A lot of Christians were triggered by Marcionism recently. Somehow the noise has died down. I hope Christians will not fall into the same trap again. Following a pastor or a preacher without being a Berean (click the highlight to see its meaning).
Sadly, another heresy has been spreading for decades, in the guise of discipleship – the kenosis theory. Here is an excerpt from GotQuestion.Org on its error:
There are some false teachers who take the concept of kenosis too far, saying that Jesus gave up all or some of His divine nature when He came to earth. This heresy is sometimes referred to as the kenosis theory, but a better term is kenoticism or kenotic theology, to distinguish it from biblical understanding of the kenosis.
Click this link to read full article from GotQuestion.Org.
Keep in mind that Jesus Christ was of the virgin birth (Isa 7:14; Matt 1:23; Lk 1:35). An impossible task humanly speaking. Hence, Jesus Christ was divine at conception, He was born (Lk 1:30-35), grew up (Lk 2:22-52), and was crucified (Acts 2:22-24; Acts 5:30-31; Ps 2:1-8) without losing His divinity at any time, and yet He also was fully man during His incarnation.
It is therefore wrong to follow the teachings that Christ Jesus as a child was taught and discipled by His human parents, Joseph and Mary. See John 17:8, Jesus Christ said:
“For I (Jesus Christ) have given them the words that You (God the Father) gave Me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from You; and they have believed that You sent Me.”
Again, Jesus Christ declared in John 14:24.
“The one who doesn’t love Me will not keep My words. The word that you hear is not Mine but is from the Father who sent Me.”
In Luke 2:52, Scripture’s intent was for the reader to understand that Christ’s divinity was demonstrated since childhood. Read the context, Luke 2:40-52. Not that, like us, we grew in wisdom as we aged.
Click on video below to see R.C. Sproul’s biblical exposition of Christ’s kenosis.
The apostle Paul in Ephesians explained the purpose of Christ’s gift for the office of pastors. See Ephesians 4:11-14.
“And He (Jesus Christ) Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.”
In other words, pastors are tasked to stand guard against false teachings and teachers. They also are mandated to train Christians about the truth, teaching them to discern false teachings. Here, in this blog, I’m defending the biblical persona of Christ Jesus (Christology) that has been compromised by kenosis theory.
Ironically, unlike recent heresy in the form of Marcionism which began locally, the heresy on kenosis was imported abroad, and then locally spread in the guise of discipleship.
Shouldn’t we have learned from the recent pandemic? Borders control is needed to prevent the spread of deadly diseases. In the case of heresy, pastors are tasked to stand guard against heresy, false teachings, and teachers. They have to keep the sanctity of Christ’s body, therefore watching its borders. And yet, it was the local pastors who welcomed the said heresy into their congregation. Even aiding its spread, whether knowingly or unknowingly, with both Christ Jesus certainly has condemnations for such people. See 2Peter 2:1.
“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.”
See also Matthew 18:6, Jesus Christ said.
“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to fall away — it would be better for him if a heavy millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea.”
Now, let’s take a look at John 10:7-16, to discern whether you have under-shepherds of Christ Jesus or hirelings.
“Jesus said again, “Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the gate. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The hired hand, since he is not the shepherd and doesn’t own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees a wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them.This happens because he is a hired hand and doesn’t care about the sheep. “I am the good shepherd. I know My own, and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me, and I know the Father. I lay down My life for the sheep. But I have other sheep that are not from this sheep pen; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd.”
Christians, discern carefully if indeed your pastors are truly under-shepherds of Christ Jesus. Have you learned only the true teachings of Jesus Christ, therefore listening solely to Christ’s voice? Because only then are we part of God’s flock, with Jesus Christ alone our One Great Shepherd.
Once more, Jesus Christ said, “My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of My hand.” (Jhn 10:27-28)
Be watchful, we might have a false assurance of salvation. Salvation can be found in Christ alone, through the inerrancy of His Word. Listen and learn only from Christ’s voice (the inerrancy of His Word). Heresy can be a silent killer.
“The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with Him (Jesus Christ), we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him; if we deny Him (Jesus Christ and His Word), He also will deny us; if we are faithless, He remains faithful— for He cannot deny Himself. Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (2Ti 2:11-15)
Blessings!
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It has always been asked of me, “How can I best explain the Gospel to an intellectual person? Like a scientist, a doctor, or someone who is a wide reader or a good researcher.”
To answer, we must first be willing to reject and disprove traditions that have been prevalently taught and believed upon but cannot be supported by Scripture. Jesus Christ said, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)
Again Jesus Christ told the unbelieving Jews, “Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear My word. You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.” (John 8:43-45)
Therefore, to do so, we must first be well acquainted with the Scripture. We need to know the truth. Explain thoroughly the teachings of Christ Jesus. Do not be shy to refute conventional teachings or beliefs that are unfounded in the Word of God.
Yes, I understand it’s a long process. That’s exactly why Christ Jesus spent three years teaching His disciples. Consequently, Christians also must be immersed in discipleship. By discipleship, that means learning to approach Scripture correctly respecting its context, immediate audience, and the specific teaching or message of Christ Jesus on a particular passage in the Bible.
It is a time-consuming process, and it does not guarantee a positive response from most. But remember, Jesus Christ, didn’t focus on the most, only on those who have been willing to follow Him notwithstanding its cost.
Once more, see Scripture: “All these things Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed, He said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.” Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.”” (Matthew 13:34-36)
Take note that the parables of Jesus were not meant to conceal but utter what has been hidden; in other words, parables are meant to unveil the truths of God’s Word. Also, only to those few disciples did Jesus explain further the truth. No, it’s not because they were the chosen ones; rather, they came to ask and inquire about the truth.
Let us therefore not rush the process; rather be disciplined in keeping the process. In time, perhaps it could even be beyond our lifetime, it shall bear fruit.
Lastly, it is a reality that we could create enemies or people would not find us pleasing once we stand by God’s truth. That’s exactly why Jesus Christ said to His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” (Matthew 16:24-25)
Christianity is a journey, and in our journey, we ought to know and discern the way. Jesus Christ alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). It would be ironic for us to follow the crowd but miss the way.
Jesus Christ said, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Matthew 7:13-14)
Christianity cannot be a multifaceted truth but the one single way to truth. Yet, there is diversity of supposed truths presented and proposed by Christians of different denominations, even among those who claims to be non-denominational. That is exactly why intellectual skeptics find post-modern Christianity confusing or worse a lie; hence, a stumbling block to the faith.
Jesus Christ alone is the Door (John 10:7,9) and the Good Shepherd (John 10:11). Upon Him and His Word alone should we follow, believe and teach. Christ Jesus alone is the One Way to true Christianity. Let us be humble enough to learn from His word, the Bible. Scripture Alone.
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The Gospels contain parables. Jesus spoke a lot of parables, not to conceal but to speak the truth. Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary defined “Parable” as “a short, simple story designed to communicate a spiritual truth, religious principle, or moral lesson; a figure of speech in which truth is illustrated by a comparison or example drawn from everyday experiences.”
One of the most obscure, misunderstood, and diversely interpreted parables of Jesus may be found in Luke 16:1-9.
He also said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was wasting his possessions. And he called him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.’ And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world [age] are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.”
Let us first establish the context or background of the parable. It was uttered by Jesus against the Pharisees. See Luke 15:1-3.
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Him [Jesus]. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So He told them this parable:
The Pharisees had unjustly accused Jesus of wrongdoings because He welcomed tax collectors and sinners, which had been a repeated contention raised against Jesus Christ. See Luke 5:30.
And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”
Also, Luke 7:39.
Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him (Jesus Christ) saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”
And many other instances.
The Pharisees were an influential religious sect within Judaism in the time of Christ and the early church. They were known for their emphasis on personal piety (the word Pharisee comes from a Hebrew word meaning “separated”), their acceptance of oral tradition in addition to the written Law, and their teaching that all Jews should observe all 600-plus laws in the Torah, including the rituals concerning ceremonial purification.
The Pharisees were mostly middle-class businessmen and leaders of the synagogues. Though they were a minority in the Sanhedrin and held a minority number of positions as priests, they seemed to control the decision-making of the Sanhedrin because they had popular support among the people.
Doubtless, the influence and teachings of the Pharisees had much effect on the minds of the Jews; hence, they acted similarly here in Luke 19:5-7.
And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received Him joyfully. And when they [the Jews] saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”
Jesus spoke a series of parables in response to the Pharisees’ accusation (Luke 15:1-2), one after the other – “the parable of one lost sheep” (Luke 15:4-7); “the parable of the lost coin” (Luke 15:8-10); “the parable of the prodigal son” (Luke 15:11-32); “the parable of the shrewd manager” (Luke 16:1-9); and lastly, “the parable of the rich man and Lazarus” (Luke 16:19-31).
Jesus through each parable was setting up His argument and rebuke against the Pharisees – the Pharisees who were teachers of the Law, God’s Word, so they should be concerned with the flock of God, even if only for one lost sheep (Luke 15:4-7), for God desires to redeem even one lost soul, figuratively represented by the “lost coin” (Luke 15:8-10).
Next, Judah was the son who never left his father yet had no heart to embrace back Israel (the Northern Kingdom of Israel), but having repented from his wrongdoings, the father willingly restored him as a son – the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). Likewise, the Pharisees, like the eldest son in the parable, refuse to accept the tax collectors. They grumbled against Jesus for welcoming them to hear Him.
Now continuing on Jesus’ second to last parable spoken against the Pharisees, Luke 16:1-9, Jesus told a story of a rich man who was told his manager was wasting his possessions (16:1). In 16:2, the rich man called the manager and said to him, “What is this I hear about you? Turn in the account of your management, for you can no longer be manager.” Without first investigating to ascertain the veracity of what he was told, the rich man fired the manager based on what he heard (16:2). The rich man therefore was unjust. The manager likewise was unjust. Jesus Christ referred to him as DISHONEST or UNJUST, depending on the translation of the parable (Luke 16:8) but definitely of negative connotation.
Now look closely at Luke 16:3-8.
And the manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do, so that when I am removed from management, people may receive me into their houses.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors [G5533] one by one, he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.
The master did not appear to have been surprised by the huge discount given out by the dishonest manager. No businessman would be happy for such huge a discount if it would amount to losses. The master and the dishonest manager have conspired to overcharge the clients, causing them to be close to bankruptcy, and unable to pay their debt. So again, the master truly is unjust. So is the dishonest manager, he continued to work behind the back of his master though already fired – once again, for his gain.
Next, see “debtors,” in verse 5. A quick check with a Lexicon, a dictionary of Greek and Hebrews – in our case Greek words– “debtors” was used only twice by Jesus in the entire narrative across all four Gospels of the New Testament Scripture. The other occurrence may be seen in Luke 7:41, but I will include the context for proper understanding. See Luke 7:40-43.
And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”
Did you notice how Jesus had used “debtors” in His storytelling or teachings? “Debtors” refer to those who have bad debts, people who can no longer pay their debts – people who have gone bankrupt, in other words.
So having understood Jesus’ use of the word “debtors,” indeed the manager had acted shrewdly. With the huge discount, the dishonest manager was able to collect both the capital and the master’s profit margin. On the other hand, the debtor having no way out of his debt, seeing the huge discount, sought a way to pay back so that they may be free and possibly reengage in business. It’s a win-win, for both the master and his clients. To the master, the bad debts, uncollectible or NPL (non-performing debts) in our modern terms, have been recovered. More so, for the dishonest manager, ‘cause he has extended favor to the master’s clients giving them the chance to be back in business, thereby possibly making himself indispensable to the master and a man of goodwill to the clients.
Now, going back to the context of Jesus’ parable, He was unjustly accused by the Pharisees, Jews may have also been confused by His actions simply because He welcomed tax collectors and sinners. The Pharisees understood when Jesus Christ spoke the parable against them. See Luke 16:14, Scripture said, “The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed Him (Jesus Christ).”
Without a doubt then, the parable of the dishonest manager was spoken against the Pharisees. They have made friends for themselves using unrighteous wealth or shrewdness, like today, as the saying goes, “Money talks.” Yet money means nothing or would have no value in their final and eternal dwellings – the Lake of Fire. Yes, that’s the eternal dwelling in Luke 16:9, not heaven. That truth was communicated clearly by Jesus Christ through His second parable, go see Luke 16:19-31 – the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, which spoke of the rich man’s punishment. The rich man was in hades, judged already awaiting his final dwelling; yes, the Lake of Fire or the second death (Revelation 20:14). Once again, the rich man represented the Pharisees, who were lovers of money. They didn’t care to lift a finger in aid of the needy but were concerned only about themselves, similar to the dishonest manager of Luke 16:1-9.
The Bible revealed the true condition of the Pharisees’ heart – they were lovers of money. They put much importance on temporal wealth (unrighteous wealth) over true riches; hence, they failed to see – the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets (see Luke 24:44) had been unveiled before them. The Gospel of the kingdom has been preached.
The tax collectors and sinners represent every one of us. We owe God a huge debt, which cannot be repaid by us but by Christ Jesus alone. But be careful not to fall into an understanding that we Christians ought to be shrewd in our dealings. That was never the intent or teaching of Jesus Christ in this parable (Luke 16:1-9). Now to expound on this further, Jesus Christ in verses 8b-9 said:
“For the sons of this world [age] are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings.”
Let me first point out that “sons of this world“ should properly be translated “sons of this age“,“aiōn, G165” in Greek, which was rightly translated by the New American Standard Bible translation. The Strong’s Greek Dictionary explained that it is “by implication the world; specifically (Jewish) a Messianic period”.
The coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of Man, then was the beginning of the Messianic Age (Luke 17:20-21). The sons of this age, in Luke 16:8, then refer to the sons of the Jewish Age or Old Covenant Age, distinguishing them from the sons of light, the followers of Jesus Christ, and those who truly believe in His Word. See John 12:34-36.
So the crowd answered Him [Jesus], “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?” So Jesus said to them, “The light is among you for a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you. The one who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” When Jesus had said these things, he departed and hid himself from them.
An important insight in Scripture. The interval between the end of the Jewish Age (Old Covenant Age) and the beginning of the Christian Age (New Covenant Age) was the Messianic Age (Period). The Messianic Age encompassed the seemingly two comings of Jesus Christ, which was one in the Old Testament prophecies. Examples may be seen through Malachi 3:1-5 and Matthew 3:11-12.
The New Covenant (or New Testament) is the promise that God makes with humanity that He will forgive sin and restore fellowship with those whose hearts are turned toward Him. Jesus Christ is the mediator of the New Covenant, and His death on the cross is the basis of the promise (Luke 22:20). The New Covenant was predicted while the Old Covenant was still in effect—the prophets Moses, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel all allude to the New Covenant.
So Scripture in Matthew 26:26-29 said: “Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body.’ And He took a cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is My blood of the [new] covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.’”
Jesus Christ died, resurrected, and ascended to reign over His kingdom. It’s a spiritual kingdom, not an earthly or physical kingdom which was offered to Him by the Jews in John 6:15, but Jesus Christ rejected it.
Without a doubt, Jesus Christ came as He had promised His then-living apostles, saying “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom (Matthew 16:28).” The same promised was reiterated by Mark and Luke, testifying on the Word and promise of Christ Jesus (see Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27).
If Jesus Christ’s Word isn’t true, if His return has been delayed as suggested by most Christians, then He isn’t trustworthy. But He indeed is trustworthy, true, and has returned according to His Word. We just have been told and taught otherwise. The error is with tradition, definitely not the Word of God. Else, His redemptive work isn’t complete. Salvation remains a hope, not yet a true reality (see Hebrews 9:28; Romans 13:11 & 1Peter 1:3-5). Yes, that’s the implication of any suggestion that He has yet to return.
Now back to our discussion in Luke. In effect with verse 8, Jesus pointed out the shrewdness of the Pharisees – the sons of this age – who were unjust but had accused Him of being unrighteous, as I have mentioned earlier. Then comes verses 9-13, where Jesus continued, saying:
And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings. “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”
Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible has wonderfully explained the meaning of “unrighteous wealth”:
These words are an Hebrew expression for “unrighteous mammon,” the noun being used for an adjective, as is common in the New Testament. The word “unrighteous,” here, stands opposed to “the true riches” in Luk 16:11, and means “deceitful, false, not to be trusted.” It has this meaning often. See 1Ti 6:17; Luk 12:33; Mat 6:19; Mat 19:21. It does not signify, therefore, that they had acquired the property “unjustly,” but that property was “deceitful” and not to be trusted. The wealth of the steward was deceitful; he could not rely on its continuance; it was liable to be taken away at any moment.So the wealth of the world is deceitful. We cannot “calculate” on its continuance. It may give us support or comfort now, but it may be soon removed, or we taken from “it,” and we should, therefore, so use it as to derive benefit from it hereafter.
In other words, Christians should always trust Jesus Christ in everything, for salvation and our daily needs as well. We should not be too preoccupied by the desire to get rich and things of this temporal world. Rather, we should seek to be rich with God. Remember Jesus’ words on another parabolic teaching. SeeLuke 12:20-26.
“But God said to him (rich man), ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” And He (Jesus Christ) said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?”
Similarly, like Luke 16:9-13, Jesus Christ was simply reiterating His teachings in Luke 12:32-34.
Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
According to Jesus’ own teaching, “unrighteous wealth or temporal wealth (v.9)” is of less value, unrealiable, temporal and cannot be compared to the “true riches (v.11)”. True riches is with Christ Jesus our Lord; it’s about the kingdom of heaven. As I have said earlier, the Pharisees have repeatedly rebuked Jesus for welcoming tax collectors and sinners. Likewise, do not allow false religiosity misdirect you to missed entrance to God’s kingdom. Jesus Christ said:
““Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”” (Matthew 7:13-15)
Look at Jesus’ last words to the church. Let it resonate in your mind and heart that you may find the strength to live your lives holding on to true riches. See Revelation 3:18-22.
I counsel you to buy from Me [Jesus Christ] gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me.The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with Me on My throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
Let me remind everyone that these words of Jesus Christ were spoken a millennia ago. Thanks be to God, Jesus Christ was faithful to all His promises. He is not a liar, as alleged by some. I firmly believe and understand that Jesus came and fulfilled all His promises. So let me encourage everyone: seek Christ, His righteousness, and His kingdom, for only then may anyone find true riches – entrance to the kingdom of heaven.
Blessing!
P.S. This is an edited version of my original posting. The edits concern aspects on the parable of Jesus Christ, the story of the dishonest manager. All major points remain the same. I have removed a lot of insights to the true teaching of the Scripture for it may have digressed from our original study. Jesus Christ has been teaching repeatedly against lusting for earthly wealth at the expense of the true wealth that Christians should seek – entrance to God’s kingdom.
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Christians tend to believe what they are told, instead of what Scripture has taught or Scripture itself. Yes, there is a huge difference between the two.
For instance, we were told that Christ Jesus was nailed to the cross and died of crucifixion on a Friday, and He was resurrected early Sunday morning. Yet in Scripture, Jesus Christ clearly said, “He would be three days and three nights buried in the ground.” See Matthew 12:40. Jesus said: “For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
No matter how good a person is at manipulating days and nights, no way can three days and three nights be fitted into Friday to Sunday. TRADITION has it that Jesus Christ resurrected early morning of Sunday. Jesus Christ clearly died at three in the afternoon (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34; Luke 23:44-46, 9th hour, Jewish time) and was buried before the Special (high) Sabbath. See the following statements in Scripture. First, John 19:30-31.
“When Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished,” and He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.”
Next, John 19:38-42.
“After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.”
Jesus Christ was buried before the “high Sabbath,” the Jewish feast day, on the 15th of Nisan. The “Jewish Day of Preparation” was the 14th of Nisan before sundown. At sundown, at the start of the “high Sabbath”, no work can be done. The conditions for a Sabbath day when no work can be done apply to a special Sabbath. Yes, the “high Sabbath” could be any day in the week, for as long as it’s the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nisan.
So we see the Jews wanting to take Jesus down from the cross before sundown – the beginning of the “high Sabbath” – and also, Joseph and Nicodemus taking the body of Jesus, making all the necessary Jewish burial customs and laying Him in an empty and unused tomb before sundown. This was before the “high Sabbath” kicked in.
Now, to illustrate the impossibility of fitting Friday to Sunday to three days and three nights, let’s just – FOR THE MOMENT – agree with a Friday death by crucifixion at 3:00 PM, yet be mindful that the Jewish cycle for a day begins at sundown (6:00 PM) to before sundown the next day. Friday, 3:00 PM to before 6:00 PM (sundown) cannot be a day by any count. So the truth of the matter is, there was only one full Saturday, then at sundown it’s Sunday – which again, according to tradition, just hours later, Jesus Christ resurrected.
Obviously, Friday to Sunday is a misrepresentation of the Word of God. Mind you, it’s not a non-essential detail because the integrity of Jesus’ words is at stake.
I recall once, while I was still a seminary student, we had a mission exposure trip encountering Muslims. We met an Imam (a spiritual advisor and expert in Islamic Law), who is well-equipped with the Christian Bible. So he asked us a few questions that were based on Christian tradition but not supported by Scripture. One of the questions he asked was about Jesus’ three-day and three-night statements vis-a-vis Christian’s claim of Friday to Sunday burial and resurrection. No one was able to defend the faith when confronted by knowledgeable questions. Consequently, it’s not enough that we claim faith that is not according to knowledge. We will forever be struggling when confronted with legitimate challenges. How then can we convert intelligent people of other faith?
Christians have been chopping up theology or chopping up reading of the Bible and have become easy prey to tradition. Soteriology (doctrine of salvation) was disconnected from ecclesiology (doctrine of the church), also from eschatology (doctrine of last things), etc. Then, sad to say, once rebuked or challenged, they would justify it as inconsequential compared to the overall message. Worse, they would bring the “love one another” cliché.
We all commit mistakes believing in traditions that are not founded in Scripture. However, when corrected and proven wrong, we should not justify ourselves by using the “love one another” cliché. The Christian “love one another” teaching of Jesus Christ cannot be divorced from the need to hold on to the truth of the Scripture. See John 15:12-15.
“This is My (Jesus Christ’s) commandment, that you LOVE ONE ANOTHER as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down His life for his friends. YOU ARE MY FRIENDS IF YOU DO WHAT I COMMAND YOU. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his Master is doing; but I have called you friends, FOR ALL THAT I HAVE HEARD FROM MY FATHER I HAVE MADE KNOWN TO YOU.”
Christians cannot simply “be the kind one”. The apostle Paul never used the “love one another” cliché when there was wrong committed. Persisting on a wrong can be a sin against the body of Christ, the church. See 1Timothy 5:17-20.
“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.”
Now, going back to my discussion on Jesus’ death and resurrection. For context, in Matthew 12, the Pharisees had been challenging the miraculous deeds (signs) of Jesus Christ. Among other things, the Pharisees attributed Jesus’ healing miracles and His casting out of demons to that of the prince of demons, Beelzebul. In response, Jesus made clear He cast out demons by the Spirit of God, thereby announcing the arrival of God’s kingdom (Matthew 12:28), which of course also meant He was the Messiah. In return, the Pharisees continued in their disbelief and asked Jesus to provide a sign that He indeed was the Messiah.
To prove without a doubt that indeed Jesus Christ was the Messiah who was to come, He gave them the sign of Noah – that, He would be three days and three nights in the ground before His resurrection.
To briefly point out the truth, allow me to highlight key passages only. See Matthew 12:22. “Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to Him (Jesus Christ), and He healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Can this be the Son of David?” (Take note, the “Son of David” was the prophesied coming Messiah; see 2Samuel 7:8-16; Matthew 21:9) But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” Knowing their thoughts, He (Jesus Christ) said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.”
See also Matthew 12:38-40. “Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered Him (Jesus Christ), saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But He answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
Consequently, Jesus Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection have to be exactly three days and three nights before He would be seen alive. Anything short of that would be a discredit to His claim that He was the Christ, the Messiah. That can’t be non-essential in any sense because it had to be fulfilled exactly as Jesus Christ had pronounced, authenticating that indeed He was the Messiah. And if there was any contradiction to His pronouncement of three days and three nights, just a fraction short of that, the Jews could have denounced Jesus as having a fake claim to God’s promise of the Messiah.
The Jewish religious leaders of Old Covenant Israel recognized the veracity of Jesus rising back to life after three days and three nights, so they made sure it could not be fake. See Matthew 27:62-64.
“The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while He (Jesus Christ) was still alive, After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples go and steal Him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.”
Christians ought to be apologists (defenders) of the faith, not defenders of themselves. Once truths of the Scripture are challenged, compromised, or inadequately presented, we have a responsibility to correct and explain the truth. But we ought to know the truth firsthand before we can do so. In the Book of Acts, Apollos was described as eloquent in Scripture, but he only knew about John’s baptism. So he too was instructed by Priscilla and Aquila on the Scripture more accurately. Priscilla and Aquila practiced the Christian virtue of “loving one another” they taught Apollos more accurately about Christ Jesus our Lord. Similarly, Apollos embraced the correction and instruction in the spirit of loving one another. Go read Acts 18:24-28.
No Christian can sincerely say they are obedient to Christ’s command of “loving one another” – at least, not until we learn to love Christ Jesus and His word. Loving God’s Word means we are ready to protect at all times the integrity of Jesus’ Words and declarations. No ifs and no buts.
Perhaps for a time, some passages in Scripture might be unclear or vague to us. Yet, Scripture said, “Yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.” (Proverbs 2:3-5)
In conclusion, let us meditate John’s writing on the virtue of love. See 1John 4:7-19.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent His only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and His love is perfected in us.”
“By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit [Keep in mind, Jesus said “His Words are Spirit and life, see John 6:63; John 12:49-50; Romans 10:17; 1Corinthians 2:9-14; 1Thessalonians 2:13; 1Peter 1:22-23]. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as He is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not abeen perfected in love. We love because He first loved us.”
Also, Peter’s words on God’s Word and loving one another. See 1Peter 1:22 to 2:3.
“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.”And this word is the good news that was preached to you. So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
Let us refrain from using the “love one another” cliché as a way of escape when we have committed wrongs or misrepresentated the Word of God. Christ Jesus died for our sins to free us who believe in Him from our wrongdoings and shortcomings. Salvation is never a pass for saying nonsense and then atoning by claiming the “love one another cliché”. Scripture said, “Put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander (1Peter 2:1)”.
Christians should always be humble before the Word of God. Always ready to be corrected and rebuked when confronted by Scripture. Similarly, always be ready to learn and be equipped by the Bible.
“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.” (2Timothy 2:15)
The apostle Paul instructed, “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Take note, Paul’s words and doings are in the Scripture. We can surely learn from him.)
Again, Paul instructed, “You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” (2Timothy 2:1-2)
Once more, Paul instructed, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
Blessings!
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Colonial mentality is still very much embedded in the minds of most people, especially here in the Philippines. Simple discipleship approaches have to be imported from foreign soil. No wonder Christianity here has always been challenged, without real progress.
Discipleship is never about programs. Approaches might differ according to each cultural background but the main task of discipleship remains the same. Programs without truthful teaching of God’s Word cannot be real discipleship. If programs are just approaches so that Christianity would adjust to the likings of unbelievers or nominal Christians, then it’s already a failure even at the onset.
A lot of people lose interest in Christianity not because of the Gospel message, but mainly due to the hypocrisy or conflicting nature of supposedly Christians. Yes, professing Christians (wolves in sheep’s clothing) are the main stumbling block to Christianity.
Jesus Christ called on His prospective disciples saying “Follow me”. Christ’s call on people to follow Him – that’s the essence of real discipleship. Now, to follow Jesus does not simply mean eating with Him or walking with Him, but to learn from His teaching. Hence, discipleship without truthful teaching of God’s Word is not discipleship – it’s simply a bandwagon in the guise of discipleship.
Here are the Words of Jesus Christ concerning His call for discipleship. See Matthew 10:24-39. I am separating it into two parts for clarity’s sake.
First, Jesus Christ said:
““A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the Master of the house (Jesus Christ is the Master of God’s house, the church) Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of His household. “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear Him (God) who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges Me (Jesus Christ) before men, I also will acknowledge before My Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies Me before men, I also will deny before My Father who is in heaven.”
Doing discipleship is never a walk in the park. It would have its challenges. You would always be maligned, gossiped, or backstabbed; it all comes with the work. So we cannot be onion-skinned. Just shake off the dust if it doesn’t work out. But never leave the potential disciple if he/she is truly seeking to follow Jesus Christ.
Second, Jesus Christ went on teaching:
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And whoever does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”
Jesus Christ told us, disciples should continue the journey of following Him even when opposition seems to overwhelm us. Even loved ones or family members could oppose our journey. Yet, if we chose to save it, that would be the end of our discipleship journey. On the other hand, if we persist on our journey, surely we will find Jesus and not be lost on our way.
Jesus Christ was not all talk without application. He demand commitment to discipleship, taught it, and applied it to Himself.
Jesus Christ exemplified discipleship, teaching only from the perspective of the Trinity God. See John 7:16, “So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not Mine, but His (God the Father) who sent Me.” Check out also John 12:49.
Even the Holy Spirit, the 3rd Person of the Holy Trinity, has always been consistent with the Word of God. See John 6:63 “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”
Perhaps James, one of Jesus’ brothers by Joseph, appeared also to oppose His way. Jesus was ridiculed by His own and yet He persisted following the Father’s will. See John 7:2-5.
“Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. So His (Jesus’) brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works You are doing. For no one works in secret if He seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” For not even His brothers believed in Him.”
Yet, it was after Jesus Christ had faithfully followed the will of the Father – died on the cross, resurrected, and ascended; thereby, fulfilling Scripture – did James became His determined apostle.
Worry not that our relationship with people might be compromised by following Jesus Christ. But trust His heart, goodness, and grace. Just as James found grace in Christ Jesus, Scripture assured us saying “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
The main goal of discipleship should be QUALITY, not QUANTITY. But that has always been a challenge to workers of the Word ‘cause discipleship is never an overnight journey. Jesus Christ spent three years teaching the disciples. Sadly, the quest for QUALITY disciples has always been challenged by demands for QUANTITY. The issue of ROI (Return on Investment) from supporting organized Christianity forced workers of the Word to fast-track, thereby compromising truthful discipleship.
On the other hand, sad to say but we also have pastors who seem not able to teach only from the Bible. They relied on human-tailored Bible study materials, most of which – if not all – have compromised from the truth. Human biases are very obvious for Christians who truly understand Scripture. Consequently, we have well-meaning Christian leaders who have no option but to send pastors to join discipleship conferences. Worse, even with joining such conferences nothing seems to progress. So, at the end of the day, we see pastors and Christian leaders joining discipleship conferences to no avail.
Learning discipleship begins with learning to study and teach the Word of God. Before the disciples were sent out to preach, they had to know the message. Paul went around the Roman Empire teaching the Word of God only after he had personally been called by Jesus Christ and taught by Him. See Galatians 1:11-12.
“For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Paul’s understanding of Judaism didn’t suffice. He needed to see the connection between the Old Testament Scripture vis-a-vis that of Jesus’ teaching (New Testament Scripture) and work. Yes, Jesus Christ didn’t offer a new teaching; rather He connected the OT Scripture with His Word ‘cause Christ came to fulfill all Scripture (Matthew 5:17).
Apollos’ preaching in Ephesus was called upon and augmented so that it may fully adhere to the teaching of Jesus Christ. See Acts 18:24-26.
“Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.”
Admit it or not, human-tailored discipleship materials come and go. It has become like a fashion trend. Whichever material was used, after its initial launch or sometime later, Christians are always left hanging, not knowing what’s next.
Let us teach Christians how to study the Bible so that they may qualify to teach and lead others. That should be the foundational rule in discipleship. See Ephesians 2:19-21.
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God (the church), built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple (the church) in the Lord.”
Make no mistake the foundation of truthful Christianity has always been Jesus Christ and His Word – nothing more, nothing less.
Here then are the guiding passages for discipleship:
“You then, my child (Timothy), be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me (Paul) in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” (2Timothy 2:1-2)
Discipleship won’t suffice by simply inviting Christians to a short seminar and providing them with materials to follow. We all know most Christians are not well-versed in Scripture. They have questions, and they would be asked questions. Hence, we need to have Christian mentors who are truly equipped to handle the Scripture rightly (2Timothy 2:15). Consequently, with our present context launching a congregation-wide discipleship is not possible – simply because we need qualified mentors, truly equipped in Scripture. It cannot be denied, that not everyone who goes to a Sunday Christian gathering is a committed Christian. Worse, it’s a fact that we have unconverted people joining such gatherings. Sadly, we also have them among supposedly Christian leadership.
Next, “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My WORD, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”” (John 8:31-32)
Discipleship is not simply a movement armed with a human-tailored material within or outside a congregation. Rather, it’s all about following Jesus Christ; again, it’s about learning and teaching from His Word. Faith is learned when we knew intimately and believe the One whom we follow.
On the other hand, here is a guide for Christian mentors to know if a person is not ready to be a disciple:
“When many of His (Jesus’) disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in Himself that His disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray Him.) And He said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to Me unless it is granted Him by the Father.” After this many of His disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.” (John 6:60-66)
Incidentally, I’m not endorsing the idea of “election or predestination” in our present context. We have to understand that Christ’s expression of “election language or metaphor” was due to the impending judgment coming upon Old Covenant Jews, who sent Jesusto be crucified. See Paul’s letter to the believers.
“For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!” (1Th 2:14-16)
Similar to God’s initial judgment against Old Covenant Israel, it was the Babylonians who became God’s instrument for judgment; Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed in 586 B.C. Now, with God’s final judgment upon Old Covenant Israel, it was the Romans destroying Jerusalem and the temple in 70 A.D.; hence, true to Paul’s words “God’s wrath has come upon them at last (1Thessalonians 2:16). Also, fulfilling Jesus’ word concerning that final destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (Matthew 23:37-38; 24:1-2,15-21).
Jerusalem today, without the temple, ceased to be God’s Old Covenant Israel. And mind you, there was no further prophecy of another rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple in Scripture. Whatever was prophesied in the Old Testament Scripture concerning a rebuilding of the temple was initially fulfilled during Nehemiah and Ezra’s time and until that of Herod’s temple. The New Testament Scripture has no direct prophecy of another temple to be rebuilt. Therefore, without Scripture, it’s just a myth or fictional story telling.
Understandably, the temple in Jerusalem was a mere shadow of the true reality of God’s promise dwelling with His people. Jesus Christ, by His resurrection and ascension, commenced the building of His temple – the church. See 1Corinthians 3:16.
“Do you not know that you (Greek plural, not individual, the collective body of Christ, the church) are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”
Next, 1Corinthians 6:19. “Or do you not know that your body (Greek plural, not individual body but the collective body of Christ, the church) is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own.”
Also, 2Corinthians 6:16. “What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we (collective body of Christ, the church) are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make My dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
Again, Ephesians 2:19-22. “So then you (Gentiles) are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints (the Jewish believers) and members of the household of God (the collective body of Christ, the church), built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
Finally, 1Peter 2:4-5. “As you (Greek plural, the collective body of Christ, the church) come to Him (Jesus Christ), a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves (same with the first “you”, plural) like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
On the flip side of God’s judgment pronouncement on Old Covenant Israel, similarly important was God’s promise of grace to the generation of Jews that saw Jerusalem and its temple destroyed. See Romans 11:5-7, the apostle Paul said: “So too at the present time (Paul’s time, not ours) there is a remnant (of Jews, see Romans 9:27), chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened …”. The believing Jews were clearly the elect spoken in Scripture.
In our quest to make disciples, let us not commit the mistake of omitting the Word of God as the main means for discipleship. Keep in mind that our commission for discipleship came from the Lord Jesus Christ, not men. Let us not be pressured by the idea of ROI, but disciple people by the Word of God. It does not need to be fast-tracked. Practice discernment, some may be ready but most are not. Focus on those who truly honor God’s Word. Remember always that our accountability is to the Word, Jesus Christ.
Now, if the issue you are confronting has to do with the ministry support, and you have been coerced to do otherwise, walk away! Trust God for your sustenance. As the saying goes, “God is never early, yet He is never late.” In hindsight, after you have trusted God in everything, you will see God’s work in display – he has led you out of your Egypt and parted the sea, protected and delivered you, not to the wilderness but His promised land. That is the reality and sum of following Jesus Christ. No ifs, no buts. Just trust and believe.
Scripture said, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him (God), for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
Blessings!
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Had Bible study last night. We studied Judges 3:1-11. Othniel, son of Caleb’s younger brother, was sent by the LORD to rescue Israel but ONLY after they had cried out to Him. So Israel experienced rest for forty years under the guidance of Othniel, the first Judge sent by the LORD.
Christians, likewise chosen by God to be His people, ought not to think it’s fine to disobey the LORD and yet still be favored by Him. Redemption also does not apply to the rebellious but only to those who repent and turn to God for salvation.
No one can escape worldly troubles. Christians alike are affected by events, financial crises, and the like occurring. However, God can preserve His people amidst the chaos or troubles around us.
Othniel, sent by God, guided Israel for forty years – a generation – giving them rest. Similarly, we ought to be guided by the Words of Jesus Christ, as revealed in Scripture, for only then may anyone truly be servants of God’s Word, teaching people the truth notwithstanding the odds.
True servants of God are not defined by the organization, sect, or denomination. But by the outcome of their work, teaching solely based on Jesus’ Word.
“Everyone then who hears these words of Mine (Jesus Christ) and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:24-27)
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That is the declaration of Jesus Christ about Himself and His Word, see John 14:6. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
In Hebrews 9:28, the Bible said: “So also the Messiah (Jesus Christ), having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring SALVATION (Greek 4991, sōtēria) to those who are waiting for Him.”
Greek #4991, sōtēria denotes “deliverance, preservation, salvation” – Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.
Salvation, this word is used for the deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians (Exo 14:13), and of deliverance generally from evil or danger. In the New Testament, it is specifically used concerning the great deliverance from the guilt and the pollution of sin wrought out by Jesus Christ, “the great salvation” (Heb 2:3) – Easton’s Bible Dictionary
So Hebrews 9:28 teaches that Jesus Christ secured salvation at the cross and that was why He declared, “It is finished” (see John 19:30) before giving up His last breath, but salvation was completed at His return. So it is wrong to assume that the Christian death would go to heaven even without Christ’s return. See 1Corinthians 15:20-23.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at His coming those who belong to Christ.
Again see John 14:6. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”
Jesus Christ said those words (John 14:6) in reply to Thomas’ question. See John 14:5. “Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?””
The conversation was in the context of Jesus telling His apostles about His death, resurrection, and departure or ascension. See John 13:36. “Simon Peter said to Him (Jesus), ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you will follow afterward.’ Then to comfort His disciples, Jesus went on to explain the truth:
“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.” (John 14:1-4)
Hence, together with John 14:6, twice Jesus Christ declared He alone is the way to the Father or heaven. And no one can go by themselves to heaven without first Jesus Christ’s return paving the way to heaven. Hence in Revelation 14:13-15, Scripture declared:
And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a Son of Man, with a golden crown on His head, and a sharp sickle in His hand. And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in Your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.”
It was only at the time of judgment, the Second Coming, that Revelation declared, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”
Don’t despair ‘cause Jesus promised to return within the generation of His immediate disciples, the apostles. See Matthew 16:27-28. “For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay each person according to what He has done. TRULY, I SAY TO YOU, THERE ARE SOME STANDING HERE WHO WILL NOT TASTE DEATH UNTIL THEY SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING IN HIS KINGDOM.”
Did Jesus mean the disciples would not die before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ? Of course not! Rather, Jesus Christ promised to return within the apostles’ generation.
How can we be sure Jesus was referring to the apostles, not any random disciples in the future? See Matthew 16:21-28.
“From that time Jesus began to show His DISCIPLES that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, ‘Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.’ But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’ Then Jesus told His DISCIPLES, ‘If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay each person according to what He has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.’”
I know traditional Christianity is teaching us otherwise, that Jesus is yet to return, though it has been millennia since Christ’s promised return. Surely, if you are Scripture and God-loving Christian, we know that Jesus Christ spoke only the truth and Scripture alone is infallible. So we have no other choice but to take the words of Jesus Christ as truth. Because to insist otherwise is to rebuke Jesus Christ and accuse that His words aren’t true. Or that He failed on His promises of return. If so, how then can Christians embrace John 3:16 as truth, believing salvation is with Jesus Christ?
It’s amazing how all Christendom would declare Scripture alone as infallible. However, when confronted by clear and straightforward declarations of Jesus Christ contradicting existing or popular beliefs, they would adhere to declarations or writings of men, creeds, and the likes to support their ideas of the truth.
In this age of fake news, we ought to check and verify every information or declaration to know the truth. The only source of truth in matters of faith and salvation is Scripture alone, not any pastors or writings outside the Bible. So the Scripture in John 8:31-32 said:
“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.””
From the moment I became a Christian, I have resolved to believe in Scripture. So when confronted by statements of truth in the Bible, even if it’s the opposite of existing and prevailing Christian teachings, I would go out of my way studying the Scripture to ascertain the truths of God’s Word. It was quite a journey but certainly rewarding.
You also can know the truth. It only requires true Christian discipline knowing that only Scripture or the Bible is infallible. Take it from there, do not stop searching, and you also will see the truth.
My son, if you receive My words and treasure up My commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of His saints. (Proverbs 2:1-8)
Blessings
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Sometimes even Christians feel and look defeated. If so, read Psalm 37. The first two verses said, “Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers. For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.” Then in verses 7-9, the Psalmist continued, “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.”
Thereby, the Psalmist encourages its readers, telling them not to be bothered by unrighteous gains or success, which in reality are temporal. However, it is true that with money, a lot of things and circumstances can easily be remedied. Yet, the Psalmist in verses 16-20 said:
Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous. The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever; they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance. But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
God is just. He will never allow injustice to go unpunished, while the blameless will never fall short of God’s faithfulness, and He justly rewards them eternally.
True blessedness is not in the abundance of temporal things, but with the assurance of God’s favor and grace – at all times and circumstances. See Luke 12:13-21.
Someone in the crowd said to Him (Jesus Christ), “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And He said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
On the other hand, the Psalmist in verses 23-29 said:
The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when He delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand. I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. For the LORD loves justice; He will not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever.
It is sad that many times, even Christians, fall into the temptation of covetousness. The apostle Paul wrote, “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” (1Timothy 6:9-10)
Jesus Christ is indeed victorious and reigning over all creation since His ascension, and from that time onward has been seated at the right-hand throne of God. True also that His rule and dominion were fully completed by His return, thereby giving His people the full blessings of His kingdom.
All matters on Earth would appear trivial to His reign and kingdom. For His blessings, though many times unseen, are eternal, whereas those of the world will always be temporal. So Jesus Christ said:
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:44-46)
Christians should recognize the true value of God’s kingdom. Hence, finding it should at all costs keep it even at the price of losing earthly wealth which is temporal. But sadly, a lot of people, even Christians spiritually blind, have chosen to seek and keep temporal things even at the cost of forsaking eternal blessedness. Click on the links and read Matthew 19:16-24; Mark 10:17-25; Luke 18:18-25 for Jesus’ teaching on this subject.
Bear in mind that Scripture said, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”(Matthew 6:24)
Jesus Christ, this time in Matthew 6:19-21, emphasized the same point and said: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
So, the apostle Paul, in Colossians 3:1-2 said:
“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
Once we have learned the Lord’s teachings, as well as those of Paul’s, then no earthly circumstances could make us believe we are defeated or losers in this world. Neither could our circumstances deter us from thanking God for His bountiful blessings and grace. It is significant to note, the Psalmist in verses 10-11 promised:
In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.
The eschatological expression “a little while” appeared in several Scriptural prophecy speaking about God’s coming judgment. To name a few, Jeremiah 51:33; Hosea 1:4 and Haggai 2:6-9.
Psalm 37:10-11 was a prophecy on the Coming of Jesus Christ. So we see Jesus Christ verbalized Psalm 37:11, thereby announcing the fulfillment of His Coming. See Matthew 5:5-6.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”
Interestingly, see below, in Hebrews 10:35-38, Scripture once more used the same expression “a little while”, but added, “the coming one will come and will not delay”. Without a doubt, the Bible this time was speaking about the Return of Jesus Christ.
Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but My righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”
Take note, the Psalmist spoke of the promised happening in “a little while”, from the completion of Psalms to Christ, which was about 600 years. Whereas, Hebrews also used “a little while” but added “and the coming one will come and will not delay”. Therefore, we know that Scripture is infallible and always true. How then can the traditional belief of a future return of Jesus Christ be credible? Now two thousand years and ongoing, not be a delay?
The truth of the matter is, that Jesus Christ spoke of His Return within the generation of His immediate apostles. See Matthew 16:27-28.
For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.
I don’t think there are still living apostles of Jesus Christ somewhere today, hiding from people’s sight, do you?
Mind you, Matthew 16:27-28 is not an isolated declaration. On numerous occasions, Jesus Christ and His apostles spoke of the nearness of His coming. To read more about this topic, click on the links and see my blogs entitled “The Unending Last Days” and “Dating the Book of Revelation”. Once more, Jesus Christ fulfilled Scripture just as the Word of God had declared. The Return of Christ was fulfilled within the generation of John and company, the immediate apostles of Jesus. To read more on this topic, click on the link and read “Confused Christianity”.
So always look up, not down. For the essence and true reality of God’s kingdom and our blessedness – it is present already, in its fullness, now not later.
Moreover, the whole of Psalm 37 was right, encouraging its reader to trust God at all times and circumstances, for eternal deliverance and salvation is true with Him – the Lord of lords, the King of kings, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessings!
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It has been more than a month since we were hit by Typhoon Rai. Practically all our basic utilities were rendered unavailable. No power, no water, and no internet. Both power and water are now back in our area, but a lot of areas remain powerless and have no water. Until now, our internet remains unavailable. Yet thankfully, though I can’t do online sharing of God’s Word, writing a blog remains possible.
While watching a TV program, someone from the show quoted a verse from the Gospel of Luke. I checked on the Bible to see how it was explained if indeed that was the teachings of the Scripture. Somehow upon checking that particular verse, I realized it was inadequately explained. At best, only a particular moral value was highlighted, leaving the real message missing. With that, somehow I was compelled to reread and write about the Gospel of Luke.
The Gospel of Luke has these introductory statements:
“Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.” (Luke 1:1-4)
The obvious purpose of Luke was to write an orderly account of the Gospel of Jesus Christ – orderly, emphasizing the accuracy and truths about Jesus Christ and His Gospel.
If we carefully note the dating of Luke and Acts (yes, Acts also was written by Luke, see Acts 1:1) then we would know the prevailing circumstances and see the reason for the Gospel of Luke.
A big chunk of Luke’s narrative in Acts, his second book, covers the journey of Paul preaching the Gospel beyond Antioch. At the end of Luke’s narrative, Paul was imprisoned in Rome preaching the Gospel first to the Jews, then also to Gentiles. See Acts 28:28-31.
“Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.” “He (Paul) lived there (in Rome) two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him,” “proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.”
According to Bible Hub Timeline – an online Bible tool providing historical insights and many other help in the study of the Bible – Acts 28 (the last chapter of Luke’s second book) had its setting in 62 A.D., about three decades following the events concerning Jesus Christ – His life, death, resurrection and ascension – and the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost (Acts 2). A lot of things certainly happened within 30 years. Of great significance, the church had grown from Jerusalem to Rome, which explains Paul’s words to the Colossians – the Gospel had reached the whole world. But of course, Paul was referring to the known world of his time, the territories of the Roman empire. That was the whole world of Paul and any Jews alike of his time, having been under Roman rule.
Similarly, we ought to understand Jesus’ utterance of the whole world with the same perspective. See Matthew 24:14.
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”
It should be noted that Colossians was a prison letter, written by Paul while imprisoned in Rome. And it had the same dating with Acts, 62 A.D. If you have stable internet, click on the link to see the Bible Hub timeline.
Christ’s perspective on the “end of the earth” in Acts 1:8 (see below) came to its fulfillment at the end of Acts when Paul was imprisoned in Rome preaching the Gospel of the kingdom. That’s why Paul said in Colossians 1:3-6 (see below), “The Gospel has reached the whole world”. See Acts 28:30-31 & Colossians 1:3-6. In effect, Matthew 24:14 was fulfilled at the end of Acts, during Paul’s two years imprisonment in Rome.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”” (Acts 1:8)
“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth” (Colossians 1:3-6).
Keep in mind that Paul wrote about the gospel reaching the whole world from Rome, the end of the earth from the perspective of Acts 1:8 and of Jesus Christ of course. Without a doubt, Jesus Christ affirmed the same truth, see Luke 24:44-59.
“Then He (Jesus Christ) said to them (the disciples), “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.””
Jesus Christ reiterated His promise of the Holy Spirit and His command for the disciples to preach the Gospel to all nations beginning at Jerusalem in Acts 1:8. Amazing, isn’t it? Jesus Christ has a unified message. Luke’s Gospel intended to tie up possibly loose ends affirming the truth. It’s an apologetic affirmation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, defending the faith.
On a side note, we don’t need affirmations from supposed church fathers ‘cause the Bible in itself, if studied well and thoroughly, is complete and able to defend the Gospel narrative. Only the Bible, all 66 books, is infallible. All else is capable of error or fallible.
The Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 then has been realized at the end of Acts. That was the affirmation of Luke’s Gospel and Acts. But the end of the age came with the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple (Matthew 23:36-48; 24:2), the passing of Old Covenant Israel.
Another side note: Despite the claim of futurist Christians that the Jewish temple would be rebuilt, it never happened. And it has been more than two thousand years since it was destroyed, yet the Dome of Rock now stands on its former place ‘cause nowhere in Scripture was there a prophecy or promise of another rebuilding. Sorry to say this, but the rebuilding claim is one of the biggest fake news.
Now back to our discussion. Another important twist of events that occurred sometime in A.D. 54, or perhaps a bit earlier, was the distorted presentation of Jesus Christ and His Gospel. See Galatians 1:6-7, the apostle Paul wrote:
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.”
Next see 2 Corinthians 11:3-4.
“But I am (Paul) afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.”
Paul wrote these letters to two separate churches addressing the spread of the distorted gospel. Sadly, within just a few decades after the birth of Christianity, false teachings abound. Without a doubt, it had penetrated the early church. Consequently, that should explain the need for four Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The gospel writers aimed to confront false teachings, which were prevalent as early as two or three decades after the events concerning Jesus Christ. Hence, Luke spelled out the purpose of his Gospel narrative – it’s an orderly account of the things that have been accomplished among us. Make no mistake; Luke had his focused on the narrative concerning Jesus Christ and His Gospel. Again, see above Acts 1:1-4.
Make no mistake the Gospel of Luke was purposely apologetic, written to uphold the truth against false teachings. Perhaps the same may be said of most of the New Testament writings.
The Book of Revelation was an announcement of the end (Old Covenant Israel). Jesus Christ said “The time is near (Revelation 1:3)” and “Surely I am coming soon (Revelation 22:20)”. Of course “soon is soon,” “near is near,” not millennia after, and seems without end.
Take careful note that Jesus Christ declared about His return at the beginning and closing of Revelation. And He clearly said “soon” and “the time is near”. By the way, “Revelation” literally means “disclosure”. Therefore, to disclose something that was once concealed. Consequently, it surely is detrimental for anyone to misread or misinterpret Revelation. Check out Revelation 22:18-19.
In our present age, we are bombarded by online information – truth or lies. If lies can be floated easily while the apostles were still around and without the internet, so much more today. The birth of the internet is both a boon and a bane. We just have to learn to make good use of it. Similarly, the Scripture speaks of the truths about Jesus Christ and His Gospel. But when manipulated – maliciously or not – it could tell people other things. For instance, a lot of people are connecting COVID-19 vaccinations to supposed microchip implants of the last days. Nowhere in the Bible did it speak of such a scenario. On the topic of the “last days”, you may click on the link and read my blog entitled “Unending Last Days”.
The Bible is a unity. The New Testament writings certainly correlate with each other and the Old Testament Scripture as well. Three decades after the events concerning Jesus Christ and His Gospel, despite the presence of the apostles then, false teachings arose. We shouldn’t be surprised then that it’s also happening today, now that we are millennia away. All the more we ought to be on guard, checking every teaching and be like the Bereans. I hope everyone detests falling into fake news.
That’s all there is to it. False gospels are no different from fake news. Incidentally, “gospel” literally means “good tidings or good news”. And the validity of the Gospel would only be truly good if it’s of divine origin, devoid of man’s opinion. So, the apostle Paul declared:
“For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:11-12)
This is a significant declaration, for Luke’s Gospel narrative, as well as that of the Book of Acts. Luke’s authority to write the said two books (Luke and Acts) was derived from Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul affirmed he received the Gospel from Jesus’ direct revelation to him (Galatians 1:11-12). Also, Luke was a constant traveling companion of Paul, witnessing firsthand the deeds of the Holy Spirit. Lastly, Luke should have the benefit of privileged fellowship with other eyewitnesses and ministers of the word. For instance, Peter and the rest.
We join the call to proclaim the eternal gospel to everyone (Revelation 14:6). The Gospel is eternal ‘cause its message remains unchanging. Let us be sure we are sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ, not some distorted gospels that are fake news.
Lord willing, I will expound more on the Gospel of Luke, sharing insights into the teachings of the Bible.
Blessings!
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“Love one another,” a commandment given by the Lord Jesus Christ for His disciples, then and now, may be found in John 13:34-35.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.””
Denomination battles make no sense if Christians fail to love one another. Not just loving each other, but loving in the same manner as Jesus loved the church. See Ephesians 5:25-27.
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.
The apostle Paul highlighted the importance of love within the church; see 1 Corinthians 13:1-8.
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.”
The disciples asked Jesus Christ about the time and impending signs of His return and the end of the age, vis-a-vis His proclamation of the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. So Jesus answered, saying,
“And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:4-13)
Endures in faith or in love? Can a Christian truly separate faith in Christ from loving one another?
The quick answer may be found through Matthew 25:40-45.
“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.’ “Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’”
So we see, faith in Christ Jesus and loving one another cannot be separated, ‘cause it was and still is the commandment of Jesus for everyone who claims to be His follower or a Christian.
Ironic, isn’t it? True Christian love is a rarity within the Christian congregation. Make no mistake, Jesus Christ clearly said, “It is by loving one another that people may know that we are indeed His disciples.”
See the context of John 13:34-35 and you will see the New Commandment was given after Judas had left, hence it was for the eleven apostles, who without a doubt endured to the end.
Why then do we have a loose idea of Christianity? It’s more self-preserving than loving each other.
Salvation indeed comes by faith in Christ alone. But faith goes hand-in-hand with obedience to God’s word. Certainly, Jesus’ commandment is the Word of God. Hence, Matthew 25:45 should be a reminder to everyone who claims to be a Christian.
Blessings!
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Unlearning Tradition, Relearning Scripture 