How to resolve differing Bible interpretations Part 6

Posted on June 28, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Text:

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (KJV)

Act 2:38  and Peter said unto them, `Reform, and be baptized each of you on the name of Jesus Christ, to remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, (YLT, Young’s Literal Translation)

Act 2:38 Peter said to them, “You must repent — and, as an expression of it, let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ — that you may have your sins forgiven; and then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, (Williams NT)

The Challenge:

  1. Acts 2:38 (Pentecostals vs. Baptists): “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.” Pentecostals emphasize baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, whereas Baptists emphasize baptism as a symbol of professing faith.

 

My Response:

Both the Pentecostals and the Baptists (though to a far less degree) are mistaken about the meaning of Acts 2:38 if they emphasize what is claimed in The Challenge.

Differences of opinion as to the correct meaning of Acts 2:38 can be resolved by a careful appeal to the grammar involved in this text, an example of my Rule of Interpretation 10. Interpret a passage according to the grammar of the original language text, Hebrew or Greek.

You may not agree with my analysis. My analysis steps on many toes! Don’t let your feelings be hurt. Read to learn, not criticize based on what you think you know already. If you disagree, leave a comment!

Our witness for Christ is greatly hampered if we are not teaching the truth about what the Bible teaches. When you do real Bible study, be prepared to learn something new. The challenge above was presented to me by a well-informed Muslim who may know more about what the Bible teaches than many Christians do. This is an example of doing careful apologetics (1 Peter 3:15) and defending the faith “once for all delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). If you don’t like these kinds of discussions, that is a good sign that you need to grow in your faith (2 Peter 3:18) and progress beyond the first stages of your Christian life (Hebrews 5:11, 12, 13) by taking time to understand the Bible more accurately.

My Evidence:

I have provided evidence that properly explains Acts 2:38 in both my book, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and my digital expansion of that resource, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury, from which the following information is taken:

Acts 2:38

Then Peter said. Act 1:13, Mar 1:17.

Repent. The English text does not adequately convey the grammar of this verse. When the grammar is understood, the verse no longer can be used to support any view of baptismal regeneration or baptismal remission of sin.

A. The underlying Greek grammar

The phrase “every one of you” is mistakenly understood to be the subject of the verbs “repent” and “be baptized,” with the phrase “for the remission of sins” modifying this alleged compound predicate.

There are three clauses in this verse:

(1) Ye: understood subject, second person, plural number. repent: verb, aorist tense, active voice, imperative mood, second person, plural number.

(2) every one of you: subject, third person, singular number. be baptized: verb, aorist tense, passive voice, imperative mood, third person, singular number. for the remission of sins. modifying phrase, expressing the ground or basis of the baptism commanded (if understood of ritual water baptism), or the result (if understood of real baptism) of the baptism received.

(3) ye. subject, second person, plural number. shall receive. verb, future tense, indicative mood, passive voice, second person, plural number. the gift of the Holy Ghost. direct object of the verb.

Note particularly in the above analysis that the first and third clauses agree with each other in that both are in the second person and plural number for their subject and verb.

The second clause does not agree in person and number of its subject and verb with the preceding or following clause.

This makes it impossible to make “every one of you,” which is third person singular, the subject of both “repent” (second person plural) and “be baptized” (third person singular), for subjects and verbs must agree in person and number. A. T. Robertson observes that this change in person and number “marks a break in the thought here that the English translation does not preserve” (Word Pictures, vol. 3, p. 34).

Peter thus commanded all in his audience to repent. Upon repentance, each individual was then to be baptized on the basis that the specific individual’s sin had been remitted upon their placing faith upon the name of Jesus Christ. Since the first and third clauses agree in person and number, the thought is that reception of the Holy Spirit is the consequence of faith upon the name of Christ, not ritual water baptism. +*Act 3:19; *Act 5:31; Act 8:22; Act 8:37; *Act 17:30; *Act 20:21; Act 26:18; Act 26:20, +*Psa 51:3, 4, 5, Isa 59:20, Hos 12:6, *Mat 3:2; *Mat 3:6; *Mat 3:8; *Mat 3:9; *Mat 3:11; *Mat 4:17; Mat 7:13; Mat 9:13; *Mat 21:28, 29, 30, 31, 32, Mar 1:5; Mar 1:15; Mar 6:12, Luk 1:77; Luk 3:3; Luk 5:32; Luk 6:42; +*Luk 13:3; +*Luk 13:5; *Luk 15:1-32; Luk 17:3, 4; *Luk 24:47, 2Co 7:10, +*2Ti 2:25, Heb 6:1, 2, **1Jn 1:9.

and. The force of this conjunction is neglected or misunderstood by some interpreters. The word “and” marks the gracious relation of cause and effect, as in the grammatical parallel at Act 3:19, “Repent and be converted.” The Holy Spirit who gives repentance does, therewith, confer baptism for the remission of sins (J. W. Dale, Christic Baptism, p. 142). This of itself proves that the reference is to real, not ritual water, baptism.

be baptized. The traditional understanding of this command is that it refers to ritual water baptism. An alternate view is that this is a reference to real baptism by the Holy Spirit.

The correctness of the alternative view is established by the fact that

(1) water is not mentioned in the context.

(2) The baptism is not “into water” but, literally, upon the name of Jesus Christ.

(3) Believing upon Jesus Christ is the ground upon which remission of sins is received.

(4) Ritual water baptism is never in Scripture said to secure for us the remission of sins, only real baptism possesses such efficacy.

(5) This real baptism takes the penitent sinner out of a state of guilt and places him into (eis) a new state of remission. This placement is permanent, and can hardly be symbolized by a momentary dipping in water, for the relationship established is permanent (Col 2:12 note).

(6) Only real baptism by the Holy Spirit can produce the change in condition always marked by the term “baptize” (1Co 10:2 note) when the subject is spiritual baptism. Act 2:41, *Act 8:12; *Act 8:36, 37, 38; Act 9:18; +Act 13:24; *Act 16:15; *Act 16:31, 32, 33, 34; +*Act 22:16, +*Mat 3:11 note. *Mat 28:19 note. *+Mar 16:16, +*Joh 3:5; Joh 7:39, Gal 3:27, 28, Tit 3:5, +*Heb 10:22, *1Pe 3:21; *1Pe 3:22.

 

in. Gr. epi, lit. upon. With the dative case, as here, epi means “upon (ground, reason)” (Professor Harrison, Greek Prepositions, p. 266, cited by J. W. Dale, Christic Baptism, p. 138).

Eric Sauer states “Under the influence of a psalm and a prophecy which speak of the Messianic ’cornerstone’ and ’foundation’ (Psa 118:22, Isa 28:16), Christ is described as the foundation of our life of faith ’upon’ (Gr. epi) Whom we believe (1Pe 2:6, Rom 10:11)” (From Eternity to Eternity, p. 46).

Dale gives some additional instructive examples.

(1) From the apocryphal book of Judith (Jdt 12:7), epi occurs in conjunction with the verb baptize in the expression “baptized herself upon the fountain.” The preposition expresses that upon which Judith rested when she baptized herself. Every “fountain” has “a lip,” an edge, on which one can stand and be baptized (+*Dan 12:5 mg).

(2) Clement of Alexandria (I. 1352) says: “It is a custom of the Jews to be baptized upon (Gr. epi) a couch.” The preposition points out that upon which the Jew rested when he received baptism; he rested upon a couch.

(3) Mat 3:13. Jesus came from Galilee toward, more literally, upon, the Jordan, meaning that when he reached it he rested upon it (every river, like every fountain, has “a lip,” an edge, a bank, upon which one can stand) to be baptized (+*Dan 12:5 mg; Mat 3:13 note).

“These examples present a physical basis on which the baptized rested. The case under consideration (Act 2:38) exhibits the moral basis upon which the soul must rest in receiving the baptism into the remission of sins” (Christic Baptism, p. 145). Dale explains “the soul to be baptized out of guilt into the remission of sins must rest, not upon repentance (as any meritorious or ultimate ground), but must rest upon that NAME, ’which is the only name given under heaven whereby we must be saved,’ Jesus Christ,” and “every penitent sinner, resting upon Jesus Christ, as an atoning Redeemer, shall thereby be baptized into the remission of sins” (p. 145). Luk 24:47 Act 16:31 g. 1Co 3:11.

B. Why the Trinitarian formula is not stated here:

the name. The question often arises, why is not the Trinitarian formula of baptism given in Mat 28:19 utilized by the apostles in the book of Acts?

Of several answers which have been proposed, the best sees this shortened expression as the figure of speech FS171S11, Synecdoche of the Part, whereby a part is put for the whole, a shortened expression for the fuller expression.

It seems to be that the apostles indeed did use the full formula, but simply referred to the act of baptism by the shorter phrase “in the name of Jesus Christ” (Act 2:38), “in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Act 8:16; Act 19:5), or even shorter, “in the name of the Lord” (Act 10:48), in common with the wider practice of that day of being baptized “in the name” of one’s spiritual teacher, as John’s disciples were (Act 19:3), just as John, as well as Jesus, taught his disciples to pray, Luk 11:1, evidently in a distinct manner. Thus the expression pertains more to this distinctiveness than to the precise formula employed.

“As Waterland well puts it, ’The meaning is that the apostles baptized into the faith and religion of Christ, in that method and according to that form which our Lord Himself had prescribed’” (cited in Thomas Walker, Commentary on Acts, p. 54. The citation is from Daniel Waterland, Works, vol. 2, Sermon viii, “Christ’s Divinity Proved from the Form of Baptism,” p. 173).

Waterland continues, “The Apostles administered Christ’s, not John’s baptism; that baptism which Christ had appointed; St. Luke expresses it briefly by baptizing ‘in the name of Christ;’ not because it ran in his name only, but because it was instituted by his authority. Thus the practice of the Apostles is reconciled with the commission given them” (p. 173).

Other answers which have been proposed are less satisfactory. Some suggest that the Trinitarian formula was never used, but this would appear to place the disciples in direct disobedience to what our Lord commanded. To escape this difficulty, some (often in the name of “right division” of Scripture: 2Ti 2:15, 1Th 4:2 note) would refer the practice of baptism within narrow dispensational limits—the time of the establishment of Jewish Christian churches in the early part of Acts—suspending the validity of baptism for the church age (a view refuted at Mat 28:19 note), reserving it to the millennial kingdom, a view totally out of harmony with the general practice of Bible believing Christians throughout church history.

This view depends upon artificially dividing Scripture (1Th 4:2 note. 2Ti 2:15 note) in a manner unauthorized by its own content, by principles undiscoverable by the proverbial independent Bible reader on a desert island with no denominational “helps” to guide him, a quite sound rule for determining whether a teaching is truly Biblical (+*Isa 8:20 note. Act 17:11).

Such a view contradicts the Bible doctrine of the perpetuity of the ordinance establishing ritual baptism (Mat 28:19 note).

Still further astray is the “Jesus only” viewpoint, which suggests there is one God, “Jesus,” who is the Father and the Holy Spirit, into whose single name we are to be baptized. While maintaining the deity of Christ, this view is faulty by denying the existence of three distinct persons in the Godhead. Attempting to prove Jesus and the Father are one and the same person, some misapply such Scripture as Joh 10:30; Joh 14:7; Joh 14:9, for Christ’s own appeal to the Father as a witness distinct from Himself is fatal to this view (Joh 5:36, 37, 38). Act 3:6; Act 3:16; Act 4:10; **Act 4:12; Act 4:17, 18; Act 4:30; *Act 8:12; *+Act 8:16; Act 10:48; *Act 19:4; *Act 19:5, Gen 12:8, +**Mat 28:19, Rom 6:3, 1Co 1:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, Gal 3:27.

C. Multiple meanings of the preposition “for”

for. Gr. eis. Some would make this expression equivalent to the expression in Mat 26:28, where the same words “for the remission of sins” are found.

This assumes that the preposition “for” (Gr. eis) possesses the same meaning wherever it occurs.

(1) Here eis expresses either the “ground or basis” for the baptism, namely, the remission of sins consequent upon repentance and believing upon the name of Christ, or far better, the result of the real (not ritual) baptism attending true repentance and faith upon Christ.

(2) In Mat 26:28, eis expresses the aim or purpose of the death of Christ. When eis expresses purpose (as Mat 26:28), grammarians term this the telic use of eis.

Key Point:

J. W. Dale asserts “The telic use of eis with baptidzō (baptize) may, very confidently, be declared to have no existence, whether in the Scriptures or out of the Scriptures” (Christic Baptism, p. 144).

In other words, Dale asserts that the preposition eis is never used to express purpose in conjunction with the verb “baptize” in either Classical or Biblical (Koine) Greek.

Dale cites a passage from Clement of Alexandria (II. 1212), “they baptize out of (ek) chastity into (eis) fornication,” commenting “Who would think of translating this phrase, “They baptize out of temperance unto, for, in order to, fornication’?” (Christic Baptism, p. 144).

Dale asserts “it is impossible for eis to reach over baptized and receive a telic character from Repent exclusively” (p. 139). Thus the grammar forbids the notion that repentance is “in order to the remission of your sins.”

D. Neither Truth nor the Meaning of “for” is decided by a majority vote!

The preposition eis in this verse (Act 2:38) is one of the most debated prepositions in all the Word of God. But merely compiling long lists of scholars who translate or explain this preposition in a particular manner to defend the mistaken assertion that eis can only mean “unto” (or “in order to,” “with a view to,” “to the end that,” “for,” etc.) is not sound linguistic practice.

A list of scholars is no more valid than the validity of logic and evidence which they marshal to support their position (2Sa 5:23 note): the honor of the names cited or their number have no bearing on the strength of their case.

The scholars cited do not necessarily affirm that this must be the rendering here, particularly if they are not discussing the doctrinal implications which such a translation supports.

The preposition eis may mean “because of,” as at Mat 12:41, It may also mean “as a sign or profession of,” as at +*Mat 3:11 note. Mat 28:19, 1Co 1:13; 1Co 10:2.

Notice that in the last four passages cited, the preposition eis occurs in the same grammatical construction and with reference to the same subject, baptism. The preposition eis may be understood here to mean “the ground or basis of” (as in Mat 10:41; *Mat 12:41. See related notes at Mat 26:28 note. +*Mar 1:4 note), or it may legitimately be understood to indicate the result of believing upon the name of Jesus Christ. Each of these alternatives is certainly to be preferred to the view that we are baptized in order to receive remission of sins, a viewpoint contrary to the rest of the Word of God, and incompatible with Greek grammar, for eis never possesses a telic sense (expressing purpose, as when rendered “for”) in conjunction with the verb baptize.

E. Some individual Hebrew or Greek words cannot properly always be translated by the same English word at every occurrence

It is a fallacy, if not absurdity, to hold that a word in Greek or Hebrew must in every occurrence be translated by the same English word, or to suggest that at every occurrence of a word it always possesses exactly the same meaning. A reference to the classifications of the words “soul” and “spirit” (+Mat 2:20 note. +Mat 8:16 note) will demonstrate that single words may have numerous and quite different meanings.

This holds true for every part of speech. When translating from one language to another no word in one language possesses precisely the same range of meaning, connotation, and denotation as a single usually equivalent word of the other language, neither does it function with precisely the same or equivalent idioms (+*Act 8:39 note. Act 10:11 note. 1Jn 2:19 note).

This text (Acts 2:38) is a favorite of those who teach the mistaken doctrine of baptismal regeneration (along with Mar 16:16, Joh 3:5, Act 22:16, Gal 3:27, 1Pe 3:21).

Lewis Sperry Chafer’s remark regarding the tendency to build a whole system of belief upon one text applies equally well to those who build such a system upon several chosen texts of Scripture: “A certain type of mind seems able to construct all its confidence on an erroneous interpretation of one passage and to be uninfluenced by the overwhelming body of Scripture which contradicts that interpretation” (Systematic Theology, vol. 3, p. 380). %Mat 26:28 note. +Mar 1:4 note. Luk 3:3.

remission of sins. +Act 10:43; Act 13:38; Act 26:18, Lev 23:27, Luk 1:77; +Luk 7:48, Joh 20:23 note. Rom 6:3, 4; *Rom 10:9, Eph 1:7, Col 1:14, Heb 10:18.

and ye shall receive. Act 2:16, 17, 18, Act 8:15, 16, 17; *Act 10:44; *Act 10:45, Isa 32:15; Isa 44:3, 4; Isa 59:21, +*Eze 36:25, 26, 27; Eze 39:29, +*Joe 2:28; +*Joe 2:29, +*Zec 12:10, Joh 20:22, **Gal 3:2; **Gal 3:14.

the gift. or, free gift. Gr. dōrea. Always used of divine gifts. The word dōron is always used of man’s gifts, except in Eph 2:8 (CB). Act 5:32; Act 8:15; Act 8:20; Act 10:45; Act 11:17, *Joh 4:10; +Joh 7:39, Heb 6:4.

Ghost. Gr. pneuma, +Mat 3:16, Act 2:33, Act 19:2, Eph 1:13.

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Acts 2:38 (Pentecostals vs. Baptists): “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.” Pentecostals emphasize baptism in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, whereas Baptists emphasize baptism as a symbol of professing faith.
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The Atonement of Christ

Posted on June 23, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Text:

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (KJV)

1Jn 2:2 And He is Himself the atoning sacrifice for our sins; and not for ours alone, but also for the whole world. (Williams NT)

1Jn 2:2  and he himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for our sins but also for the whole world. (NET Bible)

1Jn 2:2  And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. (WEB, World English Bible)

1Jn 2:2 and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but for those of the whole world besides. (TCNT, Twentieth Century NT)

1Jn 2:2  He is the offering for our sins; and not for ours only, but for all the world. (BBE, Bible in Basic English)

1 John 2:2  And He, Himself, is Atonement concerning our sins; but not concerning ours only, but also concerning the world as a whole. (LNT, Lavender New Testament)

 

My Comment:

I have been studying the doctrine of the Atonement of Christ for many years. I am still studying this most important doctrine.

Penal substitution atonement is not biblically accurate and is not the teaching of the Bible.

I have discussed this subject thoroughly on my Real Bible Study website. Use the search feature and enter the term “atonement” to see some of what I have written there.

As far as I understand the subject as of now, I believe the Bible teaches the priestly-sacrificial Atonement of Christ. He is both the priest and the offering as emphatically stated in 1 John 2:1-2.

1Jn 2:1  My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (KJV)

1Jn 2:2  And he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the whole world. (WEB, World English Bible)

Translations which employ the term “propitiation” are mistaken. Like Loew and Nida remark in their lexicon (40.12), God is already on our side and does not require propitiation.

There is an apparent contradiction between what is written in Romans 2:13 compared to what is stated in Romans 3:20.

Rom 2:13  (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. (KJV)

Rom 3:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The apparent contradiction is resolved when we take into account what was true under the Law in contrast to what is true under Christ.

I did not come up with these insights on my own. I learned much from my scholar friend, Dr. Malcolm Lavender, who solicited my help in editing his writings on the subject and preparing his Lavender’s New Testament.

I have placed many of Dr. Lavender’s notes by permission in my digital Bible study resource, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury, which is an expanded version of my book, The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

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Duties of Fathers

Posted on June 16, 2024 by Jerry

 

Fathers, duties of
(1) instruct children, +Deut 6:20. Isa 38:19.

Deuteronomy 6:20
20  And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you?
King James Version

Isaiah 38:19
19  The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.
King James Version

(2) discipline children, +*Pro 19:18.

Proverbs 19:18
18  Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.
King James Version

(3) maintain discipline of children in home, 1Ti 3:4.

1 Timothy 3:4
4  One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
King James Version

(4) exert spiritual leadership in own family, +*Gen 18:19. +2Sa 6:20. +Job 1:5. +*Psa 101:2 (T492). +1Co 14:35.

Genesis 18:19
19  For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
King James Version

2 Samuel 6:20
20  Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, How glorious was the king of Israel to day, who uncovered himself to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!
King James Version

Job 1:5
5  And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
King James Version

Psalms 101:2
2  I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
King James Version

1 Corinthians 14:35
35  And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
King James Version

(5) pray for family, +Job 1:5.

Job 1:5
5  And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually.
King James Version

(6) support family, +*1Ti 5:8.

1 Timothy 5:8
8  But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
King James Version

(7) maintain gainful employment, 2Th 3:10.

2 Thessalonians 3:10
10  For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
King James Version

(8) bring up children in nurture and admonition of the Lord, without discouraging them, Eph 6:4; Col 3:21.

Ephesians 6:4
4  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
King James Version

Colossians 3:21
21  Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.
King James Version

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Mary had other children after Jesus was born Part 2

Posted on June 15, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Text:

Jude 1:1  Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: (KIJV)

The Challenge:

“1). Protestants generally use the principle of Scripture “alone”. This is fine, but by utilizing that principle, they say that Jude was a blood-brother of Jesus. But in the opening sentences of Jude, it states: “Jude, a SERVANT of Jesus and a BROTHER of James…”

My Answer: 

Since Jude mentions that he is the brother of James, and we know that James is the brother of Jesus, we know that Jude is the brother of Jesus likewise and in the same sense. It may be out of humility that Jude states this relationship in the manner he did.

This may be an example of the transitive property I learned in Geometry: If A = B and B = C then A = C.

If we carefully compare Scripture with Scripture, the following Bible texts also factor into resolving the question: Did Mary have additional children by Joseph after Jesus was born?

The Evidence of His Own Family’s Unbelief:

John 7:5  For neither did his brethren believe in him. (KJV)

John 7:5 indicates that the brothers of Jesus did not originally believe in him.

The Evidence of Messianic Prophecy:

This fact is the subject of prophecy and the fulfilment of prophecy found in Psalm 69:8,

Psa 69:8  I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children.

In context, Psalm 69:8 was true of David’s personal situation. But David’s personal situation is also a prophecy of our Savior’s situation. It is well known that Psalm 69 is a Messianic Psalm. It is one of a limited number of Messianic Psalms that by its structure presents the truth Jesus directly mentions in His explanation that the Scriptures, including the Psalms, predicted that “first the sufferings, then the glory” was the divinely established order of events concerning the destiny of the Messiah (Luke 24:26; 1 Peter 1:11).

Luke 24:26  Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?

1 Peter 1:11  Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

In the very next verse of Psalm 69, verse 9, we read:

Psalm 69:9  For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.

This verse is cited in the New Testament as prophecy which Jesus fulfilled in the account given by John in his Gospel, John 2:14-17,

John 2:14  And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
Joh 2:15  And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables;
Joh 2:16  And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
Joh 2:17  And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

Evidence of the Post Resurrection Appearances of Jesus:

Back to the theme I started with, that the brothers of Jesus did not believe in Him: that was true until Jesus appeared to His brothers after His resurrection, as Paul records in 1 Corinthians 15:7, that Jesus was seen of James:

1Co 15:4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
1Co 15:5  And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
1Co 15:6  After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
1Co 15:7  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
1Co 15:8  And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

The Evidence of the Close Connection of Jude and James:

We read of the close connection of Judas (Jude) and James after the resurrection of Christ for they are mentioned as being among those gathered for prayer in an upper room (Acts 1:13):

Act 1:13  And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

We are told that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was there with his brethren:

Act 1:14  These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. (KJV)

Act 1:14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers. (ESV)

The brothers of Jesus are named in Mark 6:3,

Mar 6:3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

The Evidence of What Jesus Said About His Own Family:

Jesus speaks of the unbelief of His own family as recorded in Mark 6:4,

Mark 6:4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” (ESV)

Mar 6:4  But Jesus told them, “The only place a prophet isn’t honored is in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his own house.” (GW, God’s Word translation)

Mar 6:4 But Jesus said, “Prophets are honored by everyone, except the people of their hometown and their relatives and their own family.” (CEV, Contemporary English Version)

Therefore, James and Jude are blood brothers, the brothers of Jesus, included in His own household, in His own family.

Conclusion Drawn from and Established by the Testimony of Scripture:

Conclusion: Mary, the mother of Jesus, had additional children by Joseph after Jesus was born.

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Daily Bible Nugget #861, Luke 1:35

Posted on June 13, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Nugget:

Luke 1:35  And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

The Question:

If Jesus is 100% Human, Did Jesus Inherit Original Sin?

How to Find the Answer:

You need to read the verses in the Bible that pertain to this subject. Then from those verses it is possible to arrive at a correct conclusion.

For example, Luke 1:35 states:

Luk 1:35  And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (KJV)

Luk 1:35  The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God. (WEB, World English Bible)

Notice that the child is stated to be born holy.

Mar 1:24  Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. (KJV)

Notice that even the unclean spirits which Jesus cast out knew that He is the Holy One of God.

Joh 8:46  Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? (KJV)

Joh 8:46 Who of you can prove me guilty of sin? But if I do tell you the truth, why do you not believe me? (Williams NT)

Notice Jesus challenged His critics to prove He was guilty of sin. No one ever did so.

1Pe 2:22  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: (KJV)

1Pe 2:22 He never committed a sin, and deceit was never found on His lips. (Williams NT)

1Jn 3:5  And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. (KJV)

1Jn 3:5 You know that He appeared to take our sins away, and that there is no sin in Him. (WEB)

Notice His closest disciples who were with Him more than three years later wrote and testified that Jesus never sinned.

Heb 4:15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (KJV)

Heb 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who is incapable of sympathizing with us in our weaknesses, but we have One who was tempted in every respect as we are, and yet without committing any sin. (Williams NT)

Notice that Scripture uniformly declares about our Lord Jesus Christ that He never sinned.

Conclusion: Jesus was born holy. Jesus lived a perfectly holy and sinless life. Though Jesus was fully human, He was sinless, and did not inherit Original Sin.

Technical aspects of Greek grammar in the text of 1 Peter 2:22, where “did no sin” is in the aorist tense which indicates “never in a single instance did,” and in the text of Hebrews 4:15, where “without sin” is literally “sin apart,” teaches that Jesus not only did not sin, but, because He possessed a Divine nature, He could not sin.

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Daily Bible Nugget #860, Romans 5:8

Posted on June 12, 2024 by Jerry

The Nugget:

Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (KJV)

Rom 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (ESV)

Rom 5:8 But God proves His love for us by the fact that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. (Williams NT)

Rom 5:8  Christ died for us while we were still sinners. This demonstrates God’s love for us. (GW, God’s Word translation)

Rom 5:8 But God has made clear his love to us, in that, when we were still sinners, Christ gave his life for us. (BBE, Bible in Basic English)

The Challenge:

“Not all the vials of judgment that have or shall be poured out upon the wicked world give such a demonstration of God’s hatred of sin as the wrath of God let loose upon his Son.” A. W. Pink

My Response:

This is a popular but very mistaken view of what transpired when Jesus was on the Cross.

Nowhere in the Bible is it stated that the wrath of God was let loose upon his Son.

Nowhere in the Bible does the Bible state that Jesus was punished for our sin.

Nowhere in the Bible does the Bible declare that Jesus paid the penalty for our sin.

If Jesus paid the penalty, to whom was the penalty paid? Chapter and Verse Please!

The words “penalty” and “paid” are nowhere in Scripture associated with the work Christ did on our behalf on the Cross, so far as I have been able to find using Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible.

If it were true that Jesus suffered the wrath of God for us, that God the Father poured out His wrath upon His Son, that would divide the Trinity.

The thought is blasphemy, and not the Gospel presented in the New Testament.

As for the penalty for sin, God established just what that penalty was from the very beginning. The penalty is spiritual death.

Those who leave this life in the state of spiritual death will suffer for all eternity the punishment originally prepared for the Devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).

Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

That dreadful punishment takes place in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 21:8).

Rev 21:8  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

The more accurate view of the work of our Lord Jesus Christ is to affirm that he voluntarily (John 10:18) bore our sins (1 Peter 2:24) upon the Cross as both our Priest and the Sacrifice, thus Priestly-Sacrificial Atonement.

Joh 10:17  Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
Joh 10:18  No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

1Pe 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

He Himself is declared to be both the Sacrifice and the Atonement for our sin in 1 John 2:2, “And He, Himself, is Atonement concerning our sins; but not concerning ours only, but also concerning the world as a whole” (Lavender New Testament, translated by Dr. Malcolm Lavender).

What about 2 Corinthians 5:21? 

2Co 5:21  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

2 Corinthians 5:21 has been misunderstood and mistranslated in all of our English translations. Here is how this verse should be rendered:
“For the One not having experienced sin, He took sin in our behalf, in order that we might be made righteous by God in Him” (Lavender’s New Testament).
See the very important full grammatical explanation in the footnote to this verse on page 309 of the Lavender’s New Testament.
See further the notes I have placed at 2 Corinthians 5:21 in The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury.
This information can be found on this site by entering “2 Corinthians 5:21” in the search box  provided above by clicking on “Search Real Bible Study.”
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How to resolve differing Bible interpretations Part 5

Posted on June 7, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Text:

1Co 11:24  And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

1Co 11:25  After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

1Co 11:26  For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.

The Challenge:

  1. 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 (Catholicism vs. Lutheranism): “This is my body… This cup is the new covenant in my blood…” Catholics believe in transubstantiation, where the bread and wine become Christ’s body and blood. Lutherans believe in consubstantiation, where Christ is present “in, with, and under” the elements but they do not change their substance.

My Comment:

We are never to do something, say something, or believe something in error (such as mistaken doctrines of false cults or mainline churches). We know a belief is in error when it contradicts the explicit teaching of Scripture.

A very touchy and sensitive application of this principle pertains to the Bible doctrines we choose to believe. Of course, if the doctrines are truly taught by the Bible, we certainly ought to believe them! But some widely believed doctrines are not taught by the Bible itself, but are mistaken understandings of what the Bible actually teaches.

In online discussions with one Jewish person in particular, I learned that the doctrine of Transubstantiation is a very serious stumbling block (1 Corinthians 8:9) that makes it most difficult for those who are Jews today and even in the past to possibly consider that Jesus Christ could be the Messiah or that Christianity is true because such a doctrine clearly contradicts what is written in the Hebrew Scriptures so it cannot possibly be true. And the Jews are right.

Jews consider the drinking of the wine, taught in some Christian churches to be the very blood of Jesus Christ, and the eating of the bread, taught in some Christian churches to be the very flesh of Jesus Christ, as nothing short of cannibalism. Jewish Scriptures (our Old Testament) clearly forbid such a practice as drinking blood (Leviticus 17:11, 12) and eating human flesh.

Christian churches that teach Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation–the “actual” or the “real” presence of Christ in the elements of the Lord’s Supper, Communion, or the Eucharist–are guilty of teaching and believing false doctrine, doctrine that serves as a stumbling block to bringing Jews to faith in the true Messiah, Jesus Christ. Belief in such false doctrine stems from the failure to understand some very frequently used figures of speech in the Bible, particularly the figure Metaphor. Jesus frequently employed the figure metaphor, as when He said “I am the door” (John 10:9). Does such a statement mean he has hinges and a door knob? Of course not.

So, when Jesus took bread and said, “Take, eat: this is my body” (Matthew 26:26), the is is metaphor, and means “this represents my body.” The proof is in the very context: they were not eating His actual flesh, for He was standing very much alive right before them; rather, they were eating bread, which symbolized His body.

So, when Jesus took the cup, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink ye all of it” (Matthew 26:27), adding “For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28), once again we have the figure metaphor, signaled by the “is,” which therefore means “this represents my blood.” All the blood in the literal body of Jesus remained at that point as literal blood coursing through His veins; none of those present ever drank the actual blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and neither has anyone else done so since.

The claim of some churches to miraculously transform the physical elements of bread and wine during the Eucharist or Communion or Lord’s Supper into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ is a falsehood. This falsehood is a stumbling block, and you may be very sure that Christ did not intend anything He instituted or authorized to be a stumbling block to His own people, the Jews.

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Daily Bible Nugget #859, Ephesians 6:18

Posted on June 6, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Nugget:

Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

From Ken Sagely’s Facebook Post:

Walk in The Light: Unceasing Prayer

Jeremiah 33.3
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

John 14.13
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Romans 8.26
Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should  pray for as he ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Philippians 4.4-7
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. v 5 Let your moderation be  known unto all men. The Lord is at hand,
6 Be Anxious for Nothing but in everything by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made unto God.
7 And the Peace of God, which Passeth all Understanding, will Keep your Hearts and Minds through Christ Jesus.

1 John 5.14-15
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us:
15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have  the petitions that we desired of him.

(Effective Unceasing prayer actually means living continually in fellowship and nearness to God.

George Mueller said, “I live in the spirit of prayer, I pray as I walk, when I lay down, and when I arise. The answers are always coming.”

We are to be “instant in prayer.” In every moment of crisis and blessing we pour out our hearts to Him in swift, fervent sentences, “Lord, help me here.” “Lord I see your gracious hand, thank you.” )

Ephesians 6.18
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayer and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Dig deeper by reading and studying the cross references for Ephesians 6:18 as they are given in The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

 Ephesians 6:18
Praying. Gr. proseuchomai (S# G4336). Restricted to prayer to God in the NT (CB, Appendix 134,I.2, p. 164). Mat 5:44 g. +*Mat 6:9 g. Gen 13:4, Luk 18:1 g. Col 1:3 g, Col 1:9 g. 1Th 5:17 g. 1Ti 2:8 g. Jud 1:20 g.

always. or, on every occasion. FS147D, +Gen_1:29. Eph 1:16, +*1Sa 12:23, Neh 2:4, Job 27:10, Psa 35:22; Psa 55:16, 17; Psa 73:28; *Psa 86:3; *Psa 86:6; Psa 109:4; Psa 116:2, Isa 26:16, +*Dan 6:10, Mat 6:5, *Luk 2:26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32; **Luk 2:37; Luk 3:26, 27; *+Luk 18:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; +*Luk 21:36, Act 1:14; Act 2:42; *Act 6:4; Act 9:11; Act 10:2; Act 10:9; Act 12:5, Rom 1:9; *Rom 12:12, **Php 4:6, Col 1:9; *Col 4:2, 1Th 3:10; +*1Th 5:17, 1Ti 5:5, 2Ti 1:3.

all prayer. FS93A, +Gen 1:26. By Hendiadys, “supplicating prayer.” T1307.

supplication. Gr. deēsis (S# G1162, 1Ti 2:1). 1Ki 8:52; 1Ki 8:54; 1Ki 8:59; 1Ki 9:3, Est 4:8, Dan 9:3; Dan 9:20, Hos 12:4, Mat 18:19, Luk 22:40, +*1Ti 2:1, Heb 5:7.

in the. T1410: Eph 2:22, Zec 12:10, *Joh 4:23; *Joh 4:24, Act 2:4; Act 9:31, +*Rom 8:15; +Rom 8:26; Rom 8:27, 1Co 14:15, Gal 4:6, Php 3:3, **Jud 1:20.

Spirit. Gr. pneuma, +Mat 3:16. Eph 2:18.

watching. Literally, lying sleepless. *Mat 26:41, Mar 1:35; *Mar 13:33; Mar 14:34; Mar 14:38, +**Luk 21:36; Luk 22:46, 1Co 16:13, *Col 4:2, 1Th 5:6, Heb 13:17, *1Pe 4:7.

all perseverance. Gen 18:29; Gen 18:31; *Gen 32:24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, =Exo 17:11; =Exo 17:12, 1Sa 1:12, 1Ki 18:43, **Job 1:5, Mat 15:25, 26, 27, 28; Mat 17:21, Mar 10:48, Luk 11:5, 6, 7, 8; Luk 18:1, 2, 3,, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, +Act 1:14.

and. FS93A, +Gen 1:26.

supplication. See on Eph 6:19, Eph 1:16; Eph 3:8; Eph 3:18, Mar 9:29, Act 12:5, 2Co 1:11, Php 1:4; Php 1:19, Col 1:4, 1Ti 2:1; 1Ti 5:5, Phm 1:5, 1Pe 3:7.

all saints. Eph 1:15, Act 9:13, +2Co 1:1.

 

 

 

 

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Daily Bible Nugget #858, Psalm 119:11

Posted on June 5, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Nugget:

Psalm 119:11  Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

The Challenge:

Ask any Muslim, regardless of race, to recite surahs (not verses) from the Quran. Then, try asking any Christian to recite several verses only from the Gospel in Greek (or even in English).

My Comments:

[Dean Crossley presented the full chart of the conjugation of the Greek verb for “loose” to show how the Greek verb in its various forms very precisely conveys the type of action intended as a comparison to Arabic in a discussion of which language was superior for communicating truth most accurately to the widest audience.]

l had to learn those conjugations and much more by heart when I took two years of New Testament Greek at Bob Jones University. I have been studying Greek ever since and have much more to learn, though. I only know of two English translations of the Greek NT which properly render the subjunctive mood (and the middle voice) consistently and adequately into English [Young’s Literal Translation and the Lavender New Testament]. This has a most important bearing on understanding Bible doctrine!

As for memorization, my elderly friend, Uncle Frank Burrell, who lived in the Grand Hotel which was next to my apartment building on Fort Street, about eight blocks west of the Ambassador Bridge, in southwest Detroit, had lived in the same hotel room since 1920 when I first met him in 1963 or 1964. He had retired from Kelvinator in 1950. Uncle Frank had memorized the entire New Testament in English. He told me he did that so he could discuss the Bible with others without having to turn through the printed pages of the Bible. He knew the Old Testament nearly as well. He was an expert in the types of the Old Testament, especially the Tabernacle. I inherited his library.

Many people have memorized the entire Bible or the entire New Testament.

If Uncle Frank could do this as an ordinary blue collar factory worker out of personal interest, it is not unreasonable to believe many other Christians have done the same.

PixelMistakePicasso asked:

May I ask which version of the Bible your friend memorized? It’s important to note that your friend didn’t memorize “the Bible” in its original form; they memorized an English translation of it. When it comes to the Quran, it was originally revealed in Arabic, and Muslims memorize it in Arabic, word for word. This means that regardless of any translations into different languages, Muslims still retain the original Arabic version in their memory. This practice ensures that no one can intentionally or unintentionally alter even a single word of the Quran, even after thousands of years. The memorization of the Quran is a means of preserving it as the Final Revelation from God, since there will be no subsequent revelation to correct any corruption if it were to occur. While the Gospel (Injeel) revealed to Jesus or the Torah given to Moses could have been corrupted, it is understandable because they are not the final revelations. This is why God did not promise in the Torah or the Injeel that those texts would be protected from alteration.

this is one example why memorization is important in preservation.

“He led the team to victory” vs. “He let the team to victory.”

Changing “led” to “let” alters the meaning significantly.

My answer:

My friend Uncle Frank memorized the Bible as I described above in English, in the King James Version.

Remember that you said in your comment above, “or even in English.”

My elderly friend was still studying NT Greek and Greek grammar clear into his mid eighties.

Though he was just a blue collar factory worker in Detroit at Kelvinator (a manufacturer of wood burning cookstoves–my grandparents in North Dakota had that brand of stove in their farmhouse), he certainly knew his Bible well.

He was an expert on the subject of baptism. In his younger days he debated Baptists on the issue of the mode of baptism. No one could defeat him on this subject in a debate!

Dean Crossley’s response to PixelMistakePicasso:

I don’t think you fully grasp the point that Ehrman was making when he emphasized the importance of written evidence to prove that what is being recited today in the 21st century is the same as that of the 7th.

Please re-read that section from Ehrman:

“”Unless the text is written down someplace, there is no way actually to *check* to see. So unless you have WRITTEN evidence that goes back to the seventh century (in this case), there is no way to know. That’s why such manuscript discoveries are important.”

My response to Dean Crossley:

There was a sign prominently displayed on the school security office door at Denby High School in Detroit, Michigan at the time I was a teacher there.

The sign read:

IF IT IS NOT WRITTEN, IT DID NOT HAPPEN.

 

Dig deeper into what God’s Word teaches for Psalm 119:11 by carefully studying the cross references given for this verse in The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

Psalms 119:11
Thy word. [Heb. imrah, S# H565. Psa 119:38; Psa 119:41; Psa 119:50; Psa 119:58; Psa 119:67; Psa 119:76; Psa 119:82; Psa 119:103; Psa 119:116; Psa 119:123; Psa 119:133; Psa 119:140; Psa 119:148; Psa 119:154; Psa 119:158; Psa 119:162; Psa 119:170; Psa 119:172, Gen 4:23 (speech). Psa 12:6 (the only place where the plural is found)] *Psa 119:97; Psa 119:105; Psa 119:125, **Psa 1:2; **Psa 37:31; *Psa 40:8, Deut 6:6; Deut 11:18; Deut 32:46, *Job 22:22; **Job 23:12, *Pro 2:1; Pro 2:10; Pro 2:11, Isa 51:7, **Jer 15:16; Jer 20:9, Luk 2:19; Luk 2:51, +*Joh 5:38; Joh 5:39, **Col 3:16, 1Jn 2:14.

hid. T1070 (The Scriptures to be: Laid up in the heart), T1088 (Saints hide Scripture in their hearts). Psa 119:16; Psa 119:98, +Deut 6:6; Deut 11:18, **Jos 1:8, 1Sa 21:12, Jer 31:33, Eze 3:3, Luk 8:15, 2Co 3:3.

in mine heart. Psa 37:31; Psa 40:8, Deut 6:6; Deut 11:18, 1Sa 21:12, Pro 3:1; Pro 3:3; Pro 4:4; Pro 16:23, Eze 3:10, Dan 7:28, Mat 12:35, Luk 1:66; Luk 6:45; Luk 8:15, Joh 15:7, 1Jn 2:14; 1Jn 2:24, 3Jn 1:3.

that I. Psa 119:16; Psa 119:125; Psa 119:133; Psa 119:165, Psa 18:21, 22, 23; *Psa 19:11; Psa 19:13, Deut 4:9, Jos 24:22, 1Ch 28:8, Neh 13:3, Pro 3:23; Pro 6:22, **+Joh 8:11 note. +*Joh 17:6; Joh 17:17, +**1Co 15:34, Eph 6:17, 18, +*2Ti 3:16.

 

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Daily Bible Nugget #857, James 2:24

Posted on June 4, 2024 by Jerry

 

The Nugget:

Jas 2:24  Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

My Comment:

This is Part 4 of How to resolve differing interpretations of the Bible.

The Challenge:

  1. James 2:24 (Catholicism vs. Protestantism): “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” Catholics cite this to support the necessity of faith and works for salvation, contrasting many Protestant views that emphasize salvation by faith alone.

My Response:

Reading James 2:24 in its immediate context shows that James is writing of faith as it can be seen by men:

Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

How can others see that you have faith? They see your faith by observing how you live.

Earlier in James chapter 2, James has stressed that it is impossible to keep the whole law:

Jas 2:10  For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Therefore, no one can keep the Law of God perfectly enough to merit eternal life.

Thus, anyone who depends upon their supposedly good works to merit eternal life is still lost in their sins and is not saved.

Therefore, the Roman Catholic view that works are necessary for salvation is absolutely mistaken.

Those who have true faith in God and our Lord Jesus Christ experience the new birth, the birth from above, and are born again (John 3:3, 7):

Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Joh 3:7  Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

False religions and false cults mistakenly believe that they are born again when they are water baptized. They make this claim by misreading John 3:5.

Joh 3:5  Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

John 3:5 is not a reference to ritual water baptism but a reference to real baptism by the Holy Spirit which takes place when you place your faith for salvation in our Lord Jesus Christ in accordance with His promise:

Joh 5:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Those who have experienced the real baptism by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13) which results from believing what God has said in His written word (1 Thessalonians 2:13) found in the Bible will produce the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25).

1Co 12:13  For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

1Th 2:13  For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

The Roman Catholic view that salvation is dependent upon our works is therefore mistaken. Salvation is based upon believing who Jesus is, believing that God sent Him, and believing the gracious promise of Jesus to receive the gift of eternal life that only He can offer (John 17:2). A works-based salvation rather than a faith-based salvation that results in genuine regenerative change (Titus 3:5) is a rejection of the gift God has promised and a substitution of a man-made, not Bible based, plan of salvation which will lead to the eternal loss of those who mistakenly embrace it (John 10:1, 7).

Joh 17:2  As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

Tit 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Joh 10:1  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

Joh 10:7  Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

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