Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Worship of Jesus by Eric Lyons, M.Min.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1481

Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Worship of Jesus

by	Eric Lyons, M.Min.

According to Jehovah’s Witnesses, “Jesus is not God,” and thus should not be worshiped by Christians. The Watchtower, a magazine published twice a month by Jehovah’s Witnesses, has repeatedly made such claims through the years. In their September 15, 2005 issue, for example, they stated quite simply that the Scriptures “show that Jesus is not God Almighty.” The Jehovah’s Witnesses’ official Web site (jw.org), which republishes many items from The Watchtower, briefly answers the question “Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Believe in Jesus?,” concluding, “we do not worship Jesus, as we do not believe that he is Almighty God” (2015). After all, allegedly “in his prehuman existence, Jesus was a created spirit being…. Jesus had a beginning and could never be coequal with God in power or eternity” (“What Does the Bible…?,” 2000, emp. added). The October 15, 2004 issue of The Watchtower concluded a section about Jesus not being the true God with these words: “Jehovah, and no one else, is ‘the true God and life everlasting.’ He alone is worthy to receive exclusive worship from those whom he created.—Revelation 4:11” (p. 31). Since God alone is worthy of worship, and since Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus is only an angel and not God (see “The Truth About Angels,” 1995), He allegedly should not be worshiped.

God alone is worthy of worship

There is no argument over the fact that God alone is worthy of worship. Jehovah revealed His will to Moses on Mt. Sinai, saying, “You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:3-5). Regarding the Gentiles who were sent to live in Samaria after the Assyrians conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the Bible says:

To this day they continue practicing the former rituals; they do not fear the Lord, nor do they follow their statutes or their ordinances, or the law and commandment which the Lord had commanded the children of Jacob, whom He named Israel, with whom the Lord had made a covenant and charged them, saying: “You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them; but the Lord, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice” (2 Kings 17:34-36, emp. added).

The Bible reveals time and again that God alone is to be worshiped. Luke recorded that King Herod was eaten with worms because, instead of glorifying God Almighty, he allowed the people to glorify him as a god (Acts 12:21-23). Herod’s arrogant spirit stands in direct contrast to the reaction that Paul and Barnabas had when the citizens of Lystra attempted to worship them (Acts 14:8-18). After Paul healed a man who had been crippled from his birth, the people of Lystra shouted: “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men.” They even called Paul and Barnabas by the names of their gods (Hermes and Zeus), and sought to worship them with sacrifice. Had these two preachers had the same arrogant spirit as Herod, they would have accepted worship, and felt as if they deserved such honor. Instead, these Christian men “tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out and saying, ‘Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you’” (Acts 14:15). Paul recognized that it is unlawful for humans to worship other humans, and thus sought to turn the people’s attention toward God, and away from himself.
The Bible also reveals that man must refrain from worshiping angels. When the apostle John fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who had revealed to him the message of Revelation, the angel responded, saying, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God” (Revelation 22:9, emp. added; cf. 19:10). Angels, idols, and humans are all unworthy of the reverent worship that is due only to God. As Jesus reminded Satan: “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve’” (Matthew 4:10, emp. added).

Jesus Accepted Worship

The dilemma in which Jehovah’s Witnesses find themselves is that they believe Jesus was a good man and prophet, yet unlike good men and good angels who have always rejected worship from humanity, Jesus accepted worship. If worship is to be reserved only for God, and Jesus, the One “who knew no sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:22), accepted worship, then the logical conclusion is that Jesus believed that He was deity. Numerous times the Bible mentions that Jesus accepted worship from mankind. Matthew 14:33 indicates that those who saw Jesus walk on water “worshiped Him.” John 9:38 reveals that the blind man whom Jesus had healed, later confessed his belief in Jesus as the Son of God and “worshiped him.” After Mary Magdalene and the other women visited the empty tomb of Jesus, and the risen Christ appeared to them, “they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him” (Matthew 28:9). When Thomas first witnessed the resurrected Christ, he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). Later, when Jesus appeared to the apostles in Galilee, “they worshiped Him” on a mountain (Matthew 28:17). A few days after that, his disciples “worshiped Him” in Bethany (Luke 24:52). Time and time again Jesus accepted the kind of praise from men that is due only to God. He never sought to correct His followers and redirect the worship away from Himself as did the angel in Revelation or the apostle Paul in Acts 14. Nor did God strike Jesus with deadly worms for not redirecting the praise He received from men as He did Herod, who, when being hailed as a god, “did not give praise to God” (Acts 12:23).
Sadly, Jehovah’s Witnesses have attempted to circumvent the obvious references to Jesus accepting worship by changing the word “worship” in their New World Translation to “obeisance” every time the Greek word proskuneo (the most prominent word for worship in the New Testament) is used in reference to Jesus. Over 30 times in the New World Translation (first published by the Jehovah’s Witnesses Watchtower Bible and Tract Society in 1950) proskuneo is correctly translated “worship” when God the Father is the recipient of glory and praise. This Greek word occurs 14 times in the New Testament in reference to Jesus, yet not once do more recent editions of the New World Translationrender it “worship;” instead, every time it is translated “obeisance.” Allegedly, Mary Magdalene, the apostles, the blind man whom Jesus healed, etc., never worshiped Jesus; rather, they only paid “obeisance” to Him.
In 21^st-century English, people generally make a distinction between the verbs “worship” and “do obeisance.” Most individuals, especially monotheists, use the word worship in a positive sense when talking about God, whereas “obeisance” is used more often in reference to the general respect given to people held in high regard. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines “obeisance” as “1. A gesture or movement of the body, such as a curtsy, that expresses deference or homage. 2. An attitude of deference or homage,” whereas the verb “worship” is defined as “1. To honor and love as a deity. 2. To regard with ardent or adoring esteem or devotion” (2000, emp. added). The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society agrees with the distinction often made between these words in modern English: God should be “worshiped,” while Jesus (we are told) should only receive “obeisance” (i.e., the respect and submission one pays to important dignitaries and superiors).
The Greek word proskuneo, which appears in the New Testament 60 times, literally means “to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence” (Thayer, 1962, p. 548; see also Mounce, 1993, p. 398). According to Greek scholars Arndt, Gingrich, and Danker, this word was used in ancient times “to designate the custom of prostrating oneself before a person and kissing his feet, the hem of his garment, the ground, etc.; the Persians did this in the presence of their deified king, and the Greeks before a divinity or something holy” (1979, p. 723). Admittedly, the word “obeisance” could be used on occasions to translate proskuneo. The problem is that Jehovah’s Witnesses make an arbitrary distinction between obeisance and worship when it comes to the token of reverence that Jesus in particular was given. They translate proskuneo as “obeisance” every time Jesus is the object, yet never when God the Father is the recipient of honor and praise.
As with other words in the Bible that have multiple meanings, the context can help determine the writer’s intended meaning. Consider the circumstances surrounding some of the occasions when Jesus is mentioned as the object of man’s devotion.

• In John chapter nine, Jesus miraculously healed a man who was “blind from his birth” (vs. 1). When the man upon whom this miracle was performed appeared before various Jews in the synagogue and called Jesus a prophet (vs. 17), he was instructed to “give glory to God,” not Jesus, because allegedly Jesus “is a sinner” (vs. 24). Later, after the man born blind was cast out of the synagogue, Jesus informed him of His true identity—that He was not just a prophet, but also “the Son of God.” At that moment, the gentleman exclaimed, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped Him (vs. 38). Although the Greek word proskuneo was used in ancient times of paying respect or doing obeisance to people, no such translation is warranted in this passage. In the Gospel of John, this word is found 11 times. In every instance, Jehovah’s Witnesses’ New World Translation renders it “worship,” except here in John 9:38 where it is arbitrarily translated “obeisance.”
• Following a day in which Jesus miraculously fed 5,000 men (not including women and children) with only five loaves of bread and two fish, Matthew recorded how Jesus literally walked on the water in the midst of the Sea of Galilee during a violent storm, saved Peter from drowning, and then walked onto a boat where He was met with those who “worshiped him, saying, ‘Truly You are the Son of God’” (Matthew 14:33). Jesus’ worshipers did not merely pay Him the same respect (or “obeisance”) that one pays a respected ruler, teacher, or master—people incapable of such feats. On the contrary, they recognized that Jesus had overcome the laws of nature, and that His actions warranted praise and adoration—not as a man, but as the “Son of God.” If Jesus was not worthy of such praise, why did He accept it? If Jesus was not to be adored, why did the angel of the Lord not strike Him with the same deadly worms with which he struck Herod (Acts 12:23)?
• After defeating death and rising from the grave, a sign which declared Him to be “the Son of God with power” (Romans 1:4), Jesus accepted worship (proskuneo) from Mary Magdalene and the other women who went to visit the tomb of Jesus (Matthew 28:8-9), as well as all of the apostles (Matthew 28:17). Jesus was not the only one ever to be resurrected from the dead, but He was the only resurrected individual the Bible mentions as afterwards receiving praise and adoration (i.e., worship) from man. The widow’s son of Zarephath (1 Kings 17:22), the son of a Shunammite (2 Kings 4:32-35), the daughter of Jairus (Mark 8:21-24,35-43), the widow of Nain’s son (Luke 7:11-16), Lazarus (John 11:1-45), Tabitha (Acts 9:36-43), and Eutychus (Acts 20:7-12) all were raised from the dead, but none received proskuneo. The Bible never reveals any resurrected person other than Jesus who ever received and accepted worship. Jesus’ followers recognized that His resurrection was different. It verified His claims of divinity.
• The disciples worshiped Jesus again at His ascension. After recording that Jesus was “carried up into heaven,” Luke wrote: “[T]hey worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the Temple praising and blessing God” (Luke 24:52). Notice that the word “worshiped” (proskuneo) is used in this passage along with such words as “praising” and “blessing”—words that carry a religious connotation in connection with God. This fact highlights that the use of proskuneo in this context is not merely obeisance. Also, notice that the disciples offered worship to an “absent” Savior. It would make no sense to pay obeisance to a respected individual that has departed, but makes perfect sense if, rather, the individual is God and worthy of worship. The disciples did not just bow before some earthly ruler; they worshiped their Lord Who had defeated death 40 days earlier, and had just ascended up into heaven before their eyes.

Jesus did not receive proskuneo on these occasions because He was a great teacher, or because He was viewed at these moments simply as an earthly king. Rather, all of these instances of worship were surrounded by miraculous events that were done to prove He was Heaven sent, and that “in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). There is every reason to believe that on such occasions as these, Jesus’ disciples meant to pay divine, religious honor to Him, not mere civil respect or regard that earthly rulers often receive.

Waffling on the Worship of Jesus

To the church at Philippi the apostle Paul wrote: “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him [Jesus] and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11, emp. added). The reference to the bowing of the knee is an obvious allusion to worship (cf. Isaiah 45:23; Romans 1:4). Such worship, Paul wrote, would not only come from those on Earth, but also from “those in heaven” (Philippians 2:10). This statement harmonizes well with Hebrews 1:6. In a section in which the writer of Hebrews exalted Jesus above the heavenly hosts, he affirmed that even the angels worship Christ. He wrote: “Let all the angels of God worship (proskuneo) Him.” The KJV, ASV, NKJV, NASB, ESV, NIV, RSVand a host of other translations render proskuneo in this verse as “worship.” How does the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ New World Translationrender this passage? Unfortunately, as with all other times in the NWT when Jesus is mentioned as being the object ofproskuneo, the word is translated “do obeisance,” not “worship.” Hebrews 1:6 reads: “Let all God’s angels do obeisance to him” (NWT).
Interestingly, however, the NWT has not always rendered proskuneo in Hebrews 1:6 as “do obeisance.” When Jehovah’s Witnesses’ Watchtower Bible and Tract Society first printed the NWT in 1950, the verse actually rendered proskuneo as “worship” instead of “do obeisance.” Even the revised 1961 edition of the NWT translated proskuneo as “worship.” But, by 1971, Jehovah’s Witnesses had changed Hebrews 1:6 to read: “Let all God’s angels do obeisance to him.”
The fact is, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society has been very inconsistent in their teachings on whether or not Jesus should be worshiped. In the past few decades Jehovah’s Witnesses’ flagship magazine (November 1964, p. 671) has claimed that “it is unscriptural for worshipers of the living and true God to render worship to the Son of God, Jesus Christ” (as quoted in Rhodes, 2001, p. 26; see also The Watchtower 2004, pp. 30-31). But, “from the beginning it was not so.” Notice what Jehovah’s Witnesses used to teach in The Watchtower (called Zion’s Watch Tower in the early days) regarding whether or not Jesus should be worshiped:

• “The wise men came at His birth to worship Him. (Matt. 2) The leper worshiped Him. They in the ship worshiped Him, as did also the ruler and woman of Canaan. Yet none were ever rebuked for it…. [T]o worship Christ in any form cannot be wrong” (Allen, 1880, emp. added).
• “[A]lthough we are nowhere instructed to make petitions to him, it evidently could not be improper to do so; for such a course is nowhere prohibited, and the disciples worshiped him” (Zion’s Watch Tower, 1892, emp. added).
• “Yes, we believe our Lord Jesus while on earth was really worshiped, and properly so” (Zion’s Watch Tower, 1898).
• “[W]hosoever should worship Him must also worship and bow down to Jehovah’s Chief One in that capital organization, namely, Christ Jesus…” (The Watchtower, 1945, p. 313).

For more than half a century, Jehovah’s Witnesses taught that it was acceptable to worship Jesus. Now, however, they claim it is unscriptural. Such inconsistency regarding the nature of Christ, which is no small matter, reveals to the honest truth seeker that the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society is an advocate of serious biblical error.
Sadly, Jehovah’s Witnesses not only reject the worship of Jesus because of their belief that He is not deity, they also must deny Him such religious devotion because they teach He actually is an angel. The Watchtower has taught such a notion for several years. The November 1, 1995 issue indicated, “The foremost angel, both in power and authority, is the archangel, Jesus Christ, also called Michael” (“The Truth About Angels”). More recently, an article appeared on the Jehovah’s Witnesses official Web site affirming “the Bible indicates that Michael is another name for Jesus Christ, before and after his life on earth…. [I]t is logical to conclude that Michael is none other than Jesus Christ in his heavenly role” (“Who Is Michael…?,” 2015). Since, according to Revelation 19:10 and 22:8-9, good angels do not accept worship, but rather preach the worship of God, and no other, Jehovah’s Witnesses must reject paying religious praise and devotion to Jesus. But, notice (again) how inconsistent Jehovah’s Witnesses have been. In only the fifth issue ofZion’s Watch Tower magazine (originally edited by Charles Taze Russell, the founderof The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society), regular contributing writer J.H. Paton stated about Jesus: “Hence it is said, ‘let all the angels of God worship him’: (that must include Michael, the chief angel, hence Michael is not the Son of God)…” (1879, p. 4, emp. added). Thus, at one time Jehovah’s Witnesses’ official publication taught that Jesus is not Michael the archangel, and that Heshould be worshiped. In the 21^st century, however, Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that Jesus is Michael the archangel, and that He should not be worshiped. Clear contradictory statements like these found throughout the years in The Watchtower should compel current and potential members of this religious group to question their teachings in light ofthe Truth found in God’s Word.

“Worthy is the Lamb”

One additional passage to consider regarding the worship of Jesus is Revelation chapters four and five. In chapter four, the scene in this book of signs (cf. 1:1) is the throne room of God. The “Lord God Almighty” is described as sitting on His throne while “the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him” (4:9). Also, “the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: ‘You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created’” (4:10-11). In chapter five, the Lamb that was slain is introduced as standing “in the midst of the throne” (5:6). No one argues the fact that this Lamb is Jesus—the One Whom John the Baptizer twice called “The Lamb of God” (John 1:29,36), and Whom Peter called the “lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:19). Regarding this Lamb, the apostle John recorded the following in Revelation 5:11-14:

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying: “Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever!” Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever (emp. added).

In this chapter, John revealed that both God the Father and Jesus are worthy to receive worship from all of creation. In fact, Jesus is given the same praise and adoration that the Father is given. Just as God is “worthy…to receive glory and honor and power” (4:11), so Jesus is “worthy…to receive power…and honor and glory…” (5:12).  Indeed, “[b]lessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, forever and ever” (5:13, emp. added). Although Jehovah’s Witnesses use Revelation 4:11 as a proof text for worshiping God the Father (see “What Does God…?,” 1996, p. 4), they reject and call unscriptural the worship that Jesus rightly deserves.

Conclusion

Jesus once stated during His earthly ministry, “[A]ll should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him” (John 5:23). Sadly, Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to honor Jesus in the same way they honor God the Father. While on Earth, Jesus was honored on several occasions. His followers worshiped Him. They even worshiped Him after His ascension into heaven (Luke 24:52). Unlike good men and angels in Bible times who rejected worship, Jesus unhesitatingly received glory, honor, and praise from His creation. Truly, such worship is one of the powerful proofs of the deity of Christ.

References

Allen, L.A. (1880), “A Living Christ,” Zion’s Watch Tower, March,https://archive.org/stream/1880ZionsWatchTower/1880_Watch_Tower_djvu.txt.
American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2000), (Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin), fourth edition.
Arndt, William, F.W. Gingrich, and Frederick W. Danker (1979), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press), second edition revised.
“Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Believe in Jesus?” (2015), http://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/believe-in-jesus/.
Mounce, William D. (1993),Analytical Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan).
Paton, J.H. (1879), “The Name of Jesus,”Zion’s Watch Tower, November,https://archive.org/stream/1879ZionsWatchTower/1879_Watch_Tower_djvu.txt.
Rhodes, Ron (2001), The 10 Most Important Things You Can Say to a Jehovah’s Witness (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers).
Thayer, Joseph (1962 reprint), Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan).
“The Truth About Angels” (1995), The Watchtower, November 1.
The Watchtower, 1945, October 15.
The Watchtower, 2004, October 15.
The Watchtower, 2005, September 15.
“What Does God Require of Us?” (1996), Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of New York.
“What Does the Bible Say About God and Jesus?” (2000), Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania.
“Who Is Michael the Archangel?” (2015), http://www.jw.org/en/publications/books/bible-teach/who-is-michael-the-archangel-jesus/.
Zion’s Watch Tower, 1892, May 15, https://archive.org/stream/1898ZionsWatchTower/1898_Watch_Tower_djvu.txt.
Zion’s Watch Tower, 1898, July 15, https://archive.org/stream/1892ZionsWatchTower/1892_Watch_Tower_djvu.txt.

The Decline of Atheism by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=1725

The Decline of Atheism

by	Dave Miller, Ph.D.

Among a growing number of philosophers, intellectuals, and scholars, atheism is in decline in the world. Two reasons have been posited for this circumstance: (1) atheism is losing its scientific underpinnings, and (2) like religion, atheism has produced its own share of lunatics, frauds, and psychopaths (Siemon-Netto, 2005). The former reason is no doubt spurred by the fact that the theory of evolution, as repeatedly documented in the work of Apologetics Press, continues to take a beating for its paltry attempts to coerce and bully students and society into accepting its assertions without adequate evidence.
Despite this seemingly encouraging revelation, in reality, people are not moving closer to New Testament Christianity. In fact, they are simply becoming more confused and more pluralistic. Their belief systems are degenerating into various forms of false spirituality and outright paganism—analogous to the raw forms of paganism described in the Old Testament, from animism and idolatry to ethical perversity and sexual immorality. How tragic that at the very time in history when the world is open to an alternative to unbelief, the United States of America is in the process of abandoning its own foundational underpinnings as articulated by its Founders: the God of the Bible and the one true religion of Christianity. Nevertheless, the Bible provides the only rational, authentic explanation for the meaning of human existence. Unlike atheism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam, the Christian religion constitutes the only accurate barometer of spiritual reality and the only means of preparation for the afterlife. The Bible merits honest and serious evaluation by every person. It is not enough to be religious—one must be religiously right.

REFERENCE

Siemon-Netto, Uwe (2005), “Science, ‘Frauds’ Trigger a Decline in Atheism,” Washington Times, March 4, [On-line], URL: http://www.washtimes.com/world/20050303-115733-9519r.htm.

The Nature of Bible Inspiration by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=5012

The Nature of Bible Inspiration

by	Dave Miller, Ph.D.

What does it mean to say: “The Bible is inspired”? Answers to this question are legion (cf. “Theories...,” 1864, 6:312-349). Some regard the Bible as “inspired” in the same way that great authors in history have risen above the average person in their literary pursuits, e.g., Homer, Shakespeare, Dickens, or Eliot. Others would say that the writers of the Bible were influenced by supernatural connections, but that their written records of those connections suffer from the same flaws that mere humans are prone to make. Many people fail to assess the Bible’s own claims regarding its inspiration. Before the Bible can be determined to be “inspired,” it is necessary to conceptualize the meaning and nature of that inspiration. The Bible literally is filled with descriptions of the essence of its own inspiration.
Paul boldly claimed, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). The Greek term underlying the word “inspiration” means “God-breathed” (Vincent, 1900, 4:317). Paul was affirming that Scripture, referring primarily  to the Old Testament, is the product of the breath of God. God actually breathed out the Scriptures. The Bible is God’s Word—not man’s—though He used man to produce them. Three verses later (4:2), Paul declared, “Therefore...preach the word...” Why? Because it is God’s Word. Just as surely as God’s breath brought the Universe into existence (Psalm 33:6), so the Bible is the result of God’s out-breathing.
Peter alluded to the momentous occasion of Christ’s transfiguration when God literally spoke from heaven directly to Peter, James, and John (2 Peter 1:19-21). God orally boomed forth His insistence that Jesus is His beloved Son, and human beings are commanded to listen to Him (Matthew 17:5). Peter then declared, “We also have the prophetic word made more sure,...knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation.” Peter was saying that the Scriptures provided to us by the prophets are just as certain, and just as authoritative, as the voice of God that spoke on the mount of transfiguration.
Peter further explained that the prophetic word, meaning the whole of the Old Testament Scriptures, did not originate on its own, or in the minds of those who wrote them (the meaning of “private interpretation”). Scripture did not come from “the will of man.” Scripture was not the result of human research or human investigation into the nature of things. Scripture was not the product of its writers’ own thinking (Warfield, 1974, 3:1474). Where, then, did Scripture come from? Peter claimed, “but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” The word “moved” in the original language is the usual word for being “carried” or “brought” (Arndt and Gingrich, 1957, pp. 862-863), hence, to be moved or under a moving influence (Perschbacher, 1990, p. 427). Peter was stating that the Holy Spirit, in essence, picked up the writers, the prophets, and brought them to the goal of His choosing (Warfield, 3:1475). That means that the Scriptures, though written by means of human instrumentality, were so superintended by God that the resulting writings are truly God’s.
This same Peter, while awaiting the coming of the Spirit in Acts 2 on Pentecost, stood up among fellow disciples and declared, “Men and brethren, this Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas,” and then he quoted from the Psalms (Acts 1:16ff.). Peter affirmed that the Holy Spirit governed what David wrote, and the results of David’s writing therefore are designated as “Scripture.”
This same Peter, in 1 Peter 1:10-12, explained: (1) that the inspired spokesmen of the Old Testament did not always understand all the information given by God through them; (2) it was the Spirit of Christ that was operating upon them; (3) this same inspired information was being presented in Peter’s day by the apostles; and (4) the same Holy Spirit was directing their utterances. It is very important to note that Peter was claiming that inspired men had their own minds engaged as they produced inspired material, but the product was God’s, since they did not always grasp all of the significance of their own productions.
This same Peter, in 2 Peter 3:15-16, referred to “our beloved brother Paul” as having “written to you.” He then noted: “as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which those who are untaught and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.” Peter made clear three salient points: (1) Paul wrote epistles; (2) those epistles are classified with “the other Scriptures,” which means that Paul’s letters are Scripture every bit as much as the Old Testament and other New Testament writings; and (3) these writings are divinely authoritative, since to twist them is to invite “destruction”—an obvious reference to God’s disfavor and the spiritual/eternal harm that results from disobeying God’s words, not man’s words. Cornelius well-understood this principle, for when Peter came to his house, he stated: “Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God” (Acts 10:33, emp. added).
 While on Earth, Jesus demonstrated a high regard for Scripture, i.e., the Old Testament. On one occasion, He involved Himself in an interchange with some Jews who accused Him of blasphemy (John 10:33). He repelled the charge by quoting Psalm 82:6, referring to the passage as “law” (vs. 34). But how could Jesus refer to a psalm as “law,” since the Psalms were poetic wisdom literature and not a part of the Torah (the Pentateuch)? He referred to a psalm as “law” in the sense that the Psalms are part of Scripture. Jesus was thus ascribing legal authority to the entire corpus of Scripture (Warfield, 3:1475). He did the same thing in John 15:25. Likewise, Paul quoted from the Psalms, Isaiah, and Genesis and referred to each as “the Law” (1 Corinthians 14:21; Romans 3:19; Galatians 4:21).
After Jesus quoted from a psalm and called it “law,” He added, “and the Scripture cannot be broken” (vs. 35). Notice that He was equating “law” with “Scripture”—using the terms as synonyms. When He declared that “law,” or “Scripture,” “cannot be broken,” He was making the point that it is impossible for Scripture to be annulled, for its authority to be denied, or its truth to be withstood (Warfield, 3:1475). Jesus considered every part of Scripture, even its most casual phrases, to be the authoritative Word of God (p. 1476).
This attitude toward Scripture as an authoritative document is intimated by the customary formula: “It is written.” For example, when facing Satan, Jesus repelled his attacks all three times with a simple, “It is written,” which was sufficient to establish authoritative credibility (Matthew 4:4,7,10)—so much so that Satan attempted to copy Jesus in this respect (Matthew 4:6). After His resurrection, Jesus equated the entire Old Testament (i.e., the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms) with “Scripture,” and again noted “it is written” (Luke 24:44-46). He insisted very emphatically that “all things” in the Scriptures concerning Himself “must be fulfilled.” Earlier in the chapter, He equated “Moses and all the prophets” with “the Scriptures” (vss. 25-27).
No wonder Jesus would rebuke His religious challengers with such phrases as, “Have you not read even this Scripture?” (Mark 12:10; cf. Matthew 21:42); or, “You do err, not knowing the Scriptures” (Matthew 22:29); or, “if you had known what this means...” (Matthew 12:7); or, “Go and learn what this means...” (Mark 9:13). The underlying thought in such pronouncements is that God’s truth is found in Scripture, and if you are ignorant of the Scriptures, you are susceptible to error. Jesus therefore was affirming that God is the Author of Scripture.
Even the words of Scripture that do not constitute direct quotes of deity are, in fact, the words of God. For example, Jesus assigned the words of Genesis 2:24 to God as the author (Matthew 19:4-6). Yet, in the original setting of Genesis 2:24, no indication is given that God was the speaker. Rather, the words are simply narratorial comment written down by the human author—Moses. By Jesus attributing the words to God, He was making clear that the whole of Scripture was authored by God. That means that even the words of Satan, or the words of evil people, are the words of God—in the sense that God has given us an accurate report of what those people said. Paul treated the matter in the same way (1 Corinthians 6:16).
Over and over again, the apostles and writers of the New Testament did the same thing that Jesus did, i.e., they referred to Scripture in such a way that it was clear they considered it to be the authoritative, inspired words of God (e.g., Acts 8:35; 17:2; 18:28; 26:22; Romans 12:19; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 Peter 1:16; James 2:8). Perhaps Luke well summarized the prevailing mindset of the Bible writers: “[T]hey received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). In other words, what Scripture says, God says.
Additional evidence of the Bible’s own view of itself is manifested in statements like, “For the Scripture says to Pharaoh” (Romans 9:17), or “And the Scripture...preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand” (Galatians 3:8). But Scripture did not speak to Pharaoh, and Scripture did not preach the Gospel to Abraham. Rather, God did! So the word of Scripture is the word of God! The inspired writers of the New Testament considered “God” and “Scripture” to be so closely linked that they could naturally speak of “Scripture” doing what Scripture records God as doing (Warfield, 3:1477).
It works the other way as well. God is said to say certain things that are, in their original setting, merely words of Scripture. For example, Hebrews 3:7 reads, “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says...,” and Psalm 95:7 is then quoted. In Acts 4:25, God is said to have spoken, by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David, the words of Psalm 2:1. In Acts 13:34-35, God is represented as having stated the words of Isaiah 55:3 and Psalm 16:10. Yet, in both of these cases, the words attributed to God are not, in their original setting, specifically His words, but merely the words of Scripture itself. So the writers of the New Testament sometimes referred to the Scriptures as if they were God, and they sometimes referred to God as if He were Scripture. The Bible thus presents itself as the very words of God.
In Hebrews 1:5-13, the writer quoted seven Old Testament passages: Psalm 2:7; 2 Samuel 7:14; Deuteronomy 32:43; Psalm 104:4; Psalm 45:6-7; Psalm 102:25-27; and Psalm 110:1. The Hebrews writer attributed each of these passages to God as the speaker. Yet in their original setting in the Old Testament, sometimes God is the speaker, while sometimes He is not the speaker, and is, in fact, being spoken to or spoken about. Why would the writer of Hebrews indiscriminately assign all of these passages to God? Because they all have in common the fact that they are the words of Scripture, and, as such, are the words of God.
The same is true with Romans 15:9-12 where Paul quoted from Psalm 18:49, Deuteronomy 32:43, Psalm 117:1, and Isaiah 11:10. The first one he introduced with the formula “as it is written”; the second one is introduced by “again he says”; the third with simply “again”; and the fourth is prefaced with “Isaiah says.” Yet, in the Old Testament setting, only in the Isaiah passage is specifically God talking—and Paul assigns those words to Isaiah. So “it is written,” “he says,” and “Isaiah says,” are all different ways of saying the same thing, i.e., “God says”! Sometimes the New Testament writers assigned Scripture to its human authors. Yet it is clear that when the writers said, “Moses said,” or “David said,” such was simply another way to say, “Scripture says,” which, again, was the same thing as saying “God says.”

VERBAL INSPIRATION

Notice that the inspiration that the Bible claims for itself is “verbal” inspiration, i.e., God’s superintendence extends even to the words of the writer. Paul based his argument on a plural noun, and insisted that God intended the word to be understood in its singular sense (Galatians 3:16). As noted previously, Jesus based an argument on the precise verbal form of Scripture (John 10:34). He based His point on a particular word in Matthew 22:43, on a particular tense in Matthew 22:32, and even on the letters and their minute strokes in Matthew 5:17-18. In the latter passage, Jesus said that Exodus 3:6 was spoken to the Sadducees with whom He was conversing—even though the original context of Exodus 3:6 has God speaking to Moses. That proves that Jesus expects all people on Earth to understand that the Bible is written to every single accountable human being, and that Scripture is intended to be authoritative for human living.
Paul also affirmed verbal inspiration in 1 Corinthians 2. He claimed that his speech and his preaching were not “words of human wisdom” (vs. 4). Rather, his words were “in demonstration of the Spirit.” He claimed that he and his fellow apostles were speaking the wisdom of God (vs. 7). He claimed that the things which they had been speaking were revealed to them by God through the Holy Spirit (vs. 10). Then he affirmed very clearly: “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches” (vs. 13). So inspiration involves the very words, and that makes it verbal inspiration.

NEW TESTAMENT INSPIRATION

Most of the passages examined thus far are New Testament references to the inspiration of the Old Testament. Liberal scholars have claimed that the New Testament does not make the claim of inspiration for itself. That claim is not true. As already noted, in 2 Peter 3:16, Peter classified Paul’s epistles as “Scripture,” and he affirmed that Paul’s writings carry such divine authority that those who twist them will be destroyed. It also was noted that Peter linked the apostles with the Old Testament prophets (1 Peter 1:10-12). And, as just seen, Paul made a comparable claim in 1 Corinthians 2.
As one reads the New Testament, it is clear that the writers made the extension of Old Testament inspiration to their own writings. They did not for a moment consider themselves—the ministers of the new covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6)—to be less in possession of the Spirit of God than the ministers of the old covenant (Warfield, 3:1482). Jesus, without question, declared the impending inspiration of the authors of the New Testament. In Matthew 10:17-20, and the parallels in Mark 13:11 and Luke 12:12, Jesus explained to the apostles that the Holy Spirit would direct their verbal activities in terms of both how and what they spoke. He reiterated the same thing in Luke 21:12-15, urging them not to worry how to defend themselves when hauled before the authorities, since He would provide them with “a mouth and wisdom” that their adversaries would not be able to withstand. So Jesus pre-authenticated the teaching of the apostles, and insured respect for their authority.
Jesus directed several promises to the apostles in John chapters 14, 15, and 16. Allusion to just one of these will suffice. Jesus promised the apostles: “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come” (John 16:12-13). Just prior to His ascension, Jesus promised to the apostles the impending baptism of the Holy Spirit, which would enable them to be Christ’s witnesses throughout the world (Acts 1:5,8). This promise commenced its fulfillment in Acts 2 when the apostles were baptized with the Holy Spirit and empowered to preach the message God wanted preached.
Numerous passages indicate the fulfillment of these promises to the apostles to the extent that the words which they spoke were God’s words (Acts 4:8,31; 5:32; 15:8,27-28; 16:6-8). As already noted, Paul claimed direct guidance of the Holy Spirit for the words that he spoke (1 Corinthians 2). He did the same thing in Galatians 1:12. In Ephesians 3:1-5, he claimed that his message was made known to him “by revelation” (vs. 3), along with the other apostles and prophets (vs. 5). Other passages reflect the same point (1 Timothy 4:1; Galatians 2:2; 2 Corinthians 12:7; 1 Thessalonians 2:13). A good summary of Paul’s claims to inspiration is seen in his firm declaration: “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 14:37). His inspiration extended to both his oral utterances as well as his writings (2 Thessalonians 2:15; 3:6,14; cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:2,15; Galatians 1:7-8). In 1 Timothy 5:18, Paul quoted Luke 10:7 and referred to it as “Scripture.” So Luke’s Gospel record was already available and classified with the inspired canon of Scripture.

CONCLUSION

The unbiased individual can easily see that the Bible claims for itself the status of “inspiration,” having been breathed out by God Himself. That inspiration entailed such superintendence by God that even the words came under His influence. Thus the Bible is “verbally inspired.” This conclusion does not imply that the writers merely took “dictation.” Rather, the Bible indicates that God adapted His inspiring activity to the individual temperament, vocabulary, educational level, and stylistic idiosyncrasies of each writer. The Bible is “infallible” in that it is incapable of deceiving or misleading, and is therefore completely trustworthy and reliable. “Plenary” inspiration means that inspiration extends to all of its parts. Thus the Bible is fully inspired.
The Bible is also “inerrant,” that is, it is free of error. God used human beings to write the Bible, and in so doing, allowed them to leave their mark upon it, but without making any of the mistakes that human writings are prone to make. God made certain that the words produced by the human writers were free from the errors and mistakes characteristic of uninspired writers. This influence even extended to matters of science, geography, and history. Proof for the inspiration of the Bible is a separate and necessary inquiry. However, it is important that a person understand what the Bible means when it claims for itself “inspiration.”

REFERENCES

Arndt, William and F.W. Gingrich (1957), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press).
McGarvey, J. W. (1883), “Remarks on the Preceding Lectures,” The Missouri Christian Lectures (Rosemead, CA: Old Paths Book Club, 1955 reprint).
Perschbacher, Wesley J., ed. (1990), The New Analytical Greek Lexicon (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson).
“Theories of the Inspiration of the Scriptures” (1864), American Presbyterian and Theological Review, 6:312-349, April.
Vincent, Marvin (1900), Word Studies in the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1946 reprint).
Warfield, Benjamin (1974 reprint), “Inspiration,” ISBE, ed. James Orr  (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans).

How Paganism Affects Reality: Hinduism and Nepal Airlines by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=8&article=2256

How Paganism Affects Reality: Hinduism and Nepal Airlines

by	Dave Miller, Ph.D.

State-run Nepal Airlines is not a large company by any means. The carrier runs international flights to five cities in Asia. When an electrical glitch developed recently in one of its Boeing 757 aircraft, the airline found it necessary to suspend some of its services temporarily. As part of the solution to the problem, airline officials sacrificed two goats to appease the Hindu sky god, Akash Bhairab (“Airline Sacrifices...,” 2007). That’s correct—in keeping with Hindu rituals, two goats were sacrificed in front of the ailing aircraft at Nepal’s international airport in Kathmandu. Situated on India’s northeast border, sacrificing animals in this Himalayan country to appease Hindu deities is common.
When humans embrace pagan superstition, their judgment becomes impaired. The behavior that results from an animistic belief system may seem quaint and harmless—but it can be deadly, both physically and spiritually. Listen to the apostle Paul’s observations on the matter:

[A]lthough they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever (Romans 1:21-25, emp. added).

[Y]ou should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus (Ephesians 4:17-21, emp. added).

Sacrificing a couple of goats on an airport runway seems trivial enough. However, it hardly inspires confidence in the capability of airline personnel.

REFERENCES

“Airline Sacrifices Goats to Appease Sky God” (2007), Reuters, September 4, [On-line], URL: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070904/od_nm/nepal_airline_odd_dc.

"THE BOOK OF ACTS" The Return Of Christ (1:10-11) by Mark Copeland

                          "THE BOOK OF ACTS"

                    The Return Of Christ (1:10-11)

INTRODUCTION

1. As the disciples watched Jesus ascend to heaven...
   a. Two men stood by in white apparel - Ac 1:10
   b. With a promise that Jesus would one day return - Ac 1:11

2. Those who look for the Lord's return often differ greatly over the details...
   a. The premillenialist looks for Christ to come in order to
      establish a literal kingdom on the earth, over which He will reign
      for a 1000 years
   b. The postmillenialist believes that Christ will at some point
      begin a thousand year reign from heaven, at the end of which He 
      will come to judge the world
   c. The amillenialist believes that Christ has been reigning as King
      of kings, and Lord of lords ever since His ascension to heaven, and
      that His coming will be to raise the dead, judge the world, and 
      usher in the new heavens and new earth

[In this lesson, the amillenial view will be presented, which I believe
most accurately teaches what the Bible reveals about the Second Coming of
our Lord.  Beginning with...]

I. THE CERTAINTY OF HIS COMING

   A. PROCLAIMED BY ANGELS...
      1. The "two men...in white apparel" - Ac 1:9-11
      2. Who said that "This same Jesus, who was taken up from into
         heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven." - ibid.

   B. PROCLAIMED BY APOSTLES...
      1. Peter - Ac 3:19-21; 2Pe 3:1-13
      2. Paul - 1Co 11:26; 15:22-23; 1Th 1:9-10; 2:19; 3:13; 2Ti 4:1
      3. John - 1Jn 2:28
      4. The writer to the Hebrews - He 9:27-28

[In the OT one finds the recurring theme "The Messiah is coming!"  In the
NT we learn not only "He has come!", but that "He is coming again!"  To
the certainty of His coming, we can add..]

II. THE MANNER OF HIS COMING

   A. HE WILL COME IN PERSON...
      1. "This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come..."

             - Ac 1:11
      2. "the Lord himself will descend from heaven..." - 1Th 4:15-17

   B. HE WILL COME WITH THE CLOUDS...
      1. "This same Jesus...will so come in like manner as you saw Him
         go into heaven" - Ac 1:11 (referring to verse 9: "He was taken 
         up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight")
      2. "...in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air." - 1Th 4:17
      3. "Behold, He is coming with clouds..." - Re 1:7

   C. HE WILL COME WITHOUT WARNING...
      1. "...the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night." 
         - 1Th 5:2
      2. "For when they say, 'Peace and safety!' then sudden  destruction comes..."

             - 1Th 5:3
      3. "...the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night..." - 2Pe 3:10

[Of course, this unexpected coming of the Lord will not surprise the
faithful, who seriously watch for the Lord's coming (cf. 1Th 5:4-11). 
With joyful anticipation, they await the personal return of their Savior.
What will happen when the Lord returns?  To answer this question we now consider...]

III. THE PURPOSE OF HIS COMING

   A. TO RAISE THE DEAD...
      1. "...for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves
         will hear His voice and come forth..." - Jn 5:28-29
         a. Note that there is but one resurrection, including both the
            good and evil, that will occur at one time ("the hour")
         b. As Paul said, "...there will be a resurrection of the dead,
            both of the just and the unjust." - Ac 24:15
      2. Those who are alive at the Lord's coming...
         a. Will be "changed" in "the twinkling of an eye", being
            clothed with immortality and incorruption - 1Co 15:50-54
         b. Then "caught up...to meet the Lord in the air." - 1Th 4:16-18  

   B. TO DELIVER UP THE KINGDOM TO GOD...
      1. Contrary to the view that Jesus has yet to establish His
         kingdom on earth, He has been ruling over His kingdom since He first ascended to heaven!
         a. In fulfillment of the prophecy that God would raise up the
            Christ to sit on the "throne of David", Jesus was raised from the dead 

              and made "Lord" - Ac 2:30-36
         b. All authority in heaven and earth has been given unto Him - Mt 28:18
            1) He is far above all principality, power, might, and
               dominion, with all things placed under His feet - Ep 1:20-22
            2) At the right hand of God, angels and authorities and
               powers are made subject to Him - 1Pe 3:22
         c. Christians are said to be "in" His kingdom
            1) Having been "delivered...from the power of darkness and
               translated into the kingdom of the Son of His love" - Col 1:13
            2) They are "in the kingdom...of Jesus Christ" - Re 1:9
         d. Christ will continue to reign "till He has put all enemies under His feet" 

                 1Co 15:25
            1) Note that His reign will be concurrent with the fact enemies are still present
            2) As prophesied by the Psalmist:  "Rule in the midst ofYour enemies!"

                - Ps 110:1-2 
         e. Thus Christ is NOW "the blessed and only Potentate, the
            King of kings and Lord of Lords" - 1Ti 6:15; cf. Re 19:16
         f. And He will reign "till He has put all enemies under His feet" - 1Co 15:25
            1) The last enemy that will be destroyed is death itself - cf. 1Co 15:26
            2) Which we have seen will be destroyed at the coming of
               the Lord when He will raise the dead - 1Co 15:51-54
      2. So when Jesus comes, it will not be to set up His kingdom, but
         to deliver up His kingdom!
         a. As Paul clearly told the Corinthians - 1Co 15:23-26
         b. As taught by Jesus in His Parable of the Tares - Mt 13:36-43
            1) His kingdom will last until "the end of this age"
            2) After which "the righteous will shine forth as the sun
               in the kingdom of their Father" (i.e., the heavenly kingdom)

   C. TO JUDGE THE WORLD AND PUNISH EVIL...
      1. God has appointed a "day" in which He will judge the world - 2Pe 3:7
         a. The one appointed to be the Judge is Jesus Christ - Ac 17:31; 2Co 5:10
         b. The standard by which He will judge will be the words He has spoken - Jn 12:48
      2. It will be a day of perdition (utter destruction) of ungodly men - 2Pe 3:7
         a. Those who know not God and have not obeyed the gospel will
            be punished with everlasting destruction - 2Th 1:7-10
         b. Those not in the "Book of Life" will be cast into the "lake of fire" - Re 20:11-15

   D. TO USHER IN THE NEW HEAVENS AND NEW EARTH...
      1. As taught by Peter - 2Pe 3:10-14
         a. This will follow the "passing away" of the present heavens and earth
         b. It is in fulfillment of God's promise - cf. Isa 65:17-19; 66:22-23
         c. It is something we are to "look for" (13-14)
         d. It will be a realm where righteousness dwells, therefore
            the need for us to be found "in peace, without spot and 
            blameless" when Christ returns (13-14)
      2. As taught by John - Re 21:1-22:5
         a. It will follow after the first heaven and first earth have
            "passed away" - Re 21:1; 20:11
         b. It will be the place where the New Jerusalem will abide
            when it "comes down out of heaven" - Re 21:2; 3:10; 21:10
         c. God will dwell with us in this "New Jerusalem" that has
            "come down out of heaven" - Re 21:3-27; 22:1-5

CONCLUSION

1. The purpose of Jesus' second coming can be summed up by His
   statement in Re 22:12...
   
   "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, 
   to give to every one according to his work."

2. That Jesus has not yet come is only an indication of God's
   long-suffering, but rest assured "that day" will one day come! - 2Pe 3:8-9

3. In the meantime, what should be our attitude be toward the coming of
   our Lord?  One of...
   a. Prayerful preparation - Lk 21:34-36; 2Pe 3:14
   b. Joyful expectation - Php 3:20-21
   c. Patient endurance - He 10:35-39

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2012

"THE BOOK OF ACTS" Waiting For The Promise (1:12-26) by Mark Copeland

                          "THE BOOK OF ACTS"

                   Waiting For The Promise (1:12-26)

INTRODUCTION

1. After Jesus ascended to heaven, His disciples returned to Jerusalem...
   a. As instructed by Jesus - Ac 1:4
   b. To wait for the promise of the Spirit - Ac 1:4-5

2. Today, we are waiting for a promise...
   a. Not the promise of the Spirit
   b. But the promise of the Son - cf. Ac 1:11

[How the disciples of Jesus waited for the promise of the Spirit provides
some insight as to how we should wait for the promise of the Son.  So
let's first consider what is said about how they waited for...]

I. WAITING FOR THE PROMISE OF THE SPIRIT (THEN)
   
   A. THEY ASSEMBLED...
      1. The disciples returned to Jerusalem from Mount Olivet - Ac 1:12
         a. From which Jesus ascended to heaven
         b. A distance described as "a Sabbath day's journey" (2000 cubits, or 0.6 miles)
      2. The apostles assembled in an upper room - Ac 1:13-14
         a. With "the women" (likely those who had accompanied Jesus
            from Galilee and witnessed the crucifixion and empty tomb)
            - cf. Lk 8:2-3; 23:49,55-56; 24:2-11
         b. With Mary the mother of Jesus (the last time she is mentioned in the NT)
         c. With Jesus' brothers (who had not believed prior to His resurrection) 

             - Mk 6:3; Jn 7:5

   B. THEY PRAYED...
      1. They continued with one accord in prayer and supplication - Ac 1:14
      2. "It is likely that they were praying constantly that the
         promised Spirit would descend" - ESV Study Bible 

   C. THEY PREPARED...
      1. Peter outlines the need to replace Judas Iscariot - Ac 1:15-20
         a. Who had died a gruesome death
         b. Whose death and replacement was foretold by the Spirit - cf. Ps 69:25; 109:8
      2. The apostolic requirements are given - Ac 1:21-22
         a. Someone who had accompanied the apostles
         b. From the baptism of John to the day Jesus ascended
         c. Who could then serve as a witness of the resurrection
      3. The replacement selected - Ac 1:23-26
         a. Two men put forward:  Joseph (Barsabas) Justus, and Matthias
         c. Matthias is selected and numbered with the eleven apostles

[In this manner the disciples of Jesus waited for the promise of the
Spirit.  In a similar way, so should disciples today wait for the promise of the Lord's return...]

II. WAITING FOR THE PROMISE OF THE SON (NOW)

   A.  WE SHOULD ASSEMBLE...
      1. A practice we are not to forsake - He 10:24-25; 1Th 5:1-11
         a. Important to remaining encouraged and motivated
         b. Especially since Christ's return can happen at any moment
      2. Especially on the Lord's day - cf. Ac 20:7; 1Co 11:26
         a. When we assemble on the first day of the week to break bread
         b. In which we proclaim the Lord's death "till He come"
      3. If we truly long for our Savior's return...
         a. We will not forsake the practice of assembling
         b. We will encourage one another with our presence

   B. WE SHOULD PRAY...
      1. Jesus taught His disciples the need to pray - Lk 18:1-8; 21:34-36
         a. Lest they lose heart and faith
         b. Lest the Day come upon them unexpectedly
      2. Thus we are to pray - Col 4:2; 1Co 16:22; Re 22:20; 2Pe 3:11-13
         a. Earnestly, with vigilance
         b. Anxious for His coming
         c. Looking for and hastening that Day
      3. If we truly long for our Savior's return...
         a. We will be fervent in our prayers
         b. Expressing hope and anticipation concerning His return

   C. WE SHOULD PREPARE...
      1. Jesus taught His disciples the need to be prepared - Mt 24:45-51; 25:1-30
         a. Like a wise and faithful servant
         b. Like wise virgins waiting for the bridegroom
         c. Like faithful servants putting their talents to work
      2. Thus we are to be prepared and productive - 2Pe 3:11-14; 1Co 15:58
         a. With holy conduct and godliness, found in peace, without
            spot and blameless
         b. Steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord  
      3. If we truly long for our Savior's return...
         a. We will not only watch, but work!
         b. Growing in grace, knowledge, and service!

CONCLUSION

1. The apostles received the promise of the Spirit...
   a. In ten days, on the Day of Pentecost - Ac 2:1-4
   b. Equipping them for service as witnesses for Christ - cf. Ac 1:8

2. One day we will receive the promise of the Son...
   a. Even though it has almost been two thousand years - cf. 2Pe 3:3-9
   b. Rewarding us with the promise of wonderful blessings! - 2Pe 3:14; Re 21:1-7

Until then, let us wait for the promise of the Son by assembling, praying, and preparing...!

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2012

Not Ashamed of Christ By D. Gene West

http://www.gospelgazette.com/gazette/1999/dec/page7.shtml

Not Ashamed of Christ

By D. Gene West

In virtually every one of the so-called sitcoms that one sees on television these days there are open and frontal attacks made upon what the world calls “Christianity.”  Those who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of the only true and living God are attacked and ridiculed, and many jokes, some of them not so nice, are made at the expense of believers.  Christianity is made out to be some kind of stodgy, antiquated religion that is about to pass away.  They also depict ministers as inept, sinful, hypocritical and lazy.  If any other group of people, such as homosexuals, for example, were singled out and depicted in such a way, there would be a scream heard all over the earth, and the ACLU would immediately start a lawsuit against someone. But this is not the only persecution that is directed at those who call themselves “Christians” in the land in which we live.  The federal government feels that it has the right to step in and investigate the doctrine of various churches.  It feels that it has the right to overturn, by making illegal, such doctrines as they feel are opposed to “civil rights.”  There is a movement at this very hour to have homosexuals treated as a minority race in this country, and, if that movement succeeds, you and I will not be able to tell a person who is living that lifestyle that he is a sinner!  There is no sin in being black, white, Asian or Indian.  All these people are dear and precious in the sight of God, and he wants them to come to Christ who has the ability to save them from sin.  There is no similarity between race and the sin of homosexuality!  One is the way a person is born; the other is a life-style that has been adopted and is a preferred way of living.  These people come from all races!  They are not a race, nor are they born that way, nor is there a genetic predisposition to live such a life-style.  There is not one shred of evidence to prove any of the above-mentioned claims by the homosexuals!
But let us come back to the original thought of this article by asking ourselves how we are going to react to the kind of persecution we see in our nation today.  It seems to this observer that we are going to have to react in one of two ways.  First, we can become ashamed of our religion and pull ourselves into a shell of privacy, having nothing to say about any of the things going on today.  That is the kind of reaction that will make the world, which brazenly opposes Christianity, very happy because they have thrown down the gauntlet and we will have refused to take it up!  They will continue the pressure by telling the world that if we really believed what we claim to believe we would be fearless in meeting them, and we would be unhampered in answering their stereotypes of Christianity.  We can go quietly about worshipping God, until the day comes when we are forbidden to do so, or we can take another path.
Second, we can adopt the attitude that we are not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, nor the Christ of the Gospel, just as was the case with the apostle Paul in Romans 1:14-17.  In 2 Timothy 1:8, Paul admonished Timothy not to be “. . . ashamed of the testimony of our Lord . . .”  In the very same chapter (v. 12), Paul said that he was suffering persecution even as he was writing that letter, but he said, “I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep what I have committed to him until that day.”  In verse sixteen of the same chapter, Paul prayed that the Lord grant mercy to the family of Onesiphorus because that family had often helped him, “. . . and was not ashamed of my chain . . .”  In other words, Onesiphorus and his family, in spite of the danger from the Roman government, had no shame regarding the imprisonment of Paul, and they had fearlessly refreshed him from time to time.
If the intimidation of the pagan world causes us to move into a shell and refuse to say what the Bible says regarding sin, then we have become ashamed of Christ and his Gospel.  We do not mean that we be ugly, uncaring or hostile toward the world, but that we should fearlessly deliver the same Gospel that was delivered first under Jewish persecution, then under Roman persecution in the first century.  Paul, in Romans 1:18-32, spoke of the life-styles of all kinds of pagans as being sinful, and against which the wrath of God is revealed.
To stand for Christ and to fight against the paganism of our time, using the Gospel as our sword against sin, has never been easy, and it will not be in the future!    The pagans control the government with all its bureaucracy, the media, the film industry and most all other forms of communication.  But with God as our helper we can once again bring the Gospel to the world even if it means imprisonment and death!  This was done in ancient times, and it can be done again!

A SENIOR MOMENT Donald R. Fox

http://essaysbyfox.org/html/essays/

A SENIOR MOMENT

Donald R. Fox

When you are a young person, and you forget a name or something you were supposed to do, we just chuckle, as it is no big thing. When you are much older, and you make the same mistake of forgetting, we worry. I am now a very senior member in my early eighties. Yes, I forget names and sometimes I forget a word I want to use in a conversation. This is frustrating to say the least. The following is a pretty good example, definition of a senior moment, “a temporary mental lapse (humorously attributed to the gradual loss of one's mental faculties as one grows older)."

“The following are examples of symptoms that should trigger an evaluation by a physician:

• Forgetting what an item is used for or putting items in inappropriate places–for example, puts groceries away in the dishwasher instead of refrigerator.
• Not knowing or recognizing a familiar person.
• Losing the ability to have a conversation.
• Losing a sense of the time of day.
• Not remembering recent events that have happened.
• Having trouble learning any new information or how to use new objects or systems.
• Becoming lost or disoriented in familiar places.
• Decrease in good judgment.
• Increase in difficulty handling money or other complex household tasks such as cooking.
• Changes in mood or personality.” (Source unknown. DRF)

A greater problem than a now and then senior moment is when the masses of people prefer to forget God Almighty. A senior moment is not a selection we want. It is a natural development of growing older. I understand there are produced food and medical items that can help slow down forgetfulness. An older person is not required to leap and jump like he/she did as a teenager. Do the best you can, and don’t give up. Remember, “Never give in." (http://essaysbyfox.org/html/essays/NEVER%20GIVE%20IN.doc)

End Note: Growing old is a challenge. Wait, any age is a challenge. All of us need to do the best we can by using God-given instructions of what is right and wrong. To be obedient and doing the will of God will take us through our youth until the end of our life. God be with us all!

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:21-23 KJV)

WITHIN YOUR ABILITIES NEVER FORGET THE WORD OF GOD.