The Thief on the Cross

What About the Thief on the Cross?

A few years ago, I was engaged in a discussion over what one must do to be saved.  The person I was discussing this topic with was an advocate of the salvation by faith alone doctrine and he insisted that one could be saved without being baptized.  One of the things he offered as proof of his position was that the thief on the cross was saved by faith alone without baptism.  Those who teach the doctrine of salvation by faith only frequently point to the thief on the cross that appealed to Jesus in his last moments. They claim that the thief was saved by faith without the need of being baptized or of any other work of righteousness. They go on to contend that since the thief on the cross was never baptized and that since he was promised a place in paradise that New Testament Christians likewise can be saved by faith alone.  The purpose of this lesson is to examine in detail and see if the scriptures teach whether or not the thief on the cross was really saved by faith alone.  we are also going to examine the differences between being saved before Jesus died on the cross and afterwards. 

Was The Thief on the Cross Saved by Faith Only?

In Luke 23:40 the thief openly rebuked his counterpart saying “Dost not thou fear God”? This man knew who God was and knew he was to be feared more than dying on that cross. That is a demonstration of faith in God.  So we see that the thief indeed had faith.  But was that enough to save him?

One must ask, would he have been saved if he had never made his appeal to Jesus? Would faith alone in his heart have been enough without anything else? In Luke 23:42 the thief on the cross made an appeal directly to Jesus addressing him as “Lord.” In Luke 12:8 we see Jesus saying “Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God”. This man knew who Jesus was and addressed him as Lord before everyone present including the other thief.  So we see here that the thief demonstrated faith in Jesus and confessed that faith when he addressed Jesus Christ as Lord before men.  If the thief were really saved by faith alone, then he could have been saved without addressing Jesus as Lord. 

Concerning the thief we read in Matthew 27:38-44 “Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,  He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.“

Both the thieves crucified alongside Jesus started out mocking and reviling Him just like everybody else.  But in Luke’s account we have recorded for us a change in one of them later on.   Luke 23:39, “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation. And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds“.

Repentance is defined as a change in behavior resulting from sorrow over wrongdoing.  If one does not have sorrow, one has not repented. Likewise if one does not change their behavior, they have not repented.  2 Corinthians 7:10 reads “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation…” 

Did the thief exhibited a change in his behavior?  Of course he did.  Was he sorry?  He was dieing on a cross for his wrongdoing and he confessed in front of everybody present that he was being justly punished. Of course he was sorry.  He knew he was guilty, he had sorrow and he changed his behavior from what it had earlier been.  He started out reviling Jesus but now he had changed his behavior and was appealing to Him.  There can be no doubt that the thief repented.  Now one must ask the question, if the thief had not of repented, would Jesus have saved him?  If salvation were really by faith alone, and if the thief on the cross is a valid example of someone being saved by faith alone, then that thief could have been saved without ever opening his mouth to Jesus Christ.  If anything more than faith in one’s heart is necessary for salvation, then one cannot be saved by faith alone.  The thief was not saved by faith alone, therefore one cannot use him as an example for salvation by faith alone. 

Was the thief baptized?

It is often the case that the subject of the thief on the cross comes up when the subject of baptism is being discussed.  The thief on the cross is used as an example of someone who was saved without being baptized.  First of all, there is not one single shred of scripture anywhere in all of the Bible which says this thief was not baptized.  When people argue salvation without baptism by using the example of the thief on the cross, they are making an assumption that he was never baptized.  They are assuming that since he was a condemned thief and that he was being executed that he had never received any prior instruction on Jesus Christ and had never been baptized.  The truth is, we don’t know for sure whether or not he was baptized because the Bible doesn’t say one way or another. 

So what we are going to do now, is to examine the evidence we have from scripture and we are going to look at which way it leads.  The evidence against him being baptized is purely an assumption that a condemned thief is automatically unbaptized.  That’s all we have to support this belief.  Now what about evidence in favor of his having been baptized? 

Let’s read Luke 23:38-43 again and then make some observations:

“And there was also a superscription over him, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. And one of the malefactors that were hanged railed on him, saying, Art not thou the Christ? Save thyself and us. But the other answered, and rebuking him said, Dost thou not even fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said, Jesus, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom. And he said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in Paradise.”

Several important facts come to light by a careful analysis of this paragraph.

(1) By comparing Luke’s record with that of Matthew and Mark, it is obvious that there was a change in the man’s view regarding Jesus. Instead of reviling the Lord, he glorified him and petitioned the Savior; and Jesus graciously responded to him.

(2) The penitent thief had a good deal of information concerning Christ; exactly when he learned these facts is not specified. But there are two possibilities. Either he learned about Christ, and became convinced of his royalty, during the six hours of crucifixion, or, else he knew about the Savior from teachings before his crucifixion.

It is not impossible that this man had learned of Christ earlier in his life, had been impressed by it, and, later, had regressed into a life of crime. He certainly wouldn’t be the only one who ever did that.  Let’s consider some things about this man’s beliefs.

(3) He acknowledged the existence of God. He believed in a standard of right and wrong, he confessed that he and his companion had transgressed divine law, and he admitted they were being punished “justly.”

(4) The thief acknowledged the innocence of Christ. He knew and declared that Jesus had done “nothing amiss.” And let’s remember, Jesus was being crucified for his affirmation of being the “Son of the Blessed One” (Mark 14:61-62). Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God was the excuse the Jewish leaders used to crucify Him.   When the thief declared Jesus’ innocence he acknowledged that he knew Jesus’ claim to be the son of God was the truth.  The robber’s statement, therefore, is basically an acknowledgement of the truth of Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God.

(5) The penitent thief believed that Christ was a “king,” and that his crucifixion would not be the end of Jesus’ life.  Let’s recall his words, “Jesus, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom”.  This man knew they were going to physically die, yet he asked Jesus to remember him when he came into His kingdom.  The thief therefore had to believe in the resurrection of the dead.  One must ask how this man would know of these things without being taught. 

(6) He was confident that Jesus would be able to bless him when he arrived in His kingdom. At the very least, these expressions indicate that the thief believed it was possible to have association with the Lord after both of them were dead.  This man knew that even though he and Jesus were going to die, there was something beyond the cross for both of them.

This man hanging beside our Lord had a lot of information.  It is highly unlikely that this man received this amount of instruction while hanging on the cross.  It is entirely possible and even probable, that this man had been exposed to some earlier teaching concerning Jesus Christ. 

Let’s consider this scenario. Is it not possible that this man could have been a disciple of John the Baptist, or of Jesus Christ Himself, or of one of Christ’s disciples as they went forth teaching (Matthew 10:5; Luke 10:1)? If such were the case, the man might well have been baptized for the forgiveness of his sins on some past occasion (Mark 1:4; John 4:1-2).  While we can never be certain this side of eternity, there is sufficient evidence to draw the conclusion that it is possible.  At the very least, given the amount of information this man possessed concerning Christ, no one can rightfully make the dogmatic statement: “The thief had never been baptized.” That is an unknown factor. He might well have been an “erring child of God” at this point.

The Bible never tells us for sure whether or not the thief was baptized. The Bible never says the thief was baptized. It also never says he wasn’t.    Anyone using the thief on the cross to support the doctrine of salvation by faith alone is basing their beliefs on something that 1) does not in any way support their position and 2)  is improvable.   What we need to take from this is that if someone is going to make a decision that is going to have eternal consequences, then they need to make those decisions based on facts and not on assumptions.  We need to make decisions that effect our eternal souls on fact and not on guesses or feelings. 

As a side note before we move along, let’s just suppose for arguments sake that the thief was not baptized?  Does that make any difference to us today?  A careful Bible student must understand that there are different periods of history with different religious requirements. Abraham was never commanded to be baptized or to observe the Lord’s supper. Cain and Abel were not required to be circumcised.  In today’s era of religious history, we are not obligated to observe the Passover, or to offer animal sacrifices. God has given different requirements in different periods of history.

During his personal ministry, Jesus possessed the authority to forgive men’s sins personally and directly. For example, once while in the city of Capernaum, Jesus encountered a man who was paralyzed. The unfortunate man had been carried to where Christ was by four of his friends. When Jesus saw “their faith,” he said to the Palsied man, “Son, your sins are forgiven” (Mark 2:5). Then after Christ established his “authority” in the matter of personally forgiving sins “on earth” (2:10), He afterwards healed the man of his Palsy.

While Jesus was alive on earth he had the authority to forgive sins.  At the time of his death, however, his authority to forgive sins was transferred to His testamentary “will” (Hebrews 9:15-17). And the terms of that covenant specify baptism as a condition for the forgiveness of sin (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Peter 3:21, etc.).  What that means is that While Jesus was alive on earth, He had the authority to forgive sins directly.  Jesus is not alive on earth anymore.  He has been resurrected and now lives in heaven.   What He left behind was His new Testament or new Covenant.  This new covenant specifies how sin is to be forgiven.  The thief had his sins forgiven before Christ died on the cross.  It is not possible today for anyone to be forgiven of their sins by Jesus Christ before He died on the cross.  Whether or not the thief was baptized or not really makes no difference to us at all.  He was forgiven under a covenant that is no longer in force today. 

Hebrews 9:15-17, “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.”  The New Testament came into force at the death of Christ.  We are living 2000 years or so after the death of Christ.  The thief was forgiven before Christ died on the cross.  No one today can be saved 2000 years ago.  No one today can be saved before the death of Christ.  We live under the new covenant now and it says we must be baptized for the forgiveness of our sins. 

In conclusion,

The thief on the cross believed.  He had faith.  He repented and confessed Jesus as Lord before men.  He had  sorrow over his guilt and he changed his mind.  He asked Jesus for help and he got it.  Only the most careless and irresponsible Bible student could try and say that the thief would have been saved by Jesus if he had not made the response he did on that cross.  If salvation were obtainable by faith alone, then that thief could have been saved without saying or doing anything because it is glaringly obvious from the appeal he made to Jesus that he already had faith. 

Jesus died on that cross.  He shed His blood for us that day and he died.  When He died, he left a testament in force which tells us today what we have to do to be saved.  We have to do what we know the thief did.  Like the thief on the cross, we have to believe and have faith: Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him“.

Like the thief on the cross we have to confess Jesus Christ as the Son of God before men:  Romans 10:9-10, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.“

Like the thief on the cross we have to Repent, we have to be sorry for our sin and turn away from it.  We have to change our way of thinking and our behavior: Luke 13:3, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish”.

We must be baptized:  Mark 16:16, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned”.  Concerning being baptized Jesus told Nicodemus, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”  Baptism in not an option.  Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16 and Colossians 2:13 teach us that baptism is for the forgiveness of sin and nobody can be saved if their sins are not forgiven. 

And after faith, repentance, confession and baptism comes faithful living for the rest of our lives.  Living, serving and obeying God in accordance with His will.  This is called “walking in the light” and concerning this John wrote in 1John 1:7-9, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  We continue to walk in the light, confessing our sins when we fall short, picking ourselves up when we fall and keep on keeping on for life. 

Instead of using the thief on the cross incorrectly to support the false doctrine of salvation by faith alone, we need to use his story to see how quickly, how easily and how readily Christ wants to forgive us.  The thief had been reviling Jesus just a few hours before.  He was hung on a cross and breathing out his last few breaths on earth.  His time was up, he was lost and he knew it.  In his last moments on this earth he turned to the only person on this earth who could help him and instead of finding someone bitter and angry, he found a savior who was ready willing and able to accept him and offer him life.  The savior that thief turned to is the same savior we have today.  He is just as eager, willing and ready to save as he was when he was dieing on that cross.  There is no reason whatsoever anybody should leave today without the same hope that thief had.  Two thieves died on a cross that day with Jesus Christ.  As far as we know, one of them died lost and we know for sure the other one went to paradise with Jesus.  Where do you want to go when you die? 

Posted in David Hersey | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Thief on the Cross

Strike One, Strike Two, Strike Three…

Three Strikes… And They’re Out…

Based on Three True Stories That Sadly Represent So Many Thousands More….

Scenario/Strike One: It is Sunday, just prior to the beginning of morning worship service, and into the foyer she and her young child walk… She is a stranger from down the street whom no one knows and whom no one knew was coming. Almost instantly, she and her three year old daughter are lovingly surrounded and warmly welcomed by the loving Christian saints and servants who comprise this local congregation of the Lord’s church.

She is invited to sit with several couples and singles and eventually chooses a lovingly offered seat next to a faithful Christian woman and her husband. When it is noticed that she doesn’t have a bible, one is instantly provided for her to follow along in as the preacher delivers the morning sermon. After services she is noticed and welcomed by even more of the congregation. Her visitor’s card with its much-coveted contact information is immediately sought out by several, and subsequently, later that week she receives both a few calls and “Thank You For Visiting” cards from caring and concerned members.

A few weeks pass… She is invited into homes, to personal bible study, and to other events of the church. Her daughter is doted upon by the church members. Her husband is lovingly approached and always included in the invitations. When it is learned that she is expecting, a lavish showering of gifts and outpouring of love are planned, purposed, and provided by the members of the congregation. They outdo themselves in showing her true, genuine, sacrificial Christian love… and then, just as suddenly as she came, without warning she is just as suddenly, simply, and inexplicably… gone. No one said anything untoward towards her or her family; mistreated her in any way whatsoever; or ever showed her anything less than pure and simple, Christ-like love. Repeated attempts by the membership to reach her are thwarted; phone calls are not returned, letters and cards remain unnoted and unanswered. And now, whenever congregants see her at local events, in the stores or at school functions with her family, all they get is a baleful glare, a purposed headshake, and a strict avoidance. So, what happened? Hold that thought…

Scenario/Strike Two: A teen member of the church invites a newly arrived at school classmate to Wednesday evening services. It is soon learned that the young man’s family has recently relocated to the area and is looking for a “home congregation.” The following Sunday his entire family shows up to “check us out.” And once again, as always, the church surrounds and engulfs the entire family with the love of Christ. They start attending on a regular basis. Even when his dad has to work, his mom and he and the rest of the family attend. He decides to get involved in the activities of the youth group; his dad says to please place their contact information in the new directory and lets everyone know that he “grew up in the church,” even though his wife did not. The preacher sees and seeks to seize the opportunity to set down and study with them. All is set, and then, after one particularly powerful Sunday morning sermon, they simply “vanish away into thin air,” never to be seen or heard from in the building ever again. And once again, despite repeated attempts by the kind and compassionate congregants, nothing… except the utter avoidance and repugnant looks that any church member receives who dares to merely say “hello” to them when they perchance encounter them at some local community event.

Scenario/Strike Three: And then there is the young lady who is the now adult, fourth generation Christian. She, like her parents and grandparents before her, grew up “in the church.” But she has been “out of service” ever since she married a non-believer who wants nothing to do with the church; this action on her part despite the many biblically-sound sermons and lessons, sternly warning of the dangers of just such unions when she was a teen. But she didn’t listen. She knew better. And now here she is, three kids and eight long years later, with nothing but contempt for her godly parents, grandparents, and any other church member whom she encounters for any reason, anywhere and on any occasion – and she is not the least bit timid or intimidated about showing it; in fact, she seems to almost be proud of it.

Three strikes. On any and every one of these occasions, the church has done nothing wrong. In fact, they have done nothing but love, care, reach out, and teach the Lord’s word… and therein lies the problem. You see, it would be – and let’s face it, very often is – very tempting for us to just want to quit, to throw in the towel, to get “out” of the reaching out business after three or four or countless such “strikes.” We love, we care, we give, we sacrifice, and what do we get for it? Glares. Venom. Disgust. And in some cases, even hatred. So why bother?

If and when we are ever tempted to feel that way, the very first thing we need to do is to remember Jesus: “For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls” (Hebrews 12:3).

And we have to understand exactly why it is that the vast majority of these people – despite the overwhelming love and support we seek to share with them – so often wind up acting in the described manner. Jesus said it best in John 15:18-22:

If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin (NKJV).

Bottom line? Despite the best and most loving and benevolent attempts we can humanly, humbly make, sooner or later, if we are faithfully teaching and preaching and presenting God’s word – which we must do if we want to go to heaven – then everyone we present God’s word to in any way, is going to run up against something that they are either going to have to change in order to get in line with God’s word and thus get to heaven, or, are going to have to decide is important enough to them to have to try to justify denying His word and deliberately disobeying God for, while at the same time determinedly deceiving themselves into thinking they can still get into heaven in spite of continuing in said disobedience  – a most fatal mistake, and one that takes a lot of effort.

And so as you can surely understand, the last thing those folks can tolerate having anywhere around them, is a constant reminder of the truth of Scripture they seek to avoid at all cost; in other words, the conscience-pricking presence of a truth-loving and trusting Christian – which is exactly the type of presence Jesus was to those who rejected God’s word in His day: a living, breathing, truth-toting and completely committed reminder that they really and truly have absolutely no excuse for their sin! (Do you also remember the Council’s complete inability to deal with the truth of Jesus’ power as evidenced in the presence of the healed man in Acts 4:14?) And that’s why those of us who faithfully follow in Jesus’ footsteps should expect to encounter exactly the same thing time and again! Not simply three times, but “seventy times seven!”

Like the fairy tale about the always angry lion whose anger was simply the result of the proverbial thorn in their paw – we are that thorn. Like the step-children in some second marriages are subject to much abuse by the second spouse because they serve as a daily reminder of the former relationship – we serve as that constant and unwanted reminder whenever and wherever we are encountered by those who are either too offended or too challenged by God’s truth to make changes they do not want to make; thus, the abuse. It’s that simple. And only through really understanding this will we be able to continue to maintain the proper attitude of Christ-like compassion towards the erring in the face of such abuse, scorn, and ridicule…

Remember, God knows that we are but dust (Psalm 103:14). He knows our weaknesses as humans. Let us be likewise in remembering theirs. Instead of getting discouraged or returning their attitude back on them, let us continue to pray for those who thus persecute us, understanding it is due to their pain that they do thus. (Please see Matthew 5:38-48.)

And secondly, it is imperative that we understand and expect the following; that as the apostle Paul would rhetorically ask, “Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth” (Galatians 4:16), that the answer unfortunately but routinely is YES! The truth of God’s word will always inevitably do that! It will always divide! How often do we see something very similar to what happened with the divided crowd that occurred when Jesus’ raised dead Lazarus according to John 11:45-46? The answer is, all the time. Re-read Hebrews 4:12 again and again! Truth divides! Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 10:34-37?

And so, what do we do when we strike out time and again with people despite the best and most loving of Christian intentions and actions? When they hate and use and misuse and abuse us? Simple. We keep loving and trying and reaching out. Why? Because that’s what our master did to be sure, but also because we understand and accept the inevitable. We have come to regularly accept and routinely expect that those who will not love God enough to keep His commandments at all cost, are never going to love or see His people as anything less than a major annoyance; as a living symbol highlighting their unbiblical lifestyle.

And so, we continue on unabated because Jesus both forewarned and encouraged us within His truth, that not only would that regularly happen, but exactly how to handle it when it inevitably did. And these are the words we must remember when we are tempted to give out and give up because those we sought to love and encourage and reach with the word, decide to fight, bite, and ultimately be rid of us…

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matt 5:10-16; NKJV).

To God be the glory! Always and in all ways! Preach on children! Preach, teach and reach out, because no matter how many strikes against us, we are never “out” with the Lord!

Posted in Doug Dingley | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Strike One, Strike Two, Strike Three…

Selfish Ambition

The proud father strokes the blond hair on his little boys head and asks, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” “An Astronaut,” he replies with wide-eyed optimism.

The teacher asks the same question to her third-grade class and in turn each child responds. “The President!” “A professional baseball player!” “A firefighter!” Each answer is greeted by a confident affirmation. “Great!” “You can be anything you want to be if you put your mind to it.” And thus begins the downward spiral of those lives and our society in the pursuit of selfish ambition.

Now I am not suggesting that we should not encourage or provide our future generations with the necessary opportunities to be all they can be and to do great things. What I am suggesting is that we have (and are) failing to reply to their hopes and dreams with a proper perspective and focus.

Two things come immediately to mind. One is; no matter how I might set my mind to it there are some things I will never be able to do! I will never be able to outrun Usane Bolt! Ridiculous observation you say? No more so than many of the things we tell our children they can do if they “just put their minds to it.” In anticipated response to the offended parent at my attempt to crush little Johnny’s future grandeur allow me to suggest that the correct response is to ask the question, “Why?”

If every young person grew up with an emphasis on service to God and others, this world, and the church, would be a far better place. And not just service for the sake of service, or for the end of feeling good about ourselves, but that we might please God and bring others to Him. We emphasis the idea of letting our “light so shine before men” that they may see our good works. But why should we do so is the more important question. The answer is that they might glorify the Father, not us (Matthew 5:16).

Paul warned the church in Rome that God’s wrath, and not His blessing, would be on those who served out of selfish ambition. “But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who ‘will render to each one according to his deeds’: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath,” (Romans 2:5-8).

Self-seeking here is translated in other versions as “selfishly ambitious,” “self-willed,” and “self-seeking.” While other translations use the words “contentious” and “factious” because that is exactly what such ambition brings. In James 3:16 we read, “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.”

Also consider the well-established truth that it doesn’t matter so much what we say, but what we do. We may teach our children to be selfless in service and then they may see something completely different in our lives. Philippians 2:3 says, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”

Ask yourself this tough question, “Why do I do the things I do?” Be honest. And be prepared to not like the answer. But be prepared to do something about it! “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2).

Posted in Tim Dooley | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Selfish Ambition

Read the Bible

IT IS AVAILABLE TO ALL:

Do you read the Bible on a regular basis? Some people do not own a Bible; this is evidence that they possess little or no knowledge of God, the right path to pursue in lifestyle, or in other areas of existence. It is such a shame to know nothing of God and His way of righteousness since the Bible is available to anyone today. You see; the Bible is available to read and examine at any library or any religious establishment. There is no reason for anyone to be ignorant of the Bible’s teaching on any subject.

IS IT IMPORTANT?

            The Bible and knowledge about its contents is important to everyone for a number of reasons, let me list a few:

The Bible claims for itself that it is authored by GOD:

2 Timothy 3:15-16, “15 And that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 Every scripture inspired of God (is) also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness.” ASV

NOTE:

Definition of inspiration — INSPIRATION. The doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture is of immense importance. This is at once apparent when one considers that all Christian doctrine are developed from the Bible and rest upon it for authority. L.Boettner is correct when he calls the biblical teaching of inspiration “the mother and guardian of all the others” (Studies in Theology {1947}, p. 48). An unsound view of inspiration of Scripture is bound to countenance unsound views, produce distorted teachings or serious gaps in essential doctrinal systematization, or offer a temptation to too easy subscription to plausible but unsound scientific or philosophic theorizing.

The Scriptural Definition of Inspiration. In defining divine inspiration in the distinctive sense in which it is employed in Holy Scriptures, the difference in meaning of this expression from revelation and illumination must be carefully comprehended.

Revelation. Revelation, which may be oral or written, may be defined, as an operation of God communicating to man truth that otherwise man could not know. Since man was created in God’s image and endowed with capacity to know God, it is rational to expect that God would communicate Himself and His mind to man.

Inspiration. “A supernatural influence exerted on the sacred writers by the Spirit of God, by virtue of which their writings are given Divine trustworthiness”) B. B. Warfield, “Inspiration,” Int. Std. Bible Ency., p. 1473).

In defining scriptural inspiration three factors must be kept in mind:

FIRST, the primary efficient Cause, the Holy Spirit, who acts upon man.

SECOND, the subject of inspiration, man, the agent upon whom the Holy Spirit acts directly;

THIRD, the result of inspiration, a written revelation, given once for all time (i.e. Jude 3 – glc), thoroughly accredited and tested by miracle and fulfilled prophecy (cf. J.E. Stein Mueller, Companion to Scripture Studies {1941}, 1:5, 14).

Illumination, Illumination is a ministry of the Holy Spirit that enables all who are in right relation wit

God to understand the objective written revelation. Thus, revelation and recording, and illumination, understanding or comprehending the written objective revelation.

In other words,

*Revelation comprehends God’s giving truth.

**Inspiration embraces man under divine control accurately receiving the truth thus given.

***Illumination deals with man’s understanding the God-given, inspired revelation (1 Cor 2:13).

Revelation as it concerns Holy Scripture had a specific time period involving the inspiration of certain sovereignty chosen individuals as the recipients of the Revelation. It is plain that all of these divine operations have ceased.

THE SCRIPTURAL DOCTRINE OF INSPIRATION.

The Fact of inspiration Stated.

2 Timothy 3:16-17, “16 Every scripture inspired of God (is) also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness.

17 That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.” ASV

Five great truths are herein taught:

FIRST, the plenary inspiration of the Bible, “all”;

SECOND, The plenary inspiration specifically of the O.T., plainly implying the entire N.T. as well, that is, “all Scripture”;

THIRD, the divine authorship of Scripture-“inspired by God” (“God breathed”);

FOURTH, the supreme value of all Scripture to the spiritual life, “profitable fir teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness”;

FIFTH, the holy purpose of Scripture, “that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

The Fact of Inspiration Implied.

The sacred authors were prophets and apostles of God’s Word in the highest sense of the term. Scripture is filled with such expressions as “Now the Word of the Lord came … saying” (1 Kings 16:1); “Thus the Lord said to me … (Jeremiah 13:1); “The word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel” (Ezek 1:3). The apostle Paul and others claimed to speak by direct revelation)Eph 3:1-10; etc.). Prophets spoke of future events (such as Moses’ foretelling the coming of the great Prophet, Christ- Deut 18:15-18) and have had their predictions verified during succeeding centuries. David (Psalm 22 and Isaiah (Isaiah 53 minutely prophesied the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ. Daniel previewed the rise of Persia, Greece, and Rome (Daniel 2:37-40; 7:4-7). Some prophets, such as Moses, Elijah, and Elisha, had their messages authenticated by miracles. Others had an irresistible compulsion to speak, such as Jeremiah (Jeremiah 20:9). They were often commanded to write their utterances or wrote under divine leading (Exodus 24:4; Deut 27:8; Isaiah 30:8; Jeremiah 30:2; Luke 1:1-3; etc.).

Nature of inspiration.

2 Peter 1:20-21, “20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of scripture is of private interpretation. 21 For no prophecy ever came by the will of man: but men spake from God, being moved by the Holy Spirit.” ASV

This pivotal passage deals with the question of how Scripture was inspired.

FIRST, it declares how it did not originate-it is not “a matter of one’s interpretation.” It is not the result of human research nor the product of the writer’s own thought. It did not come into being by the will of man.

Man did not purpose to write it, decide its subject matter, or outline its arrangement.

SECOND, this passage tells how the Scriptures did originate. “Men,” that is, certain divinely selected men, “spoke from God,” the source. These inspired men were borne, or carried along, by the Holy Spirit, the message being His, not theirs. Accordingly, if it can be demonstrated that we have the words they spoke and wrote transmitted substantially in identical form with the original documents, and the science of textual criticism enables this to be done, then a charge of error is a charge against God, where the supposed “error” may be due to textual corruption in the long course of transmission. Where the text has unquestionably suffered in transmission, the laborers of devoted scholars are directed to its restoration. This is done through ancient versions, textual variants, and other linguistic and historical evidence continuously being made available by Archaeology and various other phases of sound Biblical research.

Other Scriptural Proofs of the Inspiration of the Scriptures, God spoke through O.T. prophets (Heb 1:1-2) The O.T. Scriptures are inviolable (i.e. secure from violation) John 10:34-36). The indefectibility (i.e. not subject to failure or decay) and certain of promise and prophecy are clearly seen in the oft-recurring expression “:that what was spoken … might be fulfilled” (Matt 1:22; 2:15, 23; 8:17; 12:17; etc) and in such Scripture as 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Jesus quoted the O.T. as authoritative (4:4, t, 10). The Holy Spirit in the prophets equipped them for their ministry (1 Peter 1:10-11), and the Spirit of God spoke through David (2 Sam 23:1-2) and other prophets. Besides the Scriptural proofs, unbroken Jewish and Christian traditions attests the inspiration of Scripture.

The True Biblical Doctrine of Inspiration.

Scripture nowhere fully explains the precise modus operandi (i.e. a method of procedure) of inspiration, yet it is possible to formulate a doctrine that is in agreement with all plain and sufficient Scriptural revelation vouchsafed to us. This doctrine, almost universally rejected today based on alleged philosophic, scientific, historical, archaeological, and linguistic difficulties involved, is called verbal, plenary inspiration. It is sometimes called the dynamic view. This view holds that the superintendence of the Holy Spirit rendered the writers of Scripture infallible in their communications of truth and inerrant in their literary productions. Yet, it leaves room for the fullest play of the personality, style, and background of the individual authors. By verbal inspiration is signified that in the original writings the Holy Spirit led in the choice of each word used (CF. 1 Cor 2:13; John 10:34-36). Compare Gal 3:16, where the problem turns upon the singular or plural of a word.

By plenary inspiration is meant that the accuracy that verbal inspiration insures is extended to every portion of the sacred revelation, so that it is as a whole and in all its constituent parts infallible as to truth and final as to divine authority.  This is the traditional teaching of the church and is that doctrine set forth by Christ and the apostles. This teaching preserves the duel authorship of Scripture (The divine and the human) in perfect balance, ascribing to each the consideration that is accorded in the Bible.

Results if Inspiration.  The Bible having been brought into existence by the supernatural action of the Holy Spirit upon the sacred writers, the question is what is the result of this divine process in the product itself.

The Absolute Inerrancy of the Autograph. Absolute freedom from error must be attributed to the original copies of the inspired writings. It is unthinkable that inaccuracy and mistakes can coexist with inspiration. Can God who is Supreme Truth speak that which is untrue?

The claim of verbal, plenary inspiration for the original writings, however, does not extend to the multitudinous transcriptions and various translations, both ancient and modern. Inerrancy applies to transcriptions such as the Masoretic-Hebrew text, the Greek N.T. text, and the translations such as the Septuagint, Vulgate, Syriac, Luther’s Bible, and various English versions only insofar as autographic manuscripts.

Since none of the original manuscripts is in existence, critics commonly reject the inerrancy of the autograph, as “an assumption for which there is no warrant in sound reason” (G. Maines, Divine Inspiration, P. 109). But the fact and the truth rest not upon “reason” but upon the clear revelation of the Scriptures themselves) (2 Tim 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

Providential Preservation of Scripture with Regard to Its Substance. The Holy Spirit, it is reasonable to conclude, also had a definite ministry in preserving the inspired Scriptures through millennia of transmission. Possible errors that have crept in because of copyists’ slips, glosses, etc, are the domain of lower criticism and here the Christian scholar may find a worthy task for his labors. The high development of N.T. textual criticism as the result of many manuscripts finds has given us the transmitted text in a high degree of purity. Lack of manuscript evidence in the O.T. field has seriously curtailed textual criticism and hence there are many more irresolvable textual difficulties in the O.T. than in the N.T. Recent phenomenal manuscript finds such as the Dead Sea Scrolls (notably the Isaiah Manuscript) are tending to alleviate this condition regarding the O.T. text.

Scriptural Inerrancy Embraces Scientific Features. In this realm, although serious problems exist, there are no proved facts of science that necessitate abandonment of the scriptural doctrine of inspiration. Many scientific theorizing would seem to suggest this; but when the Bible is correctly placed in the pre-scientific era in which it had its birth, its alleged scientific inaccuracies are much less formidable than the liberal or neo-orthodox interpreter would have us believe.

Scriptural Inerrancy Embraces Historical and Literary Features. In no field has the Bible been more seriously challenged than in the historical. While it is true that many serious historical problems remain, such as the existence of the Philistines in patriarchal times, the date of the Exodus, and the identity of Darius the Mede in the Book of Daniel, archaeology has made colossal contributions toward resolving many of these problems. The exist of Sargon II, the Hittites and the Horites (the Hurrians), the religion of the Canaanites, the historicity of the patriarchs and many other serious problems has been cleared up.

Although there is almost universal rejection of a thoroughly sound teaching of biblical inspiration in our day, the conservative scholar with an abundance of this new apologetic material at his disposal may well hesitate before abandoning this solid foundation of true biblical exposition and theological systematization.

NOTE:

Inspiration guarantees the reliability of the Bible as a Divine document, a document that man today may fully accept as truth

BIBLOGRAPHY: available on request – glclair@aol.com

SUMMATION AND RECOMMENDATION

Garreth L. Clair

Since the Bible is inspired, its contents will reveal to man the way man ought to live in this world, how to survive physical death and where he will reside after that.

The Bible claims for itself that it is complete, that it does not need updating, ever.

2 Timothy 3:15-17, “15 And that from a babe thou hast known the sacred writings which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 Every scripture inspired of God (is) also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness. 17 That the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work.” ASV

GET A GOOD TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE

There are many translations of the Bible that one may purchase in book stores today, many of the Bibles translations today are misleading, many are not translations at all but are paraphrase editions or one man commentaries rather that accurate translations. Some of the most accurate and reliable translations available today are the K.J.V. – the N.K.J.V. – The A.S.V. (1901 – May be purchased from Star Bible and book publishers) – the N.A.S.V.

These translations are very good and I do recommend them for use by serious Bible study. Greek and Hebrew scholars generally consider these translations the very best. My personal pick is the A.S.V. (1901). Once you have acquired a good translation of the Bible, study it with the intention of conforming your life to its precepts. You will find that your life will be better generally because your faith and relationship to God is according to “truth.”

Posted in Garreth L. Clair | Tagged , | Comments Off on Read the Bible

Voting and the Christian

The Christian and His Vote

Several decades ago, the question “What would Jesus do?” was a big fad. Jesus, along with all those in the first century, lived when the Romans were in power. Even several centuries preceding this, we know that the world was ruled by dictators (Babylonian, Medo-Persian, and Greek). However, if Jesus and the apostles lived in a democracy, what would they do? For those who live in such countries (such as the USA), we have a luxurious privilege and blessing that many citizens of other countries do not possess—we have a voice! Yes, even Christians have a voice when it comes to the election of our political leaders! Totalitarian governments do not allow people to express their choices at the polls, but countless individuals in the past literally have given their lives to make this freedom possible. God has blessed us to have a “government of the people, by the people and for the people” (as President Lincoln addressed at Gettysburg). Inherent within this privilege is a responsibility as citizens—to inform ourselves of the issues and the candidates. Thus, voting is a choice of people who enjoy civil freedom!

How to deal with the government has always been a problem for the people of God. When the Pharisees attempted to trap Jesus regarding the subject of taxes—a quite sensitive issue among people both then and now—he asked for a coin and responded, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matt. 22:15-21). Unfortunately, it seems that there has been, and will always be, tension between our obligation to God and our obligation to our country. While we are citizens of a heavenly country (Phil. 3:20), and the kingdom of God is not of this world (John 18:36), we are still to view our governmental rulers with respect (Rom. 13:1-7). Regrettably, some Christians do not exercise their right to vote. From a civic perspective, they become apathetic. Alexander Tyler, a Scottish historian, wrote about the fall of the Athenian republic and stated that most nations progress through a specific sequence from rise to power and then to collapse. Detailing such, he itemized these stages as follows: bondage to spiritual faith, spiritual faith to great courage, great courage to liberty, liberty to abundance, abundance to selfishness, selfishness to complacency, complacency to apathy, apathy to dependency, and dependency back to bondage.  As a nation, where do we fall in this sequence? As a Christian citizen, where do we fall in this sequence? Do we personally care?

How tragic that very few Christians have undertaken the duty of serving in a public office! Many Christians are crestfallen when it comes to seeking civic leadership positions, because they believe the corruption within would quite literally choke any godly influence out from the good-hearted child of God. Yet, the quandary lies in the fact that while the general attitude among Christians is negative toward politics and politicians, it is equally true that our democratic nations need men and women of faith in leadership positions now more than ever! We need good people who will exercise godly wisdom to bring about reformation (Prov. 14:34). How will we ever reach this point if we choose never to voice our opinion or cast our vote? If God could act through human kings of days gone by (often influenced by godly men, such as Daniel and Nehemiah), why could He not act through His own people today when they serve in leadership positions?

William James (1842-1910), a renowned philosopher and spokesperson, once said, “There is but one unconditional commandment, which is that we should seek incessantly, with fear and trembling, so to vote and to act as to bring about the very largest total universe of good we can see” (“The Moral Philosopher and the Moral Life”). He also stated,

The deadliest enemies of nations are not their foreign foes; they always dwell within their borders, and from these internal enemies, civilization is always in need of being saved. The nation blessed above all nations is she in whom the civic genius of the people does the saving day by day, by acts without external picturesqueness; by speaking, writing, voting reasonably; by smiting corruption swiftly; by good temper between parties; by the people knowing true men when they see them and preferring them as leaders to rabid partisans or empty quacks. (“Memories and Studies”)

Therefore, Christians ought to desire to be good citizens and exercise their freedom to vote according to principles of character and morality. Indifference and apathy are truly the worst enemies in the civic arena—may they never be demonstrated by the people of God! It is time to stand boldly against the sins of our nation and the issues that affect morality! May every Christian exercise his or her right and privilege to vote, and accompany such with fervent prayers (1 Tim. 2:1-2)!

 

Posted in Sam Willcut | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Voting and the Christian