Bible Study

For A Better Understanding

Garreth L. Clair

[Subject – Eternal Punishment]

Editor's note: In future studies I will utilize this heading to discuss some passage of Scripture or some concept that pertains to the Bible. Our discussion this month will deal with the question of eternal punishment. Will there be eternal punishment for the people that obey not the laws and instructions of God? Some definitions need to be established as we look at this subject:

1st The concept of eternal punishment is discussed in the scriptures [i.e., the Bible -- the 66 Books of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures]. If one does not accept the Bible as THE WORD OF GOD, establishing the validity of eternal punishment for the wicked is difficult. Because this is so many people do not accept the doctrine of eternal punishment -- they do not believe the Bible to be infallible [i.e., without error].

2nd Those that accept the Bible as the WORD OF GOD will also accept the reality of eternal punishment for the wicked. Bible believers accept the fact of eternal punishment because of the following. Definition of the word "ETERNAL" as used in the Bible follows:

"1. aion ^165^, "an age," is translated "eternal" in <Eph. 3:11>, lit., "(purpose) of the ages" (marg.), and <1 Tim. 1:17>, lit. "(king) of the ages" (marg.). See AGE.

2. aionios ^166^ "describes duration, either undefined but not endless, as in <Rom. 16:25; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 1:2>; or undefined because endless

as in <Rom. 16:26>, and the other sixty-six places in the NT.

"The predominant meaning of aionios, that in which it is used everywhere in the NT, save the places noted above, may be seen in <2 Cor. 4:18>, where it is set in contrast with proskairos, lit., `for season, and in <Philem. 15>, where only in the NT it is used without a noun. Moreover it is used of persons and things which are in their nature endless, as, e. g., of God, <Rom. 16:26>; of His power, <1 Tim. 6:16>, and of His glory, <1 Pet. 5:10>; of the Holy Spirit, <Heb. 9:14>; of the redemption effected by Christ, <Heb. 9:12>, and of the consequent salvation of men, <5:9>, as well as of His future rule, <2 Pet. 1:11>, which is elsewhere declared to be without end, <Luke 1:33>; of the life received by those who believe in Christ, <John 3:16>, concerning whom He said, `they shall never perish,' <10:28>, and of the resurrection body, <2 Cor. 5:1>, elsewhere said to be `immortal,' <1 Cor. 15:53>, in which that life will be finally realized, <Matt. 25:46; Titus 1:2>.

"Aionios is also used of the sin that `hath never forgiveness,' <Mark 3:29>, and of the judgment of God, from which there is no appeal, <Heb. 6:2>, and of the fire, which is one of its instruments, <Matt. 18:8; 25:41; Jude 7>, and which is elsewhere said to be `unquenchable,' <Mark 9:43>.

"The use of aionios here shows that the punishment referred to in <2 Thess. 1:9>, is no temporary, but final, and, accordingly, the phraseology shows that its purpose is not remedial but retributive."

From Notes on Thessalonians, by Hogg and Vine, pp 232, 233.

WORKS OF THE FLESH

Galatians 5:19-21 - 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Defining the works of the flesh:

1. Adultery, Sexual impurity -- disregarding the marriage vow.

2. Fornication, General sexual impurities including adultery, beastly, and homosexuality.

3. Uncleanness, Greek -- "akatharsia", moral uncleanness (Vine's expository Dictionary).

4. Lewdness, Absence of restraint, indecency.

5. Idolatry, Worship of idols.

6. Sorcery, Practice of magic through diabolical means.

7. Hatred, Enmities -- the opposite of "agape" -- love.

8. Contentions, To cut apart, divide in two -- strife.

9. Jealousies, Greek -- "zelos", envyings.

10. Outbursts of wrath, Hot anger, passion.

11. Selfish ambitions, Contention -- the expression of enmity.

12. Dissension, A standing apart, Greek -- "dicha" -- asunder, "stasis" -- a standing.

13. Heresies, "hairesis", denotes (a) "a choosing, choice" (from haireomai, "to choose"); then, "that which is chosen," and hence, "an opinion," especially a self-willed opinion, which is substituted for submission to the power of truth, and leads to division and the formation of sects, <Gal. 5:20> (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words -- Copyright (C) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

14. Envy, A. Noun. -- phthonos, "envy," is the feeling of displeasure produced by witnessing or hearing of the advantage or prosperity of others; this evil sense always attaches to this word, <Matt. 27:18; Mark 15:10; Rom. 1:29; Gal. 5:21; Phil. 1:15; 1 Tim. 6:4; Titus 3:3; 1 Pet. 2:1>; so in <Jas. 4:5>, where the question is rhetorical and strongly remonstrative, signifying that the Spirit (or spirit) which God made to dwell in us was certainly not so bestowed that we should be guilty of "envy." (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words -- Copyright (C) 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

15. Murders, In the plural,

16. Revelries, Involvement in drinking parties, rioting, under the influence.

17. And the like, Anything that is similar to the above.

FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT

Galatians 5:22-23 - 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 meekness, self-control; against such there is no law.

THE CHRISTIANS WILL DISPLAY THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT

Galatians 5:24-25 - 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (NKJ)

Prepared by Garreth L. Clair for HILLIARD BULLETIN, February 1999

WHO LEADS THE WAY?

Whenever we desire to go somewhere (i.e. vacation, specific location, etc.); we look for someone to lead who has some experience, who is qualified, and someone that we can respect and follow to our desired destination. The leader thus takes charge and leads us toward our destination. As we begin our journey preparations are made and encouraged by our leader (i.e. director, etc.). As we begin our journey we are encouraged and assisted by our director on day to day activities and places of rest and the best restaurants for nourishment, etc. While the ultimate destination is perhaps far away we are encouraged to hold on for once we have arrived at the destination; everything will be wonderful there.

I remember back in the late 1980s our (i.e. Barbara, LeAnn, and I) vacation to Australia and New Zealand with perhaps two dozen other travelers. The trip was well planned and the journey was long, yet we were all together in one group and had a good and experienced guide (i.e. Weldon Warnock). Everything was arranged for the journey including stops in Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, and the Fuji Islands on the way back home.

The purpose in using the first two paragraphs of this article with introductory material is designed to illustrate how the Godhead planned for man to be restored to paradise after the Garden of Eden errors of Adam and Eve. You see; God created man and knows man better than man knows himself. God has stated His purpose in giving us the Holy Scriptures (i.e. the Bible). God has stated through Jeremiah the prophet that man cannot guide himself or lead himself without help; Jeremiah 10:23, O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. (KJV) Therefore, God has given us a Leader (Matt. 11:28-30), a Helper (Heb. 4:15-16), the Head of the church of Christ (i.e. the Body of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18-19)– The Kingdom of God (1 Tim. 6:14-15, 14 That thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: 15 Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings , and Lord of lords; (KJV) to lead and direct our course through this life and ultimately lead and protect us on our journey through this life and aid us in battle with the Devil and his evil ways (1 Peter 5:8-10, 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil , as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you. (KJV)

In our journey through life, let us become true Christians (i.e. through faith and obedience to Jesus instructions, cf. Hebrews 5:8-9). After having become Christians, let us faithfully follow Jesus Christ as our leader (i.e. source of authority for our lives). If we will allow Christ to lead us via the Written Word He will always lead us in the right direction, He will aid us in our battles with Satan and his agents, He will love us as we continue to serve faithfully in His church. The final victory will be accomplished whenever our life ends here on earth. For after this cometh the judgment when all that has ever lived will be judged and assigned to eternal life or eternal condemnation. Let us therefore follow our leader (i.e. Jesus Christ) throughout our life and our journey to Heaven will be assured (Rev. 2:10; 2 Tim. 4:6-8).

glclair@aol.com --- April 14, 2009

THE ROAD TO RUIN

The lessons of life are often effective only to those that have experienced them. I do not mean to imply that one must do everything that they want or desire in life as the progress from childhood to old age. I do mean that some people seem to never learn from personal experiences or from observing the difficulties of family members and/or friends. Many people have to experience personal tragedies in order to cease a serious flaw in their actions or lifestyle. The person that commits fornication or adultery may realize that they are violating the law of God (Matt. 19:9; 1 Cor. 6:18; Eph. 5:3; etc.) but in far too many cases that does not stop them from their sinning ways. The person that possess a greedy spirit may know that it is wrong to defraud others and that stealing (cf. Rom. 2:21; Eph. 4:28) – NIV) is sinful (cf. Eph. 5:3 – NIV) but that does not deter many who are bent upon acquiring wealth by any means whether honest or not. Many people do not take their relationship to God seriously, they allow other things; worldly in nature to occupy too much of their time.

Those that desire to go to heaven someday will not allow themselves to become involved in sinful practices but will consistently place themselves in situations that encourage faithfulness to God’s will. The Christian will always be conscious of their need to learn continually more and more about God’s will for their lives (cf. 2 Peter 3:18 - But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen. (KJV)

The Christian is instructed by the Written Word (i.e. the Bible) to abstain from all evil, please note the following references.

1. Acts 15:29 - that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. (NASU)

2. 1 Thess. 4:3-6 - 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 and that no man transgress and defraud his brother in the matter because the Lord is the avenger in all these things, just as we also told you before and solemnly warned you. (NASU)

3. 1 Thess. 5:21-22 - 21 But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good; 22 abstain from every form of evil. (NASU)

2 Tim. 2:19 - 19 Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, " The Lord knows those who are His," and, " Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness." (NASU)

1 Peter 2:11-12 - 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them; glorify God in the day of visitation. (NASU) – Falwell - glclair@aol.com - April 22, 2009

COUNTING THE COST (2)

Do you count the cost before you invest your time, money, and effort into long term commitment? Perhaps one of the great failings of man is the failure to learn the lesson that Jesus taught during his earthly sojourn. Do you remember the passage in Luke where Jesus uses the concept of counting the cost before a person undertakes a project; cf. Luke 14:28-32 - 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doth not first sit down and count the cost, whether he have (wherewith) to complete it? 29 Lest haply, when he hath laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all that behold begin to mock him, 30 saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 31 Or what king, as he goeth to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and asketh conditions of peace. (ASV)

There is a great lesson in the passage referred to (previous paragraph – Luke 14:28-32) that many people overlook in the process of life. The greatest and perhaps most important event that is overlooked as a person lives their life is – “How do I know that I will be successful in life? How will I know whether I have selected the right person for my mate? How can I be assured that I am rearing my children correctly? How will I know whether my life will really count for anything worthwhile?” Indeed, I suspect many people ask themselves these questions as they leave childhood and began to understand the realities of living in the world. Yet, these questions and considerations of living life may be answered simply by listening to Jesus Christ in the passage cited – cf. Luke 14:28-32.

Whenever we leave childhood we ought to “count the cost” of building a life with or without God in our lives. We will be wise to consider all of the facts that a healthy, prosperous, peaceful, and reverent life will benefit us if we commit our lives to serve the “one true God”. Some of the promises offered by God for faithful Christian living is found in the Bible; please note the following:

1. Without God’s Instruction we cannot direct our own steps – Jer. 10:23 - 23 O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. (KJV)

2. Christ will help us and share our problems and our joys – Matt. 11:28-30 - 28 Come unto me , all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (KJV)

3. Jesus will mediate our prayer requests(i.e. act as our advocate to the Father) - 1 Tim. 2:5-6 - 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; 6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. (KJV)

4. Finally after a lifetime of faithful service (Rev. 2:10) Christ will welcome us into that eternal Heaven prepared for the Righteous – Heb. 9:27-28 - 27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

1 Peter 1:4-9 - 4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (KJV)

WILL YOU CHOOSE TO LIVE YOUR LIFE FOR GOD? IF YOU WILL YOU WILL BE ASSURED OF A BEARABLE AND ENJOYABLE LIFE HERE AND AN ETERNAL HOME WITH GOD IN THE FUTURE; SOMEDAY.

glclair@aol.com --- April 25, 2009

THE ORDER IN THE BODY OF CHRIST

1 Cor. 3:3-9

3 for you are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?

4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?

6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

7 So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

8 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor.

9 For we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

The church is a Divine Institution with a set order for everyone who is a part of it.

In the New Testament we have the Divine arrangement set forth so that we do not have to fuss over our particular place in it.

In the text; 1 Cor.3 we have some material that tells us that the church (i.e. its members) all have their place. In this text Paul is disappointed in the membership of the Corinthian congregation because they apparently misunderstood the role of the teachers, the hearers, and the relationship of each to God and to each other (verses 3-4). The failure to understand the role of teachers and their mission by the congregation had caused division in the congregation. The division might be referred to as cliques; each clique claiming allegiance to a specific teacher. Paul says of this division that it displays carnality (i.e. “fleshly things” – not understanding properly spiritual things – From – A Critical Lexicon and Concordance by E.W. Bullinger – pages 134-135 – def. #2) on the part of those involved in these cliques. Indeed, cliques in the congregation are a detriment to progress and soundness; this is true because the various cliques spend their time competing with each other for prominence when they ought to be promoting Jesus Christ and His Church. There are times when it seems that within our brotherhood the most important thing to some is to make sure that there is some kind of issue that brethren can fuss over when they all should be fussing about the lack of progress in the local church. Was it not Jesus who told us to “seek the kingdom of God first” in our list of things for disciples to do (cf. Matt 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (KJV)

In verse 5 – Paul tells those that were following a particular man that all men are just men, that each Christian regardless of his position, age, personality, etc. were all servants of God. Paul encourages them to disband these cliques and all together serve the Lord Jesus Christ as a single unit (i.e. to the congregation in Corinth he is encouraging unity under one Head – i.e. Jesus Christ) cf. Col. 1:18-19 18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell; (KJV)

In verse 6-8 Paul instructs those that he has referred to as carnal minded to understand the role of teachers. Teachers states Paul are to sow the good seed (i.e. “the Word of God” – Luke 8:5-11). Paul clearly understood that those that know the truth will be free from sin and schism (John 8:32; John 17:17). Paul is careful to show the roll of the teacher (i.e. preacher. Elders, or otherwise) as all equals in a project for Christ to teach everyone the truth of the gospel (cf. Matt. 28:18-20; 2 Tim. 2:2). Paul continues in verse 8 saying that the key figure in the conversion of the sinner is not man but that the increase will be the result of Christ efforts (i.e. He will give the increase).

In verse 9 Paul concludes this context with a call to unity of purpose and understanding; 9 for we are laborers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.

glclair@aol.com --- April 20, 2009

The Eight Rules of Bible Interpretation

THE FIRST TRUTH:

“The Bible; from Genesis to Revelation will never contradict itself. This is the first and most important mind-set for the person who desires to correctly interpret Holy Scripture from the Hebrew or the Greek Languages” [glc]

"And so we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation." [2 Peter 1:19-20 NAS]

We can't have a "sure word" about the meaning of Scripture (or anything else) unless we have a sure method to interpret the words. The following eight rules are the center of all grammatical interpretation. They have been accepted and used by scholars from Socrates to the present. While my hope is that they will be used to "rightly divide the word of truth" of the Holy Bible, they are equally applicable to legal, historical, and other such language.

Since the Bible teaches that God is not the author of confusion [1 Cor. 14:33], how can the many disagreements today between Christians and the proliferation of the cults be explained since all, or nearly all, claim to use the Bible as the basis of their doctrines? Nearly all false doctrines taught today by Christians and cultists alike can be traced to the distortion of the meaning of Biblical words. These eight rules are prayerfully offered in the hope that they may help many come to the truth of what God says in His Word. The Rev. Guy Duty said in his book Divorce & Remarriage:

"When two interpretations are claimed for a Scripture, the construction most in agreement with all the facts of the case should be adopted. When all the facts of an interpretation are in agreement they sound together in harmony, like notes in a chord.

Biblical interpretation is more than knowing a set of rules, but it cannot be done without the rules. So, learn the rules, and rightly apply them...." (Divorce & Remarriage, Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1967)

Here are the eight rules:

1) The rule of DEFINITION: What does the word mean? Any study of Scripture must begin with a study of words. Define your terms and then keep to the terms defined. The interpreter should conscientiously abide by the plain meaning of the words. This quite often may require using a Hebrew/English or Greek/English lexicon in order to make sure that the sense of the English translation is understood. A couple of good examples of this are the Greek words "allos" and "heteros". Both are usually translated as "another" in English - yet "allos" literally means "another of the same type" and "heteros" means "another of a different type."

2) The rule of USAGE: It must be remembered that the Old Testament was written originally by, to and for Jews. The words and idioms must have been intelligible to them - just as the words of Christ when talking to them must have been. The majority of the New Testament likewise was written in a milieu of Greco-Roman (and to a lesser extent Jewish) culture and it is important to not impose our modern usage into our interpretation. It is not worth much to interpret a great many phrases and histories if one's interpretations are shaded by pre-conceived notions and cultural biases, thereby rendering an inaccurate and ineffectual lesson.

3) The rule of CONTEXT: The meaning must be gathered from the context. Every word you read must be understood in the light of the words that come before and after it. Many passages will not be understood at all, or understood incorrectly, without the help afforded by the context. A good example of this is the Mormon practice of using 1 Cor. 8:5b: "...for there be gods many and lords many..." as a "proof text" of their doctrine of polytheism. However, a simple reading of the whole verse in the context of the whole chapter (e.g. where Paul calls these gods "so-called"), plainly demonstrates that Paul is not teaching polytheism.

4) The rule of HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: The interpreter must have some awareness of the life and society of the times in which the Scripture was written. The spiritual principle will be timeless but often can't be properly appreciated without some knowledge of the background. If the interpreter can have in his mind what the writer had in his mind when he wrote - without adding any excess baggage from the interpreter's own culture or society - then the true thought of the Scripture can be captured resulting in an accurate interpretation. Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "Our only interest in the past is for the light it throws upon the present."

5) The rule of LOGIC: Interpretation is merely logical reasoning. When interpreting Scripture, the use of reason is everywhere to be assumed. Does the interpretation make sense? The Bible was given to us in the form of human language and therefore appeals to human reason - it invites investigation. It is to be interpreted as we would any other volume: applying the laws of language and grammatical analysis. As Bernard Ramm said:

"What is the control we use to weed out false theological speculation? Certainly the control is logic and evidence... interpreters who have not had the sharpening experience of logic...may have improper notions of implication and evidence. Too frequently such a person uses a basis of appeal that is a notorious violation of the laws of logic and evidence." (Protestant Biblical Interpretation, Boston: W. A. Wilde, 1956)

6) The rule of PRECEDENT: We must not violate the known usage of a word and invent another for which there is no precedent. Just as a judge's chief occupation is the study of previous cases, so must the interpreter use precedents in order to determine whether they really support an alleged doctrine? Consider the Bereans in Acts 17:10-12 who were called "noble" because they searched the Scriptures to determine if what Paul taught them was true.

7) The rule of UNITY: The parts of Scripture being interpreted must be construed with reference to the significance of the whole. An interpretation must be consistent with the rest of Scripture. An excellent example of this is the doctrine of the Trinity. No single passage teaches it, but it is consistent with the teaching of the whole of Scripture (e.g. the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are referred to individually as God; yet the Scriptures elsewhere teach there is only one God).

8) The rule of INFERENCE: An inference is a fact reasonably implied from another fact. It is a logical consequence. It derives a conclusion from a given fact or premise. It is the deduction of one proposition from another proposition. Such inferential facts or propositions are sufficiently binding when their truth is established by competent and satisfactory evidence. Competent evidence means such evidence as the nature of the thing to be proved admits. Satisfactory evidence means that amount of proof which would ordinarily satisfy an unprejudiced mind beyond a reasonable doubt. Jesus used this rule when he proved the resurrection of the dead to the unbelieving Sadducees in Matt. 22:23-33.

Learning these eight rules and properly applying them will help keep any interpreter from making errors and will hopefully alleviate many of the disagreements unfortunately present in Christianity today. However, these eight principles are no substitute for the Holy Spirit which will, if you let Him, guide you in the truth [John 14:26]. If you receive Christ into your heart, God will give you the Holy Spirit freely as a gift [Acts 2:38]. I urge you, if you have not already done so, to examine the claims and the work of Jesus Christ and to receive Him as your Savior.

This study will close with some words from King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, excepting our Lord Jesus Christ:

"A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: to understand a proverb, and the interpretation."

[Prov. 1:5-6]

File provided by: The Light BBS - Silver Springs, FL.

Note: I believe this information was first published by the Personal Freedom Outreach.

The Constant Pressure that the Christian Hope

Exerts on the Individual

(i. e. the nature of the human conscious)

Man is a free-moral-agent; he possesses the innate ability to choose whether he will serve God or whether he will not serve God (Josh. 24:15). No person can really be made to make a wrong or right choice in their relationship with God. A person may be tortured, a person may be abused to such a point that they will commit a sinful act; but at the same time weep over the action because the conscious is condemning them (1 John 3:19-21, 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20 for if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemns us not, then have we confidence toward God (KJV). A person cannot willingly commit sin when they understand that it is sin; their conscious will be violated and they will feel the guilt and experience the condemnation from God. (Rom. 8:1, “1 there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

(KJV) The true Christian with understanding of sin and sin’s consequence will never choose willingly to sin (i.e. to violate his conscience – knowing that sin is destruction to his hope).

As we live and move and have our being in this world we must constantly be aware of the devil’s desire to help us commit sin and violate our conscious. We must consistently seek the things of God so that the devil will have no success at causing us to go off the narrow path and loose our hope of everlasting life – cf. Rom. 6:22, But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. (KJV) Gal. 6:8-9, 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (KJV)

glclair@aol.com --- April 11, 2009

THE PASSING OF TIME

(Aging Gracefully)

The days of our lives surely do go very fast. As we reach 70 our understanding improves; we suddenly realize that the best years of our life have all gone. The realization of the declining of strength and ability to do almost anything begins to slip away after 60 and becomes much more apparent as we come to our 70the year. The writer of the Book of Proverbs gives us a look at the aging process very clearly in the following Biblical test - (cf. Eccl. 12:1-7, 1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shall say, I have no pleasure in them; 2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: 3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, 4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low; 5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goes to his long home , and the mourners go about the streets: 6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. (KJV)

I fully understand many of the statements, advice given, and soberness of conversation that older men have passed along to me while I was still young as a gospel preacher. Many times good and well known preachers with gray and white hair gave me instructions that I did not consider valuable at the time but I have now began to understand their concern and valuable advise that I sometimes ignored (Proverbs 16:31-33). Today, I am much more inclined to grasp as I remember those pieces of advice that were given me for my benefit.

I see young and zealous men bent upon preaching but not having a firm grasp of the nature, extent, and responsibilities attendant to the successful performance of that great and noble profession. The youth that passes from us so quickly is described well by Solomon in the following passage - cf. Eccl. 12:1, 1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shall say, I have no pleasure in them; (KJV)

Prov. 1:5-7, 5 A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels: 6 To understand a proverb, and the interpretation; the words of the wise, and their dark sayings. 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (KJV)

Prov. 2:1-5, 1 My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; 2 So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; 3 Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and lift up thy voice for understanding 4 If thou seeks her as silver, and searches for her as for hid treasures; 5 Then shall thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

Prov. 3:1-6, My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: 4 So shall thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (KJV)

Prov. 4:20-21, 20 My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. 21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

Prov. 6:16-19, 16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that sows discord among brethren.

Prov. 14:7-12, 7 Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge. 8 The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit. 9 Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favor. 10 The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy. 11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish. 12 There is a way which seems right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (KJV)

glclair@aol.com

April 11, 2009

REMEMBER THIS:

YOUNG MAN YOU NEED DIRECTION AND ASSISTANCE

THE GREAT DECISION

An aid in decision making regarding living for God or living for the Devil; I include both - “serving the Lord” or serving the Devil” because these are only two choices available to us. Some people may think there is another possible choice but there is not! Some people believe that they will neither serve God nor the Devil which is impossible. If a person chooses in life to serve God they have made a good choice for there are great benefits associated with the choice to become a Christian and faithfully serve the Lord (Hebrews 5:8-9). Later in this dissertation I will give a list of some of those benefits I have mentioned herein.

Some people have come to a conclusion that they will remain neutral when opportunities come from them to be a Christian and follow God’s standard of living here. Actually when the person makes such a decision they have rejected God and God’s encouragement to follow Him. This rejection of God, Christ and things holy is a “yes” answer to service in the Kingdom of Darkness” (i.e. John 8:12, Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness , but shall have the light of life. (KJV)

The decision to serve God that a person may make in life excludes all other allegiances in their life. The decision to serve God places restrictions upon the person’s life in ever detail. The restrictions are not heavy to bear for Christ says that He will aid us in living the Christian life cf. Matt. 11:28-30, 28 Come unto me , all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (KJV)

Consider the following list of actions the Christian will avoid as they live in the world:

The Christian will love God – Matt. 22:37

The Christian will never become a drunkard – Eph. 5:17-18

The Christian will not pursue fornication or adultery in life – Romans 1:29a

The Christian will not become a liar – John 8:44; Rev. 21:18

The Christian will not become a thief – Romans 13:9; Eph. 4:28

The Christian will worship God in spirit and in truth – John 4:24

The Christian will love their neighbor – Matt. 22:39

The Christian will deal honorably and fairly with all men – 2 Cor. 8:21; Phil. 4:8

The Christian will live a lifestyle that influences everyone for good – Matt. 5:13-16

The Christian will Love their brethren – 1 John 14-18

The Christian will study to be approved of God – 2 Tim. 2:15

The Christian will teach their children about God – Eph. 6:1-4

The Christian will never put a stumbling-block before another – Romans 14:21

The above is but a partial listing of the Christian’s lifestyle.

Why will you decline an invitation to learn about the Love of God and His plans for your salvation and future life? Make that good decision today!

glclair@aol.com

April 7, 2009

WHO IS RIGHT?

{About different answers to the same question}

There are many questions that are brought up today that require an answer; many of the questions have only one possible answer. In many cases questions arise between people in religious settings about matters pertaining to their salvation or manner of life. The concept that often arises relates to questions of whether or not my understanding of a point of Holy Scripture is correct or flawed. The question is often answered satisfactory to one person and unsatisfactory to the other. Why is this so? Simply because one of the disputants or perhaps both of them misunderstand the nature of the question under consideration. Consequently, the answer becomes a source of friction between them that may never be resolved. This is a serious problem to at least one of the disputants or perhaps both of them because agreement cannot be gained between them on a Biblical point. Now, this may be unimportant in matters of secular nature but whenever questions that have a biblical origin are disputed there is much more at stake.

Whenever we are dealing with a Biblical question there is only one answer that will fit, that answer is not dependent upon a person’s personal feelings, their current lifestyle, their level of knowledge, or any other ambiguous concept; it is dependent upon the absolute truthfulness of the source (i.e. God’s Written Word). The source of the Bible is God, God cannot make mistakes and God is always perfectly clear in his instruction. Therefore if one has found two completely different answers to the same Bible question they have accused God of imperfection, which is impossible, Consequently, whenever two or more solutions are sought to a passage in God’s Word at least one of the seekers is indicating that they do not believe that God is infallible.

Some facts we need to know about the unanswered questions that may cause us some concern follow:

1. IS MY MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE QUESTION GOD’S FAULT?

1 Cor. 14:33, For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Col 4:12, Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Rom. 12:2, and be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

2 Tim. 3:16-17, 16 all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 that the man of God may be perfect thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

James 1:25, But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

2. IS MY MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE QUESTION MY FAULT?

3. IS MY MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE QUESTION MY OPPONENTS FAULT?

4. IS MY MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE QUESTION DUE TO BOTH OF OUR BLINDNESS?

James 1:25, But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Matt 13:15, For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. (KJV)

John 8:43-47, 43 why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word. 44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

John 12:42-43, 42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: 43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

Eph 3:2-4, 2 If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you ward: 3 How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4 whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) (KJV)

2 Peter 2:12, But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

CONCLUSION:

The four possibilities to the questions that arise among two or more persons about Biblical concepts is to be found under one of the headings; indeed, either God has made a mistake (i.e. which is impossible) or one of the persons are mistaken or both are mistaken. There is a matter of fact regarding Biblical questions that must be absolute, both of those involved in a dispute over the Bible’s teaching cannot be correct.

Ultimately, man is at fault whenever there is an unsolvable question over Bible teaching on any subject. For this reason, we find that true unity between differing positions cause division and there can be no unity where men cannot find common answers to the same Bible question, where they cannot agree that one of them has a wrong understanding and must give it up or that they both need to restudy the problem between them and arrive at agreement. There cannot be two different answers to the same question.

EXAMPLE: Acts 2:38 either teaches that Baptism is for remission of sins or it does not teach it. If one insists that baptism does not remit sins, that person cannot ever be united with the believer that baptism by immersion results in a person’s forgiveness of sin – cf. 1 Peter 3:21.

“Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

glclair@aol.com

Consider Magazine is an independent work by Garreth L. Clair

Garreth has over 50 years experience as a preacher, and is currently the preacher for the church that meets at 4840 Cemetery Road, in Hilliard OH.

http://www.cemeteryroadchurchofchrist.org/

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