29).<\/p>\n\n\n\n How can we \u201clearn\u201d <\/em>from Jesus? Primarily, the word means \u201cto learn, be taught\u201d<\/em> by Jesus. So you must enroll in His class, become His disciple, and study His Word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Secondarily, you \u201clearn\u201d<\/em> by \u201cpractice or experience\u201d as you \u201cacquire a custom or habit.\u201d For example, Paul learned by experience how to live frugally or abundantly, based upon his outward circumstances, Philippians 4:11. We learn by experience how to be patient, longsuffering, enduring, etc. Jesus\u2019 teaching is not just theory but practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thirdly, one can learn by ascertaining information, becoming informed.<\/em> One of the best ways to learn from Jesus is to ask questions.<\/strong> Often as a young preacher I would be confronted with a question or a situation that I could not answer or deal with. That led me to ask how to answer that question or how to deal with that situation. Bible study, learning the answer, and recalling it for the next time I needed it was invaluable. That kind of learning sticks with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u201cso what?\u201d<\/strong> of all of this is simple. When you sit in on a sermon or a Bible class, come prepared to learn. <\/strong>Proper hearing involves learning. Sermon-hearing is not a spectator sport! When the teacher or preacher is teaching from the Bible, then God is speaking to you<\/strong> at that moment (provided the teacher is speaking the truth). When you read the Bible, that is God speaking to you<\/strong>. Take Jesus\u2019 yoke upon you and learn from Him! It will give you rest from a troubled soul, and from a sin-burdened heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014 Via Articles from the Roanridge church of Christ, September 2, 2018 -3-<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tom Edwards<\/p>\n\n\n\n The term \u201csyllogism\u201d comes from a Greek word (syllogismos) that means \u201cconclusion\u201d or \u201cinference.\u201d It has been defined as \u201c1. a deductive scheme of a formal argument consisting of a major and a minor premise and a conclusion (as in \u2018every virtue is laudable; kindness is a virtue; therefore kindness is laudable’\u201d) (Merriam-Webster).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here is one we find in the Bible in the words of Christ:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: \u2018I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB\u2019? He is not the God of the dead but of the living\u201d (Matt. 22:32).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Major Premise: <\/strong>God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minor Premise:<\/strong> God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Conclusion:<\/strong> Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are not dead, but living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though their bodies have passed away, their souls are still alive and kept by God. Corresponding to this, Jesus says, \u201c\u2026if anyone keeps My word, he will never taste of death\u201d (Jn. 8:52, NASB).<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the body returns to the dust, from which Adam\u2019s was made, the departed souls of the saved go to Paradise (Luke 23:43; Luke 16:19-31) \u2014 and what a blissful place that is to experience!<\/p>\n\n\n\n That the body dies while the soul can live on is also seen in the Lord\u2019s statement in Matthew 10:28: \u201cDo not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the above syllogism of Matthew 22:32, Jesus was addressing the Sadducees (v. 23), who \u201csay that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit\u201d (Acts 23:8). So Jesus speaks of these three men of faith who had passed on from this earth life, yet are still living on in a much better place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (First posted on facebook Aug. 21, 2018) 1) Hear<\/strong>\u00a0the gospel, for that is how faith comes (Rom. 10:17; John 20:30-31). Tebeau Street \u201cGo therefore and make disciples of all the nations\u2026teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age\u201d (Matthew 28:19-20, NASB).\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013 Contents: 1) Truth (Frank Himmel)2) Learning From Jesus (Wayne Goff)3) A Bible Syllogism (Tom Edwards)\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013 -1- Truth Frank Himmel Jesus had […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","post-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=438"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":440,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438\/revisions\/440"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/wordpress\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Some people want the truth. <\/strong> After telling Pilate that He came into the world to testify to the truth, Jesus observed, \u201cEveryone who is of the truth hears My voice\u201d (John 19:37c).
Some people do not want the truth. <\/strong> They prefer their own thoughts and actions. Jesus accused some in His generation of being like the devil, whose existence is based on falsehood, not truth (John 8:44). He then made the application: \u201cBut because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me\u201d (v. 45). Just after the wonderful gospel summary that is John 3:16, the Lord added:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"study](\"https:\/\/thegospelobserver.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/10\/study-bible.jpg?w=676\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nLearning From Jesus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
So What? {The Application}<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"john8_52\"](\"https:\/\/thegospelobserver.files.wordpress.com\/2018\/10\/john8_52.jpg?w=676\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nA Bible Syllogism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Steps That Lead to Eternal Salvation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
2) Believe<\/strong>\u00a0in the deity of Christ (John 8:24; John 3:18).
3) Repent<\/strong>\u00a0of sins (Luke 13:5; Acts 17:30).
4) Confess faith<\/strong>\u00a0in Christ (Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 8:36-38).
5) Be baptized<\/strong>\u00a0in 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<\/strong>,\u00a0living for the Lord; for, if not, salvation can be lost (Heb. 10:36-39; Rev. 2:10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22).
\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CHURCH OF CHRIST
1402 Tebeau Street, Waycross, GA 31501
Sunday<\/strong> services: 9:00 a.m. (Bible class); 10 a.m. & 5 p.m. (worship)
Wednesday:<\/strong>7 p.m. (Bible class)
evangelist\/editor: <\/strong>Tom Edwards (912) 281-9917
Tom@ThomasTEdwards.com<\/a>
http:\/\/thomastedwards.com\/go<\/a> (Older version of Gospel Observer website without pictures, but back to March 1990)
http:\/\/tebeaustreetchurchofchrist.org\/<\/a>
http:\/\/ThomasTEdwards.com\/audioser.html<\/a> (audio sermons)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"