Our number one desire for these
Bible lessons are for them to be understandable, defendable, and for the Holy
Spirit to bear witness that the conclusions are the true, and correct
interpretation of the Holy Scriptures.
Guidelines for our Bible studies on this website:
- We treat the living words of the living God as spoken by the Lord Jesus and given to the Apostle Paul for the Body of Christ the same importance, as the words of the Lord Jesus recorded in red letters in the books of Matthew – Acts Chp. 8, as what should be known as the instructions to the nation Israel.
- We will not be wresting the scriptures against each other, we will look at the verses in their context, and will not try to make the scriptures say anything, but what they say.
- We will be using the verses out of the Authorized Version, commonly known as the KJV. It is fine if you want to look the verses up in other translations if you like, but we will consider the Authorized Version as our final written authority.
- We do not and will not use the Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, or Latin languages to prove any points, or give any indication that the Authorized Version has been incorrectly translated.
First let me say the tragic
event that took place in Orlando on June 12, 2016 was both an act of terrorism
and a hate crime.
The direct cause of the
event in Orlando was no different from the mass murder/suicide of individuals
in 1978 after they joined the Peoples Temple of the Disciples of Christ.
It is the result of a false
religion, and it does not matter whether it is one derived from Judaism or
Christianity, which teaches false ideals and principles to anyone who will
follow and support their cause. The end result is always the same, people hurt,
killed, and robbed of any true hope!
Now I am a firm believer
that the living words of the living God are simple to understand! The problem
most people, believers and unbelievers, have is not with being able to
understand the words of the living God, but which verses or part of the Bible
applies to them today.
It might surprise you but
the killings in Orlando are a direct result of individuals not knowing what
scriptures apply to people living in the Year of Our Lord 2016.
This is and always will be a
problem as long as people are following the wrong scriptures , whether it is
verses out of the Quran/Koran, or verses out of the Old
Testament in the Bible, that do not apply to this current time period.
The Quran/Koran, which is the equivalent of the Bible for Muslims, was written between 609-632
AD.
The Islamic faith has only been around since that time period,
and as such is younger than Judaism and Christianity.
Islam is considered to be an Abrahamic religion along with
Judaism, and Christianity since it claims Abraham as it’s father. It adheres to
a religious text that parallels many of the Old Testament Laws.
Muslims do not believe Jesus
Christ was holy, or that he was God manifest in the flesh.
The Islamic faith like Judaism rejects
the New Testament, and as such the teachings of Jesus Christ as given to the
apostle Paul for the believers of this dispensation.
Also extreme prejudice
remains, both socially and legally, in much of the Islamic world against people
who engage in homosexual acts. In Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran, Mauritania,
Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates and Yemen, homosexual
activity carries the death penalty, so it is no surprise that the followers of
Islam wouldn’t think it was wrong to kill homosexuals.
This attitude comes from
verses in the Quran that speak against homosexuality and support the death
penalty.
Christians and Jews who adhere to the Old Testament also hold similar views.
Now let’s take a look at another
dark time in the United States when the Salem Witch Trials were taking place.
The Salem Witch Trials are a
good example and demonstration of what happens when religious people fail to
understand which parts of the Bible apply to them, and the correct time period
in history to which the verses apply.
The Salem Witch Trials
were a series of hearings and prosecutions of people accused of witchcraft in
colonial Massachusetts between February 1692 and May 1693. The trials resulted
in the executions of twenty people, fourteen of them women, and all but one by
hanging.
Now the culprits of the
Salem witch trials were a group of Calvinist, or today they like to be referred
to as Christians of “Reformed Theology”, no matter which name you call it,
Reformed Theology or Calvinism, it is one in the same.
Now how did they arrive at
the death penalty for being a witch, they simply used the Bible. “Exodus 22 [18] Thou shalt
not suffer a witch to live.”
They took one Old
Testament verse, and decided to enforce it. The sad part is the Old Testament
was written to the Jews, and were laws for the Jews. They were not, and are not, for
Christians living in the dispensation of Grace.
When you take Bible verses
that do not apply to Christians living today and enforce them, this is the kind
of results that you get.
Now let’s look at a few more
Bible verses from the Old Testament to give you more food for thought.
Deuteronomy 21 [18] If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not
obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they
have chastened him, will not hearken unto them: [19] Then shall his father and
his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and
unto the gate of his place; [20] And they shall say unto the elders of his
city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our
voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. [21] And all the men of his
city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away
from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
If my mom and dad had been a follower of the Old Testament laws out of
the Bible, I have to tell you that I would not be sharing these Bible lessons
with you today. I would have met my fate with the elders of the city and would
have been stoned to death, glad my mom and dad knew we were not under those Old
Testament laws.
Here are some more for your discernment.
Leviticus 20 [8] And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD
which sanctify you.
[9] For every
one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he
hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.
[10] And the
man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that
committeth adultery with his neighbour's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress
shall surely be put to death.
[11] And the man
that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both
of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.
[12] And if a
man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to
death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.
[13] If a man
also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have
committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood
shall be upon them.
[14] And if a
man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt
with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you.
[15] And if a
man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall
slay the beast.
[16] And if a
woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the
woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood
shall be upon them.
I believe if you are still
with me at this time, you surely realize that if Christians are going to follow all
the laws in the whole Bible, it’s going to be a brutal place to live.
Now most Christians will
tell you that not all of those things apply but some of them, actually there is nowhere
in the Bible from Acts Chapter 9 and backwards to Genesis Chapter 1, that the
Jews or anyone else were ever told that they did not have to keep all of those
Laws.
Jesus speaking in Matt. 5 [17] Think not that I am come to destroy the law,
or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. [18] For
verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle
shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. [19] Whosoever
therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so,
he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall
do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus was a law keeper and
taught nothing in the first four books of the New Testament but the Law, and
that the Law was to be kept! Stay with me and I will get to the point of this
lesson.
Exodus 31 [15] Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the
sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the
sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Now in the verse above we
see that if a man worked on the sabbath day or seventh day of the week he was
to be put to death. I bet a lot of people reading this have worked on the
sabbath day and if you are wondering what day that is, it is Saturday. If you
don’t believe me ask any Jew, or Seventh Day Adventist, or Seventh Day Baptist,
or Seventh Day Church of God and they will confirm it for you.
As we see more and more
people adopt Reformed Theology or Calvinism, we will see more and more people
revert back to trying to observe or keep the Old Testament Laws.
Leviticus 20 [13] If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both
of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death;
their blood shall be upon them.
Now back to the Orlando
incident and root cause, we have a multitude of people that go and take a verse
like the one above out of the Bible, and use it to justify their hatred of a
certain group of people.
For Christians living in the
dispensation of grace, we can rest easy in our confidence that Paul did not
encourage such destructive behavior for any human, believers or otherwise.
I wonder why the people who
want to enforce the Old Testament laws on people only pick a few of them to enforce? James said if you keep the whole law yet
offend in one point you are guilty of all, in other words you deserve the death
penalty.
James 2 [8] If ye
fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour
as thyself, ye do well: [9] But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin,
and are convinced of the law as transgressors. [10] For whosoever shall keep
the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
Now let’s bring this lesson
to a final conclusion.
The Bible is a record of
God’s interaction with men and mankind. It only includes enough information for
us to come to know the Living God who revealed himself to mankind as the Lord
Jesus Christ. Jesus is not only the God of the Old Testament, but the God of
the New Testament.
The Bible does not contain a
record of everything God has done in eternity past. It is a brief summary of some of his dealings with man.
John.20 [28] And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. [29] Jesus
saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed
are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. [30] And many other signs
truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written
in this book: [31] But these are written, that ye might believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have
life through his name.
John.21 [25] And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the
which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the
world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.
I had group come to my house
the other day passing out literature about their understanding of the Bible, and
what they believe.
I accepted and read it
because I like to know what others believe, this helps me to be able to share
with others the truth of God’s Holy Word.
You see I don’t believe everyone can
be teaching so many different things, and everyone be right. I believe there is
a right way and wrong way to discern the Bible.
If you read the Bible and
claim any and every verse as your verses, you will forever be trapped in Bible
ignorance.
You can do this same thing
with any novel. Get a copy of Gone with the Wind, go to a chapter pick one
line, and say that is your verse, and claim it. You’re actually better off doing that, than
picking random verses out of the Bible that don’t apply to you and trying to
live by them today. Doing so can bring harm to yourself and others.
Misapplying Bible verses can
have eternal consequences! If you are trying to live by the words of Jesus in
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and the first eight chapters of the book of Acts you
are in for a big surprise.
The instructions for
Christians living today are found in the epistles given to Paul by the Lord
Jesus after his return to heaven, not the words given to the nation Israel
during his time on Earth.
Back to the group that came
to my house after reading their literature it was obvious that are trying to
reach heaven the wrong way. There were Bible verses in their pamphlet, but not
one verse out of the books written by Paul in the Bible, Romans – Philemon.
If I am correct in my
belief, teaching, and understanding of the scriptures that the instructions and
doctrine for Christians are found in the Pauline Epistles, then it is no wonder
that people are confused and Christianity has lost it’s standing in the world.
Brothers and Sisters in
Christ, your life is short and if you have been slack concerning Bible study, it
is high time for you to get back to studying the living words of the living God
or begin studying if you have not in times past.
"The crowd that will
not accept one truth will decay to the point that it does not accept one God: many
denominations, many translations, many gods."
All of the confusion among
Christianity/Christians today can be attributed to the simple fact that the
church, the Body of Christ, does not recognize the separate, distinct, and
unique apostleship, ministry, and message of Paul.
If you fail to understand, or fail to learn
how to rightly divide the word of truth, you can never come to the knowledge of
the truth, and sound doctrine.
Romans 10 [8] But what saith it? The word is nigh
thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we
preach; [9] That if thou shalt confess
with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God
hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation.
The words of our Apostle Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles!
2Tim.2 [15] Study to shew thyself approved unto
God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth.
Come join with us as we study
God’s Holy Word!
Remember most unsound Bible Doctrine, is sound Bible
Doctrine misapplied to the wrong time period, or wrong group of
people.
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