Daily Bible Nugget #421, James 1:19-20

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Jas 1:19　　Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

Jas 1:20　　For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

My Comment:

Here it is close to the end of this month, and this is the first chance I’ve had to post a “Daily Bible Nugget” here this month.  I have been busy helping with the garden. I have been busy finalizing features of the software edition of my greatly expanded cross reference collection. It will be called The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury.

I was preparing a post on July 15, 2016 about the wrath of man and the wrath of God. I selected that topic because the Internet was alive at the time with threats of a “Day of Rage” that was to be staged that Friday, as I recall. But something drastic happened in the news and turned the news cycle in a different direction that day, and the would-be protestors did not receive any attention. I’m glad the Lord allowed events to work out that way.

I did not get a chance to write this post on July 15 because I was called upon to help prepare my indexes to The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury for use in Bible software.

It is clear from the Bible that angry protests and violent protests are not the way to accomplish God’s will. The best way to promote change for the better is to follow the teachings of the Bible, and encourage others to do the same.

Which teachings of the Bible? And how can these teachings be found? I started this post with a Bible Nugget about how God tells us that we are to be slow to wrath, for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

I believe the simplest, most direct way to explore further the truths spoken of in James 1:19 and James 1:20 is  to consult the cross references given for each verse.  I will just share perhaps two or three references that are very clear about the wrath of man:

Psa 37:8　　Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

Psa 37:9　　For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

Psa 76:10　　Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain.

Rather than stirring up our wrath, and stepping forth to wage protests whether peaceful or violent, the Bible presents most clearly what we are to do instead:

Mat 6:33　　But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Now there is the answer, stated by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself. This does not even scratch the surface of the truths of the Bible related to this important theme which can be studied by consulting the cross references for James 1:19 and James 1:20.

The second way to study this issue is to continue reading in James 1:21 to see what he tells us next:

Jas 1:21　　Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

The King James English of this verse may be unclear for some readers, so here is the same verse as translated in the Contemporary English Version or CEV:

Jas 1:21 You must stop doing anything immoral or evil. Instead be humble and accept the message that is planted in you to save you.

I like the King James Version much better, for it points to some very significant truths more clearly once you grasp what is being said. We are to “receive the engrafted word.” That “word” is the very words and message contained in the Bible, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  If you truly receive that message by reading the Bible and believing it, believing that message will result in a total transformation in your life, expressed by James in this passage as “which is able to save your souls.”

If you do not know for sure that this transformation has taken place in your life, James has just given the simple directions for how to come to the place where you experience this for yourself.

What must you do? Spend regular quality time reading the Word of God found in the Bible, starting particularly with the New Testament, until the experience becomes yours. If you will read the Bible consistently and prayerfully, it both can and will happen.  It happened to me!

One more thing about what I had planned to write about back on July 15, 2016, but only found time just now to do so:  we must be very aware not only about what the Bible teaches about the wrath of man. We must have a firm grasp about what the Bible teaches about the wrath of God.  One verse will be enough to make the point:

John 3:36　　He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

No one in their right mind wants to experience the wrath of God.  John 3:36 explains clearly how not to experience the wrath of God.  The underlying term for wrath, speaking here of God’s wrath, is a word which expresses the concept of permanent, not temporary wrath.

Make very sure that you, personally, truly believe on the Son!  Read and study the Bible to learn more about how continuing, genuine, obedient belief will produce in you a totally transformed life as you follow the Lord Jesus Christ.  See 2 Corinthians 5:17!

Posted in Bible Study Tools, Daily Bible Nuggets, Doctrinal Discussions, How to Study the Bible, Politics and the Bible, Practical Application Bible Studies | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Daily Bible Nugget #420, Genesis 18:25

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Genesis 18:25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

My Comment:

At least one Muslim participant in the “Islam and Christianity Debate Group” questions why, if God is a God of love, why will He punish those who killed Jesus.

My Answer:

AbdulGaniyu AbdulQuadri, you have asked a very serious, important question, when you ask, “Why will He  punish those who killed Jesus?”
 
The answer is, God Himself acts only in harmony with His character.  His character is revealed by His attributes, His qualities.  His attributes are revealed very fully or completely in the Bible.  The attributes of God is a very worthwhile and important topic to study from the Bible.
 
I recently made as complete a study of the attributes of God revealed in the Bible as I knew how to do.  As a result of my study I came up with a list of 49 attributes of God.  That is too long of a list to share here!
 
We cannot understand God correctly if we have not learned about His attributes.  The Bible says:
 
Psalm 9:10  And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
 
To know God’s name means to know God’s character, His attributes.
 
The result of knowing God’s name is that the person who knows God’s name, His character, His attributes, will put their trust in God.
 
Only those who seek God seriously and diligently by studying and believing what the Bible says about Him can truly come to know His character and truly learn to trust Him.
 
Notice that the effect of seeking God is the promise of God that He will not forsake those who are seeking Him.
 
Now, back to your question:  Why will God punish those who killed Jesus?”
 
The most direct answer I know is that though God is a God of love, the Bible declares that God is a God of justice.  God has declared in the Bible repeatedly that He will punish sin.  He will judge individuals on the basis of what they have done.
 
Abraham stated a great truth about the justice of God as recorded in Genesis 18:25,
 
Gen 18:25  That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?
 
The answer to Abraham’s question, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do Right?” is clearly that He certainly will.
 
Not to punish evil would be contrary to the declared character of a holy God.
Posted in Apologetics Issues--Other Faiths, Daily Bible Nuggets, Doctrinal Discussions | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Daily Bible Nugget #419, John 3:13

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Jerry

The Nugget:

John 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.  

My Comment:

Discussion is continuing at the “Islam and Christianity Debate Group.”  I have challenged one Muslim participant to set forth his evidence in support of his claim that Jesus cannot be God, as Christians believe, because how could Jesus, whom God has sent, be God on earth while God has always been on His throne in Heaven?

My Answer:

Abiola Ekunnusi, when a question is raised, and two individuals (you and I) disagree, there are only a few logical options to resolve the question of who is right.  You may be right, and if so, then I am wrong.  I may be right, and if so, then you are wrong.
 
We cannot both be right.
 
When it comes to matters pertaining to the Bible and those forms of Christianity based upon the Bible, the argument which is backed by the evidence in the Bible (our only primary source of evidence about Jesus Christ) will be the correct argument.
 
(1) God did send His Son.  There is no “if” about that.  The Bible declares this is so.
 
Rom 1:4  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
 
The absolute evidence that Jesus Christ is the Son of God is that God performed the stupendous miracle of the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
 
(2) The Son of God has actually been sent, as the Bible declares.
 
John 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
 
John 4:34  Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.
 
John 5:23  That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.
Acts 3:26  Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
 
Galatians 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
 
1 John 4:9  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
1 John 4:10  Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation [better translated “atonement”] for our sins.
 
1 John 4:14  And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
 
(3) Your claim,  that then “the son come to earth to deliver the message while God remains in His throne,” demonstrates “Jesus cannot be God as you Christians claimed” is not correct according to the words of the Bible found in John 3:13.
 
John 3:13  And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
 
The narrative in John chapter 3 records this claim by Jesus Christ, that while he was there speaking before them he was also as the Son of man in heaven at the very time he was then also upon this earth. This demonstrates that Jesus Christ possesses the incommunicable divine attribute of immensity.
 
Once  properly understood, this evidence resolves the issue of the Divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is God the Son.
 
Now I have submitted a portion of the Biblical and logical evidence that demonstrates the truth of my claim.
 
It may be that you have explicit counter-evidence, and if so, I will be happy to read it in specific detail.
Posted in Apologetics Issues--Other Faiths, Daily Bible Nuggets, Doctrinal Discussions | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Daily Bible Nugget #418, 1 Corinthians 15:50

Posted on June 13, 2016 by Jerry

The Nugget:

1Co 15:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. My Comment:

In the “Islam and Christianity Debate Group” one of the Muslim participants has asked that I provide a logical explanation of several texts of Scripture.  Below is the discussion response I just now gave to him.

My Response:

Dear Muhammad Jahid,
 
Here is my careful, logical answer to your excellent question, asking me to carefully consider 1 Corinthians 15:50, Luke 24:39, Ecclesiastes 12:7, Psalm 104:29, and Genesis 3:19.
 
Since your question is necessarily complex and refers to several different passages of Scripture, I trust you will forgive the length of my response, and will find it possible to read this response carefully:
 
Muhammad Jahid, I like your willingness to appeal to logic in this discussion.
 
It is ironic, and possibly illogical, for you to quote the writings of Paul (1 Corinthians 15:50) to support your argument against what Bible believing Christians believe about the resurrection body of Jesus Christ!  Logically, this by itself is sufficient to show a careful thinker that the argument you have employed is false or mistaken.
 
But to answer your challenge:
 
Luke 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
 
Why would Jesus show his hands and his feet at this time in the narrative?
 
Jesus himself tells us that he did this to show them “that it is I myself.”
 
As the common saying says, “Seeing is believing.”
 
But Jesus did more than just let them see his resurrected body.  He asked them, “Handle me, and see.” He appealed to their sense of touch to prove to them that he was not merely a spirit. He showed them that he had actual flesh and bones.  He was not an apparition. He was not a ghost. He was alive again by bodily resurrection, the same person in the same but resurrected and perfected body that they had known before his crucifixion.
 
On this important occasion Jesus did more than show them his wounded hands and feet. He did more than let them touch him. He asked if they had any food handy, and they brought him a piece of a broiled fish, and a piece of honeycomb, and he took the food “and did eat before them” (Luke 24:43).
 
Can you suggest a stronger proof that Jesus could have given that this was he, himself, in his very own body that had been placed in the tomb, now risen from the dead? I don’t think so.
 
So, the answer to your repeated question (now fully answered), “Where is his flesh?” The answer clearly is that his flesh and his body as a whole was not left to moulder in the tomb.
 
The tomb was empty. He took his flesh with him when he exited the tomb. That is logical, and accords with all the written testimony from the eye witnesses who were present when these events took place.  It is  clear from the historical record that Jesus Christ arose bodily from the dead.
 
Now, you asked before, as being the “burning issue,” about “where is the flesh and where did Jesus leave it before his ascension to Paradise?”
 
Please do read my answer carefully and in full. Almost all Christians and Christian churches get this wrong!
 
This question is based upon flawed assumptions.
 
First, you assume, contrary to the written evidence in the Bible, that Jesus must have left his flesh somewhere.  That is wrong. The Bible emphatically teaches the resurrection of the body. Jesus Christ proved that it was he himself who returned from the dead in his resurrected body which the disciples saw, handled, and observed him in the act of eating fish and honeycomb.
 
The second flawed assumption is that an ascension to Paradise could not involve his physical, now resurrected, body. What took place when Christ returned to heaven could not be termed an ascension unless he was in a visible, physical body when he ascended back to heaven as the disciples watched stedfastly (Acts 1:10, 11).  Note very carefully this fact:  The term “ascension” always has reference to the body, never the soul or spirit.  See Acts 2:34, for example.  The departure of the spirit to God is never in the Bible reckoned as or called an “ascension.”
 
So in answer to your question, “Where is the flesh of Jesus” now, the answer is, Jesus is even now, even yet, still very much alive in his human body.  That Jesus is still a man is clearly declared in 1 Timothy 2:5,
 
1Ti 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
 
This statement was written many years after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended bodily into heaven, so it is very clear that the Bible teaches that Jesus is still a man.
 
The body of Jesus Christ was transformed for all time from a perishable body to an imperishable body, what may properly be called an immortal body.  The Bible in Philippians 3:21  expresses it this way:
 
Php 3:20  But our citizenship is in heaven — and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Php 3:21  who will transform these humble bodies of ours into the likeness of his glorious body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all things to himself.
 
Notice the physical body of  Christ as it now exists in heaven is called “his glorious body,” often spoken of in theological terms as his glorified body.  The promise here is that those who are truly believers in Christ will upon their resurrection or rapture also possess a glorified, immortal, imperishable, yet tangible body like Jesus Christ now does.
 
Knowing and understanding these  facts from the Bible will logically make it very clear that any reference made to 1 Corinthians 15:50 to deny the Bible teaching I just shared that Jesus Christ is present in heaven itself in his tangible, resurrected, but glorified physical body is mistaken.
 
Notice the Bible states that Jesus now has his own glorious body.  This means that in the process of being resurrected from the dead, his body was transformed into a glorified body, a body no longer subject to pain, sickness, death.  But it is still a body, not merely spirit.  It is a tangible body:  it can be seen, felt, handled, and in that glorified body Jesus could eat food, which is just what he did immediately and right before their eyes.
 
In the light of this evidence, your sincere question about where is the flesh of Jesus now that he has gone to heaven, is a bit mistaken in its premise.  Jesus still has a body, the same body he had, but it is now resurrected and transformed into a glorious, a glorified, body.
 
In the light of this established Bible FACT, the question about “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,” so where is the flesh? is not relevant whatsoever, but mistaken in its assumptions.
 
First of all, “the kingdom of God” is not heaven. Therefore, the kingdom of God cannot be where Jesus is now. The kingdom of God is still future to us, and will be established here upon this earth, and will last forever.
 
Take careful note: When the Bible declares that flesh and blood will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15:50), the Bible declares that only the transformed, glorified  believers in the Lord Jesus Christ will inherit that Kingdom when Jesus Christ returns for them (see 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52, 53, 54, 57, 58).  Flesh and blood human beings will continue upon this earth forever (Psalm 72:5). They will not be the inheritors, but the subjects of the kingdom of God.
 
You also bring up three additional problem passages from the Bible:
 
(1) Ecclesiastes 12:7
 
Ecc 12:7  Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
 
When anyone dies in this time, the body of course turns to dust.  The spirit returns to God who gave it. But this verse does not deny the idea of bodily resurrection, for bodily resurrection is taught elsewhere in the Bible in the Old Testament and the New Testament. This text therefore has no bearing upon the question of where is the flesh of Jesus now, for Jesus Christ is the first to be resurrected from the dead.
 
(2) Psalm 104:29
 
Psa 104:29  Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
 
This passage is not about the future resurrection which everyone will experience (John 5:28, 29). It only describes the obvious physical fact that once a body no longer breathes, it dies, and ultimately decays into the dust of which it is made.
 
(3) Genesis 3:19
 
Gen 3:19  In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
 
The ordinary lot of all human beings is to die, and for their physical bodies to return to the dust of which they were made. Once again, texts of Scripture like this one do not have any connection to the Bible’s teaching about future resurrection. It has no connection to the question of where is the flesh of Jesus Christ now.
 
It was predicted of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, as a provision of the Davidic Covenant, that the Messiah (1) would be a direct physical descendant of David himself;  (2) that the Messiah, though he must die, would not suffer corruption or decay (Psalm 16:8-10).
 
Psa 16:8  I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
Psa 16:9  Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
Psa 16:10  For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
 
This very passage of Scripture is carefully explained by Peter in his sermon recorded at Acts 2:29-32.
 
Act 2:29  Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
Act 2:30  Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
Act 2:31  He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.
Act 2:32  This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
Posted in Apologetics Issues--Other Faiths, Daily Bible Nuggets, Doctrinal Discussions | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Daily Bible Nugget #417, Galatians 6:2

Posted on June 13, 2016 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

My Comment:

As is always the case, those who are caught up in falsehood are not able to address, much less refute, an argument which demonstrates the falsehood of their mistaken beliefs.

The tactic is always the same:  avoid the answer to the original false claim, and bring up yet another. When you have to engage in this tactic, your cause is lost, and the falsity of your position is evident.

Nevertheless, I try to patiently address the questions Muslims pose on the “Islam and Christianity Debate Group” discussion thread.  I have learned that what I have been posting is strong encouragement to Christians in remote regions of Africa and elsewhere. One said this thread has been the source of real Bible study for him.

Here is my answer to the supposed “contradiction” Muslims and many other unbelievers find in Galatians 6:2 compared to Galatians 6:5.

My Answer:

Dear Muhammad Jahid, your list of supposed contradictions is not as good a list as I would have hoped. Just the same, I will address the second supposed Bible contradiction on your list:
 
11.
For every man shall bear his own burden. —Galatians 6:2
Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. —Galatians 6:2
 
First, you may want to correct your listing here. It should read:
 
Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. —Galatians 6:2
For every man shall bear his own burden. —Galatians 6:5
 
The answer to this supposed contradiction I presented in my book, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, at Galatians 6:2, where I placed a note for the word “burdens,” as follows:
 
burdens. Gr. baros. Baros denotes the pressure of a weight, which may be relieved or transferred; phortion, also rendered “burden” (ver. 5) is specific, the “load” which each must bear for himself (Samuel Green, Greek Grammar, p. 385, no. 68).
 
I hope my answer will help you see that here there is no contradiction at all in the original Greek text of the New Testament.
 
And so for the rest of the supposed 100 contradictions you claim to have a list of, from which you furnished almost ten examples, I have verified, scholarly answers available for each of them.
 
I hope you will learn to think more carefully and more accurately about these issues. Take the time to understand and learn the truth. I have taken much time to give you good answers, answers which you cannot refute. 
 
If you can refute any answer I have given, show you can do so by writing in your own words a reasoned answer based upon evidence which shows that I am mistaken.
 
So far, you have not done so, but I encourage and welcome you to try. Don’t simply jump off topic to bring up another issue:  answer or refute what I have already clearly explained in answer to your specific questions.
 
I must assume that if you do not provide a specific refutation of the answer I provide, then this shows you cannot do so.  This would mean that my answer to your objection to the truth of the Bible and the truth of Jesus Christ and Christianity cannot be answered, which means what I believe has been proven true, and your mistaken objections I have shown to be unfounded or false.
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Daily Bible Nugget #416, Luke 24:39

Posted on June 12, 2016 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Luk 24:39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.

 

My Comment:

The Jehovah’s Witnesses are not the only ones who fail to understand what is meant by the resurrection of Jesus Christ bodily from the dead.  Muslims have the same problem. In the ongoing discussion on the “Islam and Christianity Debate Group” I answered the Muslim question about the “burning issue” about “where is the flesh and where did Jesus leave it before his ascension to Paradise?”  Please do read my answer in full. Almost all Christians and Christian churches get this answer wrong!

My Answer:

Muhammad Jahid, you are very good at asking interesting questions. I hope that when I give an answer, that you will enjoy my answer.
 
You ask, “Where is the flesh of Jesus?”
 
The answer is, as I explained in a post above, that Jesus now possesses the very same body that he had during his earthly ministry before his death and resurrection.
 
I shared with you the record that Luke has given us of a most important meeting Jesus had with his disciples after his bodily resurrection from the dead.
 
The verse I shared is found at Luke 24:39,
 
Luk 24:36  And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
Luk 24:37  But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
Luk 24:38  And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
Luk 24:39  Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
Luk 24:40  And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
 
Jesus showed them his hands and his feet to prove, in the words of Jesus, “that it is I myself.” That is a very emphatic assertion. Jesus challenged them to “Handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not FLESH and bones, as ye see me have” (Luke 24:39).
 
So in answer to your question, “Where is the flesh of Jesus” now, the answer is, Jesus is even now, even yet, still very much alive in his human body.  That Jesus is still a man is clearly declared in 1 Timothy 2:5,
 
1Ti 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
 
This statement was written many years after Jesus rose from the dead and ascended bodily into heaven, so it is very clear that the Bible teaches that Jesus is still a man.
 
Please allow me to share another passage from the Bible that is very important to understand when it comes to understanding the nature or quality of the physical body Jesus now has.  I will use a modern English translation because it is much easier to understand.  From the Contemporary English Version (CEV):
 
Php 3:17  My friends, I want you to follow my example and learn from others who closely follow the example we set for you.
Php 3:18  I often warned you that many people are living as enemies of the cross of Christ. And now with tears in my eyes, I warn you again
Php 3:19  that they are headed for hell! They worship their stomachs and brag about the disgusting things they do. All they can think about are the things of this world.
Php 3:20  But we are citizens of heaven and are eagerly waiting for our Savior to come from there. Our Lord Jesus Christ
Php 3:21  has power over everything, and he will make these poor bodies of ours like his own glorious body.
 
Notice the Bible states that Jesus now has his own glorious body.  This means that in the process of being resurrected from the dead, his body was transformed into a glorified body, a body no longer subject to pain, sickness, death.  But it is still a body, not merely spirit.  It is a tangible body:  it can be seen, felt, handled, and in that glorified body Jesus could eat food, which is just what he did immediately and right before their eyes.
 
In the light of this evidence, your sincere question about where is the flesh of Jesus now that he has gone to heaven, is a bit mistaken in its premise.  Jesus still has a body, the same body he had, but it is now resurrected and transformed into a glorious, a glorified, body.
 
In the light of this established Bible FACT, the question about “flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God,” so where is the flesh? is not relevant whatsoever, but mistaken in its assumptions.
 
First of all, “the kingdom of God” is not heaven. Therefore, the kingdom of God cannot be where Jesus is now. The kingdom of God is still future to us, and will be established here upon this earth, and will last forever.
 
When the Bible declares that flesh and blood will not inherit the kingdom of God, the Bible declares that only the transformed, glorified  believers in the Lord Jesus Christ will inherit that Kingdom.  Flesh and blood human beings will continue upon this earth forever (Psalm 72:5). They will not be the inheritors, but the subjects of the kingdom of God.
 
This answer should solve the issues you kindly raised in your very good question, Muhammad Jahid. Please ask me more of your good questions about this if anything is not clear in my answer to your original question.
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Daily Bible Nugget #415, Matthew 15:24

Posted on June 11, 2016 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Mat 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

My Comment:

I have explained Matthew 15:24 in detail before, but there are always new readers who missed my previous explanation, and in this case, new Muslim participants at the “Islam and Christianity Debate Group” who have not read my explanation yet.  It is interesting to see how unbelievers, false cults, and Muslims keep raising the same questions even when I have carefully and fully answered the questions before. But that is why I am a teacher. I enjoy helping all my students learn. I never criticize them for having a question. But I must tell you, that is not how some of my teachers treated me!

This time, a very interesting Muslim poster posted a visual or picture which made this claim:

Leave Paul

Come to Real Jesus

[Matthew 15:24] Jesus answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

My Response:

Muhammad Jahid, you have posted some very interesting challenges for those who truly believe in Jesus Christ.  You have posted the comment,
 
“Leave Paul, Come to Real Jesus.” 
 
It might be that you have not studied what the Bible, and Jesus Christ Himself, said about Paul.  One place to start would be Acts 9:15, 16.
 
Act 9:15  But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
Act 9:16  For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
 
 
But going back to your comment, the comment includes a reference to a often misunderstood verse, Matthew 15:24.
 
Here is the verse:
 
Mat 15:24  But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
 
My comment:
 
Jesus did not always limit or restrict his ministry to none but the Jews. He also ministered to Gentiles as here at Matthew 15:24.
 
He healed the centurion’s servant (Mat 8:13);
 
Mat 8:13  And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
 
He declared his Messiahship to the Samaritan woman at the well (Joh 4:25, 26),
 
Joh 4:25  The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
Joh 4:26  Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
 
 
and as a result of her vibrant testimony Jesus was asked by the townspeople of the Samaritan city of Sychar to stay two more days with them, which he did, and many of them believed (Joh 4:42).
 
Joh 4:40  So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
Joh 4:41  And many more believed because of his own word;
Joh 4:42  And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.
 
Notice carefully what the Samaritans learned about Jesus:
 
“this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”
 
They understood that Jesus is the Messiah, and that He is not the Savior of the Jews only, but the Savior of the world.
 
THAT IS THE CLEAR TESTIMONY OF SCRIPTURE:  WHY DO YOU REPEATEDLY DENY IT?
 
When Jesus healed the ten lepers, one of them was a Samaritan, the only one who returned to give thanks (Luke 17:11-12; Luke 17:15-16).
 
Christ’s directive (Mat 10:5-6) that his disciples minister only to the lost sheep of Israel and not enter into any city of the Samaritans nor go in the way of the Gentiles was clearly a directive for that immediate mission, and does not mark a permanent policy of the ministry of Christ that limited His work only to the Jews.
 
It is most clear that Christ came to save the world, not merely the lost sheep of the house of Israel, for He commanded that His Gospel be proclaimed to every creature (Mat 28:19; Mar 16:15; Luke 24:27; Joh 1:29; Joh 3:16; Joh 4:42; Act 1:8; 1Jn 2:2). This accords precisely with what was prophesied of the Messiah (Isa 49:6; Act 13:47; Act 26:23).
 
To understand the truth, you must carefully study it without making snap judgments or knee-jerk reactions. Carefully consider the evidence found in the Bible, correctly interpreted.
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Daily Bible Nugget #414, Genesis 32:30

Posted on June 11, 2016 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Gen 32:30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

My Comment:

My Muslim participants in the “Islam and Christianity Debate Group” seem to think the Bible is full of contradictions. Here is my answer to the first contradiction one of them proposed:

My Answer:

Muhammad Jahid, you have posed some very interesting questions about the Bible and Christian belief. I wish I had all day to answer each of your points in full, for most certainly I easily can. Rob Lopez has stepped up and given good information in short form.
 
(1) You pose the following apparent contradiction:
 
No man hath seen God at any time. —John 1:18
For I have seen God face to face. —Genesis 32:30
 
John’s statement applies to the fact that no person has seen God the Father at any time, for John also tells us in John 4:24 that “God is spirit,” so it is clear that God the Father possesses the attribute of being normally invisible to human eyes.
 
It is also possible to understand John to mean “No man hath fully comprehended God at any time, but Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, has made him known.” If you truly want to know and understand God, Jesus said you must learn of God through what Jesus has revealed.
 
Mat_11:27  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.
 
 
Yet the Bible record tells us that Jacob saw God face to face, and said “and my life is preserved” (Genesis 32:30).
 
Careful students of the Bible are never quick to make the mistaken judgment that here we have a contradiction. Rather, they make an informed judgment based upon examining all the evidence in the Bible that pertains to the question at hand.
 
When you take the steps to do that honestly, you can learn some amazing things you and most  people never knew before.
 
And you may begin to learn that there are no contradictions in the Bible once you come to understand it correctly.
 
Notice Genesis 32:24 in the immediate context:  “And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.”
 
Why does Jacob all the person who wrestled with him a man? The obvious answer would be that whoever that person was looked and felt like a man, and spoke like a man, speaking in language Jacob understood.
 
Then why would Jacob go so far as to call this person God?
 
There are other statements that Jacob made about this unusual person he wrestled with and was blessed by.  Just now I spotted Genesis 48:3, “And Jacob said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me.”
 
If you have access to a source of more complete cross references, the Bible cross references will direct your attention to several other occasions when Jacob saw God.  Let me share one more such statement from Genesis 48:15, 16 as follows:
 
Gen 48:15  And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day,
Gen 48:16  The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
 
Notice Jacob calls God, mentioned in Genesis 48:15, “The Angel,” mentioned in Genesis 48:16.
 
That Angel was no ordinary angel.  That Angel is frequently mentioned  in the Old Testament record.  That Angel is called God.  That Angel is called Jehovah.  That Angel is called the Angel of Jehovah.  That Angel can be proven from the Bible evidence to be the Second Person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ who appeared as God in human or angelic form to humans, both men and women, in Old Testament times as recorded in the Bible.
 
If you would not be so quick to form a mistaken judgment, but instead follow carefully the actual evidence in the Bible, you will indeed come to know many things you likely never encountered before. That is what has happened for me as I have taken the time to patiently study the Scriptures, as we all are commanded by God Himself to do.
 
 
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Daily Bible Nugget #413, Isaiah 55:3

Posted on June 4, 2016 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Isa 55:3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

My Comment:

Today another very good question was posed in the ongoing discussion in the “Islam and Christianity Debate Group.” The question asked is “Are you, Mr. Smith, trying to tell me that these two  people–David and Abraham–are not righteous? Are they sinners or not?”

My Answer:

Faruq Kolodi, note carefully that Abraham and David are declared righteous before God not on the basis of Leviticus 18:5 (“Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD”), but on the basis of the principle of faith declared in Genesis 15:6 (“And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness”).
 
It is clear from Genesis 15:6 that Abraham was declared righteous on the basis of his faith in the covenant promises God bestowed upon him.  Therefore, Abraham was justified before God, was declared righteous, on the basis of faith, not deeds of righteousness.
 
But what about David? On what basis was David declared righteous?  I made reference before to Psalm 32.  David understood the principle underlying Genesis 15:6.  Notice David begins Psalm 32 by saying “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered” (Psalm 32:1).  David says again, “Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile” (Psalm 32:2).
 
David does not come to God on the basis of any righteousness of his own. He comes entirely on the basis of his trust in the Lord, a trust grounded in the known righteousness and promises of God, as seen at the conclusion of Psalm 32 when David says, “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about” (Psalm 32:10).
 
So, both Abraham and David were sinners before the Lord at different points in their lives. Abraham lied about Sarah and his relationship to her to preserve his own life.  Abraham followed Sarah’s advice to have a son through Hagar rather than wait on God to fulfill His promise of a son through Sarah. But despite these failures, Abraham continued to place his trust in God and His promises.  David also experienced sin in his life in the matter of Bathsheba and many other experiences. But David always repented and turned back to the Lord with full and unwavering faith. David does not attempt to justify himself before God on the basis of any righteousness of his own.  David always depended upon the mercy of God, even what were later called by Isaiah, “the sure mercies of David” (Isaiah 55:3).
 
Isaiah 55:3 may well be one of the most important verses in the Bible, for when you fully understand and believe what it means, you will understand Bible prophecy correctly. But more than that, you will have the eternal life that God promises to those who truly believe in Him and His promises.
 
Isaiah 55:3, “Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.”
 
Note the  promise in Isaiah 55:3, hear, and your soul shall live.
 
It may help to focus more deeply upon this verse by considering a contrary question:  What if I do not hear?  What if I will not listen? The result of not hearing is clearly that my soul will not live.
 
But what does it mean, “Your soul shall live”?  It clearly means that until I do hear, my soul does not live, and I am spiritually dead.
 
This verse in Isaiah 55:3 speaks of an everlasting covenant, “the sure mercies of David.”  Those sure mercies are the promises God gave to David in the Davidic Covenant, a Covenant which is still in force, and has yet to be completely fulfilled. God gave those promises to David not because David was personally righteous on the basis of his own good works, but on the basis of David’s unwavering full faith in God, and so just as Abraham was declared righteous on the basis of his faith in God’s promises, so was David.
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Daily Bible Nugget #412, Hebrews 9:14

Posted on June 3, 2016 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Heb 9:14 But Christ was sinless, and he offered himself as an eternal and spiritual sacrifice to God. That’s why his blood is much more powerful and makes our consciences clear. Now we can serve the living God and no longer do things that lead to death.

My Comment:

In the ongoing “Islam and Christianity Debate Group” discussion, the question was raised today:  “But God made David a man after his own heart and Abraham father of all nations.  Is it the blood of Jesus or the blood of animals or their righteous acts?”

My Response:

Righteous acts, in and of themselves, will get you nowhere with God.
 
We learn this from a very clear statement found in Isaiah 64:6, “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”
 
Scripture interprets Scripture. The unclean thing is expressed even more pointedly and vividly in Ezekiel 36:17, “Son of man, when the house of Israel lived in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds. Their ways before me were like the uncleanness of a woman in her menstrual impurity.”
 
We cannot be saved by our own righteousness:  “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
 
As long as we are living in rebellion against God Himself by refusing to believe in His Son, the One of whom God spoke saying  “And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11; see also Matthew 3:17;  12:18;  17:5;  Luke 3:22;  2 Peter 1:17), and Matthew gives a fuller account, “While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matthew 17:5), an account of another occasion when God repeated His approval of Jesus Christ, with the added command, “Hear ye him.”
 
If we fail to hear Jesus Christ, we fail to hear God the Father who sent him. See John 5:22, “The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,” and especially John 5:23, “that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.”
 
The righteous acts of Jesus Himself were necessary to meet the requirements of the Law. The first man, Adam failed to obey God. Jesus Christ, spoken of as the “second man” (1 Corinthians 15:47, “The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven”), perfectly obeyed God, the only man to ever do so.
 
But the Bible’s message goes deeper than this. Scripture tells us that “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22, KJV;  the ESV reads, “Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins,” and the CEV reads “The Law says that almost everything must be sprinkled with blood, and no sins can be forgiven unless blood is offered”).
 
The Bible is very clear in its stress upon the importance of the blood shed by Jesus Christ on the cross for our redemption, salvation, deliverance. Here are just some of the cross references given at Hebrews 9:14, using the CEV (Contemporary English Version) for greater clarity:
 
Heb 9:14  But Christ was sinless, and he offered himself as an eternal and spiritual sacrifice to God. That’s why his blood is much more powerful and makes our consciences clear. Now we can serve the living God and no longer do things that lead to death.
 
Heb 9:12  Then Christ went once for all into the most holy place and freed us from sin forever. He did this by offering his own blood instead of the blood of goats and bulls.
 
Heb 9:22  The Law says that almost everything must be sprinkled with blood, and no sins can be forgiven unless blood is offered.
 
Heb 13:11  After the high priest offers the blood of animals as a sin offering, the bodies of those animals are burned outside the camp.
Heb 13:12  Jesus himself suffered outside the city gate, so that his blood would make people holy.
 
Rom 5:9  But there is more! Now that God has accepted us because Christ sacrificed his life’s blood, we will also be kept safe from God’s anger.
Rom 5:10  Even when we were God’s enemies, he made peace with us, because his Son died for us. Yet something even greater than friendship is ours. Now that we are at peace with God, we will be saved by his Son’s life.
 
Eph 1:7  Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because God was so kind to us. God has great wisdom and understanding,
 
1Pe 1:17  You say that God is your Father, but God doesn’t have favorites! He judges all people by what they do. So you must honor God while you live as strangers here on earth.
1Pe 1:18  You were rescued from the useless way of life that you learned from your ancestors. But you know that you were not rescued by such things as silver or gold that don’t last forever.
1Pe 1:19  You were rescued by the precious blood of Christ, that spotless and innocent lamb.
1Pe 1:20  Christ was chosen even before the world was created, but because of you, he did not come until these last days.
1Pe 1:21  And when he did come, it was to lead you to have faith in God, who raised him from death and honored him in a glorious way. That’s why you have put your faith and hope in God.
1Pe 1:22  You obeyed the truth, and your souls were made pure. Now you sincerely love each other. But you must keep on loving with all your heart.
1Pe 1:23  Do this because God has given you new birth by his message that lives on forever.
1Pe 1:24  The Scriptures say, “Humans wither like grass, and their glory fades like wild flowers. Grass dries up, and flowers fall to the ground.
1Pe 1:25  But what the Lord has said will stand forever.” Our good news to you is what the Lord has said.
 
1Jn 1:7  But if we live in the light, as God does, we share in life with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus washes all our sins away.
 
Rev 1:5  May kindness and peace be yours from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness. Jesus was the first to conquer death, and he is the ruler of all earthly kings. Christ loves us, and by his blood he set us free from our sins.
 
You can see by the verses I posted just above from the cross references given for Hebrews 9:14 that this matter of the blood of Christ is the central issue about who Jesus really is, and what He has done for all of us.

 

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