Teaching Outline Series
I Will Build My Church (Matthew 16:18)
{35,042 words}
Matthew 16:16-18 says, "Simon Peter answered, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.' Jesus replied, 'Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.'"
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by
James Thomas Lee, Jr.
A Bible Study For 2002
01/11/2002 --- 35,042 words
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Table of Contents
Lesson 1: Course Introduction
Lesson 2: Maintaining the Old Testament - (Part I)
Lesson 3: Maintaining the Old Testament - (Part II)
Lesson 4: Maintaining the Old Testament - (Part III)
Lesson 5: Believing the Old Testament - (Part I)
Lesson 6: Believing the Old Testament - (Part II)
Lesson 7: Maintaining the New Testament - (Part I)
Lesson 8: Maintaining the New Testament - (Part II)
Lesson 9: Maintaining the New Testament - (Part III)
Lesson 10: The Big Bang Theory as a Threat to the Bible
Lesson 11: The Theory of Evolution as a Threat to the Bible - (Part I)
Lesson 12: The Theory of Evolution as a Threat to the Bible - (Part II)
Lesson 13: What the Bible Teaches Us About God -He is the Creator
Lesson 14: What the Bible Teaches Us About God -He has Certain Attributes
Lesson 15: What the Bible Teaches Us About God - Some of the Names of God
Lesson 16: Jesus was Born of a Virgin - God's Plan of Salvation (the Roman's Road)
Lesson 17: Jesus was Born of a Virgin - What Came From Adam?
Lesson 18: Jesus was Born of a Virgin - Imputed Sin
Lesson 19: Jesus was Born of a Virgin - Two Views of Immediate Imputations
Lesson 20: Why Jesus HAD to be Born of a Virgin
Lesson 21: Jesus was Without Sin
Lesson 22: Jesus Died on the Cross for our Sins
Lesson 23: Jesus Arose From The Grave
Lesson 24: Jesus Arose From The Grave - How Do We Know This?
Lesson 25: The Deity of Jesus
Lesson 26: The Absolute Attributes of Jesus
Lesson 27: The Comparative Attributes of Jesus
Lesson 28: Jesus' Part in the Godhead
Lesson 29: Threats to the Legitimacy of Jesus as the Son of God
Lesson 30: Who is the Holy Spirit - Jesus and the Father sent him
Lesson 31: Who is the Holy Spirit - He is the Third Person of the Trinity
Lesson 32: Christianity versus Judaism
Lesson 33: Christianity Became an Illegal Religion Within the Roman Empire
Lesson 34: Two Hundred Fifty Years of Persecution
Lesson 35: Christianity versus Heresy - Gnosticism
Lesson 36: Christianity versus Heresy - Legalism
Lesson 37: Church Worship in 100AD and 325AD
Lesson 38: The Birth of the Roman Catholic Church - Church Authority
Lesson 39: The Birth of the Roman Catholic Church - Baptism
Lesson 40: Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation
Lesson 41: Rejection of the Apocrypha
Lesson 42: The Rise of Fundamentalism
Lesson 43: The Rapture
Lesson 44: The Tribulation
Lesson 45: The Millennium Kingdom
Lesson 46: I Will Build My Church - Conclusion
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Lesson 1: Course Introduction
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality
B. Truth is internally consistent with itself
C. Three Goals of These Classes will be:
1. To teach the Truth (John 8:31-32)
John 8:31-32 says, "To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'"
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2. To show thyself approved (II Timothy 2:15)
II Timothy 2:15 says, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth."
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3. To be ready to give an answer (I Peter 3:15)
I Peter 3:15 says, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect."
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II. Who is Jesus and how do we know?
A. The Fundamentals of the Faith.
1. The Bible is the Word of God. It was Holy Spirit-inspired, and it contains no errors. Why was this necessary, and how do we know that these things are true?
a. Maintaining the Old Testament, including canonization and available evidence (high level)
1) (002) Why try to maintain the Old Testament?
2) (003) The work of the Levites
3) (004) The Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls
b. Believing the Old Testament
1) (005) Confirming the easy Books
2) (006) Confirming the difficult Books
c. Maintaining and believing the New Testament, including canonization and available evidence (high level)
1) (007) Manuscripts and number of copies
2) (008) Apostolic Authority
3) (009) Canonizing
d. Threats to the Legitimacy of the Bible
1) (010) The Big Bang Theory
a) (011) Refutation
b) (012) A Case of Deception and Distraction
2) The Theory of Evolution
a) (011) Refutation
b) (012) A Case of Deception and Distraction
e. What the Bible Teaches Us About God
1) (013) He is the Creator
2) (014) He has Certain Attributes
3) (015) Some of the Names of God
2. Jesus was born of a virgin. Why was this necessary?
a. (016) God's Plan of Salvation (high level of Romans road)
b. How do people become sinners (Romans 5)?
1) (017) What came from Adam (Towns, p. 512)?
a) Imputed Sin (Romans 5:12, Ephesians 2:3, I Corinthians 15:22) - called Original Guilt
b) Sin Nature (Psalm 51:5, Romans 1:21, Ephesians 4:14, Titus 1:5, Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 8:7) - called Original Pollution
c) Personal Sin (Romans 3:23) - Individual sins
2) (018) Imputed Sin
a) Mediate Imputation (Towns, p. 515) - sin passed through parents
b) Immediate Imputation (Towns, p. 518) - sin passed immediately to every human at the time that Adam sinned.
3) (019) Federal Headship View (Towns, p. 524)
4) (019) Augustinian or Seminal Head View (Towns, p 530)
c. (020) Why Jesus HAD to be born of a virgin
3. (021) Jesus was without sin. How do we know, and why was this necessary?
4. (022) Jesus died on the cross for our sins. Why was this necessary?
5. Jesus arose from the grave.
a. (023) Why was this necessary?
b. (024) How do we know that He really did rise from the grave?
B. (025) The Deity of Jesus. What is the kenosis?
C. (026) The Absolute Attributes of Jesus.
D. (027) The Comparative Attributes of Jesus.
E. (028) His Part in the Godhead. What is His personality, and what are His responsibilities?
F. Threats to the Legitimacy of Jesus as the Son of God
1. (029) The Big Bang Theory - What do we know about this theory?
a. Refutation
b. A Case of Deception and Distraction
2. (029) The Theory of Evolution - What do we know about this theory?
a. Refutation
b. A Case of Deception and Distraction
III. Who is the Holy Spirit, and what do we know about Him?
A. (030) Jesus sent him. What is His role?
B. (031) He is the Third Person of the Trinity. How do we know?
IV. (032) Christianity versus Judaism
V. Christianity versus the Roman Empire
A. (033) Christianity became an illegal religion
B. (034) Two hundred fifty years of persecution
VI. Christianity versus Heresy
A. (035) Gnosticism
B. (036) Legalism
VII. (037) Church worship in 100AD and 325AD. What is the Didache?
VIII. The Birth of the Roman Catholic Church
A. (038) Church Authority
B. (039) Baptism
IX. (040) Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation
X. (041) Rejection of the Apocrypha
XI. (042) The Rise of Fundamentalism
XII. (043) The Rapture
A. Pretribulationalist
B. Midtribulationalist
C. Postribulationalist
XIII. (044) The Tribulation
XIV. (045) The Millennium Kingdom
A. Postmillennialism
B. Amillennialism
C. Premillennialism
XV. (046) I Will Build My Church - Conclusion
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Lesson 2: Maintaining the Old Testament - (Part I)
I. Review: A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality
B. Truth is internally consistent with itself
C. The Purpose of These Classes will be to teach the Truth (see John 8:32).
II. Knowing that the Bible is the inerrant, inspired Word of God is a fundamental of the Faith.
A. It was Holy Spirit-inspired (II Timothy 3:16-17). "All Scripture may not be equally inspiring, but all Scripture is equally inspired" (Dr. Ronald Giese, Liberty University).
II Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
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B. It does not contain any errors (Psalm 119:89, Psalm 138:1-2).
Psalm 119:89 says, "Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens."
Psalm 138:1-2 says, "I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the 'gods' I will sing your praise. I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word."
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C. But how can we know that these verses are true?
1. The answer is that we have a detailed record.
2. We know what research and work those before us have done.
III. Maintaining the Old Testament. Why was this important (these are primarily New Testament reasons, but they are still valid) [1]?
A. Early Christians did not mind dying for their belief in Christ, but they did mind dying for having a copy of the wrong book.
1. The early church did not have any form of the New Testament until after 100AD. That was about 70 years after Jesus was crucified.
2. All the early church had was the Old Testament
3. The New Testament was not even finalized until 325AD (at the Council of Nicea).
B. A man, named Marcion, around 140AD had developed his own list of what he was calling the valid books of the Bible, and he was spreading that list throughout the area to other churches.
C. Some eastern churches possessed a manuscript that looked similar to the Bible, but it was different.
Endnotes
1. Ralph Earle, How We Got Our Bible (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1971), page 41.
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Lesson 3: Maintaining the Old Testament - (Part II)
I. Review: Maintaining the Old Testament (Part I)
A. The Bible is Holy Spirit-inspired and does not contain any errors.
B. Early Christians did not mind dying for their belief in Christ, but they did mind dying for having a copy of the wrong book.
C. A man, named Marcion, around 140AD had developed his own list of what he was calling the valid books of the Bible, and he was spreading that list throughout the area to other churches.
D. Some eastern churches possessed a manuscript that looked similar to the Bible, but it was different.
II. The Work of the Levites [1]
A. The Word of God Was Placed in the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 40:18-21).
Exodus 40:18-21 says, "When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts. Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the LORD commanded him. He took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it. Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the Testimony, as the LORD commanded him."
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B. The Word of God Was Carefully Handled (Deuteronomy 31:9, 24-26).
Deuteronomy 31:9,24-26 says, "So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. . . . After Moses finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end, he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD: 'Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God. There it will remain as a witness against you.'"
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C. The Word of God Was Preserved Over Time (I Kings 8:9). This is noteworthy because it was about 600 years after Moses.
I Kings 8:9 says, "There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites after they came out of Egypt."
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D. Under divine inspiration, the men of Hezekiah were adding the proverbs of Solomon (Proverbs 25:1).
Proverbs 25:1 says, "These are more proverbs of Solomon, copied by the men of Hezekiah king of Judah."
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E. During the times of King Jehoiada, the Word of God, which was the copy of the covenant, was still around and still being kept in the Ark of the Covenant (II Kings 11:12).
II Kings 11:12 says, "Jehoiada brought out the king's son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenant and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and shouted, 'Long live the king!'"
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F. During the reign of King Josiah, the Word of God was still intact, still being preserved, and still being used authoritatively (II Kings 22:8, 13, 18-19).
II Kings 22:8, 13, 18-19 says, "Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, 'I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD.' He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. . . 'Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD's anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us' . . . 'Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD.'"
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G. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read" (Nehemiah 8:8).
Nehemiah 8:8 says, "They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read."
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Endnotes
1. George L. Robinson, "Canon of the Old Testament," The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, volume I (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdsman Publishing Company, 1986), pages 554-556.
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Lesson 4: Maintaining the Old Testament - (Part III)
I. Review: Maintaining the Old Testament (Part II)
A. The Bible is Holy Spirit-inspired and does not contain any errors.
B. The Old Testament Jews and the early church Christians had some very good reasons for maintaining the correct Bible.
C. The Old Testament Jews carefully safeguarded the Old Testament
Matthew 5:32-35 says, "Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."
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II. The Septuagint
A. History shows that the Old Testament Jews took their Scripture very seriously.
B. Between 338BC and 146BC, after Alexander the Great had conquered the known world, the civilizations of the world began to lean more toward the ways of the Greek culture [1].
C. According to an ancient Alexandrian legend, seventy or maybe seventy-two Hebrew elders independently translated the Hebrew Old Testament into the Greek language for the Egyptian King Ptolemy [2].
1. They wanted to please the king.
2. They also wanted to maintain the Old Testament in the new language of their day, which was Greek.
D. Mr. Ralph O. Muncaster, in his book Can You Trust the Bible?, has suggested that the Septuagint was written about 285BC to 270BC and that several of the early copies still exist [3].
E. During the time of Christ and the apostles, the Septuagint was recognized as the legitimate text.
F. It was later used by St. Jerome to produce the Latin Vulgate translation, which became and still is the official text in the Greek Church.
G. The Septuagint did not replace the Hebrew Old Testament, but it did become a companion translation that was commonly used by a Greek influenced world.
III. The Importance of the Dead Sea Scrolls
A. The Dead Sea Scrolls might possibly be the most significant archaeological discovery of the Twentieth Century [4].
B. Mr. Muncaster wrote that the Essenes hid the scrolls just before the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD [5]. The value of the Scroll’s discovery was dramatic for theologians and Bible historians because, when the scrolls were examined, a copy of the Old Testament Book of Isaiah, along with the other books of the Old Testament, was found.
C. Before that discovery, the oldest complete Hebrew manuscript, which had been dated to about 916AD, was a copy called the Masoretic text that had been copied by the Masorete monks.
D. According to Mr. Norman Geisler and Mr. William E. Nix, paleographers dated the newly discovered, scroll version of the Book of Isaiah back to about 125BC, making it over one thousand years older than the 916AD Masoretic text [6].
E. According to Mr. Josh McDowell, the Masoretes were very disciplined, and they treated the Scriptures with the greatest reverence [7].
F. The Masoretes had an elaborate copying technique.
1. They counted the number of verses, the number of words, and the number of letters of every book. They maintained those counts in the margins of their copies.
2. They also pointed the consonants to show the vowels.
3. If the counts in the copy did not match, they threw it away and started over.
4. The exact percent of consistency between the Masoretic text and the Dead Sea Scrolls texts was estimated to be about ninety-five percent, and this degree of accuracy has been considered by almost everyone to be phenomenal.
5. The NIV translation is based on the Dead Sea Scrolls. The KJV would have been based on the 916AD Masoretic text. The NIV translation is considered superior to the KJV because it is based on manuscripts that are closer to the original.
Psalm 119:89 says, "Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens."
Psalm 138:1-2 says, "I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; before the 'gods' I will sing your praise. I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word."
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Endnotes
1. Earle E. Cairns, Christianity Through The Centuries, 3rd edition (Grand
Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996), page 42.
2. Henry St. John Thackeray, "Septuagint," The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, volume IV (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdsman Publishing Company, 1986), page 2722.
3. A. Vander Heeren, "Septuagint Version," The Catholic Encyclopedia, volume XIII. Translated by Nick Austriaco (New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912).
4. Millar Burrows, The Dead Sea Scrolls (New York: Gramercy Publishing Company, 1986), page 4.
5. Ralph O. Muncaster, Can You Trust the Bible? (Harvest House Publishers: Eugene, Oregon, 2000), page 28.
6. Norman L. Geisler and William E. Nix, A General Introduction to the Bible (Chicago: Moody Press, 1968), page 263.
7. Josh McDowell, A Ready Defense (San Bernardino, California: Here's Life Publishers, Inc., 1991), page 50.
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Lesson 5: Believing the Old Testament - (Part I)
I. Review: Maintaining the Old Testament (Part II)
A. The Bible is Holy Spirit-inspired and does not contain any errors.
B. The Old Testament Jews and the early church Christians had some very good reasons for maintaining the correct Bible.
C. The Old Testament Jews carefully safeguarded the Old Testament
D. The Septuagint preserved the Old Testament in Greek as a companion to the Hebrew Old Testament
E. The Dead Sea Scrolls confirmed the integrity of the Old Testament back to within a couple hundred years of the original.
II. How do we know that we can believe the Old Testament? The answer is by the testimonies of Jesus and the authors of the New Testament.
A. The twelve Apostles, who were called by Jesus, were identified and are also accepted based on Matthew 10:1-4.
Matthew 10:1-4 says, "He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
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B. There testimony is sure based on the promise of John 14:26.
John 14:26 says, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
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C. The Apostles and other New Testment writers were not merely sharing their opinions. So what did they say to confirm the validity of the Old Testament?
1. Jesus authenticated Moses in Mark 7:10, and this gives credence to the Books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Mark 7:10 says, "For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.'"
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2. Moses authenticated Joshua in Deuteronomy 31:7, and this gives credence to the Book of Joshua.
Deuteronomy 31:7 says, "Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the presence of all Israel, 'Be strong and courageous, for you must go with this people into the land that the LORD swore to their forefathers to give them, and you must divide it among them as their inheritance.'"
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3. The Apostle Peter confirmed the Apostle Paul in II Peter 3:15, and Luke was approved by the Apostle Paul in II Timothy 4:11. Luke called Samuel a prophet in Acts 3:24 and Joel a prophet in Acts 2:16, and these verses give credence to the Books of Judges (by tradition), Ruth, and Joel.
II Peter 3:15 says, "Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him."
II Timothy 4:11 says, "Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry."
Acts 3:24 says, "Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days."
Acts 2:16 says, "No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel."
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4. In Acts 13:22, Luke wrote that David was a man after God's own heart, so this gives credence to much of the Book of Psalms.
Acts 13:22 says, "After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: `I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'"
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5. In Matthew 24:15, Jesus called Daniel a prophet, which gives credence to the Book of Daniel.
Matthew 24:15 says, "So when you see standing in the holy place `the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel--let the reader understand"
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6. Daniel called Jeremiah a prophet in Daniel 9:2, and this gives credence to the Books of I and II Kings (by Jewish tradition), Jeremiah, and Lamentations.
Daniel 9:2 says, "In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years."
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7. Jeremiah credited Obadiah in I Kings 18:2-4 as being a devout believer and a protector of prophets. He called Zephaniah a priest in Jeremiah 21:1, and he also identified Micah as a prophet in Jeremiah 26:18. These accounts give credence to the Books of Obadiah, Micah, and Zephaniah.
I Kings 18:2-4 says, "So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab. Now the famine was severe in Samaria, and Ahab had summoned Obadiah, who was in charge of his palace. (Obadiah was a devout believer in the LORD. While Jezebel was killing off the LORD's prophets, Obadiah had taken a hundred prophets and hidden them in two caves, fifty in each, and had supplied them with food and water.)"
Jeremiah 21:1 says, "The word came to Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent to him Pashhur son of Malkijah and the priest Zephaniah son of Maaseiah."
Jeremiah 26:18 says, "Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah. He told all the people of Judah, `This is what the LORD Almighty says: "`Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, the temple hill a mound overgrown with thickets."
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8. In Matthew 12:39-42, Jesus called Jonah a prophet and Solomon wise, which gives credence to the Books of Jonah, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Songs of Solomon.
Matthew 12:39-42 says, "He answered, 'A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and now one greater than Jonah is here. The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom, and now one greater than Solomon is here.'"
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9. Jesus recognized Isaiah as a prophet in Matthew 13:14, thus certifying the Book of Isaiah.
Matthew 13:14 says, "In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: "`You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving."
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10. Jesus, saying "for it is written," went on to quote Zechariah 13:7 in Matthew 26:31, so the Book of Zechariah is accepted.
Matthew 26:31 says, "Then Jesus told them, 'This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'"
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11. The Apostle Paul, saying "As it is written," went on to quote Job 5:13 in I Corinthians 3:19. Hence, the Book of Job is approved.
I Corinthians 3:19 says, "For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: 'He catches the wise in their craftiness.'"
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12. Paul, saying "just as it is written," went on to quote Habakkuk 2:4 in Romans 1:17. In Acts 13:41, Luke, saying "Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you," quoted Habakkuk 1:5. In addition to his work being referenced, Luke also called Habakkuk a prophet. Therefore, the Book of Habakkuk is accepted.
Romans 1:17 says, "For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."
Acts 13:41 says, "Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you."
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13. The Apostle Paul, saying "Just as it is written," went on to quote Malachi 1:2-3 in Romans 9:13. In Matthew 11:10, Jesus, saying "it is written," also goes on to quote Malachi 3:1. So, the Book of Malachi is accepted.
Romans 9:13 says, "Just as it is written: 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.'"
Matthew 11:10 says, "This is the one about whom it is written: "`I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you."
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14. In Romans 9:25-26, Paul, saying "As he says in Hosea," then quoted Hosea 2:23 and Hosea 1:10. Matthew, saying "what the Lord had said through the prophet," goes on to quote Hosea 11:1 in Matthew 2:15. Paul called Hosea a prophet, so the Book of Hosea is accepted.
Romans 9:25-26 says, "As he says in Hosea: 'I will call them `my people' who are not my people; and I will call her `my loved one' who is not my loved one,' and, "It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, `You are not my people,' they will be called `sons of the living God'."
Matthew 2:15 says, "Where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son"
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15. Luke, in Acts 7:42-43, wrote, "This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets," then quoted Amos 5:25-27. Thus, Luke referred to Amos as a prophet, making the Book of Amos acceptable.
Acts 7:42-43 says, "But God turned away and gave them over to the worship of the heavenly bodies. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets: 'Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert, O house of Israel? You have lifted up the shrine of Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile' beyond Babylon.'"
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16. The Apostle Paul, saying "As it is written," went on to quote Ezekiel 36:22 in Romans 2:24. Therefore, the Book of Ezekiel is accepted.
Romans 2:24 says, "As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
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D. The Old Testament was not casually put together, and God made sure that the right people put their seal of approval on certain writings.
E. Nine of the thirty-nine books require additional analysis.
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Lesson 6: Believing the Old Testament - (Part II)
I. Review: Believing the Old Testament (Part I)
A. Truth imitates reality
B. Truth is internally consistent with itself
C. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired.
D. The Bible does not contain any errors
E. Great effort was put into preserving the Old Testament
F. The Apostles and other New Testament writers confirmed the validity of many of the Old Testament Books.
II. The Jewish people and the spiritual leaders of those days were the keys to our knowing that the remaining nine books of the Old Testament are believable because the Old Testament prophets were expected to be exactly correct every time. Otherwise, they could have been killed for being a false prophet. Because they were very zealous about the Law, the people would not have tolerated a phony.
Deuteronomy 18:20 says, "But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death."
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A. Ezra was a priest and leader of the Jewish people during the rebuilding of the Temple. He is credited with having written the historical Old Testament Books of I and II Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah.
B. Other uncertified historical Old Testament authors include Nahum and Haggai. Haggai and Zechariah were called prophets in Ezra 5:1.
Ezra 5:1 says, "Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them."
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C. The Jewish historian, Josephus, called Nahum a prophet in his book, "Antiquities of the Jews," Book IX, Chapter XI, Section Three. He called Haggai and Zechariah prophets in "Antiquities of the Jews," Book XI, Chapter IV, Section Five. The people readily accepted their writings, so that gives credence to the Books of Nahum and Haggai.
D. In "Antiquities of the Jews," Book XI, Chapter V, Section One, he indicated that Ezra was a righteous man with a good reputation, that he was very knowledgeable of the Law of Moses, and that he was a principle priest among the people. This gives credence to the Books of I and II Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah.
E. Concerning I and II Samuel, the chief priests said, "for this is what the prophet has written." In doing this, they quoted II Samuels 5:2, as is recorded in Matthew 2:6. So, the Books of I and II Samuel were commonly accepted by the Jewish leaders of that time, too.
Matthew 2:6 says, "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel"
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F. According to Mr. F. F. Bruce, the Book of Esther was the source of the text for the popular and sacred Jewish festival of Purim, a celebration of Yahweh's love for Israel, and its acceptance into the canon was based primarily upon that [1].
Endnotes
1. F. F. Bruce, The Canon of Scripture (llinois: InterVarsity Press, 1988), page 35.
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Lesson 7: Maintaining the New Testament - (Part I)
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality
B. Truth is internally consistent with itself
II. Knowing that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God is a fundamental of the Faith.
A. It was Holy Spirit-inspired.
B. It does not contain any errors
III. Deciding to put together the New Testament
A. In about 100AD, Ignatius, who was bishop of the church at Antioch, is the person credited with saying that a New Testament would be better for the church than the Old Testament. Until that time, the New Testament had not even been considered, so why was it considered then?
B. For the same three reasons mentioned earlier.
1. Persecution - early Christians did not mind dying for their belief in Christ, but they did mind dying for having a copy of the wrong book.
2. Heretics - a man, named Marcion, around 140AD had developed his own list of what he was calling the valid books of the Bible, and he was spreading that list throughout the area to other churches.
3. Phony Bibles - some eastern churches possessed a manuscript that looked similar to the Bible, but it was different.
IV. There were many writings from which to choose. How did the early church decide which Books belonged in the New Testament canon? They had four basic rules.
A. Apostolic Authorship - the author was accepted if he had seen the risen Christ. Writings that were clearly by an Apostle were accepted. Some writings that claimed to be by an Apostle were not. What was the biblical basis for this criterion?
John 14:26 says, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
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B. Church Testimony and Use - some churches had received specific epistles, such as the Pauline Epistles. Those were automatically included because they could be easily authenticated.
C. Doctrinal Reliability (Isaiah 8:20 - Law of the Prophet) - New Testament doctrine had to agree with the words of Christ and the Apostles. This rule caused many books to be rejected, and it has also kept other so-called "bibles" and writings of so-called "latter day prophets" out of the one true Bible.
Isaiah 8:20 says, "When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn."
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D. Inspiration (Isaiah 55:10-11) - Words will not return void. Scripture, itself, bears record of its Holy Spirit inspiration (II Timothy 3:16). We do not need to prove the Bible because the Holy Spirit proves the Bible and corrects the hearer. The early church looked for evidence of Holy Spirit inspiration.
Isaiah 55:10-11 says, "As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
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Lesson 8: Maintaining the New Testament - (Part II)
I. Review: Maintaining the New Testament (Part I)
A. Knowing that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God is a fundamental of the Faith.
B. Three reasons for canonizing the New Testament (persecution, heretics, and phony bibles).
C. Four rules for canonizing the new Testament (Apostolic Authority, Church testimony and use, Doctrinal Reliability, and Inspiration).
II. Canonizing the New Testament was much more difficult than the Old Testament.
A. The church was over seventy years old before anyone even thought about trying to bring together all the original writings.
B. All of the first generation Christians were dead.
C. There were many counterfeit documents in existence.
III. Jewish Extra-Biblical Literature (Apocrypha means "hidden")
A. The Jews rejected those writings even though they have been included in the Roman Catholic Bible.
B. Jesus and the Apostles rejected them because they were obviously not inspired.
C. The Apocrypha will be discussed in more detail in a later lesson.
IV. Christian Apocryphal Literature (means "false")
A. A lot of books claimed to present the youthful years of Jesus.
1. The Infancy Gospel of Saint Thomas
a. It was not by Thomas
b. It was not correct about Jesus
1) It listed fifteen or sixteen miracles by Jesus
2) But John 2:11 and John 4:53-54 prove it wrong
John 2:11 says, "This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him."
John 4:53-54 says, "Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his household believed. This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee."
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Lesson 9: Maintaining the New Testament - (Part III)
I. Review: Maintaining the New Testament (Part I)
A. Knowing that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God is a fundamental of the Faith.
B. Three reasons for canonizing the New Testament (persecution, heretics, and phony bibles).
C. Four rules for canonizing the new Testament (Apostolic Authority, Church testimony and use, Doctrinal Reliability, and Inspiration).
D. Canonizing the New Testament was more difficult than Old Testament
E. Numerous false writings existed
II. The Homolegomena – these were the twenty New Testament Books that were universally accepted into the Canon.
III. The Antilegomena – these were the seven New Testament Books that were not so easily accepted into the Canon.
A. Why were some Books of the New Testament more difficult to certify than others.
1. Some of the writings were very short.
2. Some of the authors could not be easily identified
B. What were the seven Books in question?
1. Hebrews
a. The author is unknown. Based on Hebrews 13:23 and the mentioning of Timothy, Clement of Alexandria thought that Paul wrote it and that Luke had translated it.
Hebrews 13:23 says, "I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you."
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b. But Hebrews 2:3 suggested that the author was dependent upon another person for his information, and that kind of writing did not fit Paul. That makes Luke a logical candidate because he traveled with Paul.
Hebrews 2:3 says, "How shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him."
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2. James
a. Origen, Gregory, St. Jerome, Clement of Rome, Epistle of Barnabas, and Polycarp had accepted this epistle by 397AD. Note that that was almost four hundred years since Jesus had lived.
b. Internal evidence is that the author called himself James.
c. He could have been one of four James in the New Testament, but scholars settled on the one in Acts 15, the brother of Christ.
d. Note that this epistle was also challenged because it seemed to some to contradict Paul's writings.
3. II Peter
a. This epistle has less historical support for authorship than any other New Testament Book.
b. Clement of Alexandria accepted it.
c. The internal evidence is stronger than the external evidence.
4. II John
a. II and III John may have been part of I John.
b. II John was written to the elect lady, but who was that? Could it have been Mary?
c. Polycarp, Dionysis, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Irenaeus accepted this one.
5. III John
a. II and III John may have been part of I John.
b. III John was written to Gaius.
c. Polycarp, Dionysis, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, and Irenaeus accepted this one.
6. Jude
a. Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus, and Tertullian accepted it.
b. The occasion of the writing was to warn against false teachings.
c. Peter was probably written around 75AD, but no one really knows.
7. Revelation
a. Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus, and Tertullian accepted it.
b. It addressed the seven churches.
c. Four methods of interpreting - Preterist, Historical, Allegorical, and Literal.
IV. Putting together the Bible was not easy, but we can still trust II Timothy 3:16-17 because God was in the work of so many.
II Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
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Lesson 10: The Big Bang Theory as a Threat to the Bible
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality
B. Truth is internally consistent with itself
II. Knowing that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God is a fundamental of the Faith.
A. It was Holy Spirit-inspired.
B. It does not contain any errors
III. Genesis, Chapter One, has ALL the answers about Creation.
Genesis 1:1-5 says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light 'day,' and the darkness he called 'night.' And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day."
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A. Creation ex-nihilo ("ex nihilo" means "creation out of nothing.")
1. Many scientists argue that God did not create the universe, also that He did not create the universe out of nothing.
2. If a person were to compute the earth's age based on the genealogies of Bible personalities, then humanity is approximately six thousand years old. But many scientists argue that the universe is as much as fifteen to twenty billion years old.
3. Many scientists and even theologians have suggested that the length of the days were much greater than twenty-four hours during the Genesis period.
4. But what does the Bible say about these things?
a. In Genesis 1:1, the Hebrew word for the expression "in the beginning" is "reshiyth." This word means first, beginning, best, or chief.
b. The Hebrew word for "God" in that verse is "Elohim," and this word is a plural noun that means the (true) God. This word can also mean angels, but the Hebrew word discussed below will show that angels is not the correct interpretation.
1) Note that the Holy Spirit inspired Moses to use a plural noun to express God. Moses did not have anyway to know this apart from Him.
2) Without even realizing it, Moses was being led to describe the Trinity in the very first verse of the Bible.
3) The truth of the Trinity would not be understood and accepted by the church for another two thousand years.
4) Occurrences like these should strengthen one's confidence in the validity of the Bible and also in the processes by which the Bible has been brought to us. These types of distinctions show that God was and is in control.
c. The Hebrew word for "created" in Genesis 1:1 is "bara," and it means "to shape, to fashion, or to create (always with God as the subject).
d. Based on Genesis 1:1, my opinion is that the Bible truly says that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (Elohim) created the universe from nothing (ex nihilo) and that He did not have any outside help. They spoke it into existence, and everything happened just as they instructed.
IV. What is the Big Bang Theory? From where did it come?
A. The Big Bang Theory argues that the universe burst into existence at a single point in time, in the very distant past and that this coming into existence happened because of a one of a kind explosion of a very tiny mass.
B. How did scientists come up with this idea? During the 1920s, Dr. Edward Hubble observed the rapid rate at which the stars were moving away from earth, and that’s it [1]!
1. The assumption that they made was that, if the stars are rapidly moving away from the earth, then at some point in time, they must have been much, much closer to the earth.
2. When taking such a scenario to the extreme, they, then, concluded that everything in creation must have been together in a very small mass at the beginning of time.
3. Note that they do not claim that the earth was the origin of the big bang because the earth is moving away from a mythical point of origin, too.
V. Why is the Big Bang Theory an example of bad science?
A. From a scientific point of view, the Big Bang Theory cannot be proven.
B. The evidence does not support the theory. The following problems have been associated with the Big Bang Theory.
1. The discovery of superclusters in 1970 by Astrophysicists Dr. Brent Tully and Mr. J. R. Fischer.
2. The superclusters do not show the expected uniformity of a big bang
3. The formation of the superclusters would take much longer than the expected age of the universe.
C. Scientists have tried to force this theory to work.
1. To explain the inconsistent formation of the superclusters, they invented "dark matter."
a. They estimated that about 90% of the entire universe was cluttered with this dark matter, and that the dark matter keeps people on earth from viewing the uniformity that is out there.
b. In the 12/8/2000 issue of Science magazine, Mr. Martin Rees indicated that dark matter is still a mystery [2].
c. In the 3/23/2001 issue of Science magazine, Mr. Mark Sincell wrote, "Astronomers deal in light, so dark matter drives them a little crazy" [3].
2. To force the theory to work within the required time frame, they fabricated an inflationary cycle at the beginning of the big bang [4].
3. They do not have proof for either of these things. They use computer models to determine what is required for the theory to work, and that is what they assume happened.
4. The Hubble Space Craft was launched into Space for the express purpose of trying to find dark matter. So far, nothing of consequence has been reported.
D. Most importantly, the Big Bang Theory is not consistent with the Bible. We need to understand that there is only one real truth, and that our definition for truth is as follows:
1. Truth imitates reality
2. Truth is internally consistent with itself
3. Either the Bible is wrong, the Big Bang theory is wrong, or there are pieces of unknown information that would clear up the whole confusion. Until science can come up with a better solution, the Bible once again has the right answer.
John 17:17 says, "Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth."
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E. In a couple of lessons, we shall discuss why science tries so hard to prove this theory.
Endnotes
1. John Gribbin, In The Beginning - After COBE and Before the Big Bang (Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1993), page 5.
2. Martin J. Rees, "Piecing Together the Biggest Puzzle of All," Science (12-08-2000), pages 7-8.
3. Mark Sincell, "DARK MATTER: Astronomers Glimpse Galaxy's Heavy Halo," Science (03-23-2001), page 1.
4. Gribbin, pages 35-42.
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Lesson 11: The Theory of Evolution as a Threat to the Bible - (Part I)
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality
B. Truth is internally consistent with itself
II. Knowing that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God is a fundamental of the Faith.
A. It was Holy Spirit-inspired.
B. It does not contain any errors
III. What is the Theory of Evolution? From where did it come?
A. Macroevolution pertains to new species being evolved from existing species. Macroevolution completely leaves God out of the Creation picture.
B. Microevolution pertains to the evolution that might occur within a given species. Microevolution can go either way on God.
C. Progressive Creationism assumes that Creation involved a Creator, that the Creator created each species, and that He might, then, have allowed those species to evolve on their own through natural processes. Progressive creationism teaches that God created up to a point and then let natural processes take over.
IV. Why is the Theory of Evolution an example of bad science? As with the Big Bang Theory, the Theory of Evolution lacks credible evidence.
A. Dr. James P. Moreland writes that no geological evidence exists to support the existence of the needed concentrated organic pools in the early earth [1].
B. Dr. Michael Denton indicates that several thousand million years would have been necessary for the first forms of life to evolve from the prebiotic soup [2].
C. According to Chandra Wickramasinghe, the probability of success of macroevolution on earth is one chance in 1040,000 chances [3]. Incidentally, this man is not a Christian.
D. He and other scientists now believe that evolution started in Space and that life was somehow transported to earth through a meteor [4]. Despite what might seems like a foolish belief, these individuals are credible scientists.
E. There is not a credible fossil record to support evolution [5].
V. What does the Bible say relative to the Theory of Evolution?
Genesis 1:21-27 says, "So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, 'Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.' And there was evening, and there was morning--the fifth day. And God said, 'Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.' And it was so. God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."
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A. Notice the phrases "according to its kind" and "according to their kinds."
1. These few words show that macroevolution (evolution from one species to a new species) is not biblical.
2. These few words show that microevolution (evolution within species) is more reasonable.
3. Progressive creationism, where God created each species and left them alone to evolve on their own, seems to be even more acceptable based on the above verses.
B. Just as with the Big Bang Theory, the Holy Spirit removed all doubts about Creation before the theory was ever even imagined.
C. Genesis, Chapter One, was written about 1,500BC. The Theory of Evolution was developed during the middle-1850s. The Big Bang Theory was developed during the first half of the twentieth century.
Endnotes
1. James P. Moreland, Scaling the Secular City - A Defense of Christianity
(Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1987), p. 220.
2. Michael Denton, Evolution: A Theory in Crisis (Chevy Chase, MD: Adler Publishers, Inc., 1986), p. 262-263.
3. Chandra Wickramasinghe, "Science and the Divine Origin of Life," The Intellectuals Speak Out About God, ed. Roy Abraham Varghese (Chicago: Regnery Gateway, Inc., 1984), pages 23-29.
4. "Meteorite Reveals Amino Acid Preference", ScienceNOW (02-13-1997).
5. Luther D. Sunderland, Darwin's Enigma (Santee, California: Master Book Publishers, 1988), p. 45.
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Lesson 12: The Theory of Evolution as a Threat to the Bible - (Part II)
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality
B. Truth is internally consistent with itself
II. Knowing that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God is a fundamental of the Faith.
A. It was Holy Spirit-inspired.
B. It does not contain any errors
III. Why are science and religion at such odds with each other? As civilizations turn more and more from the Lord, they tend to look more and more towards their most intelligent to show them the way.
IV. How the Lord revealed these truths to me (The Truth About Right Living, 12/25/96). Oddly enough, it was through my experiences at two different churches.
A. Church Number One preached "once saved, always saved". Yet, I observed one deacon that several times came forward in that church to get saved. The very teaching that was meant to give him security had robbed him of that very security.
B. Church Number Two preached that a person could actually become bad enough to lose their salvation. Yet, in a church with that harsh message, people would not labor for the Lord. In their case, they felt safe and secure by their goodness.
C. Both churches had been hurt by focusing so much attention on the doctrine of eternal security. The Lord helped me see that the devil had had his foot inside the door of each of those churches and that he was accomplishing his desired effect.
V. How the devil operates. The two chief devices in the devil's arsenal are deception and distraction, and he uses both to perfection!
A. Deception - If he can somehow keep one of us from knowing the truth by using deception, that is, either by telling us outright lies about God, about theLord’s salvation plan, or about God’s principles for right living, then he will do so.
1. The devil has been and still is quite good at making most spiritually ignorant or spiritually weak individuals think either that God does not care, that He is out of control, that He has disappeared, or that He does not exist.
2. None of these are true, but the devil has done a very good job of spreading these kinds of false accusations and making them seem believable.
3. He is a master of deception.
B. Distraction - the devil tries to distract people concerning what is really important in this life. Most people are caught up with this idea of the American Dream and the earthly pursuits of education, world peace, good job, and money.
C. But the devil has one more primary agenda.
1. Mark 7:9-10 quoted Jesus: "And he said to them: 'You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and, Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.'"
2. Jesus recognized Moses as a prophet. Moses was credited with having written Genesis, Chapter One.
3. If the critics can upset any part of that equation, then they can claim that Jesus was not the Son of God. They can claim that His death on the cross was of no special value and that those who have trusted in Him are still dead in their sins. How can they do that?
a. One way is to show that the content of Genesis, Chapter One, is wrong. That would mean that Moses was wrong, hence not a prophet, and that Jesus was wrong to give him the status of a prophet.
b. Another way is to show that Moses did not write Genesis, Chapter One, because that would suggest that Jesus was wrong to credit him with having written it.
D. The devil is at every level of existence.
I Peter 5:6-8 says, "Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
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E. What can we do?
1. Note with all of the various forms of deception how the devil has sufficiently covered all the possibilities!
a. For those who would choose to deny God and be non-religious, Satan has provided the above two unproven theories of science. Big Bang and evolutionary thinking both provide easy vehicles for denying God.
b. For those who would choose to believe in God but do not wish to really know and understand all the facts about Christ and Christianity, he has given the evidences of a hard, difficult and often frustrating life, all as refutations against both God’s goodness and His mercy.
c. None of these devil-initiated forms of deception are true. None are based on an honest appraisal of all the evidence, yet many have accepted the devil’s lies, primarily because he is so convincing.
2. We have not been left alone to battle their mighty anti-God forces. We have the truth of God's Word.
Matthew 22:37-39 says, "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
Matthew 6:31-33 says, "So do not worry, saying, What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear? For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
I John 4:4 says, "You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world."
II Timothy 2:3 says, "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus."
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Lesson 13: What the Bible Teaches Us About God -He is the Creator
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality
B. Truth is internally consistent with itself
II. Knowing that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God is a fundamental of the Faith.
A. It was Holy Spirit-inspired.
B. It does not contain any errors
III. Science does not have the evidence to support their anti-God theories
IV. In the beginning, God . . .
A. Theologians have constructed logical proofs intended to show that God "probably" exists. These do not prove His existence but do indicate that He probably does.
1. The Kalam Cosmological Argument - based on three questions.
a. The first question asks whether or not the universe had a beginning.
b. The second question pertains to whether or not that beginning had a cause.
c. The third question tries to determine whether or not the cause was personal.
2. The Thomist Cosmological Argument (developed by Thomas Aquinas in the thirteenth century) - He argued that one could go back in time with respect to anything, even people, and eventually arrive at the first and only uncaused cause [1].
3. The Leibnizian Cosmological Argument - He concluded, based on the principle of sufficient reason, that God is logically necessary [2].
4. The Teleological or Design Argument - looks at nature and asks some probing questions.
a. How did the moon and the stars get to be exactly as they are without someone to make them happen?
b. Are we to assume that the existence of our universe in its current form is nothing more than the work of chance?
c. Was the existence of man also brought about by chance alone?
d. The teleological argument tries to answer these questions by saying that none of these things happened accidentally or by chance.
e. They were the work of a Designer, and according to this theory, this designer is also the Creator of the universe.
5. The Moral Argument - The fact that an objective moral law seems to exist in the universe and also in the hearts and minds of individuals points to the probable existence of a moral Lawgiver [3].
6. The Ontological Argument - According to Dr. Gary Habermas, "the idea of an infinite, necessary and perfect Being demands that such a Being exists" [4].
7. The Religious Experience Argument - The religious experience argument says that people who know God know that they know Him.
B. The above arguments do not prove God's existence but do indicate that He probably does.
C. What the Bible has to say. Some of the 198 verses are shown below (166 from the Old Testament and 32 from the New Testament).
Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Job 33:4 says, "The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life."
Psalm 8:3-4 says, "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"
Psalm 19:1 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."
Psalm 89:11 says, "The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth; you founded the world and all that is in it."
Psalm 95:6 says, "Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker."
Psalm 102:25 says, "In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands."
Psalm 119:90 says, "Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures."
Psalm 121:1-2 says, "I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth."
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V. What is the conclusion of this whole matter? It is that people who live in this country enjoy a great amount of personal freedom.
A. Those in Christ and even those not in Him can choose whether or not to serve Him. They can also choose the level to which they will serve.
B. A person can choose to live recklessly and squander all that the Lord has entrusted to them. The result, then, would most likely be a lifestyle that crosses somewhere between poverty and hedonism.
C. A person can unwisely choose to consume his or her entire life trying to gain all the world's goods.
D. A person can make the unwise choice of rejecting Christ and all that He has done.
E. A person can unwisely choose to reject the superior evidences for Christianity and believe the lesser truths of other faiths. But the truth is that Jesus, the Christ is the Way, and He is the only Way!
F. A person can unwisely choose to reject the superior evidences for God's existence, for Jesus as Lord, and for the validity of the Bible and instead settle for the unproven theories of Science.
Matthew 22:37-39 says, "Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
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Endnotes
1. J. P. Moreland, Scaling the Secular City - A Defense of Christianity (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1987), pages 16.
2. Ibid, page 17.
3. Gary R. Habermas, The Resurrection of Jesus (Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America, 1984), page 50.
4. Ibid, page 50-55.
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Lesson 14: What the Bible Teaches Us About God -He has Certain Attributes
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality
B. Truth is internally consistent with itself
C. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired.
D. The Bible does not contain any errors.
E. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life.
F. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
II. What does this Bible teach us about God [1]?
A. God is a Spirit (John 4:23-24)
John 4:23-24 says, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
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B. God is a Person. He has self-awareness and self-determination (Exodus 3:13-14). He has intellect (Genesis 18:17-19), emotions (Genesis 6:6), and a will (Genesis 3:15).
Exodus 3:13-14 says, "Moses said to God, 'Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, What is his name? Then what shall I tell them?' God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.'"
Genesis 18:17-19 says, "Then the LORD said, 'Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.'"
Genesis 3:15 says, "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
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C. God is Love. He loves the Son (Matthew 3:16-17). He loves the world (John 3:16). He loves righteousness (Proverbs 11:1).
Matthew 3:16-17 says, "As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'"
John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Proverbs 11:1 says, "The LORD abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight."
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III. The Absolute Attributes of God [2] - these attributes are common to each of the three Persons of the Trinity.
A. Holiness - God is holy. He is all that is right and pure (Psalm 111:9, John 17:11, Revelation 4:8, Isaiah 6:3).
B. Love - God loves His creation and relates to them in a personal way (I John 4:8, 16, II Corinthians 13:14).
C. Goodness - God is good, the embodiment of all the ideal qualities. He rewards all that personify His law (Mark 10:18, Exodus 30:5).
IV. The Comparative Attributes of God [3] - these attributes are also common to each of the three Persons of the Trinity.
A. Omniscience - God knows everything (Psalm 14:5, Jude 25).
B. Omnipresence - God is everywhere, all the time (Psalm 139:7-10, Luke 16:23, Revelation 14:10).
C. Omnipotence - God is all-powerful (Matthew 19:26, Isaiah 59:1-2). But He will not do things that are contrary to His nature.
V. How do the holiness and love of God relate?
A. God is Holy, and His holiness demands justice.
B. But God is also Love, and His love does not want to condemn sinful man.
C. To resolve the conflict, He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die on the cross as payment for humanity's sin-debt.
1. Jesus dying on the cross satisfied the holiness of God.
2. Jesus dying on the cross demonstrated the love of God.
D. Note in Romans 5:6, shown on the next page, that Jesus died for us "when we were still powerless."
John 3:16-17 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
Romans 5:6-8 says, "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
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1. We are no longer powerless against sin. We are no longer powerless against the fiery darts of the devil. We no longer have to live defeated lives without any eternal hope.
2. Because of what Jesus has done for us, we can now have victory in Him.
Endnotes
1. Elmer Towns, Theology for Today (Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1989), pages 94-104.
2. Ibid, pages 107-114.
3. Ibid, pages 114-119.
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Lesson 15: What the Bible Teaches Us About God - Some of the Names of God
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality
B. Truth is internally consistent with itself
C. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
D. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life.
E. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
F. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
II. Some of the Names of God
A. El Elyon (The Most High God)
Genesis 14:18-20 says, "Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram, saying, ‘Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.’ Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything."
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1. Abraham has returned from a battle with the four kings that had attacked Sodom and Gomorrah.
2. He had become involved because his nephew was taken hostage.
3. When he returned, he met Melchizedek, the king of Salem and received a blessing from the Most High God.
B. Elohim (The God to be Feared and Reverenced)
1. Appears 2,346 times in the Old Testament
2. Means strong, great, mighty, and one to be feared or reverenced [1].
3. Elohim was used in the first two chapters of Genesis when the author was writing about Creation.
4. Elohim was used in Genesis, Chapter Six, when the author was writing about Noah and the Flood.
5. Elohim was the name for God used by Elijah on Mount Carmel in I Kings, Chapter Eighteen, when the prophet successfully challenged the prophets of Baal.
C. El Shaddai (The Lord God Almighty)
1. El Shaddai, is used for God to indicate the highness or majestic quality of His character (Genesis 17:1).
2. According to the Introduction to the Book of Job in the NIV Study Bible, this name for God appears thirty-one times in that Book alone [2], plus a total of seventeen times in other portions of the Old Testament.
D. El Roi (The God Who Sees)
1. This name for God only appears once in the Bible, but the truth that it communicates is important to all that acknowledge it (Genesis 16:11-13).
2. Hagar encountered an angel of the Lord, who told her that she would give birth to a son and that his name would be Ishmael.
Genesis 16:11-13 says, "The angel of the LORD also said to her: ‘You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the LORD has heard of your misery. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.’ She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the One who sees me.’"
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E. El Olam (The Lord God Everlasting)
1. God the Creator did not arrive on the scene on a given day, create the universe, and then scurry away.
2. He always has been, and He always will be. He is eternal (Genesis 21:33).
F. Yahweh Jireh (The Lord Who Provides)
1. The name shows God as our Provider (Genesis 22:13-14).
2. For present-day Christians, this name for God tells of One Who can be trusted to meet all our needs.
3. We do not have to worry about the temporal needs of this life because we have our Yahweh Jireh to take care of us.
G. Yahweh Rapha (The Lord Who Heals)
1. This name means the Lord that heals.
2. From this name, we learn that God watches over and cares for His people.
3. It is used in Exodus 15:22-26.
H. Yahweh Rohi (The Lord My Shepherd)
1. Psalms 23:1 gives us the name Yahweh Rohi, which means the Lord my Shepherd.
2. In that verse, God is pictured as the Great Shepherd that watches over His sheep, or as in this case, over His people.
I. El Qanno (The Jealous God)
1. This name, which means the jealous God, is another name for God that reveals a specific aspect of His character.
2. It is used in Joshua 24:19.
3. God wants us for Himself, and He wants our love and devotion to be directed exclusively towards Him.
J. JEHOVAH (I AM THAT I AM)
1. In Hebrew, Jehovah or Yahweh means, "I AM THAT I AM", which is the same as to say the self-existing one.
2. This name for God is His proper name, and it is used 6,519 times in the Old Testament [3].
3. It is used in Exodus 3:13-14, when God spoke to Moses from the burning bush.
4. According to Matthew Henry, no one learns about God unless God wishes for him or her to do so [4].
III. What can we learn from the names of God?
A. His names reveal bits and pieces about His personal nature.
B. They provide an accurate, personal glimpse of Him.
C. They help someone know and understand more about Him.
D. But they do not necessarily give someone a complete knowledge of Him.
Endnotes
1. Kevin Rintoul, God's Word Version 2.0a, Online Bible (Victoria, B.C., Canada: Timnathserah, Inc., 1997), word "Elohim".
2. The NIV Study Bible, Kenneth Barker, general ed. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1985), page 731.
3. Rintoul, word "Jehovah"
4. Matthew Henry, Matthew’s Henry Commentary - Genesis to Deuteronomy (McLean, Virginia: MacDonald Publishing Company), pages 281-282.
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Lesson 16: Jesus was Born of a Virgin - God's Plan of Salvation (the Roman's Road)
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
II. God's Plan of Salvation (the Roman's Road)
Romans 3:23 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"
Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 10:9 says, "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
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III. Supporting Verses
A. Romans 5:6-8 says, "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
B. John 3:16-17 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
IV. Why does this work?
A. One must understand their position as a sinner.
B. One must understand the significance of the virgin birth.
C. One must understand that Jesus was without sin and why He had to be.
D. One must understand the nature of His death
E. One must understand His resurrection.
F. One must understand His deity
G. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation
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Lesson 17: Jesus was Born of a Virgin - What Came From Adam?
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. What came from Adam?
A. Personal Sin (Romans 3:23) - Individual sins
Romans 3:21-24 says, "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
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B. Sin Nature (Psalm 51:4-5, Romans 1:21, Ephesians 4:14, Titus 1:5, Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 8:7) - called Original Pollution.
Psalm 51:4-5 says, "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me."
Jeremiah 17:9 says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"
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C. Imputed Sin (Romans 5:12, Ephesians 2:1-3, I Corinthians 15:21-22) - called Original Guilt.
Romans 5:12 says, "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned."
Ephesians 2:1-3 says, "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath."
I Corinthians 15:21-22 says, "For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."
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Lesson 18: Jesus was Born of a Virgin - Imputed Sin
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God's Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. Key verses to show imputation
A. Romans 5:12 says, "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned."
B. Ephesians 2:1-3 says, "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath."
C. I Corinthians 15:21-22 says, "For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."
III. How could imputed sin have happened?
A. Mediate Imputation - A bad influence passed through parents [1].
Adam ® Seth ® Race ® My parents ® Each of us
B. Immediate Imputation - Original Guilt passed immediately to every human at the time that Adam sinned [2].
Adam ® (bypassing Seth, Race, and my parents) ® Each of us
IV. If mediate imputation is true, then what would the consequences be?
A. Mediate imputation denies the effect of Original Guilt on humanity.
B. People do not automatically become guilty. Instead, they inherit the sin nature (Original Pollution) and eventually sin.
C. This seems to contradict Romans 5:12, Ephesians 2:1-3, and I Corinthians 15:21-22.
V. If immediate imputation true, then what would the consequences be?
A. All humanity instantly became guilty when Adam sinned (Original Guilt).
B. All humanity has inherited Adam's sin nature (Original Pollution), plus each individual is guilty of his or her own sins.
C. Immediate imputation seems to be consistent with Romans 5:12, Ephesians 2:1-3, and I Corinthians 15:21-22.
Endnotes
1. Towns, page 515.
2. Ibid, page 518.
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Lesson 19: Jesus was Born of a Virgin - Two Views of Immediate Imputations
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. Key verses to show imputation
A. Romans 5:12 says, "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned."
B. Ephesians 2:1-3 says, "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath."
C. I Corinthians 15:21-22 says, "For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive."
III. Two Views of Immediate Imputation
A. Federal Headship View [3]
1. Adam was the selected representative for all humanity.
2. He was similar to a representative in Congress.
3. This view still maintains imputed Original Guilt and an inherited sin nature (Original Pollution).
B. Augustinian or Seminal Head View [4]
1. This view states that all humanity existed seminally in Adam when he sinned. Therefore, everyone is guilty.
2. This view still maintains imputed Original Guilt and an inherited sin nature (Original Pollution).
IV. Which one is correct?
A. Both views have strengths and weaknesses
B. Regardless of how imputation happened, the Bible seems to suggest that the guilt for Adam's sin (Original Guilt) was immediately imputed to man, that each person has inherited a sin nature (Original Pollution), and that each person commits sins on his or her own (Individual Sins).
C. Conclusion: We are guilty before God in three different ways.
Endnotes
1. Towns, pages 524-529.
2. Ibid, pages 530-533.
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Lesson 20: Why Jesus HAD to be Born of a Virgin
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. The Bible teaches that Jesus was born of a virgin.
Isaiah 7:14 says, "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."
Luke 1:30-35 says, "But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.' 'How will this be,' Mary asked the angel, 'since I am a virgin?' The angel answered, 'The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.'"
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III. Logically, He had to be born of a virgin.
A. Because of immediate imputation, all people born through the union of a man and a woman are guilty before God of Original Sin and Original Pollution.
B. Jesus could not have been Savior and sinner.
Leviticus 1:3-4 says, "If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it will be acceptable to the LORD. He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him."
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C. He could not have been Savior and had the guilt of either the Original Sin or Original Pollution.
D. Many Faiths think that Jesus was born of human parents and became a god because of His goodness. But this is not taught in the Bible.
E. Because the virgin birth is critical to Jesus' deity and the sin issue, believing in the virgin birth is a Fundamental of the Christian Faith.
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Lesson 21: Jesus was Without Sin
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. The Bible teaches that Jesus was without sin.
Hebrews 4:14-15 says, "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin."
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III. Logically, He had to be without sin.
A. Jesus could not be Savior and sinner.
Leviticus 1:3-4 says, "If the offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he is to offer a male without defect. He must present it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting so that it will be acceptable to the LORD. He is to lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him."
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B. He was tempted in every way (Hebrews 4:15).
C. Peccability versus Impeccability – could Jesus have sinned if He had wanted? Peccability says "yes." Impeccability says "no." This is a very difficult teaching. You make the call.
1. Do you think that Jesus was ever tempted to steal?
2. Do you think that Jesus was ever tempted to tell a lie?
3. If you answer "no" to those questions, then what do you think the Bible means in Hebrews 4:15 when it says that He was tempted in every way?
a. I believe that He was tempted in Matthew, Chapter Four, by Satan to exercise certain divine powers that would have been inappropriate for him to exercise at that time.
b. I believe that He was tempted to avoid the cross and continue His earthly ministry for a while longer.
Matthew 26:38-39 says, "Then he said to them, 'My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.' Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'"
Philippians 2:5-8 says, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!"
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4. Many Bible scholars say that Jesus could not have experienced human temptation unless He experienced the same type of temptations.
5. Many other Bible scholars say that Jesus could not have been tempted to do evil things because (1) He was God and (2) because He did not have the sin nature from Adam.
6. Though not explicitly spelled out in Scripture, there seems to be a relationship between all humanity being guilty through Adam, the sin nature being passed through the seed of the man, and Jesus being born of a virgin.
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Lesson 22: Jesus Died on the Cross for our Sins
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. The Bible teaches that Jesus was crucified.
A. Matthew 27:26-35 says, "Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. Then the governor's soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered the whole company of soldiers around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They put a staff in his right hand and knelt in front of him and mocked him. "Hail, king of the Jews!" they said. They spit on him, and took the staff and struck him on the head again and again. After they had mocked him, they took off the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him. As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross. They came to a place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). There they offered Jesus wine to drink, mixed with gall; but after tasting it, he refused to drink it. When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots."
B. John 8:27-29 says, "They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am [the one I claim to be] and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.’"
C. Acts 2:36-38 says, "’Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.’ When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’ Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’"
III. Symbolically, He had to be crucified.
A. John 3:13-15 says, "No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven--the Son of Man. Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life."
B. Jesus became our sin for us. Death on the cross symbolized rejection by heaven and by earth.
Isaiah 53:3-7 says, "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
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C. No one can read the above passage from Isaiah, Chapter Fifty-three and think that Jesus is not the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6).
IV. Important Statements from the Cross
A. Matthew 27:46 says, "About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’--which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
1. Anthropormorphism – using human language to describe God. An example is the hand of the God. God does not have a hand. God sees and hears everything. But God does not have literal eyes and ears.
2. Psalm 22:1-8 says, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, and am not silent. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you delivered them. They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed. But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by men and despised by the people. All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads: ‘He trusts in the LORD; let the LORD rescue him. Let him deliver him, since he delights in him.’"
a) The Jews understood the Messianic promise of Psalm 22.
b) From the cross, Jesus was declaring His deity and explaining to the onlookers why He was being crucified.
B. John 19:30 says "When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit"
1. Finished comes from the Greek word, "teleo," meaning the debt is paid in full.
2. The Jews would have understood the business context of the word even if they did not initially understand the spiritual meaning.
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Lesson 23: Jesus Arose From The Grave
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. The Bible teaches that Jesus arose from the grave.
A. John 20:17-19 says, "Jesus said, ‘Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: ‘I have seen the Lord!’ And she told them that he had said these things to her. On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’"
1. Mary Magdalene found an empty tomb. But Jesus was there to tell her what had happened.
2. One of the proofs of the resurrection is that the new day of worship for these former Jews and new Christians became the first day of the week, Sunday. The New Testament church no longer worshipped on the Sabbath.
3. Note also that the Sabbath, by commandment, was a day of rest. By contrast, Sunday is a day of activity.
B. Acts 13:26-31 says, "Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead, and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people."
C. I Corinthians 15:2-3 says, "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."
III. Logically, He had to rise from the grave.
A. Our hope is in a risen Savior.
I Corinthians 15:14 says, "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith."
I Corinthians 15:17-19 says, "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men."
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B. When He overcame death, He made a way for all of us to overcome death.
I Corinthians 15:51-57 says, "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
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Lesson 24: Jesus Arose From The Grave - How Do We Know This?
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. What theories oppose Jesus’ resurrection?
A. Four Theories Against A Literal Resurrection
1. The Swoon Theory - the idea that Jesus faked His own death.
2. The Hallucination Theory - the idea that His observers only thought that they saw their resurrected Lord.
3. The Legend Theory - the idea that Christ's Resurrection is only a legend which has developed over time.
4. The Stolen Body Theory - the idea that the disciples stole Jesus' body.
B. Evidence against the Swoon Theory.
1. Christ was beaten when He appeared before the High Priest.
2. He was scourged.
3. He had to carry His own cross to the site of the execution.
4. He had to endure the agony of being nailed to that cross.
5. He had to hang there naked and exposed to the elements for six hours.
6. He was stabbed in the side with a spear.
C. Evidence against the Hallucination Theory.
1. Dr. Gary Habermas tells us that hallucinations are not contagious and that they cannot be passed from one disciple to another, much less to hundreds of people at the same time [1].
2. Mr. Josh McDowell adds that hallucinations are usually linked in a person's subconscious by a particular past experience [2].
3. Given these facts, it is highly unlikely that any two people, much less the hundreds who were reported, could have had the same hallucination at the same time.
4. Since Jesus was seen by many on several different occasions, this theory also is not reasonable.
D. Evidence against the Legend Theory
1. Dr. Habermas reports that there were many eyewitnesses who saw Jesus after the Resurrection [3].
2. Many of the people who had lived during those early days of the New Testament Church readily recognized and accepted the Resurrection as truth.
3. The fact of the Resurrection was well accepted during Josephus' days, and it had been since the time of Christ's death.
4. In light of all this information, the suggestion that this event had somehow been added over time just to spice up Christianity is not logical.
5. Because both secular and non-secular historical evidence shows that the Resurrection was reported and accepted from the beginning, the Legend theory, like the others, also cannot be taken seriously.
E. Evidence against the Stolen Body Theory (Matthew 28:11-15)
1. According to Mr. F. F. Bruce in his book, The Expositor's Greek New Testament, even the language of the chief priests plan did not make sense. Those "sleeping" Roman guards in the above passage would not have known who, if anyone, had stolen the body [4].
2. The guards would have been highly trained, well-disciplined troops. Someone is supposed to believe that military personnel of that caliber could have or even would have actually slept while some or all of the disciples rolled away a three thousand pound stone, unwrapped Jesus body, and then carried Him away.
3. Even the biggest skeptic would have to chuckle at such a notion. Sleeping on duty under normal circumstances would have meant certain death for the guards. According to Mr. McDowell, those men would have been foolish to have committed such a crime and then even more foolish to have actually confessed to it [5].
4. According to Mr. James Rosscup, Dr. Habermas, and many others, the behavior of the Apostles changed dramatically following the discovery of Christ's Resurrection [6].
I Corinthians 15:3-8 says, "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born."
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Endnotes
1. Habermas, page 39.
2. McDowell, Evidence That Demands A Verdict, volume I, page 249.
3. Habermas, page 39.
4. Alexander Balmin Bruce, The Expositors Greek New Testament, volume I - "The Synoptic Gospels" (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1903), pages 337-338.
5. McDowell, Evidence That Demands A Verdict, volume I, page 242.
6. James Rosscup, Class Notes (La Mirada, CA: Talbot Theological Seminary, 1969), page 4.
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Lesson 25: The Deity of Jesus
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. How do we know that He was and is the Son of God?
A. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God (Matthew 22:42-45, Matthew 28:19, John 10:30, and John 14:9).
Matthew 22:42-45 says, "'What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?' 'The son of David,' they replied. He said to them, 'How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him Lord? For he says, The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet. If then David calls him Lord, how can he be his son?'"
John 10:30 says, "I and the Father are one."
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B. He has the absolute and comparative attributes of deity (discussed in the next two lessons).
1. Holiness (Psalm 30:4, Psalm 33:21, Psalm 77:13, and I Peter 1:16), Love (I John 4:8), and Goodness (Psalm 73:1 and Romans 2:4).
a) Psalm 30:4 says, "Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name."
b) Psalm 33:21 says, "In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name."
c) I Peter 1:16 says, "For it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’"
d) I John 4:8 says, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
e) Psalm 73:1 says, "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart."
f) Romans 2:4 says, "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?"
2. Omniscience (John 11:11-14), Omnipresence (Matthew 28:20), and Omnipotence (Luke 7:14-15 and John 6:19).
a) John 11:11-14 says, "After he had said this, he went on to tell them, 'Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.' His disciples replied, 'Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.' Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead.'"
b) Matthew 28:20 says, "and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
c) Luke 7:14-15 says, "Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, 'Young man, I say to you, get up!' The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother."
d) John 6:19 says, "When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified."
C. The New Testament authors ascribe divine attributes to Him in John 2:24-25, Hebrews 1:12, Hebrews 13:8, and Revelation 1:18 [1].
John 2:24-25 says, "But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man."
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D. He was given and He accepted worship in Matthew 14:33, Matthew 28:9, John 20:28-29, Acts 7:59-60, I Corinthians 1:2, and others [2].
John 20:28-29 says, "Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!' Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'"
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E. He did the works of deity (Mark 2:5-7, Matthew 14:33, and John 20:28-29).
Mark 2:5-7 says, "When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.' Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 'Why does this fellow talk like that? He's blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?'"
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F. He satisfied the offices of Priest, Prophet, and King.
G. He arose from the grave.
Endnotes
1. Elmer Towns, Theology for Today (Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1989), page 157.
2. Ibid, page 157.
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Lesson 26: The Absolute Attributes of Jesus
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. To better understand God, theologians have tried to categorize His attributes. How have other theologians defined God’s attributes?
A. One method has been to organize them based on whether they are communicable or incommunicable.
1. Communicable attributes have, according to Dr. Millard Erickson, at least some relation to a human's attributes.
2. Incommunicable attributes do not.
B. Another way has been to categorize them as being either transitive or intransitive.
1. A transitive attribute is something like His mercy.
2. An intransitive attribute is something like His spirituality.
C. Another way has been to categorize them as either absolute or relative
1. Absolute attributes, such as His infinity, are internal to Him.
2. Relative attributes are characteristics like His omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence.
D. Another way has been to categorize them as natural and moral.
1. Natural attributes include such things as His knowledge and power.
2. Moral attributes consider such traits as His holiness, His love, and His mercy.
E. The method suggested by Dr. Erickson for categorizing God's attributes has been to organize them according to whether they showed His greatness or His goodness.
1. His attributes of greatness are spirituality, personality, life, infinity, and constancy. He is a spirit that is not restricted by space. He is personal, alive, infinite, and unlimited. He possesses all knowledge, is all-powerful, and can be everywhere, all of the time. He is constant and never changes.
2. His attributes of goodness are moral purity, integrity, and love.
III. Dr. Elmer Towns identified God’s attributes as either absolute or comparative.
A. His comparative attributes are omniscience (John 11:11-14), omnipresence (Matthew 28:20), and omnipotence (Luke 7:14-15 and John 6:19).
B. What are His absolute attributes?
1. Holiness - God is holy. He is all that is right and pure (Psalm 30:4, Psalm 33:21, Psalm 77:13, and I Peter 1:16).
2. Love - God loves His creation and relates to them in a personal way (I John 4:8).
3. Goodness - God is good, the embodiment of all the ideal qualities. He rewards all that personifies His law (Psalm 52:1, Psalm 73:1, and Romans 2:4).
Psalm 30:4 says, "Sing to the LORD, you saints of his; praise his holy name."
Psalm 33:21 says, "In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name."
I Peter 1:16 says, "For it is written: 'Be holy, because I am holy.'"
I John 4:8 says, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love."
Psalm 73:1 says, "Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart."
Romans 2:4 says, "Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?"
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C. God’s absolute attributes are characteristics of His deity, and they exist in each of the three Persons of the Trinity.
1. Jesus, the Son of God and second Person of the Trinity, is holy, loving, and good.
2. The Holy Spirit, who is the third Person of the Trinity, is holy, loving, and good.
IV. How do His holiness and love relate?
A. God is Holy, and His holiness demands justice.
B. God is also Love, and His love does not want to condemn sinful man.
C. To resolve the conflict, He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die on the cross as payment for humanity's sin-debt.
D. Christ's dying on the cross satisfied the holiness of God.
E. His dying also demonstrated His love for humanity because He provided man with a way to escape God's eternal judgment.
V. Regardless of how one describes God's attributes, three things about Him are always true.
A. He is in control of everything.
B. No other power or force can overthrow Him.
C. He always cares for and loves His own.
VI. Therefore, a person can trust Him and follow Him with confidence, no matter what.
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Lesson 27: The Comparative Attributes of Jesus
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. What were His comparative attributes?
A. Omniscience - Jesus knows everything (John 11:11-14)
B. Omnipresence - He could be anywhere and everywhere at all times (Matthew 28:20)
C. Omnipotence - He was all-powerful (Luke 7:14-15 and John 6:19)
John 11:11-14 says, "After he had said this, he went on to tell them, 'Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.' His disciples replied, 'Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.' Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, 'Lazarus is dead.'"
Matthew 28:20 says, "and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Luke 7:14-15 says, "Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, 'Young man, I say to you, get up!' The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother."
John 6:19 says, "When they had rowed three or three and a half miles, they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were terrified."
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III. God’s comparative attributes are characteristics of His deity, and they exist in each of the three Persons of the Trinity.
A. Jesus, the Son of God and second Person of the Trinity, is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent.
B. The Holy Spirit, who is the third Person of the Trinity, is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent.
IV. The Kenosis - Jesus gave up something when He became a man
A. Philippians 2:5-7 says, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."
B. "Made Himself nothing" comes from the Greek word "kenoo" and means to empty or make empty. In the matter of Christ, it means that he laid aside equality with or the form of God.
C. What did Jesus give up to become a man, and how do we know?
1. He did not give up His absolute attributes. He was still holy, He was still love personified, and He was still good.
2. What He voluntarily gave up was the independent use of His comparative attributes. For our good, He let Himself not know everything. He restricted Himself to a body so that He could not be everywhere all the time. He voluntarily laid aside the full use of His power.
a) Matthew 4:2 says, "After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry."
b) Mark 5:30 says, "At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, 'Who touched my clothes?'"
c) Mark 4:38 says, "Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, 'Teacher, don't you care if we drown?'"
D. What were the effects of the kenosis?
1. He veiled His divine glory
2. He subjected Himself to human limitations.
3. He voluntarily gave up the independent use of His comparative attributes.
E. Why did He do so much for us?
Hebrews 9:28 says, "So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."
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Lesson 28: Jesus' Part in the Godhead
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. God’s absolute attributes are characteristics of His deity, and they exist in each of the three Persons of the Trinity.
A. Jesus, the Son of God and second Person of the Trinity, is holy, loving, and good.
B. The Holy Spirit, who is the third Person of the Trinity, is holy, loving, and good.
III. God’s comparative attributes are characteristics of His deity, and they exist in each of the three Persons of the Trinity.
A. Jesus, the Son of God and second Person of the Trinity, is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. In the kenosis, He voluntarily gave up the independent use of some of these attributes.
B. The Holy Spirit, who is the third Person of the Trinity, is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent.
IV. As second Person of the Trinity or Godhead, Jesus died on the cross for all people. Seven conclusions can be seen from His death on the cross.
A. He was the sin substitute for all people.
1. "Anti" translated "for" means "instead of" (Mark 10:45)
2. "Huper" also translated "for" means "on behalf of" (I Thessalonians 5:10 and I Peter 3:18).
Mark 10:45 says, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
I Thessalonians 5:10 says, "He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him."
I Peter 3:18 says, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit."
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3. "Anti" can only be translated one way, while "huper" can be translated either, depending on the context.
4. Jesus did not die instead of us dying. Our dying would not have satisfied our sin debt. Therefore, He died on our behalf.
B. He redeemed all of us by His blood.
1. "Agorazo" means to buy out of the slave market with the idea of reselling in the slave market.
2. "Ekagorazo" means to buy out of the slave market to never be sold in that market again.
3. "Lutrao" means to buy out of the slave market and to set free. In Mark 10:45, "ransom" comes from this word.
C. He was the propitiation of the God's wrath against all of us. Jesus’ death satisfied God’s absolute attribute of holiness and showed His absolute attribute of love.
D. By His death, the demands of the law were satisfied for everyone.
E. By His death, He reconciled all of us to God.
F. The sin nature is judged.
G. Satan is judged.
V. Identify six results that occurred with the resurrection of Jesus.
A. Jesus had renewed His life.
B. He had reunited His body and spirit.
C. He overcame death.
D. He returned to His original glory. The kenosis ended.
E. We become crucified into a new spiritual life with Christ.
F. Jesus was transformed and received a glorified body.
VI. Relate the ascension to the termination of the kenosis. When Jesus was ascended into heaven,
A. He was restored to His original glory.
B. He was no longer subject to human limitations.
C. He was no longer without absolute use of comparative attributes.
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Lesson 29: Threats to the Legitimacy of Jesus as the Son of God
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. The Big Bang Theory (discussed in Lesson 10)
A. The Big Bang Theory is based almost entirely on stars that are rapidly traveling away from an apparent focal point.
B. The Big Bang Theory has not been proven.
1. Discovery of superclusters.
2. Homogeneity Problem
3. Age of the universe inconsistency
4. Fabricating the idea of dark matter
5. Hubble Spacecraft
III. The Theory of Evolution (discussed in Lesson 11)
A. Macroevolution without God.
B. Microevolution with or without God.
C. Progressive Creationism - God allowed the evolution of each species according to the laws of growth and development.
D. Evolution has not been proven.
1. No prebiotic soup.
2. No fossil evidence.
3. Human body is too complex (1 in 1040,000 chances).
IV. Why does Science try so hard to disprove the simple biblical account of Creation?
I Peter 5:8 says, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
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A. This deception is of the devil
1. If the devil can show that Moses was wrong when he wrote about Creation, then that will show that Jesus was wrong when He treated Moses like a Prophet.
2. If Jesus was wrong, then He was not and is not God, so people do not need to listen to Him or trust in Him.
Matthew 8:4 says, "Then Jesus said to him, 'See that you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.'"
Matthew 19:8 says, "Jesus replied, 'Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning.'"
Matthew 23:1-2 says, "Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 'The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.'"
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B. More deception by the devil
1. If the devil can show that Moses did not write the first five Books of the Bible, then that will show that Jesus was wrong to treat Moses like a Prophet.
2. Many modern-day critics say that four different people, named E (for Elohim), J (for Jehovah), P (for Priestly), and D (for Deuteronomic), wrote the Pentateuch.
3. If Jesus was wrong, then He was not and is not God, so people do not need to listen to Him or trust in Him.
C. Another deception by the devil
1. The Book of Isaiah prophesied Jesus as the Suffering Servant.
2. Many Bible critics claimed that the last part of Isaiah, from Chapter Forty to the end, was written by someone that lived after Jesus.
3. If that were true, then Jesus would have been wrong to call Isaiah a Prophet in Matthew 13:14.
4. If that were true, then critics could also explain the extreme accuracy of Isaiah, Chapter Fifty-three.
5. If Jesus had been wrong about Isaiah, then He was not and is not God, and people would not have to listen to Him or trust in Him.
6. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1948 proved the critics wrong and Jesus correct about Isaiah. That discovery showed that the Book of Isaiah was written at least two hundred years before Jesus was born.
7. Romans 3:4 says, "Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: 'So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.'"
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Lesson 30: Who is the Holy Spirit - Jesus and the Father sent him
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. The Holy Spirit was sent.
John 14:26 says, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
John 15:26 says, "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me."
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III. He is Comforter, Teacher, and Counselor to the Christian
A. Comes from the Greek word "parakletos."
1. Means "summoned, called to one's side, especially called to one's aid."
2. Means "one who pleads another's cause before a judge."
3. Means "in the widest sense, a helper, succourer, aider, assistant."
B. A similar word in Matthew 5:3-4.
Matthew 5:3-4 says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."
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1. "Poor in spirit" from the Greek words "ptochos" and "pneuma." This expression meant "destitute of wealth of learning and intellectual culture which the schools afford (men of this class most readily give themselves up to Christ's teaching and proved themselves fitted to lay hold of the heavenly treasure)." Jesus was not saying that the poor would automatically go to heaven.
2. "Comforted" in verse four comes from the Greek word "parakaleo," which means "to call to one's side, call for, summon, to console, to encourage and strengthen by consolation, to comfort, or to instruct or teach."
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Lesson 31: Who is the Holy Spirit - He is the Third Person of the Trinity
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. The Holy Spirit is a person, and He has a personality.
A. Showing His personality is important because it indicates that He is part of the Godhead and that He has a place in the Trinity.
1. While the concept of a three-in-one God is difficult for mortal man to comprehend, the Bible teaches that the Godhead is one God, or monotheistic, and that He is made up of three Persons.
2. Those three Persons are God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
B. The second reason that showing the Holy Spirit's personality is important is because a person can better benefit from and better understand His works in this world if he or she can understand His personality.
1. The attributes of His personality are intellect, emotion, and will, and because of these three, He can do certain works and feel certain things.
2. In John 14:26, John 15:26, and John 16:13, the Holy Spirit is the great Teacher that would teach Christ's disciples all things about Jesus.
John 14:26 says, "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
John 15:26 says, "When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me."
John 16:13 says, "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."
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3. In I Corinthians 2:10-11, He is the One that will teach Christians all the things of God.
I Corinthians 2:10-11 says, "But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God."
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4. In Ephesians 4:30, He is the One that can be grieved and feel sorrow, so the Apostle Paul wrote that Christians should not grieve the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians 4:30 says, "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."
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C. The third reason that it is important to understand the personality of the Holy Spirit is so that a person can see and understand how He applies the Gospel in this present world.
1. Jesus told His disciples that the Holy Spirit would come into the world to convict the world of sin, to convince the world about what is right and wrong, and to reprove the world of judgment.
2. By doing these things, the Holy Spirit performs a great function for the Godhead, and in a very big way, He pulls together all the various pieces of God's plan for people to see and experience.
3. All those that claim Christ as Savior and Lord should do their best to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
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Lesson 32: Christianity versus Judaism
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. A Conflict between Christianity and Judaism
A. Pentecost occurred in 30AD and started the period of Jewish witnessing.
B. Until 45AD, Gentiles were totally excluded, and the witnessing began in Jerusalem.
C. One of the characteristics of the early church was phenomenal growth.
1. Acts 1:15 says the church had 120 members.
2. Acts 2:41 says 3,000 members.
3. Acts 2:47 says the church was added to daily.
4. Acts 4:4 says five thousand men and does not include women and children.
5. Acts 4:32 uses the word "multitude".
6. Acts 5:14 uses the word "multitudes".
7. Acts 6:1 uses the word "multiplied".
8. Acts 6:7 uses the words "multiplied greatly".
D. The early church experienced opposition from Jewish leadership.
1. The opposition came from the Priests, Sanhedrin, and even King Herod Agrippa, who killed James (Acts 12:1-3).
Acts 12:1-3 says, "It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread."
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2. In Acts 21:27-28, he was taken prisoner while in Jerusalem and, at that time, appealed to Caesar to save his life. He was in prison probably twice after that, from 61-63AD and from 67-68AD.
Acts 21:27-28 says, "When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, shouting, 'Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place.'"
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3. The Jerusalem Council met in Acts, Chapter Fifteen, to debate whether or not a non-Jew had to become a Jew in order to become a Christian. The pastors of the churches settled this dispute, and they concluded that one did not have to become a Jew to become a Christian. The issue was about Christians being circumcised.
E. The church exercised internal discipline in the matter of Ananias and Sapphira.
F. The first deacons were chosen in Acts, Chapter Six.
G. The rise of the church in Antioch contributed to the decline of importance in Judaism.
H. Jerusalem was destroyed in 70AD because of the zealots that had tried to overthrow Roman rule starting in 66AD.
I. The Gospel had reached Samaria because of Philip in Acts, Chapter Eight.
J. A couple of non-Jews, the Ethiopian eunuch. and Cornelius, became Christians.
III. Why the Jews opposed Christianity
A. The Jews thought that the Christians were against God. The Jews thought that physical circumcision was important, but the church maintained the need for spiritual circumcision (Acts 15:1-2).
Acts 15:1-2 says, "Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: 'Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.' This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. "
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B. The Jews officially kicked the Christians out of the synagogue in 64AD.
C. Christianity was outdoing Judaism.
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Lesson 33: Christianity Became an Illegal Religion Within the Roman Empire
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. The Reasons for Roman Opposition.
A. Rome was very open-minded when it came to worship, but they had their limits.
1. A person could worship the Roman mythological gods.
2. A person could worship the Roman Emperor, called Emperor worship.
3. A person could worship any religion that had a national base. For example, the Jews could practice Judaism because Judaism was associated with the nation Israel.
B. When the Christians separated from the Jewish people, they were no longer tolerated under the banner of Judaism.
Acts 13:44-47 says, "On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: 'We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For this is what the Lord has commanded us: I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"
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C. Jesus promised His disciples that He would give them the words to say to their opposition. They followed Him in faith, and we can, too.
Matthew 10:18-20 says, "On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you."
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Lesson 34: Two Hundred Fifty Years of Persecution
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. The Reasons for Roman Persecution. Early Christians were persecuted because:
A. The Jews thought they were against God.
B. The Romans stopped seeing Christianity as part of Judaism (Jews kicked them out in 64AD), and they considered it an illegitimate religion.
C. The Romans did not like the Christian's refusal to worship the Emperor along with God.
D. Most Christians were not wealthy and were thus vulnerable to those in power.
E. The Christians viewed everyone as basically equal before God.
F. The Christians practiced separation.
G. The Christians were enthusiastic (God in you) rather than stoic.
H. The Christians were blamed for many natural disasters because their practices were disturbing the gods.
I. Their preaching had an adverse effect on business.
J. Many Christians would not fight in the army.
K. The Christians were exclusive in their service and would not worship other gods.
III. What accusations were brought against the Christians? The Romans could not bring action against a Christian unless they had a charge.
A. They often cited the Christians for treason because they would not bow to the Emperor.
B. They often accused them of atheistic worship since their God was not seen or heard.
C. They would sometimes accuse them of cannibalism because of their observance of the Lord's Supper.
IV. Interestingly, Revelation 2:10 to the church at Smyrna mentions ten days of tribulation, so biblical scholars have identified ten Roman emperors who led those persecutions. They may or may not be a fulfillment of that verse.
Revelation 2:10 says, "Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life."
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V. Discuss the two sporadic persecutions.
A. Emperor Nero reigned from 54-68AD. He started out as a very good emperor but apparently went insane in his later years. He killed his mother and other family members. He also killed a lot of other Christians in Rome "on occasion". In 64AD, there was a large fire in Rome that he blamed on the Christians. According to Tacitus, Nero was actually responsible for the fire, but the people still went after the Christians. Following the fire, a local persecution occurred for about one or two years.
B. Domitian reigned from 81-96AD. He persecuted Jews and Christians because they would not pay taxes for their worship. His persecution was particularly gruesome because he would sometimes bury his victims alive.
VI. Discuss the six organized persecutions. With the six organized persecution, Rome began a "constant" Imperial policy of persecution.
A. Trajan ruled from 98-117AD. He received a letter from casual Pliny that discussed their fairly laid back approach to dealing with the Christians. They would not seek them out, and when found, they would give them opportunity to repent of their evil beliefs. In 110AD, Ignatius was torn by wild beasts in the arena.
B. Hadrian reigned from 117-138AD. He persecuted the Jews who had rebelled in 135AD. He also perecuted the Christians because they were an unlawful cult.
C. Antoninus Pius reigned from 138-161AD. During his reign, many natural disasters occurred which were blamed on the Christians. Pius tried unsuccessfully to shield the Christians. During this period, Polycarp was burned at the stake.
D. Marcus Aurelius reigned from 161-180AD. He was a stoic who thought that the Christians were too stubborn and fanatical. In 165AD, he beheaded Justin Martyr.
E. Commodus reigned from 180-193AD. He was a very brutal man, yet he was very moderate with his persecution of Christians. He might have had an affair with a woman who became a Christian, and because of her, he took it easy on the Christians. During this time, Rome was starting to decline. Some thought that that was reason for more persecution, but others thought just the opposite.
F. Septimus Severus reigned from 193-211AD. He ended the Imperial persecution because of Rome's continuing decline. Persecuting Christians had not worked, so the Romans started to ease up a bit. He did, however, make it illegal for Christians to witness and proselyte new converts. During this time, Leonidas, who was father of Origen, was killed.
VII. Discuss the two universal persecutions. The final two emperors of the ten were Decius and Diocletian, and they had a "universal" persecution policy where they were determined to destroy the church.
A. Decius reigned from 249-251AD, and he declared that it was illegal to be a Christian. He had pastors killed and church members imprisoned. If they did not repent of their crimes against Rome, then they, too, would be put to death. Decius died unexpectedly in 251AD.
B. Diocletian reigned from 284-305AD. He began his reign with no persecution and was one of Rome's best emperors. He blamed the Christians for Rome's decline and proclaimed the year 303AD as the time when he would destroy the church. Ironically, he was one of Rome's strongest emperors. But when he failed to destroy the church, he gave up and abdicated the throne.
VIII. Persecution officially ended about 10 years later with Emperor Constantine. Through 250 years of pesecution, the church had stood. He instituted the concept of Union of Church and State.
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Lesson 35: Christianity versus Heresy - Gnosticism
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. Gnosticism
A. The Gnostics were greatly concerned with the existence of evil. They thought that evil existed in physical materials (an idea from the Greeks), and this belief lasted throughout the first two centuries of the church.
B. Remnants of Gnosticism have remained even until now. While the church was dealing with persecution outside the church, they had to deal with heresies within. Some of the characteristics of Gnosticism were:
1. Gnosticism was more philosophical (trying to find a world view) than theological (Gnostics were not interested in understanding the Bible),
2. It was anti-Jewish,
3. They taught that God is unknowable,
4. They taught that evil is in material things, so Jehovah God must have had some evil in Him,
5. They believed in AEONS (a movement of spirit beings in the universe from one spirit to another. They taught that Jehovah God was the result of a miscarriage by Sophia because she had tried to associate with the abyss (good spirits) when she should not have),
6. They embraced an aestheticism approach to life which meant trying to be as spiritual as possible and putting all importance on spiritual things only, and
7. They believed in an allegorical view of Scriptures (they turned many things about Jesus into allegory).
III. The historical development of Gnosticism
A. Paul possibly wrote the church at Colosse (Colossians 2:6-10) about their dealing with the Gnostics. In Revelation 2:1-16, John wrote to the church of Ephesus about the Nicolaitans, and those enemies of the church "might also have been" the Gnostics. Note that some scholars say that Gnosticism was a problem after Paul, not before.
Colossians 2:6-10 says, "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority."
Revelation 2:4-6 says, "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. "
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B. A wealthy merchant from Pontus, named Marcion, was excommunicated from the church in 144AD for being a Gnostic. He had studied under a well-known Gnostic named Credo. Marcion had tried to identify his own Canon. In so doing, he tried to remove Luke, chapters 1 and 2, Matthew, Acts, and Hebrews.
C. He tried to remove the Jewish stuff about Jesus and some of the things relating to His physical birth.
D. He claimed that the original Scriptures had been obscured, but the church said no. The Canon had not been established yet, so what Marcion was doing was not entirely bad. However, he seemed to be promoting Gnostic ideals in the way that he was doing it.
E. Valentinus was a pure Gnostic, and he wrote more about it than anyone else.
1. Ptolemy was one of his disciples.
2. Valentinus developed thirty-three aeons between the first pure spirit to Jesus and twenty-four aeons from Christ to Sophia.
3. He also wrote the Gospel of Truth and the Gospel of Thomas.
F. All of the writings for and against Gnosticism are clues that it was a big problem for the early church.
IV. The influences of Gnosticism on Christianity
A. Iraenus wrote five books against heresies in general and Gnosticism in particular. Tertullian also wrote against Gnosticism.
B. Despite these writings, Gnosticism had several impacts on the early church. Some of those were:
1. It forced the church to define itself theologically,
2. The church started forming their New Testament Canon in the second century,
3. The church began making definitive statements of faith such as the Apostle's Creed,
4. The church developed Christian schools to counter the secret Gnostic meetings,
5. On the bad side, some church people claimed to be from an authoritative line (Apostolic Succession),
6. Gnosticism paved the way for some church people to become involved in the Gnostic meetings, and
7. Gnosticism led to Monastacism which led people to monasteries and strict lifestyles to be closer to God.
I Peter 5:8-9 says, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."
II Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
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Lesson 36: Christianity versus Heresy - Legalism
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. Legalism
A. Legalism is the belief that a simple faith in Christ as Savior is not enough for salvation.
B. Legalists typically believe that certain laws have to be obeyed for a person to be saved, and this form of heresy was particularly true for the Jewish because they were very concerned about Gentiles coming to Christianity.
C. The Council of Jerusalem, in Acts 15, met to decide whether a person had to become a Jew (circumcised) in order to become a Christian. The decision was that they did not.
D. Paul also wrote to the Galatian church to respond to the Judaizers who were there. But even with these attempts, Legalism remained a problem.
E. In the early second century, the Ebionites said that a person had to be circumcised and baptized to be saved. This specific belief started coming to an end towards the end of the second century, but Legalism has always been something of a problem for the church.
Acts 4:12 says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. "
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III. The influence of Legalism on Christianity
A. Because of Legalism, the church concluded that Christianity is the only religion where people are saved only by what someone else has done for them.
B. Jesus' dying on the cross provided the way by which we are all saved.
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Lesson 37: Church Worship in 100AD and 325AD
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. Worship in 100 AD.
A. The early church members used the word "ekklesia" (an assembly of some kind) to describe themselves.
1. Ekklesia is used 114 times in the New Testament. In 109 cases, the word applies to the Christian assembly.
2. Of those 109, ninety-five (95) applied to the local assembly and the other 14 were used for the general Christian assembly. The final 5 did not apply to a particular assembly.
B. The church is never given a specific name in the New Testament.
C. The members of the early church knew that they had to have relationships with Jesus and with the church by taking responsibility and that they joined the church to minister to the world.
D. They knew that some leaders in the church were chosen by God (Apostles, prophets, pastors, and teachers) and that some by the membership (deacons).
E. Deacons were required by Acts 6 to be men of honest report, men full of the Holy Spirit, and men full of God's wisdom.
F. The early church did not have a hierarchy, and all members were treated somewhat equally.
G. The ordinances were Baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper.
H. For their worship, they stressed simplicity, which included singing, praying, preaching the Gospel, and collecting money for the ministry.
I. They met in simple places, which often meant in member's homes. They also worshipped on Sunday.
III. Worship in 325 AD.
A. The key idea in the church at this time centered around Baptism.
B. Gnosticism and Manicheanism were gone.
C. The persecutions were gone, and the church had become very orthodox. The official policy was Union of Church and State.
D. It was a universal catholic church. But by 325AD, the people had begun to believe more in the institution of the church than in the redeeming power of Jesus (Acts 4:12).
Acts 4:12 says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
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E. Their belief was in the orthodox catholic church, and one could only find personal faith in Christ through the church. This change in belief caused increased focus on Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
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Lesson 38: The Birth of the Roman Catholic Church - Church Authority
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. Worship in 325 AD.
A. The key idea in the church at this time centered around baptism.
B. Gnosticism and Manicheanism were gone.
C. The persecutions were gone, and the church had become very orthodox. The official policy was Union of Church and State.
D. It was a universal catholic church. But by 325AD, the people had begun to believe more in the institution of the church than in the redeeming power of Jesus (Acts 4:12).
Acts 4:12 says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
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E. Their belief was in the orthodox catholic church, and one could only find personal faith in Christ through the church. This change in belief caused increased focus on baptism and the Lord's Supper.
III. A New Focus in the State Sponsored Worship
A. The church started teaching that one had to be baptized and also be a participant in the Lord's Supper to be saved.
B. The people believed that their salvation was tied to the church, and if you were out of the church, then you might not even be saved.
1. Church leadership took on a new significance.
a) I Peter 5:1 says, "To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed"
b) The Greek word for "elder" is "presbuteros," and it can mean "old" or, within the Christian church, those that presided over the assemblies or churches. The New Testament used the term bishop, elders, and presbyters interchangeably.
c) I Timothy 3:1 says, "Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task."
d) The Greek word for "overseer" is "episkope," and this word means "the overseer or presiding officers of a Christian church." This word has only limited use in the New Testament (4 times) and usually is translated "visitation." The Apostle Peter called himself a presbuteros, so that is probably the more accurate Greek word.
e) Therefore, the New Testament did not seem distinguish between the offices of bishop, elder, or presbyter. But the 4th Century church did. As Christianity grew, a church hierarchy developed, even though the Bible does not support such a hierarchy. Out of this growth eventually came the first Pope.
2. The church started using excommunication as a weapon against dissenters.
3. Being allowed to participate in the Lord’s Supper was reserved for the privileged. They called the Lord’s Supper "mass," and non-members were excused from the service during that ceremony. Today, "open communion" means that a person can partake in the elements even if they do not belong to the particular fellowship.
C. By the 4th century, the church leaders had decided that faith should be in the church rather than in the Lord. Baptism started becoming a sacrament rather than an ordinance.
D. The early church had baptized by immersion, but once baptism was seen as a sacrament to complete one's salvation experience, parents wanted to have their children baptized. But the Bible is clear.
Romans 6:3-5 says, "Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection."
I Peter 3:18-22 says, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him."
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Lesson 39: The Birth of the Roman Catholic Church - Baptism
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. Some additional facts about water baptism
A. Once baptism had become a sacrament intended to impart special Grace, parents wanted their very young children baptized. Because they feared baptism by immersion for their infants, they leaned toward using less water.
B. Sprinkling was initially called "clinical baptism" because it had earlier been used for the sick and elderly. Later, the process was just called sprinkling.
C. The transition from immersion to sprinkling occurred over about fourteen centuries, and by the end of that time, everyone was being sprinkled shortly after birth instead of immersed because of the convenience.
D. Logically, there was no worry about having to change clothes, and it was quick and easy with little or no fuss.
E. Because baptism was seen as spiritual cleansing, some people thought that those about to die should also be baptized, and this led to the idea of giving last rites, a type of another sprinkling.
F. Constantine did not get baptized until he was on his deathbed. The medieval church adopted this last rites process, and so did the Catholic Church. They believed that infant baptism washed away original sin and that last rites washed away the sins of this life.
G. In the Fifth century, Augustine pushed the idea of washing away original sin by sprinkling children. He said that a person would be able to live a better life without the burden of their original sin.
H. At the Council of Carthage in 418AD, they said that one should be anathema (accursed) if they did not believe that children should be baptized.
I. In the Thirteenth century, Aquinas said that sprinkling was preferred for everyone rather than immersion. Thus, even long after sprinkling had first started, it was still a very, very long time before it actually became the official mode for baptizing everyone.
J. The most important thing about baptism is the candidate not the mode. The mode is secondary, but of course, immersion was the mode of the early church probably because it pictures the death to sin, burial, and resurrection to newness of life.
Romans 6:3-5 says, "Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection."
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Lesson 40: Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. What led to the Protestant Reformation?
A. Leo X, Giovanni de' Medici (1475-1521) was Pope from 1513 [1].
1. He bestowed on Henry VIII of England the title of Defender of the Faith.
2. A patron of the arts, he sponsored the rebuilding of St Peter's Church, Rome.
3. He raised funds for this by selling indulgences (remissions of punishment for sin) (Matthew 26:26-28).
Matthew 26:26-28 says, "While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, 'Take and eat; this is my body.' Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'"
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4. The sale of indulgences led the religious reformer Martin Luther to rebel against papal authority.
B. Leo X condemned Luther in the bull Exsurge domine 1520 and excommunicated him 1521.
III. What role did Martin Luther play?
A. Frederick III (1463-1525) 'the Wise' Elector of Saxony from 1486, when he succeeded his father Ernest. He exercised an enormous influence on German politics of the 16th century [2].
1. He founded the University of Wittenberg 1502.
2. He made the Protestant reformers Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon professors.
B. On the death of Maximilian I 1519, Frederick refused the offer of the imperial crown.
C. The printing press helped Martin Luther disseminate his ideas in leaflets that were written in a plain, vernacular language for wide appeal. Such tracts were often couched in polemical terms [3].
D. Faithful to academic custom, Luther nailed 95 propositions (or theses) in Latin on the door of the castle church as an open invitation to a debate on their merits.
1. They began with a popular attack on the venality of Rome.
2. They passed through the doubts as to the Pope's right to remit punishment inflicted by God.
3. They finished by asserting that nothing but contrition could remit spiritual guilt and nothing else was necessary [4]. He said that salvation was by faith and faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9).
a) "Luther came to view the all-pervasiveness of sin and the only solution that could satisfy his wounded conscience. Since man was too deeply sunk in sin to do anything for his own salvation, he had to be saved, or justified, by faith alone" [5].
b) "The Reformation, one could say, occurred because a brilliant professor was doing his job-preparing thoughtful, original lectures" [6].
c) "Luther's doubts about the extent of the Pope's power to indulge were, indeed, legitimate, for the question had never been definitively settled. Beyond that, however, he had implied an unorthodox way to salvation, and had begun the Reformation" [7].
Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast."
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IV. How did the Roman Catholic Church respond [8]?
A. The Roman Catholic Reformation (Counter-Reformation)
B. Council of Trent (1545-63)
1. Called for moral reform of clergy
2. Strengthening Church structures
3. Proclamation of dogmas (the Apocrypha)
4. Affirmation of both Faith and Works (the Apocrypha)
5. Transubstantiation - transforming of the bread and the wine to the body and blood of Christ
6. Establishment of Society of Jesus (Jesuits) under Loyola
Endnotes
1. Author not available, "Leo X, Giovanni de' Medici (1475-1521)", The Hutchinson Dictionary of World History, 01-01-1998.
2. Author not available, "Frederick III (1463-1525)", The Hutchinson Dictionary of World History, 01-01-1998.
3. Author not available, "pamphlet", The Hutchinson Dictionary of the Arts, 01-01-1998.
4. John New, The Renaissance and the Reformation: A Short History Western New England College, (http://mars.wnec.edu/~grempel/courses/wc2/lectures/luther.html)
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.
8. "The Protestant Reformation," (http://www.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/C_Transp/C11_Protestantism.html)
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Lesson 41: Rejection of the Apocrypha
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. The Books of the Apocrypha are First and Second Esdras, Tobit, Judith, the Additions to Esther, the Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach , Baruch, the Letter of Jeremiah, the Additions to Daniel, First and Second Maccabees, and the Prayer of Manasseh [1].
III. The word, "Apocrypha", comes from the Greek word that means "hidden", and each of these "hidden" books is discussed below.
IV. Reasons why the Apocrypha are rejected. According to Dr. Elmer Towns, there are at least thirteen reasons for rejecting the Apocrypha [2].
A. The apocryphal books are weak in style and organization.
B. They have historical and geographical errors.
C. The books are Old Testament in nature but are written in Greek instead of Hebrew.
D. Neither Jesus nor any of the other New Testament writers ever referred to them.
E. They are not consistent with the rest of the Bible in that they do not contain the plan of salvation.
F. They do not contain any messianic prophecies.
G. The writers of the Apocrypha did not claim to be divinely inspired.
H. The books were not a part of the original Hebrew Old Testament canon.
I. The historian, Philo, did not refer to them as Scripture.
J. Most of the books of the Apocrypha were not included in the Latin Vulgate by St. Jerome.
K. When compared to the rest of the Bible, scholars have often considered their spiritual level to be very low.
L. The Apocrypha introduces some doctrines into the church, like purgatory and praying for the dead, that are either contradicted by or not supported by other portions of Scripture.
M. The Apocrypha was not considered canonical until the Council of Trent did so in 1546 AD, and this might have been done as more of a manipulative gesture to oppose the Protestant Reformation under Dr. Martin Luther than a spiritual one.
John 17:15-17 says, "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth."
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Endnotes
1. "Apocrypha", The Columbia Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition (01-01-1993).
2. Elmer Towns, Theology for Today (Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1989), pages 83-84.
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Lesson 42: The Rise of Fundamentalism
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. Biblical inerrancy was a major issue in the Fundamentalist Movement
A. At the turn of the century, Liberalism was going strong.
1. Much of the focus was based on Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution.
2. Fundamentalist forces banded together to oppose that movement.
B. During the first two decades, they defined their theological positions.
1. In the twenties, they engaged in a couple of intense battles with the Liberals.
2. After the second major battle, which was the Scopes Trial in 1925 (should Evolution be taught in public schools?), the Fundamentalists backed away to regroup.
a) The attorney for the teaching of evolution, Mr. Clarence Darrow, was successful in making the Fundamentalists look ill equipped and unable to defend their position [1].
b) In a cross examination of Mr. William Jennings Bryan, Mr. Darrow outsmarted Mr. Williams Jennings Bryan and caused public opinion to frown on the narrow-minded views of Fundamentalism.
c) Concerning biblical inerrancy, Mr. Bryan had not been able to convince his audience that the Bible is completely inspired and without error.
3. The thirties saw Fundamentalism grow as a result of Bible Conferences, Bible colleges, radio ministries, and a number of dynamic, individual ministries.
C. Into the forties and fifties, Fundamentalists, while still remaining largely fundamental in their beliefs, started to split into what are now Fundamentalists and Evangelicals.
D. Over the past forty years, the battle over biblical inerrancy has continued, with the Fundamentalists, the Liberals, and at times, even the Evangelicals involved.
III. What is biblical inerrancy? This is the belief that the Bible is without error and that the Holy Spirit inspired its authorship (II Timothy 3:16-17).
II Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
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A. Verbal – the inspiration is down to the words, even to the very letters of the Bible.
B. Plenary – the inspiration is full, meaning that the Bible is totally and equally inspired. "All Scripture may not be equally inspiring, but all Scripture is equally inspired" (Dr. Ronald Giese, Liberty University).
C. Jesus had a very high view of the Bible.
Matthew 5:18 says, "I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."
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D. According to Dr. Elmer Towns, the Bible treats itself like it is from God [2]. Just as Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, the Bible claims to be the Word of God.
IV. Why the Fundamentalist Movement continues
A. If there were no God and if there were no life after death, then the battle between the Fundamentalists and the Liberals would not matter. If man could spend eternity with his Creator merely by being the best person that he can be, then the whole debate of biblical inerrancy would have little or no significance. However, it is because these things are true that the Fundamentalist battles against the moderate and liberal forces of this world.
B. There IS a God, and as the Bible teaches, He is worthy of our praise. There IS life after our separation from this life, and only those in Christ, again as the Bible teaches, will be ready for that life. The Liberals' lack of commitment toward the Scriptures and their insistence upon teaching their message to others is the reason that the Fundamentalist Movement has grown throughout the Twentieth Century and continues to grow. In carrying forth the banner of Fundamentalism, every Christian shows his or her love first for the Lord Jesus Christ and then for others. It is not that we strive to prove ourselves right so that we might proclaim victory over our enemies. It is that our desire, as it was with the early Fundamentalists of this century, is to see others come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.
Endnotes
1. Ed Dobson, Ed Hindson, and Jerry Falwell, The Fundamentalist Phenomenon (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1986), p. 54-58.
2. Elmer Towns, Theology for Today (Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1989), p 64.
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Lesson 43: The Rapture
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
II. Important Definitions
A. Dispensations - dispensation describes how God deals with the people of the world for a particular time. We are now in the Grace dispensation (church Age).
B. Covenants - A covenant is an agreement between God and man during each dispensation revealing what God will do individually and collectively with the people of that dispensation.
C. There are seven total dispensations;
1. Dispensation of Innocence/Edenic Covenant (Genesis 2:15-25) - Adam and Eve were supposed to replenish the earth, subdue the earth, have dominion over animal life, eat fruits and vegetables, and work for their sustenance. They were supposed to stay away from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
2. Dispensation of Conscience/Adamic Covenant (Genesis 3:7-24) - they had physical work, nature was cursed, woman would bear children in sorrow, there would be physical death, a redeemer was promised, and the serpent was cursed. They were given the animal sacrifices and were to live morally good lives based on their conscience.
3. Dispensation of Human Governments/Noahic Covenant (Genesis 9:1-17) - man was to subdue the earth, never again experience a flood, and establish human governments.
4. Dispensation of Promise/Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:1-3 and Genesis 15:18) - Abraham was to become a great nation that would be blessed with financial and spiritual prosperity, nations would be blessed and cursed because of him, and his family would receive the promised land. His family was supposed to receive their promised land but instead went down into Egypt.
5. Dispensation of the Law/Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 20:1-17) - the law was given to reflect God's holiness, to instruct in God's discipline, and to remind them of God's salvation.
Galatians 3:22-25 says, "But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law."
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6. Dispensation of Grace/The New Covenant (Acts 2:1-47) - the church is supposed to seek and serve the Lord. The covenant is unconditional.
7. Dispensation of the Kingdom/Davidic Covenant (I Kings 2:1-46) - Christ will control His kingdom, men will be rewarded and given rest, those that have suffered will be glorified, all Israel will be saved, the times of the Gentile will cease, and the curse on creation will be lifted.
III. Leaving the dispensation of Grace and entering the dispensation of the kingdom – The Rapture
A. I Corinthians 15:51-52 says, "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed."
B. I Thessalonians 4:15-18 says, "According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words."
C. II Thessalonians 2:1-4 says, "Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God."
D. I Thessalonians 1:8-10 says, "The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia--your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath."
IV. Major Views of the Rapture
A. Pretribulationalist - This view is consistent with a literal interpretation of Scripture. There seems to be a clear distinction between the rapture and the revelation, which necessitates an interval between the two. The current world has a restrainer in the form of the Holy Spirit. The Church and Israel are not the same. The Tribulation is a time when God will deal with Israel, not the church.
B. Midtribulationalist - view tries to break up the Tribulation to only be half a time of troubles. It also assigns the Rapture to the last trumpet blown in the Book of Revelation, and there is not any evidence to support either of these two thoughts.
C. Postribulationalist - The historical argument emphasizes that the early church believed in a Post-Tribulation rapture, but this is because they thought that they were in the Tribulation. Some theologians do not believe that the rapture will be imminent. Some believe that the church should suffer through the Tribulation. Some argue that the 70th week of Daniel's prophesy has already happened.
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Lesson 44: The Tribulation
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
G. The Rapture will shift humanity from the dispensation of Grace to the dispensation of the kingdom. Everyone that has trusted Jesus as their Savior, whether they are still alive or not, will go to be with the Lord in the clouds, and they will be with Him forever.
II. The Tribulation will be God’s final time to deal with Israel (Jeremiah 30:1-9).
Jeremiah 30:1-9 says, "This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 'This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you. The days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will bring my people Israel and Judah back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their forefathers to possess, says the LORD.' These are the words the LORD spoke concerning Israel and Judah: This is what the LORD says: 'Cries of fear are heard-- terror, not peace. Ask and see: Can a man bear children? Then why do I see every strong man with his hands on his stomach like a woman in labor, every face turned deathly pale? How awful that day will be! None will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it. In that day, declares the LORD Almighty, I will break the yoke off their necks and will tear off their bonds; no longer will foreigners enslave them. Instead, they will serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.'"
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A. It will be a time of wrath, trouble, and distress (Zephaniah 1:14-16).
Zephaniah 1:14-16 says, "The great day of the LORD is near-- near and coming quickly. Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there. That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers."
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B. It will be a time of judgment (Revelation 14:7).
Revelation 14:7 says, "He said in a loud voice, 'Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.'"
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C. It will be a time of darkness (Amos 5:18-20). This darkness can be physical darkness, but it will also spiritual darkness.
Amos 5:18-20 says, "Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness, not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him. Will not the day of the LORD be darkness, not light-- pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?"
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D. The Tribulation will be a time of unparalleled suffering (Revelation 6:15-17, Matthew 24:21-22).
Revelation 6:15-17 says, "Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?'"
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1. Why do Christians work for the Lord? Why should Christians be soul-minded?
2. Because a terrible fate lies in store for those that reject the Lord. The Tribulation will be bad enough. Eternity without God will be far, far worse.
III. The Antichrist will be alive at the time of the Rapture and will be revealed immediately thereafter.
A. II Thessalonians 2:1-4 says, "Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come. Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God."
B. Israel will be in the process of returning to their homeland. This returning home will begin before the Tribulation and continue through the first half (Jeremiah 30:1-9).
C. The Tribulation will be ended with a great battle (Revelation 19:11-21 - Armageddon). Jesus will return visibly to the earth, and judgment of Satan and the surviving unbelievers will occur.
Revelation 19:11-21 says, "I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, 'Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and mighty men, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, small and great.' Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh."
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Lesson 45: The Millennium Kingdom
I. A Working Definition of Truth
A. Truth imitates reality. Truth is internally consistent with itself
B. The Bible was Holy Spirit-inspired. It does not contain any errors.
C. Science fails to answer the important questions of this life. The Bible has ALL the answers that we need.
D. Each of the three Persons of the Trinity has the same absolute (holiness, love, goodness) and comparative (omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence) attributes.
E. God reveals Himself to His people through His names.
F. God’s Plan of Salvation is the only plan of salvation.
G. The Rapture will shift humanity from the dispensation of Grace to the dispensation of the kingdom. Everyone that has trusted Jesus as their Savior, whether they are still alive or not, will go to be with the Lord in the clouds, and they will be with Him forever.
H. The Tribulation will be ended with a great battle (Revelation 19:11-21 - Armageddon). Jesus will return visibly to the earth, and judgment of Satan and the surviving unbelievers will occur.
II. The Major Views of the Millennium
A. Amillennial - there will not be a Millennium and literal earthly, one thousand-year kingdom.
B. Postmillennial - there will be a literal earthl kingdom at the end of the MIllennium. With this view, things should be getting better and better.
C. Premillennial - Christ will return before the Millennium and set up His earthly kingdom.
III. Reasons for studying prophecy. A person should study prophecy:
A. Because it is prominent in Scriptures,
B. Because of all the fulfilled prophesy,
C. Because it has been revealed by God,
D. Because others have distorted the truth, and
E. Because one profits by understanding biblical teachings of the future.
IV. Dangers in studying prophecy.
A. People can get too fixed on prophecy.
B. They can start trying to fix dates or identify key figures and create difficulties for themselves within the assembly.
C. They can also focus so heavily on prophesy that they put Christ in the background of their worship.
V. Heaven does not immediately follow the Tribulation because God will do many things during the Millennium.
A. During the Millennium, the Temple will be rebuilt.
B. Israel will be re-gathered and cleansed.
C. The Jews will recognize their Messiah.
D. Christ will reign with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15-16).
E. David will assist Christ as vice-regent.
F. There will be universal peace.
G. Physical death will be swallowed up in victory.
H. Man's knowledge about God will be greatly increased.
I. Christ will be the Good Shepherd.
J. Satan will be restrained and righteousness will be the rule of the day (Revelation 12:10).
K. Heaven will not be a reward after the Tribulation because those going to Heaven will not, for the most part, be in the Tribulation.
L. After the Tribulation, God will use the one thousand-year time to reward the saints of all time (Revelation 20:4).
M. He will fulfill the Abrahamic, the Davidic, and the New Covenants.
N. The Millennium will also complete the reign of Christ (Revelation 11:15).
Revelation 19:15-16 says, "Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."
Revelation 12:10 says, "Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down."
Revelation 20:4 says, "I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years."
Revelation 11:15 says, "The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.'"
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Lesson 46: I Will Build My Church - Conclusion
I. A Review of what this study has presented.
A. We have defined truth (Truth imitates reality, and it is internally consistent with itself)
B. We have seen that the Bible is the Word of God. It was Holy Spirit-inspired, and it contains no errors.
C. We have studied about how the Old and New Testaments were preserved and canonized.
D. We have studied about God, the Creator of the Universe, and we have looked at some of his attributes.
E. We have studied about Jesus, the Son of God and the Second Person of the Trinity.
F. We have studied God’s Plan of Salvation and seen how each of us is a sinner even before we commit our first sin.
G. We have looked at Christianity against the Big Bang Theory and the Theory of Evolution.
H. We have looked at Christianity against Judaism.
I. We have looked at Christianity against the Roman Empire.
J. We have looked at Christianity against internal heresies.
K. We have studied about the beginning of the Roman Catholic Church (church authority and baptism).
L. We have looked at the Protestant Reformation.
M. We have looked at the beginnings of the Fundamentalist Movement.
N. We have looked at the Rapture, the Tribulation, and the Millennial Kingdom.
II. The conclusion should be clear to everyone. The church has been through a great deal over these past two thousand years. BUT JESUS SAID THAT HE WOULD BUILD HIS CHURCH, AND HE WILL.
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The End
Tom of Spotswood
"He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (I John 5:12)
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