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KiwiChristian

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  1. Matthew 18:26 & Matthew 20:20: The NKJV removes "worshipped him" (robbing worship from Jesus) (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)Mark 13:6 & Luke 21:8: removes "Christ" (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)John 1:3: change "All things were made BY him;" to "All things were made THROUGH Him" (NIV, NRSV, RSV)John 4:24: change "God is a spirit" to the impersonal, New Age pantheistic,"God is spirit" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV) John 14:2: (NKJV 1979 edition) change "mansions" to "dwelling places" (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV) 1 Cor. 9:27: change "castaway" to "disqualified" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV) 2 Cor. 2:10: change "person of Christ" to "presence of Christ" (NASV, NRSV, RSV)2 Cor. 2:17: With all the "corruptions" in the NKJV, you'd expect 2 Cor. 2:17 to change. IT DOES! They change, "For we not as many which CORRUPT the word of God" to "For we are not, as so many, PEDDLING the word of God" (ditto NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV) 2 Cor. 5:17: change "new creature" to "new creation" (NIV, NRSV, RSV)2 Cor. 10:5: change "imaginations" to "arguments". Considering New Age "imaging" and "visualization" is now entering the church, this verse in the "old" KJV just won't do. (NIV, RSV)2 Cor. 11:6: change "rude in speech" to "untrained in speech" (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)John 14:16: change "comforter" to "helper"(refers to Holy Spirit) (NASV)Acts 4:27, 30: change "holy child" to "holy servant" (refers to Jesus) (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV) Acts 12:4: change "Easter" to "Passover" (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)Acts 17:22: changes "superstitious" to "religious" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)Acts 24:14: change "heresy" to "sect" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)Romans 1:18: change "hold the truth" to "suppress the truth" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)Romans 1:25: change "changed the truth" to "exchanged the truth" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV) Romans 5:8: change "commendeth" to "demonstrates" (NIV, NASV)Romans 16:18: change "good words and fair speeches" to "smooth words and flattering speech" (NIV, NASV, NRSV) 1 Cor. 1:21: change "foolishness of preaching" to "foolishness of the message preached" (ditto NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV) There's nothing foolish about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Unless you're not saved! 1 Cor. 1:18 says: "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish FOOLISHNESS. . ." I wonder where that leaves the translators of the NKJV, NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV?1 Cor. 1:22: change "require" to "request" (NASV)1 Cor. 6:9: removes "effeminate" (NIV, NRSV, RSV)Gal. 2:20: omit "nevertheless I live" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)Phil. 2:6: (NKJV 1979e.) change "thought it not robbery to be equal with God" to "did not consider equality with God something to be grasped". (robs Jesus Christ of deity) (NIV, NASV, RSV)
  2. 1846 Oct. 25th - Westcott: "Is there not that in the principles of the "Evangelical" school which must lead to the exaltation of the individual minister, and does not that help to prove their unsoundness? If preaching is the chief means of grace, it must emanate not from the church, but from the preacher, and besides placing him in a false position, it places him in a fearfully dangerous one." (Life, Vol.I, pp.44,45). Dec. 23rd - Westcott: "My faith is still wavering. I cannot determine how much we must believe; how much, in fact, is necessarily required of a member of the Church." (Life, Vol.I, p.46). 1848 July 6th - Hort: "One of the things, I think, which shows the falsity of the Evangelical notion of this subject (baptism), is that it is so trim and precise...no deep spiritual truths of the Reason are thus logically harmonious and systematic...the pure Romish view seems to me nearer, and more likely to lead to, the truth than the Evangelical...the fanaticism of the bibliolaters, among whom reading so many 'chapters' seems exactly to correspond to the Romish superstition of telling so many dozen beads on a rosary...still we dare not forsake the Sacraments, or God will forsake us...I am inclined to think that no such state as 'Eden' (I mean the popular notion) ever existed, and that Adam's fall in no degree differed from the fall of each of his descendants" (Life, Vol.I, pp.76-78). July 31st - Hort: "I spoke of the gloomy prospect, should the Evangelicals carry on their present victory so as to alter the Services." (Life, Vol.I, p.160). Oct. 15th - Hort: "I entirely agree - correcting one word - with what you there say on the Atonement, having for many years believed that "the absolute union of the Christian (or rather, of man) with Christ Himself" is the spiritual truth of which the popular doctrine of substitution is an immoral and material counterfeit...Certainly nothing can be more unscriptural than the modern limiting of Christ's bearing our sins and sufferings to His death; but indeed that is only one aspect of an almost universal heresy." (Life, Vol.I, p.430). Oct. 17th - Hort: "I have been persuaded for many years that Mary-worship and 'Jesus'-worship have very much in common in their causes and their results." (Life, Vol.II, p.50). 1890 Mar. 4th - Westcott: "No one now, I suppose, holds that the first three chapters of Genesis, for example, give a literal history - I could never understand how any one reading them with open eyes could think they did - yet they disclose to us a Gospel. So it is probably elsewhere."
  3. I can prove noahs ark IS real. They have FOUND it and the BIBLE tells us. You are asking a lot of questions that have false presuppositions. I am not going to address them all because i dont think you will bother to read them. I will start with just a couple of your ridiculous questions "-Dinosaurs were just forgotten?" No, there were dinosaurs on the ark. probably babies. a pink one and a blue one. "-There wouldn't have been enough room on the ark for two giraffes to eat for that long." God probably put them into hibernation. _I_ would do that and i am a lot more dumb than God. "-Why are all fossils buried according to evolution? Why isn't there a layer of fossils collaborating the flood?" LOL. A fossil can ONLY tell you that something DIED. Fossils do not occur under normal circumstances. We see polystrata fossils running through different rock layers that are supposed to be millions of years different in age. sometimes the trees are upside down. Radiometric carbon dating methods DONT work. man-made objects have been found INSIDE rocks and coal that are supposed to be millions of years old. fossilised CLAMS in the CLOSED POSITION have been found on top of MOUNTAINS. Fossils prove a catastrophic flood. "-Why isn't there one fossil collaborating the flood?" pretty much ALL of them do!
  4. KiwiChristian

    tongues

    THE OLD TESTAMENT BACKGROUND OF TONGUES By Keith Piper. Tongues were given: 1. To warn unbelieving Jews to repent because of judgment to come. 2. To confirm the New Testament Word as from God by signs. Mark 16:17-20. 3. To confirm the Apostles as God's true messengers. I. TO WARN UNBELIEVING JEWS. "In the law it is written, with men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people (Jews); and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore, tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not." 1 Cor. 14:21,22. Isaiah, in 712 BC (Isaiah 28:11), had in simple Hebrew, warned the Jews to repent from their sinful ways. They rejected his plain message in Hebrew, and so God said that He would speak to them in the tongues of foreigners, such as the Assyrians, to see if this would cause them to repent. Paul quotes this to show that the main purpose of tongues in the first century was to authenticate the new message of Christ to unbelieving Jews in order to bring them to repent of their sins. This is seen in the following instances: 1. The Jews who had come to Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost were from 16 areas of the ancient world each speaking their own language or dialect. They each heard the apostles speaking the wonderful works of God in their own dialects. This message convicted them of their sin of crucifying Christ, bringing 3,000 of them to true repentance (Acts 2). 2. The gift of tongues to Cornelius' household was to convince the Jewish Christians that God would save believing Gentiles. Here the Jews had believed on Christ, but disbelieved that God would save the Gentiles as He had only saved Jews up until then. 3. Tongues in the church at Corinth was a sign to unbelieving Jews. a) The Corinthian church was closely observed by Jews, because Paul started it in the Jewish synagogue (Acts 18:1-5). b) The unbelieving Jews put Paul out of the synagogue, so Paul's missionary team went to win Gentiles (18:6), by moving the new church to Justus' house which was joined to the synagogue next door (18:7). The unbelieving Jews watched the church closely since it met right next door. c) Soon "Crispus the chief ruler of the synagogue believed on the Lord with all his house."Acts 18:8 d) Sosthenes was chosen as the new chief ruler of the synagogue to replace Crispus. Sosthenes was soon saved, because Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:1, "Paul.....and Sosthenes our brother." Hence, the Corinthian church was started in the synagogue, it met next door to the synagogue, and it had two ex-chief rulers of the synagogue as it's members! Certainly the unsaved Jewish community at Corinth carefully watched the Corinthian church. God gave the gift of tongues, the gift intended as a sign to unbelieving Jews, to this church thereby proving that the gospel of Christ was to be received by the Jews. Tongues were never given as a sign to Gentiles. The Gentiles had no dispensational hurdle of Mosaic legalism to jump over to come to Christ. 4. Tongues as a warning to Jews can be seen from Old Testament events, summarised by: a) God has a message for the people. b) The people refuse to listen to God. c) God causes tongues to be heard as a sign of judgment to come. d) Dispersion follows. Event 1: Tower of Babel. Genesis 11. Foreign tongues first appear in Genesis 11:1 "The whole earth was of one language, and of one speech" 1. God has a message for the people: After the Flood, God said: "Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth." Genesis 9:1. 2. The people refuse to listen to God: They built a great tower, "....Lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth." Genesis 11:4. 3. God caused tongues to be heard as a sign of judgment. God said, "Come, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech." Genesis 11:7. 4. Dispersion followed, "So the Lord scattered them abroad from there upon the face of all the earth." Genesis 11:8. Event 2: Disobedient Israel. Deuteronomy 28. God promised Israel blessings if they obeyed God's Law, and cursings if they broke God's Law. 1. God has a message for the people: "If thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all His commandments.....all these blessings shall come upon thee....." Deuteronomy 28:1. 2. The people refuse to listen to God. “If thou wilt not hearken.....all these curses shall come upon thee.” Deuteronomy 28:15. 3. God causes tongues to be heard as a sign of judgment: One curse that God promised was a foreign conquering nation speaking strange tongues. "The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far.....as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand." Deuteronomy 28:49. 4. Dispersion follows: "The Lord shall scatter thee among all people....." Deuteronomy 28:64,65. This happened to Israel in 721 BC, Judah in 606 BC, and Israel in 70 AD. Event 3: Babylonian tongues heard by disobedient Judah in 606 BC. Jeremiah 3-5. 1. God has a message for the people: "Return ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings." Jeremiah 3:22. 2. The people refuse to listen to God: "thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction....they have refused to return." Jeremiah 5:3. 3. God caused tongues to be heard as a sign of judgment. If Israel would not heed Jeremiah's warnings, then God would speak to them by strange tongues and swords of an invading nation. "Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from far.....a mighty nation,.....a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say." Jeremiah 5:15. 4. Dispersion follows: "As ye have forsaken Me, and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours." Jeremiah 5:19. Event 4: Assyrian tongues heard by disobedient Israel in 721 BC. Isaiah 28. When Paul discusses the purpose of tongues in 1 Corinthians 14:21- 22, he quotes Isaiah 28:11 to show that tongues were given as a sign of judgment to unbelieving Israel: "...to them that believe not." 14:22. Sophisticated Israelites were sick of Isaiah's rebukes that sin was rampant, judgment was coming, and a return to God was the only answer. In Isaiah 28:9,10 they claimed that he was teaching them like newly weaned babies, "line upon line....". Your repetitious teaching is fit for infants, they said. They rejected God's message, messenger, and teaching methods. God responded to their scoffing by imitating their mockery (Isaiah 28:9,10), and promising unintelligible language of a foreign conqueror: “For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.” Isaiah 28:11. God first spoke to them through Isaiah's clear and simple message, which they ignored. Now God will speak in judgment to them through stammering, lisping, Assyrian lips and another tongue. The Assyrian language sounded much less cultivated than Hebrew. Assyrian only had 3 vowels: a, i, u. Israel would hear Assyrian harsh, foreign tongues as they invaded and destroyed many Israelite towns in 721-720 BC under Sennacherib. Note the same pattern: a) God has a message for the people: "Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim.” To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest." Isaiah 28:1,12. b) The people refuse to listen to God: "yet they would not hear." Isaiah 28:12. c) God caused tongues to be heard as a sign of judgment: "For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people." Isaiah 28:11. d) Dispersion follows: “that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken (captive).” Isaiah 28:13. Note: To Israel, foreign tongues was a sign of God's judgment and curse upon them. Likewise the absence of foreign tongues was a sign that Israel was under the blessing of God. In the millennium, God promises Israel in Isaiah 33:19 that ".....thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive; of a stammering tongue, that thou canst not understand." Event 5: New Testament tongues to Israel 33-70 AD. Israel did not learn from the tongues warnings that led to the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities in 721 and 606 BC. So God again warned them by Christians speaking in tongues from 33-70 AD to warn them to repent or God would judge them. This happened by Titus the Roman general destroying Jerusalem in 70 AD. We see the same pattern: 1. God has a message for the people: "Come unto me.....and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28. "We do hear them speak in our tongues.(v.11). Peter said unto them, Repent(v39)."Acts 2:11,38,39. 2. The people refuse to listen to God: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not." Matthew 23:37. 3. God causes tongues to be heard as a sign of judgment. a) Christ warned Israel of soon coming judgment, "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.....Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down." Matthew 23:38; 24:2. b) God caused foreign tongues to be spoken and heard as a sign of judgment to unbelieving Israel in Acts 2,10,19; I Corinthians 12-14. When God caused believers to speak in tongues, the Jews understood the message. Tongues were a sign gift to unbelieving, Christ-rejecting Israel. "Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them (Christians) that believe, but to them (Jews) that believe not.” I Corinthians 14:22. 4. Dispersion follows: Jesus Christ correctly foretold this in Luke 21:20-24. "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh (v.20). They shall be led away captive into all nations....." (v.24). This happened in 70 AD when Titus the Roman general destroyed Jerusalem, killing 1 million Jews and taking 100,000 captive as slaves. Question: When did tongues cease? Answer: If foreign tongues were really a sign of coming judgment on Israel, then once this judgment had come (in 70 AD), the tongues sign gift would no longer be necessary. The Biblical gift of tongues had ceased by 70 AD. The last historical mention of tongues is in 1 Corinthians, written in 59 AD. Tongues served their purpose and tongues ceased as God said,"tongues shall cease." 1 Corinthians 13:8. II. TO CONFIRM THE WORD WITH SIGNS (Mark 16:17-20). "And these signs shall follow them that believe; sign 1. .....in my name shall cast out devils; sign 2. .....they shall speak with new tongues; sign 3. .....they shall take up serpents; and sign 4. .....if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; sign 5. .....they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover . And they (Apostles) went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word with signs following. Amen." Mark 16:17-20. The New Testament, being a new revelation, needed to be confirmed that it was from God. This was done by miraculous signs of the Apostles, one of which was tongues. If the five signs above were fulfilled in the Apostle's lifetime, then Mark 16:17-20 is satisfactorily fulfilled. It does not say that these five signs would always happen to all believers. Verse 20 tells us that God kept His promises of verse 17 and 18. Charismatics assume that verse 17 and 18 mean that all believers will always speak in tongues and do these signs. This is wrong because: 1. I Corinthians 12:30 asks, "do all speak with tongues?" This is a rhetorical question implying "No." 2. II Corinthians 12:12: "Truly the signs OF AN APOSTLE were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds." These were signs belonging to the apostles, not to every believer. “Were wrought”, being in the past tense, means that these sign gifts had ceased. 3. Acts 2:43: "Many wonders and signs were done by the Apostles." 4. Acts 4:33 "And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus." Question: Who had great power to bear witness of the resurrection?The apostles, not every believer. 5. Acts 5:12-16 “And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people (v.12)..and believers were the more added to the Lord (v.14)...insomuch that they (believers) brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them...they were healed every one." (v.16). Notice: a) Signs and wonders were done by the apostle's hands, not by every believer. (v.12). b) Believers brought sick people to Peter to heal, because they could not heal them themselves. c) Every one was healed. No one does this today. Charismatics are wrong to claim the gift of healing for today. Since apostolic healing has ceased, so have the other four signs, tongues included. 6. Acts 14:3 “and granted signs and wonders to be done by their (Paul and Barnabus) hands.” 7. Acts 15:12 “gave audience to Paul and Barnabus, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.” 8. Acts 19:11: “God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul.” 9. Romans 15:19 “Through mighty signs and wonders,….I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.” 10. Hebrews 2:3-4 show that signs, wonders, miracles, and some gifts of the Holy Ghost were restricted only to the apostles (those who heard Christ), and were not available to future generations of Christians: "How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which: a) at the first began to be spoken by the Lord (Christ), b) and was confirmed unto us by them (apostles) that heard him (Christ), (v.4) God also bearing them (the apostles) witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will." Notice here that in: Verse 4: God bore the apostles witness with signs, wonders, miracles and gifts. God did not bear witness to the next generation of Christians with signs, etc, only to the apostles. Verse 3: The apostles confirmed Christ's salvation message to the next generation, because the apostles heard Christ speak during His three year ministry. The next generation never confirmed Christ's message with signs etc. Question: When did God bear the apostles witness with signs, etc.? Answer: "At the first," not always. All the Greek verbs used in Hebrews 2:3-4 are in the aorist tense, indicating a completed fact which can never be repeated. Peter refers to this early time element of signs, miracles, tongues, etc, in Acts 11:15, where he describes the tongues speaking gift in Cornelius' household, not as a regular happening, occurring time after time since Pentecost, but as similar to the tongues gift last poured out at Pentecost. "And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning." When? "AT THE BEGINNING." Hence, signs were to "follow" for a time, not to accompany believers for all time. 11. Hebrews 6:5 "And have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the world to come." These apostles’ miracles are described as "powers of the world to come", meaning Christ's future millennial Kingdom, not powers of this present Church Age. Therefore, many signs, wonders and miracles performed in the first century will be regular events in the millennium, but not until then. 12. Acts 28:8,9 “Paul…healed him. Others also, which had diseases in the island, came, and were healed.” III. TO CONFIRM THE APOSTLES AS GOD'S TRUE MESSENGERS. Hebrews 2:3,4. "God also bearing them (the Apostles) witness, both with signs, and wonders and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost..." Thus, tongues, signs and miracles authenticated the apostles' authority. God did the same for Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Christ, etc. as their miracles confirmed that they were from God (Christ is God). When Jesus Christ commanded the apostles to "preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15), He knew that the apostles would have to go to the Gentiles. This would meet with much Jewish racial opposition. Hence, Christ gave them miraculous sign gifts that they would perform in order to confirm and authenticate the gospel message as being from God. This tongues gift seen at Cornelius' household convinced the Jewish Jerusalem Council to send the gospel to the Gentiles. Acts 11:15-18. IV. THE EARLY CHURCH WRITERS UP TO 320 AD SAY THAT TONGUES CEASED IN THE FIRST CENTURY. A good way to check any doctrine is to see what the early Christian writers, many of whom were taught personally by the apostles, said about it. Their comments reveal practices of the early Christian church. There is overwhelming evidence from history that tongues did cease in the first century, because: 1. No mention of tongues can be found in any of Paul's later epistles, only in 1 Corinthians, one of the earliest letters written. Romans, being a thorough doctrinal study, never mentions tongues. Ephesians 4-6 when discussing how to walk worthy, never mentions tongues. When discussing qualifications of pastors and deacons in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, Paul never mentions tongues as a necessary gift. Tongues are only mentioned in Mark 16 (33AD), Acts 2,10, 19 (33, 41, 54 AD respectively) and 1 Corinthians (59 AD) in a rebuking, correcting, restricting manner. He is not endorsing it, but limiting its wrong use. 2. Chrysostom, a preacher in 347-407 AD, in discussing tongues in 1 Corinthians states: "This whole place is very obscure, but the obscurity is produced by our ignorance of the facts referred to and by their cessation, being such as then used to occur, but now no longer take place." [Homilies, XXIX, 1] 3. Augustine around 410 AD stated that tongues was a sign adapted only to Biblical times. 4. Clement of Rome in 96 AD wrote to the church at Corinth to correct the same problems that Paul corrected. Clement mentioned every problem except tongues. Why? Because tongues had ceased. 5. Origen (185-254 AD) in all his voluminous writings gives no hint that tongues or other sign gifts were a normal occurrence in his day. 6. Others, like Ignatius of Antioch who wrote to Ephesus, Justin Martyr (100-167 AD), Irenaeus (130-195 AD) bishop of Lyons, never mention tongues. 7. Tertullian (155-202 AD) describes it as an apostolic occurrence, not as a phenomena of his time. 8. Montanus (150 AD) who was regarded as a heretic because his prophecies went unfulfilled, and claimed to be a successor to the apostles, spoke in tongues. Polycarp and Papias who were disciples of John spoke against Montanus as a heretic. The table below shows that tongues in the Book of Acts only occurred when Jews were present. JERUSALEM SAMARIA CAESAREA CORINTH EPHESUS ACTS 2 ACTS 8 ACTS 10 ACTS 18 ACTS 19 NO TONGUES TONGUES TONGUES TONGUES TONGUES JEWS NO JEWS JEWS JEWS JEWS 3000 devout No Jews would Peter and six Many unbelieving Many unbelieving unbelieving Jews live at Samaria Jewish Jews living at Jews living at at Jerusalem due to racial Christians Corinth Ephesus needing to hear hatred. not believing needing to hear needing to hear tongues as a that Gentiles tongues as a tongues as a sign of judgment. could be saved. sign of judgment. sign of judgment. 1. Apostles spoke in 1. Samaritans believed. 1. Cornelius believed. 1. John’s disciples tongues. 2. They were baptised. 2. Holy Spirit fell on him. believed. 2. 3000 people saved. 3. Peter and John laid 3. He spoke in tongues. 2. They were baptised 3. 3000 people hands on them. 4. He was baptised. 3. Paul laid hands on baptised. 4. They received the NOTE: They spoke in them. NOTE: 3000 people did the Holy Spirit. tongues to convince the 4. TheHoly Spirit came not speak in tongues. NOTE: Samaritans did Jewish Christians that on them. not speak in tongues. Gentiles could be saved, 5. They spoke in NOTE: Phillip did not lay and that God was no tongues. hands on Samaritans, longer working only NOTE: Tongues because only an Apostle through the Jews. warned the Jewish could impart the Holy Community at Spirit by laying on hands. Ephesus of coming judgment. It also identified John’s disciples with the Apostles and with Pentecost. V. QUESTIONS TO ASK CHARISMATICS PROVING TONGUES TO BE UNBIBLICAL Q1: Did you speak in tongues because someone asked you to, or did tongues come to you without you seeking it, and without anyone suggesting you to do it, as in the New Testament? Q2: When you were asked to speak in tongues, did you say “No, wait until I have thoroughly and completely studied and understood every verse on the subject?” Q3: Do you use your tongue as a warning to Jews to repent? Q4: Do you always have your tongue correctly interpreted? “Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.” I Corinthians 14:13. Q5: Do you speak in tongues to edify yourself or to edify the church? “Seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.” I Corinthians 14:12. Q6: Do women speak in tongues aloud in your church? “Let your women keep silent in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak.....for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.” 1 Corinthians 14:34,35. Q7: Do two or at the most three speak in “tongues” at your meetings? I Corinthians 14:27. Q8: Do your “tongues” speakers speak in turn after being interpreted, or do they all speak at the same time? Q9: Which spirit gave you your tongue? If you think it is the Holy Spirit, can you prove it? How? Q10: Did you receive your tongue when someone told you to relax, be passive, blank out your mind, and let anything come out? or Q11: Were you strongly refusing anything which satan might send you? Did you constantly pray for God to keep you from everything not of Him when people challenged you to speak in tongues? Q12: Does your tongue ever get out of control, or does it take over your prayer time? Q13: What do you learn more about God through your tongue? Q14: Do people in your church suppress their tongues if there is no genuine interpreter present? “But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church...” I Corinthians 14:28. Q15: Can you find one Biblical example of a woman speaking in tongues? Q16: What does I Corinthians 13:11 have to do with the subject of tongues, prophecy and knowledge? “When I became a man, I put away childish things.” Q17: Who are tongues intended for, and who are tongues not intended for? I Corinthians 14:22. “Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not:” Q18: Why were there no tongues in Samaria in Acts 8? Q19: Why did Phillip not lay hands on the Samaritans to impart the Holy Ghost? Q20: Why could Peter and John impart the Holy Ghost by laying on of hands, but not Phillip? Q21: Was Phillip a bad Christian? (No. It was a gift that only the Apostles had.) Q22: Some Charismatics claim that Joel 2:28-32 teaches that today’s tongues are a sign of Christ’s second Coming. What does the Bible say? Answer: “Afterward” in Joel 2:28 pinpoints the time of the Spirit’s outpouring in this passage. It is after Jesus Christ has returned at His glorious appearing, that is, His second coming. The context of Joel 2 does not allow us to link this outpouring of the Spirit to events before Christ returns. This refutes the thought that today’s tongues are a “sign of Christ’s second coming.” Conclusion: The gift of tongues is NOT for today. Reprinted by permission.
  5. KiwiChristian

    tongues

    WHY PROPHECY, TONGUES and KNOWLEDGE GIFTS CEASED IN THE FIRST CENTURY AD. By. Keith Piper Bible Reading: I Corinthians 13:8-13. Aim: To show that tongues ceased in 70 AD with the destruction of Jerusalem. To show that prophecy and knowledge gifts ceased in 96 AD with the completion of the New Testament. Introduction: If these three gifts ceased in the first century, then the modern tongues movement is not of God and should be rejected as unbiblical. The following exegesis of I Corinthians 13:8-13, is intended as a springboard to understand how the entire Bible teaching on this subject fits together to show that the purpose of tongues was a warning to Israel, and hence, ceased by 70 AD. It will be shown that prophecy and knowledge gifts were God’s temporary means of revelation to the early Church until the completed New Testament had been given. Today, God speaks through His Word, not through some person claiming to give a prophecy from God. I. TEMPORARY GIFTS of PROPHECY, TONGUES and KNOWLEDGE contrasted with PERMANENT FAITH, HOPE and CHARITY for the CHURCH AGE. 1 Corinthians 13:8-13. 13:8. “Charity never faileth; but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail (Greek: Katargethesontai); whether there be tongues, they shall cease3973 (Greek: pausontai), whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away” (Greek: Katargethesetai). Question 1: When does CHARITY (Agape love) stop? Answer: “Charity never faileth” (v.8). This means that love will continue on forever. It is the only one of the 6 phenomena discussed here that continues forever. This means that faith, hope, prophecy, tongues and knowledge all stop, but when? a) I Corinthians 13:13 tells us “And now abideth faith, hope and charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” We learn here that faith, hope and charity continue all through the church age. b) This means that prophecy, tongues and knowledge are not said to continue all through the Church age, but cease sometime before the second coming (rapture) of Christ. Question 2: When does FAITH stop? Answer: When Christ returns at the rapture to catch the church up to heaven. • II Corinthians 5:7 “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” When we get to heaven we will see what we had faith in, so that faith will give way to sight. • I Peter 1:9 “Receiving the end5056 (Greek: telos) of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.” This tells us that faith will end when we get to heaven, thus enjoying salvation or deliverance from the presence of sin. “Telos” means “end, result, termination, ultimate fate, completion in respect to time, or fulfilment.” • Hebrews 12:2: “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher5047(teleiotes) of our faith.” Jesus Christ finishes our faith when He returns for us at His second coming, and we “reach our goal” (“teleiotes” in Greek) of heaven with our resurrected, glorified bodies. Hence faith ends for all church age believers at the second coming of Christ. Question 3: When does HOPE stop? Answer: When we get what we are hoping for in heaven. For example, if you are married, you are not hoping to get married because you then possess what you hoped for. Believers are hoping for Christ’s second coming (Titus 2:13), and the resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:6). When we have what we hope for, then hope finishes. “Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13. “....of the hope and resurrection of the dead am I called in question.” Acts 23:6 and Acts 26:6. “....hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?” Romans 8:24. Hope will only remain until we see Christ and receive our resurrection bodies at His second coming. Hence hope is valid only until the second coming. Knowing that love continues forever (“charity never faileth”) we can draw the following graph: FAITH, HOPE, LOVE LOVE LEVEL OF FAITH EXISTENCE HOPE TIME PENTECOST CHRIST’S SECOND COMING Key: Hence faith will be lost in sight; hope will be lost in reality; and love continues for all eternity. “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” I Corinth. 13:13. Because only faith, hope and charity are abiding throughout the church age, these three alone, then prophecy, tongues and knowledge must cease sometime INSIDE the church age. The time these (and the other temporary gifts) ceased had to have been before the completion of the New Testament. Question 4: When do PROPHECY and KNOWLEDGE gifts cease? Answer: “Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail (Greek (2673): Katargethesontai);...... whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away (Greek (2673): Katargethesetai).” Meaning: “Katargeo” means to render inoperative, to make inactive, to be done away, to supercede, put an end to. With Paul it always denotes a complete cessation, not a temporary or partial ceasing. Every occurrence of “Katargeo” in I Cor. 13:8,10 is in the passive voice, indicating that something shall make prophecy and knowledge inactive. Question 5: What are prophecy and knowledge? 1. The gift of prophecy in the apostolic church was speaking new revelation from God, to instruct and edify. Prophecy has a secondary meaning of forthtelling God’s Word to teach and comfort the Church. This is Bible teaching of today. Teaching replaced first century prophecy. A person knew, then prophesied. They were twin gifts. 2. The gift of knowledge in the apostolic Church was the ability to understand and know the mind and will of God. It was revealed truth, not learned. It is seeing as the Holy spirit sees. It was used to teach believers certain doctrines which had not as yet been written as part of the New Testament.eg: Peter knew who Jesus really was. Matthew 16:17. Agabus knew and then prophesied about Paul being bound at Jerusalem. Acts 21:10-12. Paul knew the demonised damsel’s message to be false. Acts 16:18. Such knowledge, like prophecy, was as authoritative as the scriptures in the early church. Each of these gifts can refer to either: a) an action - the exercising of the gifts in the church where he prophesies or gives a word of knowledge. b) content - in Matthew 13:14,15 Christ quotes what Isaiah said 750 years earlier, which was now part of Scripture. When prophecy or knowledge became codified as scripture, they stood alone, no longer as the “act” of prophecy and knowledge, but as the “content” of prophecy and knowledge, now become written scripture. 3. The gift of tongues (or unlearned languages), was similar yet inferior to prophecy and knowledge in that the tongues speaker needed to be translated. Paul said in I Corinthians 14:18,19 “Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.” Speaking in a tongue and having it translated only allows the speaker to say half as much in a given time, as could a prophecy or word of knowledge in the common tongue. Tongues were cumbersome verbage. Prophecy, tongues and knowledge form the subject of 1 Corinthian 13:8-13. Something is going to happen to each of them. None of them are to abide during the Church age, as will faith, hope and love. They are transient gifts. 13:8 “Whether there be tongues, they shall cease 3973” (Greek (3973): pausontai). Here “pausontai is used in an absolute sense, to cease, to come to an end.” [“The Complete N.T. Word Study Dictionary”, S. Zhodiates, p.1132.] “Pausontai” is in the middle voice, indicative mood, meaning that the action of ceasing will come from within, rather than from outside. “Cease” means that tongues would fulfil their function (of warning Jews of coming Judgment), and render themselves obsolete, unneeded, ended. Literally it means “tongues shall make themselves to cease, or automatically cease of themselves.” [A.T. Robertson Vol.IV, p.179.] 13:9 “For we know in part , and we prophecy in part.” Since v.9 omits tongues, it would appear that tongues would cease before the removal of prophecy and knowledge. “In part” defines quantity, and the word “perfect” meaning “complete” is the opposite to “in part.” Knowledge of doctrine in the pre-canon period of the Church Age was fragmentary. The 14 mystery doctrines of this dispensation had not yet been completely given in New Testament Scripture. They could only teach from the Old Testament and by direct revelation from God via prophecy and knowledge. They knew in part, and consequently, they prophesied in part. 13:10 “But when that which is perfect (Greek: “teleion” meaning complete) is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.” (Greek: “Katargetheseta” meaning to render inoperative). Prophecy and knowledge, both being “in part”, will be done away with when the perfect shall come. Question 6: When does the PERFECT come? a) If it is the second coming of Christ, then prophecy, tongues and knowledge are allowable today. b) If it is the completed New Testament Scriptures of 96 AD then prophecy, tongues and knowledge have all ceased in the first entury and are not for today. Question 7: To answer Question 6, we must ask another question: What is ‘that which is perfect?’ Answer: Several opinions are: 1. Jesus Christ at His second coming. 2. The perfected state of the believer at Christ'’s return. 3. After the millennium in the new heaven and new earth. 4. The completed New Testament Scriptures. II. 12 REASONS WHY THE “PERFECT” IN V.10 REFERS TO THE COMPLETED NEW TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES: 1. “When that (Greek: To Teleion) which is perfect is come.” The pronoun “THAT” in Greek, describing the perfect, is neuter. Christ however is masculine, not neuter, so “that which is perfect” cannot refer to Christ or His return. The Bible is neuter. This fits the context perfectly. 2. “Perfect” in Greek means “complete, finished”. The N.T. by 96 AD was completed and finished as God’s revelation for this Church age. The completed N.T. canon of Scripture would serve the same purpose that prophecy, tongues, knowledge, apostleship, healing, miracles and other temporary spiritual gifts had once performed. Christ is never called the complete or finished one. 3. “Perfect” cannot mean Christ’s return, becaue Christ’s second coming is foreign to the context of I Corinthians 12,13,14 being mentioned nowhere in these 3 chapters. The subject of I Corinthians 12,13,14 is spiritual gifts to the church in the church age. To extend prophecy, tongues and knowledge into the millenium or after the millenium is to miss the focus and context of the passage. 4. James 1:25 describes the perfect as the Bible, the perfect law of liberty. The meaning of “perfect” in scripture can be determined by it’s use in other passages of scripture. “Teleion”, the “perfect” or “completed” was already in the New Testament when Paul wrote. James had already referred to the Word of God as the “perfect law of liberty” in James 1:25. “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your ownselves.” “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.” James 1:22,25. “Perfect” in James 1:25 in Greek is “teleion” the same as “perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10. In James 1:25 “perfect” clearly refers to the soon to be completed Bible, and this must be the same meaning in I Corinthians 13:10. In James 1:22-25 the perfect law of liberty is the Bible. Therefore, in I Corinthians 13:10 the perfect is the Bible. Summary question: If James 1:22-25 says, Perfect (v.25) = Mirror (v.23,24) = Bible (v.22,23,25) then what is ‘perfect’ in I Corinthians 13:8-13, Perfect (v.10) =Mirror (v.12) = ? 5. James 1:23 and 1 Corinthians 13:12 both describe the Bible as a mirror/glass that we see our reflection in. “For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass.” James 1:23. “For now we see through a glass darkly; but then (when the perfect, completed Bible has come) face to face.” 1 Corinthians 13:12. As we look into a mirror to see the true physical condition of our face, so we look into the Bible as a mirror to see the true spiritual condition of our heart and life. Some people look into a mirror and forget their physical appearance. Some people look into the Bible mirror and forget their spiritual appearance. Therefore, GLASS MIRROR = PERFECT = the WORD OF GOD. Therefore, 1 Corinthians 13:12 describes the “perfect” as a glass mirror, just as James 1:23 does. 6. II Corinthians 3:18 also shows the glass, and hence the perfect to be the Word of God, which transforms us. “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” The mirror/glass is a symbol of the Word of God. (James 1:22,25). As we look into God’s Word and we see Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit transforms us into the very image of Jesus Christ. “We all” means all believers, seeing in the Bible/glass, the glory of the Lord. “Open face” means that we can hide nothing from God; We must be open and honest with Him. We can be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (“He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son....”. Romans 8:29) and go from glory to glory, by the Holy Spirit changing us as we saturate ourselves in the Word of God. “are changed (Greek: metamorphoumetha) into the same image from glory to glory.” The Greek word “changed” gives us the word “metamorphosis” which describes the process of an insect changing from an ugly worm into a mature beautiful butterfly. The changes come from within. So it is when we meditate on God’s Word and in it see Jesus Christ, then the Holy Spirit transforms us into the image of Jesus Christ. In the Bible we see the glory of Christ and are changed into His image. 13:12. “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part;….” In I Corinthians 13:12, only a few New Testament books were completed. The glory of the Lord revealed in the word was not complete. First century believers could neither see Christ, nor themselves, in the full light of God’s revelation. They could only see darkly or dimly. However with the completion of Scripture, not only would the glory of Christ be revealed in greater fullness, but so would the believer’s own reflection become clearer. Why? Because the believer after 96 AD has more Scripture to transform him into Christ’s image. The “perfect” is the opposite of that which is “in part.” Paul viewed his own writings as Scripture (1 Thessalonians 2:13). He knew that new revelation was being given and that one day it would cease. In the same way that God had completed the Old Testament, God would also complete the New Testament. Paul’s use of the phrases “we know in part and we prophesy in part” (13:9) show that he is dealing with a partially completed Bible that was being added to by the Apostle’s revelations from God. 7. The Second Coming is never called “perfect” in the New Testament, but the Bible is called the perfect law of liberty in James 1:25.‘The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul.’ Psalm 19:7 8. The completed New Testament fulfilled the same job as did the temporary gifts of prophecy and knowledge. Once prophecy and knowledge were codified (written down) as the New Testament, then prophecy and knowledge ceased. ie. New revelation of prophecy and knowledge ceased when the full N.T. revelation for this age was completed. 9. Christ’s second coming is neither complete nor morally perfect. In the millennium, the sinner will die 100 years old (Isaiah 65:20). The millennium ends with satan’s release from the pit and some nations rebelling to attack Christ at Jerusalem.This is not a perfect or complete situation at all. 10. Faith and Hope finish at the second coming (13:13). Therefore, prophecy, knowledge and tongues, each not abiding during the church age, must end well before faith and hope ends (compare 1 Corinthians 13:8 with 1 Corinithians13:13). Prophecy, knowledge and tongues end well before the second coming. Prophecy and knowledge end by the coming of the perfect, completed Word of God in 96 AD. Tongues ended by 70 AD, with Titus destroying Jerusalem and the judgment predicted coming on the Jews for rejecting Christ’s gospel. You don’t warn people after the punishment has fallen. 11. The completed Bible is able to make believers complete by giving us all things that pertain to life and godliness. (II Peter 1:3,4). We don’t need new revelation. “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory (in heaven) and virtue (now on earth). Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises (in the perfect Bible) that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature (changed from glory to glory).” II Peter 1:3,4. This is obtained through: 1) the knowledge of Christ found in the Bible, and 2) by claiming the exceeding great and precious promises in the Bible. Everything that we need today for life and Godliness to make us mature, completely equipped Christians is found in the Bible. Hence, the Bible is appropriately called the “complete Completer” for us today, the exact meaning of “teleion” in I Corinthians 13:10. 12. The completed Bible (all Scripture) can make the man of God “perfect” (Greek: “artios739” meaning “complete, sufficient, completely qualified; a synonym of “teleion”), throughly furnished unto all good works.” II Timothy 3:16,17. Here again, “all Scripture” making the man of God perfect, supports “perfect” in I Corinthians 13:10 as meaning the Bible, and not the second coming of Christ. Therefore, when the perfected, completed Bible comes, then the “in part” prophecy and knowledge shall be done away. This happened in 96AD when John finished writing Revelation 22:21. Question 8: Why is tongues not mentioned in I Corinthians 13:9,10 as being done away with by the perfect? Answer: It is because tongues had already ceased in 70 AD with the destruction of Jerusalem, being the judgment on the Jews that tongues pointed to (I Corinthians 14:21,22). After 70 AD, there was no more purpose for tongues, so the tongues gift ceased forever by 70 AD. Tongues were not in existence to be done away with by “the perfect.” Tongues had ceased 26 years earlier. Those who think that the “perfect” is Christ’s return and reject it as meaning the completed New Testament Scripture, do so because: 1. They have not studied every word, phrase, or verse of I Corinthians 13 in its context, or 2. They are mentally influenced by someone with leaning towards Pentecostalism, or 3. They are influenced by some interdenominational teacher whose decision about this scripture is non-committal so as to retain his popularity with both charismatic and non charismatic groups. 4. No scripture is ever produced in proof that the Holy Spirit did not mean the complete N. Testament. If knowledge ended at Christ’s return, and if knowledge meant normal knowledge, then all Christians would be imbeciles in heaven. Note: It is not good to say that God spoke to you and told you to do something, because if you are wrong, you lose your credibility. Instead, say “I felt led or burdened by the Lord to.....”. 13:11‘When I was a child, I spake as a child (tongues), I understood as a child (knowledge), I thought as a child (prophecy is verbalised thoughts): but when I became a man, I put away childish things.” Question 9: What have childish things got to do with temporary gifts of prophecy, tongues and knowledge? Answer: Paul is comparing a human advancing from childhood to adulthood, with the church passing from infancy in the first century marked by prophecy, tongues and knowledge gifts, to maturity marked by believers depending on the Bible, faith, hope and charity from 96 AD to the rapture. By 96 AD the childish gifts of prophecy, tongues and knowledge had ceased, and church manhood had been reached. So Paul used 2 illustrations to show the passing of prophecy, tongues and knowledge, and the permanence of the completed Bible, along with faith, hope and charity for the church age: a) A person growing from childhood to adulthood and putting away the childish temporary things of prophecy, tongues and knowlege in I Corinthians 13:11. Paul is here saying to the Corinthian believers “put away the childish things of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge, because manhood will soon be reached.” In the first century, a boy was recognised as a mature man when he got married, left his parents home and established his own home. In the first century, Judaism was regarded as the parent religion, where Christianity (the child) resided. The early Christians enjoyed the protection of Judaism as an officially recognised religion. Christianity seemed like another Jewish sect. Sulpicius Severus in discussing Titus’ destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, states that: “Titus formed the deliberate purpose to destroy Christianity and Judaism in one blow, believing that if the Jewish root were torn up the Christian branch would soon perish”. [F. Farrar “The Early Days of Christianity” p.326.] Judaism was the parent/home religion and Christianity was the child religion. But with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the church moved out of its childhood home. It became a separate, independent, distinct religion, able to grow without the Jewish temple and without the protective umbrella of the Jewish religious sytem. Christianity had left the Jewish parents home and had reached manhood. It had left childhood behind. This was another reason for putting away the childish things of tongues. JUDAISM (PARENT) 70 AD CHRISTIANITY CHRISTIANITY (CHILD) (INDEPENDENT MANHOOD) TONGUES OF CHILDHOOD NO TONGUES IN ADULTHOOD In Revelation 22:18,19 God finished prophecy and knowledge revelations by giving us the completed Bible with a warning against new prophecies.There would be no more partial revelations given by prophecies or knowledge. They had forever been superceded by a completed Bible. Tongues ceased in 70 AD, prophecy and knowledge ceased in 96 AD. This graph summarizes it: FAITH, HOPE, LOVE LOVE LEVEL OF TONGUES PROPHECY FAITH EXISTENCE KNOWLEDGE HOPE TIME 70 AD 96 AD CHRIST’S JERUSALEM BIBLE SECOND DESTROYED COMPLETED COMING When Paul wrote I Corinthians 12,13,14 around 55AD, the infant church was still a child in its childhood home. Tongues still had a purpose. No one then was to forbid speaking in tongues. However, after Jerusalem’s destruction in 70AD genuine tongues ceased, never to be heard again from the lips of the matured church (13:11). With manhood reached by 96AD, heralded by complete/perfect knowledge in the Bible (“understanding” in 13:11) and complete/perfect prophecy codified in the Bible (“thought” in 13:11), childish things of prophecy, tongues and knowledge were forever put away. To revert to these would be a tragedy, a breakdown in manhood, and a pathetic regression to infancy. Tongues are not for the church today, because they ceased in 70 AD. Church history agrees with this. C.L. Rogers analyses the writings of Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Chrysostom, Justin Martyr from 100-400 AD from every area of the Roman Empire and states that: “the miraculous gifts of the first century died out and were no longer needed to establish Christianity.” (p.143). Language is the verbalising of one’s thoughts and denotes one’s level of understanding. Tongues in the early church, were thus like infancy childish language to a man. When we hear a baby speaking childish language, we think it is cute and normal. However, when a full grown man reverts to baby talk because of some mental breakdown, we think it is a pathetic disability, horrible and to be pitied. This is because men are expected to have “put away childish things.” What is normal in infancy is abnormal in adulthood. So, also for the Church to revert to tongues, is to revert to babyhood. Paul at that early date (55AD) is telling the Corinthians to recognise tongues as a passing phenomena. The time was fast approaching when they would have to grow up, put away their tongues babytalk and become full grown men, living by faith, hope and love as taught in the perfect/completed Bible. b) Looking into a mirror of the Bible to see one’s true spiritual conditon. “For now (55AD) we see through a glass (mirror) darkly; but then (96AD) face to face: now (55AD) I know in part; but then (96AD) shall I know even as also I am known.” I Corinthians 13:12. An expanded explanation of this would be: “For now (55AD) we see (prophecy as a temporary gift) through a mirror (a partly given New Testament) darkly (a blurred image, partial revelation by prophecy and an incomplete New Testament); but then (96AD when the full New Testament is given) face to face (we see ourselves clearly in the completed New Testament, as we see our true physical condition in a perfectly reflecting mirror): now (55AD at the time of writing) I know (I have the temporary gift of knowledge) in part (only part of the New Testament was given, along with the gift of knowledge only gave a partial view of God’s full New Testament revelation due to be completed by 96AD); but then (96AD when the full New Testament would be given) shall I know (I will have the full New Testament revelation intended by God to equip me for the ministry, for a holy life, and for godliness (II Peter 1:3,4)) even as also I am known.” With the completion of Scripture, there was a completion of the portrait of Christ that reflected His glory. What was “dim or dark” at the writing of I Corinthians 13:12 (at 55AD) became clear at the completion of scripture in 96AD, so that believers could see the Lord and their own changing likeness to Him “face to face.” In 13:12 Paul compares the New Testament Church without a complete New Testament to a person looking into a polished metal mirror giving a blurred reflection. All they had was the partial revelation of prophecy, tongues and knowledge to tide the church over until they received the full New Testament in 96 AD. This only gave them an imperfect understanding of divine truths, like a blurred mirror reflection. “But then face to face” refers to the time when the full New Testament would be available to allow accurate and full understanding of spiritual truths for this age. • “Then shall I know even as also I am known.” • When the full, complete finished New Testament is available for personal study (96 AD) then shall I know the necessary spiritual truths for living a godly life in the church age now as well as God knows and reveals my true spiritual condition through His Word, the completed Bible. This is not talking about knowing Christ face to face in heaven or knowing as much as God knows, because this would require us to have the infinite knowledge of God in heaven. We will never be as all knowing (omniscient) as God. Literally: “Then shall I know (God’s mind about every situation of life), even also as I am known (by God about every situation and problem that I may encounter in life).” That is, the Bible has the answer to every situation of life. How true. 13:13. “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity.” At the time of writing (55 AD), only faith, hope and charity were continuing during the church age to the rapture. “These three” emphasises that it is only faith, hope and charity that will abide. Prophecy, tongues and knowledge are excluded as not abiding, and hence ceased in the church age by 96 AD. Today, we have the apostles and prophets with us only in the sense that we have their New Testament writings which are still their prophecies. They laid and finished the New Testament foundation. Ephesians 4:11 lists three of the gifts that will be with us until Christ’s return: evangelists, pastors and teachers. For these three types of men, there are 3 qualities to be displayed: faith, hope and love, as shown in I Thessalonians 1:3 “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope.....” Faith, Hope and Charity as Triplets elsewhere: Another key proof that prophecy, tongues and knowledge are finished by 96 AD, and are not for today is that we often see faith, hope and charity mentioned as triplets being all that we need for a God-pleasing Christian life. Note the absence of prophecy, tongues and knowledge in these passages, showing that they are not needed today. 1. I Corinthians 13:13 “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three.” 2. Galatians 5:5,6 “…the hope of righteousness by faith. …faith which worketh by love.” 3. Ephesians 1:15,18 “I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and of the love unto all the saints,...that . ye may know the hope of his calling....” 4. Colossians 1:4,5 “Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth (perfect Bible) of the gospel.” 5. I Thessalonians 1:3 “Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 6. I Thessalonians 5:8 “But let us who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.” 7. I Timothy 1:1,2,5 “Lord Jesus Christ which is our hope; unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Now the end of the commandments is charity out of a pure heart....” 8. I Peter 1:21,22 “that your faith and hope might be in God. Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth (perfect Bible) through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love..” Conclusion: All we need is FAITH, HOPE and LOVE to live pleasing to God. Eight times it is repeated. You don’t need a prophecy, tongue or word of knowledge. They are not mentioned. So drop prophecy, tongues and knowledge, and build up ourselves in faith, hope and love. II. FURTHER QUESTIONS. Question 10: Why would God allow Dedicated Christians to experience the sign and revelatory gifts if they are not from Him? Many evangelical churches have lapsed into cold, lifeless formalism. They may be doctrinally right, but they have lost their fervent love and zeal for God. If a charismatic church has a high regard for the Bible, prayer, soul winning zeal and a willingness to attempt great things for God, then this fills a void left by dead Churches. Among these good things there resides a deceiving cancer that undermines the good that is being done. This cancer is the matter of new revelations from God of tongues, prophecy, words of knowledge, visions or dreams. Neil Babcox, a former charismatic pastor left the charismatic church because of this issue. He says, “When a prophet said “Thus saith the Lord”, he meant that the very Word of God was being proclaimed with infallibility, purity and divine authority. The prophecies that I had spoken and heard others speak paled and diminished to the point of nothingness compare with the Bible. Ezekiel protested, “Thus saith the Lord God, “Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!”” Ezekiel 13:3. Isn’t that what we were - “prophets who had seen nothing?” When the genuine prophets of God spoke, they spoke with certainty regarding every word. This finds no parallel today. The Bible’s prophets knew with 100% certainty that they were speaking the very words of God. “The spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, that I heard him that spake unto me.” Ezekiel 2:2. Many who prophesy and claim to speak new revelations from God today know in their own hearts that they don’t have the certainty of the Bible prophets, yet they continue to speak “new” revelations. “Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.” Jeremiah 14:14. “I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name....they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart….I will even punish that man and his house.” Jeremiah 23:25,26,34. “they …have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them.” Jeremiah 29:23. “Because Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you,and I sent him not,.I will punish Shemaiah.” Jer.29:31,32 “The prophets prophesy falsely,…and my people love to have it so:..” Jeremiah 5:31. It is serious error to claim to speak new revelation from God,given the deception of Mormon prophecy. This emphasis on new revelation undermines the authority of Scripture. Dave Hunt rebukes the positive and possibility thinking of Paul Yonggi Cho and Robert Schuller with their occultish visualisation techniques, temptation to power and deification of man which is invading the church. Charismatics teach that a proper understanding of Scripture does not come through correct interpretation, but through revelation (only to certain leaders), and that these new revelations supplement the Bible, and that these must be accepted as a “great move of God.” • Charismatics often say: “...we have revelation knowledge as God continues to speak to His people.” This sounds really spiritual, but it is adding to Scripture. Because the Scriptures are perfect, we cannot add to them. • John Wimber states: “rational control (of the mind) must be forfeited for tongues speaking to occur, for ecstatic worship, for messages from God to be received directly into the mind, and for miraculous healings to happen.” • Charismatics Kenneth Copeland and Kenneth Hagin’s heresies were exposed in “The Agony of Deceit.” Kenneth Copeland claimed that Jesus spoke new revelation to him, saying: “Jesus did not come to earth as God, but only as a man; Jesus never claimed to be God during his earthly ministry.” • John White, a famous author, claims that Jesus Christ personally appeared to him on three occasions to give new revelation that would become part of Scripture. Question 11: Why would God allow dedicated Christians to experience and give in to influences that are not from Him? Answer: Every moment of his life, the Christian must battle spiritually with the world, the flesh and the devil. This is part of the maturing process. All believers are tempted with pride, worry, fear, sin and disobedience. Does God allow believers to sin? Yes, of course. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” James 1:12. The Lord allows us to test every experience by Scripture, or to go by our feelings. God will allow us to be tempted in all forms. This includes the temptation to depart from Scripture by believing false revelations. Signs and wonders can have sources other than God (Deuteronomy 13:1-5; II Thessalonians 2:9,10; Revelation 13:13,14; Matthew 24:24). Jesus warns four times of deception at the end of the Church age in Matthew 24. If a Christian swaps the sword of the Spirit, and takes up feelings or human reasoning, he opens himself up to satan’s deception. Many Christians in dead churches know very little scripture. In daily struggles with sin and temptation, believers are most vulnerable to the attraction of false instant spirituality. Rather than live by the Word of God for victory, one may seek the apparent short cut of tongues, prophecy, power evangelism, healing, etc as the answer to his problems. Charismatic leaders who criticise Bible teachers who urge careful study of the Bible, are hence criticising the legitimate spiritual gift of teaching. They urge charismatics to follow them without questioning their interpretation. They oppose non-charismatics by asking: “Who did God use, the educated Pharisees or the simple apostles?” They thus forget II Timothy 2:15, “Study to show thyself approved unto God...rightly dividing the word of truth.” Along the way we all have difficult times, as seen by Elijah under the Juniper tree (I Kings 19:4,5), David fleeing from Saul, Paul’s beatings, etc. Don’t seek a quick fix to gain instant spirituality. The devil offered Jesus a short cut to earth’s kingdoms by avoiding the cross. The devil will offer us many short cuts seeming to easily solve our problems. We must stick to the basics: study the Word, pray, confess sin, yield to Christ, abide in Christ, and take up the cross daily. These require work, watching and warfare. Don’t swap the Word of God for an experience. The main damaging side effect of charismaticism is the welcoming and accepting of heretics, apostates, nominal Christians and Roman Catholics into the Church. A person can pray to Mary, then speak in tongues, thus being accepted into many charismatic fellowships. Charismatics emphasise unity at the expense of doctrine. Question 12: Why would God allow dedicated Christians to continue in error and deception to their hurt or spiritual detriment? Answer: I Kings 13 reveals that even a dedicated and fearless prophet of God must suffer the consequences when he chooses deception over the clear revelation of God. An unnamed man of God (v.1) was sent to Bethel “by the Word of the Lord” to prophesy against King Jeroboam and his idolatry (v.1-3). When the King tried to arrest the prophet, the King’s hand withered (v.4,5). He begged the man of God to intercede to God to restore his hand. (v.6). The man of God showed mercy, prayed to God and Jeroboam’s hand was restored. Then King Jeroboam offered him a reward (v.7) but the man of God refused (v.3-10). Why? He refused to stop for food because the clear revelation of God forbad him from receiving food or drink or retracing his steps (v.9). So far he had walked in complete obedience to the Word of God. He had passed the tests of: 1. Fear because he had boldly carried out his job of proclaiming God’s Word to the King. 2. Compassion/Mercy. He had not allowed the King’s threats to dry up his mercy. He willingly, lovingly prayed for Jeroboam’s hand to be restored without revenge. 3. The test of faithfulness to God over human favour had been overcome, because he turned down the King’s offer of hospitality and reward . 4. The test of deception, was the final test which he sadly failed. Why? God had clearly told him not to receive hospitality, but he rejected the clear revelation of the Word of God for a new revelation, and it cost him his life. There was an old prophet living nearby who heard about his faithful stand. The old prophet had lived in compromise at Bethel and invited the man of God home to dine with him (v.11-15). The man of God refused saying that he was under strict orders from God not to eat, drink or retrace his steps (v.16.17). The old prophet replied in v.18, “I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.” Why did he lie? We are not told. a) Maybe he was envious at seeing a true prophet faithfully discharge his duties, when he had lived in compromise. b) Maybe he resented the man of God and had a convicted conscience. The old prophet claimed a new revelation from God. The man of God had to decide: a) Would he accept at face value the new revelation, or b) Would he continue to cling to God’s previous revelation? Sadly, the once fearless and faithful prophet succumbed to deception. God allowed this to happen to a dedicated man of God. Why? Because in our pilgrimage on earth, there will always be the choice to follow the clear teaching of God’s Word, or to replace it with the shallow promises, prophecies and deceptions of man. The man of God retraced his steps back to the home of the old prophet and ate with him (v.19). Over the meal, the old prophet revealed that because the man of God had disobeyed the Word of God, he would die (v.20-22). And that is exactly what happened (v.23-26) because a lion slew him in the way. From this we see that if God allowed a dedicated prophet of God to choose between the clear teaching of the Lord and deception, surely the Lord will let us have this choice today. Many Christians suffer poor spiritual lives because they give up the Word of God, and embrace teachers who prophesy or give new revelations of their own spirit. Question 13: But why doesn’t God step in and chasten His children to woo them back to obedience? (Hebrews 12). Answer: The Holy Spirit and the Word of God continually call the believer to faithfulness and obedience (Phil. 2:12,13). Deception and impoverishment are the bitter fruits of turning away from the Word of God. Sometimes God will allow His children to remain deceived as a chastisement until they turn again in submission to the Word of God. Their salvation in Christ is secure through Christ’s blood sacrifice. They may serve the Lord faithfully in other areas and even be used successfully by God, but they will miss God’s best blessings on earth and they will lose rewards in heaven. God will allow believers to choose whether to glorify Christ through submission and obeying scripture or to rebel. For dedicated servants of God who put aside the clear revelation of God and embrace new revelations, in this life they will be deceived and impoverished, and in the next life they will suffer loss of rewards at the judgment seat of Christ (II Corinthians 5:10). Examples of charismatic deception are tongues, false healings, new revelations, words of knowledge spoken about other people, slaying in the “spirit”, “Toronto” experience, etc. Consider two examples: Slaying People in the Spirit is a Charismatic invention whereby hands are laid on a person’s head and they lose consciousness, causing them to fall backwards onto the floor. THIS IS NOT IN THE BIBLE, so forget it. Laying hands on people is well known in the occult as a means of transferring demons. It is more likely demonically influenced and all the more reason why we should avoid this movement. Surrender of Mind and Emotions to Group Pressure. On entering a Charismatic meeting, we meet many people dancing, throwing arms in the air, speaking in tongues, on an emotional high and appearing very happy. The average Christian realises that he is not always like this, nor is the church from which he has come (which is made to appear dead and lifeless in comparison). He and his church are made to feel inferior and below what God expects. He has always had thoughts that his Christian life hasn’t always been as good as it ought to have been. He immediately concludes that these people have a one-shot-sure-fire-answer to spirituality when they ask him if he has been baptised in the Holy Spirit or spoken in tongues. If he is not careful, he will assume that these people are right, without studying the Bible or without praying the issue through. He may then agree to speak in tongues (gibberish), which makes the Charismatics very happy. He feels much love, acceptance and unity as a result, all because of an experience that he has had. He then begins his Christian life by making his experience the authority on which he determines spiritual truth, and not the Bible. He then defends his decision logically by saying what wonderful love and unity these people have and “power” (false albeit). He asks, “how can they be wrong when they show such qualities?” Why do charismatics succeed so much? i) Because most churches are DEAD and show no spiritual life, no one ever gets saved and nothing miraculous ever happens. ii) The Bible teaching on this issue is not taught. iii) People equate emotional show and bubbliness with spirituality. iv) Everyone would like an instant formula for spiritual success in the Christian life. Tongues is easy. v) People are lazy. They find it easier to believe what they are told, especially by “happy, persuasive people”, than to study and search the Bible for themselves. vi) It looks as if all churches are uniting by tongues speaking and this is, on the surface seen to be a good thing, yet it ignores Bible doctrine. People are told to hold hands, form a circle, and this show of “love” causes many well-meaning Christians to sacrifice dearly held essential Bible truths for which our ancestors died, and to unite with error. This is just what Rome wants to bring us all back to the “Mother of Harlots” and form the Super-church of Revelation 17, which will be destroyed by the antichrist that she brings to power. Question 14: If sign and revelatory gifts are not for today, and are not from God, why do they produce apparently good effects in believers lives? Step 1. Many Charismatics claim to be enriched by speaking in tongues, making prophecies, words of knowledge, casting out demons and sign gifts, etc. They may have a greater interest in the Bible, prayer and witnessing. How could such positive results not be from God? Step 2. Any military strategist knows that an enemy will often give up ground in order to gain a greater victory (Israel defeated Ai with this tactic.Joshua 8:15-21). Satan is not afraid of prayer, Bible study or bold witness that is contrary to the Word of God, especially when it promotes error and advances his own kingdom. Satan does strongly oppose genuine prayer, Bible study and gospel preaching when it is done Biblically and in the filling of the Holy Spirit. Satan is happy to pull back opposition to Bible study, prayer and witness, if he can woo the believer away from Bible decision-making and into experiential decision-making (which is Satan’s greater sought-after victory). Step 3. If a believer moves into experiental decision making, Satan can withdraw his opposition to Bible study, prayer and witness. The believer then attributes his advancement in prayer, Bible study and witness to his new tongues experience. This serves to lure the believer deeper into his experiential decision making, and hence further away from 100% Bible authority only. Hence, by giving some ground, Satan leads believers into greater deception. The believer thus more strongly clings to non Biblical experiences. Step 4. The believer who accepts sign and revelatory gifts is replacing Biblical authority with experiential authorities. Interpretation of verses becomes heavily weighted towards vindicating his experiences. Step 5. People are genuinely saved, they in turn accept the signs and wonders message, and the deception grows. The basis for Christian fellowship is no longer the Bible, but a common experience such as tongues. That is why Roman Catholics, liberal protestants, some evangelicals and heretics unite in ecumenical charismatic fellowship. Tongues causes divisions in churches, just as it did at the Tower of Babel. Many Charismatics are not completely sure that their prophecies are from the Lord. Many are troubled at healings that relapse. Many Charismatics say that they are Spirit-filled yet live inconsistent lives. Satan’s contest in Eden was to steal Adam’s loyalty away from the Word of God (“Yea, hath God said?”) and for him to live independent of God and His Word. Question 15: Do Christians know when they are being mislead? Answer: No, not always. In Matthew 16:21-23, Peter in expressing his love for Christ, was deceived by Satan in trying to stop Christ from going to the cross. Jesus looked past Peter’s love and saw Satan leading Peter away from the revealed will of God. Note: 1) With the heart one receives or trusts Christ for salvation. 2) With the will one obeys Christ. 3) With the mind one abides in Christ. Heart means: Intellect, will, affections, loyalties. Will means: Action, commitment. • Many Christians spend hours in Christian bookshops looking for a book to give them the secret of victorious living. If they can’t find the power of God in a book, they will seek it in an experience. • The goal of the Christian life is to remain Spirit filled, to find the will of God and do it. Question 16: Are there any Biblical examples of Satan giving up spiritual ground in order to gain spiritual advantages? Answer: 1) Satan offered Christ the world’s kingdoms in exchange for Christ’s worship. Matthew 4:8-10. 2) The demonized damsel proclaimed that Paul’s team were servants of the Most High God who showed the way of salvation. Acts 16:16-18.Why? So the gospel would be associated with the occult. Many churches have changed from being a lighthouse to a weather vane. Instead of lighting the way in the darkness, many churches merely turn with whatever fashion or worldly wind blows at the time. Our Lord Jesus Christ is to take pre-eminence in all things. The Holy Spirit’s job is to reveal and exalt Jesus Christ. The problem of powerless Christians is due to believers failing to surrender totally to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Living the Christian life is described by: “Warfare”, “fight”, “run the race”, “yield not”, “work out”, and “press towards.” The Christian life is a disciplined life of constant vigilance and taking up the cross daily. There are no short cuts to instant spirituality. Roman Catholic charismatics have greater zeal for Mary, Mass, the Papacy, and praying to saints etc. If Satan can achieve this, he will stop opposing Charismatic churches so that apparent growth occurs. Question 17: If the sign and revelatory gifts today are not from God, why are Charismatic churches the fastest growing churches in the world? Answer: 1. Much Charismatic growth is by attracting Christians from other churches. Because many Charismatic churches place little emphasis on sound doctrine, this breeds an atmosphere of acceptance, which assists numerical growth. If you never rebuke sin, have worldly attractions, and give people everything they want, you’ll see growth, but you won’t please God. Charismaticism weakens churches that are committed to the fundamentals of the faith, while it energises ecumenical liberal, worldly churches. 2. Numerical growth does not equal God’s stamp of approval. Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses and cults can boast amazing growth statistics, yet their beliefs are very unbiblical. What about growth of Charismatic churches that hold to the fundamentals of the faith? Jesus’ parables of the wheat and tares (Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43), mustard seed (13:31,32), and the leaven (13:33) all predict outward growth in Christendom, but this growth would be accompanied by growth in evil influences (leaven, birds) from within. Numerical growth does not mean that God approves all a church’s doctrines. Numerical growth, even by true conversions can occur amidst false doctrine. eg. The Corinthian church grew rapidly, even though it had many false doctrines and sins. Many churches claim to be evangelical, but challenge them on: 1) The 100% inerrancy of Scripture. 2) The historical, literal accuracy of Genesis 1-11. 3) The factual nature of Jonah being swallowed by a whale. 4) The scientific accuracy of a literal 6 day creation week, and they prove to disbelieve the Bible. Christ prayed that the Father would sanctify believers through His Word (John 17:17), before he prayed that believers would be one (John 17:21). If we loudly profess to believe every Bible truth, except where the world and devil are at the moment attacking, we are denying Christ and proving disloyal. Today’s battle against the Bible takes the form of an invasion of new revelations. This is why Rome can happily endorse the Charismatic movement because Rome also has her new revelations that are contrary to the Bible. We must be sound in belief, sound in a Godly life, and sound in serving Christ. III. 20 REASONS THAT TONGUES CEASED IN THE FIRST CENTURY. 1. Tongues were a sign of judgment against Jewish unbelief as a nation. With the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, God’s judgment on Israel had been executed, and the tongues gift as a sign of coming judgment on Israel was no longer needed. I Corinthians 14:22 says, “Wherefore, tongues are for a sign NOT to them that believe, but to them that believe not.” “In the law it is written, with men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people (Jews); and yet for all that (all the tongues) will they (Jews) not hear me (warning ignored), saith the Lord.” I Corinthians 14:21. Tongues here were clearly a warning to the Jews that they ignored. Paul quotes I Corinthians 14:21 from: i) Deuteronomy 28:49 where God warns of judgment coming from “a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand.” ii) Jeremiah 5:15 “Lo I will bring a nation upon you from afar...a nation whose language thou knowest not....” (612 BC). Hence, Babylonian tongues warned Jews of coming judgment. iii) Isaiah 28:11,12 “With another tongue will he speak to this people.” (712 BC). Here, Assyrian tongues warned the Jews of coming judgment. iv) Isaiah 33:19 “Thou shall not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive: of a stammering tongue that thou canst not understand.” Here the absence of foreign tongues will be a sign that Israel is under God’s blessing. Paul applies the Jewish unbelief of Isaiah 28:11,12 from 712 BC to the first century Jewish unbelief. “This people”, “they”, and “them that believe not” all refers to Jews. There were many Jews at Corinth who did not believe (Acts 18). Hence, tongues were a sign of future judgment to the Jews. 2. There are 3 major outbreaks of miracles in Scripture: i) Moses and Joshua (1441-1370 BC) of about 71 years duration. ii) Elijah and Elisha (870-785 BC) of about 85 years duration. iii) Christ and the Apostles (28-70 AD) of about 42 years duration. Continuous miracles in the Bible are the exception, and do not occur always, but in three periods. The miraculous gift of tongues occured from 30 to 70 AD. 3. Tongues belonged to the infant days of the church. “But when I became a man, I put away childish things.” I Corinthians 13:11. Tongues (along with prophecy and knowledge) would cease when the church became mature. The childhood days of the church ended, when Israel as a nation was judged. Then there was no longer any need for a sign to authenticate the apostles’ message (Mark 16:17-20) which started the church. Nor was there need for a sign against the extinct Jewish nation. The gifts of tongues, miracles, healing, etc had stopped by 70 AD, but of course God still performs miracles and heals as He chooses today in answer to prayer. Since some foundational gifts were temporary. Tongues, a lesser miraculous gift, was temporary also. 4. Tongues authenticated the apostles’ message as from God. “And they (apostles) went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with signs (tongues, healing, exorcism etc.) following. Amen.” Mark 16:20. Today the need for tongues has ceased. God has authenticated the apostles and the New Testament that they penned. This proves the temporary nature of tongues. 5. Hebrews 6:5 shows that the only other age of miracles will be the Millennium described as “the powers of the age to come.” Q. What are the powers? A. The word rendered “powers” is “dunamis” (1411) in Greek, which is the usual New Testament word for miracles. These people had tasted, experienced or witnessed the apostles’ miracles. Q. What is the “age to come”? A. A common Hebrew expression for the millennium where the Messiah will rule as King on earth. Q. Why therefore are miracles referred to as “powers of the age to come”? A. Because they would not characterise the church age (which Hebrews 6:5 was quoted in), but the millennial Kingdom age to come. 6. Hebrews 2:3,4 shows miracles (such as tongues) to be in the past tense, and not continuously being experienced by the Hebrew Christians of 64 AD. “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation which: 1) At the first began to be spoken by the Lord (in Jesus’ 3 year ministry) and 2) was (past tense) confirmed (same as Mark 16:20) unto us (second generation Christians) by them (apostles and first generation Christians) that heard him (Jesus Christ), 3) God also bearing them (the apostles, not us or every generation of Christians) witness, both with signs (eg: tongues, miracles, healings, etc) and wonders, and with divers miracles (miracles belonged to the apostles, not to every Christian. II Corinthians 12:12), and gifts of the Holy Ghost (eg. the temporary miraculous gifts), according to His own will.” a) Notice the phrase “at the first”. This gives the time element which governs all these signs, miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost. b) All Greek verbs in Hebrews 2:3,4 are in the aorist tense indicating a past completed act which can never be repeated. 7. This is also seen in Acts 11:15, where Peter describes tongues at Cornelius household, not as a regular occurrence weekly in every church, but only something that happened last time at Pentecost (Acts 2) “as on us at the beginning.” 8. The Process of Elimination shows tongues to be not for believers of today. Tongues primary purpose was to warn unbelieving Jews to repent, or God would judge them. They refused to repent, so God judged them in 70 AD, thus making tongues as a warning to the Jews no longer necessary. I Corinthians 14:22 is a key verse which says: “Tongues are a sign, NOT to THEM that BELIEVE, but to them that BELIEVE NOT...” Tongues are a sign for one of three types of people. Which one? a) NOT FOR BELIEVERS. 14:22. This means that tongues have no purpose for believers. For Christians to speak in tongues is not valid. b) NOT FOR GENTILE UNBELIVERS. 14:23. Those unlearned in the Old Testament meaning of tongues, or unbelievers, “will they not say that ye are mad?” This describes unsaved Gentiles. Tongues are not for this group because the history of Assyrian and Babylonian tongues as a warning of a judgment to Israel meant nothing to them. c) JEWISH UNBELIEVERS. 14:21. “In the law (Isaiah 28:11; Jeremiah 5:15 and Deuteronomy 28:49) it is written, with men of other tongues (Assyrian, Babylonian, Roman) and other lips will I speak unto this people (Jews); and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.” 9. Tongues had ceased by 70 AD because their use is only mentioned in the earlier New Testament books, such as Mark 16 (57 AD), Acts (54 AD), I Corinthians (55 AD). In all the latter books, tongues are never mentioned. Why? Because they never happened after 70 AD and were of no relevance to any churches thereafter. Tongues are never commanded in any New Testament book for believers to practice. I Corinthians 12,13,14 rebukes the Corinthians wrong use of tongues. It is not endorsing tongues to be practised. Charismatics think that the key to spirituality is tongues, a phenomena that is not mentioned in 24 out of 27 New Testament books. Why are tongues ABSENT from II Corinthians to Revelation? If tongues were so necessary, you would definitely see them in the rest of the New Testament. The book of Romans, which is well known as the most complete summary of Christian doctrine and practice in the Bible, does not once mention tongues. Why not? Because tongues, by the time Romans was written (60 AD) was almost finished as a gift and would be of no relevance in the Church age after 70 AD when God judged Jerusalem. Think about it, if tongues were important, God would have mentioned them at least once in Romans, or II Corinthians, or Galatians, or at least in one letter to a church in a positive context. 10. The gift of tongues was never endorsed or practised by early church leaders. Clement of Rome in 95 AD wrote a letter to the Corinthian church rebuking every problem that Paul rebuked except tongues. Why did he not mention tongues or miracles? Justin Martyr (160 AD) visited many churches but never once mentions tongues, not even in his lists of spiritual gifts. Origen (250 AD) in his voluminous writings never mentions tongues, but argues against Celsus that the sign gifts of the apostles’ age were temporary and were not exercised by Christians in the 3rd Century. Chrysostom (347-407 AD) commented on the I Corinthians passage: “This whole place is very obscure: but the obscurity is produced by our ignorance of the facts referred to and by their cessation, being such as then used to occur, but now no longer take place.” [Homilies, XXIX, 1]. Augustine (354-430 AD) said in speaking of Acts 2:4, “In the earliest times, the Holy Ghost fell upon them that believed: and they spake with tongues....these were signs adapted to the time. For there behooved to be that betokening of the Holy Spirit...that thing was done for a betokening and it passed away.” 11. “Now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three...” I Corinthians 13:13. Now (55AD) abides (continues) faith, hope, charity, these three” (not “these six prophecy, tongues, knowledge”). Since faith and hope finish at Christ’s return, then prophecy, tongues and knowledge had to have finished by 96 AD because they were not abiding, but declining in 55AD. 12. Tape Recorder Test (Independent interpreters) Disproves Interpretation of Tongues. If no one passes the Interpretation test, then neither does anyone possess the genuine gift of tongues. This scientific test will disprove anyone’s claim to have the gift of “Interpretation of tongues.” Assemble one person who claims to have the gift of tongues, and another two people who claim to have the gift of interpreting tongues, keeping both groups separate. Let the first person speak in tongues, while you tape record him speaking. Then bring the first interpreter into the room to hear the taped tongue replayed. Tape record his interpretation of the tongue. Then bring the second interpreter into the room to hear the same tongue replayed. Tape record his interpretation of the same tongue. You will find that the second interpretation will disagree with the first person’s interpretation. Why is this? It is because no one today has the first century supernatural gift of interpretation of tongues, this gift having passed away by 70 AD. It follows therefore, that if the interpretation gift is found to be NON-GENUINE, then the tongues gift is also NON-GENUINE. Notice that when someone speaks gibberish, claiming that he is speaking in an unknown tongue, he is, by deception, taking advantage of the fact that his hearers do not know every language in the universe. The hearer, who is caught off guard, finds it hard to state that this gibberish is not a language. So let us turn the tables and ask if his two interpreter friends can interpret any tongue in agreement. Note: A variation on this test is to get up in a Charismatic meeting, speak something in a foreign language that you know the meaning of, and then ask for it to be correctly interpreted, e.g. quote the Lord’s prayer in Latvian. You will find that the interpretation given, will be nothing like the true meaning of what you said. You may then expose them publicly as deceivers and as being deceived. 13. Ephesians 4,5,6 describe thoroughly the Walk and Service of a Spirit-filled believer. Nowhere in this key passage is speaking in tongues mentioned. Conclusion: “Walking worthy” does not include tongues. 14. Phonetics Test. Every language must have hundreds of different syllables to express the wide range of ideas in a society. Charismatic tongues only have less than 12 syllables repeated constantly. This is typical of gibberish that comes from a mind that is not expressing thoughts, but from a tongue out of control from the mind. Note: 4 syllables are, for example, seen in “Cha/ris/ma/tic”. This shows that tongues are not real languages, but are just sounds made up on the spot at random. 15. Majoring on tongues REVERSES the order of importance of spiritual gifts. In I Corinthians 12:28, God lists tongues as the least important of 8 gifts. In I Corinthians 12:31, God tells the church to seek the “best” gifts.(ie: give more emphasis to teaching) God gives gifts to believers “as HE will” (12:11), not as we insist. Charismatics tell people to pray long and hard for the gift of tongues. We are not to deliberately choose and insist on having the least gift and exalt it above the others. Why not place greater emphasis on the gifts of pastor-teacher, evangelists, helps, government, giving etc.? It is because these gifts involve hard work, but tongues (gibberish) is easy. 16. The context of I Corinthians is rebuking 13 errors, such as tongues. It is not recommending tongues. The Corinthian church was filled with problems that Paul corrects in this book, such as: 1. They were following their favourite human leaders causing divisions. 1:11-14. 2. “ “ favouring human wisdom. 1:18-2:13. 3. “ “ carnal, living for self, not being controlled by the Spirit. 2:14-3:7. 4. “ “ forgetting the future Judgment Seat of Christ. 3:8-23. 5. “ “ proud, thinking of themselves more highly than they ought. 4:1-21. 6. “ “ failing to discipline, by tolerating a fornicator. 5:1-13. 7. “ “ taking fellow believers to court. 6:1-20. 8. “ “ confused about marriage. 7:1-40. 9. “ “confused about liberty thinking it meant licence to do anything,even stumbling others.8,9,10 10. “ “ confused about clothing, long hair on men and the Lord’s Supper. 11. 11. “ “ confused about spiritual gifts, especially tongues. 12-14. 12. “ “ confused about the resurrection. 15. 13. “ “ confused about the collection. 16. As we can see the Corinthian church was deep in error and false doctrine. It was the only church that emphasized tongues as today’s Charismatics do. Charismatics therefore place themselves in very bad company. Charismatics fail to understand that Paul is not endorsing tongues, but is rebuking the wrong use of tongues and is strongly regulating tongues contrary to today’s Charismatics. The Corinthian church was the worst church for Charismatics to follow as an example. 17. They fail the “Easy to be entreated” test. It is amazing how tongues speakers often become very angry, intolerant, irritable, impatient, nervous, very dogmatic, and extremely touchy when anything is said which disapproves of or corrects their idea of speaking in tongues. “The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, easy to be entreated...” James 3:17. “The works of the flesh...are wrath, strife...” Galatians 5:19,20. “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God.” Hebrews 12:15. 18. The First Mention Principle of Tongues is in the Context of Judgment. This is a well-established principle for correctly interpreting Scripture. It states that: When any subject, word, expression or idea is first mentioned in the Bible, this shows God thinking on that subject, and is a guide to how we should understand this subject in the rest of the Bible. Example: The first mention of Babylon, Babel, and languages is in Genesis 11:1-9 where God confused man’s languages so that they did not understand one another’s speech. “The Lord scattered mankind abroad upon the face of all the earth.” Man has remained divided by different languages ever since. Hence tongues are associated with division and confusion (the meaning of Babel), ever since the Tower of Babel; not with the blessing of God, but with the judgment of God. “Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.” Psalm 31:20. 19. PRAYING IN TONGUES is WRONG because UNDERSTANDING is ABSENT. “For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the UNDERSTANDING also.” I Cor. 14:14,15. Paul is saying here that if you pray in tongues, your spirit might be trying to express something, but your MIND (or understanding) has no idea what is being said. This is wrong behaviour, Paul says. For prayer to be genuine, we must pray with our spirit and with our understanding. Praying in tongues fails the test of understanding. The mind and voice are disconnected. Many Charismatics will try to justify praying in tongues by quoting Romans 8:26. “...the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which CANNOT BE UTTERED”. This verse is not talking about praying in tongues because tongues are uttered vocal sounds. The Holy Spirit speaks our thoughts to the Father with groanings which cannot be uttered by us, yet prayer tongues are uttered by people. 20. Mark 16:11-20 (especially v.17) shows that the signs that were to follow them that believe related to a brief period, not longer than that covered by the book of Acts,and described in v.19,20 “And these signs shall follow (3877) them (apostles because the context of v.11-14 shows unbelieving apostles four times) that believe; ......they shall speak with new tongues.” v.17. This refutes the Charismatic idea that everybody who believes all through the Church age should speak in tongues, lay hands on the sick and they shall recover, etc., because this belief only refers to the unbelieving apostles in v.11-14 who refused to believe in Christ’s resurrection (v.11,12,14). This continues as part of Christ’s rebuke to the apostles for “their unbelief and hardness of heart.” v.14. IV. 7 REASONS WHY “THEM THAT BELIEVE” REFERS ONLY TO THE APOSTLES. If we fail to read the entire context of Mark 16:9-20 we may get the impression that the v.17,18 sign gifts apply to all believers during all the church age. There is good evidence that “them that believe” refers to only the apostles. Why? Reason 1: Context is the Apostles’ Unbelief in Christ’s Resurrection. In Mark 16:14, Jesus rebukes the apostles for their unbelief in His resurrection. In v.11-14, four times the apostles’ unbelief is mentioned as Jesus addressed the apostles: v.11 “They (apostles), when they had heard that he was alive .......believed not.” v.13 “......neither believed they them.” v.14 “He.....upbraided them (apostles) with their unbelief and hardness of heart.” v.14 “because they (apostles) believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.” After this rebuke Jesus gives the apostles the Great Commission in v.15,16. Once the commission is given, Jesus returns to his immediate audience of the eleven apostles when He says in v.17,18 “These signs shall follow them that believe” (ie. those of you eleven apostles who believe in my resurrection). In my name : 1. they shall they cast out devils. 2. they shall speak with new tongues. 3. they shall take up serpents. 4. if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. 5. they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. Reason 2: Practical experience shows that promises 3,4,5 are not true for every believer today. In spite of continued failures to heal, Charismatics still think that these 5 promises are for all believers today. The obvious problem with this interpretation is that it does not deal with everything mentioned in the text. a) No Charismatic can always fulfil the 5th promise. It says that they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. This means 100% recovery all the time. No one can heal every sick person today, as the apostles could in Acts 5:12-16. “By the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people.....they (believers) brought forth the sick into the streets.....and they were healed every one.” v.16. John Wimber, a famous Charismatic laid hands on 250 Down’s Syndrome children with no cures. Reinhard Boncke tried to heal over 200 Kenyans at Kisumu in Kenya without any success. b) “If they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them.” “If” means accidentally. The problem here is that many good Christians have become sick or died by poisoning. Have you as a believer ever vomited? c) “They shall take up serpents.” We ask a Charismatic to take up a deadly snake. He replies by saying: “No, that would be tempting God.” Yet in the first century this was a sign that the apostles did (shall do) to prove the Word of God and their authority. Some believers today have died in trying this. This shows that this is not for today. Reason 3: AORIST tense of “believe” in Mark 16:17 refers to those who did believe in the past, not who will believe in the future. “These signs shall follow them that believe.” The Greek word for believe here is “pisteusasin” which is an aorist participle referring to those who did believe in the past.” [S. Zodhiates, “Complete New Testament Word Study Dictionary,” p.1107], “not those who would believe in the future.” [S. Zodhiates, “Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible,” p.1223]. The aorist tense refers to a past action at a point in time, not an event that recurs again into the future, as it would be if it was true of all believers. Reason 4: Belief (Gk: pisteusasin in Mark 16:17) does not refer to saving belief. In John 3:16 and 5:24 saving belief is “pisteuwn”, a different word ending. Hence, “belief” in Mark 16:17 refers not to all future believers, but to the apostles believing in Christ’s resurrection at a point in time, once for all time. Reason 5: “Do All speak With tongues?” 1 Corinthians 12:30 requires the answer “No, not all believers have the gift of speaking with tongues.” Reason 6: The Purpose of these signs was to confirm the Word of God spoken and written by the apostles, as Mark 16:20 says. “And they (apostles) went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them (apostles), and confirming the Word with signs (eg. tongues) following.” Once the Word of God (the New Testment) had been confirmed by the apostle’s signs, then further signs were not needed. The signs had done their job of proving the New Testament as being from God. When the Word of God was completed, then miraculous apostolic confirmatory signs were no longer needed. Reason 7: Mark 16:20 continues the context to mean apostles. This tells what happened to the apostles after they changed from unbelief in Christ’s resurrection, to believing it and preaching it everywhere with signs following. Hence, in v.20, the context is still only the apostles doing signs, not every believer doing signs. Conclusion: Either all five signs are valid for today or none are valid today. They only refer to first century apostles. Reprinted with permission.
  6. Short answer. yes. John 6:37 - All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. John 10:28 - And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. John 5:24 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Jude 1:24 - Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present [you] faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,1 John 5:13 - These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
  7. 1 Corinthians 10:23 "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not." Matthew 15:11 "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."
  8. SCIENCE AS PROOF OF THE BIBLE By Pastor Keith Piper. Whenever the Bible makes a scientific statement, it is always proven correct after man has discovered all the relevant facts. In the Library of the Louvre in Paris there are 3.5 miles of obsolete science books on the shelves. In 1861 the French Academy of Science published a list of 51 "scientific facts" which supposedly contradicted the Bible. Today all 51 of these "facts" are unacceptable to modern scientists. Do other religious books contain scientifically accurate information? Consider the Vedas, the Hindu Scriptures of India, in the following quote. This shows them to be very unscientific, hence disproving Eastern religions and modern New Age thinking, which are based on the Vedas. "The moon is 50,000 leagues higher than the sun (?), and shines by its own light (?); night is caused by the sun's setting behind a huge mountain (?) several thousand feet high, located in the centre of the earth (?), that this world, flat (?) and triangular (?) is composed of 7 states (?) - one of honey, another of sugar, a third of butter, and still another of wine, (?) and the whole mass is borne on the heads of countless elephants (?) which in shaking produce earthquakes." As you can see, there are at least nine clear scientific errors in this short passage of the Vedas. The Bible on the other hand contains no scientific errors in its 66 books. Key: The Bible contains scientific information that was not known by man at the time of writing. In many cases it was only discovered recently. Question: How did the Bible possess knowledge not yet discovered by man? Answer: God authored the Bible, and revealed information not yet known to man, so that the world would know that the Bible is God's Word, coming from a mind much greater than man's. Question: Why did no other religious book reveal new scientific information? Answer: Because other religious books are man made, are limited by man's then current state of knowledge, and have not come from the all-knowing Creator, but are counterfeits seeking to claim authority over us. Hence we reject them. What examples of scientific facts revealed in the Bible, were unknown to man at the time of writing? 1. The Earth Hangs in Space. "He hangs the earth upon nothing." Job 26:7 stated 1500BC. Until modern times "experts" believed ideas such as the earth sat on four elephants, who stood on a giant turtle, who swam in the ocean. Man could not imagine how the earth could hang in space on nothing. Yet this is what happens due to gravitational attraction between the earth and the sun, giving the appearance that the earth hangs on nothing. 2. Earth at any time is part day-time and part night. When the moment of Christ's second coming to earth is discussed in Luke 17:31-36, Christ's return interrupts people sleeping at night on one part of the earth, and interrupts others in the daytime grinding at the mill or working in the field. How did Jesus Christ know that the earth at any point of time is half dark and half light? Because He is the all-knowing God. "..in the day when the Son of Man is revealed. (v.30). In that day.... he that is in the field. (v.31). In that night there shall be two in one bed, one shall be taken, the other left. (v.34). Two women shall be grinding together; one shall be taken, and the other left (v.35). Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left." (v.36). 3. Cloud Balancing. "Dost thou know the balancing of the clouds?" Job 37:16. Clouds are floating in the air, balanced by two forces: gravity pulling them downwards, and warm air pushing them upwards. How did Job know about this in 1500 BC? God told him. 4. Telephone Communication. "Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go, and say unto thee, here we are?" Job 38:35. When we dial a telephone number, an electric current (lightning or electricity as we know it) moves through a wire to our friend's telephone, which rings a bell. He answers it and says "Hello, it's ...... here." We then both have a conversation over long distance. The telephone works exactly as Job 38:35 says, yet man did not invent it until 1876. God revealed the telephone to Job in 1520BC, 3400 years before AG Bell invented it. 5. Very Great Number of Stars. "As the host of heaven cannot be numbered." Jeremiah 33:22 in 590 BC. "He (God) telleth the number of stars; he calleth them all by their names." Psalm 147:4. Ptolemy in 150AD dogmatically said that 1056 stars existed. Scientists now estimate that there are around 1011 x 1011 = 1022 stars, and this is only a guess. 6. The Height of Stars. "Behold the height of the stars, how high they are." Job 22:12. Man did not realise how high and far the stars are until Bessel in 1838 measured the distances of stars using the parallax method. Alpha Centauri, earth's nearest star is 4 x 1013 kms (40,000 billion kms) away. It would take you 10 million years to get there if you could travel there in your motorcar at 100 km per hour. 7. Pleiades Constellation is a Bound cluster, not breaking up. "Canst thou bind the sweet influences (cluster) of Pleiades?" Job 38:31. In 1520 BC, God said that the Pleiades star cluster is bound together in a highly stable group. Today using high-powered telescopes, this has been shown to be true. It is a bound cluster of about 500 stars, 50 light years across and 410 light years away from earth. The individual stars cannot overcome the "chains" of gravity and allow them to break away from the cluster. The cluster is not expanding, nor breaking up, but is bound together. This situation is very uncommon as the reverse is usually true of all open or galactic clusters. Also, photographs reveal that some of it's stars are veiled in a faint transparent blue haze of gas and dust, which beautifully reflect the glory of the stars in the cluster with their various colours. The cluster is indeed "sweet" in colour as God said in Job 38:31. Question: How did the Bible know these two details, which are not observable to the naked eye? Answer: The all-knowing God Who created the stars, authored the Bible. 8. Orion's Bands are loosed. "Canst thou loose the bands of Orion?" Job 38:31 The constellation of Orion is a star system that is steadily expanding outwards. The gravitational "bands" holding the constellation together have indeed been loosed, just as God told Job. Orion is 350 light years across and 1600 light years from earth. This expansion is not observable to the naked eye. Question: How could the Bible tell the difference between two star systems in 1600 BC, Pleiades being bound and Orion being loosed? Answer: God authored the Bible. "Canst thou bind the sweet influences (cluster) of Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion?" Job 38:31. God can and has done it. 9. Spherical Earth. “It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth." Isaiah 40:22. "..when he set a compass upon the face of the depth." Proverbs 8:27. Circle 2329 = Compass 2329 in Hebrew is "Khoog" = to describe a circle, or circuit, meaning the horizon which is circular. In 712 BC, when Isaiah wrote this, people thought that the earth was flat, and that you could sail over the edge of it and fall off. Columbus and Magellan proved that the earth was circular by sailing around it in a circle from East to West and then returning to the point of departure. Question: How did the Bible know that the earth was spherical? Answer: God wrote it. 10. Treasures of the Snow. "Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow?” Job 38:22. Snow crystals are invisible to the naked eye, but under a microscope every snow crystal is different. No two snow crystals are the same. They are all beautiful 6-sided patterns, just like exquisite treasures. How did the Bible know this 3300 years before the microscope was invented? God wrote it. 11. All Mankind came from One Woman. "Adam called his wife's name Eve: because she was the mother of all living." Genesis 3:20. DNA is found in every cell, in both the nucleus and the mitochondrion (energy station). Mitochondrial DNA is always and only inherited from the mother. Analysis of this DNA in humans from all over the world shows unmistakably that all humans have inherited it from one woman. This research was done by Wilson, Cann, and Stoneking from the University of California, Berkeley. (Creation Ex Nihilo, Vol.12, No.2, March 1990). 12. The Bloodstream Carries Life. "The life of the flesh is in the blood." Leviticus 17:11. From 400 BC to 1900 AD, a procedure called "blood letting" was popular. Sick people had blood drained from their bloodstream as a supposed therapeutic measure. It was responsible for killing millions of people, such as George Washington. People thought that blood carried disease instead of life. By draining the blood, the patient died of blood loss. Now we give blood to some sick patients. The Bible was right again. 13. Diseases Caused by Pigs. "And the swine...is unclean to you. Of their flesh shall ye not eat and their carcass shall ye not touch". Leviticus 11:7,8. Forbidding to eat pigs was because of: • lack of refrigeration, and • roasting pork over an open flame does not destroy the parasites. Parasites are obtained by handling fresh pork. Some diseases are caused by eating pork that is not properly cooked. For example, Trichinosis larvae attach to the intestine when eaten. They then bore through the intestine into the blood stream, and the larvae are carried to all parts of the body. They develop and grow in a person's striated muscle. Pork Tapeworm may feed off the intestine and grow to 12 foot long. It may be fatal in 10-20 years. God, by forbidding people to eat or touch pork, shows His care for us. Question: How did the Bible know about the dangers of pork in 1500 BC? Answer: God wrote the Bible. 14. Leprosy to be Quarantined. "he (the leper) shall dwell alone; outside the camp shall his habitation be.Thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is by fire." Leviticus 13:46,57. Moses laid down the rules to recognise and to quarantine the infected leper as contagious, lest other people catch leprosy. 15. Sanitation. "Thou shalt have a place outside the camp.... when you will ease yourself, you shall dig (with a paddle) and shall turn back and cover that which cometh from thee.” Deuteronomy 23:12,13. Up until 1800 AD, human excrement was dumped onto the unpaved, filthy streets. Powerful stenches gripped villages and cities. Flies bred in the filth, spreading intestinal diseases that killed millions of people. Such deaths by diseases like typhoid, cholera and dysentery could have been avoided if they had obeyed the Bible. Question: How did the Bible know this, when man couldn't understand it until 1800? Answer: God wrote the Bible. Moses never learned this information from Egypt, because Egypt's standard medical textbook was the "Papyrus Ebers." It contained quack cures like "lizards blood, pigs teeth, stinking fat and meat, pig's ear wax, excreta from humans, dogs, flies, cats, etc.!” Moses never referred to these false cures in his writings. 16. Hands and Clothes Washing. Until 1900 AD, many hospital patients died due to infections caused by doctors not washing their hands or clothing after contact with infectious patients. The Bible required repeated washing in running water with time allowed for drying and exposure to the sun to kill the bacteria. 17. Fountains Under the Sea. "Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea?" Job 38:16. "When he strengthened the fountains of the deep." Proverbs 8:28. There are at least 10,000 known underwater volcanoes, adding extra water to the oceans of 430 million tons each year. Question: How did the Bible know what took place on the deep ocean floor? Answer: God wrote it. 18. The Water Cycle. "All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from where the rivers come, there they return again." Ecclesiestes 1:7. Rain falls on the coast, runs down the rivers into the oceans, evaporates into clouds, and is blown back to land. It then rains, thus repeating what is known as the water cycle. 19. The Sun is the Source of the Earth's Wind Systems. "By what way is the light parted, which scatters the east wind upon the earth?” Job 38:24. Wind is caused by the uneven heating of the air around the earth by the sun. The sun also heats the surface of the earth unevenly. Air above hot areas (such as land) expands and rises. Air from cooler areas then flows in to take the place of heated air. This is called circulation. 20. Light can be Parted or Dispersed into a Rainbow Spectrum. "By what way is the light parted (Heb.2505)?" Job 38:24. "Parted" in Hebrew is "chalaq” which means, "separated". White light can be separated into 7 colours of the spectrum which are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. This was not understood until experiments with light were performed in the 1600's. Note: Light is like Jesus Christ: "I am the light of the world." John 9:5. As light has seven colours, so Christ has the seven spirits of God. See Isaiah 11:1,2. 21. Winds blow in Circuits. "The wind goes toward the south, and turns about unto the north, it whirls about continually and the wind turns again according to his circuits." Ecclesiastes 1:6. At the equator, the sun heats the air causing it to rise. In the upper atmosphere this air flows away from the equator. When the air returns to the earth's surface, it flows across the surface. This moving surface air produces the six belts of prevailing winds around the earth. 22. Winds have Weight and hence Air Pressure. "To make the weight for the winds." Job 28:25. Galileo in 1600 AD noted that a suction pump would not raise water more than 34 feet. Torricelli suggested that if air could support a column of water 34 feet high, then air should support a column of mercury about 2.5 feet high, because mercury is 13 times as heavy as water. Torricelli made a mercury barometer and proved that air has pressure and hence weight as the Bible says. God revealed that air has weight 3200 years earlier. 23. Sea Paths or Ocean Currents. "Whatsoever passes through the paths of the sea". Psalm 8:8. "Paths" in Hebrew means "customary roads." Matthew Maury is the father of Oceanography. A statue of him exists in Virginia with charts of the sea in one hand and a Bible in the other. Until Maury's work there were no charts of sailing lanes. One day during a temporary illness, his son read from Psalm 8:8. Maury stopped him, asking him to read it again. Maury then said: "It is enough. If the Word of God says that there are paths in the sea, they must be there, and I am going to find them." Within a few years he had charted the sea lanes and ocean currents. Question: How did the Bible know about sea paths or ocean currents? Answer: God wrote it. 24. Laws of Physics control matter, energy and motion. God asked Job: "Knowest thou the ordinances (laws) of heaven?" Job 38:33. Ordinances are physical laws that govern the movement of heavenly bodies, stars, planets, comets, meteors etc. Examples include: • Keplar's laws of equal areas of orbits • Solar Physics • Newton's law of universal gravitation • Quantum mechanics • Newton's three laws of motion • Radioactive decay • The first and second laws of thermodynamics • Sub atomic particle laws • Laws governing blackholes, quasars, pulsars etc. The more that man learns about science, the more he realises that there is to learn. Question: How did the Bible know that science operates on laws in 1500 BC? Answer: God wrote it 25. The First Law of Thermodynamics states that no new matter or energy is being created in the known universe; it is only being interconverted from one form to another. "On the seventh day God ended his work which He had made." Genesis 2:2. 26. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that the disorder of the universe is increasing. Systems are running from a high to a low state of energy. "They (the earth and heavens) all shall wax old as doth a garment. And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same,and thy years shall not fail." Hebrews 1:11,12. Scientists admit that with all the energy that the sun burns up, it must become cold one day in the distant future. The same must happen to all stars. This is called the "heat death of the universe." Without solar heat, life on earth could not exist. Thankfully Jesus Christ is going to remake this universe into a perfect state at the end of the Millennium. 27. Can a Whale swallow Jonah "Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." Jonah 1:17. Many people use this as their reason for doubting the Bible's truthfulness. How can a fish swallow a man? Several cases in modern times have been reported of a whale swallowing a man who survived. One is reported by Francis Fox in "Sixty-three years of Engineering" p.298-300 and confirmed by two scientists, one being M. DeParville, the scientific editor of "Journal Des Debats" in Paris. In February 1891, the whaling ship, "Star of the East" was near the Falkland Islands, where they sighted a large sperm whale. Two boats were sent out after the whale. One boat harpooned the whale, but the whale upset the other boat, drowning one man and the other sailor James Bartley, disappearing without a trace. After the whale was killed and cut open two days later, James Bartley was found unconscious and doubled up inside the whale. He had lost his senses through fright and not through lack of air. His skin was bleached white from stomach acid. He fully recovered. If a man can survive two days in a whale in 1891, surely Jonah could have survived three days in a great fish in 862 BC. CONCLUSION: The Bible not only includes that which is scientifically correct, but also totally avoids that which is scientific nonsense as found in the books of many other religions. For example, the ancient Egyptians believed that the world was hatched from a great cosmic egg which had wings. Because the Bible avoids scientific nonsense, and because the Bible contains scientific information that was not known until recently, we conclude that the all-knowing Creator God authored the Bible. This is a powerful argument to warrant our complete confidence in the Bible's truth and reliability on every other issue of life. reprinted with permission from Pastor Keith Piper. https://www.libertybaptistchurch.org.au/
  9. A great study showing how dangerous the NIV Bible really is. Please READ this before commenting. Reproduced with permission. serious omissions in the niv.pdf
  10. Rubbish. An Apostle was an eye witness of Jesus Christ. As for Prophets, Hebrews 1:1 clears that one up.
  11. "Where did God come from" is very non sequitur. It implies that God is subject to time, space and matter. He CREATED these things. The man who designed the computer is not IN the computer running around but is OUTSIDE of the computer. God is CAUSE, he is not EFFECT.
  12. In 1889, the watchtower said " we present PROOFS that the setting up of the kingdom of God has already begun...and that 'the battle of the great day of God almighty' (Revelation16:14),which will end in AD1914 with the complete overthrow of the earth's present rulership, is already commenced.". So, the WT presented "proofs". These "proofs" were wrong, so what credibility do they have to "proclaim" anything? More food for thought: Failed/Changed prophecies. The Millennium began in 1873. (Thy Kingdom Come, page 305),The Millennium began in 1874. (Finished Mystery, page 386),The resurrection would occur in 1878 (They Kingdom Come, page 234),Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the faithful prophets of old would return in 1925. (Millions Now Living Will Never Die, page 89),The Book of Ruth is "not prophetical". (Watchtower Reprints IV, p.3110, 12/7/02),The Book of Ruth "is prophetic". (Preservation", p. 169, 175, 176.) 1922 "The date 1925 is even more distinctly indicated by the Scriptures than 1914," (Watchtower, Sept. 1, 1922, p. 262). FALSE PROPHESY! Will the men of Sodom be resurrected? Yes....Watchtower 7/1879 page 8 No.....Watchtower 6/1/52 page 338 Yes....Watchtower 8/1/65, page 479 No.....Watchtower 6/1/88, page 31 Yes...Live Forever (old Ed.) page 179 No....Live Forever (new Ed.) page 179 Yes...Insight, vol. 2., page 985 No...Revelation book, page 273.
  13. WHY IT IS RIGHT FOR CHRISTIANS TO MEET ON SUNDAY, NOT SATURDAY, THE JEWISH SABBATH Seventh Day Adventists accuse Christians of constantly breaking the fourth Commandment to keep the Sabbath (Saturday) holy. Christians meet on the Sunday. Some Christians keep every day holy. Why do we meet on the Sunday, not Saturday? Five main reasons are: 1. Keeping the Saturday Sabbath was the sign of the Mosaic Covenant between God and Jews only (Exodus 31:13,14,16,17). i) "Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between ME and YOU throughout your generations." Exodus 31:13. ii) "Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant." Exodus 31:16. iii) "It is a sign between ME and the children of Israel forever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed." Exodus 31:17. Also God reiterates this command in Ezekiel 20:12,20. iv) "Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them."Ezekiel 20:12. v) "And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you." Ezekiel 20:20. Notice that God says on four occasions that sabbath-keeping is a sign between God and Israel, and that the Sabbath is to be kept throughout their generations, forever. "Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth ... the giving of the law..." Romans 9:4. 2. Early Church Writers Before 300 AD Observed Sunday. They never once say that they observed Saturday. For example, Barnabas (100 AD), Ignatius (107 AD), Justin Martyr (145 AD), Tertullian (180 AD), Victorinus (280 AD), Bardaisan (154 AD), Cyprian (200 AD), Irenaeus (178 AD) all write that Christians met on Sunday. They never refer to Christian’s day of worship being the Saturday sabbath. The Edict of Laodicea (320 AD) officially confirmed a long established practice. This is significant because SDA's say that the Catholic church after 320 AD changed Saturday worship to Sunday worship. This theory is nowhere found in Church Father’s writings, but instead Sunday as the Christian day of worship has always been the rule. The early church writers, many of whom were taught by the apostles, refer at least 14 times to Sunday as being the day of meeting together for worship. The SDA Church has never successfully refuted these historical facts. Church Fathers Observing SUNDAY, not SATURDAY, are: 1. Justin Martyr 100-165 AD (Volume 1, Page 186). "And on the day called Sunday, all who live in cities or in the country gather together to one place, and the memoirs of the apostles or the writings of the prophets are read ... But Sunday is the day on which we all hold our common assembly, because it is the first day on which God, having wrought a change in the darkness and matter, made the world; and Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from the dead." 2. Ignatius (110 AD), Bishop of Antioch. “If then those who walk in the ancient practices attain to newness of hope, no longer observing the Sabbath, but fashioning their lives after the Lord’s Day on which our life also arose through Him, that we may be found disciples of Jesus Christ, our only teacher.” 3. The Epistle of Barnabas 120-150 AD. “Your new moons and your sabbaths I cannot endure”. Isaiah 1:13. “You perceive how He speaks: your present sabbaths are not acceptable to me, but that which I had made in giving rest to all things, I shall make a beginning of the eighth day, that is a beginning of another world. Wherefore also, we keep the eighth day with joyfulness, a day also in which Jesus rose from the dead.” 4. Bardaisan (born 154 AD). “Wherever we be, all of us are called by the one name of the Messiah, namely Christians and upon one day which is the first day of the week, we assemble ourselves together and on the appointed days we abstain from food.” 5. The Teaching of the Apostles 160 AD (Volume 8, Page 668). "The Apostles further appointed: On the first day of the week let there be service and the reading of the Holy Scriptures, and the oblation: because on the first day of the week our Lord rose from the place of the dead, and on the first day of the week He arose upon the world, and on the first day of the week He ascended up to heaven.” 6. Tertullian 150-240 AD (Volume 3, Page 70). "The Holy Spirit upbraids the Jews with their holy-days. Your Sabbaths, and new moons, and ceremonies" says He, "My soul hateth." By us, to whom Sabbaths are strange, and the new moons and festivals formerly beloved by God ..." 7. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, 200-258 AD. “The Lord’s Day is both the first and the eighth day.” 8. Ad Nationes 217 AD (Volume 3, Page 123). “Others, with greater regard to good manners, it must be confessed, suppose that the sun is the God of the Christians, because it is a well known fact that we pray towards the east, or because we make Sunday a day of festivity.” 9. Victorinus 280 AD (Volume 7, Page 342). "And let the parasceve become a rigorous fast, lest we should appear to observe any Sabbath with the Jews, which Christ Himself, the Lord of the Sabbath, says by His prophets that "His soul hateth;” which Sabbath He in His body abolished, although, nevertheless, He had formerly Himself commanded Moses that circumcision should not pass over the eighth day, which day very frequently happens on the Sabbath, as we read written in the Gospel.” 10. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, 155 AD (Volume 8, Page 773). "The mystery of the Lord’s resurrection may not be celebrated any other day than on the Lord’s Day.” SDA’s try to equate the Sabbath with the Lord’s Day by linking Mark 2:28 with Revelation 1:10. They reason that since “the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27,28), when John says that he “was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10). Jesus was just saying in Mark 2:28 that as Lord of all, He could do as He pleased on the Sabbath Day. Early Christian writers never once say that Saturday was their common day of worship. 3. Early Christians Met on the First Day of the Week, Sunday, in: i) "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow." Acts 20:7. Early Christians met on Sunday for their agape love feast, followed by the Lord’s Supper. ii) "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him ..." 1 Corinthians 16:2. Early Christians, who met on Sunday, were to give money in the collection. They did not meet on Saturday. This order was also given to the churches of Galatia who met on Sunday. iii) "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled ... Jesus stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you." John 20:19. “After eight days again his disciples were within, then came Jesus ..." John 20:26. Jesus appeared on the Sunday, as well as the following Sunday that the disciples met. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesda Thursday Friday Saturday y 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 4. Paul When Discussing Sabbath-Keeping Never Commands Christians to Keep the Sabbath, which He Surely Would Have if it was Meant for Christians. i) "One man esteemeth one day above another (Seventh Day Adventists): another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." Romans 14:5. "he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it." Romans 14:6. Note: Paul here had a great chance to say "you must meet on Saturday", but he did not state either day as mandatory. Why did Paul not command sabbath-keeping here? Nor should we. ii) "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the SABBATH DAYS." Colossians 2:16. Jews protested Sunday keeping. Note: Don't judge people as being wrong because they don't keep the Jewish Sabbath. iii) "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is." Heb. 10:25. No mention here of the need to keep Sabbath Saturday. 5. Sixteen Times we are told that the MOSAIC LAW is FINISHED for Believers. KEY: The Mosaic Law (including sabbath) is compared to a dead husband (Rom. 7:1-4), a prison (Gal. 3:23), and a schoolmaster (Gal. 3:24-25). Question: SDA's say "But aren't we supposed to keep the Mosaic 10 Commandments laws?" Answer: We are not under the Mosaic law, but under a different law in the Church Age, "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus"(Rom.8:2;Gal.6:2) which is an internal Holy Spirit motivated law. Sabbath keeping is never mentioned as part of this law. i) "Ye are not under law, but under grace ..." Romans 6:14,15 and Galatians 5:18. ii) “Ye are dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another (ie. to Christ).” Romans 7:1-4. Note: As a woman is bound by the law to her husband as long as he lives, yet if the husband is dead, she is FREE FROM that LAW (v.2,3). So, Christians are become DEAD TO THE LAW, by the body of Christ, and we are MARRIED TO ANOTHER (Jesus Christ). The Law is likened to the dead husband. This means that Christians' relationship to the Law has been severed. iii) "Now we are DELIVERED FROM THE LAW, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in NEWNESS OF SPIRIT, and not in the oldness of the letter." Romans 7:6. “Oldness of the letter” of the law is not how we serve. This states that: a) We are delivered from the law, b) the law is dead, which held us, c) we now serve in newness of the Law of the Spirit. iv) “The LAW of the SPIRIT OF LIFE in Christ Jesus has made me FREE from the LAW OF SIN and DEATH.” Romans 8:2. This means that now we have Christ, we have the Holy Spirit, and we operate under a different law, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. We are now FREE from the Mosaic law of sin and death. v.4 The righteousness of the law is possible to be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit (by yielding to the leading of the Spirit daily). v.9 Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. v) “Christ is the END (5056) OF THE LAW for righteousness to every one that believeth.” Romans 10:4. Note: “END” (5056) means “termination, completion in respect to time.” “The law as a demanded obligation has come to an end because Jesus has fulfilled its demands and imparted his righteousness to those who believe. Christ has freed believers from its tyranny. The standards of righteousness come to us now not from outside by imposition, but from inside by the Spirit who writes the law upon our hearts.” The Complete New Testament Word Study Dictionary, by Spiros Zodhiates. Page 1376. We are now under a NEW LAW from WITHIN called: a) The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:2. b) Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the Law of Christ. c) Whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty. John 13:34; James 1:25; Galatians 6:2. d) If ye fulfil the royal law.“Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” ye do well. James 2:8 vi) In Galatians 3:23-25 Paul describes the law as: a) a PRISON.“before faith came, we were KEPT UNDER THE LAW, SHUT UP.” v.23 We were shut up in the prison of the law, until faith in Christ came. Then we were released from the prison of law by Christ, to serve in newness of Spirit. vii) b) a SCHOOLMASTER that controlled us until Christ came. “the LAW was our SCHOOLMASTER (3807 a strict, disciplining slave who led boys from home to school) to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”v.24 But after that faith is come, we are "NO LONGER under a schoolmaster.” v.25. Note carefully: The Law brought conviction of sin to bring us to be saved by faith in Christ. Now that we are saved, we are NO LONGER under the Mosaic Law. This means that we are no longer under the Sabbath-keeping Law. viii) Colossians 2:14 “Blotting out the handwriting of ORDINANCES (1378) that was against us,…and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” Ordinances contained the Ten Commandments as Eph. 2:15 and Hebrews 9:1-4 states. ix) Ephesians 2:15 “Having ABOLISHED (2673) in his flesh the enmity, even the LAW (3551) of COMMANDMENTS contained in ordinances (1378) ...” Ordinance (1378) dogma means decree of the Mosaic Law, external precepts. Law (3551) (“nomos” in Greek) means laws of the Mosaic statues, including: a) laws of civil rights and duties, marriage, Levitical priesthood. b) laws of external religious rites eg. purification, circumcision, sacrifices. c) laws of hearts and conduct of men. d) a code or body of laws. Abolished (2673) (“katargeo” in Greek) means to destroy, cause to cease, do away with, put an end to, a complete cessation. Therefore, Christ completely abolished the Mosaic statutes, code and body of laws, contained in decrees. Note: Christ ABOLISHED the LAW OF COMMANDMENTS. x) Hebrews 9:1-4 “The first covenant had ORDINANCES of divine service….For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary…..the TABLES OF THE COVENANT.” (See Heb. 8:13). The first covenant had ordinances which contained the tables of the covenant (10 Comm). Since the first covenant has vanished (Heb.8:13), the ordinances are taken away (Col.2:14), so the 10 Commandments are abolished (Eph.2:15) as they are in first cov. & ordinances.(9:1-4 xi) “For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a CHANGE ALSO OF THE LAW.” Hebrews 7:12. Note: The priesthood is changed from Levitical (v.11) to Christ. Therefore the Law of sin and death, is changed to the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ (Romans 8:2). The Levitical priests received their authority from the Old Testament law, and since the Levitical priesthood has been changed, the Law has been changed. The Mosaic Law made no provision for a priest from Judah (Hebrews 7:14), so the entire system of Old Testament law has been changed and fulfilled in Jesus Christ and has therefore been taken out of the way (“Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us..and took it out of the way” and, “Let no man judge you in..sabbath days.” Colossians 2:14,16). The believer has been set free from the law (Gal.5:1-6),& is dead to the law (Rom. 7:1-4) Objection: But does this mean that I am “free to sin?” Answer: No. “Free from the law” does not mean “free to sin,” but it means “free to do the will of God.” We obey, not because of outward compulsion, but because of the inward constraint of the love for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14) doing the will of God from the heart (Ephesians 6:6). The indwelling Holy Spirit enables us to fulfil the “righteousness of the Law” as we yield to him (Romans 8:1-4). xii) “There is verily a DISANNULLING of the COMMANDMENT going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.” Hebrews 7:18. Note: The Old Testament Law is now DISANNULLED (115) (CANCELLED) by Christ. xiii) “He TAKETH AWAY the FIRST (Mosaic Covenant with Old Testament law, sabbath-keeping, etc) that he may ESTABLISH the SECOND (the New Testament new covenant of Christ).” Hebrews 10:9. xiv) “If ye are led of the Spirit, YE are NOT UNDER the LAW.” Galatians 5:18. A Godly life is not lived under the rules of the Law, but is a life led by the Holy Spirit. xv) “Certain have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, ye must be circumcised, and KEEP THE LAW: to whom WE GAVE NO SUCH COMMANDMENT.” Acts 15:19,20,24. Note: The Apostles never commanded us to keep the law of the Sabbath day, because we are under the law of the Spirit of life. Seventh Day Adventists are like Judaisers who trouble people with words and subvert people’s souls, saying, “You must keep the law of the Sabbath day” or you’re not saved. xvi) “But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones (10 Commandments), was glorious,….which glory was to be done away: (v.7)…For if the ministration of condemnation (10 Commandments) be glory….(v.9) For if that which is done away was glorious (10 Commandments engraven in stones), much more that which remaineth (New Covenant) is glorious (v.11).” (II Corinthians 3:7,9,11). “Done away” (v.11) is “katargoumenon” (Gk) meaning that the 10 Commandments law has “ceased, put an end to, abolished, done away with”-Barnes).It gave way to the law of Christ. Question 1: But doesn’t the Law refer to the Ceremonial Law only, and not to the Ten Commandments? Answer: NO because: a) Romans 7:7 gives us an example of the Law as "Thou shalt not covet" (the tenth commandment). "What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." If it is true that number 10 is dead to us, then it is also true that number 4 is dead to us also. b) 2 Corinthians 3:7-11(engraven in stones), c) Ephesians 2:15 (commandments), d) Hebrews 9:1-4 (The first covenant had…tables of the covenant; 8:13 ‘ready to vanish’). Question to Sabbath-keepers: “Ye shall kindle NO FIRE throughout your habitations UPON THE SABBATH DAY.” Exodus 35:3. Note: Seventh Day Adventists break the Old Testament sabbath by cooking food, burning a gas fire, driving a car with internal combustion etc, on Saturday. Question to Sabbath-keepers: Every one of the 10 Commandments, except number four, “Keep the Sabbath day holy” are repeated to be kept by Christians in the New Testament. We ask, “Why did God see fit to repeat every commandment except number four? Did God forget to repeat number 4, while he took pains to repeat the other nine? Is God forgetful?" 1. 1 Thessalonians 1:9 Ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God. 2. Galatians 5:20 Works of flesh are ... idolatry. 3. 1 Timothy 1:20 That they may learn not to blaspheme. 4. [NOT COMMANDED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT] 5. Ephesians 6:1-3 Honour thy father and mother. 6. Galatians 5:21 Works of flesh ... murderers. 7. Galatians 5:19 Works of flesh ... adultery. 8. Ephesians 4:28 Let him that stole, steal no more. 9. Ephesians 4:15 Speaking the truth in love. (Titus 2:3 Not false accusers)... Ephesians 4:25 Putting away lying, speak every man the truth .. 10. Ephesians 5:5 Nor covetous man who is an idolater. Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness. Conclusion: 1. 15 times we are told that the Mosaic Law is finished for believers: Romans 6:14,15 "ye are not under law." Romans 7:1-4 "dead to the law .. married to another." (Law is like a dead husband). Romans 7:6 "we are delivered from law." Romans 8:2 "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." Romans 10:4 "Christ is the end of the law ... to every one that believeth." II Corinthians 3:7,9,11. “written and engraven in stones…………….was to be done away.” Galatians 3:23 "we were kept under the law, shut up" (like in prison). Galatians 3:24,25 "after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster" (law). Galatians 5:18 "ye are not under the law." Ephesians 2:15 "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances;" Colossians 2:14 “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us,took it out of the way” Hebrews 9:1-4,10 “The first covenant had ordinances of divine service, the tables of the covenant;” Hebrews 7:12 "priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law” Hebrews 7:18 "there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before .." Hebrews 10:9 "He taketh away the first (Mosaic law), that he may establish the second." (new covenant) 2. There is no reference anywhere by the Ante-Nicene church writers of Christians meeting on the Saturday before 320 AD. Some of these men were taught by the Apostles. Did the Apostles get it wrong? Not likely. The early church writers refer at least ten times to SUNDAY being the day of meeting together for worship. 3. Saturday Sabbath was the sign of the Mosaic Covenant between God and the Jews only. (Exodus 31:13,16,17; Ezekiel 20:12,20). 4. Early Christians met on the first day of the week, Sunday in: Acts 20:7 "upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, " 1 Corinthians 16:1,2 " upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store.." John 20:19,26 "... being the first day of the week, ..". 5. Paul when discussing Sabbath keeping, never commands Christians to keep the Sabbath, which he surely would have done if it was important for Christians as SDA's insist. (Romans 14:5,6; Colossians 2:16,17; Hebrews 10:24,25). Paul’s visits to synogogues on Saturdays were just to witness to Jews. He fellowshipped with Christians on Sunday. He never commanded Christians to attend church on Saturday. Keep meeting on Sunday as the early Christians teach us. reprinted with permission.
  14. Only a fool would believe that Mary was sinless in lieu of Romans 5:12... "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Of course, the Catholics, in an attempt to cover up one lie, had to fabricate another lie--the Assumption of Mary. If Mary never sinned, then how could she die, because the Bible says the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
  15. MORE than happy to answer this. The cannon of Scripture was miraculously compiled by GOD. It cannot be proven that the Catholic Church is solely responsible for the gathering and selection of the New Testament books. In fact, it can be shown that the New Testament books were gathered into one volume and were in circulation long before the Catholic Church claims to have taken its action in 390 at the council of Hippo. God did not give councils the authority to select His sacred books, nor does He expect men to receive His sacred books only because of councils or on the basis of councils. It takes no vote or sanction of a council to make the books of the Bible authoritative. Men were able to rightly discern which books were inspired before the existence of ecclesiastical councils and men can do so today. A council of men in 390 with no divine authority whatever, supposedly took upon itself the right to state which books were inspired, and Catholics argue, "We can accept the Bible only on the authority of the Catholic Church." Can we follow such reasoning? the catholic "church" mearly defined what IT would use as the Bible, NOT what the Bible was. This is a very good sermon on the Bible, and includes HOW it was compiled. If the Bible is a Catholic book, why does it nowhere mention the Catholic Church? Why is there no mention of a pope, a cardinal, an archbishop, a parish priest, a nun, or a member of any other Catholic order? If the Bible is a Catholic book, why is auricular confession, indulgences, prayers to the saints, adoration of Mary, veneration of relics and images, and many other rites and ceremonies of the Catholic Church, left out of it? If the Bible is a Catholic book, how can Catholics account for the passage, "A bishop then, must be blameless, married but once, reserved, prudent, of good conduct, hospitable, a teacher...He should rule well his own household, keeping his children under control and perfectly respectful. For if a man cannot rule his own household, how is he to take care of the church of God?" (1 Tim. 3:2, 4-5). The Catholic Church does not allow a bishop to marry, while the Bible says "he must be married." Furthermore, if the Bible is a Catholic book, why did they write the Bible as it is, and feel the necessity of putting footnotes at the bottom of the page in effort to keep their subject from believing what is in the text?
  16. The true church isn't catholic or protestant. It doesn't have a mailing address or a zip code. It is the body of believers in Jesus Christ the world over. Christ has written their names in the book of life. Christ knows who His friends are.
  17. Just believing in someone named "Jesus" means nothing unless we are talking about the Jesus Christ of the Bible. The one, eternal, everlasting, uncreated God. The one who created ALL things. It is like if you know someone called "bob" and i know another person called "bob". Now, can we have a conversation about "bob" without defining WHO we are talking about? No. The mormon, Jehovahs Witness, Seventh Day Adventist, UPCI, etc. "Jesus" is NOT the Jesus Christ of the Bible. Did Jesus really say He was God? That’s exactly how Jesus’ original audience seemed to take it when He said, “I and the Father are one.” In fact, the Jews were ready to kill Him right there! Why? “Because you,” they said, “a mere man, claim to be God” (John 10:33). On another occasion, He used the personal name of Israel’s God–the name revealed to Moses (Exodus 3:14)–to refer to Himself. And He even used the Torah for context, so no one would misunderstand Him: “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). This would be about wild as telling a Muslim, “I am your God, Allah.” Don’t try that in Saudi Arabia! It’s no wonder the Jews tried to stone Him to death. That was the exact penalty for blasphemy under the Jewish legal system. It was pretty clear to everyone there that He was saying, “I am Israel’s God.” Why Jesus is God? The Apostle Thomas called Jesus God.John 20:27-29: 2. The Apostle Peter called Jesus God.2 Peter 1:1: 3.The Apostle John called Jesus God.John 1:1-3, 4.God the Father called Jesus God.Hebrews 1:8: 5. God the Father called Jesus God. 6.Isaiah the Prophet said the Messiah would be God.Isaiah 9:67. The Jews who crucified Jesus understood Him to be saying that He was equal with God.John 5:18: 8.Jesus called Himself "I AM", the Old Testament name for God (Exodus 3:14).John 8:58-59. 9.Jesus calls Himself "the Alpha and Omega," the title of Almighty God.Revelation 22:12-13. 10. Like God (Gen. 1:1) Jesus created.Colossians 1:16-1711. Like God, Jesus forgives sin.Mark 2:5-7, 10-11:12. Like God, Jesus gives eternal life.John 10:27-28: 13. Like God, Jesus received, receives and will receive worship.Matthew 14:32-33. 14. Jesus said that only God was good; and Jesus was good. John 10:11: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep."John 10:11: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep."Jesus was as good as they come. He was "sinless," "holy," "righteous," "innocent," "undefiled," and "separate from sinners." (Hebrews 7:26) That's pretty good! 15. Like God, Jesus can be present in more than one place at the same time.Matthew 18:20: 16. One of Jesus' titles is "God with us."Matthew 1:23. 17. Jesus' blood is called God's blood.Acts 20:28: 18. Jesus has the same nature as God.Hebrews 1:3a: 19. Jesus spoke as God.Jesus did not speak as one of God's prophets: "thus says the Lord," but as God: "I say to you."Matthew 5:27-29. 20. Like God (Psalm 136:3), Jesus is called the Lord of Lords and King of kings.Revelation 17:14. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. ( WHEN WAS GOD PIERCED? ). And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel (means God Among Us). John 1:1 "Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος ", "En archē ēn ho Logos kai ho Logos ēn pros ton Theon kai Theos ēn ho Logos", "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word" John 1:14, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 8:58 "Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am." Crossreference with Exodus 3:14 "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." John 10:33 "The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God." John 20:28 "And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God." Collossians 2:9 "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Hebrews 1:8 "But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: " Matthew 4:10 "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." Crossreference with Matthew 2:2, Matthew 2:11, Matthew 28:9. Isaiah 44:6 "Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God." Crossreference with Revelation 1:17 "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last: I am he." and Revelation 1:8 "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty."
  18. "I AM doesn't mean he is fully God. " Now we are on a different topic. Yes, I AM _DOES_ mean Jesus is fully God. Unless you believe that Jesus is God, you will not inherit the kingdom of God. I'm actually not going to post anything else that proves Jesus' deity here because i want to stick to the original topic. Happy to start another post.
  19. You didnt read the post, did you? If you did, you would not be showing your ignorance. WHICH "original" text?
  20. How I Know That The King James Bible Is The Word Of God (by James L. Melton) There are many good works that one can read on the authority of the King James Bible, and this particular effort offers nothing really new. However, it does attempt to explain the issue in a simple and brief manner for all to understand. Over the years I have learned a great deal about this issue, and I believe that a truth worth learning is a truth worth telling. Many preachers and teachers across our land talk about "preferring" and "using" the KJV, but I haven't heard them speak much about BELIEVING it. Many prefer it and use it, because that's what their congregations prefer and use, but they do not BELIEVE it to be the infallible words of God. They are taught in college to USE, PREFER, and RECOMMEND the KJV, but they are NOT taught to BELIEVE it. Most "Christian colleges" teach that the King James Bible is only a translation, and that NO translation is infallible. Consequently, the average minister today uses a Book which he doesn't even believe. Now, I thank God that I don't have that problem. I don't have to play make-believe with anyone about the word of God. I believe it. I believe the King James Bible is the preserved and infallible words of God. It doesn't merely "contain" the word of God: it IS the word of God. I'm absolutely sure of it, and I'd like to give a few reasons why. Here are twelve reasons how I know that the KJV is the word of God: God Promised to Preserve His Words: This is just the first part of what I see as an excellent explanation. To read the rest of James L. Melton's work, please click here ... https://www.biblebelievers.com/jmelton/knowkjv.html
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