Who Believes in Hell Anymore? by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1204

Who Believes in Hell Anymore?

by	Dave Miller, Ph.D.

A Harris poll found that while 89% of Americans believe in heaven, only 73% believe in hell (Taylor, 1998). However, even this figure is misleading, since people differ in how they define “hell.” When defined as an actual location—a place of actual torment where people will be sent—only three in ten adults (31%) believe in hell (“Beliefs,” 1996). Most Americans believe that Satan is merely a symbol for evil. Only 27% strongly believe that Satan is real (“Religious Beliefs,” 2001).
American culture has sustained a steady assault from humanistic philosophy for several decades now. This constant bombardment of irreligious values has clearly taken its toll. In school, children have been fed a steady diet of atheistic evolution which holds that human beings owe their ultimate origin to rocks, dirt, and the chance forces of nature. Television sets have surely served as a principal medium through which the moral framework has been undermined and seriously eroded. Consequently, many previously unacceptable behaviors are on the increase in society—behaviors that are far more acceptable to the American people than they ever have been in the past.
These behaviors include such things as divorce, homosexuality, premarital sex, and gambling. The use of foul language is prevalent. The average person uses God’s name in vain. Such profanity is very commonplace—especially on television and in the movies. Fundamental values like honesty have given way to dishonesty in the form of lying, cheating, and deception. Americans now pretty much expect their politicians to lie. Pornography has spread across the land through so-called “adult” bookstores, cable channels, magazines, and the Internet. Satanism, astrology, spiritualism, the occult, and New Age religion are on the increase. More and more people are embracing Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and belief in reincarnation. The courts are literally clogged because of skyrocketing crime rates, and due to the fact that more and more people are retaliating and suing one another. America is no longer a country dominated by church-going peoples—as she was for the first 150 years of her national existence. Where once, Americans were characterized as people who strongly sought freedom for Bible religion, America is more nearly seen today as a culture that strives for freedom from religion. Indeed, forces have been working to eradicate God and the Christian religion from the American way of life.
Despite the fact that Americans in general, and Christians in particular, have many things for which to be thankful, and despite the fact that things usually are not as bad as they seem, nevertheless, much evidence exists to draw the conclusion that American society has become increasingly hedonistic, anti-Christian, and out of harmony with Bible principles. In fact, in many circles in this country the Bible is not even considered to be the verbally inspired Word of God—less than half of all adults (41%) believe the Bible is totally accurate in all it teaches (“Religious Beliefs,” 2001). Indeed, American civilization is deteriorating. The moral, spiritual, and religious foundation of American society—this great nation—is disintegrating.
But there is an antidote, and there is only one antidote. The nation is in desperate need of returning to the Bible—the written instructions of the one God—and to the transcendent Creator of the Universe. The nation must go back to the Bible, back to those life-giving guidelines that will make a nation strong. Only the words of God are capable of sustaining a nation, and getting its citizens through this life in such a way that they will be prepared for life beyond the grave. “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people” (Proverbs 14:34).
God’s words can change a person’s (or a nation’s) life by generating faith, obedience, and contentment in this life. Those words of God teach that sin is violation of God’s law (1 John 3:4). Sin is the only intrinsic evil in the world today. People cannot sin against God, and yet expect to be acceptable to Him. Sin, once committed, must be forgiven. But sin can be forgiven only under certain conditions that God, Himself, has specified in the Bible. If a person sins against God by violating His written revelation, and then leaves this life in an unforgiven condition, that person will be punished. Those are the facts of the matter. The Bible clearly teaches that those who leave this life with their sins unforgiven will spend eternity in hell. You cannot believe in heaven—and not believe in hell. The same Bible that teaches there is a heaven, also teaches there is a hell.
Many verses in the Bible verify this fact. Jesus said, “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!” (Luke 12:4-5). Jesus Christ believed in hell! He warned about violating God’s will, and leaving this life unforgiven (i.e., spiritually unprepared), so that one is required to spend eternity separated from God in hell. Jesus further said: “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and will come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28).
In referring to the end of life on Earth, He declared: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:31). Referring to the disobedient, Jesus explained: “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels’ ” (vs. 41). Earlier in the same chapter He had said concerning the lost, “and cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (vs. 30). He concluded the chapter by saying, “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (vs. 46). To be consistent, a person cannot believe in eternal life, and not believe in eternal punishment. The same Greek word is used in the same verse to describe both of those realms. Just as existence with God after this life is over will be forever or eternal, so separation from God due to disobedience in this life will result in eternal punishment.
Consider another profound, even startling, statement made by Jesus: “[I]f your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire” (Matthew 18:9). Jesus was not teaching that people should mutilate their bodies. He was simply stressing the fact that whatever it takes for a person to be obedient to God in this life—to be conformed to His will, to resist the forces of temptation that try to lure one into their grasp—whatever it takes to be faithful to God, is worth the sacrifice so that the person might enter into eternity qualified to live with God forever, rather than to spend eternity in the fires of hell.
On one occasion, Jesus addressed Himself to the religious leaders of His day. These were religious men, and yet Jesus said to them, “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:33). That was a rhetorical question. Jesus was saying they were so wicked, they were so evil, they were so out of step with God’s will in this life, that He saw no way for them to leave this life without facing condemnation in hell. He also noted: “The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:41-42). How can a person possibly listen to those words, spoken by Jesus Christ Himself, and yet say hell does not exist?
The apostle Paul described the fate of those who live out of harmony with God’s will when he spoke of those “who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them” (Romans 1:32). He then stated, “but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil” (Romans 2:8).
In Revelation 20:15, we find this declaration: “[A]nyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” John further recorded: “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone” (Revelation 21:8). There will be a hell. There will be eternal punishment for those who leave this life, having sinned against God, having violated His will, and having failed to receive forgiveness for those sins in the appointed way. Hence, it is imperative to know how to be forgiven.
How is forgiveness attained? The Bible answer to that question is—only through Christ. He is the Savior of all those who truly want to be saved. He is the only one who could atone for human sin and provide the antidote. The New Testament gives definitive teaching on how to be saved initially (in order to become a Christian), and how to maintain that saved status.
Jesus said, “[I]f you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). So the number one prerequisite to being saved and acceptable to God is to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus further said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 17:6). Those are Jesus’ own words. His apostles declared: “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). These passages teach that Jesus Christ is the only avenue through Whom a person might be saved. A person must believe in the person of Jesus Christ, and in His Word. The writer of Hebrews wrote: “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (11:6). Jesus said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). So the New Testament teaches that the first thing a person must do to be acceptable to God, and to avoid hell, is to believe in Jesus Christ by trusting in His Word. Faith comes by hearing God’s Word (Romans 10:17).
But, second, a person must repent of his or her sin. Jesus said, “but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3,5). The biblical doctrine of repentance means that, having come to a belief in Christ and His Word, the individual must change his mind about his past conduct, and his previous erroneous viewpoints. He must put those things behind him, changing his mind in order to bring his thinking into harmony with the Word of God.
Third, the New Testament teaches that a person must confess the deity of Jesus. Paul wrote that “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
So a person must believe in Jesus Christ and His Word, turn from sin by changing the mind about that sin, and then confess the Lordship and deity of Christ with the mouth. But then the New Testament teaches that a person must be immersed in water in order to contact the blood of Christ and be forgiven of sin. Jesus, Himself, said, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). What does it mean to be “born of water and the Spirit”? It means to be immersed in water according to the instructions given by the Holy Spirit in the New Testament (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 5:26).
Many other passages make this point clear. For instance, Paul told the Galatian Christians: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (3:27). That is, a person is clothed with Christ in the action of water baptism. Peter said, “There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21). So water immersion is the point at which a person is saved by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. No wonder Ananias said to Saul, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).
To summarize, these Scriptures teach that in order to become a Christian, a person must hear the word, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized. When that person rises from the waters of baptism, he stands cleansed from sin by the blood of Christ. That person is now a Christian. After becoming a Christian, however, the individual is not given a guarantee that he automatically will be accepted in eternity. It depends upon whether he continues to live faithfully (Revelation 2:10). To remain saved, a person must live the Christian life faithfully, and take advantage of the means by which he may continue to be forgiven of sin. Living the Christian life faithfully includes frequent study of the Word of God in order to know how to live the Christian life, and to receive motivation to comply. When the Christian sins, he must repent of that sin, confess it, and pray to God for forgiveness (Acts 8:22; 1 John 1:9; James 5:20). In this fashion, the Christian may continue to be forgiven by the blood of Jesus while living the Christian life.
Make no mistake. A person dares not leave this life unforgiven and unprepared. The only hope is to commit to Jesus, and be obedient to God in this life. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Corinthians 5:10-11). “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). After all, “our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). And, “the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
Is there a hell? Absolutely! The Bible teaches the existence of hell as certainly as it teaches the existence of heaven, God, and Christ. Hell may be summarized as everlasting fire, everlasting punishment, everlasting destruction, outer darkness, damnation, hell fire, and a lake of fire. If a person believes the Bible, or believes in Jesus Christ, or believes in God—he or she must believe in hell.
While perhaps hell may not be the best or the most mature motivation for loving God and for living faithfully to Him, fear of hell certainly is a legitimate reason, and a valid scriptural motive for causing a person to contemplate his conduct in this life, in order to be prepared to leave this life in good graces with God. The reader is urged to bring his or her life into compliance with the God of heaven by believing in His Son, repenting of past sins, confessing the name of Christ, and being immersed in water for the remission of those sins.

REFERENCES

“Beliefs: Heaven and Hell” (1996), Barna Research Online, [On-line], URL: http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/PageCategory.asp?CategoryID=3.
“Religious Beliefs Vary Widely by Denomination” (2001), Barna Research Online, [On-line], URL: http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/PagePressRelease.asp?PressReleaseID=92&Reference=A.
Taylor, Humphrey (1998), “Large Majority of People Believe They Will Go to Heaven,” [On-line], URL>: http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=167.

From Jim McGuiggan... War (2)

War (2)

 There is something that I think we should keep clear in discussing a Christian’s living in the world as a part of the body of Jesus Christ. It’s this: the Christian’s ethical judgements and actions are not based on some general moral standard but on life as it was and is lived out by Jesus Christ. The Christian’s ethical response is "gospeling" and not mere morality. When I say "mere" morality I don’t mean to cheapen moral convictions or costly moral decisions. I mean only to make it clear that the Christian is not someone who lives to a "higher moral standard" than the non-Christian but someone who lives out the life of Christ that is in them and to which they have committed themselves by faith. They do not so much live under "moral rules" as in the image of a Person—that is their identity and mission.

Christians are indeed a peculiar people. Simply viewed as "moral beings" they don’t profess to be superior to everyone else. But unlike all other people on earth they have heard the gospel of the redeeming and holy God as he has come to us in and as Jesus Christ and they have committed themselves to him in faith. They have been re-created in Christ’s image and it is his way of living that they commit to fleshing out. Indeed, it is his continuing incarnate life that they live out. They live by a different "rule" than the rest of humanity and they have a mission to the world that is peculiarly theirs.

This is not to say that the only people on earth that are morally upright are Christians! Paul knew of Gentiles who lived out the works of the Jewish Torah (Romans 2:6-16) apart from the hearing of the gospel of Christ. Paul is death on any form of Pelagianism—no one earns a right relationship with God by moral uprightness; but he certainly recognized that there were morally upright people that had not heard the Gospel and were not part of the Jewish nation. And the Old Testament prophets are filled with rebuke for the behavior of Gentile nations that did not live righteously (Daniel 4:27 illustrates). This implies that they knew of moral law and that in their lives they did not give it the homage due to it (or due to the God of it). Peter insisted that non-Christians were capable of recognizing good conduct in the lives of the Christians they were troubling (1 Peter 2:12) so non-Christians are not without a standard.
Nevertheless, Christians still operate on a different ethical basis than the one upright non-Christians operate on. A non-Christian would recognize a Christian husband’s love for his wife as indeed love for his wife but the non-Christian does not operate on the "even as" ground of the love Christ has for the church (see Ephesians 5:25). The non-Christian has not been gathered in by the gospel to faith in Jesus Christ so he does not operate on that basis. But love for wives did not begin with Jesus Christ and his gospel. In union with Christ marriage became something not less but more than it was.

The upshot of all this is that Christians should not discuss an issue like going to war on the basis of some general moral standard that is the same for everyone in the world. To do that is to miss their peculiar position, calling and the One whose body they are. There may be ten thousands reasons why a non-Christian would feel he should not commit adultery against his wife but one of them would not be 1 Corinthians 6:15-20.

Taking it as true that the Church of Christ is to further the redeeming work of Christ and rehearse the gospel about Christ we need to ask if they have any business going to war. The question is not, "Have non-Christians any business going to war?" I think that that is a further question and it might result in a different answer. The question at this point would be, "Is the kingdom of Christ furthered by Christians going to war?" We certainly don’t find it supported in Christ’s personal life and I know of no text which would yield encouragement for them to do so.
I don’t think it is helpful—and it certainly is not a good argument—to note that soldiers were not told to leave their military positions. Nowhere do we find slave owners told they must set all their slaves free. In fact, we could easily argue the reverse since the slave/master relationship was regulated rather than obliterated. I don’t suppose there would be many that would argue on that basis that having slaves is acceptable Christian behavior.

I would presently hold, then, that it isn’t enough for Christians to make "good moral arguments" in support of engaging in war. They must acknowledge who and whose they are and ask if faithfully living that out would lead them to engage in war. I think Christians should not engage in war.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com.

From Gary... A reflection of the heights of infinity

Today's NASA picture (http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/) is from Iceland; from within a cave formed by a lava flow. To my mind, the cave is NOT THE FOCUS OF THE PICTURE; The aurora visible just above the center is. After that, the man becomes the focal point. Why? To show that even though human beings consider themselves "on top" of things (and he is in this picture), ultimately both his perception and position are tiny in comparison to God and the lofty place of his abode. God, through the prophet Isaiah puts it this way...

Isaiah 55:6-11 NASB
(6)  Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near.
(7)  Let the wicked forsake his way And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the LORD, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
(8)  "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
(9)  "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.
(10)  "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
(11)  So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.

Humans have come a long way since being cave dweller, but can we even create one small planet. What about a solar system or a galaxy or something greater?  I think not!!!  And yet, there are those who will arrogantly say that God does NOT and CAN NOT EXIST.  Why? Because in their pride they fail to see beyond the power of their own mind (like the reflection in the photo).  They can not accept what they can not see and therefore it obviously can not exist!!!  What hubris!!!  Somehow, the words of a hymn (whose title eludes me) echo in my mind when I review the Isaiah passage... Humble yourself in sight of the LORD and HE WILL LIFT YOU UP!!! Look up to God and not at yourself to truly understand greatness and follow the words of verse six above. You will never, ever, be sorry you did- I promise!!!

From Gary.. Bible Reading July 22

Bible Reading 

July 22

The World English Bible

July 22

1 Chronicles 27-29

1Ch 27:1 Now the children of Israel after their number, the heads of fathers' houses and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and their officers who served the king, in any matter of the divisions which came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year--of every division were twenty-four thousand.

1Ch 27:2 Over the first division for the first month was Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

1Ch 27:3 He was of the children of Perez, the chief of all the captains of the army for the first month.

1Ch 27:4 Over the division of the second month was Dodai the Ahohite, and his division; and Mikloth the ruler: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

1Ch 27:5 The third captain of the army for the third month was Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, chief: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

1Ch 27:6 This is that Benaiah, who was the mighty man of the thirty, and over the thirty: and of his division was Ammizabad his son.

1Ch 27:7 The fourth captain for the fourth month was Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

1Ch 27:8 The fifth captain for this fifth month was Shamhuth the Izrahite: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

1Ch 27:9 The sixth captain for the sixth month was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

1Ch 27:10 The seventh captain for the seventh month was Helez the Pelonite, of the children of Ephraim: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

1Ch 27:11 The eighth captain for the eighth month was Sibbecai the Hushathite, of the Zerahites: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

1Ch 27:12 The ninth captain for the ninth month was Abiezer the Anathothite, of the Benjamites: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

1Ch 27:13 The tenth captain for the tenth month was Maharai the Netophathite, of the Zerahites: and in his division were Twenty-four thousand.

1Ch 27:14 The eleventh captain for the eleventh month was Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the children of Ephraim: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

1Ch 27:15 The twelfth captain for the twelfth month was Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel: and in his division were twenty-four thousand.

1Ch 27:16 Furthermore over the tribes of Israel: of the Reubenites was Eliezer the son of Zichri the ruler: of the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maacah:

1Ch 27:17 of Levi, Hashabiah the son of Kemuel: of Aaron, Zadok:

1Ch 27:18 of Judah, Elihu, one of the brothers of David: of Issachar, Omri the son of Michael:

1Ch 27:19 of Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah: of Naphtali, Jeremoth the son of Azriel:

1Ch 27:20 of the children of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Azaziah: of the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah:

1Ch 27:21 of the half-tribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechariah: of Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner:

1Ch 27:22 of Dan, Azarel the son of Jeroham. These were the captains of the tribes of Israel.

1Ch 27:23 But David didn't take the number of them from twenty years old and under, because Yahweh had said he would increase Israel like the stars of the sky.

1Ch 27:24 Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number, but didn't finish; and there came wrath for this on Israel; neither was the number put into the account in the chronicles of king David.

1Ch 27:25 Over the king's treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel: and over the treasures in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the towers, was Jonathan the son of Uzziah:

1Ch 27:26 Over those who did the work of the field for tillage of the ground was Ezri the son of Chelub:

1Ch 27:27 and over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite: and over the increase of the vineyards for the winecellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite:

1Ch 27:28 and over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the lowland was Baal Hanan the Gederite: and over the cellars of oil was Joash:

1Ch 27:29 and over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite: and over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai:

1Ch 27:30 and over the camels was Obil the Ishmaelite: and over the donkeys was Jehdeiah the Meronothite: and over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagrite.

1Ch 27:31 All these were the rulers of the substance which was king David's.

1Ch 27:32 Also Jonathan, David's uncle, was a counselor, a man of understanding, and a scribe: and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni was with the king's sons:

1Ch 27:33 Ahithophel was the king's counselor: and Hushai the Archite was the king's friend:

1Ch 27:34 and after Ahithophel was Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar: and the captain of the king's army was Joab.

1Ch 28:1 David assembled all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies who served the king by division, and the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, and the rulers over all the substance and possessions of the king and of his sons, with the officers, and the mighty men, even all the mighty men of valor, to Jerusalem.

1Ch 28:2 Then David the king stood up on his feet, and said, Hear me, my brothers, and my people: as for me, it was in my heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of Yahweh, and for the footstool of our God; and I had made ready for the building.

1Ch 28:3 But God said to me, You shall not build a house for my name, because you are a man of war, and have shed blood.

1Ch 28:4 However Yahweh, the God of Israel, chose me out of all the house of my father to be king over Israel forever: for he has chosen Judah to be prince; and in the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he took pleasure in me to make me king over all Israel;

1Ch 28:5 Of all my sons (for Yahweh has given me many sons), he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of Yahweh over Israel.

1Ch 28:6 He said to me, Solomon your son, he shall build my house and my courts; for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father.

1Ch 28:7 I will establish his kingdom forever, if he be constant to do my commandments and my ordinances, as at this day.

1Ch 28:8 Now therefore, in the sight of all Israel, the assembly of Yahweh, and in the audience of our God, observe and seek out all the commandments of Yahweh your God; that you may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children after you forever.

1Ch 28:9 You, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for Yahweh searches all hearts, and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts: if you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever.

1Ch 28:10 Take heed now; for Yahweh has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it.

1Ch 28:11 Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch of the temple, and of its houses, and of its treasuries, and of the upper rooms of it, and of the inner chambers of it, and of the place of the mercy seat;

1Ch 28:12 and the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit, for the courts of the house of Yahweh, and for all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the house of God, and for the treasuries of the dedicated things;

1Ch 28:13 also for the divisions of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of Yahweh, and for all the vessels of service in the house of Yahweh;

1Ch 28:14 of gold by weight for the vessels of gold, for all vessels of every kind of service; of silver for all the vessels of silver by weight, for all vessels of every kind of service;

1Ch 28:15 by weight also for the lampstands of gold, and for its lamps, of gold, by weight for every lampstand and for its lamps; and for the lampstands of silver, silver by weight for every lampstand and for its lamps, according to the use of every lampstand;

1Ch 28:16 and the gold by weight for the tables of show bread, for every table; and silver for the tables of silver;

1Ch 28:17 and the forks, and the basins, and the cups, of pure gold; and for the golden bowls by weight for every bowl; and for the silver bowls by weight for every bowl;

1Ch 28:18 and for the altar of incense refined gold by weight; and gold for the pattern of the chariot, even the cherubim, that spread out their wings, and covered the ark of the covenant of Yahweh.

1Ch 28:19 All this, said David, have I been made to understand in writing from the hand of Yahweh, even all the works of this pattern.

1Ch 28:20 David said to Solomon his son, Be strong and of good courage, and do it: don't be afraid, nor be dismayed; for Yahweh God, even my God, is with you; he will not fail you, nor forsake you, until all the work for the service of the house of Yahweh is finished.

1Ch 28:21 Behold, there are the divisions of the priests and the Levites, for all the service of the house of God: and there shall be with you in all manner of work every willing man who has skill, for any manner of service: also the captains and all the people will be entirely at your command.

1Ch 29:1 David the king said to all the assembly, Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great; for the palace is not for man, but for Yahweh God.

1Ch 29:2 Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for the things of gold, and the silver for the things of silver, and the brass for the things of brass, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood; onyx stones, and stones to be set, stones for inlaid work, and of various colors, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.

1Ch 29:3 In addition, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, seeing that I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, I give it to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house,

1Ch 29:4 even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, with which to overlay the walls of the houses;

1Ch 29:5 of gold for the things of gold, and of silver for the things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. Who then offers willingly to consecrate himself this day to Yahweh?

1Ch 29:6 Then the princes of the fathers' houses, and the princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers over the king's work, offered willingly;

1Ch 29:7 and they gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand darics, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and of iron a hundred thousand talents.

1Ch 29:8 They with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of the house of Yahweh, under the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite.

1Ch 29:9 Then the people rejoiced, because they offered willingly, because with a perfect heart they offered willingly to Yahweh: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

1Ch 29:10 Therefore David blessed Yahweh before all the assembly; and David said, You are blessed, Yahweh, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever.

1Ch 29:11 Yours, Yahweh, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, Yahweh, and you are exalted as head above all.

1Ch 29:12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all; and in your hand is power and might; and it is in your hand to make great, and to give strength to all.

1Ch 29:13 Now therefore, our God, we thank you, and praise your glorious name.

1Ch 29:14 But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you.

1Ch 29:15 For we are strangers before you, and foreigners, as all our fathers were: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is no abiding.

1Ch 29:16 Yahweh our God, all this store that we have prepared to build you a house for your holy name comes of your hand, and is all your own.

1Ch 29:17 I know also, my God, that you try the heart, and have pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy your people, that are present here, offer willingly to you.

1Ch 29:18 Yahweh, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of your people, and prepare their heart to you;

1Ch 29:19 and give to Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep your commandments, your testimonies, and your statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for which I have made provision.

1Ch 29:20 David said to all the assembly, Now bless Yahweh your God. All the assembly blessed Yahweh, the God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads and prostrated themselves before Yahweh and the king.

1Ch 29:21 They sacrificed sacrifices to Yahweh, and offered burnt offerings to Yahweh, on the next day after that day, even one thousand bulls, one thousand rams, and one thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel,

1Ch 29:22 and ate and drink before Yahweh on that day with great gladness. They made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and anointed him to Yahweh to be prince, and Zadok to be priest.

1Ch 29:23 Then Solomon sat on the throne of Yahweh as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.

1Ch 29:24 All the princes, the mighty men, and also all of the sons of king David submitted themselves to Solomon the king.

1Ch 29:25 Yahweh magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed on him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.

1Ch 29:26 Now David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel.

1Ch 29:27 The time that he reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

1Ch 29:28 He died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor: and Solomon his son reigned in his place.

1Ch 29:29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the history of Samuel the seer, and in the history of Nathan the prophet, and in the history of Gad the seer,

1Ch 29:30 with all his reign and his might, and the times that went over him, and over Israel, and over all the kingdoms of the countries.

Jul. 22, 23

Acts 14

Act 14:1 It happened in Iconium that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed.

Act 14:2 But the disbelieving Jews stirred up and embittered the souls of the Gentiles against the brothers.

Act 14:3 Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

Act 14:4 But the multitude of the city was divided. Part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles.

Act 14:5 When some of both the Gentiles and the Jews, with their rulers, made a violent attempt to mistreat and stone them,

Act 14:6 they became aware of it, and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding region.

Act 14:7 There they preached the Good News.

Act 14:8 At Lystra a certain man sat, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked.

Act 14:9 He was listening to Paul speaking, who, fastening eyes on him, and seeing that he had faith to be made whole,

Act 14:10 said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet!" He leaped up and walked.

Act 14:11 When the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!"

Act 14:12 They called Barnabas "Jupiter," and Paul "Mercury," because he was the chief speaker.

Act 14:13 The priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have made a sacrifice along with the multitudes.

Act 14:14 But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their clothes, and sprang into the multitude, crying out,

Act 14:15 "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them;

Act 14:16 who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.

Act 14:17 Yet he didn't leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness."

Act 14:18 Even saying these things, they hardly stopped the multitudes from making a sacrifice to them.

Act 14:19 But some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.

Act 14:20 But as the disciples stood around him, he rose up, and entered into the city. On the next day he went out with Barnabas to Derbe.

Act 14:21 When they had preached the Good News to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,

Act 14:22 confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdom of God.

Act 14:23 When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.

Act 14:24 They passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia.

Act 14:25 When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

Act 14:26 From there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled.

Act 14:27 When they had arrived, and had gathered the assembly together, they reported all the things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations.

Act 14:28 They stayed there with the disciples for a long time.

From Mark Copeland... Paul's Arrest In Jerusalem (Acts 21:27-40)

                          "THE BOOK OF ACTS"

                Paul's Arrest In Jerusalem (21:27-40)

INTRODUCTION

1. As Paul was traveling to Jerusalem nearing the end of his third
   journey...
   a.  He knew that chains and tribulation awaited him - Ac 20:22-23
   b. That the Jews would deliver him to the Gentiles - Ac 21:10-11

2. Even so, he arrived at Jerusalem...
   a. With the contribution for needy Christians in Jerusalem - Ro 15:25-27; cf. 1Co 16:1-4
   b. Warmly greeted by the brethren, the elders, and James - Ac 21:17-19
   c. Agreeing to reach out to Jewish Christians who had been misinformed
      - Ac 21:20-26

[It was in the course of carrying out the advice of James and the elders
in Jerusalem that the chains and tribulations foretold began to be 
fulfilled with...] 

I. PAUL'S ARREST IN JERUSALEM

   A. THE RIOT IN THE TEMPLE...
      1. Prompted by Jews from Asia who saw Paul in the temple - Ac 21:27
         a. Diaspora Jews were often known for their great zeal for the 
            temple
         b. Paul had already experienced trials from Jews in Asia - cf.
            Ac 20:19
      2. Making false accusations against him - Ac 21:28-29
         a. Similar to charges made Diaspora Jews against Stephen - Ac 6:9-14
         b. But also accusing Paul of bringing a Gentile into the temple
            (a capital offense)
      3. Disturbing the crowd who seized Paul and dragged him out of the
         temple - Ac 21:30
         a. Either the temple itself, the court of men, or the court of
            women
         b. Out into the court of the Gentiles

   B. THE RESCUE BY THE ROMANS...
      1. As the crowd sought to kill Paul, the Roman commander received
         word - Ac 21:31
         a. On the east side of the temple was the Antonia Fortress,
            named after Mark Anthony
         b. Housing Roman soldiers who could quickly assist temple police
            with crowd control
      2. The commander sent soldiers that stopped the crowd from beating
         Paul - Ac 21:32
         a. At least two centurions and their contingents
         b. That would be at least 200 soldiers
      3. The commander bound Paul, sought to determine his identify, what
         he had done - Ac 21:33
         a. Note that Paul was bound with two chains (likely for hands 
            and feet)
         b. Thus fulfilling the prophecy of Agabus - cf. Ac 21:10-11          
      4. Unable to ascertain the truth, he commanded Paul to be taken to
         the barracks - Ac 21:34
         a. The commander wanted to know who Paul was and what he had 
            done
         b. But the crowd did not even agree why Paul was worthy of death
      5. Paul had to be carried up the stairs due to the violence of the
         mob - Ac 21:35
         a. Remember that Paul had already been beaten by the mob - cf.
            Ac 21:32
         b. Together with hustle and bustle of the mob, Paul would need
            assistance
      6. The mob cried out "Away with him!" - Ac 21:36
         a. So the crowd called out when it was Jesus before Pilate - cf.
            Jn 19:15
         b. I can't help but wonder what Paul thought, especially if then
            he had part of the crowd

   C. THE PERMISSION TO SPEAK...
      1. Paul asked to speak with the Roman commander - Ac 21:37
         a. Paul spoke in educated Greek which surprised the commander
         b. Paul also spoke with great politeness, also surprising given
            the circumstances
      2. The commander assumed Paul to be an Egyptian insurrectionist 
         - Ac 21:38
         a. Three years before, an Egyptian led a large band of assassins
            out to Mt. Olivet
         b. He predicted the city walls would fall flat; Felix sent 
            troops to disperse them
      3. Identifying himself as a Jew from Tarsus, Paul asked to speak to
         the people - Ac 21:39
         a. Tarsus in Cilicia was not an insignificant city
         b. Again, Paul's request to speak is made with politeness
      4. Granted permission, from the stairs Paul begins to speak - Ac 21:40
         a. Motion with his hands, silencing the people
         b. Speaking to them in Hebrew (or Aramaic)

[Paul's speech before the mob continues into the next chapter which we
hope to examine in our next lesson.  But in reflecting on the events we
have just studied, allow me to offer some...]

II. OBSERVATIONS ABOUT HIS ARREST

   A. THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST PAUL...
      1. Were made by Jews from Asia - Ac 21:27
         a. Who had possibly clashed with Paul in Ephesus - cf. Ac 20:19
         b. Who likely were biased against Paul and his doctrine - cf. Ac 19:8-10
      2. Who misrepresented what Paul actually taught - Ac 21:28
         a. That he taught against the Jewish people, the Law of Moses,
            and the temple
         b. When he taught Jesus was Israel's hope and fulfillment - cf.
            Ro 9:1-5; 10:1-4
      3. Were false, based on faulty assumptions - Ac 21:29
         a. Paul had been seen in the city with Trophimus the Ephesian
         b. His accusers assumed that Paul brought Trophimus (a Gentile)
            into the temple  
      -- Those with bias and an agenda often resort to half-truths and 
         mistruths to mislead and manipulate others

   B. THE MOB MENTALITY AGAINST PAUL...
      1. The reaction of the people is a perfect example of mob mentality
         a. Also known as herd mentality, or the bandwagon effect
         b. When people are influenced by their peers, or what they see
            others doing
         c. Especially in large gatherings, such as political rallies, 
            concerts, sporting events
         d. They are swayed by reasoning, "if many believe so, it is so" 
         e. Also known as "appeal to the people" (argumentum ad populum)
      2. Some well known examples of mob mentality
         a. The French Revolution's Reign of Terror
         b. Hitler's rise to power and the Holocaust
         c. Popular urban legends spread via the Internet
      -- People are easily swayed when they are in large crowds, or
         give credence to the idea that the majority is always right

   C. THE COMMANDER'S SEARCH FOR TRUTH...
      1. Later identified as Claudius Lysius - cf. Ac 23:26
      2. In the midst of the turmoil, he determined to know the truth
         - Ac 21:33
      3. He was willing to give up first impressions upon learning the
         truth - Ac 21:37-39
      4. He was willing to let Paul tell his side of the story - Ac 21:40
      -- Like Cornelius (Ac 10:33), Claudius was willing to listen before
         passing judgment

CONCLUSION

1. Paul's arrest in Jerusalem shows people at their worst, and at their 
   best...
   a. The worst - allowing religious prejudice and mob mentality to
      attack the innocent
   b. The best - allowing search for truth to change one's opinion and 
      open to more information

2. How can we avoid mob mentality, being misled and manipulated by those
   with bias...?
   a. Be more like the Jews of Berea than the Jews from Asia - Ac 17:11
   b. Seek to understand what others believe, or are saying
   c. Make truth your priority, think for yourself, don't just follow the
      crowds
   d. Remember what happened in the flood, in the wilderness, and in the
      holocaust

The likelihood is that the majority is always wrong, for as Jesus said...

   "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the
   way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.
   Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to
   life, and there are few who find it." - Mt 7:13-14

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2013

The Stone that Rocked the World by Garry K. Brantley, M.A., M.Div.

http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=13&article=384

The Stone that Rocked the World

by	Garry K. Brantley, M.A., M.Div.

Juma became increasingly apprehensive as he watched several of his goats climbing too high up the cliffs. Being a conscientious shepherd, he decided to retrieve the strays. As he climbed, he noticed two small openings to a cave. Thinking that one of his goats might be hiding inside, he tossed a stone into the opening. Much to his surprise, he heard an unusual cracking sound. His younger cousin and fellow shepherd, Muhammed adh-Dhib, investigated the cave the following day and discovered that Juma’s stone had broken open a pottery vessel containing ancient documents. Little did Juma realize that his fortuitously cast stone on that afternoon in 1947 eventually would rock the world of biblical scholarship for decades to come.
The cave (called cave 1) housed the first seven manuscripts of the now-famous Qumran materials commonly known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. Subsequent expeditions in the 1950s and 1960s uncovered a vast cache of ancient Jewish writings from ten other caves in the forms of well-preserved scrolls and fragments that represent an entire library of over 800 volumes (Shanks, 1990, p. 1). Unfortunately, after nearly five decades large portions of these documents have not been published, which has caused considerable controversy over the last few years.
Some Qumran material has been published, however, and analyses of these manuscripts have produced some interesting developments in biblical studies. For example, these documents have radically altered mainstream Johannine scholarship. The gospel of John purports to have been written by one who was a contemporary and close companion of Jesus (John 21:20-24). Extrabiblical and biblical evidences suggest that John, the son of Zebedee, authored his Gospel during the latter part of the first century (see Thiessen, 1943, pp. 162-170). Obviously, it would be physically impossible for one of Jesus’ contemporaries to live much into the second century.
Prior to the Qumran discoveries a popular belief among more liberal theologians was that the Fourth Gospel was a mid-to-late second century document whose author was influenced heavily by Grecian philosophy (see Guthrie, 1970, pp. 277-279). This view, which clearly repudiated the biblical implication that an eyewitness wrote the narrative, was first espoused in 1847 by F.C. Bauer, and persisted into the 1950s (Charlesworth, 1993). Linguistic parallels between John’s Gospel and Grecian literature formed the basis for this perspective. These scholars argued that such terms as Logos, truth, light, and darkness appearing in the Fourth Gospel corresponded to Grecian thought but were foreign to common Judaistic concepts. Thus, John was regarded as the latest Gospel and, because of its late date, historically unreliable.
Texts from Qumran, however, demonstrate the usage of such terminology in Jewish literature during the first century. One manuscript called the Rule of the Community contrasts the “Sons of Righteousness” with the “Sons of Deceit.” This document states that the former walk in the “ways of light,” but the latter walk in the “ways of darkness.” Further, it declares that the “nature of truth” emanates from a “spring of light,” and deceit emerges from a “well of darkness.” This language is strikingly similar to many phrases in John’s Gospel. For instance, John 12:35 states: “Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going” (John 12:35; cf. John 1:1-9; 3:19-21). Due to this information from the Dead Sea Scrolls, most scholars now “...agree that [John] dates from around 100 C.E. [A.D.] or perhaps a decade earlier” (Charlesworth, 1993, 9[1]:20).
This does not necessarily mean, (as some scholars suggest) that John was influenced directly by the Qumran community, but it does demonstrate that these were terms commonly employed by Jews both earlier than, and contemporary with, John (see Charlesworth, 1993, 9[1]:25). Thus, as Charlesworth further admitted, almost all the scholarship that denied John as a first-century Jewish composition “...must be discarded” (9[1]:19). That small stone thrown forty-seven years ago continues to rock the biblical world of liberal scholarship.

REFERENCES

Charlesworth, James (1993), “Reinterpreting John: How the Dead Sea Scrolls Have Revolutionized Our Understanding of the Gospel of John,” Bible Review, 9[1]:19-25,54, February.
Guthrie, Donald (1970), New Testament Introduction (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity).
Shanks, Hershel (1990), “The Excitement Lasts: An Overview,” The Dead Sea Scrolls After Forty Years (Washington, DC: Biblical Archaeology Society).
Thiessen, Henry (1934), Introduction to the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans).

From Jim McGuiggan... War (1)

War (1)

Every major issue in life is complex and even wise and good people take different views of them because there is so much to see. Here's my present sense of things. Our sinfulness affects our reasoning (Romans 1:21, Colossians 1:21) and it’s no surprise that we end up giving more weight to one argument than another or playing down some critical point against the view we incline to. We still know that 2+2=4. It isn’t that we have become incapable of using rational faculties but our vested interests blind us to truths we care not to see. (Compare John 5:44.)

But our sin is not the whole story. If Paul can speak of the Jewish Torah and say it is holy, righteous, spiritual and good and in the same place speak of it as a torah of sin and death (Romans 7:12-14,23 and 8:2) we need to recognize that there’s more than one perspective to a complex reality. In light of Romans 13 we might think that governments are all pro-God but when we bear in mind that Rome was the fourth beast of Daniel 7 and the 4^th kingdom of Daniel 2 we know we have a complex situation on our hands.

But God’s self-revelation in Jesus Christ through the Spirit speaks an eternal judgment against our warlike ways. When I say "our" I mean the human family and no one segment of it or individual in it. So when Paul says the works of the flesh include divisions, factions, enmities and strivings he goes on to say that those who are Christ’s have crucified all these (Galatians 5:19-24). If giving ourselves to Christ means we crucify all these things then it must mean that Christ indeed came to expose and condemn them all. Since the Christian’s conduct is not mere morality but the commitment to Christ-likeness then he or she would have to be opposed to war. And beyond the individual it would mean that the whole church, as the body of Christ, living out and rehearsing the whole gospel about the Christ would be opposed to war.

We may not be able to settle what it is precisely that James 4:1-2 is getting at but there’s no mistaking the central thrust. War, or what is warlike, arises out of our selfish drives. [I’m one of those that think James is writing to Christian and non-Christian Jews so that his words would take in the rich oppressors of chapter 5 as well as those who wear the name of Christ.]

I would have thought that the business of the lives of members of the body of Christ would be to proclaim the reign of God as the reconciling of the world to himself and consequently to one another. I don’t see how a Christian can pursue that goal in taking (or trying to take) another person’s life in war.

Since the day we plunged ourselves into the darkness of rebellion against God we’ve been warlike and warring, at the individual, national and international levels. God came in Christ and continues in the body of Christ to condemn all that and more. It appears to me that Christians, if they are true to their calling, should do the same in life and teaching.

©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.

Thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com.