Can There Be Opposite Truths?

Two opposites cannot both be right at the same time. It goes without saying, but I will say it, an item cannot be black and white at the same time. Two plus two cannot equal four and also equal five. There cannot be 16 ounces in a pound and 8 ounces in one. Nothing can change this truth. It is inherently true.

Now, consider this when it comes to spiritual matters. Somehow, many have arrived at the conclusion that sincerity of one’s heart can negate what God has said. One can be sincerely wrong, but they are still wrong. The sincere devotion of Buddhists or Muslims cannot negate the fact that God gave His Son to die for mankind, and that Son is the only avenue of acceptance with God (John 14:6). The sincere devotion of Paul in following Judaism was no substitute for following Jesus. His prayer was for the salvation of all Israel who were zealous but lost (Rom. 10:1-2).

Look at the application of this concept. Some sincerely believe that one is saved without baptism and are adamant in affirming that baptism does not save. Others believe that baptism is a condition of salvation, and unless one is baptized there is no salvation. Both of these statements cannot be true. One is truth, the other is error.

To see this more clearly, look at the following and mentally draw a line through the one which is wrong.

Baptism does not save us.

Baptism does now save us.

Which of these two represent what you believe about baptism? More importantly, which one represents what God teaches about the matter? Look at the statements again and draw a line through the one which is wrong.

Having done that, look at what God says about this. God’s Holy Spirit guided the hand of Peter to write, “Baptism does now save us” (1 Pet. 3:21).  Some sincerely might draw the line through this plain statement, but they are sincerely wrong. Sincerity cannot negate what God says.

Now, think about other opposite “truths.” It cannot be that God allows women to speak in the assembly and God forbids women to speak in the assembly. They are opposites, both cannot be true. It cannot be that a baby enters this world with a sinful nature and that he enters this world with the nature of Jesus. Think of other opposites “truths.” They cannot both be true!

So, how does one determine what is right? Love truth, seek truth, study to find truth, follow truth and you will know!

Posted in Dan Jenkins | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Can There Be Opposite Truths?

Beautiful Isle of Somewhere

In 1897, Jessie B. Pounds awoke one Sunday morning not feeling well. So her husband, to whom she had only been married a few short weeks, readied himself and went to worship services alone. Jessie, home alone, began to ponder on heaven, and by the time her husband returned she had penned the words to this beautiful hymn.

Somewhere the sun is shining,
Somewhere the songbirds dwell;
Hush, then, thy sad repining,
God lives, and all is well.

Somewhere the day is longer,
Somewhere the task is done;
Somewhere the heart is stronger,
Somewhere the guerdon won.

Somewhere the load is lifted,
Close by an open door;
Somewhere the clouds are rifted,
Somewhere the angels sing.

Somewhere, somewhere,
Beautiful Isle of Somewhere!
Land of the true, where we live anew,
Beautiful Isle of Somewhere!

I love this song and its message. And though Mrs. Pounds may have been thinking of our eternal abode in Heaven I believe that this beautiful Isle can be found here on earth and it is the church of our Lord. And those of us in the church can take courage in knowing that God is alive and all is well. Jesus encouraged His disciples, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:1-3). And He further invited all men here on earth to come to Him. “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28).

In this life we can often become discouraged. But God tells us to, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (Philippians 4:6). And God promises a peace that passes all understanding that keeps the hearts and minds of those who are obedient and faithful (verse 7). We are instructed to cast all of our cares upon Him. Why, because He, “…cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

In Christ the sun is indeed shining, the day is longer, and the load is lifted! So do not worry The Beautiful Isle is found in Christ and in His church. What a blessing it is to be part of the kingdom of God. Are you a Christian? Be faithful!

Posted in Tim Dooley | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Beautiful Isle of Somewhere

The Broken Body of Jesus

WHEN PEOPLE PRAY, THEY SPEAK ABOUT JESUS’ BROKEN BODY ON THE CROSS.  WHAT WAS BROKEN?

Well, let’s begin in Lk. 22:16, it states, “For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”  Here, Jesus is about to select two things to do:  First, to eat unleavened bread which represented his body.  Second, to take the fruit of the vine which represented his blood.  And so in Lk. 22:17-18, “he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.  Here is where we traditionally follow the bread first and then the cup.  It is a good way to do it.  Then in vs. 19-20, “he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake  it , and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”

Now, here is where we come into this broken body: “brake it.”  Consider: 1 Cor. 11:24, “And when he had given thanks, he brake it , and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.”  Paul is quoting Jesus.  The word brake (eklasen) and broken (klomenon) are the same base Greek word: κλα?ω and it means “to break” as used in the New Testament of the breaking of bread or communion.  Likewise, Jesus said, here that the bread was broke, showing the bread to his disciples and explaining that this broken bread, that he was holding in his hands, represented his body.  And so, what is broken is the bread.  However, this does not seem to be the case when some pray for it.

But, I would submit that if we are not referring to the bread that is broken, then pray tell, what was broken?  I mean, His bones were not broken.  Jn. 19:36, “For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.”  This is a quote from Psa. 34:20.

Some say that while no bones were broken, his body was broken.  Well, it certainly was pierced and beaten.  But, being bodily broken suggest that Jesus was physically separated into pieces, that is not true.

Some say that he was brought low from the Jews who broke his spirit.  This theory is from two verses: Lk. 23:46 when the Lord “gave up the ghost.”  But, this is simply talking about how Jesus was breathing out his last breath.  And secondly, notice that the text say, “he gave up.”  This goes along with Jn. 10:18 states, “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.”

Now, a second verse that people may use to say that the Jews broke his spirit is from Jn. 19:30 when the Lord said, “It is finished.”  But, what was finished?  The abuse Jesus endured or was it, the whole will of God?  Remember, Jesus was exposed to shame and reproach, to preach the Gospel, work miracles, to seek the lost, to fulfill all righteousness, to live perfect as a man, to be sin for mankind and to fulfill all promises and prophecies regarding the Messiah.  Again, the Jews had not broken his spirit.  When Jesus said “it is finished,” he freely submitted to the Father’s will and the stroke of death.  The Jews didn’t break our Lord’s spirit.

Now, there are some who say that Jesus was broken in the sense that the mankind weakened him.  Well, he certainly did grieve for mankind.  But, Jesus heals a broken heart (Psa. 147:3).  Also, how can Deity be weakened?  That leads us down a road filled with guesses and not facts.  And, we are here to look at the facts, the truth (Jn. 8:32).

Now, I guess one could say that he was broken in the sense that he was tamed or trained to obey the Father’s will.  In the garden in Gethsemane, in Matt. 26:39, it states, “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt .”  So, this in theory could be the reason why some say that his body was broken.

But, primarily, people use 1 Cor. 11:24 to explain that his body was broken and do not consider the context and what Paul is really saying here.  Paul is explaining that Jesus broke the bread with his hands and then said to take this broken bread and eat it, knowing that it represents my body.  Being broken for you was so to distribute it among the disciples.  Jesus was saying that this physical bread is not to your bodily health, but is to the spiritual health of all those who believe in me.  And so, Paul is explaining to the church at Corinth that this is what the Lord’s supper is and not just some ordinary meal.  Again, I would suggest the Lord was not broken in any way except to the submission to the will of God (Matt. 26:39).

Posted in Robert Notgrass | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Broken Body of Jesus

Seeking Authority

One of the problems that plague us in this period of history is the problem of an authoritative source. Many people today have been so conditioned by the electronic and printed media that they think there is no absolute truth. Consequently, if there is no absolute truth one cannot ever know anything for sure. This kind of reasoning in our society today has created a difficult situation for Christians that want to teach the sinner the pure gospel. You see, the sinner does not believe there is any absolute truth (i.e., a source of authority that is wholly the truth).

AUTHORITY IN SPIRITUAL MATTERS: God has informed man that it is not within his ability to lead an orderly, acceptable, and constructive life: Jer 10:23, “O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.” (KJV) Man, is therefore dependent upon God to lead an acceptable life. If man insists that there is no absolute truth (i.e., no authoritative source) that man may turn to in order to be correct, then man will not acquire the truth. This philosophy cannot be true for the simple reason that man is here and there must be some answer to his origin and continued existence. The only two alternatives are: 1st  Man is here simply by chance as the evolutionist, Charles Darwin has observed or 2nd Man is here as a result of God’s creation activity recorded in the Scriptures and this fact, if accepted necessitates acceptance of the Bible (i.e. the 66 Books of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures). Once one has accepted a standard (i.e., and authoritative source), either evolution or the Biblical account of origins, one may then pursue the lifestyle that is acceptable based upon his conception of what is true.

MAN,  A FREE MORAL AGENT: Each person is a free moral agent. The definition of “free moral agent” is, the individual has a built in ability to choose between good and evil. Examples of this ability:

Josh 24:15-16: “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods;”

NOTE: In the case of Joshua it is clear, he indicates that the choice between Baal and Jehovah was in the hands of the people (individually and collectively), to make. They could choose Baal or Jehovah. We find in the next verse that they understood this and made the choice to serve Jehovah.

Matt 7:21-27: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”

NOTE: In this instruction by our Lord it is evident that the power to be right with God is predicated upon individual response, to do as God instructs or to disobey that which God instructs.

In this reading wisdom is equated as the ability to choose to follow God’s instruction (i.e., the builder on the rock) verses the foolish builder (i.e., the builder on sand). The underlying truth here is the different choices the two builders made; the wise built his lifestyle on the instructions of God the foolish built his lifestyle on other foundations. The wise choose to serve God and the foolish do not!

Phil 2:12: “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

NOTE: Here, obedience is a choice — one may of his own free will choose to obey God or disobey God. The text indicates that the ability is personal and individual in nature.

James 1:25: “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” (KJV)

NOTE: This passage shows that one who is a Christian may or may not continue in an acceptable condition. The individual that is acceptable to God is the person that continues to choose to serve God correctly (i.e., according to Divine instruction). Man may determine of the two choices above to choose either one. If man chooses to accept evolution and its attendant philosophies he may do so. On the other hand if man chooses to accept the Bible’s account of origins he ought to choose to comply (i.e., live) as the Bible instructs him. You see, there are only two choices about authority that one may make, only one of them is acceptable to God.

THE TRUTH: Yes, there is an authoritative source for religious information, “the Bible”. The Bible (i.e., God’s instruction) teaches that the “Truth will make one free” from sin — cf., John 8:32. That objective truth (i.e., the truth from God revealed) can make one free from sin if man chooses to comply with its conditions of salvation from sin and will continue to live a lifestyle consistent with its teaching. We can know that God considers His Written Word as authoritative for salvation from sin and proper living by an appeal to it. Consider the following:

John 8:32: “and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (ASV)

The truth is capable of making one free from sin if one will choose it. If one does not choose it he cannot be saved.

John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth.” (ASV)

The Word of God either spoken [i.e., of ancient times to Adam, Abraham, Moses, etc.], or the written is under consideration in this text. God’s Word is therefore absolutely the truth and will be suitable for whatever man needs in his spiritual relationship with God if he chooses to abide within its boundaries. If he does not choose to abide within the boundaries of God’s Word his good relationship with God will not exist or continue, as one can understand from examination of the following text found in:

John 12:48-50: “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my sayings, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I spake, the same shall judge him in the last day. For I spake not from myself; but the Father that sent me, he hath given me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know that his commandment is life eternal: the things therefore which I speak, even as the Father hath said unto me, so I speak.” (ASV)

AUTHORITY FOR EVERY ONE: The Bible is an authoritative document from God to all mankind. The contents of the Bible will lead the honorable inquirer to a good relationship with God through grace, faith, and obedience. This good relationship will not happen unless one exercises personal responsibility and comes to God on God’s terms. Coming to God on God’s terms is a simplified way of saying that one must:

1st   Hear the gospel, Romans 10:17

2nd  Believe the gospel, Mark 16:15, 16

3rd  Repent of sins, Acts 2:38

4th  Confess Christ, Romans 10:9, 10

5th  Be baptized (immersed), Acts 2:38; Rom 6:3, 4

For remission of sin, Acts 2:38.

After one has complied with the conditions contained in the Divine pattern one is then added to the church (cf. Acts 2:47)

Posted in Garreth L. Clair | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Seeking Authority

Rising Up Early

And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear (Jer.25:4).

The Hebrew word for prophet is nabi. The Greek word for prophet is prophetes. Both words are used to refer not only to those who predict the future, but who speak to contemporary issues. The denotation does not necessarily imply (in and of itself) that one so denominated is a speaker of truth. Moses sets forth conditions in Deuteronomy 18:20-22 for discerning a true prophet from a false prophet. The prophet who speaks truth, and whose prophecies come to pass, is proven to be the true prophet.

Neither does a prophet necessarily need to be a man. Miriam and Deborah were a prophetesses (Ex. 15:20; Judg. 4:4) as was Huldah (2 Kgs. 22:14). Isaiah had a wife who was a prophetess as well (Isa. 8:3). In the New Testament are Anna (Luke 2:36) and Philip’s seven daughters (Acts 21:9). We do not see their work as prominently as the men, but they were there and they prophesied in their respective roles.

A prophet was also one who spoke on behalf of another. Of course, false prophets speak on behalf of their false gods, or allegedly on behalf of God, but lie in making such a claim (1 Kgs. 13:18; Jer. 5:31, 29:9). In the sense of speaking on behalf of another, Aaron was once called the prophet of Moses by God (Ex. 7:1). In this sense of the word, a prophet is one who speaks for another.

The story of the prophets in the Old Testament makes up the bulk of the prophets of the Lord in the Bible. They are hard working men; God, through Jeremiah, calls them His servants (Jer. 25:4). More often than not, God sent them to a people who did not want to hear their message: “That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord” (Isa. 30:9). It was difficult to be a prophet under such conditions, but they were told to prophesy regardless. Isaiah once asked how long he was to speak and God answered, “Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, and the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land” (Isa.6:11-12).

The sending of the prophets to God’s people is God’s way of removing excuses. Because the prophets were to prophesy until there were no more people to hear, not a single person could claim ignorance of God’s message. God’s prophets were ubiquitous in the Old Testament. They got around to preaching and teaching everywhere in ancient Israel. As Paul would say about the Gentiles in Romans 1:20, Israel was, because of the prophets, “without excuse.”

The story of the Old Testament prophets in many ways is the same story that preachers and teachers of the gospel live today. The New Testament sets forth many of them as heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11. We have much to learn from their lives and messages. Of course, Paul tells us, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope” (Rom.15:4).

Posted in Kevin Cauley | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Rising Up Early