Renew, Renewed, Renewal, Renewing

            

As a part of another study I was looking at and meditating on a few verses penned by the apostle Paul.  Romans 12:2 is one of those that we often quote, his admonition to “be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind...”  In his second letter to the church at Corinth he made the statement that “the inward man is renewed day by day.”  (2 Cor. 4:16) In his letter to the church at Ephesus he instructed them (and us) to “be renewed in the spirit of your mind.”  There are a couple more verses with similar statements made by Paul.

In doing a word study I discovered something that really was powerful to me.  There are three different Greek words that is used in these verses, all having the same basic origin.  They are anakainoo, Strong’s number G341, anakainosis, Strong’s number G342 and ananeoo, Strong’s number G365.  What I found that spoke to me was the definition given for these three words.  Renew, renewing, renewed are all valid and correct renderings but the primary definition given for all three is renovate, to renovate, renovation. 

Maybe it is because I have done renovations of homes, buildings, etc. that this struck me.  But, to renovate seems just more pointed than renew.  Notice some definitions of the word renovate.  This is from an on-line dictionary, “Renovate, renew, restore, refresh and rejuvenate all mean to make like new.  Renovate (a word ultimately derived from the Latin verb novart, meaning ‘to make new,’ itself a descendant of novis, meaning ‘new.’) suggests a renewing by cleansing, repairing, or rebuilding.” 
When one begins a renovation project the first step is to tear out and remove the old, damaged or dirty items.  If the plaster is bad, cracked and falling off we need to remove it before new dry wall can be put up.  Old floor tile, worn linoleum, filthy and threadbare carpet all must be torn up and removed before new floor covering can be put down.  Likewise, before our minds can truly be renewed, renovated,  the old thoughts, the old way of thinking, the old reactions to things must be gotten rid of.  Only then can the correct thoughts and way of thinking be “installed.”  Elsewhere Paul tells us to “let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” (Phil. 2:5) Christ’s mind is not compatible with our old thoughts and way of thinking.

I recently heard a speaker make the analogy of this to a card game.  When we draw a new card or are given new cards we have to discard a like number of old cards.  We can’t keep the old along with the new.  In order to have our minds renewed, renovated, restored and rejuvenated we have to discard a lot of old.  Thankfully we don’t do this on our own but the Holy Spirit is doing the work, handling the renovation project.

October 2019

1 John 3:4 Is Sin The Transgression of The Law?

For over 70 years of my life, from early childhood through most of my adulthood, I was taught that “sin was the transgression of the law,” and 1 John 3:4 was quoted.  That was, I was told, breaking or not keeping the 7th day Sabbath, the annual Holy Days as outlined in Leviticus 23, not following the “clean and unclean” meat laws as given in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 and not obeying other “select” laws or commands from  the Law of Moses.  When God began lifting the veil from my heart and turning my eyes from the Law to Jesus (2 Cor. 3:15-16) and I saw that the Law, the Mosaic covenant,  had been accomplished and fulfilled by Jesus I struggled for awhile in trying to understand this verse that had been quoted so often,  “Whosoever committeth sin trangesseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”  How was this verse to be understood?

Questioning is generally the first step in coming to understand a Scripture or passage.  So, I now had my question, “How is this to be understood?”

Most often the next step is to check various Bible translations to see if what seems to be unclear is translated in a clearer or more understandable way by other translators.  Most translations that I checked (about 16 on my eSword Bible program on my computer) were similar.  There was a bit of difference in some.  Here are some of the variations I found of the phrase “transgresseth the law.”
“...doeth also lawlessness;” “...breaks God’s law,” “...goes against the law,” “practices also lawlessness;” “...guilty of breaking God’s law,” “...practices disobedience,” “...perpetrateth iniquity;” “...guilty of violating Law,”

I still was not sure how this phrase was to be understood since all the translations were similar.  I checked a few commentaries.  I have mentioned other places that commentaries are not Scripture but are just the comments of men.  However, much can be gained in understanding of history, information regarding manuscripts from which our translations come, etc.  Most of the commentaries I checked didn’t shed much light on this verse, but, a few began to give a little bit of clarity to me.  Vincent’s Word Studies said, “Rev., correctly, is lawlessness.”  This I saw in some of the translations.   Scofield said, “Whosoever practiseth sin practiseth also lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.”  I still was equating “lawlessness” to “transgresseth the law.”

I read through the entire letter of 1 John looking for anything John had to say about “law.”  Other than this verse, chapter 3 and verse 4, I didn’t find anything. John does speak frequently about keeping God’s commandments.  This I had been told was the 10 commandments and “The Law.”  What I saw, however,  throughout the letter was love and righteousness being talked about.  My next step was to do some word studies to see if that might give me insight.

I checked the Greek from Strong’s Concordance and Thayers Greek Definitions.  To my surprise there was not a Greek word for “transgresseth” and another for “law”.  There was just one word that was translated as a phrase.  The word is “anomia”, Strong’s number G458.  Strong defines this Greek word as “illegality, that is, a violation of law or (generally) wickedness.”  The Greek word is used 17 times in the New Testament, 9 times as iniquity, 3 times as iniquities, 3 times as law, and 1 time each as transgresseth, transgression and unrighteousness.  Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words says about anomia, “Its usual rendering in the NT is ‘iniquity,’ which literally means unrighteousness”.   Based on Strong’s definition “transgresseth the law” may not be a wrong translation but it doesn’t appear to be what John was expressing.  Checking the context we do not find that John was speaking of law or “the law” anywhere, as I stated above.

Notice what we do see, within the context of the entire letter, John is speaking repeatedly of love and of righteousness.   Chapter 2, verse 1, “Jesus Christ the righteous”.  Chapter 2 and verse 29,  “If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of him.”  Chapter 3, verse 7, “...he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.”  Verse 10 of chapter 3, “whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God.”  Then, verse 12 of this same chapter, speaking of Cain, “because his own works were evil and his brother’s righteous.”  And, chapter 5 and verse 17 he tells us “all unrighteousness is sin.”  Although the Greek word translated “unrighteousness” here is another Greek word, adika, Strong’s number G93, it is synonymous with anomia.   This is the same thing John was expressing in chapter 3 and verse 4 but which has been obscured by a bad translation.  A free translation of this verse makes it clear.  “Whosoever does (commits) sin is doing unrighteousness: for sin is unrighteousness.”

When we go back to chapter 3 and read on past verse 4, keeping to the context of what John was writing about, we see clearly that he wasn’t talking about “the law” but unrighteousness.  In verse 6 he tells us that when we abide in Jesus we don’t sin, we aren’t sinners.  Verse 7 he tells us to not let anyone deceive us, that when we do righteousness we are righteous, even as Jesus is righteous.  Verse 10 says that if we are not doing righteousness we aren’t of God.  In other words, if we are of God, have been born again and have the Holy Spirit living within us we are righteous, we are not doing iniquity.  Sin is unrighteousness.  We are without sin

Because of Jesus we are deemed righteous.  God the Father see us just as He sees Jesus, righteous.  1 John,  chapter 3 and verse 4, is telling us that sin is unrighteousness.  Those without Jesus are practicing sin, are unrighteous, are not in right standing with the Father and Jesus Christ.  But, that isn’t us, the born again sons and daughters of God.

And, John repeatedly speaks about God’s commandments, which he clearly states in verse 23 of this same chapter, is 1.) believing on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and, 2.)  love one another.  It continues by saying, “as He gave us commandment.”  John earlier had given us the words of Jesus regarding this.  It is found in chapter 13 of the Gospel of John, verse 34, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”  He continues in the next verse, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”  John is repeating this statement in verse 23 of 1 John 3 that we just read.  He reiterates this statement throughout the entire letter of 1 John. 

John over and over tells us in this letter that God loves us and if we are abiding in His love we are loving our brethren.  We abide in His love and He sees us as righteous.   1 John 2:29, “If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of God.”   1 John 3:7,  “...: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as He is righteous.”  He tells us that we are not sinners, and that sin is unrighteousness.  We are not sinners but we are righteous!

October 2019

Acts 18:21 A Practical Example of How To Study The Bible

Almost sixty years ago I entered college, one supported by the church I was a part of and was told that I needed to be reading and studying the Bible at least one-half hour a day.  However, I can’t remember ever being instructed in how to study.  And, I believe that many Christians are in the same place, knowing they need to read and study God’s Word, but just not sure how to go about it.

We live in an unprecedented time when it comes to being able to study the Bible.  Remembering back sixty years ago,  I had one Bible, a King James Version.  I had no other aids whatsoever.  I did acquire a Bible dictionary and a Cruden’s Concordance within a few months.  I never had a Strong’s concordance, until I “married” one.  My new wife brought along the one she had obtained.  If I wished to check anything further I would need to go to the library, and even though it was the library of a college that stressed and taught the Bible, it was pretty inadequate.  Today most of us have more helps on our phones and tablets than the library had.  And, we all have the internet and almost any kind of aid we might wish is at our fingertips.  But, do we know how to use these or how to go about doing a study?

Recently at our weekly get-together a verse was referred to and a brief statement made.  The verse was Acts 18:21.  The King James Version renders this, “But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return unto you, if God will.  And he sailed from Ephesus.”  This is speaking of the apostle Paul and is quoting his words to the church at Ephesus.  The comment was that Paul wanted to get to Jerusalem to celebrate the upcoming feast.  Up until recent months I would have made the same comment.  As a matter of fact, this verse was a “proof text” that was quoted showing that Paul kept the feast days and that we should also.

But over the last 3-4 years I had been brought to understand so much–the New Covenant, Paul’s words regarding not being under The Law, the Law being death, and life was through Christ.  I came to see, as he explained in Col. 2:16-17, the sacrifices, the holy days, new moons, sabbaths were all shadows but that NOW we have the body, the one who had been casting the shadow, Jesus.  All of these things were not needed, we needn’t remain in the shadows but are now in the Light, Jesus.

A year or so ago, as I was reading through the book of Acts and came to this verse I did something that we all should be doing, and which I never did much of in the past.  And, that was to keep my mind in gear and ask questions.  Many of us read the Bible regularly.  For many years I read each year from a Bible reading plan that took me completely through the Bible in a year’s time.  I am not putting that down, but one can become so focused on “ticking” off the boxes, in seeing that we read the designated chapters each day that we never really pay attention to what we are reading and seldom ask any questions.

So as I read this verse, I asked, just what is this?  Paul teaches throughout the book of Acts and the many letters he wrote to the churches about not being under the law.  Is he really saying he needed to get to Jerusalem so he can celebrate this feast?  It is obvious that he isn’t following the Torah command to go up to Jerusalem three times a year.  Many years go by in which he never makes the journey to Jerusalem.  So, number 1, I asked the question, “What is this?”  Number 2, where to now?

For me, I check other translations to see how other translators may have rendered the passage.  I have e-Sword on my computer and am able to compare the verse I’m studying in all the translations I have downloaded into the program.  Currently there are 16 different versions.  As I compared I discovered something very interesting.  Only 6 versions contained this phrase, “I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem.”  And, one of those has those words in italics.  So, what have we here?

What is step 3?  Again, this is my approach.  I look at Bible commentaries.  Keep in mind that these are just that, comments, made by men.  But, they can be very helpful when it comes to historical background, information regarding the various manuscripts used in the translations, and so on.  As I began this step I found that many, not all but many, of the commentators indicated that there might be a situation here.  They stated that many of the manuscripts used did not contain this phrase at all.  Notice just a couple of the comments.  From Adam Clarke, “The whole of this clause, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem, is wanting in ABE, six others; with the Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, and Vulgate.”  John Gill says, “the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions omit this clause.”  Robertson’s Word Pictures says, “The Textus Receptus has here a sentence not in the best MSS.”

I mentioned earlier about checking various translations, which I did on e-Sword.   But, just out of curiosity I went onto the internet and pulled up a couple of listings of parallel versions.  I ended up finding approximately 70 versions, some I was totally unfamiliar with.  Of those slightly over one half did not have this clause.

Now, is this clause truly in the original or not?  Based on what evidence we have it appears that it doesn’t line up with all of the rest of Paul’s teaching.  However, let us continue our study.

We have all heard the comment that to understand a passage we need to look at the context.  So, in this little study this would be step 4.  Let us back up to verse 1 of the chapter.  We see that Paul came to Corinth.  You can read through all of this but we find in verse 11 he spent a year and six months here.  Then, we are told in verse 18, that after this he tarried, or stayed there, a good while and then left, sailing into Syria.  Verse 19 says he came to Ephesus.  Verse 20 says that the people of Ephesus desired him to stay longer but he didn’t agree to this.  For now let us read verse 21 without the clause in question, “But bade them farewell, saying, but I will return again unto you, if God will.  And he sailed from Ephesus.”  Continuing with verse 22 we are told he “landed at Caesarea” and after “saluting” the church he went down to Antioch.  Then, verse 23 says he left there after some time and went over the country of Galatia and Phrygia.

Verses 24 through 28 tells us about Apollos and how Aquilla and Pricilla gave him additional teaching. Afterwards he went to Achaia and exhorted the disciples there.

Now, returning to the account of Paul, notice chapter 19 and verse 1, “And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus:...”  Now notice verse 8,  "And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months,..."  Then in verses 9 and 10 we find that he was "disputing daily in the school of Tyrannus" and "continued by the space of two years;..." This appears to be what he had promised them in verse 21 of chapter 18. We see no indications of  any effort being made to get to Jerusalem.

But, what if this clause  is in the original?  How would we understand it?  Is there anything else we can look at?

Step 5 for me would be to look at some word definitions.  In the phrase we are questioning a key word to check would be the word “keep.”  When we read this word in our English Bible we interpret
it to mean “celebrate.”  Could it have any other meaning from the original Greek?

Once again we can go to our Bible programs or to the internet and check both Strong’s Concordance and Thayer’s Greek Definitions. The Greek word that is translated as “keep” in Acts 18:21 is Strong’s number G4160, poieo.  Strong’s says that this word occurs 576 times in the King James Version. The King James Concordance says 596 times.  Both Strong’s and Thayer’s gives a long list of definitions.  The King James Concordance lists the various ways this Greek word is translated. In those 596 occurrences the word is translated 76 different ways.  So, maybe “keep” isn’t just what Paul would have indicated?  Out of the 596 occurrences poieo is translated “keep” only 2, that’s TWO, times.  It is translated “keepeth” and “kept” one time each.

Both Strong’s and Thayer’s gives the primary definition as “to make.”  One word that they both gave as a meaning was “spend,” or “with designation of time: to pass, spend.”  Is this possibly what Paul was saying, “I must by all means SPEND this feast that cometh in Jerusalem?’  As some of the commentaries suggest that “he wished to attend for the purpose of seeing many of his friends, and having the most favorable opportunity to preach the Gospel to thousands who would attend at Jerusalem on that occasion.”

As we can see from this little example of how to study a passage or subject there may not be a clear cut answer.  That is where we rely upon the Holy Spirit to lead us into truth.

October, 2019

Salvation. For Only A Few, For Many or, For All?

   

in the autumn of 1999 my wife and I stopped to visit some friends we had not seen for over 25 years and with whom we had only recently regained contact.  During our stay I was introduced to a concept regarding salvation and reconciliation that I had never heard before.  I must admit that my mind was not open to what I was hearing.  However, my friend merely asked that I study it.  Although I didn’t begin a study on my return home a seed had been planted.  I frequently thought about what he had presented to me.  Approximately a year later this same concept was presented to a group in which my son was in attendance.  He shared some of the thoughts and ideas that he had been given.  Yet, I was not moved to study this for myself.

Early in 2002 an individual that I love very much and for whom I have a great deal of admiration, sent me a piece of correspondence in which she outlined her beliefs.  Although I knew in general what she believed seeing it spelled out in black and white somehow made it more “real.”  Her beliefs, though widely held by many Christians, were quite different from what I had been taught for many years.  This presented a challenge to me.  I began to look into some of the things she had stated and as well as some of my beliefs.  And, as I did so I began to stumble upon some of the concepts, ideas and understanding I had been presented with by my friend in 1999.

My mind was now being opened to look at the subject.  I could see clearly that the beliefs  commonly held by much of Christianity weren’t what the Bible taught.  The Scriptures did not teach that the vast majority of humanity would be consigned to an ever burning hell fire in “eternal misery.”  But, as I considered what I had always believed , that most would be saved but some would be annihilated, I saw this belief also wasn’t taught by the  Scriptures.  I saw numerous Scriptures stating that God was going to save ALL of mankind.  This was the concept that I had not been receptive to three years earlier.  I had raised all kinds of questions, numerous verses had come to mind to attempt to disprove this understanding and I had just “known” that this couldn’t be true.  But, now I had to admit that IF the Bible means what it says, and I believe that it does, it reveals the most incredible and wonderful plan that God is working out, a plan that no one can thwart.

Although I know you may feel very comfortable with your beliefs and feel that what I am seeing can not possibly be true, I would ask that you read and prayerfully consider the following Scriptures.  These are just a few of the scores of Scriptures that speak so powerfully of the Sovereign God’s wonderful plan for all of His sons and daughters.

“For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”  (1 Tim. 2:3-4) The Greek word translated “will” is thelo, Strong’s number 2309.  It means “to will, have in mind, intend, to be resolved or determined, to purpose.” Young’s Literal Bible renders this as “who doth will all men to be saved.”   I have to ask, can His will be thwarted?  It is His intention and He is resolved that all come to the knowledge of the truth.  Again, I have to ask, can any prevent His intentions  and His will from coming to pass?

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”  (1 Tim. 2:5-6) Jesus didn’t give Himself a ransom for just a few but for all.  That will be testified to in due time.  Let us not be judging God before due time.

“And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.”  (John 12:47) Jesus did not say He came to “save some of the world” or to “save part of the world.”   Jesus said He came to save the world, all of it. The word “world” here is from the Greek kosmos, #2889 in Strong’s.  One of the definitions given is “the inhabitants of the earth, men, the human family.”   Do we doubt that He will succeed?

“And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world.”  (John 4:42)    As stated here Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world, the whole world, all the world.  Can He truly be the saviour of all the world without saving all?  In this passage it was the Samaritans speaking.  Was this just their comment?

Notice.

“And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.”  (1 John 4:14)    There it is again, the saviour of the world.  We’ve read over this for years but we have never really believed what it says.  If Jesus was sent by the Father to save the world, as it says He was, He will save the world.  He has all power given to Him by the Father to accomplish all things.

“And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.”  (John 12:32)    There it is again, all men.  He will draw them unto Himself.  And, the word “draw” can also correctly be translated “drag.”  The Bible in Basic English has it “will make all men come to me.”   For what purpose?  Not to roast them or annihilate them but to give them salvation.  Jesus will perform His work as Savior.

“Therefore as by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.” (Rom. 5:18 You can read the whole passage, verses 15-21.)    Through the sin of Adam all came under sin, were condemned.  Yet, the same all to life through Christ. 

“For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”  (Rom. 5:19)    Scripture is clear that the “many” who were made sinners was all men, every individual that has lived upon the earth.  It is the same “many” that shall be made righteous by Jesus Christ.

“That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on the earth; even in him.”  (Eph. 1:10)    There is that “all” again. 

“Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”  (Phil. 2:9-11)    How will every tongue confess Jesus Christ unless they are given the Holy Spirit, unless they are brought to salvation?  “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”  (1 Cor. 12:3)    It is only through the Spirit that one can say, or confess, that Jesus is the Lord.  And, every tongue will.  How wonderful!

In the preceding verses we have seen the words “all,” “all things,” “every.”  These are all translations of the Greek word pas, #3956 in Strong’s.  It means “each, every, any, all, the whole, everyone, all things, everything.”  It does not mean “some” or “a few.”

“And so all Israel shall be saved:...”  (Rom. 11:26) We know that most Jews don’t accept Jesus as Saviour but we are told that they all will be saved.  Verse 25 tells us “that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”  Even all of the Gentiles haven’t been brought in yet but after that has happened the blindness will be removed from Israel.  And, verse 26 is very much an absolute, “all Israel shall be saved:...”  That leaves out no one.

“And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”  (Heb. 8:11-12)   ALL shall know the Lord and all of the sins and iniquities will be forgiven and remembered no more. 

“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself;  by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.”  (Col. 1:20)    Once again we find that word “all.”  “Things” in the context isn’t speaking of trees and rocks but of people, those created in the image of God. 

There are so many Scriptures that speak so powerfully to us of God’s wonderful work of reconciling all people to Himself that it is hard to quit quoting them. But, just a couple more.

“As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.”  (John 17:2) This is from the prayer Jesus prayed before He was taken.  How many did the Father give to Him?  “The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.”  (John 3:35)   The word “things” is frequently translated “all men,” “everyone,” “every man,” etc.  ALL men have been given into His hands.  He will give salvation to ALL.

One final passage!  There is so much in these few verses that we could devote a complete paper to it.  But, let us catch the essence of what is contained here. 

“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.”  The marginal rendering for “slept” is “died.”  Jesus Christ was the very first one to be raised to spirit life from the dead.
 
  For since by man (Adam) came death, by man (Jesus Christ) came also (also, even, likewise) the resurrection of the dead

For as in Adam all (ALL) die, even (also, even, likewise) so  in Christ shall all (ALL) be made alive That is everyone, every individual that has ever lived.. 

But every man (“Every” in this verse is from the Greek hekasto, # 1538 in Strong’s.  It means  every man, all men, no exceptions)  in his own order: (Not all at the same time.)  Christ the firstfruits, afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 

Then cometh the end, (What does he mean, “the end?”  The Greek is “telos,” #5056 in Strong’s.  Notice the definition from the lexicon.  “1A) termination, the limit at which a thing ceases to be [always of the end of some act or state, but not of the end of a period of time.]”  In other words, at the end of all being resurrected, at the end of the “order” which began with Jesus, continued with those that are Christ’s at His return.)  when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.(“Put down” is from #2673, katargeo.  It means “to render idle, unemployed, inactivate, inoperative.  Often translated “abolish” and is defined by Vine’s as “lit. To reduce to inactivity.”) 

For he must reign, till (until) he hath put all (ALL)  enemies under his feet.  There comes a time when Jesus’ reign, His rule comes to an end.   

The last enemy that shall be destroyed (This is from the same Greek word, katargeo, rendered “put down” in verse 24.)  is death.  ( Death is made inactive, inoperative, unemployed.  How is death “destroyed?”  Verse 22 told us, “All will be made alive.)  

For he (God the Father)  hath put* all things (ALL things–not trees and rocks BUT all men, all people.) under his (Jesus’) feet.  But when he (The Father)  saith, all things (ALL people)  are put under*  him (Jesus),  it is manifest that he (The Father)  is excepted, which did put* all things (ALL people)  under*  him (Jesus).  (* The words “under” and “put under” are from the Greek hupotasso, #5293 in Strong’s.  The lexicon states that “In a non-military use, it was ‘a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden.’ )

And when all things (ALL things again, ALL individuals.) shall be subdued (This is #5293 again that was translated ‘under’ in the previous verse.) unto him (Jesus), then shall the Son also himself be subject (This is also #5293, a voluntary act.)  unto him (The Father) that put (#5293 again.)  all things (Once more we see ALL things, ALL people, ALL individuals.)  under (Under is from #5293 again.) him (Jesus), that God may be all in all. (Can we grasp this?  God will be ALL, EVERYTHING, in ALL, EVERYONE.  This speaks of the ultimate salvation of ALL.)   (1 Cor. 15:20-28) 

To recap, the Scripture tells us that “this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires (“will have” in some translations) ALL men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for ALL, to be testified in due time...” (1 Tim. 2:3-6) 1 John 4:14 tells us that the Father sent the Son to be SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD.  John 3:35 tells us that the Father has given ALL into Jesus’ hands.  If it is the desire of the Father to save ALL and He has given Jesus all power and authority to do His will, why don’t we believe Him?  “This is the will of the Father Who sent Me, that of ALL He has given Me, I should lose nothing, but raise it up at the last day.”  (John 6:39) The Father has given ALL into His hands.  (John 3:35)

The verses we have looked at, plus scores more, very plainly speak of the salvation of everyone who has ever lived.  So, I ask, why doesn’t everyone simply believe these Scriptures and rejoice?  There are some very definite reasons. 

Most people it seems are vengeful.  They do not want ALL to receive forgiveness.  It seems almost inherent within us to want to look down on someone else.  So, it appears that many Christians can’t enjoy their salvation apart from seeing someone else being denied theirs.  Just as the parable of Jesus points out, we don’t want anyone hired at the last hour of the day receiving the same wages we are to receive.  For some reason we don’t think this is “fair.”

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons is that many of the Bibles we use have been tainted by the translators with many pagan beliefs.  As most of us are aware the Roman church absorbed numerous peoples and their religious beliefs.  Sadly, when the Bible was being translated into the languages of the common people those doing the work were steeped in these beliefs and many of those doctrines found there way into our Bibles.  Though many have been corrected over the years there are still a number of passages and words that are terribly mistranslated.

A major problem, and one that my friend tried to point out to me three years ago, is the inaccuracy and inconsistency of the translation of the words “olam” in the Old Testament and of “aion” and “aionios” in the New Testament.  These are the Hebrew and Greek words most often translated “forever,” “eternal,” and “everlasting,” signifying endless duration.  A honest and thorough study will show that these words in their original usage denote limited duration. This greatly changes what we have supposed numerous Scriptures are saying to us.

If interested in studying this I can recommend a number of articles, books, etc.  Perhaps one of the most detailed is a small book first published in 1875 entitled “The Greek Word AION—AIONIOS, Translated EVERLASTING—ETERNAL, in the HOLY BIBLE Shown to Denote Limited Duration.”  It was written by John Wesley Hanson and has been republished by the Concordant Publishing Concern, 15570 Knochaven Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91387.   Or, it can be found on the internet at  http://www.tentmaker.org/books/Aion_lim.html

I have believed and continue to believe that all Scripture was inspired by God and that it must all be in complete harmony, one passage cannot contradict another.  The unclear must be understood based on the clear.  The scores of clear Scriptures which say that God will save all of mankind has to be the basis for understanding the unclear.  It takes time to study and understand many of the passages we have been taught teach unending torment or total annihilation.  I’m finding this study to be fascinating and reveals to me a God that is so much “bigger” and greater than I ever have known or comprehended.

In closing I would like to recommend one more article for those that are interested.  It is actually a chapter out of a book written in 1840 by Thomas Whittlemore.  It is entitled “100 Scriptural Proofs That Jesus Christ Will Save All Mankind.”  It is available on the internet at http://www.tentmaker.org/books/ScripturalProofs.html 

As I mentioned earlier, you may be very comfortable with your beliefs.  But, I would ask, as my friend did me, that you study this subject for yourself.  It is proving to be the most “mind expanding” thing God has ever opened to my understanding.  It is so wonderful knowing that God isn’t going to cast millions and billions into a fiery inferno for all eternity.  (In fact it never even entered His mind. See  Jer. 32:35) Likewise, it is cause for great rejoicing knowing that NONE are to be annihilated.  How great and how wonderful that what we all long for and strive for and work for (the sinner to be saved) will occur. ALL will be saved!!

Just a quick note.  I know there are some denominations that teach “Universal Salvation,” or “Universal Reconciliation,” meaning in their teaching that it does not make any difference what one believes or does.  This is not the teaching of the Bible.  All must come to and through Jesus Christ to receive salvation, reconciliation.  Then, if that is true, some will ask, what about “free will.”  God can’t or won’t force anybody against their will, they say.

As strange as it may seem, the idea that God cannot do something, or that God is limited in His ability, is fairly common among many Christians.  They believe that God’s ability to act is limited by man’s “free will,” as I mentioned above.  For some reason people often think that God, the most powerful Being in the universe, cannot override man’s will, or more correctly, that He is incapable of bringing man to a point of changing his will to conform to the will of God.  Whose will is stronger, God’s or puny little man’s.    Notice once again a couple of verses we covered earlier.  2 Pet. 3:9,  “...not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”  1 Tim. 2:4, “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

As I found in my study of this subject,  one has to spend some time looking at many of the standard teachings and interpretations of many of the Bible verses and passages. When one does with an open mind and letting the Holy Spirit lead he will find that all of us have been deceived by the adversary in so many areas.  (Rev. 12:9) 

 

written in 2002  (minor revisions made Sept. 2019)

What Is Christmas All About?

Recently an adapted Peanuts cartoon has been showing up on Facebook and various other internet sites.  It is captioned “What is Christmas all about?”  Most of us have some idea don’t we?  We have heard all of our lives that it is the birthday of the key figure in Christianity, the one called Jesus Christ.  But, is that true?  What does a fat man in a red suit and eight reindeer have to do with the one called Jesus?  Or, if it is His birthday why do people exchange presents with one another and ignore Him?  Before we address these questions and more let me share, by permission, the afore mentioned cartoon with you.

Let us take a look at some of the assertions made by the author of this cartoon, and by many other authors.  One man, Richard M. Rives, has written an entire book documenting how rebellious men, refusing to recognize the true GOD, have chosen the sun as an object of worship.  His book is entitled “Too Long In The Sun.”  I’d like to quote his first paragraph from chapter one of this book.  “While there seem to be hints in antiquity of the knowledge of the God of the Bible, there is one thing that is sure; history reveals that the sun has played an important role in the pantheon of all known civilizations.  The purpose of this documentation is to chart the progression of sun worship from antiquity through the present and to consider its influence upon Christianity.”

The first statement made in the above cartoon, and which is substantiated by numerous books and articles, is that December 25th is associated with the birth of many pagan gods.  Let us look at some quotations.

This first quote is taken from an article posted on the internet on a website called “Unexplained Mysteries of the World.” 

“Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25th? Most people assume that it has always been a Christian holiday and that it is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. But it turns out that Jesus was not born on December 25th. However, a whole bunch of pagan gods were born on that day. In fact, pagans celebrated a festival involving a heroic supernatural figure that visits an evergreen tree and leaves gifts on December 25th long before Jesus was ever born. From its early Babylonian roots, the celebration of the birth or "rebirth" of the sun god on December 25th came to be celebrated under various names all over the ancient world. You see, the winter solstice occurs a few days before December 25th each year. The winter solstice is the day of the year when daylight is the shortest. In ancient times, December 25th was the day each year when the day started to become noticeably longer. Thus it was fitting for the early pagans to designate December 25th as the date of the birth or the ‘rebirth’ of the sun.”

In a classic book, first printed in 1916, entitled “The Two Babylons,” Alexander Hislop gives us much of the Babylonian origins of Christmas.  Here is a portion quoted from page 93 of this book.

"Long before the fourth century, and long before the Christian era itself, a festival was celebrated among the heathen, at that precise time of the year, in honor of the birth of the son of the Babylonian queen of heaven: and it may fairly be presumed that, in order to conciliate the heathen, and to swell the number of the nominal adherents of Christianity, the same festival was adopted by the Roman Church, giving it only the name of Christ. This tendency on the part of Christians to meet Paganism halfway was very early developed; and we find Tertullian, even in his day, about the year 230, bitterly lamenting the inconsistency of the disciples of Christ in this respect, and contrasting it with the strict fidelity of the Pagans to their own superstition.”

Further down the page Hislop goes on to say, “That Christmas was originally a Pagan festival, is beyond all doubt.  The time of year, and the ceremonies with which it is still celebrated, prove its origin.  In Egypt, the son of Isis, the Egyptian title for the queen of heaven, was born at this very time, ‘about the time of the winter solstice’ (Wilkinson’s Egyptians, vol. iv. p. 405) The very name by which Christmas is popularly called among ourselves–Yule day– proves at once its Pagan and Babylonian origin.  ‘Yule’ is the Chaldee name for an ‘infant’ or ‘little child’ and as the 25th of December was called by our Pagan Anglo-Saxon ancestors, ‘Yule-day’ or the ‘Child’s day,’ and the night that preceded it, ‘Mother-night,’ long before they came in contact with Christianity, that sufficiently proves its real character.”

Here are just a few of the pagan gods that had “birthdays” on December 25th.

Note a statement taken from the Catholic Encyclopedia article “Mithraism.”  “The 25 December was observed as his birthday, the natalis invici, the rebirth of the winter-sun, unconquered by the rigours of the season.” 
From the Encyclopedia Britannica: “The traditional customs connected with Christmas have developed from several sources as a result of the coincidence of the celebration of the birth of Christ with the pagan agricultural and solar observations at midwinter.  In the Roman world the Saturnalia (December 17) was a time of merrymaking and exchange of gifts.  December 25 was also regarded as the birth date of the Iranian mystery god Mithra, the Sun of Righteousness.”

Here is a quotation from Collier’s Encyclopedia.  “After the triumph of Constantine, the church at Rome assigned December 25 as the date for the celebration of the feast, possibly about A.D. 320 or 353.  By the end of the fourth century the whole Christian world was celebrating Christmas on that day, with the exception of the Eastern churches, where it was celebrated on January 6.  The choice of December 25 was probably influenced by the fact that on this day the Romans celebrated the Mithraic feast of the Sun-god (natalis solis invicti), and that the Saturnalia also came at this time.”

The following statement is taken from an internet website: “Horus was born of the virgin Isis-Meri, Isis the Beloved, on 25 December.”  www.askwhy.co.uk/christianity/0300christmas.php#horus

A couple of the above quotations mentioned the Saturnalia.  Celebrated at about the same time of year was the Brumalia.  Notice what the Wikipedia has to say about this festival.

“Brumalia was an ancient Roman solstice festival honoring Bacchus, generally held on 25 December and possibly related to the ancient Green Lenaia (held in honor of Dionysus).  The festival included drinking and merriment.  The name is derived from the Latin word bruma, meaning “shortest” or even “winter.”

What about the many “Christmas customs” such as the Christmas tree, gift giving, the yule log, and others?  Let us read a few more quotations.

Again I’d like to quote a couple of  sections from Alexander Hislop’s book, “The Two Babylons,” pages 97, 98 and 99.

“The Christmas tree, now so common among us, was equally common in Pagan Rome and Pagan Egypt.  In Egypt that tree was the palm tree; in Rome it was the fir; the palm tree denoting the Pagan Messiah, as Baal-Tamar, the fir referring to him as Baal-Berith.  The mother of Adonis, the Sun-God and great mediatorial divinity, was mystically said to have been changed into a tree, and when in that state to have brought forth her divine son.  If the mother was a tree, the son must have been recognized as the ‘Man the branch.’  And this entirely accounts for the putting of the Yule Log into the fire on Christmas-eve, and the appearance of the Christmas-tree the next morning.”

“Therefore, the 25th of December, the day that was observed at Rome as the day when the victorious god reappeared on earth, was held at the Natalis invicti solis, ‘The birthday of the unconquered Sun.’  Now the Yule Log is the dead stock of Nimrod, deified as the sun-god, but cut down by is enemies; the Christmas-tree is Nimrod redivivus–the slain god come to life again.  In the light reflected by the above statement on customs that still linger among us, the origin of which has been lost in the midst of hoar antiquity, let the reader look at the singular practice still kept up in the South on Christmas-eve, of kissing under the mistletoe bough.  That mistletoe bough in the Druidic superstition, which as we have seen, was derived from Babylon, was a representation of the Messiah, ‘The man the branch.’  The mistletoe was regarded as a divine branch–a branch that came from heaven, and grew upon a tree that sprang out of the earth.  Thus by the engrafting of the celestial branch into the earthly tree, heaven and earth, that sin had severed, were joined together, and thus the mistletoe bough became the token of Divine reconciliation to man, the kiss being the well-known token of pardon and reconciliation.”

Here is a brief statement from an article accessed on the internet.  “Huge Yule logs were burned in honor of the sun.  The word Yule itself means ‘wheel,’ the wheel being a pagan symbol for the sun.  Mistletoe was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual.  Hollyberries were thought to be a food of the gods.” 
http://www.essortment.com/christmas-pagan-origins-42543.html

One more brief quote from a book written by Tristram Potter Coffin, entitled “The Book of Christmas Folklore,” page 209.

“Most people have heard that the Christmas tree originates in the tannenbaum and is some sort of vestige of Teutonic vegetation worship.  THIS IS PARTIALLY TRUE.  However, the custom of using pine and other evergreens ceremonially was well established at the ROMAN SATURNALIA, even earlier in Egypt.”

From a book entitled, “Christmas Customs and Traditions: Their History and Significance” by Clement Miles, we learn that just as the early Christians recruited Roman pagans by associating Christmas with the Saturnalia, so too worshipers of the Asheria cult and its offshoots were recruited by the Church sanctioning “Christmas Trees.”  He points out that pagans had long worshiped trees in the forest, or brought them into their homes and decorated them, and this observance was adopted and painted with a Christian veneer by the Church.

We read earlier from the Encyclopedia Britannica that the Saturnalia was a time of “merrymaking and exchange of gifts.”  From history we find that in pre-Christian Rome, the emperors compelled their most despised citizens to bring offerings and gifts during the time of the Saturnalia.  Later, this ritual was expanded to include gift-giving among the general populace.  The Catholic Church gave the custom a “Christian” flavor by re-rooting it in the supposed gift-giving of Saint Nicholas.

Saint Nicolas, was the one who over a process of time and various pagan traditions became “Santa Claus.”  Just a brief history.  He was born in Turkey about 270 A.D.  It wasn’t until the 19th century that he was named a “saint” by the Catholic Church.  In 1087 a group that idolized him moved his bones to Italy where he supplanted a “female boon-giving deity called The Grandmother.”  She was supposed to have filled the children’s stockings with gifts.   Once she was ousted from her shrine it became the center for the Nicolas Cult.  The members of this cult gave each other gifts during a pageant they conducted annually on the anniversary of Nicolas’s death, December 6. 

The cult spread north and was eventually adopted by German and Celtic pagans.  These groups worshiped a whole pantheon of gods led by Woden (their chief god and the father supposedly of  Thor, Baldor, and Tiw).  Woden was pictured as having a long, white beard and riding a horse through the heavens.  When Nicolas merged with Woden he too was pictured with the beard and mounted on a flying horse.  In a move to attract pagan adherents of this Nicolas cult  in Northern Europe, the Catholic Church adopted the Nicholas Cult and taught that he did (and that they should) distribute gifts on December 25 instead of December 6.

In 1809, the novelist Washington Irving, wrote a satire of Dutch culture entitled “Knickerbocker History.”  Several times this satire referred to the white beared, flying-horse riding Saint Nicolas using his Dutch name, Santa Claus.  After reading this work, Dr. Clement Moore, a professor at Union Seminary, published a poem based on this character in 1822, which we have all heard, “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” He created a new innovation, this Santa with eight reindeer who descended through chimneys.

From 1862 through 1886 a Bavarian illustrator, Thomas Nast, almost completed the modern picture of Santa Claus.  Basing his illustrations on Moore’s poem he drew hundreds of cartoon images of Santa.  Saint Nicolas had been pictured as everything from a stern looking bishop to a gnome-like figure in a frock.  Nast gave him a home at the North Pole, his workshop filled with elves, etc.  The only thing missing was the red suit.

In 1931 the Coca Cola Corp. contracted a Swedish commercial artist, Haddon Sunblom, to create a coke-drinking Santa.  He based his Santa on a friend of his with a cheerful, chubby face.  And, the corporation insisted that Santa’s fur trimmed suit be bright, Coca Cola red.  And, so Santa was born–a blend of “Christian Saint,” a pagan god, and a commercial idol having absolutely nothing to do with the one called Jesus Christ.

And, we could go on and on with the pagan origins of the “Christmas Customs.”  As we have looked at just a few sources it is apparent that the celebration of December 25th goes way, way back, in fact to ancient Babylon.  Some of the quotations we have given bring this to our attention.  If one cares to do more research he will find numerous sources recording the ancient Babylonian traditions.  It is shown that Semiramis (who eventually became known as the goddess Astarte/Asherah/Ashtoreth/Isis/Ishtar/Easter in other pagan religions) claimed that after the untimely death of her son/husband Nimrod (yes, she married her own son), a full grown evergreen tree sprang up overnight from a dead stump.  She claimed that Nimrod would visit that evergreen tree and leave gifts each year on the anniversary of his birth, which just happened to be on December 25th.

But, but, but, some of you may we saying, “We aren’t worshiping these pagan gods.  Our worship is of Jesus Christ and we are honoring His birthday.”  Friends, I have news for you.  The one called Jesus Christ (whose Hebrew name is Yeshua) WAS NOT born on December 25th.  Let me quote from the Worldbook Encyclopedia, article “Christmas.”  “The exact date of Christ’s birth is not known.  The early Christians did NOT celebrate His birth, because they considered the celebration of anyone’s birth to be a pagan custom.  The first mention of the observance of Christ’s birthday appears about A.D. 200.  For many years, several dates were used.   December 25 was first mentioned in 336.”    This reference work goes on to say, “For many years, people observed Christmas as a religious festival only.  But they GRADUALLY ADOPTED MORE AND MORE CUSTOMS UNRELATED TO THE CHURCH.  Most of the customs originated in cultures that existed before Christianity...  In 1643, the Puritans, who regarded such celebrations as pagan, outlawed the observance of Christmas in England.”  History tells us that the colonists in New England followed the English laws and also outlawed Christmas.  But, as more and more immigrants came to the New World, they brought with them the many “Christmas” customs from many lands and the old pagan festivities were soon restored.

Most of you are familiar with the story of the birth of the Savior recounted in the Gospels, often wrongly called the “Christmas story.”  Perhaps you never noticed what Luke records for us in Chapter 2 and verse 8.  “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.”  This is from the King James Version and it says “abiding in the field.”  Notice a few other translations.  New International Version, “...living out in the fields...”  New American Standard Version, “...staying out in the field...”  And, from the Amplified Bible, a paraphrase, “...living [out under the open sky] in the field...”  Why do I call your attention to this?  Because anyone familiar with the weather patterns in the “Holy Land” knows that shepherds NEVER kept watch over their flocks at night in the fields around Jerusalem past about mid-October, because that is when the onset of winter begins.  The winter months in Palestine are cold, rainy, and intemperate.  Maybe not like parts of the United States but still very miserable and unpleasant to be living out in the open.  The flocks were always brought in from the fields before winter arrived.  It is a pretty simple conclusion to draw that since the shepherds were still abiding in the fields at the time of the birth of our Savior, His birth must have been sometime before winter, sometime before December.

As was quoted from the Worldbook Encyclopedia above “the exact date...is not known.”  There have been guesses.  The DePascha Computus, an anonymous document believed to have been written in North Africa around 243 A.D., placed the birth of Jesus on March 28.  Clement, a bishop of Alexandria around 215 or so A.D. thought He was born on November 18.  Based on some historical records, a fellow by the name of Fitzmyer guesses His birth to be on September 11, 3 B.C.E.  Based on the information that can be gleaned from the Scriptures it appears that Jesus was born in the fall.  Several have postulated that He may have been born at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles.  But, we are not told when and we are not instructed to celebrate His birth.  What we are told to notice and pay particular attention to was His death and resurrection.

But, is there any harm in enjoying the customs?  What is wrong with giving gifts?  And, the lights and the pageantry?  Surely that can’t all be wrong can it?  Is it all right to merge and combine pagan practices with the worship in truth of God?   Let us look at what He has to say.  He is the one that we need to please, the one whose word is to be placed above whatever we may think.

 
Leviticus 18:2-4, “...I am the LORD your God.  After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do; and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.  Ye shall do my judgements, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.”  He plainly told the Israelites  not to do those things the Egyptians and the Canaanites, both pagan nations, were doing in worshiping their gods. 

Deuteronomy 12:29-32, “When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou suceedeth them, and dwellest in their land; Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.  Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD which He hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.  What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish form it.”  The Creator of all the universe, our God couldn’t make it any plainer.  He says, and I paraphrase, “Don’t look to see how they worship their pagan gods and decide to worship Me in that fashion!  In the way they are worshiping their gods they are doing all kinds of detestable and abominable things that I hate!  Some even go so far to sacrifice their own children.  Just do what I command!  Don’t add to or subtract from My commands.”  He could have said, “Don’t attempt to worship My son by deciding to celebrate His birthday, which I never revealed to you, on the day the pagans declared to be the birthday of the sun.”

Jesus, speaking to the Samaritan women at the well, told her that true worshipers would worship God in Spirit and in truth.  (John 4:23-24) He wasn’t laying out a lot of rules and “things” one must do.  He was just stating that worship was a spiritual activity, a way of life.  But, He did say that we were to worship in truth, not in the traditions of men.  Mixed worship, truth and error, is not what He desires.

Before we bring this study to an end let us turn to the writings of the Apostle Paul, in his second book to the Corinthians, chapter 6 and verses 12-17.  “...what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?  and what communion hath light with darkness?  And what concord hath the Messiah with Belial?  or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?  for ye are the temple of the living God:...Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,” True righteousness and wickedness can not mix.  There can be no harmony between the way and laws of God and the adversary, the ways of the pagans.  We are commanded to COME OUT from them and to be SEPARATE.  The word “separate” means to “set off by a boundary.”  It also has the definitions of divide and sever.  We must sever ourselves from such practices we have been looking at, put a division between them and us.  Those things are out of bounds for us if we wish to follow the Creator.

Revised Oct. 2019

“…Tradition of Men”

Both Matthew and Mark were inspired to record an encounter that Jesus had with some of the religious leaders of His day, the Pharisees and Scribes.  We are told that they came from Jerusalem. We find this in chapter 15 of Matthew and chapter 7 of Mark.

The setting was that these individuals saw Jesus’ disciples eating bread, or a meal, without washing their hands.  Now, this wasn’t just that they hadn’t washed any dirt off of their hands but they had not done so in the vigorous and prescribed way that these individuals taught and followed.  They explicitly stated that the disciples were not “holding the tradition of the elders.”  (Mark 7:3)  Matthew 15:2 states that they asked why the disciples of Jesus “transgress the tradition of the elders.”  (Verse 2)

Notice that Jesus, as He often did, responded first by asking these religious leaders a question rather than giving them a direct answer.  Matt. 15:3, “But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?”  He then sites the commandment to honor one’s parents and how they, by following their tradition, were disregarding this command.  He states,  “Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.”  (Verse 6) Then in verse 9, “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” In Mark’s account it is recorded that He mentioned a number of other things they were holding to because of their traditions.  (See Mark 7:7-8)

In both accounts when the Pharisees and Scribes brought their question to Jesus they stated that His disciples were not “holding the tradition of the elders.”  This phrase, “tradition of the elders,” refers to the various rules and regulations that they had added to the Law of Moses.  Rabbi Michael L. Rodkinson, who did one of the first translations of the Babylonia Talmud into English and author of the two volume "The History of the Talmud" states: "The Talmud is, then, the written form of that which in the time of Jesus, was called the tradition of the elders, and to which he made frequent allusions..."  It is often called the “Oral Torah.”  This is not the place nor do we have the time to go into this, but when a thorough study is done it will be discovered that stating these rules were given to Moses and passed down orally is not true.

When Jesus walked the earth He adhered to the Law of Moses, as He stated, Matt. 5:17, “I am not come to destroy , but to fulfil.”  He, as God in the flesh, not born of Adam but of God, was able to keep the Law as no one else had ever been able to do.  However, He made it plain that all of the additions, all of the “traditions” that had been added were of men, not of God.  He did not follow or obey those traditions.

As New Covenant Christians we are not concerned about “the Law” nor are we in any way knowledgeable or  the least bit interested in these “traditions of the elders” that the Jewish Rabbis had added onto the Mosaic Law.  However, have we ever thought what Jesus might say to our religious leaders of the Christian church if He were walking on the earth today?  Would He possibly tell them (and us) that we are “Making the word of God of none effect through our tradition?”  Just how much of what is taught and believed by most Christians is directly from the Bible and how much is “tradition?”  Most have never even considered that question.  We have accepted and based our belief system on what we have heard and been taught.

The people of Berea, we are told in Acts 17:11, were “more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”  They were held up as an outstanding example of the response one should have when taught something.  Not just accepting the teaching of the Gospel by Paul and Silas because it sounded good or because a relative believed it, but they checked up on it, they searched the word, they studied to see what was true.

A few years ago I came across a quotation that I think would be appropriate to insert here.  This is taken from a book entitled “Fundamentalism and the Word of God” written by J .I. Packer and copyrighted in 1958.

    “We do not start our Christian lives by working out our faith for ourselves; it is mediated to us by Christian tradition, in the form of sermons, books and established patterns of church life and fellowship.  We read our Bibles in the light of what we have learned from these sources; we approach Scripture with minds already formed by the mass of accepted opinions and viewpoints with which we have come into contact, in both the Church and the world...  It is easy to be unaware that it has happened; it is hard to begin to realize how profoundly tradition in this sense has moulded us.  But we are forbidden to become enslaved to human tradition, either secular or Christian, whether it be “catholic” tradition, or “critical” tradition, or “ecumenical” tradition.  We may never assume the complete rightness of our own established ways of thought and practice and excuse ourselves the duty of testing and reforming them by Scriptures.”
   

The apostle Paul instructs us, much like the words of J. I. Packer above, to prove, test, check things by the Scriptures.  Let us read his words found in 1 Thessalonians 5:21.  “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.”  Other translations make this even clearer.  I especially like the rendering in the Message, “On the other hand, don’t be gullible, check out every thing, and keep only what’s good.”  I know that commentaries are not the same as Scripture but on this verse I find that most of the commentators understand what Paul is telling us.  Let me quote portions of several of their notes.  Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible,  “The meaning here is, that they were carefully to examine everything proposed for their belief.  They were not to receive it on trust; to take it on assertions; to believe it because it was urged with vehemence, zeal, or plausibility.  In the various opinions and doctrines which were submitted to them for adoption, they were to apply the appropriate tests from reason and the word of God, and what they found to be true they were to embrace; what was false they were to reject.”  Adam Clarke says, “Whatever ye hear in these prophesyings or preachings,  examine by the words of Christ, and by the doctrines which, from time to time, we have delivered unto you in our preaching and writings.  Try the spirits - the different teachers, by the word of God.”

From John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible, “...yet do not implicitly believe everything they say, but examine them according to the word of God the test and standard of truth; search the Scriptures, whether the things they say are true or not.”  He continues, speaking of those that are “ministers of the word or such who are said to have a gift of prophesying,” “...and also their doctrines, and if false reject them, and if true receive them.”  The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary says, “...”but,’ at the same time, do not take ‘all’ as genuine which professes to be so; ‘prove (test) all’ such manifestations.  The means of testing them existed in the Church, in those who had the ‘discerning of spirits’ (1Cor. 12:10; Gal. 1:9; 1 John 4:1).  Another sure test, which we also have, is, to try the professed revelation whether it accords with Scripture, as the noble Bereans did (Act 17:11).”

A few years ago I came across an interesting book written by Frank Viola, entitled “Pagan Christianity.”  It exposed the origins of many of our modern church practices.  Here are a few quotations from the Introduction of the book.  “As Christians, we are taught by our leaders to believe certain ideas and behave certain ways.  We have a Bible, yes.  But we are conditioned to read it with the lens handed to us by the Christian tradition to which we belong.  We are taught to obey our denomination (or movement) and never to challenge what it teaches.”  “If the truth be told, we Christians never seem to ask why we do what we do.  Instead, we blithely carry out our religious traditions, never asking where they came from.”  And, one more.  “Strikingly, contemporary church  thought and practice have been influenced far more by post-Biblical historical events than by NT (New Testament) imperatives and examples.  Yet most Christians are unconscious of this influence.  Nor are they aware that it has created a slew of cherished, calcified, humanly-devised traditions – all of which are routinely passed off to us as ‘Christian.’”

The author limits his coverage to modern church practices, but his questions are just as applicable to many of the commonly taught and believed doctrines.  Most of us have never questioned what we are taught, let alone do as the Bereans and search the Scriptures.  Most of us never seek to “prove all things” as we are admonished by the apostle Paul to do.  And, sadly, most of us have never been instructed in how to study or search.  We read the Bible, which is good.  But, often we read without really thinking about what is being said to us.  I have in past years followed a Bible reading plan to read completely through the Bible in one year.  And, this is good.  However, it often becomes just a check-list to get through each day’s scheduled reading.

We have so many great Bible study aids available to us that past generations never had.  Even if we can’t afford to purchase many of these aids most are available on the internet and come as part of a number of free Bible programs that can be downloaded onto most home computers.  I would encourage each and every one to begin by picking a subject or topic, it doesn’t have to be a major study to begin with.  Compare various Bible translations.  Read commentaries, keeping in mind that they are most helpful in giving historical background and clarifying some of the old English wording found in the King James and other versions.  Learn to use a concordance and see where a word is used, how it is translated in different passages.  Not only will you be searching out what is true versus tradition, but you will find that Bible study becomes interesting and exciting.

However, we must keep in mind that the most important Bible study “aid” is the Holy Spirit.  Jesus said that He would send the Spirit of Truth and he would guide us into all truth.  (John 16:13) We need to ask for revelation and understanding, to be lead to see truth, to distinguish between truth and tradition.  And, we must always remain teachable, to receive what we are shown and be willing to change the way we think and what we believe.

 

October 2019