February 10, 2015

From Mark Copeland... Baptism In The Preaching Of The Apostles


"BAPTISM"

Baptism In The Preaching Of The Apostles

INTRODUCTION

1. Shortly before He ascended into heaven, Jesus gave His apostles The
   Great Commission:

   And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been
   given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples
   of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of
   the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things
   that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to
   the end of the age." Amen. (Mt 28:18-20)

2. In the gospel of Mark, The Great Commission is worded in this way:

   And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel
   to every creature.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved;
   but he who does not believe will be condemned."  (Mk 16:15-16)

3. In both places we notice the mention of baptism...
   a. In Matthew, it is related to the process of making disciples
   b. In Mark, it is mentioned in connection with salvation
   -- Whatever the purpose of baptism, it must be important to Jesus,
      for He commanded it!

4. But one might ask...
   a. What is baptism?
      1) Is it pouring, sprinkling, or immersion?
      2) Is one baptized in water, or in the Spirit?
   b. What is the purpose of baptism?
      1) Is it for the remission of sins, or because our sins have 
         already been forgiven?
      2) Is it to be saved, or a public confession of faith having 
         already been saved?
   c. Who should be baptized?
      1) Should infants be baptized?
      2) Should just anyone be baptized?
   d. Is there ever a need to be "re-baptized"?
      1) What if I was baptized as an infant?
      2) What if I was baptized for the wrong reason?
      3) What if I have sinned greatly after being baptized?
   -- These and many other questions are often asked when the subject
      of baptism is raised

5. This series is devoted to answering these and other questions 
   related to baptism...
   a. Since it was commanded by Christ, it is certainly worthy of 
      careful consideration
   b. It is my intention to glean from the Bible what is actually
      taught on this subject
   c. It is my prayer that you will have the attitude of those in Berea
      - cf. Ac 17:11
      1) To receive the word with all readiness (i.e., listen carefully
         with a desire to at least understand, if at first you do not
         agree)
      2) To search the Scriptures (i.e., to read the Bible carefully to
         see if what I am saying is true)

[In this lesson, we will simply consider how the apostles carried out
The Commission Jesus gave them; i.e., to see what they said about 
baptism in their preaching.  We begin with...]

I. BAPTISM IN THE PREACHING OF PETER

   A. ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST...
      1. In the first gospel sermon, Peter commanded people to be 
         baptized "for the remission of sins" - Ac 2:38
      2. Upon exhorting his audience to be saved, the response was for
         many to be baptized - Ac 2:41-41
      3. Does "for" mean "in order to" or "because of"?
         a. Note: We find the same grammatical construction in Mt 26:28
            1) Where Jesus said His blood would be shed for many "for
               the remission sins"
            2) Clearly Jesus meant "in order to" provide remission of
               sins, and not "because" remission of sins had already
               occurred
            3) With rare exception, the Greek word (eis) means "into,
               to, unto, for, toward"
         b. Note also: "be baptized" is joined by the conjunction "and"
            to the command "repent" - Ac 2:38
            1) Both are commanded "for the remission of sins"
            2) Just as people were commanded to repent "for" (in order
               to) the remission of sins...
            3) ...so they were commanded to be baptized "for" (in order
               to) the remission of sins

   B. AT THE HOUSE OF CORNELIUS...
      1. In the first gospel sermon to the Gentiles, Peter followed up
         by commanding his audience to be baptized - cf. Ac 10:44-48
      2. It is evident that what Peter commanded involved a baptism in
         water - Ac 10:47-48
      3. A future study will examine whether the people were saved when
         the Spirit fell upon them, or when they were baptized as 
         commanded by Peter

[At the very least, we can say that Peter's preaching was in harmony
with the statements of Jesus in the Great Commission:  Preach the 
gospel, command people to be baptized.  

So far the indication appears that it was a baptism in water, and done
for the remission of sins.  Let's consider now one who was not actually
an apostle, but certainly filled with the Spirit...]

II. BAPTISM IN THE PREACHING OF PHILIP

   A. TO THE SAMARITANS...
      1. Though not an apostle, Philip went to Samaria and "preached
         Christ" - Ac 8:5
      2. The response to such preaching:  "...when they believed Philip
         as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and
         the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized."
         - Ac 8:12

   B. TO THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH...
      1. To this very religious man, Philip "preached Jesus" - Ac 8:35
      2. Though we are not told the content of Philip's sermon, from 
         the eunuch's question we can deduce that it included baptism 
         - Ac 8:36-38

[Like Peter, Philip "preached Jesus" not only by telling people about
Jesus, but also what Jesus commanded.  Baptism was an immediate result
of such preaching.  Is this surprising in light of Jesus' statements in
Mt 28:19 and Mk 16:15-16?  Let's now consider...]

III. BAPTISM IN THE PREACHING OF PAUL

   A. IN THE CONVERSION OF LYDIA...
      1. We note that again baptism followed apostolic preaching 
         - Ac 16:13-15
      2. As evidence that she "gave heed" to the things spoken by Paul,
         she and her household were baptized!
      3. Notice also her comment in Ac 16:15
         a. How could Paul have judged her to be faithful to the Lord?
         b. By her response to the command of the Lord concerning 
            baptism!

   B. IN THE CONVERSION OF THE PHILIPPIAN JAILOR...
      1. Paul tells the jailor that he must believe on the Lord to be
         saved - Ac 16:30-31
      2. Paul went on to speak concerning the Word of the Lord to him
         and his family - Ac 16:32
      3. In response, they were immediately baptized! - Ac 16:33-34
         1) Evidently the word of the Lord stressed the need to be 
            baptized quickly
         2) In fact, in EVERY detailed example of conversion found in
            the Book of Acts, people were baptized after only one 
            lesson! (see chart below)

   C. IN THE CONVERSION OF PAUL HIMSELF...
      1. Paul recounts his own conversion to the Lord - Ac 22:10-16
         a. He describes how he was told to go to Damascus, for there
            he would be told "all things appointed for you to do"
            ("what you must do" - cf. Ac 9:6)
         b. One of the things he was told was to be baptized without
            delay - Ac 22:16
      2. He was told to baptized in order to "wash away your sins"
         a. NOTE WELL: Despite seeing the Lord on the road to Damascus,
            having spent three days fasting and praying (Ac 9:9-11), he
            was STILL IN HIS SINS!
            1) Seeing the Lord had not saved him
            2) Accepting Jesus as Lord (cf. Ac 22:10) had not saved him
            3) Praying and fasting for three days had not saved him
         b. Not until he was baptized were his sins "washed away"! 
            (exactly how we will examine later)

CONCLUSION

1. That baptism played a prominent role in apostolic preaching becomes
   evident when we compare what is revealed in the examples of 
   conversion...
   Mt 28:18-20          EXAMPLES OF CONVERSION          Mk 16:15-16

                       BELIEVED    REPENTED    CONFESSED   BAPTIZED

   PENTECOST                       Repented                Baptized
   Ac 2:14-41                       37-38                    38-41

   SAMARIA             Believed                            Baptized
   Ac 8:5-13              12                                 12,13

   ETHIOPIAN           Believed                Confessed   Baptized
   Ac 8:35-39            36-37                    37          38

   SAUL                                                    Baptized
   Ac 9,22,26                                                22:16

   CORNELIUS           Believed                            Baptized
   Ac 10:34-38            43                                  48

   LYDIA               Heeded                              Baptized
   Ac 16:13-15           14                                   15

   JAILOR              Believed                            Baptized
   Ac 16:30-34            31                                  33

2. In every case of conversion described in detail in the book of Acts,
   baptism is mentioned...
   a. Clearly it is was an important theme of apostolic preaching
   b. G. R. Beasley-Murray, a Baptist scholar, has observed:

      "Baptism is...a part of the proclamation of Christ. In an
      Apostolic sermon it comes as its logical conclusion."

        - G.R. Beasley-Murray, Baptism In The New Testament, Grand
          Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1962, p. 393)

3. And what should be proclaimed regarding baptism?  In this lesson we
   have seen...
   a. That it was commanded "for the remission of sins" - Ac 2:38
   b. That it was done to "wash away sins" - Ac 22:16
   c. That it involved "water" - Ac 8:36-38; 10:48
   d. That it was done "immediately", with no delay even if after 
      midnight - Ac 16:25-33

4. This would certainly suggest that baptism is necessary for 
   salvation...
   a. But is this a fair conclusion drawn from the "preaching" of the
      apostles?
   b. Is this conclusion consistent with the "teaching" of the 
      apostles, as found in their epistles?

Our next lesson will examine what the apostles taught in their epistles
regarding baptism, as we continue to seek Bible answers to such
questions...


eXTReMe Tracker 

"Abstain From All Appearance of Evil" by Dave Miller, Ph.D.


http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=437

"Abstain From All Appearance of Evil"

by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

God chose to employ human language—words—to communicate His will to people. Even though this medium of conveyance is quite adequate to achieve such an objective, misunderstanding sometimes can occur. One example of confusion is seen in Paul’s admonition to the Thessalonian Christians: “Abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:22). This verse frequently is used to assert that Christians should avoid engaging in actions that appear to be improper or sinful—even though those actions may not actually be sinful. However, the 1611 translators of the King James Version were attempting to convey the idea that one should abstain from evil in whatever form it may appear. Newer translations help to clarify the underlying Greek text by translating the verse, “Abstain from every form of evil” (NKJV). The verse is banning the practice of sin/evil in whatever form it occurs—whether lying, stealing, murdering, etc.
Contextually, verses 19-22 of chapter five form a pericope that warned first-century Christians to refrain from stifling the expression of miraculous gifts—charismata (vss. 19-20). Christians were admonished to test the gifts of the Spirit for their authenticity so that they would hold to what was correct (vs. 21). As such, these verses are parallel to Ephesians 3:1-5, 4:30, Isaiah 63:10-12, and Psalm 78:40. These passages demonstrate that when individuals opposed or withstood God’s miraculously endowed representatives—by rejecting the word that those emissaries presented—they grieved or quenched the Holy Spirit in the sense that they rejected His instructions, refusing to accept the teaching that would enable them to gain God’s approval. The word “quench” (sbennumi) is used in the New Testament to refer to the act of extinguishing a literal fire. However, in 1 Thessalonians 5:19 it is used metaphorically, and spotlights the idea of suppression. One does not literally suppress or quench the Spirit. Rather, one suppresses the influence of the Spirit on one’s own life by resisting the Spirit’s teaching via Scripture. Specifically, in context, when Paul said to abstain from the appearance of evil, he was referring to abstaining from inauthentic admonitions from those who claimed to possess miraculous gifts.

From Jim McGuiggan... How does the Spirit indwell?


How does the Spirit indwell?

A reader wonders in what way the Spirit indwells Christians. The scriptures explicitly say that the Spirit of God indwells Christians. Paul says we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6) and he insists that if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in us we can be sure we will be resurrected (Romans 8). Ephesians 2 tells us that God indwells us via the Spirit. That should settle the truth of the Spirit’s indwelling but it leaves other questions to be worked out.
In saying the Spirit is "in" us I don’t think we’re supposed to think he takes up (as it were) "bodily residence" in us. People live "in" houses. In saying this we mean that they take up room within the confines of the walls, as opposed to being outside. Is this how we’re supposed to think of the Spirit’s indwelling? Is the Spirit inside our bodies in the same way our heart and liver and brain are? That is, is he spatially located there? I don’t think so. I think the idea of his indwelling us is a relational notion rather than a spatial one. Christians are said to dwell in God and in Christ but I’m fairly sure that such texts aren’t talking about a spatial indwelling.
So what do phrases like "the Spirit dwells in you" mean? It’s clear that such phrases offer a network of truths and that no one proposal covers it all. His dwelling in the Tabernacle and the temple was no spatial reality—it was God making his fellowship and communion with Israel known. However we explain God’s presence in those sanctuaries we’d do well to remember that even the temple-builder Solomon acknowledged that God didn’t dwell in such buildings (1 Kings 8). Heaven couldn’t hold him, he confessed, so how could a puny little building. No, the Tabernacle and temple were houses God was prepared to "live in" to confirm his identification with Israel but not "bodily" or personally in a spatial sense in the way, someone like priests or Anna, for example, would do—see Luke 2:36,37). God would live among them, assuring them of his commitment, claiming the centre of their life and worship and being their guide to Canaan and their sustainer in Canaan. These and other truths would be the sort of thing that God’s "indwelling" would mean. If Israel gladly acknowledged that indwelling, it would shape them and draw them close to God and one another; thus there would be much wonderful "fruit" borne from it.
I would suppose the same is true of the NT temple (the church). I don’t think any member of the blessed Godhead takes up spatial residence in the bodies of Christians. I think we’re supposed to believe that God has entered into a peculiar relationship with Christians and that some of the proofs that that is true are the existence of our faith in Christ, the hunger for holiness, the glad hope for the future, the strength and comfort under present trouble, the assurance of sins forgiven and many other such realities.
Christ’s prays in John 17:21, "That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." 1 John 2:5 says that if we’re obedient to God we can be sure we are "in him". He goes on to say that anyone that says he or she lives "in him" must walk as Christ walked. 1 John 2:24 says that if the truth his readers have embraced remains in them that they will remain "in the Son and in the Father." There’s nothing spatial about any of these uses of "in". Often we hear that those who became saved were "baptized into Christ" (or his death, compare Romans 6:3-6, Galatians 3:27 and elsewhere). This isn’t the transfer of a body or a person into a new spatial location. It has all to do with a new relationship, a new devotion and commitment, a new centre of consciousness and trust. It isn’t as amazing that we would be glad to be part of that, it’s amazing that God would want to be part of such a transaction.
We often say to someone very dear to us (things like), "I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to have you in my life. You will be forever in my heart." None of this is spatial—it’s all profoundly relational. I judge that we should think in this direction when we think of the truth that the Spirit is "in" us and that the Father and the Son dwell "in" us through the Spirit (see John 14:23 and Ephesians 2:22).
So in what way does the Spirit dwell in us? I don’t think we should be thinking in literal terms of embodiment but in relational terms of dynamic and mutual reception, welcome, life-imparting and (in our case) of glad obedience. We "live in the Spirit" and we "walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25). The reality expressed in terms of the Spirit’s "indwelling" is—as you would well know—so rich and multi-faceted that we simply keep uncovering more and more about it.
I’d like to return to the topic at another time and say something about the Spirit indwelling the individual and the church, the body of Christ. Click here.
©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.
Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com.

February 9, 2015

From Gary... Medicine for the soul



I have been sick with a bad head-cold (think its starting to go to my chest now) and have not felt up to doing a post. But, today, I saw this picture on face-book and was reminded how precious life really is. And not feeling well is just part of the package. With that in mind, I covenanted with myself to have a positive attitude in spite of how I feel. Gary- remember the following...

Romans, Chapter 8
 28  We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose.

And if this cute little picture helps you through YOUR DAY, I will be just a bit happier.  May God Bless you and yours.

Gary

From Gary.... Bible Reading February 9




Bible Reading  

February 9

The World English Bible

Feb. 9
Genesis 40

Gen 40:1 It happened after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord, the king of Egypt.
Gen 40:2 Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
Gen 40:3 He put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.
Gen 40:4 The captain of the guard assigned them to Joseph, and he took care of them. They stayed in prison many days.
Gen 40:5 They both dreamed a dream, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.
Gen 40:6 Joseph came in to them in the morning, and saw them, and saw that they were sad.
Gen 40:7 He asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in custody in his master's house, saying, "Why do you look so sad today?"
Gen 40:8 They said to him, "We have dreamed a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it." Joseph said to them, "Don't interpretations belong to God? Please tell it to me."
Gen 40:9 The chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, "In my dream, behold, a vine was in front of me,
Gen 40:10 and in the vine were three branches. It was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes.
Gen 40:11 Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand."
Gen 40:12 Joseph said to him, "This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days.
Gen 40:13 Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head, and restore you to your office. You will give Pharaoh's cup into his hand, the way you did when you were his cupbearer.
Gen 40:14 But remember me when it will be well with you, and show kindness, please, to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.
Gen 40:15 For indeed, I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon."
Gen 40:16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, "I also was in my dream, and behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head.
Gen 40:17 In the uppermost basket there was all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head."
Gen 40:18 Joseph answered, "This is its interpretation. The three baskets are three days.
Gen 40:19 Within three more days, Pharaoh will lift up your head from off you, and will hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from off you."
Gen 40:20 It happened the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants, and he lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants.
Gen 40:21 He restored the chief cupbearer to his position again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand;
Gen 40:22 but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.

Gen 40:23 Yet the chief cupbearer didn't remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Feb. 8, 9
Matthew 20

Mat 20:1 "For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
Mat 20:2 When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Mat 20:3 He went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.
Mat 20:4 To them he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went their way.
Mat 20:5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.
Mat 20:6 About the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle. He said to them, 'Why do you stand here all day idle?'
Mat 20:7 "They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' "He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.'
Mat 20:8 When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.'
Mat 20:9 "When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius.
Mat 20:10 When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius.
Mat 20:11 When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household,
Mat 20:12 saying, 'These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!'
Mat 20:13 "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn't you agree with me for a denarius?
Mat 20:14 Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you.
Mat 20:15 Isn't it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?'
Mat 20:16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen."
Mat 20:17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them,
Mat 20:18 "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death,
Mat 20:19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock, to scourge, and to crucify; and the third day he will be raised up."
Mat 20:20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him.
Mat 20:21 He said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand, and one on your left hand, in your Kingdom."
Mat 20:22 But Jesus answered, "You don't know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to him, "We are able."
Mat 20:23 He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
Mat 20:24 When the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two brothers.
Mat 20:25 But Jesus summoned them, and said, "You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
Mat 20:26 It shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
Mat 20:27 Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant,
Mat 20:28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
Mat 20:29 As they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
Mat 20:30 Behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!"
Mat 20:31 The multitude rebuked them, telling them that they should be quiet, but they cried out even more, "Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!"
Mat 20:32 Jesus stood still, and called them, and asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"
Mat 20:33 They told him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."
Mat 20:34 Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received their sight, and they followed him. 

From Mark Copeland... The Signs That Followed (Mark 16:17-20)



                          "THE GOSPEL OF MARK"

                   The Signs That Followed (16:17-20)

INTRODUCTION

1. As the gospel of Mark closes, it does so with an amazing promise by Jesus...
   a. "And these signs will follow those who believe.." - Mk 16:17
   b. That are then summarized as to their nature and fulfillment -       Mk 16:18-20

2. This passage has often been used to justify various religious
   practices...
   a. By many who believe such signs exist today
   b. By some who practice snake-handling in their services

[In determining whether "The Signs That Followed" still exist today, a
good place to begin is to carefully notice what the Bible reveals about
such things.  So let’s first consider...]

I. THE PROMISE OF SIGNS

   A. GIVEN TO THE APOSTLES...
      1. Power to cast out demons - Mk 16:17
      2. Speak with new tongues - ibid.
      3. Take up serpents - Mk 16:18
      4. Drink anything deadly without harm - ibid.
      5. Lay hands and heal the sick - ibid.

   B. EXPERIENCED BY HIS DISCIPLES...
      1. Power to expel demons - Ac 5:16; 8:7; 16:18; 19:12
         a. Peter, Philip, and Paul cast out demons or unclean spirits
         b. With complete success, with no record of failures by these
            men of God
      2. Speak with new tongues - Ac 2:4-11; 10:46; 19:6; 1Co 12:10,28, 30; 14:5-26
         a. The apostles and some disciples spoke in tongues
         b. These were clearly foreign languages, designed to convince
            unbelievers - 1Co 14:22
      3. Take up serpents - Ac 28:3-6
         a. The only example we have is that of Paul
         b. In which it was done inadvertently, not as a religious
            exercise
      4. Drink anything deadly without harm - no record
         a. We have no record in the New Testament of this being done
         b. Neither inadvertently nor as a religious exercise
      5. Lay hands and heal the sick - Ac 3:6-8; 5:15-16; 9:17-18,34,
         40-42; 19:12; 28:8-9
         a. The apostles and some disciples healed the sick
         b. Again with complete success, with no record of failures

[Clearly the rest of the New Testament record confirms Mark’s account
(cf. Mk 16:20).  To help determine whether such signs continue today,
let’s take a close look at...]

II. THE PURPOSE OF SIGNS

   A. REVEALED IN MARK’S GOSPEL...
      1. The purpose was to confirm the word being preached - Mk 16:20
      2. Demonstrating that the Lord was working with them - ibid.

   B. STATED ELSEWHERE IN THE BIBLE...
      1. The Lord Himself was bearing witness through such signs - Ac 14:3
      2. God was bearing witness through such signs, wonders, miracles,
         gifts of the Spirit - He 2:4

   C. OBSERVATIONS...
      1. Regarding the purpose of the signs
         a. "These gifts were part of the credentials of the apostles as
            the authoritative agents of God in founding the Church..."
            - B. B. Warfield
         b. "These extra gifts were given in order to the founding and
            establishing of the church in the world." - Jonathan Edwards
         c. In other words, to confirm that the apostles were indeed
            from God and that their message was truly the Word of God
      2. Regarding the duration of the signs
         a. Paul wrote that a time would come when such signs would
            cease - cf. 1Co 13:8-10
         b. "...since the canon of Scripture has been completed, and the
            church fully founded and established, these extraordinary
            gifts have ceased." - Jonathan Edwards
         c. "That with the passing away of the apostolic age these gifts
            ceased is also the testimony of Chrysostom and Augustine...
            Matthew Henry, George Whitefield, Charles Spurgeon, Robert
            L. Dabney, Abraham Kuyper, Sr., and W. G. T. Shedd."
            - William Hendriksen
         d. If such signs or spiritual gifts exist today, then we should
            expect...
            1) New revelation from God for the benefit of all
            2) Which should be added to the Bible!
         e. Who would be so bold as to say that their doctrine is from
            God?
            1) Those who have, are eventually exposed as false prophets
            2) When their prophecies are proven false, or their doctrine
               contrary to what has been revealed - cf. Deut 18:21-22;13:1-4

CONCLUSION

1. "The Signs That Followed" were important, the means by which the
   Lord...
   a. Bore witness to His Word and to His apostles - Mk 16:19-20; He 2:3-4
   b. Provided a full and final revelation of His Will - 2Pe 1:3; Jude 3; 2Ti 3:16-17

2. Yet such signs were simply a means to an end...
   a. To produce the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit - Ep 6:17
   b. Which in turn produces the "fruit" of the Spirit - Ga 5:22-23; Ro 8:5-6

3. More important than signs (including tongues, prophecy, knowledge, or
   any other spiritual gift)...
   a. Are the qualities of love, joy, peace, hope, etc., in the life of
      the Christian - Ga 5:22-23
   b. I.e., the "fruit" of the Spirit in our life is more important than
      the "gifts" of the Spirit!

With the aid of the Word of God, including the wonderful Gospel of Mark,
we can be sure that we will faithfully follow the Lord who died for us
and will one day return...

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

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"Be Not Unequally Yoked" by Dave Miller, Ph.D.


http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=431

"Be Not Unequally Yoked"

by Dave Miller, Ph.D.

Paul admonished the Corinthian Christians, “Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14). This statement often has been applied to the question of marriage, with the subsequent conclusion that Christians are commanded not to marry non-Christians. However, this interpretation creates several problems.
First, marriage is not under discussion in the context. Great care must be taken to avoid misapplying the principles taught in a given passage. The application of a passage must be accurate. For example, to apply the injunction “taste not” (Colossians 2:21) to eating chocolate would be a misapplication on two counts. First, it assumes that chocolate is included in the category of substances being forbidden in the context. Second, it fails to perceive the fact that “taste not” was what the opponents of Paul were enjoining. They were wrong in their making of a law that God had not made. Likewise, the prohibition of not being unequally yoked would have to be demonstrated to apply to marriage.
Second, if forming a marriage between a Christian and non-Christian is being forbidden, the only way to repent of such an action would be to sever the marriage. The only way to repent of an illicit relationship is to terminate the relationship (cf. Ezra 10:11; Mark 6:18; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). Paul explicitly stated in the context to “come out from among them, and be ye separate” (2 Corinthians 6:17). But this inevitable conclusion would contradict Matthew 19:9, where Jesus stated that there is one and only one grounds for divorce, i.e., fornication—not marriage to a non-Christian.
Third, if marriage to a non-Christian is forbidden, then non-Christians sin when they marry each other. The non-Christian who marries another non-Christian is guilty of not marrying a Christian.
Fourth, if the Christian sins when he marries a non-Christian, what about that non-Christian whom the Christian marries? That non-Christian would not be sinning since he/she is marrying a Christian. Hence, the very action that is sin for one (the Christian) is righteous and proper for the other (non-Christian)!
Fifth, such an interpretation of 2 Corinthians 6:14 implies that marriage is a “Christian” institution. Yet the marriage relationship was formed by God at Creation thousands of years before Christianity was introduced onto the planet (Genesis 2:24). God’s marriage laws apply equally to all people in all periods of Bible history. No one prior to the cross of Christ married a Christian! Yet marriages contracted prior to Christianity were valid if contracted in harmony with God’s marriage laws (i.e., in accordance with Genesis 1:27, 2:24, Matthew 19:3-12, Romans 7:1-3, and 1 Corinthians 7:1-40).
All persons who choose to be married are required by God to “marry in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 7:39). That is, one must marry in harmony with God’s laws, even as children are to obey their parents “in the Lord” (Ephesians 6:1), i.e., compliant with parental instructions that are in harmony the will of Christ. Marriage of a Christian to a non-Christian may well be fraught with peril. It may be at times inexpedient, unwise, or extremely dangerous spiritually. However, the Bible does not teach that it is sinful.

From Jim McGuiggan... HOW DO WE KNOW WE HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT?


How does the Spirit indwell?

A reader wonders in what way the Spirit indwells Christians. The scriptures explicitly say that the Spirit of God indwells Christians. Paul says we are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6) and he insists that if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in us we can be sure we will be resurrected (Romans 8). Ephesians 2 tells us that God indwells us via the Spirit. That should settle the truth of the Spirit’s indwelling but it leaves other questions to be worked out.
In saying the Spirit is "in" us I don’t think we’re supposed to think he takes up (as it were) "bodily residence" in us. People live "in" houses. In saying this we mean that they take up room within the confines of the walls, as opposed to being outside. Is this how we’re supposed to think of the Spirit’s indwelling? Is the Spirit inside our bodies in the same way our heart and liver and brain are? That is, is he spatially located there? I don’t think so. I think the idea of his indwelling us is a relational notion rather than a spatial one. Christians are said to dwell in God and in Christ but I’m fairly sure that such texts aren’t talking about a spatial indwelling.
So what do phrases like "the Spirit dwells in you" mean? It’s clear that such phrases offer a network of truths and that no one proposal covers it all. His dwelling in the Tabernacle and the temple was no spatial reality—it was God making his fellowship and communion with Israel known. However we explain God’s presence in those sanctuaries we’d do well to remember that even the temple-builder Solomon acknowledged that God didn’t dwell in such buildings (1 Kings 8). Heaven couldn’t hold him, he confessed, so how could a puny little building. No, the Tabernacle and temple were houses God was prepared to "live in" to confirm his identification with Israel but not "bodily" or personally in a spatial sense in the way, someone like priests or Anna, for example, would do—see Luke 2:36,37). God would live among them, assuring them of his commitment, claiming the centre of their life and worship and being their guide to Canaan and their sustainer in Canaan. These and other truths would be the sort of thing that God’s "indwelling" would mean. If Israel gladly acknowledged that indwelling, it would shape them and draw them close to God and one another; thus there would be much wonderful "fruit" borne from it.
I would suppose the same is true of the NT temple (the church). I don’t think any member of the blessed Godhead takes up spatial residence in the bodies of Christians. I think we’re supposed to believe that God has entered into a peculiar relationship with Christians and that some of the proofs that that is true are the existence of our faith in Christ, the hunger for holiness, the glad hope for the future, the strength and comfort under present trouble, the assurance of sins forgiven and many other such realities.
Christ’s prays in John 17:21, "That all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." 1 John 2:5 says that if we’re obedient to God we can be sure we are "in him". He goes on to say that anyone that says he or she lives "in him" must walk as Christ walked. 1 John 2:24 says that if the truth his readers have embraced remains in them that they will remain "in the Son and in the Father." There’s nothing spatial about any of these uses of "in". Often we hear that those who became saved were "baptized into Christ" (or his death, compare Romans 6:3-6, Galatians 3:27 and elsewhere). This isn’t the transfer of a body or a person into a new spatial location. It has all to do with a new relationship, a new devotion and commitment, a new centre of consciousness and trust. It isn’t as amazing that we would be glad to be part of that, it’s amazing that God would want to be part of such a transaction.
We often say to someone very dear to us (things like), "I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to have you in my life. You will be forever in my heart." None of this is spatial—it’s all profoundly relational. I judge that we should think in this direction when we think of the truth that the Spirit is "in" us and that the Father and the Son dwell "in" us through the Spirit (see John 14:23 and Ephesians 2:22).
So in what way does the Spirit dwell in us? I don’t think we should be thinking in literal terms of embodiment but in relational terms of dynamic and mutual reception, welcome, life-imparting and (in our case) of glad obedience. We "live in the Spirit" and we "walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:25). The reality expressed in terms of the Spirit’s "indwelling" is—as you would well know—so rich and multi-faceted that we simply keep uncovering more and more about it.
I’d like to return to the topic at another time and say something about the Spirit indwelling the individual and the church, the body of Christ. Click here.

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

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