Miracles

Why Miracles?

1. Not all illness is a result of sin.

2. God has power over sickness and death. He and the apostles worked miracles to confirm the message and the messenger (Heb. 2:3-4; 2 Cor. 12:12). Jesus performed miracles to prove He was the Messiah.

3. The purpose of miracles was to produce faith in the Lord's word. God never did a miracle without a purpose.

Miracle "mighty work or deed" was a supernatural work by God and "signs" means it pointed people to faith or a spiritual truth as in the 7 sign miracles in John. "wonder" spoke of the human reaction. There are 121 recorded miracles in the bible.

Q- What about faith healers today?

I believe in divine healing thru the prayers of the saints (James 5) but not faith healers after the last apostle.

Many were healed in the Bible who expressed no faith or even asked for a healing. Of the 35 healings in the gospels only 10 expressed faith or asked to be healed.

1. Jesus healed the multitudes who did not express faith (Luke 6:19; 9:11; Matt. 14:14; 15:30).

2. Malchus did not ask Jesus to put his ear back on and did not express faith (John 18:10).

3. The demoniac was incapable of expressing faith (Luke 8:26).

4. The blind man in John 9 expressed no faith.

5. Nine of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11 expressed no faith.

6. Paul had great faith yet God chose not to heal him for God's divine purpose.

7. Paul did not heal Timothy of his stomach ailments and I am sure he had faith.

8. Paul did not heal Trophimus but left him at Miletum sick (2 Tim. 4:20).

Con: God heals at his sovereign will and for His sovereign purposes to bring someone to faith or convey a spiritual truth. We can't demand or claim a healing by positive words of confession.

Flip Sides of Salvation

John 6:37-40, "All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.  (38)  For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.  (39)  And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.  (40)  And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

In this passage we see God's sovereignty in salvation and man's human responsibility. Both doctrines co-exist in Scripture and run parallel to heaven and you can't try to intersect them without nullifying both.

1. God's Sovereignty [v. 37a]. "All that the Father giveth me"

Believers are the Father's love gift to his son and will come to Christ. Seven times in John 17 believers are referred to as "those given to the Son by the Father."

This transaction took place in eternity past when we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world [Eph 1:4-5; 2 Tim. 1:9; Rev. 13:8; 17:8].

No man can come to the Father unless the Spirit draws him.

2. Human Responsibility [v. 37b]. "shall come to me; and him that cometh to me" v. 40 that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life.”

This is the human side of salvation- Man the sinner is commanded to repent of his sins and believe only in Jesus...

Salvation is by grace alone thru faith alone in Christ alone, but not a faith that is alone. Works demonstrate that faith is real.

Harry Ironside said the gate approaching heaven will say, "Whosoever Will," and as we past the gate it will say, "Chosen in Him."

Again, these two doctrines co-exist and please don't diminish both by denying either- Other examples in Scripture...

Matt. 11:27-28, "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.  (28)  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Acts 2:23, "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain."

3. Eternal Security [v. 37c]. "I will in no wise cast out." v. 39, all which he hath given me I should lose nothing.”

Believers are eternally secure and kept by the power of God in His salvation [v. 37c; 39-40].

The Presence of God in Preaching

Three Greek words describe what goes into effective preaching- Logos, Ethos, and Pathos. These three are necessary for means of persuasion.

1. Logos could mean the Word or content. When we stand to preach we have fully went through the exegetical process of the passage and have the author's intent and outline.

We preach God's Word (logos) and not our human thoughts. So content of the Word is fundamental.

2. Ethos is character or who we are. We could use the word ethics. When the preacher's ethos backs up his logos, there will be Spirit-filled communication and the presence of God.

3. Pathos is passion. We must believe the truths we are communication and feel a deep passion for them and desire to share them. This does not mean hollering and fuming but a deep passion as we preach.

Let me use these three words a different way. Ethos- who we are; Logos- what we say; and Pathos- how we say it.

Experience over Scripture?

Colossians 2:18-19, "Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,  (19)  And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

v. 18: Mysticism may be defined as the pursuit of a deeper or higher subjective experience. It looks for truth internally, thru feelings, intuition, and external sensations.

Experience trumps Scripture. Scripture is not the authority but one's experience.

They said you weren't saved or growing if you did not have some mystical experience. The false teachers were defrauding them of their prize or reward making them feel inferior.

The disguised their pride as false humility and worshipped angels. What's wrong with this kind of worship?

1. There is only one mediator between God and man.

2. We are called to worship God alone.

3. Angels worship God.

They also claimed to have visions. This is prevalent in the charismatic movement. These visions are a source of new revelation outside the closed canon of Scripture.

v. 18: We are not to be intimidated by their false experiences because they come from fleshly minds void of the Holy Spirit. There is a tendency in human nature to move from the objectivity of Scripture to the subjectivity of experience.

Note the Holy Spirit writes that these are visions they have not seen.

v. 19: They were not holding fast to Christ from whom salvation and spiritual growth comes from.

Hid with Christ in God

Colossians 3:3, "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."

What does “with Christ in God” mean? 3 truths:

1. The Christian life is hidden to the world because they know not Christ and can’t understand spiritual things. The full revelation of who we are is in the next world.

2. We are eternally secure [1 Pet. 1:4; John 10:28; Heb. 7:25;

     Rom 8:30-39].

3. The things that attract us and excite us belong in heaven, not earth.

Living Above This Life

Colossians 3:1-4, "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  (2)  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.  (3)  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.  (4)  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.

Scriptures teach us as believers, that we are to live above this life, that we are to live the resurrected life setting our minds on heaven.

Our hearts and minds are not to be set on things below, but things above. We are to be heavenly minded, glorify God in all we do, and occupy down here, till we go up there, by death or his coming.

We are in the world but not of the world. We are pilgrims, strangers and passer-bys on this earth. We are not to love the things of this world, and we are to set our hearts on heaven.

Our Lord is in heaven, our names are in heaven, our saved loved ones who died are in heaven, and our eternal home is in heaven, and our affections should be in heaven.

Having said all this, the danger for the Christian is to set their heart on the earthly and temporal, or this present world. To think more about things below more than the things above.

To be so entangled in the world that our growth, our joy, and our fruitfulness is hindered.

Paul says we are to set our minds on things above, which means to think heaven. How do we do that?

First, we must think of our union in Christ. Second, we must think of our belonging to Christ. Third, we must think of our glory that awaits us in Christ.

The Christian and the OT Sabbath

Colossians 2:16-17, "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:  (17)  Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Christians are not required to worship on the Sabbath Day.  

Why?

1. The Sabbath was a sign to Israel of the Old Covenant.

2. The NT nowhere commands Christians to observe the

    Sabbath. Commandment not repeated in the NT.

3. The early church worshipped of Sunday, the first day of the week (Acts 20:7).

4. OT plainly states the Sabbath was for Israel only.

5. The Jerusalem council did not impose the Sabbath on Gentile believers.

6. Paul in his epistles to the church never warned the church about breaking the Sabbath.

7. Paul taught that keeping the Sabbath was a matter of Christian liberty (Rom. 14:5).

Who Chose First?

Read 1 Cor. 1:26-31 and let the Scripture speak. What can we learn from this passage as we let the Scripture speak?

1. Paul is contrasting the true wisdom of God with the false wisdom of the world.

2. God by his choice, has chosen the unwise, the foolish, and the weak according to the world's standard.

3. He chose these to confound the wise and that no flesh could glory in His presence.

4. Here we see the undisputable doctrine of election. God does the choosing in primarily calling the unwise, the foolish, and the weak according to the world's view.

5. God chose us first because we couldn't choose him because we were unwise, foolish, and weak.

Read Romans 9:10-21

Pre-Trib or Post-Trib?

Which view you hold comes down to how you interpret the last trump of 1 Cor. 15:52, "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

The last trump here is for the church age while the seventh trump in Revelation is in the tribulation. There is no mention of the rapture in the seventh trump in Revelation 11:15-19 nor at His second coming in Revelation 19. This is significant.

Note what Charles Ryrie says,

1 Cor. 15:52 speaks of the last trumpet. Post-tribulationists believe this is the seventh trumpet in Rev. 11:15-19. The trumpets in Revelation pertain to judgments in the tribulation while I Cor. 15:52 pertains to the rapture of the church. 1 Cor. 15:50-58 and 1 Thess. 4:13-18 omit any reference to judgment. So many believe this is the sounding of the trumpet at the end of the church age.

Charles Ryrie says, “Mid-Tribulationism argues that the seventh trumpet of Rev. 10:7 corresponds to the last trumpet of 1 Cor. 15:52. If this be true, then the Rapture (described in 1 Corinthians) will occur at the midpoint of the Tribulation (the time when the seventh trumpet sounds). This is a somewhat simplistic argument that assumes that all blowing of trumpets must indicate the same kind of event. This is not true. In Jewish apocalyptic literature, trumpets signaled a variety of great eschatological events, including judgments, the gathering of the elect, and resurrection. The seventh trumpet is a trumpet of judgment, whereas the trumpet in 1 Corinthians is one of resurrection and deliverance. That they indicate the same event is an assumption.”

How Do You Know You Have Been Chosen to Salvation?

1 Thessalonians 1:4-5 Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God. (5) For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.

The Believers Bible Commentary says, "The apostle was assured that these saints had been chosen by God before the foundation of the world. But how did he know? Did he have some supernatural insight? No, he knew they were among the elect by the way they had received the gospel.

Note v. 5: By our gospel Paul does not imply a different message from that of the other apostles. The contents were the same; the difference was in the messengers. The Thessalonians had not treated the message as a mere religious lecture; they had, of course, received it in word, but not in word only.

It was in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance that it came to them: (1) In power. The message worked in their lives with supernatural energy, producing conviction of sin, repentance, and conversion. (2) In the Holy Spirit. This power was produced by the Holy Spirit. (3) In much assurance. Paul preached with great confidence in the message. The Thessalonians accepted it with much assurance as the word of God. The result in their lives was full assurance of faith.

Things Hard to Understand

2 Peter 3:16, As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things hard to be understand, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction.

What are the things hard to understand?

Barnes writes: “Peter refers not to the difficulties of understanding what Paul meant, but to the difficulty of comprehending the great truths which he taught.

 

In dealing with this verse, Peter lets us know there are some things in the Bible that are hard to understand such as the trinity, election, and the mystery of suffering. The context [vs.1-15] lends itself in dealing with prophetic times and the coming of the Lord.

Pastors who don’t preach prophecy passages or the book of Revelation, are not true to their calling or the Word.

The false teachers who did not understand the truth of the Word would take the doctrine and twist it to mean something totally not biblical.

They would distort the teaching about prophecy, but also would distort the rest of Scripture. So it is today…false teachers will distort, and twist Scripture to teach it means something that is so foreign to real biblical truth.

Therefore it is essential we know our Bible.

 

This verse also teaches the doctrine of inspiration of Scripture. Peter puts Paul's writings on par with the other [rest] Scriptures. Peter calls Paul's writings Scripture. Also, note the last words in v. 16, "Unto their own destruction." The writings of mere men can't damn a soul, but God's inspired Word can!

Revival Services

On September 23-25, 2013 we will have the following guest preachers coming to preach at Trinity Baptist Church:

Monday night at 7:00 pm- Pastor Mike Allan of North Side Baptist in Thomasville, Ga.
Tuesday night at 7:00 pm- Pastor Randy Blow of New Elm Baptist in Quitman, GA.
Wednesday night at 7:00 pm- Pastor Tim Robson of Eastside Baptist in Thomasville GA.

Each Pastor will bring special music from their church.

You are invited to attend Trinity Baptist located at 1003 Cassidy Rd., in Thomasville for Biblical music and Biblical preaching.

Reconciled Enemies

Colossians 1:20-23, And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. (21) And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled (22) In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: (23) If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

The word “reconcile” is one of five key words in the NT to describe salvation in Jesus Christ- Justification, redemption, forgiveness, adoption, and reconciliation. 

John MacArthur says,

In Justification- the sinner stands before God Guilty and condemned, but is declared righteous.

In Redemption- the sinner stands before God enslaved, but is granted freedom.

In Forgiveness- the sinner stands before God as a debtor, but the debt is paid and forgiven.

In Adoption- the sinner stands before God as a stranger, but is made a Son.

In Reconciliation- the sinner stands before God as an enemy, but becomes His friend.

It is this word “reconcile” that the passage talks about. The word means “change” or “exchange.”

Romans 5:10, For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life!

2 Corinthians 5:18-20, Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  (19) That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. (20) Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ's behalf, "Be reconciled to God."

When the Bible speaks of reconciliation, it speaks of people being changed from enemies of God to at peace with God. The sinner is completely and totally reconciled to God. We are reconciled enemies!

Did Jonah Die in the Great Fish?

1. Reasons some believe Jonah died-

1. Jonah was a type of picture of Christ’s death and resurrection (Matt. 12:40). The type or picture would be incomplete if Jonah did not die.
2. Jonah cries out of the belly of hell “Sheol” which is the primary meaning of being a grave and Jonah concerned the fish to be his grave.
3. The phrase in v. 3, “Floods compassed me about” describes a man who is drowning.
4. They say the phrase in v. 4, “I am cast out of Thy sight” indicates physical death.
5. “Weeds were wrapped about my head” in v. 5 speaks of death.
6. The word “corruption” in v. 6 describes death.

2. Reasons most believe Jonah did not die-

The Lord prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah in 1:17. This speaks of preservation and not death.

 

1. The term “belly of hell or Sheol [v. 2] is used by David in speaking of death even though David did not die (Ps. 18:5; 30:31).
2. Matt. 12:40 does not require Jonah to die. The fulfillment is greater than the picture. The emphasis is on being in and not dying. The emphasis is on the time and not death.
3. Jonah had to be alive to pray. If he died he would not have remembered praying. Nowhere do we see in chapter 2 that Jonah died. The closest is v. 7, “When my soul fainted within me.” Then he remembered the Lord.
4. The word “corruption” means “pit.” Jonah was in the belly of the fish and the bottom of the sea [v. 6a].
5. Note the word “then” in v. 1. It seems Jonah prayed at the end of his time in the great fish.
6. Jonah knows how long he was in the fish! Jonah did not die but was at the point of death.

Entertaining Angels

Hebrews 13:2, Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Entertain means hospitality and strangers means believers possibly undergoing persecution [v. 3] or helping traveling preachers or Christian workers.

It is not an admonition to help everybody- those who will not work or those in sin. Nor is it a call to help everybody hoping they will be an angel. The context of Heb. 13:1-6 is brotherly love.

Bible Believers Commentary says, “The readers are urged to show hospitality to strangers. This might refer primarily to believers who were fleeing from persecution and were hard-pressed to find food and lodging; to entertain them was to expose the host and hostess to danger. The verse may also be understood as a general encouragement to show hospitality to any believers who need it.

There is always the thrilling possibility that in doing this we may unwittingly entertain angels! This of course looks back to Abraham's experience with three men who were actually angelic beings (Gen. 18:1-15). Even if we never have real angels in our homes, we may have men and women whose very presence is a benediction and whose godly influence on our family may have results that reach on into eternity.

A Building of God

2 Corinthians 5:1-8 For we know that if our temporary, earthly dwelling is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal dwelling in the heavens, not made with hands. (2) Indeed, we groan in this body, desiring to put on our dwelling from heaven, (3) since, when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. (4) Indeed, we groan while we are in this tent, burdened as we are, because we do not want to be unclothed but clothed, so that mortality may be swallowed up by life. (5) And the One who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment. (6) So, we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. (7) For we walk by faith, not by sight, (8) and we are confident and satisfied to be out of the body and at home with the Lord.

We must address this “building of God.” This is not the believer’s heavenly home, promised in John 14:1-6.

Nor is it a temporary body between death and resurrection (no support in Scripture).  It is his glorified body at the resurrection.

Tabernacle speaks of a tent. Paul was a tentmaker (Acts 18:1-3) and here he used a tent as a picture of our present earthly bodies.

A tent is a weak, temporary structure, without much beauty; but the glorified body we shall receive will be eternal, beautiful, and never show signs of weakness or decay.

Paul saw the human body as an earthen vessel (4:7) and a temporary tent; but he knew that believers would one day receive a wonderful glorified body, suited to the glorious environment of heaven.

If our tent is “dissolved or taken down,” speaks of death which we need not fear. Earthly speaks of a terrestrial body. When a believer dies, the body goes to the grave, but the spirit goes to be with Christ (Phil. 1:20-25).

When Jesus Christ returns for His own, He will raise the dead bodies in glory, and body and spirit shall be joined together for a glorious eternity in heaven (1 Cor.15:35-58; 1Thess. 4:13-18).

Jesus is the Firstborn

Col. 1:15-17, “The firstborn over all creation.  (16)  For everything was created by Him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities-- all things have been created through Him and for Him.  (17) He is before all things, and by Him all things hold together.”

The word “firstborn” can refer to first in time, but in the context it refers to the highest priority of position. It does not speak of time or chronological order, but it is a title. Christ was not the first created being [v. 17]. Jesus is Lord- supreme, sovereign, foremost, preeminent, and above all.

Psalms 89:27, “Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.”

Christ is called the firstborn over all creation in that He is given the preeminence over all created beings. He was before creation, not a creature but the Creator.

 

Christ existed before all things. How can he be the first created being and be the before creation? He is the great “I am” of John 8:58, “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

John MacArthur says, “Here, Jesus declared Himself to be Yahweh, the Lord of the OT. God declared Himself to be the eternally preexistent God who revealed Himself in the OT to the Jews [Ex. 3:14; Deut. 32:39; Isa. 41:4; Isa. 43:10].

 

Testing the Spirits

1 John 4:1, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

I want to share with you four questions to ask any man, ministry or movement to test if they bring the Doctrine of Christ.

1. Who is Jesus? It doesn't matter what they are right about if they are wrong about Jesus.

2. How is a person saved? Any adding of works or human merit is a false gospel. The lost sinner is saved by grace alone through Christ alone.

3. What is their source of authority? If they lay any book, human teaching, or human creed alongside the Bible, then beware.

4. Do they teach repentance and holiness?

Parable of the Fig Tree

Believers anticipate one future event, the Lord’s return. Whether it’s the rapture, resurrection, or his second coming, we desire to be with the Lord.

In Matt 24 Jesus has told us a series of signs that will precede His coming, including the sign of His personal appearance.

The generation alive to see these signs will be the final generation. Jesus illustrates this with the parable of the fig tree.

TT- Let’s learn 3 elements of this parable.

 1. The Analogy of This Parable [v. 32].

v. 32a: Jesus used parables to conceal truth when he did not explain them or to reveal truth when he explained them. He would either grant understanding or not grant understanding [Matt. 13:10-13].

This parable was meant to be understood by his disciples. How the first readers would have understood this parable? Many confuse the parable as an allegory rather than a simple analogy. Let me give you an example:

1. They say the fig tree represents Israel. The budding of the fig tree refers to Israel becoming a nation in 1948.

The fig tree may refer to Israel in Joel 1:6-7; Hosea 9:10; Jer 24; and Luke: 13:6-10. In these passages it is clear.

Notice Jesus says, “Learn a parable of the fig tree.”

2. The budding of the leaves represents a spiritual revival in the new state of Israel. The Israel of 1948 is hostile to the gospel.

v. 32b: Palestine had an abundance of fig trees. Jesus is talking about an illustration of a literal fig tree budding and making an analogy with the coming of the Lord.

When the sap begins to flow into the branches, making them tender, and new leaves appear on the tree, you know that Spring was here and summer when the figs would ripen and be harvested.

Harvest represents judgment in Matthew- separating unbelievers from believers and condemnation of unbelievers.

Matt. 13:30, “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Read Matt. 24:38-41

When you see these signs, the time of his return in judgment is near.

2. The Explanation of This Parable [vv. 33-34].

v. 33a: “All these things”

“These things” refers to all the signs he has been talking about in vv.4-31. Just as the budding fig tree indicates summer and harvest time is near, these things indicate His return is near.

v. 34: “This generation will not pass.”

 Generation does not refer to the disciple’s generation.Those who believe that believe the events here refer to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

To those who hold that the fig tree is Israel believe that this generation is the Jewish people. They will not pass away as a people until these things take place.

The simple interpretation is that the leaves of the fig tree represent the birth pains and other signs. This generation refers to people living at the end time who were not taken in the rapture and will view these signs.

3. The Duration of This Parable [v. 35].

v. 35a: Jesus says plainly that Heaven and earth will pass away. Not the third heaven but the second and first. Here Jesus says this as an analogy of the enduring Word of God.

 The universe will fail, but what he just said will be fulfilled. The universe will be affected dramatically in the divine judgment a thousand years after the return of Christ.

2 Peter 3:10-13, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (11)  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, (12)  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?  (13)  Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Rev. 21:1, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”

v. 35b: The heavens and earth will pass away, but not the words of Jesus.

 

Luke 16:17, “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.”

Tittle is a small stroke distinguishing one Hebrew letter from another. Today we would call it the crossing of a “t” or dotting of an “I.”

This parable is not an allegory of Israel but an analogy of his coming compared to the parable of fig tree.

The Pope

Why do Catholics believe Peter was the first pope?

 

We know they teach a works righteousness and commit idolatry with Mary, but what about their false teaching of the pope?

 

1. The Roman Catholic church [system] sees Peter as the first pope on which Christ would build His church [Matt. 16:18]. They teach that Peter is the “rock.” Biblical Response: If one was to read Matt. 16:15-18 carefully they would see that the rock which Jesus would build His church on was Peter’s confession of faith. The Greek word for rock means “boulder” while Peter means “small stone.”

 

2. They teach Peter had authority over the other Apostles. Biblical Response: There is no teaching in Scripture where Peter in over the other Apostles. There is no mention of the office of pope anywhere in Scripture [Eph. 2:19-20; 4:11-12; 1 Peter 5:1; or I & 2 Timothy or Titus].

 

3. They teach that Peter became the first bishop of Rome when he went to Rome and that the early church accepted him as such. Biblical Response: Interestingly Paul makes no mention of Peter as pope in Romans 1:1, 7. There is no clear teaching in Scripture that Peter ever went to Rome. They get it from 1 Peter 5:13 where Peter refers to Babylon meaning Rome [code language for protection].

 

4. The Catholic system teaches that God passed Peter’s apostolic authority to the following bishops which are referred to as “apostolic succession.” Biblical Response: The office of Apostle ceased with the death of John. Apostleship was foundational and temporary to the church [Eph. 2:19-20; 4:11-12]. Bishops in the NT were never over a collection of churches but one church.

 

5. They teach that Peter and the following popes were infallible and can guide the church without error. Biblical Response: Peter was not infallible because Paul had to correct him in Gal. 2:11-13 in regard to compromising with the Judaizers over circumcision. Peter was married [1 Cor. 9:5; Matt. 8:14] and popes are not to marry according to Catholics. There is only one head of the church and it is Jesus not the pope [1 Peter 2:25; 1 Tim. 2:5].

Steps to Revival

1. Confess and forsake all known sin (1 John 1:5-9).

2. Yield self completely to His control (Romans 12:1).

3. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly (Col. 3:16).

4. You must be emptied of self (Gal. 2:20).

Five Damning Teachings of the Catholic Church

1. The teaching that Mary had a immaculate conception and was born free of original sin.

 

2. The teaching that Mary was a perpetual virgin.

 

3. The teaching that Mary is deity in heaven acting as co-mediator.

 

4. The teaching that observing the sacraments infuses grace for salvation and keeping salvation.

 

5. The teaching of works that pervert the doctrine of justification by grace alone through

    faith alone in Christ alone.

Esau and Jacob

Question- Why did God choose Jacob over Esau?

1. Some believe that by foresight God looked into history and saw how these two boys would turn out and therefore chose Jacob [Romans 9:11-13].
 

We are all condemned and dead and bring nothing to the table for God to choose us.

The choice was made by God by his electing purposes before either boy could do bad or good. His choice was not be their works or actions but by God’s actions.

2. God foreordained his choice not by human merit or works or foreseen works, but by his choice and by the electing grace of him who calls.

 

Every action of God arises out of his eternal purpose (Romans 8:29-30).

Salvation is always on the basis of divine grace which rises out of the eternal purpose of the sovereign God.

3. God chose Jacob because he wanted to choose Jacob. It has nothing to do with favoritism but his free will and unconditional choice!

God did not predestinate Esau and his descendant to hell. Not all Jews are saved and some Edomites can be saved!

 

Question- What does Romans 9:13 mean?

v. 13: “Jacob have I loved put Esau have I hated” This is probably one of the most misinterpreted and twisted verses in the Bible.

We are talking about nations and yet Individuals as well. God loved Israel and hated Esau’s idolatrous descendants.

“Hated” does not mean to love less, but God set his love on Jacob and his descendants in a love relationship and rejected Esau’s line for the promise. Jacob (chosen) and Esau (rejected). 

Turn to Malachi 1:1-4

Election and Evangelism

                        To put it another way- Divine sovereignty and human responsibility.

Election and Evangelism

Acts 13:48-49

And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. (49) And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.                                                              

Election
 

Election is the divine side or God’s sovereignty in salvation [Matt. 16:18; John 6:37-40, 44, 65; Acts 13:48-49; Romans 8:28-30; 9:9-13; 10:13-15; Phil. 1:29; Ephesians 1:4, 11; 2:1, 8-9; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; 2 Tim. 1:9; 2:10; Titus 1:2; 3:4-7; 1 Peter 1:1-2; 2:9; 2 Peter 1:10].

 

“Appointed” means to enroll, inscribe, to assign. Believer’s names are written in the Lamb’s book of life before the foundation of the world [Luke 10:20; Phil. 4:3; Rev. 13:8; 17:8].

 

The emphasis is not on condemning the condemned [Acts 13:46], but saving those who deserve hell.

Evangelism

Evangelism is the human side of salvation or human choice [Matt. 4:17; John 3:18-19, 36; 5:40; Romans 9:22-23; 10:13; 2 Thess. 2:10-12; James 4:8; Rev. 22:17].

 

We are to call people to repentance and faith because election does not negate evangelism.

We balance God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, and we can’t deny or explain away either doctrine. Both co-exist in the scriptures.

 

We can’t understand and reconcile the two doctrines, just teach both and share Jesus.