Did God forsake Jesus on the cross, Part 3

The Nugget:

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

My Comment:

Once again my Muslim participant has brought forth more very good questions.

The Questions:

Is it not clear from the Bible itself that in this is incident, among many others, Jesus didn’t utter the expression in question in Greek? All the translations give the expression in another language: “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?”

So it doesn’t matter whether Jesus spoke Greek or not, or if Matthew was originally written in Greek or not, because clearly Jesus did not utter the expression in Greek.

Furthermore, concerning ‘forsaken’ or ‘left’, I said that even if the translation was as you claim, the question was: If there is the absolute unity, why would Jesus complain against whoever left him about being left in the ‘redemptive role’? Why would he question “Why”? Did he not understand? Or was Jesus forced to be there by the God he was calling without his consent? Did he not want it?

Furthermore, if there is that absolute unity among the Godhead as you strongly claim, then, when Jesus died at the cross, did all three die likewise? Or were they separated so that only 1/3rd of the Godhead died? Or did he not die at all?

My Response:

Adil Abdurahman, once again you have asked some excellent questions.
 
First of all, those of us who are Bible-believing Christians understand that the very words contained in the Bible are given by divine inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God….”). Divine inspiration extends to the books of the New Testament (2 Peter 3:15, 16;  1 Timothy 5:18).
 
Now, as for what is said by Jesus on the cross as recorded in Matthew 27:46, though it is true that Jesus spoke these words in Aramaic, not Greek, Matthew furnishes his translation and explanation by divine inspiration in Greek. It is the explanation in Greek that contains the divinely intended meaning of what Jesus said. Therefore, the full explanation of the Greek which I gave is both pertinent and correct. The scholarly documentation for what I have said can be found readily in J. H. Moulton, A Grammar of New Testament Greek, Volume II:  Accidence and Word Formation, Section 118 (a), page 305, just over one-third of the way down the page. The only English translation that gets this matter correct is Lavender’s New Testament, page 57, note i.
 
Scholarly documentation for my assertion that Matthew was originally written in Greek, not Aramaic, and that certain sayings of Jesus Himself must have been spoken in Greek, will be found in A Grammar of New Testament Greek, Volume IV, page 38 and also Grammatical Insights, page 181, both works written by Nigel Turner, who continued and completed the work of Dr. J. H. Moulton after Dr. Moulton’s death, and published by T. & T. Clark, Edinburgh. I have placed a note at Matthew 16:18 regarding the significance of the Figure of Speech Paronomasia, “which shows that Matthew was originally written in Greek, and is not a translation from the Aramaic” (see The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge at Matthew 16:18 or The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury at Matthew 16:18 for additional details).
 
Jesus predicted the manner of His death several times before the events took place (see Mark 8:31 and Luke 9:22; Matthew 16:21).
 
A very significant text will be found in John 2:18-22,
 
Joh 2:18  Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? 
Joh 2:19  Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 
Joh 2:20  Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? 
Joh 2:21  But he spake of the temple of his body. 
Joh 2:22  When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. 
 
Recall that when Peter drew his sword when Jesus was about to be taken and arrested, Jesus responded:
 
Mat 26:51  And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote off his ear. 
Mat 26:52  Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. 
Mat 26:53  Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? 
Mat 26:54  But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be? 
 
From this event, we are assured that Jesus knew very well what He was getting into. Jesus asserted that He could at will summon a superior force of angels–the margin of my Bible says 72,000 angels, to defeat the force arrayed or gathered against Him. But Jesus did not do so. Why? Because, Jesus said, “But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be?”
 
Jesus plainly tells us that He did what He did voluntarily:
 
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. 
 
The Scripture further tells us that Jesus did what He did for us “for the joy that was set before him”:
 
Heb 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 
Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 
 
The central message of the Gospel may be read in John 3:16,
 
Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 
Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 
Joh 3:18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 
Joh 3:19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 
Joh 3:20  For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 
Joh 3:21  But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. 
 
From the Bible, we learn that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He was truly man and is still truly man. He had two natures:  a divine nature and a human nature. In His human nature he could and did suffer pain, and of course, like any human being would respond to that pain because it was truly felt. Yet, despite the agony experienced on the cross, Jesus endured the cross, He died to make atonement for our sins, and the proof that what He did was accepted by God resides in the fact that God raised Jesus bodily from the dead “on the third day,” as Jesus predicted, as the prophets proclaimed in word or in type, in fulfillment of the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

As to the question, did Jesus actually die? The answer is unequivocally, Yes. We have the testimony of the Centurion who was on the scene. We have the testimony of John, the disciple Jesus loved, who was there and wrote graphically of what he saw. We have the fact that Pilate was surprised that Jesus died so quickly, and requested and sent for proof or assurance of the fact before he would agree to release the body to Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus for burial.

 
 
 
 
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Did God forsake Jesus on the Cross, Part 2

The Nugget:

Mar 15:34  And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 

My Comment:

After my post of October 3, 2017 on Facebook, another Muslim participant replied with several excellent questions.

 

The Question Posed:

He asked, “What major difference is there between the translation you have given and the popular translation?

“To forsake means:  to leave permanently. So it’s just a choice of words.

“Besides, Jesus most likely spoke Aramaic, and most definitely not Greek. So that makes your argument less effective because it focuses on the Greek.

“Further, the next verses indicate that he was actually complaining against someone because the people witnessing the event, if it ever occurred, thought so.

It says,

“Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, ‘This man is calling for Elijah!’ Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to him to drink. The rest said, ‘Let him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save him.” [Matthew 27:47 – 49]

Furthermore, if it is as you say, that God left Jesus in that circumstance, the question would still not be averted. Why would God leave the other God in whatever circumstance the latter God was? And why would the latter God complain against the former God for living him in the “redemptive” role? Was there, therefore, a disagreement between the Godhead as to the redemptive role? And how can one God leave another God in any circumstance if there is absolute unity in the Godhead?”

My Response:

Adil Abdurahman, you ask some very good questions, and make some most interesting assertions.
 
Jesus certainly spoke Aramaic, but the linguistic evidence demonstrates forcefully and clearly that He knew Greek and spoke Greek as well.
 
How do we know this? We know this on the basis of certain figures of speech found in the record of what Jesus said. The figures exist in the Greek text, but are so natural to the flow of thought that it is certain they are not the result of “translation Greek.” This, by the way, is a major argument supporting the fact that Matthew was originally written in Greek, and is not a translation from a previous Aramaic source document. [See Nigel Turner, Grammatical Insights, p. 181;  Grammar of N.T. Greek, vol. iv. p. 38]
 
Therefore, the distinctions maintained in the Greek text of the New Testament are intentional distinctions placed there by the authors of those documents. Certain types of distinctions are very, very regular and so cannot be the result of chance or accident. This is particularly the case with the use of the subjunctive mood in Greek, a feature not usually conveyed in English translations, though it is an exceedingly important matter.
 
“Forsake” is not at all the same as “left” in the context of Matthew 27:46. “Forsake” is actually a wrong translation, though it is the usual one.
 
Christ was “left,” but in what sense? He was left “in” the redemptive role. The circumstance in which the Savior was left was the act of Atonement through death by bloodshed. Our Lord was not forsaken, abandoned, separated from the Father–impossible. This would require the absurd impossibility that Jesus dropped out of the Trinity, which cannot be because God is in essence and being One. But He was left in the sense of redemption to do the work of redemption. He was left to “tread the winepress alone.” He was left alone to do what only the Incarnate God-man of hypostatical union could do–left alone but not alone. “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).
 
There is not the remotest  possibility, therefore, that Christ could have been separated from God–the Trinity.  The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, though distinct in Person, are the same in nature, and thus have no separate existence! The Trinity were one God even as Christ was upon the cross.
 
The presumption that God must differ from Himself in order to be able to save–Christ made sin, forsaken by the Father–is blasphemy and unbelief! He is a Savior intrinsically!  Immutably!  Eternally! In and by Himself Exclusively! Herein the Calvary event is rescued from the absurdities of penal atonement imposed on this text (Matthew 27:46;  see Mark 15:34).
 
The same word, egkatelipen, is used of Demas forsaking Paul (2 Timothy 4:10). Thus  Paul was “left,” but in what sense? He was “left in the plight” of desertion. The purpose of the “leaving” declares the difference in meaning;  Demas’ purpose was “another love,” requiring a separation; God’s purpose was “redemption,” requiring togetherness and oneness.

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Did God forsake Jesus on the cross?

The Nugget:

Mat 27:46  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

My Comment:

This text of Scripture has been misunderstood and mistranslated in virtually all English Bible translations.

The translations we trust are faulty here, probably because of a built-in but unrecognized doctrinal bias in favor of a very mistaken Penal Satisfaction theory of the Atonement.

The more I study the Greek text with the help of the Lavender Translation and my shelves of Greek grammars, the more I come to see that we are almost hopelessly entangled in doctrinal error based on a tradition that takes us back not to the Bible, but to Anselm, who wrote a volume attempting to answer the question “Why did Christ have to die?”

This systematic error makes it much more difficult to present the Gospel in its fullness here at home and on the mission field.

Case in point:  on a Facebook website discussion in a group called “Christianity and Islam Friendly Debate” a Muslim from Bauchi, Nigeria, posted this question:

“If Jesus died willingly and deliberately for the sins of others, why he prayed to God to escape him from dead?”

In other words, “Why did Jesus pray to God to keep him from dying?” is what I think the poster might have meant. It is hard to tell.

I answered, “Your question is not clear to me. Jesus prayed, ‘If it be possible.’ Jesus prayed ‘if it be thy will.’ If we consider John 10:18 and context and Hebrews 12:1, 2 we find Jesus voluntarily gave Himself for us, and did so with joy.”

In a following comment, the poster asks “How do one imagine that God will cry to another God for help?” with a citation of Mark 15:34 and a reference to Matthew 27:46.

He further comments, “I think no Christian in his sense could believe that his God was crying for help from another God. If you are one of those that believe Jesus as God you better change your mind before you die.”

I commented:  “It would help very much if you understood the New Testament more accurately.”

In reply, the poster said to me, “empty words the Bible says let no one to deceive you with empty words.”

My Response:

In the first place, Saraki Saraki, our usual translations of Matthew 27:46 into English and no doubt into other languages do not properly convey the intended meaning of the original Greek text. Here is a much better translation:
 
“My God! My God! Why did you leave me in this circumstance?”
 
The words “did You leave…in this circumstance” translates Egkataleipes, an aorist active indicative from evgkataleipo, egkataleipō. The term is a compound word made up of en (in), kata (down, downwards), and leipō (to leave). So in keeping with its definitive characteristics, the word means to leave in some circumstance.
 
Noted Greek grammarian Moulton in volume 2, section 118a on page 305 notes this word points “to the plight in which the victim is left.”
 
The meaning in the context of Matthew 27:46 is that Christ was left in the redemptive role.
 
The Father did not forsake the Son on the cross. This is a popular heresy that denies the Unity of the Trinity, the Oneness of God at Calvary, and the Immutability of the Godhead.
 
As generally but wrongly translated, this verse gives support to the penal atonement theory–that Christ was punished in atonement. In order for Christ to be punished, He must be “made sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21, another instance of gross mistranslation, where “made sin” should be translated “take sin”), the basis on which the Father is said to have “forsaken” the Son.
 
The Father did not forsake the Son as He was dying on the cross, in the very act of reconciling the world to Himself (see 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19).
 
There is much more to be learned from the Bible about this most important subject, but to keep this comment from being too long I’ll stop here.

Just now, the Muslim responded with a single word:  “lier.”

I replied, “That is hardly an acceptable reply in a discussion or debate. I documented my assertions with citations both from scholarly resources about Greek grammar, citing Moulton, and citations from the Bible itself. If “lier” is your best response, you have lost the debate!

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What are “Reciprocal References”?

Dear Ken,

 

Reciprocal references are links backward or forward to all other passages that contain a cross reference to the passage you are consulting. The original Treasury of Scripture Knowledge contained references to 1 Corinthians 15:55, but at 1 Corinthians 15:55 there was not a reference given pointing back to each of those references. Here are the original 1 Corinthians 15:55 references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:

 

1 Corinthians 15:55

O death: Hos_13:14

sting: Act_9:5; Rev_9:10 *Gr.

grave: or, hell, Luk_16:23; Act_2:27; Rev_20:13-14 *Gr.

is thy victory: Job_18:13-14; Psa_49:8-15, Psa_89:48; Ecc_2:15-16, Ecc_3:19, Ecc_8:8, Ecc_9:5-6; Rom_5:14

 

 

Here are the reciprocal references not given in the original Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:

 

Reciprocal: Job_41:22 – is turned into joy Psa_16:10 – my Psa_23:4 – I will Pro_14:32 – the righteous Isa_51:13 – where is Mat_16:18 – and the Luk_6:48 – the flood 1Co_15:26General 2Ti_1:10 – who Heb_2:14 – destroy Rev_6:2 – and he went Rev_6:8 – was Death,

All these reciprocal references will be found to contain a cross reference to 1 Corinthians 15:55.

 

Here are the cross references to 1 Corinthians 15:55 as given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge:
1 Corinthians 15:55

 

O death. T853. *Psa_23:4; *Psa_37:37; *Psa_48:14; *Psa_49:15; *Psa_73:26; *Pro_14:32; Isa_25:8; *Hos_13:14; +✓Rom_8:38; Rom_8:39; 2Co_4:16; *2Ti_1:12; Heb_2:14; Heb_2:15

sting. Act_9:5; Act_26:14; Rev_9:10

grave. or, hell. Gr. hades, +Mat_11:23; Hades is the New Testament Greek equivalent of the Hebrew sheol. Its meaning is not merely the grave, as a reference to the notes on sheol will prove. +*Gen_37:35 n. Job_17:13; Psa_49:15; Psa_141:7; +*Ecc_9:10; Isa_14:9 n. Luk_16:23; Act_2:27; Rev_20:13; Rev_20:14 g.

is thy victory. Job_18:13; Job_18:14; Psa_49:8-15; Psa_89:48; Ecc_2:15; Ecc_2:16; Ecc_3:19; Ecc_8:8; Ecc_9:5; Ecc_9:6; Rom_5:14

You can see that when I did the work on The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge by hand I missed many of the reciprocal references.

 

Here are the references as they now stand in my newest work, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury:

 

1 Corinthians 15:55

O death. T853, 1Co_15:26, *Psa_23:4; *Psa_37:37; *Psa_48:14; *Psa_49:15; *Psa_73:26, *Pro_14:32, *Isa_25:8, *>Hos_13:14, +**Rom_8:38; +**Rom_8:39, 2Co_4:16, *2Ti_1:12, *Heb_2:14; *Heb_2:15, Rev_6:8.

where is. Job_41:22, Psa_16:10, Isa_51:13, +*Luk_6:48, 2Ti_1:10, Rev_6:2.

sting. 1Co_15:56, Act_9:5; +Act_26:14 g. Rev_9:10 g.

grave. or, hell. Gr. hades, +Mat_11:23, Hades is the New Testament Greek equivalent of the Hebrew sheol. Its meaning is not merely the grave, as a reference to the notes on sheol will prove. +*Gen_37:35 note. Job_17:13, **+Psa_9:17; Psa_49:15; Psa_141:7, +*Ecc_9:10, Isa_14:9 note. Mat_16:18, Luk_16:23, Act_2:27, Rev_20:13-14 g.

is thy victory. Job_18:13-14, Psa_49:8-15; Psa_89:48, Ecc_2:15-16; Ecc_3:19; Ecc_8:8; Ecc_9:5-6, Rom_5:14.

 

 

 

Additional reciprocal references to 1 Corinthians 15:55 found in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge discovered by doing a “reciprocal search” on 1 Corinthians 15:55 using my Logos 7 Bible software:

Psalm 88:10.  Psalm 116:15.  Psalm 39:13.  2 Timothy 1:10.  Revelation 20:13.  Joshua 4:23.  Numbers 23:10.  Proverbs 29:6.  Romans 8:11.  Proverbs 12:28.  Leviticus 14:7.  Matthew 16:18.  Isaiah 38:17.  Psalm 9:6.  **Luke 16:23.  Romans 16:25.  **Revelation 21:4.  Matthew 22:31.  **Philippians 3:21.  Revelation 2:10.  +*Hebrews 6:2.  John 11:25.  Revelation 1:18.  Luke 6:48.  **Philippians 1:21.  Genesis 3:15.  Colossians 2:15.  Matthew 11:23.

When these newly found reciprocal references are integrated into the cross references given for 1 Corinthians 15:55 in The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury we now have this set of expanded cross references available for study:

  1. O death.   T#853. ver. 26 (1 Cor 15:26).  Nu 23:10.  *Ps 23:4.  *Ps 37:37.  39:13.  *Ps 48:14.  *Ps 49:15.  *Ps 73:26.  88:10.  **Ps 116:15.  *Pr 14:32.  *Is 25:8.  *>Ho 13:14.  +**Ro 8:38, 39.  16:25.  2 Cor 4:16.  **Phil 1:21.  *2 Tim 1:10, 12.  *He 2:14, 15.  Re 1:18.  6:8.  20:13.  where is.  +*Ge 3:15.  =Le 14:7.  =Jsh 4:23.  Jb 41:22.  Ps 9:6.  *Ps 16:10.  *Pr 12:28.  29:6.  Is 38:17.  51:13.  +*Mt 22:31.  +*Lk 6:48.  Jn 11:25.  **Ro 8:11.  **Phil 3:21.  Col 2:15.  2 Tim 1:10.  +*He 6:2.  Re 2:10.  6:2.  **Re 21:4.  sting. ver. 56 (1 Cor 15:56).  Ac 9:5.  +Ac 26:14g.  Re 9:10g.  grave. or, hell.  Gr. hades, +Mt 11:23. Hades is the New Testament Greek equivalent of the Hebrew sheol.  Its meaning is not merely the grave, as a reference to the notes on sheol will prove.  +*Ge 37:35n.  Jb 17:13.  **+Ps 9:17.  49:15.  141:7.  +*Ec 9:10.  Is 14:9n.  Mt 11:23.  16:18.  **Lk 16:23.  Ac 2:27.  Re 1:18.  20:13, 14g.  is thy victory.  Jb 18:13, 14.  Ps 49:8-15.  89:48.  Ec 2:15, 16.  3:19.  8:8.  9:5, 6.  Ro 5:14.

 

 

So, thank you, Ken for such a good question that led to this very fruitful further study of the cross references for 1 Corinthians 15:55.

 

Jerry

 

 

 

 

greetings jerry I was blest in my study of the cross references on 1 Cor 15:55. I read about reciprocal cross references but I am not sure what that meant really.

 

Do you have anything I could read on it. One of the things that attracted me to the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge was when I heard John MacArthur urge that we should pay close attention to the NT references in OT passages and look them up. I have done just that and that’s what gets me excited about Bible study!

Like in 1 Cor 15.55 do you go back to OT references and look those up? I have the Cross Reference Guide right here on my desk ready to go this morning.

Thank you again for your ministry of the word.

 

Ken

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What Does God Hate, Part Four

Pro 6:16  These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 

Pro 6:17  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 

Pro 6:18  An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 

My Comment:

The fourth thing God hates is “An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations” (Proverbs 6:18).

This post is the fourth in a series. Part Three was posted here on April 19, 2017 [https://realbiblestudy.com/?p=2302].

In modern English, Proverbs 6:18 has been translated to read “those who make evil plans or are quick to do wrong,” by the Contemporary English Version (CEV).

This verse has application to both political issues on any level as well as to the personal lives of every individual.

What God thinks about those who “devise wicked imaginations” is made very clear by studying the cross references, which I share below. I just studied this verse in depth this morning and expanded the number of cross references given to even more than is available in the published edition of The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury. What God thinks should be of comfort and encouragement to those who are on God’s side, and an even greater terror to the wicked. If you will take the time to read these references you will be blessed, encouraged, and instructed, I’m sure.

Cross Reference Study of Proverbs 6:18

Pro 6:18  An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations,

18.  heart that deviseth.  ver. +*Pr 6:14.  Pr 3:29.  *Pr 14:22.  24:8.   +**Ge 6:5.  2 S 16:20, 21.  +**Ps 5:9.  *Ps 36:4.  *Je 4:14.  Da 6:5, 11, 12.  Mic 2:1.  *Zec 8:17.  wicked imaginations.  Pr 12:2.  14:17.  15:26.  *Ge 19:4.  +**Dt 7:25.  +**Ps 101:3.  Ezk 38:10.  +*Zec 7:10.

 Since some readers here may not be able to read each reference given above by hovering the mouse pointer over the reference (an action which should open a little window that displays the text of the verse), I will present the text of the first several verses in full, with further comments about some of them.

heart that deviseth.

(1) ver. +*Pr 6:14.

Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. 

This verse, from the same chapter, tells more about the character of individuals who “devise mischief.” “Frowardness” in the original Hebrew is translated from a word that means fraud or perversity.

We see evidence of this kind of behavior among some politicians, but they are not the only ones exhibiting this kind of bad character. The point is, God hates such activity and disposition in a person. I believe the only viable solution for this character problem is for a person to become rightly related to our Lord Jesus Christ.

(2) Proverbs 3:29

Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

The connection between Proverbs 3:29 “evil” and Proverbs 6:18 “mischief” is that both verses contain the same Hebrew word (Strong Number H7451) but are translated differently into English by the KJV. God hates those who devise evil against others, in whatever form it takes.

(3) Proverbs 14:22

Pro 14:22  Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good. 

I have noticed that it is frequently the case in the Bible that wherever the word “err” occurs you will find a cause/effect relationship statement. These form a fascinating field of Bible study. I have given a full list of the examples I have found in my note at Psalm 9:10 in The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury and also in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.  For Proverbs 14:28, “devising evil” (the cause) results in a person being in error (the effect); “devising good” (the cause) results in a person being blessed by mercy and truth (the effect).

(4) Proverbs 24:8

Pro 24:8  He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a mischievous person.

Young (of Young’s Concordance fame, as well as Young’s Literal Translation of the Bible) renders “a mischievous person” as “a master of wicked thoughts.”

That brings to mind a problem in our society today. George Soros seems to be behind a number of evil activities that have gone on, for which he is said to have paid the participants in those activities. Another unfortunate problem of a different kind–it is reported that there may be very few “honest” politicians in Congress, for many of them have been compromised and are therefore under the control of other wicked forces that promote and carry on such nefarious activities as child sex trafficking, and therefore they must do the bidding of those who hold the evidence against them in reserve in case they do not cooperate. This is a very serious problem nationally and internationally among political leaders, if the reports I’ve heard, seen and read are true. In any case, we need to obey the Bible and pray for those in authority over us in the government that they may be released from the control brought about by this great evil. This ties in to the important truth given at Psalm 101:3,

I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

To escape these snares and pitfalls, we must follow the advice given in Psalm 119:63,

Psa 119:63  I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts. 

We must totally avoid all compromising relationships, whether at school, on the job, in government, in Congress, and even in Christian ministry. Even very innocent and well-intentioned persons can be falsely accused of evil behavior by the kind of persons God declares He hates, including those with hearts that devise wicked imaginations, that is evil plans, to cause another’s downfall. Therefore, be very careful in all your associations, words, and actions so that they cannot be taken the wrong way. Live a life of such good character such that if you are falsely accused, no one will believe the accusation.

There are yet more fascinating cross references to cover, but if I take the time to cover them all here in writing, few will be patient enough to read it all. But I have shared my expanded cross references above so that you can follow up on them by your own study.

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Daily Bible Nugget #463, 1 Timothy 5:23

The Nugget:

1Timothy 5:23  Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.

My Comment:

This verse is one of the most misapplied verses in the Bible. To suppose that Paul would advise Timothy to partake of alcoholic beverage for the health of his stomach ailments is absurd. In the first place, in New Testament times wine was not distilled in a manner to make it more alcoholic or potent as is done in modern times. Of course, in Paul and Timothy’s day refrigeration was not available, so grape juice could be fermented. But the better understanding of what Paul was recommending would be to take Paul’s advice to Timothy in the sense of consume more fresh fruit juice. Paul elsewhere in this same letter to Timothy commanded total abstinence, according to the proper translation of the Greek text (1 Timothy 3:2).

This issue was just raised on Facebook on a site where Muslims and Christians exchange views.

My Response:

A resource I have addresses 1 Timothy 5:23 as follows:
 
“These words have been the excuse for much drinking. Timothy had been carefully trained by his godly mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5) and was evidently abstemious in his habits. The old missionary, worried about the frail health of his young friend, advised him to use the fruit of grapes which grew there in abundance. St. Paul was the forerunner of today’s popular acceptance of the therapeutic value of fresh fruit juices for digestion and general health. While St. Paul may have known nothing about vitamins, he did know that fresh fruit juices were healthful for digestion” (B. R. Palmer, “The Bible and the Use of the Word ‘Wine,'” page 4).
 
Other New Testament passages in the original Greek text command total abstinence from what we today call alcoholic beverages, as at 1 Timothy 3:2, where the Greek is more correctly to be translated “without wine” which the Friberg lexicon defines “…strictly holding no wine, without wine; abstinent.”
 
Therefore, the better part of wisdom is to remain totally abstinent.

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Is Jesus Christ like Moses or not?

The Nugget:

Deuteronomy 18:15  The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;

My Comment:

Some Muslims deny that Jesus is like Moses. They deny that Jesus is “that prophet, like unto thee” that God promised Moses should come.

Instead, Muslims claim that Jesus is unlike Moses in various aspects, including His miraculous birth, His death and resurrection, and so forth.

Rather, some Muslims seek to establish that there are predictions in the Old Testament and the New Testament that a prophet should arise who is greater than Jesus Christ, and that Prophet, whom they claim is the promised Comforter, is Muhammed.

My Response to the Muslim Claim that Jesus is not like Moses:

To say that Jesus is not like Moses is contrary to what the Bible itself teaches.
 
(1) Christ was like Moses as a Prophet.
 
Deuteronomy 34:10
10  And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,
King James Version
 
Luke 24:19
19  And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
King James Version
 
(2) Christ was like Moses as a Mediator.
 
Deuteronomy 5:5
5  (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount;) saying,
King James Version
 
1 Timothy 2:5
5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
King James Version
 
Hebrews 8:6
6  But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
King James Version
 
(3) Christ was like Moses in Excellency.
 
Moses excelled all the prophets in speaking to God mouth to mouth (Numbers 12:6-8); Christ excelled Moses and all men in that being in the bosom of the Father, He has come down from heaven and declared God to us (John 1:18;  John 3:13).
 
Numbers 12:6
6  And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
King James Version
Numbers 12:7
7  My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
King James Version
Numbers 12:8
8  With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
King James Version
 
John 1:18
18  No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
King James Version
 
John 3:13
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.
King James Version
 
(4) Christ was like to Moses in Faithfulness.
 
Christ excelled Moses in faithfulness, for Moses was faithful in God’s house as a servant, but Christ as the son over his own house.
 
Hebrews 3:2
2  Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
King James Version
 
Hebrews 3:5
5  And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;
King James Version
 
Hebrews 3:6
6  But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
King James Version
 
(5) Christ was like to Moses in signs and wonders, wherein he also excelled Moses.
 
Luke 24:19
19  And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
King James Version
 
Acts 2:22
22  Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
King James Version
 
Act 10:38  How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
 
John 15:24
24  If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
King James Version
 
(6) As Moses was king among his people, Christ in this respect is like Moses, but infinitely greater, for Jesus Christ is King of kings and Lord of lords.
 
Revelation 19:16
16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
King James Version
 
1 Timothy 6:15
15  Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;
King James Version
 
(7) Christ was like Moses as a legislator. Moses gave Israel the Law of God. Christ gave a new law, the Gospel, and a new commandment, the Law of Love. Furthermore, God never commissioned any human beings to give laws to mankind but Moses and Christ; and therefore, as a lawgiver, Christ alone resembles Moses, for none but themselves have given laws in the name of God, which He has ratified and confirmed by the most certain and infallible signs, proofs, and miracles.
 
Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments. 
 
John 13:34
34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
King James Version
 

 

 
 
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What users say about the Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury

“This is a great, great add on. Worth every cent. Far richer than the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge Cross References, which I have used for years and have often grieved how much was missing. UCRT Cross References highlight more words and make richer connections across the Scriptures. Highly recommended.” Stephen Kingsley, Craigmont, Idaho

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…reinforces my belief that the greatest commentary of the Bible is the Bible itself. [It] has given me information and references to other verses that give profound insight on the verse I am reading. Surely, the UCRT has lived up to its name as the ultimate cross-reference. I highly recommend to all users…I’m glad and blessed I decided to purchase it.” Rudolfo Sabater, Singapore

I am thankful to the many users of my work, The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury, for taking the time to share their delight in having and using this Bible study tool.

Yet even the most avid users are unlikely to realize all the features this tool contains.

Using this new Bible study tool you can learn:

  • the meaning of all the Bible names
  • the meaning of all the Figures of Speech
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  • how to ground yourself, and for pastors, how to ground your people in the Word of God
  • how to answer false doctrine
  • how to prove the inspiration of Scripture from the Scriptures
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If you read the Bible, you need The Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury!

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Does God have a Son?

The Nugget:

Mat 3:17  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 

My Comment:

Anyone who has read the Bible at all certainly knows that the Bible clearly teaches that God has a Son.

The Muslim Claim:

Muslims claim that God has no Son.

They also claim that Allah has no Son.

The resolution of these contrary claims is simple

This contradiction in claims is very easily resolved.

The Muslims are correct that Allah has no Son.

The Bible is correct that God does have a Son.

Therefore, Allah is not the God of the Bible.

Bible Evidence that God has a Son:

Anyone who claims that God has no Son has not been reading the Bible very carefully.
 
Proverbs 30:4
4  Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?
King James Version
 
Psalms 2:7
7  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
King James Version
 
Matthew 3:17
17  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
King James Version
 
Matthew 8:29
29  And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
King James Version
 
Matthew 14:33
33  Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
King James Version
 
Matthew 16:16
16  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
King James Version
 
Matthew 17:5
5  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.
King James Version
 
Matthew 26:63
63  But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
King James Version
 
Mark 1:1
1  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;
King James Version
 
Mark 1:11
11  And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
King James Version
 
Luke 1:35
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.
King James Version
 
Luke 3:22
22  And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.
King James Version
 
John 3:16-18
16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
King James Version
 
John 5:25
25  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
King James Version
 
John 9:35
35  Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God?
King James Version
 
John 10:36
36  Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?
King James Version
 
John 20:31
31  But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
King James Version
 
Acts 3:13
13  The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
King James Version
 
Acts 8:37
37  And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
King James Version
 
Acts 9:20
20  And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
King James Version
 
Acts 13:33
33  God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
King James Version
 
Romans 1:3
3  Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
King James Version
 
Romans 1:4
4  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:
King James Version
 
Hebrews 1:5
5  For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son?
King James Version
 
Hebrews 5:5
5  So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
King James Version
 
 
The evidence from the Bible that God has a Son, and that God stated plainly and publicly that Jesus Christ is His Son, and that Jesus Himself claimed to be the Son of God, and asserted this at His trial under oath, is conclusive. Read the evidence carefully for yourself.
 
Jesus said,
 
John 5:22  For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: 
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.
 
It is very true that Allah has no son. Therefore, Allah is not the God of the Bible, for the Bible clearly declares repeatedly that God has a Son, and that Jesus Christ is that Son.
 
On Judgment Day you can be absolutely sure that you will learn that Jesus is right, and all who fail to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God are sadly mistaken and will suffer some very negative eternal consequences for failing to believe. Jesus is not only the right way to heaven, He is the ONLY way to heaven.

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Has man ever seen God or not?

The Bible Nugget:

Exodus 33:20  And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live. 

My comment:

The question frequently arises, “Has man ever seen God?” If you say “No,” then you must face many cases in the Bible where individuals, including Abraham and Jacob, are explicitly said to have seen God. If you say “Yes,” then you may be shown such a verse as Exodus 33:20 or even John 1:18.

This is the topic of a post which might have been intended for my consideration on a site where participants are discussing the question, “Jesus or Mohammad, who’s the Right Way to Heaven?”

A presumably Muslim commenter wrote, “Your Bible says no one can see the God of Abraham and live. No…your Bible does not have errors…and since people saw Jesus and lived…it’s settled. Your Bible has no errors. It says people saw and spoke with Jesus as an ordinary man…so Jesus is NOT a god…thanks for agreeing with me about the infallibility of Exodus 33:20.”

My Response:

Not so fast, Greg Abdul. If you know this much about the Bible, how is it you don’t get it right?
 
First of all, there are what can be called “rules of interpretation” which apply to all written works, including the Bible as well as literature.
 
To learn just what it is that the Bible teaches, you must follow those rules.
 
One of the rules is that before you can draw a conclusion, you must take all of the relevant evidence into account that is contained in the Bible.
 
To do that, you must take into account the immediate context, what comes before and what comes after the passage that you reference.
 
Then you must use cross references to find the other passages in the Bible so that you can compare them, and learn what they in their totality actually teach. You can find cross references in the center column or side column of study Bibles. A more complete resource containing far more cross references is a volume called The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
 
Here is a sampling of such cross references for Exodus 33:20,
 
Exodus 24:10
10  And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
King James Version
 
Genesis 32:30
30  And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
King James Version
 
Numbers 12:8
8  With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
King James Version
 
Deuteronomy 5:24
24  And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.
King James Version
 
Judges 6:22
22  And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.
King James Version
 
Judges 13:22
22  And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.
King James Version
 
Isaiah 6:5
5  Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
King James Version
 
John 1:18
18  No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.
King James Version
 
1 Corinthians 13:12
12  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
King James Version
 
1 Timothy 6:16
16  Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.
King James Version
 
Hebrews 1:3
3  Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
King James Version
 
1 John 3:2
2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
King James Version
 
Revelation 1:16-17
16  And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.
17  And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:
King James Version
 
 
We can deduce from the above set of related reference passages that (1) no human being has ever seen God in His absolutely full glory as He displays in heaven itself;  (2) individuals here upon earth have seen God many times as He has revealed Himself to them in the Person of the Angel of the Lord;  (3) a careful study of the subject of the Angel of the Lord, which I have recently posted somewhere here, will demonstrate that in the narratives in Genesis the Angel of the Lord or Angel of Jehovah is in context called both Jehovah and God;  (4) that there are two separate persons called Jehovah who appear together on the same scene in Genesis 19:24, the Jehovah on earth who had been speaking with Abraham, and the Jehovah in heaven who sent destruction on Sodom and Gomorrah; the Jehovah who appeared to Abraham was one of what appeared to be three men who visited with Abraham, and for whom Abraham prepared a meal, as we read in Genesis 18:1, 2 and following context;  (5) we learn from John 1:18 that whenever man saw God in the Old Testament accounts, man actually saw the Second Person of the Godhead, Jesus Christ in His pre-incarnate appearances, so that it is He who has revealed or declared Him–that is, the Father, the First Person of the Godhead;  (6) Jesus claimed to have existed before Abraham, and to have seen Abraham, and that Abraham “rejoiced to see his day” (John 8:56, 58).
 
This is certainly a very interesting subject to study in the Bible. I trust that what I have shared will help you better understand what the Bible teaches about this subject.
Now as to your claim that since Jesus was a man, and people saw and spoke to Him face to face as an ordinary man and did not die, then it is clear that “Jesus is NOT a god,” you have missed the truth about Jesus on several points:
 
(1) It is true that Jesus was truly a man, for He was fully human, but it is also true that He possessed two natures:  a human nature and a divine nature at the same time in the same Person. He always possessed His divine nature from eternity past until all of eternity future. Therefore, it was possible for people to see Him in His human nature even though He was also God, being the Second Person of the Godhead. I have shared much Scripture recently on this theme, starting with such passages as John 1:1, 14;  John 5:18;  John 20:28 and the related cross references so I won’t repeat them here.
 
(2) It is actually true that “Jesus is NOT a god,” for the expression “a god” cannot be properly asserted of Jesus Christ. The expression is found in the New World Translation published by the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who are a false cult and who do not represent genuine Christianity because of their many mistaken doctrines. The expression “a god” is a mistaken translation found at John 1:1 which, on the contrary, properly reads “and the Word was God.”

 
 
 
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