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Evan Roberts: Destroyer of Welsh Christianity, part 22 of 22

December 28, 2018 / Leave a comment

The content of this post is now available in the study of:

2.) The Welsh Revival of 1904-1905

on the faithsaves.net website. Please click on the people above to view the study. On the FaithSaves website the PDF files may be easiest to read.

You are also encouraged to learn more about Keswick theology and its errors, as well as the Biblical doctrine of salvation, at the soteriology page at Faithsaves.

Christian Meditation & Recreation

December 21, 2018 / 2 Comments on Christian Meditation & Recreation

I thought that the following resources on Christian meditation, and on rules for lawful recreation, would be worth a discussion here at What is Truth? May they be a blessing.

1.) Christian Meditation

I relatively recently listened through the Free Grace Broadcaster‘s issue on Meditation. (As with many books, instead of sitting down to read it cover to cover, I cut and pasted it into my computer and listened to it while doing other things.) The articles were the following:

A Very Profitable Exercise – Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)
What Meditation Is – Thomas Watson (c. 1620-1686)
The Duty of Meditation – Thomas Manton (1620-1677)
The Nature of Meditation – Isaac Ambrose (1604-1664)
Occasional Meditation – William Bates (1628-1699)
Solemn and Set Meditation – George Swinnock (1627-1673)
Dangers of Neglecting Meditation – Edmund Calamy (1600-1666)
Helps for Meditating on God – John Owen (1616-1683)
Chewing the Bread of Life – Arthur W. Pink (1886-1952)
Matter for Meditation – Thomas Watson (1620-1686)
A Meditation on Love to Christ – Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)
Sweet Meditations on Christ – Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)

I have not heard a great many sermons on meditation, but it is a clear Biblical duty:

Gen.
24:63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide:
and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.

Josh.
1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate
therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is
written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou
shalt have good success.

Psa.
1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth
he meditate day and night.

Psa.
5:1 Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

Psa.
19:14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be
acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

Psa.
49:3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom; and the meditation of my heart
shall be of understanding.

Psa.
63:6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee
in the night watches.

Psa.
77:12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

Psa.
104:34 My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the
LORD.

Psa.
119:15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy
ways.

Psa.
119:23 ¶ Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy
servant did meditate in thy statutes.

Psa.
119:48 My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have
loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.

Psa.
119:78 Let the proud be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me
without a cause: but I will meditate in thy precepts.

Psa.
119:97 MEM. O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all
the day.

Psa.
119:99 I have more understanding than all my teachers: for thy testimonies
are my meditation.

Psa.
119:148 Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate
in thy word.

Psa.
143:5 I remember the days of old; I meditate on all thy works; I
muse on the work of thy hands.

Is.
33:18 Thine heart shall meditate terror. Where is the scribe?
where is the receiver? where is he that counted the towers?

Luke
21:14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before
what ye shall answer:

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1Tim.
4:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that
thy profiting may appear to all.

How faithful are you to the Biblical practice of meditation? Do you even know what it is, and how it radically differs from Eastern, pagan meditation?

If you have read (or after reading this post, end up reading) the Free Grace Broadcaster above, or have other helpful thoughts on how you practice Biblical meditation, please include them in the comment section below.

2.) Christian Recreation

I am reproducing below Richard Baxter's Directions for Amusements and Recreations. He has a number of good thoughts. Any comments of agreement or disagreement, with Biblical argumentation, are appreciated in the comment section.

If you wish to avoid the sin and danger of
unbiblical amusements masquerading as acceptable recreations — you must
understand what acceptable or lawful recreation is, and its legitimate purpose.
No wonder Christians sin, if they do not know what is right!

Without doubt, some amusement and recreation
is lawful, indeed, necessary to some people.
Lawful recreation is the enjoyment of some natural thing, or participation in
some activity which is not forbidden, for the stimulation of the natural
spirits. It may be for the use of the mind, or the exercise of the body. It is
some pleasurable activity or exercise, ultimately intended to fit the body and
mind for their normal duty to God.

Amusement, sport and recreation are special
terms. We do not call arduous labor by such terms, though it may be better for
us and more necessary. Nor do we call every enjoyment by these
terms, for eating and drinking may be pleasurable, and holy things and duties
may be delightful, yet they are never termed sports or recreations. It is
the imaginative faculty that is chiefly delighted by
amusements.

TESTS FOR BIBLICAL LAWFULNESS

All of
the following factors are necessary to render an amusement, sport or recreation
lawful, and the lack of any one of them will prove it to be unlawful.

1. The genuine purpose or intention behind
your indulging in it, must be to fit you for your service to God. It must help
you to function better either in your work, or in His worship, or for some work
of obedience in which you may please and glorify Him. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says,
"Whether therefore you eat, or drink, or whatever you do — do all to the
glory of God."

A lawful recreation must be a means fitly
chosen and used to this end. If it has no ability to improve us for God's
service in our ordinary callings and duty — then it cannot be to us a lawful
recreation (though it may be lawful to another person to whom it is a real
help).

2. All recreations are unlawful, which
are for their own sakes preferred before our callings.

3. All recreations are unlawful, which
are used only to delight a carnal imagination, and have no higher end than to
please the sickly mind that loves them.

4. All recreations are unlawful, which hinder
and spoil our fittedness for the duties of our callings, and for the service of
God; or, which, putting the benefit and hurt together, hinder us
as much or more than they help us.

5. All recreations are unlawful, which
take up any part of the time which we should spend in greater
works.

6. All recreations that take up more
time than is reasonable for a recreation, are equally unlawful.

7. If an activity is profane, such as
making sport of holy things, it is a mocking of God. It is wickedness demanding
God's heaviest punishment, and cannot be lawful.

8. All recreations which wrong other
people are unlawful. (This includes the activities of stage players and
comedians who ridicule others to their injury.)

9. It is also sinful to make fun of the
sinful ways of others, or to act them ourselves, which is common with comedians
and other profane wits.

10. Immoral, obscene stage plays and
recreations are unlawful, in which filthiness is represented without due expression
of its odiousness, or with obscene words or actions. To Christians, Ephesians
5:3-4 applies: "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual
immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper
for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse
joking, which are out of place."

11. Those amusements are unlawful, which
involve the multiplying of worthless words, engaging the participants in
foolish, needless, unprofitable chattering.

12. Those amusements are sinful, which
tend to excite lust in ourselves or others, swearing, cursing and railing, and
fighting and squabbling.

13. Those amusements and recreations are
sinful, which involve covetousness, to win money from others; or that tend to
stir up covetousness in those you play with.

14. Cruel recreations also are unlawful:
such as taking pleasure in watching duellers, fighters, or any that abuse each
other; or any animals that are made to needlessly torment each other.

15. A recreation is unlawful if it is
too costly, for we are God's stewards, and must be accountable to Him for all
we have. It is sinful to spend needlessly on amusement.

16. Lastly, if you have the choice of
various recreations before you, you must choose the fittest. If you choose one
that is less fit and profitable, when a fitter might be chosen, it is sin; even
though that which you chose would have been lawful, if you had no other.

By all this it is easy, for example, to judge
the lawfulness of our common stage plays.

What is a fit recreation? It is either the
body or the mind that needs recreation most. Either you are sedentary people,
or those who work physically. If the former, then it is the body that has most
need of exercise and recreation. In this case, to sit at sedentary amusements
or recreations, instead of exercising your bodies, is to increase the need of
exercising them. It does you much more harm than good.

If, however, you are hard laborers, and need
rest for your bodies and recreation for your minds, or are sick, so that you
cannot use bodily exercise — then surely a hundred profitable 'exercises' are
at hand which are more suitable to your case. You have books to
read (including the Word of God) which can increase your knowledge in history,
geography, and arts and sciences.

Here are some questions to
ask yourself from time to time about your recreations:

1. Do you think that either Christ or
His apostles used stage plays or similar entertainments and amusements, or ever
sanctioned or encouraged addiction to them?

2. Does not your conscience tell you
when your delight is more in your amusements than it is in God? Such
recreations (those we love more than the things of God) in no way increase our
delight in God, but take it away.

Do you not feel what a plague certain
pleasures are to your affections — how they bewitch, befool you, and take you
out of love with holiness, and make you unfit for anything that is good?

3. Do you bestow as much time in praying
and reading the Word of God and meditating on it, as you do in your sports and
recreations? Do you not know the value of those precious hours which you play
away?

4. Would you be found at stage plays or
vain amusements when death comes? Would you not rather be found at some holy or
profitable labor?

5. Will it be any comfort to you when
you are dying, to think of the time which you spent in plays and vanities?

6. Dare you pray to God to bless your
sports and amusements to the good of your soul or body? Would not your
conscience tell you that this would mock God?

7. If you are sure that you sin not in
your games or sports, either by excess or addiction or neglect of spiritual
duties, are you sure that your companions do not? If you say, "We are not
bound to keep all other men from sin," I answer: You are bound to do your
best towards it; and you are bound not to contribute willingly to their sin. If
Paul would never eat meat while he lived rather than make a weak person offend,
should not your sports be subject to as great charity?

If you know what sin is, and what it is to
save or lose one's soul, you will not aid and abet other men's sin, nor so
easily contribute to their plight. In such cases, "we then that are strong
ought to bear the infirmities of the weak [that is, to help them, as we do
children in their weakness], and not to please ourselves [to their hurt]. Let
every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification [that is,
prefer the edifying of another's soul, before our own pleasure]. For even
Christ pleased not himself." If Christ lost His life to
save men from sin, will not you lose your amusements for it?

8. What kind of people are they that are
most addicted to games and plays, and what kind of people are they that avoid
them, and are against them? With whom are these activities most identified?
Judge wisely!

Here are some helpful counsels about choosing
a recreation:

1. When you understand the true nature
and purpose of lawful recreation, try to determine just how much and what sort
of recreation is needful to you in particular. In this you must have respect,
(a) to your bodily strength; (b) to your mind; (c) to your type of work. And
when you haw determined what and how much is needful and appropriate to help
you in your duty, allow it its proper time and place, as you do your meals, and
see that you do not allow it to encroach upon your duty and service.

2. Try normally to join profit and pleasure
together, that you lose no time. It is a sin to idle away any time which we can
turn to better account.

3. Watch against inordinate, sensual
delight, even in the most lawful activity. Excess of pleasure in any such
'small' or lesser activity of life is very corrupting to the mind. It puts it
out of relish with spiritual things; and turns it from God, and Heaven, and
duty. To this end keep a watch upon your thoughts and desires, that they run
not after sports and pleasures. Else you will be like children that are
thinking of their sport, and longing to be at it — when they should be at their
books or business.

4. Avoid the company of revelers, lovers
of pleasure, and similar time-wasters. Come not among them, lest you be
ensnared. Usually, amusements rate as foolishness to serious men; and they say
of this mirth, as Solomon, 'it is mad' (Ecclesiastes 2:2). It is great and
serious subjects which make serious men.

5. Be zealous and apply yourself to your
calling and spiritual service. Laziness breeds a love of
amusement. When you must please your flesh with ease — then it must be
further pleased with vanities.

6. The sickly and the melancholy (who
are usually least inclined to sport) have much more need of recreation than
others, and therefore may allow it more time than those in health and strength.

7. Be much more severe in regulating
yourselves in your recreations, than in censuring others for using some sports
which you dislike. For you know not perhaps their case, and reasons, and
temptations. An idle, time-wasting, sensual pleasure-seeker — everyone should
look on with pity as a miserable wretch.

If you are sedentary, walking or
some honest, bodily exertion that joins pleasure and profit, is a fit kind of
exercise for you. If you are a laboring person, and need only
pleasure for your mind, you can take pleasure in Scripture, in holy conference,
or in good books. We have flowers and trees and beasts and birds and other
creatures to behold. We have fields or gardens or meadows or woods to walk in.
We have our near relations to delight in; our wives or children, and our
friends. We may talk with godly, and wise, and cheerful people, about things
that are both pleasing and edifying to us.

God has given us a world of lawful pleasures.
But stage-plays are, at best, very questionable, and most are to be condemned
as unlawful. Should one who fears God and loves his salvation — choose so
doubtful a recreation in preference to so many undoubtedly lawful ones? And you
must know what a time-wasting sin excessive leisure is.
Suppose the activity is lawful — is it lawful to give so many
hours to it, as if you had neither souls, nor families, nor other
responsibilities or service to perform?

For myself, when my mind needs
recreation — I have a variety of relaxing and invigorating books, and friends,
and business to do that. And when my body needs it — the
hardest labor that I can bear is my best recreation. Walking serves instead of
games and sports as profitable to the body, and more to my mind. If I am alone,
I may improve the time in meditation. If I am with others, I may improve it in
profitable, cheerful conference.

I do not condemn all sports or games in
others, but I find none of them all to be best for myself; and when I observe
how far the temper and life of Christ and his best servants were from such
recreations — I avoid them with the more suspicion. And besides, I note that
most people, by instinct, view ministers with distaste when they see them
pursuing frivolous recreations.

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Reproducing and linking to the studies on Biblical meditation and on recreation above are not by any means an endorsement of the Calvinism of Baxter and the authors of the studies on meditation referenced. Calvinism is unscriptural for the reasons mentioned on this webpage.

TDR

Evan Roberts: Destroyer of Welsh Baptist Churches, Part 21 of 22

December 14, 2018 / Leave a comment

The content of this post is now available in the study of:

1.) Evan Roberts

2.) The Welsh Revival of 1904-1905

3.) Jessie Penn-Lewis

on the faithsaves.net website. Please click on the people above to view the study. On the FaithSaves website the PDF files may be easiest to read.

You are also encouraged to learn more about Keswick theology and its errors, as well as the Biblical doctrine of salvation, at the soteriology page at Faithsaves.

WHAT IS TRUTH (AND JACKHAMMER) INDEX BY EITHER SUBJECT OR SCRIPTURE PASSAGE

December 9, 2018 / 6 Comments on WHAT IS TRUTH (AND JACKHAMMER) INDEX BY EITHER SUBJECT OR SCRIPTURE PASSAGE

SUBJECT (Alphabetical Order), As Of August 2019
All Articles and Essays Written by Kent Brandenburg unless otherwise Noted
(J) for Jackhammer article [all of my articles from Aug 2006 to Feb 2011]
(T) for Thomas Ross article

My Biography

A Pilgrimage to a Far Left Land (J)

Abortion

Abortion Arguments
Obama and Infanticide, Let Alone Obama and Abortion
The Tale of Two Cities: Newtown, CT and West Philadelphia, PA
What NT Churches can Do to Oppose Sodomite Marriage, Abortion, and Economic Theft (T)

Abuse

Affections

My Biblical Take on RAM (Religious Affections Ministries)
The Proper Understanding of Affections
What Is Conservatism in a Church? Is This Good?
You Probably Don’t Really Love Jonathan Edward’s Treatise Concerning Religious Affections If You’re a Conservative Evangelical or Fundamentalist

Alcohol

Brett Kavanaugh: Alcohol and the Party Culture
The Debate over the Prohibition of Alcoholic Beverage part one
The Debate over the Prohibition of Alcoholic Beverage part two
The Debate over the Prohibition of Alcoholic Beverage part three
The Debate over the Prohibition of Alcoholic Beverage part four
The Debate over the Prohibition of Alcoholic Beverage part five
Is Prohibition of Alcohol Demonic?
“Not Given to Much Alcohol” and Abstaining from Alcohol
One Stop Shop on Prov 23:31 and “When It Is Red”
Reviews of Two Books on Wine and the Bible (T)
The Hypocrisy of Marijuana Opposition from Alcohol Supporters

Anger

An Apology for Anger

Animals

Do Animals Have Souls and Spirits? (T)

Armor of God

Armor?

Apologetics (Defense of Scripture or the Truth)

Andy Stanley Exposed and Crushed in Debate with Jeff Durbin
Archaeological Evidence for the New Testament (T)
Archaeological Evidence for the Old Testament (T)
Archaeological, Historical, and Prophetic Evidence for the Bible (T)
Atheist Compliments on Daniel (T)
Bart D. Ehrman’s Did Jesus Exist? Useful Quotes for Christians, part 1 of 4 (T)
Bart D. Ehrman’s Did Jesus Exist? Useful Quotes for Christians, part 2 of 4 (T)
Bart D. Ehrman’s Did Jesus Exist? Useful Quotes for Christians, part 3 of 4 (T)
Bart D. Ehrman’s Did Jesus Exist? Useful Quotes for Christians, part 4 of 4 (T)
Bill Nye’s Disqualifying Ignorance or Lies about the Bible
Bock and Wallace, Reliability of the New Testament
Canaanite DNA and Fake News
Dan Barker / Thomas Ross Debate, “Prophecy and Archaeology Validate the Bible as the Word of God.” (T)
Dan Barker – Thomas Ross Debate Transcript, “The Old Testament is Mainly Fiction, not Fact.” (T)
Did New Testament Christianity Borrow from Mithraism? (T)
The Fallacy of Critical Text Apologetics with Islam: James White and Pooyan Mehrshahi
The Earliest Portions of the Hebrew Bible: the Ketef Hinnom Silver Scrolls (T)
Getting Past Your Lying Eyes
Things Are Much Worse Now: The Growth of the Nones
Harod Spring in Israel–how God had Gideon Choose his 300 Men; & Masada (T)
Evidence that the Bible and Christianity Are Not Scientific
Initial thoughts on my debate with Shabir Ally at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater (T)
The Inspired Books of Seventh-Day Adventists, Mormons, Christian Scientists, Muslims, and Others (T)
Israel in the Land of Canaan: Perfect Spot to be a Light to the Nations (T)
Is the Bible Enough Evidence?
Is the Canon Really The Most Major Issue in Dealing with Roman Catholics? (T)
Jordan Peterson: The Lowering Standard of Acceptance
Late (post AD 70) dates for the Gospels: The Evidence Examined (T)
Learn About Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and African Tribal Religions in Scholarly Christian Perspective (T)
The Merneptah Stele: Proof for Israel’s presence in Canaan (T)
Moses: Named in Archaeological Record in a 15th century Hebrew Inscription (T)
Muslim Covering of Women Isn’t a Good Argument against Islam
“The Old Testament is Mainly Fiction, not Fact”: the Dan Barker – Thomas Ross Debate (T)
Particular Quotes from Presuppositional Apologetics: Stated and Defended by Greg Bahnsen with Some Analysis
Presuppositionalism, the Fool, Irony, and the Perfect Preservation of Scripture
Proof that the Bible is the Word of God from the Book of Daniel (T)
The Relationship of Faith and Science or Faith and Thinking
A Review of the Dan Barker – Thomas Ross debate, “The Old Testament is Mainly Fiction, not Fact” (T)
Shabir Ally / Thomas Ross Debate: “The New Testament Picture of Jesus: Is it Accurate?” (T)
Should Naturalistic Explanations Overrule Scriptural Ones?
The Testimonies of Josephus to Jesus Christ Vindicated, part 1 of 2 (T)
The Testimonies of Josephus to Jesus Christ Vindicated, part 2 of 2 (T)
The Testimony of the Quran to the Bible in Arabic (T)
Testimony of the Quran to the Bible part one (T)
The Testimony of the Quran to the Bible, part two (T)
The Testimony of the Quran to the Bible, part three (T)
Unbelieving Arguments That Don’t Add Up
Why Didn’t Jesus or Paul Try to Stop Slavery?

Art

“Artists”
Art: What Changes?
The Seductive and Destructive Lie of Art as Personal Taste, pt.1
The Seductive and Destructive Lie of Art as Personal Taste, pt.2

Apostasy

American Idol
Apostasy and the Meaning of Stephen’s Sermon in Acts 7 with Special Application to Millennial Apostates
The Biggest Reason Apostasy Is Occurring at a Prolific Rate
A Case Study in Preparations for the False Prophet and the One World Church
Another Jesus (J)
The Apostatizing of Humility for Proud Reasons
Avalanche toward Gomorrah
Concocted Christianity
The Directions Toward Apostasy — How Evangelicals and Fundamentalists Are Getting There
Do Christians Like the Whole Bible?
Doctrine Is Not the Biggest Challenge to the Gospel in the Church Today
THE EJECT BUTTON—Zichterman and Beckwith Learned Their Lessons a Little Too Well
Faith, Epistemology, Worldview, Preservation of Scripture, and Apostasy: They Are Related Closely and How They Are Related
Jesus Isn’t a Rorschach
Mark These Words: Capitulation on the Diversity of Truth and Beauty Yields Apostasy, Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism
One Christianity and Alternative Forms of Christianity: What Has Happened?
A Paradigm of Evangelical Unbelief (J)
2 Peter 2 and John 13: The Relationship Between Lust, Authority, Heresy, and Apostasy
The Role of the Attack on Spanking in Worldwide Apostasy
The Seeds of Apostasy: A Personification of Heresy
You Know You’re Too Intelligent to Entertain Christianity If….

Archaeology

Archaeological Evidence for the New Testament (T)
Archaeological Evidence for the Old Testament (T)
Archaeological, Historical, and Prophetic Evidence for the Bible (T)
The Earliest Portions of the Hebrew Bible: the Ketef Hinnom Silver Scrolls (T)
The Merneptah Stele: Proof for Israel’s presence in Canaan (T)
Moses: Named in Archaeological Record in a 15th century Hebrew Inscription (T)
The Most Common Paradigm for Apostasy As Also Related to Making Decisions and Having Discernment

Argument: Biblical

A True Statement on Dealing with a Disagreement on an Issue
Allegations: Schismatic, a Bad Name, and Arrogance
Can You Prove It From Scripture?
Discourse on Discourse (J)
The Genius of Name-Calling
The They-Just-Talk-About Dodge (Dodge #1 in the Dodge Series)
Today’s Arguing that Isn’t Concerned about the Truth
When a Classification Slanders
Winning through Losing (J)

Church: Leadership

All That Is Written: God’s Transference of Leadership to Joshua and What That Leadership Was
Are the Qualifications for the Office of the Pastor Also Disqualifications?
The Deceit and Tragedy of the Wrong Attribution of Success or a Wrong View of Success in Church Leadership, part one
The Deceit and Tragedy of the Wrong Attribution of Success or a Wrong View of Success in Church Leadership, part two
The Deceit and Tragedy of the Wrong Attribution of Success or a Wrong View of Success in Church Leadership, part three
The Deceit and Tragedy of the Wrong Attribution of Success or a Wrong View of Success in Church Leadership, part four
How Did “Old Time Fundamentalists Act When Their Leaders Did Stupid Things”?
How Much Should Church Leadership Be Involved In Governmental or Political Matters?
Intimidating with Bigness

Church: Local

An Analysis and Review of Kevin Bauder’s “Landmarkism”
An Analysis and Review of Kevin Bauder’s “Landmarkism”, pt. 2
An Analysis and Review of Kevin Bauder’s “Landmarkism”, pt. 3
An Analysis and Review of Kevin Bauder’s “Landmarkism”, pt. 4
An Analysis and Review of Kevin Bauder’s “Landmarkism”, pt. 5
An Analysis and Review of Kevin Bauder’s “Landmarkism”, pt. 6
An Analysis and Review of Kevin Bauder’s “Landmarkism”, pt. 7: What Marks a True, Actual Church?
An Analysis and Review of Kevin Bauder’s “Landmarkism”, pt. 8: What Marks a True, Actual Church?
Answering David Cloud on the Church, pt.1
Answering David Cloud on the Church, pt.2
Answering David Cloud on the Church, pt.3
Answering David Cloud on the Church, pt.4
“Body of Christ” Defined
Container for Truth
Careful Exegesis
Ekklesia
Ekklesia Means “Assembly”
Ekklesia Means “Assembly”, part two
Ekklesia Means “Assembly” pt. 3
Flock Teaching
Horrible and Yet Typical Ecclesiological Explanation
Koine Parallels to Ephesians 5:23 Show That NT Only Provides Invisible Support to the Invisible,
Local Only Ecclesiology, Baptist History, and Landmarkism
Local Only Ecclesiology, Baptist History, and Landmarkism, pt. 2
Local Only Ecclesiology, Baptist History, and Landmarkism, pt. 3
Local Only Ecclesiology, Baptist History, and Landmarkism, pt. 4
The Meaning of the Word Church According to ReligiousAffections.Org
Thoughts on “People of God: The Church” by Kevin Bauder
Universal Church (T)
The Use of the Singular in the Bible, and the Church

Church: Membership

Church Membership and the Marriage Covenant

Church: Ordinances (Baptism and the Lord’s Supper)

Acts 2:38–Baptism Essential to Salvation? (T)
Acts 22:16–Baptism Essential for Salvation? (T)
Baptism: Why So Far?
Building Tool (J)
Communion (J)
The Lord’s Supper: Close, Closed, or In-Between? (T)
Mark 7:4 & the “washing [baptidzo] . . . of tables:” Baptism is still Immersion in the Baptizing of Tables or Dining Couches
Mark 7:4 & the “washing [baptidzo] . . . of tables:” Baptism is still Immersion in the Baptizing of Tables or Dining Couches, part 2 (T)
Preparation for the Lord’s Supper, part 1 of 6, from Wilhelmus a Brakel’s The Christian’s Reasonable Service (T)
Preparation for the Lord’s Supper, part 2 of 6, from Wilhelmus a Brakel’s The Christian’s Reasonable Service (T)
Preparation for the Lord’s Supper, part 3 of 6, from Wilhelmus a Brakel’s The Christian’s Reasonable Service (T)
Preparation for the Lord’s Supper, part 4 of 6, from Wilhelmus a Brakel’s The Christian’s Reasonable Service (T)
Preparation for the Lord’s Supper, part 5 of 6, from Wilhelmus a Brakel’s The Christian’s Reasonable Service (T)
Preparation for the Lord’s Supper, part 6 of 6, from Wilhelmus a Brakel’s The Christian’s Reasonable Service (T)
Reception of the Elements (J)
Unrestrained Theology (Infant Sprinkling)
What Is the Communion of the Lord’s Table? (J)
Why Closed Communion? (J)

Church: Pastor

“Having Faithful Children” in Titus 1:6 (J)
Expecting Pastors to Pastor
Tentmaking
Unlearned and Ignorant Men

Church: Planting

Church Planting Foolishness
Our Strategy for Sacramento, California part one
Our Strategy for Sacramento, California part two

Church: Sufficiency of the Church

Dan, Bethel, and Parachurch Organizations (J)
Looking for Help in All the Wrong Places

Church: Universal (see Church: Local)

The Ambiguity, Confusion, Contradiction, and License of Universal Church Practice
Body of Christ Defined
Paul Bunyan in the Bible?
The Use of the Singular in the Bible, and the Church

Communication

Are You Obeying the Ninth Commandment in the Blogosphere?
Cutting through the Wrong Messenger to Believe the Right Message
The Engagement of Others on the Modern Versions or King James Version
The Genius of Name-Calling
The Medium and the Message
The Medium and the Message, pt. 2
The Medium and the Message, pt. 3
Serious

Conscience

Ann Taylor, Wear the Pants Campaign: The World Gets It, Just Like It Gets Rock Music
An Apologetic for Men’s Skirts
Concessions As Root Cause of Same Sex Marriage
Does God Require in Dress Visible Symbols of Both Authority and Submission?
Evangelicals Actually (Selective Relativism): Nothing to See Here, Move Along, There Is No Designed Gender Distinction
Evangelicals and Fundamentalists, You Capitulated On Gender Design Distinction, So Is the Male Skirt a Church Discipline Issue?
Evangelicals Arguing about Pink Hair Dye on Male Church Members
Evangelicals Arguing about Pink Hair Dye on Male Church Members, pt 2
1 Corinthians 11:2-16, Headcoverings, and Historical Doctrine
Gender Distinctions and Professing Christians Not Handling the Truth: Revisiting the Case Study of Bob Jones University
Gender Fluidity: The Destruction of the Symbols That Serve to Distinguish One Gender from Another
God Designed Roles, Their Symbolism, and Sodomy
God Expects or Assumes a Separate Visible Symbol of Authority for Men and Subordination for Women
History and Deuteronomy 22:5 (part one)
History and Deuteronomy 22:5 (part two)
“I Don’t See Man Clothes and Woman Clothes” — Evangelicalism and Most of Fundamentalism Agree
The Issue of Designed Gender Distinction: Answering Comments or Questions
John MacArthur on Deuteronomy 22:5
Justin Bieber Wears Women’s Pants
Kooky Alternatives to the Truth, Spontaneous Inventions, That Lead to Same Gender Abomination and Egalitarianism
Modest & Gender Distinct Swimwear (T)
Muslim Covering of Women Isn’t a Good Argument against Islam
Pants and Bible Versions: Do They Matter?
The Pant-Skirt Issue for Dummies (J)
The Seriousness of the Symbolism for Male Headship (part one) (J)
The Seriousness of the Symbolism for Male Headship (part two) (J)
Tolkien and Lewis: Preference for Masculine Clothing in Rejection of Dandyism
Wear the Pants: The Dockers Campaign
What Does this Verse Mean, and How Does It Apply? You Tell Me
Why Do Orthodox Jewish Women Exclusively Wear Skirts or Dresses?
Women Wearing Men’s Clothes

Dress: Modesty

Do Women Bring It On or Ask for It?
Is There An Objective Standard or Line for Modesty from the Bible for Women?
Megyn Kelly and the Concept of the Female Role Model
Modest & Gender Distinct Swimwear (T)
WHAT’S WRONG WITH VICTORIA’S SECRET MODELS?
WHAT’S WRONG WITH VICTORIA’S SECRET MODELS? part two

Dress: Standards

Dress Standards Matter: Case Study Bob Jones University

Dress: Worldliness

Churches and their Popular Inclusion of Dress Information on their Websites
Evangelicals Arguing about Pink Hair Dye on Male Church Members
Evangelicals Arguing about Pink Hair Dye on Male Church Members, pt 2
Strange Symptoms

Economics

The Bank Crisis for Dummies
Blame for Deficits for Dummies
Christian Mutual Funds With Great Rate of Return
Cut Church Building Program Costs by Thousands of Dollars and, as an Individual, Save Large Sums; or as a Business, Increase Your Profit Margin (T)
Get 2% or More Back On (Almost) All Expenses, Including Tithing, Giving, Business & Personal Bills, etc. (T)
God-honoring and Bible-based Christian Mutual Funds
Health Care Insurance for Dummies
Health Care Insurance for Dummies part two
Health Care Insurance for Dummies part three
How to Save Money on Groceries
Inexpensive Prepaid Cell Phone Plans
Investing in Clean, Christian Investments: a “How To” Letter (T)
Is a Progressive Tax Code Constitutional?
Jobs Saved?
Maybe the Two Biggest Recent Economic Lies
More on the Healthcare Fiasco
A Nice House with Limited Income in the Most Expensive Housing Market in the United States
Our Bad Economy for Dummies
Pay $0 / month for Cell Phone Service: FreedomPop
Pay $12 For Unlimited Talk & Text on Your Cell Phone
A Potentially High Interest Investment that Can be done with Christian and Socially Conscious Principles — Peer-to-Peer Lending (T)
Recession in the American Economy and the Greed Cycle
Save Money on the Large Majority of Internet Purchases
Sundries, Including the Debt Ceiling and a P90x Update
Tax Break for the Rich
Tax the Poor: The Rich Are Paying Far More Than Their Fair Share
Use Tax, Sales Tax, the Bible, and Other Financial Matters (T)
“We’re on the Verge of a Great, Great Depression”

Education

A Biblical Philosophy of Education (J)
Brief Review of Annual Summer Training at Logos School, Moscow Idaho (by David Sutton)
College for Church Kids, part one
College for Church Kids, part two
College for Church Kids, part three
Education: State, Church, or Home? (part one) (J)
Education: State, Church, or Home? (part two) (J)
Education: State, Church, or Home? (part three) (J)
Graduation Address from our M.Div Recipient (David Warner)

Epistemology

The Erroneous Epistemology of Multiple Version Onlyism part one
The Erroneous Epistemology of Multiple Version Onlyism part two
The Erroneous Epistemology of Multiple Version Onlyism part three
The Erroneous Epistemology of Multiple Version Onlyism part four
The Erroneous Epistemology of Multiple Version Onlyism part five
The Erroneous Epistemology of Multiple Version Onlyism part six
Faith, Epistemology, Worldview, Preservation of Scripture, and Apostasy: They Are Related Closely and How They Are Related
Faith the Only Reliable Epistemology: It’s Got to Be Faith
Faith the Only Reliable Epistemology: It’s Got to Be Faith, pt. 2
Faith the Only Reliable Epistemology: It’s Got to Be Faith, pt. 3
Faith the Only Reliable Epistemology: It’s Got to Be Faith, pt. 4
Faith the Only Reliable Epistemology: It’s Got to Be Faith, pt. 5
Faith the Only Reliable Epistemology: It’s Got to Be Faith, pt. 6
Getting Past Your Lying Eyes

Evolution

The Creationist
Evolutionist Science Fair
The Failure of the Naturalistic View of Origins: Not Observable or Repeatable
Goodbye Darwin: Three Prominent Scientists Bury Darwinism
Intelligent Design advocate Michael J. Behe’s new book Darwin Devolves with a free video course and other extras by Dr. Behe
Origin of the Universe and Life: Random or Designed
Political Candidates and the Evolution Question
Scan of 100,000 Galaxies and No Alien Life: What’s That Supposed to Mean?

Genuineness

Is That a Chihuahua?

Goodness

Is Conscience the Guide for Goodness?
Good, “Evil,” and Evil, “Good”
A Grab Bag On Goodness
Help the Homeless: Buy Them Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco? (T)

Gospel (see Salvation)

Government (see Politics)

Grace

The Free Flesh (“Grace”) Movement
The Perversion of God’s Grace from Evangelicals

Great Commission

Completing the Prescription

Hafley-Brandenburg Debate on Eternal Security

Part One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve

Healing and Sickness

A Paradigmatic Example of New Age Medicine and How to Expose and Analyze it, part 1 (T)
A Paradigmatic Example of New Age Medicine and How to Expose and Analyze it, part 2 (T)
A Paradigmatic Example of New Age Medicine and How to Expose and Analyze it, part 3 (T)
A Paradigmatic Example of New Age Medicine and How to Expose and Analyze it, part 4 (T)
A Paradigmatic Example of New Age Medicine and How to Expose and Analyze it, part 5 (T)
James 5:14-20: The Pentecostal Doctrine of Faith-Healing and James 5:14-20, part 1 (T)
The Pentecostal Doctrine of Faith-Healing and James 5:14-20, part 2
The Pentecostal Doctrine of Faith-Healing and James 5:14-20, part 3 (T)
The Pentecostal Doctrine of Faith-Healing and James 5:14-20, part 4 (T)
James 5:14-20 and Unconventional or Alternative Medicine, part five (T)

A Case Study in Fake Tolerance
A Case Study in Fake Tolerance, pt. 2
How Much Diversity Should a Christian Allow and What Is His Responsibility to Error?
Intolerance of Belief
The NFL: Moral Relativism and Violence Against Women
The Now Irrelevance of Cultural Relativity
Toleration and Acceptance Therapy
What Is Diversity and Is It Right Now Welcome in the United States?
Who Can Say Who’s Wrong?
A Wicked Idea, Actually Satanic Lie, That You Cannot Judge Things

Jesus Christ

Another Jesus
Jesus Is Jehovah
Jesus Is Lord (J)
Jesus Isn’t a Rorschach
Mark 13:32: the Son’s Glorious Ignorance of the Day and Hour
The Mission of the Messiah’s Grace: A New Order of Living, Isaiah 42:1-4
Preaching with Power, Like Jesus Christ Did (T)
The Sufficiency of Jesus

Jesus Christ: Christmas (Birth of Christ)

Happy Hanukkah, I Mean It
Too Many “Coincidences”
We Know What We’re Singing at Christmas, But Do They?

Jordan Peterson

A Fascinating Jordan Peterson Interview and a Genius Account of Media Insanity
Jonah Goldberg and Jordan Peterson: Two Recent Articles Mirroring What I Wrote in Criticism
Jordan Peterson: The Lowering Standard of Acceptance
Modernism Is Not an Acceptable Alternative to Postmodernism: Jordan Peterson
My Liking of Jordan Peterson Is Not Fellowship or an Endorsement of Him: Why?
On Father and Son from Jordan Peterson in His 12 Rules for Life

Judging

Fake It Till You Make It
Everybody Draws Lines (It Really Is All About Why)
Jerry Bridges Judges Judgmentalism (J)
Judging People to Be Saved
Strange
Social Networking Sites (SNS): A Case Study for Standards of Judgment
A Wicked Idea, Actually Satanic Lie, That You Cannot Judge Things
You Can’t Know My Heart

Justice

DOING JUSTICE: Weighing Problems in a Just Manner
Thoughts About What We Want and What We Deserve

Language

Something You’ll All Want to Hear

Law and Grace

Laws About Grace
The Law and Grace: Disastrous Misunderstandings (part one) (J)
The Law and Grace: Disastrous Misunderstandings (part two) (J)

Leadership

Expectations for the Earning of Respect to Lead

Legalism

Bondage and Fear: Not the Result of a Higher or “Stricter” Standard
The Left Winged Legalist
The Most Popular Legalism Today: Left-Winged (J)
The Myth and the Hammer of a Second Kind of Legalism
The Pharisaical Practice of Comparing People, Especially Yourself, to Other People
The Pharisees to the Left: Little Faith, Weak Minds, Poor Arguments, But With a Loud Fanfare

License (see Legalism above)

Loophole Theology

Links to Articles or Videos

A Fascinating Jordan Peterson Interview and a Genius Account of Media Insanity
Jonah Goldberg and Jordan Peterson: Two Recent Articles Mirroring What I Wrote in Criticism
Love This Victor David Hansen Article
The Presuppositions for Text and Canon of Scripture, the Same: Jeff Riddle

Listening

Listening Skills

Love (and Versus Sentimentalism)

Psalm 119, The Hate Psalm, and the Practice of Contemporary Christianity
Who Loves Jesus?
Selective Relativism: Love Isn’t Acceptance or Toleration

Lust

The Deliberate, Convenient Ineptitude of Professing Christians at Applying the Lust Passages of Scripture, pt. 1
The Deliberate, Convenient Ineptitude of Professing Christians at Applying the Lust Passages of Scripture, pt. 2
The Deliberate, Convenient Ineptitude of Professing Christians at Applying the Lust Passages of Scripture, pt. 3

Marriage and Marriage Roles (Complementarianism)

Concessions As Root Cause of Same Sex Marriage
A Gay Marriage Case Study: Whether It Hurts Someone Else Deciding Whether It Is Right
“He” vs. “they”: the 3rd Person Singular English Pronoun, Feminism, Patriarchy, and Biblical Christianity in Grammar (T)
How Are Men Supposed to Act?
Jesus and the Definition of Marriage
Masculine Pastors: The Battle They Face and Will Face Even More
Michele Bachmann and Submission to Husband
Should a Man Ever Be Under the Authority of a Woman? (J)
Should a Wife Ever Disobey Her Husband? (J)
To Bring Male and Female Roles Back to their Original Design: WHY JESUS CAME? (J)
Why Should Men Protect or Defend Women If They Aren’t or Can’t Be In Charge of Women?

Marriage: Obtaining a Life’s Partner

Do Women Bring It On or Ask for It?
My Online Marriage Service
More My Online Marriage Service
My Online Marriage Service III
Your Online Marriage Service, Part IV
Your Online Marriage Service, V
The Bible Way to Obtain Your Spouse part one (J)
The Bible Way to Obtain Your Spouse part two (J)
The Bible Way to Obtain Your Spouse part three (J)
The Bible Way to Obtain Your Spouse part four (J)

Meaning

Adjusting to a Meaningless World
Capitulation to Meaning Obliviousness: A Case of Berkeley and Oakland
The Content Of Their Character: Race and Meaning
Johnny Manziel, Obscenity, and Evangelicalism
The Kaufman, Kafkaesque Performance “Art”/Hoax That Is Most of Professing Christianity Today
The Kaufman, Kafkaesque Performance “Art”/Hoax That Is Most of Professing Christianity Today, pt. 2
Vulgarity, Meaning, Evangelicalism, Politics, and Hypocrisy
Weekend Observations: Musical Meaning and Geert Wilders and Racism
Who Can Say Who’s Wrong?

Meditation

Christian Meditation & Recreation (T)

Mercy

Mercy

Miracles

Miracles Today: Yes or No? The Bible on Continuing Miracles (T)
Smiracles
What Continues Today from Eras of Miracles? Thoughts on the Non-Charismatic Continuationism

Missions

Back to the Future of Getting to the Mission Field (J)
A Missionary Prayer Letter: An Evaluation
How Missions Really Does Start At Your Front Door (J)
Is the Macedonian Call Normative for Missions Today?
Missions Exists Because Worship of God Doesn’t: Psalm 96 (J)
Missions Is Not Church Planting (J)

Modernism and Postmodernism

Modernism Criticizes Post-Modernism: What Of It?
The Trojan Horse of Racial Reconciliation

Morality and Amorality

Amorality Isn’t (J)
The NFL: Moral Relativism and Violence Against Women

Motivation

Then and Now
As Long as They’re There

Multi-Culturalism

Capitulation to Meaning Obliviousness: A Case of Berkeley and Oakland
Is It Scriptural To Stereotype Certain Cultures or Ethnicities?
Multi-Cultural Gobblygook from Young “Fundamentalist”

Music

A Mess: The World’s Music and a Different God — Sing! 2019
Sing Koine Greek (T)
Sing the Nicene Creed in Greek (T)

Philosophy

The Dialectic Three Step
The End Justifies the Means
Open Mindedness: Relatively New In History — Why?
The Path to Postmodern Subjectivity Comes Through Fear, Pragmatism, and, Yes, Covenant Theology

Pluralism

My Sikh Issue: Pluralism Versus Relativism

Poetry

My Peace of Mind (David Warner)
Poem by David Warner

Politics (Government)

The Absence of Shame in This Country
A Biblical Way to Influence Politics (T)
Brett Kavanaugh: Alcohol and the Party Culture
Against Trump
America Is NOT A Christian Nation
Another Take on This Year’s Presidential Election
Are Passages on Old Testament Strangers A Legitimate Basis for Taking Refugees into the Country?
The Birth Certificate: Why It Remains an Issue
The Bible, Separation of Powers, and a Do Nothing Congress
Brexit Validation
Can Islam Assimilate Into American Society or Is Islam Protected by the First Amendment?
Can Islam Assimilate Into American Society or Is Islam Protected by the First Amendment? pt. 2
A Case Study on Fake Tolerance (part one, part two)
Change You’ll Regret (J)
Check These Out (Thomas Sowell, Shelby Steele)
Clarity As to What This Election Is About
Complicit: The World’s Knowledge of and Hypocrisy In the Doctrine of Separation
Conservatives and Free Speech
The Content Of Their Character: Race and Meaning
Contraception, Sandra Fluke, and the Rush Limbaugh Controversy
Delusional Disconnect and Legitimate Demonstration
Demagogue: Sausage Maker
DOING JUSTICE: Weighing Problems in a Just Manner
Donald Trump Doesn’t Care That Your Feelings Are Hurt
Ebola: Government Failure Stems from a Shift in Worldview
Election 2012: Do Rich People Like Romney Really Pay Less Taxes?
Ferguson and Changing Social Structure or Infrastructure
Final 2016 Presidential Argument — Anti-Anti Trump
Final 2016 Presidential Argument — Anti-Anti Trump, pt. 2
For Crying Out Loud
Forward or Backward?
Free Speech and Diversity That Isn’t, And Half the Country Knows It
Free Trade, Putin, and Other Takes on the Geopolitical Scene
Fundamental Stupidity
God-Given Rights: A Crucial Denial of a Foundation of Conservatism at National Review
Good Article on Hillary Clinton at National Review
A Handy Explanatory Guide for Hillary Clinton’s Basket of Deplorables
Hillary Clinton, Legal Relativism, and the Church
Historic, Unprecedented Political Strangeness
Honoring Joshua Bernard, Marine Corporal, and Bringing Awareness to Rules of Engagement
How Much Should Church Leadership Be Involved In Governmental or Political Matters?
How To Keep Children Safe
Interesting and Important Article in Jerusalem Post Regarding This Election
The Interpretation of Trump’s Travel Ban and the Interpretation of Scripture
Interpreting Trump and the Never or Anti Trumpers
Interpreting Violence
Is a Progressive Tax Code Constitutional?
Islam in America: Violent and Bloodthirsty, or Peaceful? (T)
Judging the 2016 Presidential Election as of Today, October 9
Kim Davis, Gavin Newsom, and the Christian’s Obedience to Unlawful Laws
Land of Liberty
Liberty and Equality: Adducing the Protests
The Limitations of Government in Private Business and First Amendment Freedom of Religion
Moral Narcissist*
My Take on the Support of Same Sex Marriage
Nationalism and Conservatism: Nations Are God’s Will
Obama and Infanticide, Let Alone Obama and Abortion
Obama = Scary for Israel
Palin and Paul Revere
Permission or Ability…To Speak Freely
Perversion of Justice
Political Candidates and the Evolution Question
Donald Trump Can’t Make America Great Again
The Pope, Stephen Colbert, Hillary’s Apology, and Truth
Postmodernism Meets Islam Meets Danger and Destruction
President Obama’s “Great” Health Care “Victory”
Recognizing the Contradictions: Same Sex Marriage and the First Amendment
Share Your Own Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich, Obama
Should Homosexuals be Put to Death by the Government? (T)
Some Common Sense on the Fort Hood Murders
Some Thoughts on the Zimmerman Trial
The Obama Vote
The Only One Bible Belief
The Supreme Court Decisions on Same Sex Marriage
The Supreme Court Ruling on the Second Amendment
The “As Long As It Doesn’t Hurt Somebody” Argument
The Tale of Two Cities: Newtown, CT and West Philadelphia, PA
This Woman Is Running for Re-election In My State
Thoughts on Single Federal Judge Overturning State Constitution on Marriage
A Tipping Point and a New America
Today’s Arguing that Isn’t Concerned about the Truth
Travel Ban Roll-Out Versus Oroville Dam Evacuation
Trump Follow-Up
Trump, Meaning, and Evangelicalism
Trump Rumors
Trump Win
Two Big Observations on America’s News: First, Trump’s Lies
Two Scoops: Word of Truth, 2012, and Romney
Two Things in the Realm of Current Events that Seem Obvious
The Ungovernable Will Not Be Governed
Update on the Obama “Bitter” Comment
Use Tax, Sales Tax, the Bible, and Other Financial Matters (T)
The Virtue of Nationalism
Vote Your Conscience
Vulgarity, Meaning, Evangelicalism, Politics, and Hypocrisy
Weekend Observations: Musical Meaning and Geert Wilders and Racism
Weekend Observations: What I Think Is the True Narrative on the 2016 Presidential Election and the Russia Connection
We’re Going to Get What We Deserve
What’s Being Missed in the Obama “Bitter” Comment
When All Lives and Their Things Don’t Matter
Who Is Killing Who? The Real Issues in the Trayvon Martin Situation
The Worldview of Romney and Ryan and the 2012 Presidential Election
What Is Diversity and Is It Right Now Welcome in the United States?
What Many Professional Athletes Really Think and Other Observations
What’s the Protest: NFL and NBA Athletes
Why Does this President of the United States Remain Popular?
Yes to McCain Is No to Obama (J)
You Should Consider Very Strongly How Bad A Clinton Administration Will Be
You Should Vote for Romney, the Basic Argument

Pragmatism

The Apostle Paul and Ethics in Evangelism: Exposing the Corruption of Modern Methods
Are We Practical or Just Pragmatic? (J)
Bribery and Pandering: Ties that Bind Modern Church Growth (that neither Jesus nor the Apostles Used)
Bribery and Pandering: Ties that Bind Modern Church Growth (that neither Jesus nor the Apostles Used), pt. 2
Cleverness
The Destructive Instinct of Evangelicalism and Now Fundamentalism for and with Celebrity
It Isn’t Digging Ditches
Lance Armstrong, Yawn: Or the Parallel Between Him and Fundagelicals
One Particular Corruption of Repentance to Accommodate a Methodology, Success, and Numbers

Prayer

A Valid Prayer Request (Colossians 1:9) (J)
The Definition of Faith or Belief and Prayer
The Definition of Faith or Belief and Prayer, pt. 2
Evangelistic Prayers (Colossians 4:2-6) (J)
Group Praying
Jesus Said, Have Faith in God
The Keswick-Continuationist Prayer Equivalent Everywhere in Christianity
More About How to Pray
More On Prayer
More About Prayer II
More About Prayer III
More On Prayer IV
More About Prayer V
More About Prayer VI
More About Prayer VII
Ought We to Pray to the Person of the Holy Spirit?
Ought We to Pray to the Person of the Holy Spirit? part two
James 5:14-20: The Pentecostal Doctrine of Faith-Healing and James 5:14-20, part 1 (T)
The Pentecostal Doctrine of Faith-Healing and James 5:14-20, part 2 (T)
The Pentecostal Doctrine of Faith-Healing and James 5:14-20, part 3 (T)
The Pentecostal Doctrine of Faith-Healing and James 5:14-20, part 4 (T)
James 5:14-20 and Unconventional or Alternative Medicine, part five (T)
Prayer: Does the Bible Teach Not Knowing Until the “No” Answer?
The Prayer for Power (J)
Prayer Versus a Wish
Praying for Revival or Not Praying for Revival
The Providence of God and Sickness
Revivalism and the Prayer That “the Word of the Lord May Have Free Course”
Should We Pray for the Sick?
The Way to Pray
What is the New Testament Basis for Praying for the Sick? (J)

Preaching

Laid on My Heart? (J)
How Does the Power Work through the Words? (J)
How Much of Preaching Should Be Interpretation and How Much Application? (J)
How Much of Preaching Should Be Interpretation and How Much Application? part two (J)
Keswick Preaching and then Practical Perversion: the Unaffiliated
My History with Preaching with a Special Focus on John MacArthur
Preaching Is WORSHIP (Well, Should Be) (J)
Preaching with Power, Like Jesus Christ Did (T)
The Most Important Trait for the Expositor: Boldness (J)
The Superiority of Exposition (J)
What Is Preaching? And What Is Not
When is Bad Preaching a Separating Issue?

Priesthood

Priesthood: Privilege or Responsibility
The Kleenex Argument
The Offense Card

Providence

The Providence of God and Sickness

Psychology

The Falsely So-Called Science, Yet Popular Psychobabble: Introduction
The Falsely So-Called Science, Yet Popular Psychobabble: “Daddy Issues”

Race

The Content Of Their Character: Race and Meaning
Race and Culture
Reflecting on My White Privilege

Relationship

Relationship, pt. 1
Relationship, pt. 2
Relationship, pt. 3
Relationship, pt. 4
Relationship, pt. 5
Relationship, pt. 6
Relationship, pt. 7
Relationship, pt. 8
Relationship, pt. 9
Relationship, pt. 10
Relationship, pt. 11
Relationship, pt. 12
Relationship, pt. 13
Two Bad Reactions When the Truth Hits Target: Shoot the Messenger or Doctor Shopping

Relativity

It’s All Relative

Religion

David Brooks of the New York Times on Fundamentalism and Religion
Can Islam Assimilate Into American Society or Is Islam Protected by the First Amendment?
Can Islam Assimilate Into American Society or Is Islam Protected by the First Amendment? pt. 2
Grace through the Word: the Lutheran and Reformed Doctrines Contrasted (T)
I’m Not Reformed: Why Not?
Initial thoughts on my debate with Shabir Ally at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater (T)
Islam in America: Violent and Bloodthirsty, or Peaceful? (T)
Islam: Modernist or Rationalist Critique (T)
Islam, Terror, and Phobia
Learn About Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and African Tribal Religions in Scholarly Christian
Lutherans and Anglicans: True Gospel?
Muslim Covering of Women Isn’t a Good Argument against Islam
Perspective (T)
The Pope and Islam: Friends?
Postmodernism Meets Islam Meets Danger and Destruction
The Roman Catholic “Church”: Now Controlled by Modernists and Sodomites? (T)
Selective Reformation
Selective Reformation, part two
Selective Reformation, part three
Selective Reformation, part four
Selective Reformation, part five
Were Moslems Practicing their Religion on 9/11?

Religious Freedom

Kim Davis, Gavin Newsom, and the Christian’s Obedience to Unlawful Laws
A One Stop Shop of Recent Religious Freedom Articles (and a Short One by Me)

Revival

A Primer on Revival

Salvation (the Gospel)

“Abide in Me,” John 15:1-8: Saved or Unsaved, Not Christian or Better Christian
Abiding in Christ: What Does it Mean? part 1 of 9, Word Study (T)
Abiding in Christ: What Does it Mean? part 2 of 9, Word Study (T)
Abiding in Christ: What Does it Mean? part 3 of 9, Word Study Concluded (T)
Abiding in Christ: What Does it Mean? part 4 of 9, the Lexica (T)
Abiding in Christ: What Does it Mean? part 5 of 9, Old Testament Background to the Vine Image of John 15 (T)
Abiding in Christ: What Does it Mean? part 6 of 9: Exposition of John 15:1-3 (T)
Abiding in Christ: What Does it Mean? part 7 of 9: Exposition of John 15:4-5 (T)
Abiding in Christ: What Does it Mean? part 8 of 9: Exposition of John 15:6-11 (T)
Abiding in Christ: What Does it Mean? part 9 of 9: Miscellaneous Notes & Conclusion (T)
Acts 2:38–Baptism Essential to Salvation? (T)
Acts 11:26: All Christians are Disciples (T)
Acts 22:16–Baptism Essential for Salvation? (T)
Analysis: Online Video Plan of Salvation – Is It the Gospel?
Postscript to Analysis of Skelly Gospel Video
Are All Believers Disciples? part 1 (T)
Are All Believers Disciples? part 2 (T)
Are All Believers Disciples? part 3 (T)
Ask Jesus into your Heart? 14 Reasons not to, part 1 of 3 (T)
Ask Jesus into your Heart? 14 Reasons not to, part 2 of 3 (T)
Ask Jesus into your Heart? 14 Reasons not to, part 3 of 3 (T)
Christians Not Impressed with Christianity
Church Autonomy, Pastoral Authority, Closed Communion, and the Gospel: The Means Becoming the End
The Covenant of Redemption Should Be a Problem
Damning Danger in Asking Christ into Your Heart: The Testimony of Baptist Pastor Ovid Need, part 1 of 4 (T)
Damning Danger in Asking Christ into Your Heart: The Testimony of Baptist Pastor Ovid Need, part 2 of 4 (T)
Damning Danger in Asking Christ into Your Heart: The Testimony of Baptist Pastor Ovid Need, part 3 of 4 (T)
Damning Danger in Asking Christ into Your Heart: The Testimony of Baptist Pastor Ovid Need, part 4 of 4 (T)
Enablers of a False Gospel and Bad Church
Everyone Justified by Faith Has the Unction and the Anointing
Free Grace and Lordship Salvation: Rival Hermeneutics for a Biblical Soteriology
Gospel-Centeredness and Moralism
The Gospel and Simplicity
The Gospel Doesn’t Change What God Expects
The Gospel, Stupid (J)
Gospel Troubles
The History of the Doctrine of Justification (J)
How the Gospel Gets Changed (J)
Is It Gospel Centered to Ignore or Disparage Cultural Applications of Scripture?
Jesus Is Lord (J)
Judging People to Be Saved
A Leaking Gospel
Let’s Think about Romans 6:23 in Its Context for a “Gospel Presentation”
Lordship Salvation for “Dummies”
Lutherans and Anglicans: True Gospel?
The Most Important Problem: Part 1 of 4 in The Most Important Message Gospel series of Gospel videos (T)
Omissions From the Gospel, Important to Consider
Omissions From the Gospel, Important to Consider, pt. 2
Omissions From the Gospel, Important to Consider, pt. 3
Omissions From the Gospel, Important to Consider, pt. 4
One of the Two Primary Distortions of the Gospel in the New Testament, and The Most Prominent Today
A Post Among a Series of Posts by John MacArthur about Social Justice and the Gospel
Preaching the Gospel to New Evangelicals?
The Problem among Independent Baptists with the Gospel
The Problem among Independent Baptists with the Gospel, pt. 2
Luke 18:18-30:  The Rich Young Ruler: Tell-Tale Passage for Soteriology, Number One
Luke 18:18-30:  The Rich Young Ruler: Tell-Tale Passage for Soteriology, Number Two
Luke 18:18-30:  The Rich Young Ruler: Tell-Tale Passage for Soteriology, Number Three
Salvation Is Cultural Separation (J)
“Saviour Of All Men”: What Does It Mean?
Separation with the Gospel as an Essential: Imagination of and about Jesus Dipping Below a Saving Quality
Show Time: Making the Gospel About Us (J)
So Do You Think He Was Saved? Saul, Wesley, Luther, Etc.
A Statement Carefully Crafted to Leave Out the Parts of the Gospel Most Disagreeable to Sinners
A Statement Carefully Crafted to Leave Out the Parts of the Gospel Most Disagreeable to Sinners, pt. 2
Unbiblical Salvation Language, pt. 1
What Does It Mean to Believe in Jesus Christ? (J)
What Has Happened that the Gospel Has Been So Messed Up by Professing Christians?
What Has Happened that the Gospel Has Been So Messed Up by Professing Christians? pt. 2
Winning through Losing (J)
There Are Two Sides, You Have To Choose One, Not Straddle Both, And This Has To Do With Everything

Salvation: Atonement

Atonement (Part One): An Old Testament Term
Atonement (Part Two): Less Excellent Than Christ

Atonement (Part Three): Less Excellent Than Christ (continued)
“Blood. . . Part and Parcel of the Programming We Receive as Christians”
Limited Atonement or Unlimited Atonement? Calvin Was Right About the Extent Of the Atonement – everyone ought to agree with him on it (T)

Salvation: Lordship and Repentance

Corrupting Gospel Repentance: the FBFI and Minci’s Response (T)
Does 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 Describe Conversion or Some Post Conversion Sanctification Experience?
Does Saving Faith Involve Surrender to Christ as Lord? (T)
Does Shelton Smith and the Sword of the Lord Teach a True Gospel? part one
Does Shelton Smith and the Sword of the Lord Teach a True Gospel? part two
Does Shelton Smith and the Sword of the Lord Teach a True Gospel? part three
The Evil Junction of False Gospel, Distorted Sanctification, Success, Church Growth, Second Blessing, Keswick, and Man-Centered Methods
The Evil of Anti-Lordship Teaching
Except Ye “Repent,” More Sword Aberration
Explaining Repentance to an Ignorant Lost Person
The Historic Baptist Doctrine of Receiving Christ as both Savior and Lord and the So-Called
Liberty and Lordship
Lordship Salvation, or the So-Called Free Grace Gospel (T)
Mutually Inclusive: Lordship Salvation
One Particular Corruption of Repentance to Accommodate a Methodology, Success, and Numbers
Preaching Repentance
Questions on Repentance from a Prominent Preacher (T)
Repentance and the Baptist Church Constitution (T)
Repent of Original Sin? Yes! (T)
Repentance Debate Challenge (T)
Repentance Defended Against Antinomian Heresy: A Brief Defense of the Indubitable Biblical Fact that Repentance is a Change of Mind that Always Results in a Change of Action, part 1 (T)
Repentance Defended Against Antinomian Heresy: A Brief Defense of the Indubitable Biblical Fact that Repentance is a Change of Mind that Always Results in a Change of Action, part 2 (T)
Repentance Defended Against Antinomian Heresy: A Brief Defense of the Indubitable Biblical Fact that Repentance is a Change of Mind that Always Results in a Change of Action, part 3 (T)
Repentance Defended Against Antinomian Heresy: A Brief Defense of the Indubitable Biblical Fact that Repentance is a Change of Mind that Always Results in a Change of Action, part 4 (T)
Repentance Isn’t This Nor Is It This Complicated — Please
Sad Strawman: A Critique of David Cloud’s “Repentance and Lordship Salvation Revisited”
A Statement Carefully Crafted to Leave Out the Parts of the Gospel Most Disagreeable to Sinners
A Statement Carefully Crafted to Leave Out the Parts of the Gospel Most Disagreeable to Sinners, pt. 2
Steven Anderson Is a False Teacher Who Believes and Preaches a False Gospel
What Gospel Did Jesus Say to Preach as Part of the Great Commission?

Sanctification: Reformation

Children Scribble Scrabbling: Interpretation of History and Reformed Theology
I’m Not Reformed: Why Not?
Reformed What?

Sanctification: Sin

Embracing Unfairness
The Fear of “Externalism” In Preaching against Worldliness and for Personal Separation
Immoral and Unhappy: Fornication Does Not Make Teens Happy
The Normalization of Aberrant Behavior Now in Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism
The Self-Centered Hypocrisy of Nuance
Where Sin Gets Defeated

Sanctification: Time

This Is the Time On Which My Endless Life Dependeth
When Would Ye Receive Your Good Things?

Satan

The Ministry of Satan as Caused or Allowed by God

Satire

A Critique

Science

The Bible As Scientific Challenge to Climate Change Speculation
Christianity Is Based On Science and History
An Early Fundamentalist of Science
Evidence that the Bible and Christianity Are Not Scientific
The Falsely So-Called Science, Yet Popular Psychobabble: “Daddy Issues”
God, the Bible, & Science: Friends or Enemies? A New Tract (T)
Goodbye Darwin: Three Prominent Scientists Bury Darwinism
The Relationship of Faith and Science or Faith and Thinking
Trusting Science

Scripture

The Bible and Circular Reasoning
Brainwashed Bibliology
A Case Study in the Practical Consequences of Evangelical Bibliology
Certain Unscriptural Positions of Bibliology Worth Separating Over: Considering Mark Ward’s Call to Separation at FBFI
Comparative: Amending the U. S. Constitution and Amending the Bible
A Confession of Faith on the Inspiration and Preservation of Scripture, part 1

A Confession of Faith on the Inspiration and Preservation of Scripture, part 3
Daniel Wallace and Bart Ehrman: We Don’t Really Know For Sure

The Apostle Paul and His View of Unity and “Non-Essentials”
The Artificially Manufactured ‘Majoring on Minors’ Controversy
The Artifically Manufactured “Major-Minor” Controversy pt. 2
The Artifically Manufactured “Major-Minor” Controversy pt. 3
The Damage of the Non-Essential Doctrine to the Gospel
Deconstructing Fugate and Schaap and a Conclusion about Ranking Doctrines (J)
The Delusion of the Fundamental of the Faith: Relating It To Rocky Top at Bob Jones University
En Protois and 1 Corinthians 15:3: First of All, First In Order
The “Essential Doctrine” Doctrine Is Just Being Assumed with No Proof (J)
Essential Truths, Secondary Issues
Evangelicals Move the Goalposts on Adiaphora
1 Corinthians 15:3: En Protois, First in Order or First in Importance, and Ranking Doctrines
Gospel Minimization: Is Paul Saying in 1 Corinthians 15 that the Gospel Is Merely the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ?
Hard to Be Understood
Incremental Conservatism?
Is Sanctification a Secondary Doctrine?
Is the Doctrine of Major Doctrines a Major Doctrine? The Rapture as a Case Study
Majoring on the Minors
A Majorly Minor Break
“Negotiable Matters of Indifference”
Phil Johnson: Tertiary Doctrines Dovetailing with the King James Version Issue
The Point and Presumptuousness of Ranking Doctrines (J)
“Primary” and “Secondary,” Biblical Separation, and Application of Scripture: Johnson, MacArthur, Driscoll, and Murray pt. 1
“Primary” and “Secondary,” Biblical Separation, and Application of Scripture: Johnson, MacArthur, Driscoll, and Murray pt. 2
Ranking Doctrines (J)
Secondary, Tertiary, or Essential?
Secondary, Tertiary, or Essential? Part Two
Secondary, Tertiary, or Essential? Part Three
Secondary, Tertiary, or Essential? Part Four
Secondary, Tertiary, or Essential? Part Five
Separation and Ranking Doctrines
Separation with the Gospel as an Essential: Imagination of and about Jesus Dipping Below a Saving Quality
What Did Charles Spurgeon and H. A. Ironside Say About the Tertiary or Primary Doctrine View?
When An Exegetical Fallacy Becomes a Translation and then a Philosophy

Service (Ministry)

Does God Accept Unscriptural Service or Work? (J)
Making the Old Paradigm the New Paradigm for “Full Time” Ministry

Service: Faithfulness

What Dad Expects When He Returns

Shame (see Conscience)

Social Gospel, Social Issues

Are Passages on Old Testament Strangers A Legitimate Basis for Taking Refugees into the Country?
Are You Woke? The Truth Behind the Evangelical Woke Movement
Contraception, Sandra Fluke, and the Rush Limbaugh Controversy
Help the Homeless: Buy Them Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco? (T)
Paul Obliterates Pandering in Galatians: Social Justice Panderers
Paul Obliterates Pandering in Galatians: His Antidote to Pandering
Perversion of Justice
A Post Among a Series of Posts by John MacArthur about Social Justice and the Gospel
Race and Culture
Reflecting on My White Privilege
Russell Moore, Exhibit One in Ingratiation of Gospel Hipsterness
The Trojan Horse of Racial Reconciliation
When All Lives and Their Things Don’t Matter
Woke: Evangelical Rift Caused or Influenced by Seismic False System of Interpretation of Scripture

Social Networking and the Internet

The Blind Spots of www.Christian part one
Brainless Damaging Social Networking
Christian Internet Filtering, part 1 of 2
Christian Internet Filtering, part 2 of 2
Internet Filtering for Churches: High Quality, Low Price, Christian Influence: Covenant Eyes
Maybe the Worst Thing about Social Media
Putting the Web in Web
Romans 14 and Issues Like Social Networking (J)
Social Networking Sites (SNS): A Case Study for Standards of Judgment
Why You Should Get Rid of Yahoo! E-Mail and Avoid Yahoo! Entirely
Why to Delete a Facebook Account
You Need Filtered and Accountable Electronic Devices, part 1 of 2 (T)
You Need Filtered and Accountable Electronic Devices, part 2 of 2 (T)

Soul and Spirit (the nature of Man)

Do Animals Have Souls and Spirits? (T)

Sovereignty

Selective Sovereignty
Sovereignty over Sovereignty (J)
Who Is Sovereign Over Sovereignty

Speech

A Case Study in Hypocritic Discourse: Sharper Iron (J)
Conversation Boggles
A Failure to Communicate (J)
Discourse on Discourse (J)
Inflammatory
Is He a Scorner or Not?
Mein Kampf (J)
The Myth of the Harshness of Right Wing Tone or Hypocrisy from the Left on Tone or Attitude
Old School (J)
Scorners and Scorning

Spirit Filling

A Time and a Place

Spirituality (Ecstasy, Soft Continuationism)

Actual Sensing of the Holy Spirit or God and then the More Prominent Fake Kind, Which Is a Lie
Andrew Murray, Mystical Quietist and Higher Life / Keswick Writer, part 1 of 7 (T)
Andrew Murray, Mystical Quietist and Higher Life / Keswick Writer, part 2 of 7 (T)
Andrew Murray, Mystical Quietist and Higher Life / Keswick Writer, part 3 of 7 (T)
Andrew Murray, Mystical Quietist and Higher Life / Keswick Writer, part 4 of 7 (T)
Andrew Murray, Mystical Quietist and Higher Life / Keswick Writer, part 5 of 7 (T)
Andrew Murray, Mystical Quietist and Higher Life / Keswick Writer, part 6 of 7 (T)
Andrew Murray, Mystical Quietist and Higher Life / Keswick Writer, part 7 of 7 (T)
Deep and Very Warm Spirituality
Detection of True Spirituality — part one (J)
Detection of True Spirituality — part two (J)
Distortion of True Spirituality , pt. 1 (J)
Distortion of True Spirituality, pt. 2 (J)
Ecstasy Rampant in Evangelicalism (and Fundamentalism)
How Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism Are Teeming with Ecstatic and Demonic Influence
How Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism Are Teeming with Ecstatic and Demonic Influence part 2
Lead, Guide,and Direct: What is This?
The Oracle of Delphi, Preaching, Power, and Sensing God
Producing Experiences with the Flesh and Calling It the Spirit
Rampant Fake Spirituality
Rampant Fake Spirituality, part two
Schaap and Hyles and the Presence of God (J)
Sensing the Presence of God: Is It Biblical?
Spirituality
What Continues Today from Eras of Miracles? Thoughts on the Non-Charismatic Continuationism
Wisdom and Signs: Two Characteristics Rampant in Churches

Sports

Coaches and Referees
A Defense of Barry Bonds: My One and Only Defense
A Good Sign the NFL Season Is Here

Stewardship

Underrated

Success

2 Corinthians 2:12-17: An Imperative Passage for a Right View of Ministry Success
The Deceit and Tragedy of the Wrong Attribution of Success or a Wrong View of Success in Church Leadership, part one
The Deceit and Tragedy of the Wrong Attribution of Success or a Wrong View of Success in Church Leadership, part two
The Deceit and Tragedy of the Wrong Attribution of Success or a Wrong View of Success in Church Leadership, part three
The Deceit and Tragedy of the Wrong Attribution of Success or a Wrong View of Success in Church Leadership, part four

Suffering

Explaining Why
Major Message in Scripture: Suffering for Evil Doing Isn’t Actually Suffering
Not God’s Problem: The Bible Does Answer the Question of Suffering in Lamentations

Suing Other Christians

Christians Suing Christians: Is it Biblical? (T)

Television

“Blood. . . Part and Parcel of the Programming We Receive as Christians”
Dishonoring A Game of Honor
God of the Thoughts
Interesting and, I Think, True Historical Take on What Happened to Hollywood
Scriptural Realism in Application to Television
Television: My Story
Television: My Story part second

Thanks

What We are Thankful to God the Father For (Colossians 1:14) (J)

Theology: Historical

Historical Theology and the Majority Position (J)
The History of the Doctrine of Justification (J)

Theology: Proper

The Covenant Name of God: Jehovah or Yahweh? (T)
Expectations of God
God Has to Be God
God Has to Be God, pt. 2
God Has to Be God, pt. 3
God Has to Be God, pt. 4
The Ministry of Satan as Caused or Allowed by God
The Wrath of God

Thinking

GroupThink

Tithing (Giving, Offering)

The New Testament Teaches Tithing pt. 1 (J)
The New Testament Teaches Tithing pt. 2 (J)
The New Testament Teaches Tithing pt. 3 (J)

Trials, Temptations, and Tests

Trials and Temptations — Different and Yet the Same (J)

Trinity

The Anabaptists Did Not Get the Trinity From Constantine, and the Ancient Arians Were Bloody Persecutors
Did the Trinity Come From Paganism? part 1 (T)
Did the Trinity Come From Paganism? part 2 (T)
Did the Trinity Come From Paganism? part 3 (T)
Did the Trinity Come from Paganism? part 4 (T)
How is your growth in the knowledge of your Triune God? (T)
How well do you know your Triune God? (T)
Knowing the Trinity: Practical Thoughts for Daily Life, by Ryan M. McGraw: A Review (T)
Representative Quotations from the Earliest Christian Writings— Are These Men Trinitarians or Arians?
Trinitarianism College Course Now Complete on YouTube (T)
The Trinity: How Well Do You Know the true God? (T)
Who Is God? Trinity the Identity of God

Truth

Adjusting to a Meaningless World
Doubt, Lack of Willingness to Believe, and Atheism
The Eclecticism of Today’s Churches
The Evangelical Seduction of Two Truths
The Height of Postmodern or Two Truth Folly
How Bifurcation of Truth Became and Stays Acceptable
How Evangelicals and Fundamentalists Are Codifying Uncertainty and Doubt (J)
How Much Diversity Should a Christian Allow and What Is His Responsibility to Error?
The Job of Keeping
The Lie of Two Worlds
The Lie of Two Worlds, pt. 2
Mark These Words: Capitulation on the Diversity of Truth and Beauty Yields Apostasy, Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism
A Means of Protection
Open Mindedness: Relatively New In History — Why?
Point of 2 John: Truth the Boundary of Acceptance
The Pope, Stephen Colbert, Hillary’s Apology, and Truth
The Root of Uncertainty: Not Can’t, Not Don’t, But Won’t
The Strategy of Doubt
Uncertainty Now Considered Supreme Form of Christianity
The War Against Certainty
A World of Lies Starting with a Church of Lies

United States History

America Is NOT A Christian Nation
The Fifth American War: Uniquely Good Analysis By Victor David Hanson
Powdered Wigs and Wooden Teeth
Preying for Power
Reports of Revival in America

Will of God

Erroneous Reliance on Circumstances as Evidence of the Holy Spirit’s Leading
God Speaking and the Individual Will of God
God Speaking and the Individual Will of God, pt. 2
The Magic Rings

Word of Truth Conference (Bethel Baptist Church)

All Audio and Video Up for 2017 WORD OF TRUTH CONFERENCE
Audio and Video of 2018 Word of Truth Conference — The Gospel (Part Four)
I-MAGINATION: The God of Truth Replaced in an Age of Apostasy
The Very First Word of Truth Conference
Word of Truth Conference Line-Up 2018
Word of Truth Conference: the 2018 Sermons are Online (T)

World History

Where Did the Mess Begin?

Adjusting to a Meaningless World
Arctic Ice Sheets Melting, So Ocean Level Rising (Snicker)
Canaanite DNA and Fake News
Concocted Christianity
The Connection Between One’s World View and the Version Issue
The Content Of Their Character: Race and Meaning
Did New Testament Christianity Borrow from Mithraism? (T)
Ebola: Government Failure Stems from a Shift in Worldview
Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism: The Embrace of Neutrality (J)
Extremists
The Failure of the Naturalistic View of Origins: Not Observable or Repeatable
Global Warming
God-Given Rights: A Crucial Denial of a Foundation of Conservatism at National Review
Government, Family, Church: Why More?
The Height of Postmodern or Two Truth Folly
“He” vs. “they”: the 3rd Person Singular English Pronoun, Feminism, Patriarchy, and Biblical Christianity in Grammar (T)
How Much Diversity Should a Christian Allow and What Is His Responsibility to Error?
Johnny Manziel, Obscenity, and Evangelicalism
Jordan Peterson: The Lowering Standard of Acceptance
The Lie of Two Worlds
The Lie of Two Worlds, pt. 2
The Lure of the Left
Metaphysical Reality
Modernism Criticizes Post-Modernism: What Of It?
Origin of the Universe and Life: Random or Designed
The Pagan Worldview of Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism
Perfect Preservation of Scripture and Young Earth Creationism
Population Explosion
Question Authority
Scan of 100,000 Galaxies and No Alien Life: What’s That Supposed to Mean?
Should Naturalistic Explanations Overrule Scriptural Ones?
The Sister Presuppositions of Palaeography and Paleontology
Summit on Inerrancy: Not a Consistent, Therefore, Christian Worldview
The Virtue of Nationalism
Who’s Worse
The Worldview of Romney and Ryan and the 2012 Presidential Election

SCRIPTURE PASSAGE (Order of Books of the Bible)

Genesis

Separation Is An Indispensable Message You Should Pick Up from the Whole Bible, But Let’s Start with Genesis

Leviticus

Embarrassment: Leviticus 18, NY Times, and Albert Mohler

Deuteronomy

Divorce, Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Remarriage, and New Testament teaching (T)
What I’ve Preached on Deuteronomy 24 (T)

1 Chronicles

Worship and the Ark Narrative in 1 Chronicles, pt. 1
Worship and the Ark Narrative in 1 Chronicles, pt. 2
Worship and the Ark Narrative in 1 Chronicles, pt. 3
Worship and the Ark Narrative in 1 Chronicles, pt. 4
Worship and the Ark Narrative of 1 Chronicles, pt. 5

Psalms

Gender Discord and Psalm 12:6-7
Psalm 12:6–7 and Gender Discordance: the anti-KJV and anti-preservation argument debunked (again) (T)
Psalm 12:6-7 Commentaries and the Preservation of Words (T)
Missions Exists Because Worship of God Doesn’t: Psalm 96
Psalm 46:10
Psalm 119, The Hate Psalm, and the Practice of Contemporary Christianity
A Meditation upon Psalm 119:148: “My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate in thy statutes.” (T)

Proverbs

Proverbs 22:6 — Children of Obedient Parents Turning Out for God–Certainty or Mere Possibility? Part 1 (T)
Proverbs 22:6 — Children of Obedient Parents Turning Out for God–Certainty or Mere Possibility? Part 2 (T)
Proverbs 22:6 and Adoption, part 1 of 2 (T)
Proverbs 22:6 and Adoption, part 2 of 2 (T)
One Stop Shop on Prov 23:31 and “When It Is Red”

IsaiahIsaiah 59:21 and the Perfect Preservation of Scripture (J)
The Mission of the Messiah’s Grace: A New Order of Living, Isaiah 42:1-4

Lamentations

Not God’s Problem: The Bible Does Answer the Question of Suffering in Lamentations

Daniel

Daniel 3:25: “the Son of God” or “a son of the gods”? (T)
Proof that the Bible is the Word of God from the Book of Daniel (T)

Matthew

The Devil in the Details? Matthew 5:18, 19 and the Authority of Scripture
The Devil in the Details? Matthew 5:18, 19 and the Authority of Scripture, part two
30, 60, 100: Can We Conclude That More Fruit Was Caused by the One Receiving the Seed?
A Meditation upon Matthew 25:21, 23: “His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. . . . His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” (T)

Mark

Mark 7:4-5:  Mark 7:4 & the “washing [baptidzo] . . . of tables:” Baptism is still Immersion in the Baptizing of Tables or Dining Couches (T)
Mark 7:4-5:  Mark 7:4 & the “washing [baptidzo] . . . of tables:” Baptism is still Immersion in the Baptizing of Tables or Dining Couches, part 2 (T)
Mark 7:7, Corban: Rearing Its Ugly Head Again in Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism
About Mark
Mark 7:13:  The Pharisees to the Left: Little Faith, Weak Minds, Poor Arguments, But With a Loud Fanfare
Mark 11:  Jesus Said, Have Faith in God
Mark 13:32: the Son’s Glorious Ignorance of the Day and Hour

Luke

The Ignorance of a Luke 10 Approach (J)
Luke 14:15-24: What It Means (part one)
Luke 14:15-24: What It Means (part two)
Luke 15:  Why Doesn’t Tim Keller Include the Younger Son?
Luke 18:18-30:  The Rich Young Ruler: Tell-Tale Passage for Soteriology, Number One
Luke 18:18-30:  The Rich Young Ruler: Tell-Tale Passage for Soteriology, Number Two
Luke 18:18-30:  The Rich Young Ruler: Tell-Tale Passage for Soteriology, Number Three
Luke 23:43: Where Does the Comma Go? Was the Thief in Paradise That Day? “Verily, I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise,” as in the KJV, or “Verily I say unto thee to day, Thou shalt be with me in paradise,” as the Watchtower Society, Seventh Day Adventism, and other annihilationists teach? (T)

John

John 6: Church Growth Methods and Other Sins
John 6: Church Growth Methods and Other Sins, pt. 2
The Truth Shall Make You Free, pt. 1 (John 8:32)
The Truth Shall Make You Free, pt. 2 (John 8:32)
John 10:35, the Scripture Cannot Be Broken, and Perfect Preservation of Scripture
John 12:24-25: The Corn / Grain of Wheat Dying in the Ground: A Second Blessing? (T)
“Abide in Me,” John 15:1-8: Saved or Unsaved, Not Christian or Better Christian
Abiding in Christ: What Does it Mean? part 5 of 9, Old Testament Background to the Vine Image of John 15 (T)
Abiding in Christ: What Does it Mean? part 6 of 9: Exposition of John 15:1-3 (T)
Abiding in Christ: What Does it Mean? part 7 of 9: Exposition of John 15:4-5 (T)
Abiding in Christ: What Does it Mean? part 8 of 9: Exposition of John 15:6-11 (T)
What Is the Guidance of the Holy Spirit in John 16:13?

Acts

Acts 2:38–Baptism Essential to Salvation? (T)
Acts 11:26: All Christians are Disciples (T)
Acts 22:16–Baptism Essential for Salvation? (T)
Apostasy and the Meaning of Stephen’s Sermon in Acts 7 with Special Application to Millennial Apostates
Exploring Unacceptable Degrees of Normativeness of the Book of Acts

1 Corinthians

1 Corinthians 1:19-22:  Wisdom and Signs: Two Characteristics Rampant in Churches
1 Corinthians 2:7:  Don’t Fix Stupid: Stupid Doesn’t Need Fixing
1 Corinthians 6:1-4 — God’s Evaluation of the Judgment of an Individual Church
1 Corinthians 6:9-10:  Ability to Judge, Standard of Judgment, and Judging Effeminate Behavior (and Separating from It)
1 Corinthians 11:2-16, Headcoverings, and Historical Doctrine
Proof-Text Perversions: 1 Corinthians 12:13 (part one)
Proof-Text Perversions: 1 Corinthians 12:13 (part two)
Proof-Text Perversions: 1 Corinthians 12:13 (part three)
Proof-Text Perversions: 1 Corinthians 12:13 (part four)
Proof-Text Perversions: 1 Corinthians 12:13 (part five)
Proof-Text Perversions: 1 Corinthians 12:13 (part six)
A Review of Kevin Bauder’s Article on 1 Corinthians 12:13
En Protois and 1 Corinthians 15:3: First of All, First In Order
1 Corinthians 15:3: En Protois, First in Order or First in Importance, and Ranking Doctrines
1 Corinthians 15:1-4:  When An Exegetical Fallacy Becomes a Translation and then a Philosophy
Gospel Minimization: Is Paul Saying in 1 Corinthians 15 that the Gospel Is Merely the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ?

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians 2:12-17: An Imperative Passage for a Right View of Ministry Success
How Big Is Disobedience to 2 Corinthians 6:14?RomansRomans 1:18 (Operation Suppression)
Let’s Think about Romans 6:23 in Its Context for a “Gospel Presentation”
Romans 8:14-16:  Bondage and Fear: Not the Result of a Higher or “Stricter” Standard
Romans 10:9-13: Are “Confess” and “Call” Post-Justification?
Romans 10:9-13: Are “Confess” and “Call” Post-Justification? (part two)
Romans 10:9-13: Are “Confess” and “Call” Post-Justification? (part three)
Romans 10:9-13: Are “Confess” and “Call” Post-Justification? (part four)
Romans 10:9-13: Are “Confess” and “Call” Post-Justification? (part five)
Romans 14: Disputations about Doubtful Disputations (J)

Galatians

The Epistle to the Galatians and Evangelicalism or New Evangelicalism: Slaves or Sons
Does Christ live the Christian Life for the Christian? The Keswick View of Galatians 2:20 Examined, part 1 of 4 (T)
Galatians 2:20–the Keswick “Christ-life”? part 2 of 4 in Does Christ live the Christian Life for the Christian? The Keswick View of Galatians 2:20 Examined (T)
Do Keswick Critics Routinely Misrepresent Keswick Theology? Part 3 of 3 (T)
The Keswick Christ-life-other alleged Scriptural support: part 4 of 4 in Does Christ live the Christian Life for the Christian? The Keswick View of Galatians 2:20 Examined (T)
Paul Obliterates Pandering in Galatians: Social Justice Panderers
Paul Obliterates Pandering in Galatians: His Antidote to Pandering

Ephesians

As the Church Is Subject Unto Christ
Ephesians 6:19-20, Open My Mouth Boldly

Philippians

Philippians 2:14-16, Serious Griping

Colossians

Solution to All Human Problems (Colossians 1:1-2) (J)
A Valid Prayer Request (Colossians 1:9) (J)
If Ye Continue (Colossians 1:23) (J)
The Essential for Ministry (Colossians 1:24-25) (J)
Hearts Comforted (Colossians 2:1-2a) (J)
Keeping Rank, Holding the Line, and Marching Forward (Colossians 2:4-7) (J)
The Sufficiency of Jesus (Colossians 2:8-10) (J)
Spiritual Bullies (Colossians 2:16-17) (J)
Massively Exaggerated to the Point of Dishonest Applications of Colossians 2:20-23
A Way Into Heaven Before You Die (Colossians 3:1-4) (J)
Kill Yourself (Colossians 3:5) (J)
The New Refusal to Put Off the Old Man (Colossians 3:6-10) (J)
How Can I Forgive? (Colossians 3:13) (J)
Three Imperatives for the New Man (Colossians 3:15-17) (J)
The Relationships of the New Man (Colossians 3:18-4:1) (J)
Evangelistic Prayers (Colossians 4:2-6) (J)
A Brother, A Help, and A Fellow Slave of the Lord (Colossians 4:7) (J)

1 Thessalonians

Does 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 Describe Conversion or Some Post Conversion Sanctification Experience?

1 Timothy

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Are Accurate Copies and Translations of Scripture-Such as the KJV-Inspired? A Study of 2 Timothy 3:16, part 2
Are Accurate Copies and Translations of Scripture-Such as the KJV-Inspired? A Study of 2 Timothy 3:16, part 3
Are Accurate Copies and Translations of Scripture-Such as the KJV-Inspired? A Study of 2 Timothy 3:16, part 4

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James

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James 5:14-20: The Pentecostal Doctrine of Faith-Healing and James 5:14-20, part 1 (T)
The Pentecostal Doctrine of Faith-Healing and James 5:14-20, part 2 (T)
The Pentecostal Doctrine of Faith-Healing and James 5:14-20, part 3 (T)
The Pentecostal Doctrine of Faith-Healing and James 5:14-20, part 4 (T)
James 5:14-20 and Unconventional or Alternative Medicine, part five (T)
What Is The New Testament Basis For Praying For The Sick? James 5:14-201 Peter

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Judgment Must Begin in the House of God, pt. 2

2 Peter

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1 John

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1 John 4:1-3: The Command to “try the spirits” and the Rise of the Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Word of Faith Doctrine of Exorcism, part 1 of 3 (T)
1 John 4:1-3: The Command to “try the spirits” and the Rise of the Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Word of Faith Doctrine of Exorcism, part 2 of 3 (T)
1 John 4:1-3: The Command to “Try the spirits” and the rise of the Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Word of Faith Doctrine of Exorcism, part 3 of 3 (T)

2 John

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2 John 7-11: Case Study or Comprehensive?

RevelationThe Book of Life and Eternal Security–do Revelation 3:5 & Revelation 22:18-19 Teach that a Christian may Lose his Salvation? (T)
Revelation 12, Christmas in the Apocalypse
Revelation 22:18-19 and the Perfect Preservation of Scripture (J)

The Testimonies of Josephus to Jesus Christ Vindicated, part 2 of 2

December 7, 2018 / Leave a comment

OBSERVATIONS FROM THE FOREGOING EVIDENCE AND CITATIONS

I. The style of all these original testimonies belonging to Josephus is exactly the style of the same Josephus, and especially the style about those parts of his Antiquities wherein we find these testimonies. This is denied by nobody as to the other concerning John the Baptist and James the Just, and is now become equally undeniable as to thatconcerning Christ.

II. These testimonies therefore being confessedly and undeniably written by Josephus himself, it is next to impossible that he should wholly omit some testimony concerning Jesus Christ; nay, while his testimonies of John the Baptist and of James the Just are so honorable, and gave them so great characters, it is also impossible that this testimony concerning Christ should be other than very honorable, or such as afforded him a still greater character also. Could the very same author, who gave such a full and advantageous character of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus of Nazareth, all whose disciples were by him directed to Jesus of Nazareth as to the true Messias, and all whose disciples became afterwards the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth, say nothing honorable of that Jesus of Nazareth himself?—and this in a history of those very times in which he was born and lived, and died, and that while the writer lived but a little after him in the same country in which he was born, and lived, and died. This is almost incredible. And further, could the very same author, who gave such an advantageous character of James the Just, and this under the very appellation of James the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, which James was one of the principal disciples or apostles of this Jesus Christ, and had been many years the only Christian bishop of the believing Jews of Judea and Jerusalem, in the very days and in the very country of this writer;—could he, I say, wholly omit any, nay, a very honorable account of Jesus Christ himself, whose disciple and bishop this James most certainly was? This is also almost incredible. Hear what Ittigius, one of the wisest and learnedest of all those who have lately inclined to give up the testimony concerning Christ, as it stands in our copies, for spurious, says upon this occasion:—“If anyone object to me, that Josephus hath not omitted John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, nor James the disciple of Christ, and that therefore he could not have done the part of a good historian, if he had been entirely silent concerning Christ, I shall freely grant that Josephus was not entirely silent concerning Christ; nay, I shall further grant, that when Josephus was speaking of Christ, he did not abstain from his commendation; for we are not to determine from that inveterate hatred which the modern Jews bear to Christ, what was the behavior of those Jews, upon whom the miracles that were daily wrought by the apostles in the name of Christ imprinted a sacred horror.”

III. The famous clause in this testimony of Josephus concerning Christ. This was Christ or the Christ, does not mean that this Jesus was the Christ of God, or the true Messiah of the Jews; but that this Jesus was distinguished from all others of that name, of which there were not a few, as mentioned by Josephus himself, by the addition of the other name of Christ; or that this person was no other than he whom all the world knew by the name of Jesus Christ, and his followers by the name of Christians. This I esteem to be a clear case, and that from the arguments following:—

(1) The Greeks and Romans, for whose use Josephus wrote his Antiquities, could not otherwise understand these words. The Jews indeed, and afterwards the Christians, who knew that a great Messias, a person that was to be Christ, the anointed of God, and that was to perform the office of a King, a Priest, and a Prophet, to God’s people, might readily so understand this expression; but Josephus as I have already noted, wrote here not to Jews or Christians, but to Greeks and Romans, who knew nothing of this: but knew very well that an eminent person, living in Judea, whose name was Jesus Chrest, or Jesus Christ, had founded a new and numerous sect, which took the latter of those names, and were everywhere, from him, called Chrestians, or Christians; in which sense alone they could understand these words of Josephus, and in which sense I believe he desired they should understand them; nor does Josephus ever use the Hebrew term Messiah in any of his writings, nor the Greek term Christ in any such acceptation elsewhere.

(2) Josephus himself as good as explains his own meaning, and that by the last clause of this very passage, where he says the Christians were named from this Christ, without a syllable as though he really meant he was the true Messiah, or Christ of God. He farther seems to me to explain this his meaning in that other place, where alone he elsewhere mentions this name of Christ; that is, when upon occasion of the mention of James, when he was condemned by Ananus, he calls him the Brother of Jesus, not that was the true Messiah, or the true Christ, but only that was called Christ.

(3) It was quite beside the purpose of Josephus to declare himself here to be a Christian, or a believer in Jesus as the true Messiah. Had he intended so to do, he would surely have explained the meaning of the word Christ to his Greek and Roman readers; he would surely have been a great deal fuller and larger in his accounts of Christ, and of the Christian religion; nor would such a declaration at that time have recommended him, or his nation, or his writings, to either the Greeks or the Romans; of his reputation with both which people he is known to have been, in the writing of these Antiquities, very greatly solicitous.

(4) Josephus’s usual way of writing is historical and declarative of facts, and of the opinions of others, and but rarely such as directly informs us of his own opinion, unless we prudently gather it from what he says historically, or as the opinions of others. This is very observable in the writings of Josephus, and in particular as to what he says of John the Baptist and of James the Just; so that this interpretation, is most probable, as most agreeable to Josephus’s way of writing in parallel cases.

(5) This seems to be the universal sense of all the ancients, without exception, who cite this testimony from him; and though they almost everywhere own this to be the true reading, yet do they everywhere suppose Josephus to be still an unbelieving Jew, and not a believing Christian; nay, Jerome appears so well assured of this interpretation, and that Josephus did not mean to declare any more by these words, than a common opinion, that, according to his usual way of interpreting authors, not to the words but to the sense (of which we have, I think, two more instances in his accounts out of Josephus now before us), he renders this clause, Credebatur esse Christus, i.e., He was believed to be Christ. Nor is the parallel expression of Pilate to be otherwise understood, when he made that inscription upon the cross, This is Jesus, the King of the Jews (Matt. 27:31); which is well explained by themselves elsewhere, and corresponds to the import of the present clause, What shall I do with Jesus, who is called Christ(Matt. 27:17, 22)? And we may full as well prove from Pilate’s inscription upon the cross, that he hereby declared himself a believer in Christ for the real King of the Jews, as we can from these words of Josephus, that he thereby declared himself to be a real believer in him, as the true Messiah. . . .

VII. The second author I have alleged for it is Justin Martyr, one so nearly coeval with Josephus, that he might be born about the time when he wrote his Antiquities: he appeals to the same Antiquities by that very name; and though he does not here directly quote them, yet does he seem to me to allude to this very testimony in them concerning our Savior, when he affirms, in this place, to Trypho the Jew, that his nation originally knew that Jesus was risen from the dead, and ascended into heaven, as the prophecies did foretell was to happen. Since there neither now is, nor probably in the days of Justin was, any other Jewish testimony extant which is so agreeable to what Justin here affirms of those Jews, as it this of Josephus the Jew before us; nor indeed does he seem to me to have had anything else particularly in his view here, but this very testimony, where Josephus says, “That Jesus appeared to his followers alive the third day after his crucifixion, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him.”

VIII. The third author I have quoted for Josephus’s testimonies of John the Baptist, of Jesus of Nazareth, and of James the Just, is Origen, who is indeed allowed on all hands to have quoted him for the excellent character of John the Baptist, and of James the Just; but whose supposed entire silence about this testimony concerning Christ is usually alleged as the principal argument against its being genuine, and particularly as to the clause, This was the Christ: and that, as we have seen, because he twice assures us that, in his opinion, Josephus himself did not acknowledge Jesus for Christ. Now, as to this latter clause, I have already shown that Josephus did not here, in writing to Greeks and Romans, mean any such thing by those words as Jews and Christians naturally understand by them: I have also observed, that all the ancients allow still, with Origen, that Josephus did not, in the Jewish and Christian sense, acknowledge Jesus for the true Messiah, or the true Christ of God, notwithstanding their express quotation of that clause in Josephus as genuine; so that unless we suppose Origen to have had a different notion of these words from all the other ancients, we cannot conclude from this assertion of Origen, that he had not those words in his copy, not to say that it is, after all, much more likely that his copy was a little different from the other copies in this clause, or indeed omitted it entirely, than that he, on its account, must be supposed not to have had the rest of this testimony therein, though indeed I see no necessity of making any such supposal, at all. However, it seems to me that Origen affords us four several indications that the main parts at least of this testimony itself were in his copy:—

(1) When Origen introduces Josephus’s testimony concerning James the Just, that he thought the miseries of the Jews were an instance of the divine vengeance on that nation for putting James to death instead of Jesus, he uses an expression no way necessary to his purpose, nor occasioned by any words of Josephus there, That they had slain that Christ which was foretold in the prophecies. Whence could this expression come here into Origen’s mind, when he was quoting a testimony of Josephus concerning the brother of Christ, but from his remembrance of a clause in the testimony of the same Josephus concerning Christ himself, that the prophets had foretold his death and resurrection, and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him?

(2) How came Origen to be so surprised at Josephus’s ascribing the destruction of Jerusalem to the Jews’ murdering of James the Just, and not to their murdering of Jesus, as we have seen he was, if he had not known that Josephus had spoken of Jesus and his death before, and that he had a very good opinion of Jesus, which yet he could learn no way so authentically as from this testimony? Nor do the words he here uses, that Josephus was not remote from the truth, perhaps allude to anything else but to this very testimony before us.

(3) How can the same Origen, upon another slight occasion, when he had just set down that testimony of Josephus concerning James the Just, the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, say that “it may be questioned whether the Jews thought Jesus to be a man, or whether they did not suppose him to be a being of a diviner kind?” This looks so very like the fifth and sixth clauses of this testimony in Josephus, that Jesus was a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, that it is highly probable Origen thereby alluded to them; and this is the more to be depended on, because all the unbelieving Jews, and all the rest of the Nazarene Jews, esteemed Jesus with one consent, as a mere man, the son of Joseph and Mary; and it is not, I think, possible to produce any one Jew but Josephus, who in a sort of compliance with the Romans and the Catholic Christians, who thought him a God, would say anything like his being a God.

(4) How came Origen to affirm twice, so expressly, that Josephus did not himself own, in the Jewish and Christian sense, that Jesus was Christ, notwithstanding his quotations of such eminent testimonies out of him, for John the Baptist his forerunner and for James the Just, his brother, and one of his principle disciples? There is no passage in all Josephus so likely to persuade Origen of this as is the famous testimony before us, wherein, as he and all the ancients understood it, he was generally called Christ indeed, but not any otherwise than as the common name whence the sect of Christians was derived, and where he all along speaks of those Christians as a sect then in being, whose author was a wonderful person, and his followers great lovers of him and of the truth, yet as such a sect as he had not joined himself to: which exposition, as it is a very natural one, so was it, I doubt, but too true of our Josephus at that time; nor can I devise any other reason but this, and the parallel language of Josephus elsewhere, when he speaks of James as the brother, not of Jesus who was Christ, but of Jesus who was called Christ, that could so naturally induce Origen and others to be of that opinion.

IX. There are two remarkable passages in Suidas and Theophylact, already set down, as citing Josephus; the former, that Jesus officiated with the priests in the temple; and the latter, that the destruction of Jerusalem, and miseries of the Jews, were owing to their putting Jesus to death, which are in none of our present copies, nor cited thence by any ancienter authors, nor indeed do they seem altogether consistent with the other most authentic testimonies. However, since Suidas cites his passage from a treatise of Josephus called Memoirs of the Jews’ Captivity, a book never heard of elsewhere, and since both citations are not at all disagreeable to Josephus’s character as a Nazarene or Ebionite, I dare not positively conclude they are spurious, but must leave them in suspense, for the farther consideration of the learned.

X. As to that great critic Photius, in the ninth century, who is supposed not to have had this testimony in his copy of Josephus, or else to have esteemed it spurious; because, in his extracts out of Josephus’s Antiquities, it is not expressly mentioned,—this is a strange thing indeed!—that a section, which had been cited out of Josephus’s copies all along before the days of Photius, as well as it has been all along cited out of them since his days, should be supposed not to be in his copy, because he does not directly mention it in certain short and imperfect extracts, no way particularly relating to such matters. Those who lay a stress on this silence of Photius, seem little to have attended to the nature and brevity of those extracts. They contain little or nothing, as he in effect professes at their entrance, but what concerns Antipater, Herod the Great and his brethren and family, with their exploits, till the days of Agrippa junior, and Cumanus, the governor of Judea, fifteen years after the death of our Savior, without one word of Pilate, or what happened under his government, which yet was the only proper place in which this testimony could come to be mentioned. However, since Photius seems therefore, as we have seen, to suspect the treatise ascribed by some to Josephus of the Universe, because it speaks very high things of the eternal generation and divinity of Christ, this looks very like his knowledge and belief of somewhat really in the same Josephus, which, spake in a lower manner of him, which could be hardly any other passage than this testimony before us; and since as we have also seen, when he speaks of the Jewish History of Justus of Tiberias, as infected with the prejudices of the Jews in taking no manner of notice of the advent, of the acts, and of the miracles of Jesus Christ, while yet he never speaks so of Josephus himself, this most naturally implies also, that there was not the like occasion here as there; but that Josephus had not wholly omitted that advent, those acts, or miracles which yet he has done everywhere else, in the books seen by Photius, as well as Justus of Tiberias, but in this famous testimony before us so that it is most probable, Photius not only had this testimony in his copy, but believed it to be genuine also.

XI. As to the silence of Clement of Alexandria, who cites the Antiquities of Josephus, but never cites any of the testimonies now before us, it is no strange thing at all, since he never cites Josephus but once, and that for a point of chronology only, to determine how many years had passed from the days of Moses to the days of Josephus,—so that his silence may almost as well be alleged against a hundred other remarkable passages in Josephus’s works as against these before us.

XII. Nor does the like silence of Tertullian imply that these testimonies, or any of them, were not in the copies of his age. Tertullian never once hints at any treatises of Josephus but those against Apion, and that in general only, for a point of chronology; nor does it any way appear that Tertullian ever saw any of Josephus’s writings besides and far from being certain that he saw even those. He had particular occasion in his dispute against the Jews to quote Josephus, above any other writer, to prove the completion of the prophecies of the Old Testament in the destruction of Jerusalem and miseries of the Jews at that time, of which he there discourses, yet does he never once quote him upon that solemn occasion; so that it seems to me that Tertullian never read either the Greek Antiquities of Josephus, or his Greek books of the Jewish Wars: nor is this at all strange in Tertullian, a Latin writer, that lived in Africa, by none of which African writers is there any one clause, that I know of, cited out of any of Josephus’s writings; nor is it worth my while in such numbers of positive citations of these clauses, to mention the silence of other later writers as being here of very small consequence.

As Whiston powerfully demonstrates, both the external and internal evidence strongly favors the authenticity of Josephus’ testimony to Jesus Christ in Antiquities 18.3.3. Thus, it may properly be concluded that not only the first text below, but the second also, are testimonies to Jesus Christ from outside the New Testament from within the first century A. D.:

[Ananus] assembled the sanhedrin of the judges, and brought before it the brother of Jesus called Christ [Ἰησοῦ τοῦ λεγομένου Χριστοῦ], whose name was James, and some others. When he had accused them as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned. (Antiquities 20.9.1)

Around this time lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed it is right to call him a man. For he was a worker of amazing deeds and was a teacher of people who accept the truth with pleasure. He won over both many Jews and many Greeks. He was the Christ. Pilate, when he heard him accused by the leading men among us, condemned him to the cross, but those who had first loved him did not cease doing so. For on the third day he appeared to them alive again, the divine prophets having prophesied these and myriad other things about him. To this day the tribe of Christians named after him has not disappeared. (Antiquities 18.3.3)

Γίνεται δὲ κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν χρόνον Ἰησοῦς σοφὸς ἀνήρ, εἴγε ἄνδρα αὐτὸν λέγειν χρή. ἦν γὰρ παραδόξων ἔργων ποιητής, διδάσκαλος ἀνθρώπων τῶν ἡδονῇ τἀληθῆ δεχομένων, καὶ πολλοὺς μὲν Ἰουδαίους, πολλοὺς δὲ καὶ τοῦ Ἑλληνικοῦ ἐπηγάγετο. ὁ Χριστὸς οὗτος ἦν. καὶ αὐτὸν ἐνδείξει τῶν πρῶτων ἀνδῶν παρʼ ἡμῖν σταυρῷ ἐπιτετιμηκότος Πιλάτου οὐκ ἐπαύσαντο οἱ τὸ πρῶτον ἀγαπήσαντες. ἐφάνη γὰρ αὐτοῖς τρίτην ἔχων ἡμέραν πάλιν ζῶν τῶν θείων προφητῶν ταυτά τε καὶ ἄλλα μυρία περὶ αὐτοῦ θαυμάσια εἰρηκότων. εἰς ἔτι τε νῦν τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἀπὸ τοῦδε ὠνομασμένον οὐκ ἐπέλιπε τὸ φῦλον.

TDR

Evan Roberts: Enemy of the Welsh Revival, Part 20 of 22

November 30, 2018 / 1 Comment on Evan Roberts: Enemy of the Welsh Revival, Part 20 of 22

The content of this post is now available in the study of:

1.) Evan Roberts

2.) The Welsh Revival of 1904-1905

3.) Jessie Penn-Lewis

on the faithsaves.net website. Please click on the people above to view the study. On the FaithSaves website the PDF files may be easiest to read.

You are also encouraged to learn more about Keswick theology and its errors, as well as the Biblical doctrine of salvation, at the soteriology page at Faithsaves.

WHAT IS TRUTH SABBATICAL

November 23, 2018 / 7 Comments on WHAT IS TRUTH SABBATICAL

First, please read Thomas Ross’s post below and the second post when it comes out. It’s very good and helpful. I don’t want you to miss because of this very, very small post.

I’m going on a sabbatical in writing here at What Is Truth. I might spend some time with an index for the posts and finally publish that index (which I’ve already started), but for an undetermined amount of time, I will not be writing here. I welcome Thomas Ross to continue posting on Friday, but I won’t for awhile, I don’t know how long. The blog will stay alive and I reserve the right for starting it up again. There is enough for someone to keep busy for awhile without my writing one single post.

There are several reasons I’m taking this extended break. One, is to show that I don’t have to write here. It’s not something I have to do. I believe I was doing it to help, and I know it has helped based on the feedback I’ve been given. If what I’ve written is the truth, then I’ve helped people. However, it isn’t something I’m required to do or have to do. It is not what defines me. Second, I know there are people that would rather I would not write, who I care about, so I’m honoring them by not writing for an unspecified period of time.

Thank you for reading and for your support.

The Testimonies of Josephus to Jesus Christ Vindicated, part 1 of 2

November 23, 2018 / 2 Comments on The Testimonies of Josephus to Jesus Christ Vindicated, part 1 of 2

Josephus refers to the Lord Jesus Christ in two passages in his Antiquities. A brief mention of the Savior appears in a context where Josephus narrates the events surrounding the death of James, the brother of Christ:

This text is recognized as authentic by the “overwhelming majority of scholars” (Jesus Outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence, Robert E. Van Voorst, pg. 84). Josephus also refers to the Lord Jesus in a second and more extensive passage:

This latter passage was recognized as authentic for the large majority of church history, but it is questioned today by many, although it has been defended as authentic by both conservative and liberal scholars. There are good reasons to believe that the passage, in its entirety, is authentic. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I reprint below the (out of copyright) argument for authenticity from the most widely printed edition of Josephus today, that translated by William Whiston (The Works of Josephus, Complete and Unabridged, ed. William Whiston, pgs. 815-823):

DISSERTATION 1

THE TESTIMONIES OF JOSEPHUS CONCERNING JESUS CHRIST, JOHN THE BAPTIST AND JAMES THE JUST, VINDICATED

Since we meet with several important testimonies in Josephus, the Jewish historian, concerning John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus of Nazareth, concerning Jesus of Nazareth himself, and concerning James the Just the brother of Jesus of Nazareth; and since the principal testimony, which is that concerning Jesus of Nazareth himself, has of late been greatly questioned by many, and rejected by some of the learned as spurious, it will be fit for me, who have ever declared my firm belief that these testimonies were genuine, to set down fairly some of the original evidence and citations I have met with in the first fifteen centuries concerning them; and then to make proper observations upon that evidence, for the reader’s more complete satisfaction.

But before I produce the citations themselves out of Josephus, give me leave to prepare the reader’s attention, by setting down the sentiments of perhaps the most learned person and the most competent judge, that ever was, as to the authority of Josephus, I mean of Joseph Scaliger, in the Prolegomena to his book De Emendatione; Temporum, p. 17. “Josephus is the most diligent and the greatest lover of truth of all writers; nor are we afraid to affirm of him, that it is more safe to believe him, not only as to the affairs of the Jews, but also as to those that are foreign to them, than all the Greek and Latin writers; and this, because his fidelity and his compass of learning are everywhere conspicuous.”

THE ANCIENT CITATIONS OF THE TESTIMONIES OF JOSEPHUS, FROM HIS OWN TIME TILL THE END OF THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY

About a.d. 110. Tacit. Annal. 15.44.—Nero, in order to stifle the rumor, [as if he himself had set Rome on fire], ascribed it to those people who were hated for their wicked practices, and called by the vulgar Christians: these he punished exquisitely. The author of this name was Christ, who, in the reign of Tiberius, was brought to punishment by Pontius Pilate the procurator.

About a.d. 147. Just. Mart. Dialog cum Tryph. p. 230.—You Jews knew that Jesus was risen from the dead, and ascended into heaven, as the prophecies did foretell was to happen.

About a.d. 230. Origen Comment in Matt. p. 234.—This James was of so shining a character among the people, on account of his righteousness, that Flavius Josephus, when, in his twentieth book of the Jewish Antiquities, he had a mind to set down what was the cause, why the people suffered such miseries, till the very holy house was demolished, he said, that these things befell them by the anger of God, on account of what they had dared to do to James, the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ; and wonderful it is, that while he did not receive Jesus for Christ, he did nevertheless bear witness that James was so righteous a man. He says farther, that the people thought they had suffered these things for the sake of James.

About a.d. 250. Id. Contr. Cels. 1.35–36.—I would say to Celsus, who personates a Jew, that admitted of John the Baptist, and how he baptized Jesus, that one who lived but a little while after John and Jesus, wrote, how that John was a baptizer unto the remission of sins; for Josephus testifies, in the eighteenth book of his Jewish Antiquities, that John was the Baptist; and that he promised purification to those that were baptized. The same Josephus also, although he did not believe in Jesus as Christ, when he was inquiring after the case of the destruction of Jerusalem, and of the demolition of the temple, and ought to have said that their machinations against Jesus were the cause of those miseries coming on the people, because they had slain that Christ who was foretold by the prophets, he, though as it were unwillingly and yet as one not remote from the truth, says, “these miseries befell the Jews by way of revenge for James the Just, who was the brother of Jesus that was called Christ; because they had slain him who was a most righteous person.” Now this James was he whom that genuine disciple of Jesus, Paul, said he had seen as the Lord’s brother [Gal. 1:19]; which relation implies not so much nearness of blood, or the sameness of education, as it does the agreement of manners and preaching. If therefore he says the desolation of Jerusalem befell the Jews for the sake of James, with how much greater reason might he have said that it happened for the sake of Jesus? etc.

About a.d. 324. Euseb. Demonstr. Evan. 3.124. Certainly, the attestation of those I have already produced concerning our Savior may be sufficient. However, it may not be amiss, if, over and above, we make use of Josephus the Jew for a farther witness; who, in the eighteenth book of his Antiquities, when he was writing the history of what happened under Pilate, makes mention of our Savior in these words:—“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as had a veneration for truth. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles:—he was the Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at first did not forsake him; for he appeared unto them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had spoken of these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him: whence the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.” If therefore we have his historian’s testimony, that he not only brought over to himself the twelve apostles, with the seventy disciples, but many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles also, he must manifestly have had somewhat in him extraordinary, above the rest of mankind; for how otherwise could he draw over so many of the Jews and of the Gentiles, unless he performed admirable and amazing works, and used a method of teaching that was not common? Moreover, the scripture of the Acts of the Apostles (21:20) bears witness, that there were many ten thousands of Jews, who were persuaded that he was the Christ of God, who was foretold by the prophets.

About a.d. 330. Id. Hist. Eccles. 1.11. Now the divine scripture of the Gospels makes mention of John the Baptist as having his head cut off by the younger Herod. Josephus also concurs in his history, and makes mention of Herodias by name, as the wife of his brother, whom Herod had married, upon divorcing his former lawful wife. She was the daughter of Aretas, king of the Petrean Arabians; and which Herodias he had parted from her husband while he was alive; on which account also when he had slain John, he made war with Aretas [Aretas made war with him], because his daughter had been used dishonorably: in which war, when it came to a battle, he says, that all Herod’s army was destroyed; and that he suffered this because of his wicked contrivance against John. Moreover the same Josephus, by acknowledging John to have been a most righteous man, and the Baptist, conspires in his testimony with what is written in the Gospels. He also relates, that Herod lost his kingdom for the sake of the same Herodias, together with whom he was himself condemned to be banished to Vienna, a city of Gaul; and this is his account in the eighteenth book of the Antiquities, where he writes this of John verbatim:—Some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod’s army came from God and that very justly, as a punishment for what he did against John that was called the Baptist; for Herod slew him, who was a good man, and one that commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another, and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism, for that by this means the washing [with water] would appear acceptable to him, when they made use of it, not in order to the putting away [or the remission] of some sins [only],—but for the purification of the body, supposing still that the soul was thoroughly purified beforehand by righteousness. Now when [many] others came in crowds about him, for they were greatly delighted in hearing his words, Herod was afraid that this so great power of persuading men might tend to some sedition or other, for they seemed to be disposed to do everything he should advise them to, so he supposed it better to prevent any attempt for a mutation from him, by cutting him off, than after any such mutation should be brought about, and the public should suffer, to repent [of such negligence]. Accordingly he was sent a prisoner, out of Herod’s suspicious temper, to Macherus, the castle I before mentioned, and was there put to death.”—When Josephus had said this of John, he makes mention also of our Savior in the same history after this manner:—“Now there was about this time, one Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles also:—he was the Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him: for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold them and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him: and still the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.” And since this writer, sprung from the Hebrews themselves, hath delivered these things above in his own work, concerning John the Baptist and our Savior, what room is there for any farther evasion? etc.

Now James was so wonderful a person, and was so celebrated by all others for righteousness, that the judicious Jews thought this to have been the occasion of that siege of Jerusalem, which came on presently after his martyrdom; and that it befell them for no other reason than that impious fact they were guilty of against him. Josephus therefore did not refuse to attest thereto in writing, by the words following:—“These miseries befell the Jews by way of revenge for James the Just, who was the brother of Jesus that was called Christ, on account that they had slain him who was a most righteous person.”

The same Josephus declares the manner of his death in the twentieth book of the Antiquities, in these words:—“Caesar sent Albinus into Judea to be procurator, when he had heard that Festus was dead. Now Ananus, junior, who, as we said, had been admitted to the high priesthood, was in his temper bold and daring in an extraordinary manner. He was also of the sect of the Sadducees, who are more savage in judgment than any of the other Jews, as we have already signified. Since therefore this was the character of Ananus, he thought he had now a proper opportunity [to exercise his authority], because Festus was dead, and Albinus was but upon the road; so he assembles the sanhedrin of Judges, and brings before them James, the brother of Jesus who was called Christ, and some others [of his companions]; and when he had formed an accusation against them, as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned: but as for those who seemed the most equitable of the citizens, and those who were the most uneasy at the breach of the laws, they disliked what was done. They also sent to the king [Agrippa], desiring him to send to Ananus that he should act so no more, for that what he had already done could not be justified,” etc.

About a.d. 360. Ambrose, or Hegesippus de Excid. Urb. Hierosolym. 2.12.—We have discovered that it was the opinion and belief of the Jews, as Josephus affirms (who is an author not to be rejected, when he writes against himself), that Herod lost his army, not by the deceit of men but by the anger of God, and that justly, as an effect of revenge for what he did to John the Baptist, a just man, who had said to him, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.

The Jews themselves also bear witness to Christ, as appears by Josephus, the writer of their history, who says thus:—“That there was at that time a wise man, if (says he) it be lawful to have him called a man, a doer of wonderful works, who appeared to his disciples after the third day from his death alive again, according to the writings of the prophets, who foretold these and innumerable other miraculous events concerning him; from whom began the congregation of Christians, and hath penetrated among all sorts of men: nor does there remain any nation in the Roman world which continues strangers to his religion.” If the Jews do not believe us let them at least believe their own writers. Josephus, whom they esteem a very great man, hath said this, and yet hath he spoken truth after such a manner; and so far was his mind wandered from the right way, that even he was not a believer as to what he himself said; but thus he spake, in order to deliver historical truth, because he thought it not lawful for him to deceive while yet he was no believer, because of the hardness of his heart and his perfidious intention. However, it was no prejudice to the truth that he was not a believer; but this adds more weight to his testimony, that while he has an unbeliever, and unwilling this should be true, he has not denied it to be so.

About a.d. 400. Hieronym de. Vir. Illustr, in Josepho.—Josephus in the eighteenth book of Antiquities, most expressly acknowledges that Christ was slain by the Pharisees, on account of the greatness of his miracles; and that John the Baptist was truly a prophet; and thatJerusalem was demolished on account of the slaughter of James the apostle. Now, he wrote concerning our Lord after this manner:—“At the same time there was Jesus, a wise man, if yet it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of those who willingly receive the truth. He had many followers both of the Jews and of the Gentiles:—he was believed to be Christ. And when by the envy of our principal men, Pilate had condemned him to the cross, yet notwithstanding, those who had loved him at first persevered, for he appeared to them alive on the third day as the oracles of the prophets had foretold many of these and other wonderful things concerning him; and the sect of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.”

About a.d. 410. Isidorus Pelusiot, the Scholar of Chrysostom, 4.225.—There was one Josephus, a Jew of the greatest reputation, and one that was zealous of the law; one also that paraphrased the Old Testament with truth, and, acted valiantly for the Jews, and had showed that their settlement was nobler than can be described by words. Now since he made their interest give place to truth, for he would not support the opinion of impious men, I think it necessary to set down his words. What then does he say? “Now there was about that time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles:—he was the Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them the third day alive again, as the divine prophets had said these, and a vast number of other wonderful things concerning him: and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.” Now I cannot but wonder greatly at this great man’s love of truth in many respects, but chiefly where he says, “Jesus was a teacher of men who received the truth with pleasure.”

About a.d. 440. Sozomen. Hist. Eccles. 1.1.—Now Josephus, the son of Matthias, a priest, a man of very great note, both among the Jews and the Romans, may well be a witness of credit as to the truth of Christ’s history; for he scruples to call him a man as being a doer of wonderful works, and a teacher of the words of truth. He names him Christ openly; and is not ignorant that he was condemned to the cross, and appeared on the third day alive, and that ten thousand other wonderful things were foretold of him by the divine prophets. He testifies also, that those whom he drew over to him, being many of the Gentiles, as well as of the Jews, continued to love him; and that the tribe named from him was not then extinct. Now he seems to me by this his relation almost to proclaim that Christ is God. However, he appears to have been so affected with the strangeness of the thing, as to run, as it were, in a sort of middle way, so as not to put any indignity upon believers on him, but rather to afford his suffrage to them.

About a.d. 510. Cassiodorus Hist. Tripartit. e Sozomeno.—Now Josephus, the son of Matthias, and a priest, a man of great nobility among the Jews, and of great dignity among the Romans, shall be a truth of Christ’s history: for he dares not call him a man, as a doer of famous works, and a teacher of true doctrines: he names him Christ openly; and is not ignorant that he was condemned to the cross, and appeared on the third day alive, and that an infinite number of other wonderful things were foretold of him by the holy prophets. Moreover, he testifies also that there were then alive many whom he had chosen, both Greeks and Jews, and that they continued to love him; and that the sect which was named from him was by no means extinct at that time.

About a.d. 640. Chron. Alex. p. 514.—Now Josephus also relates in his eighteenth book of Antiquities, how John the Baptist, that holy man, was beheaded on account of Herodias, the wife of Philip, the brother of Herod himself; for Herod had divorced his former wife, who was still alive, and had been his lawful wife: she was the daughter of Aretas, king of the Petreans. When therefore Herod had taken Herodias away from her husband, while he was yet alive (on whose account he slew John also), Aretas made war against Herod, because his daughter had been dishonorably treated. In which war he says, that all Herod’s army was destroyed, and that he suffered that calamity because of the wickedness he had been guilty of against John. The same Josephus relates, that Herod lost his kingdom on account of Herodias, and that with her he was banished to Lyons, etc.

P. 526–27.] Now that our Savior taught his preaching three years, is demonstrated both by other necessary reasonings, as also out of the holy Gospels, and out of Josephus’s writings, who was a wise man among the Hebrews, etc.

P. 584, 586.] Josephus relates, in the fifth book of the [Jewish] War, that Jerusalem was taken in the third [second] year of Vespasian, as after forty years since they had dared to put Jesus to death: in which time he says, that James, the brother of our Lord and bishop of Jerusalem, was thrown down [from the temple] and slain of them, by stoning.

About a.d. 740. Anastasius Abbas contr. Jud.—Now Josephus, an author and writer of your own, says of Christ, that he was a just and good man, showed and declared so to be by divine grace, who gave aid to many by signs and miracles.

About a.d. 790. Georgius Syncellus Chron. p. 339.—These miseries befell the Jews by way of revenge for James the Just, who was the brother of Jesus that was called Christ, on the account that they had slain him who was a most righteous person. Now as Ananus, a person of that character, thought he had a proper opportunity, because Festus was dead, and Albinus was but upon the road, so he assembles the sanhedrin of judges, and brings before them James, the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, and some of his companions, and when he had formed an accusation against them, as breakers of the law, he delivered them to be stoned; but as for those that seemed the most equitable of the citizens, and those that were the most uneasy at the breach of the laws, they disliked what was done. They also sent to the king [Agrippa] desiring him to send to Ananus that he should act so no more, for that what he had already done could not be justified, etc.

About a.d. 850. Johan. Malela Chron. 10.—From that time began the destruction of the Jews, as Josephus, the philosopher of the Jews, hath written; who also said this. That from the time the Jews crucified Christ, who was a good and righteous man (that is, if it be fit to call such a one a man, and not God), the land of Judea was never free from trouble. These things the same Josephus the Jew has related in his writings.

About ad. 860. Photius Cod. 48.—I have read the treatise of Josephus About the Universe, whose title I have elsewhere read to be Of the Substance of the Universe. It is contained in two very small treatises. He treats of the origin of the world in a brief manner. However, he speaks of the divinity of Christ, who is our true God, in a way very like to what we use, declaring that the same name of Christ belongs to him, and writes of his ineffable generation of the Father after such a manner as cannot be blamed; which things may perhaps raise a doubt in some, whether Josephus was the author of the work, though the phraseology does not at all differ from this man’s other works. However, I have found in some papers, that this discourse was not written by Josephus, but by one Caius, a presbyter.

Cod. 238.—Herod, the tetrarch of Galilee and of Perea, the son of Herod the Great, fell in love, as Josephus says, with the wife of his brother Philip, whose name was Herodias, who was the granddaughter of Herod the Great, by his son Aristobulus, whom he had slain. Agrippa was also her brother. Now Herod took her away from her husband, and married her. This is he that slew John the Baptist, that great man, the forerunner [of Christ], being afraid (as Josephus says) lest he should raise a sedition among his people; for they all followed the directions of John, on account of the excellency of his virtue. In his time was the passion of our Savior.

Cod. 33.—I have read the Chronicle of Justus of Tiberias. He omits the greatest part of what was most necessary to be related; but, as infected with Jewish prejudices, being also himself a Jew by birth, he makes no mention at all of the advent, or of the acts done, or of the miracles wrought, by Christ.

The time uncertain. Macarius in Actis Sanctorum, 5.149. ap. Fabric. Joseph. p. 61.—Josephus, a priest of Jerusalem, and one that wrote with truth the history of the Jewish affairs, bears witness that Christ, the true God, was incarnate, and crucified, and the third day rose again; whose writings are reposited in the public library. Thus he says:—“Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles also; this was the Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first, did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again on the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and still the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.” Since, therefore, the writer of the Hebrews has engraven this testimony concerning our Lord and Savior in his own books, what defense can there remain for the unbelievers?

About a.d. 980. Suidas in voce Iēsous.—We have found Josephus, who hath written about the taking of Jerusalem (of whom Eusebius Pamphilii makes frequent mention in his Ecclesiastical History), saying openly in his Memoirs of the Captivity, that Jesus officiated in the temple with the priests. Thus have we found Josephus saying, a man of ancient times, and not very long after the apostles, etc.

About a.d. 1060. Cedrenus Compend. Histor. p. 196.—Josephus does indeed write concerning John the Baptist as follows—Some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod’s army came from God, and that he was punished very justly for what punishment he had inflicted on John, that was called the Baptist; for Herod slew him, who was a good man, and commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both by righteousness towards one another and piety towards God, and so to come to baptism. But as concerning Christ, the same Josephus says, that about that time there was Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, and a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure: for that Christ drew over many even from the Gentiles; whom when Pilate had crucified, those who at first had loved him did not leave off to preach concerning him, for he appeared to them the third day alive again, as the divine prophets had testified, and spoke these and other wonderful things concerning him.

About a.d. 1080. Theophylact. in Joan 13.—The city of the Jews was taken, and the wrath of God was kindled against them; as also Josephus witnesses, that this came upon them on account of the death of Jesus.

About a.d. 1120. Zonaras Annal. 1.267.—Josephus, in the eighteenth book of Antiquities, writes thus concerning our Lord and God Jesus Christ;—Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles:—he was the Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them the third day alive again, as the divine prophets had said these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day.

About a.d. 1120. Glycus Annal. p. 234.—Then did Philo, that wise man, and Josephus, flourish. This last was styled The Lover of Truth, because he commended John, who baptized our Lord; and because he bore witness that Christ, in like manner, was a wise man, and the doer of great miracles; and that, when he was crucified, he appeared the third day.

About a.d. 1170. Gotfridus Viterbiensis Chron. p. 366. e Vers. Rufini.—Josephus relates that a very great war arose between Aretas, king of the Arabians, and Herod, on account of the sin which Herod had committed against John. Moreover, the same Josephus writes thus concerning Christ: There was at this time Jesus, a wise man, if at least it be lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as willingly hear truth. He also drew over to him many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles:—he was Christ. And when Pilate, at the accusation of the principal men of our nation, had decreed that he should be crucified, those that had loved him from the beginning did not forsake him; for he appeared to them the third day alive again, according to what the divinely inspired prophets had foretold, that these and innumerable other miracles should come to pass about him. Moreover, both the name and sect of Christians, who were named from him, continue in being unto this day.

About a.d. 1360. Nicephorus Callistus Hist. Eccles. 1.90–91.—Now this [concerning Herod the tetrarch] is attested to, not only by the book of the holy Gospels, but by Josephus, that lover of truth; who also makes mention of Herodias his brother’s wife, whom Herod had taken away from him while he was alive, and married her; having divorced his former lawful wife, who was the daughter of Aretas, king of the Petrean Arabians. This Herodias he had married, and lived with her; on which account also, when he had slain John, he made war with Aretas, because his daughter had been dishonorably used; in which war he relates that all Herod’s army was destroyed, and that he suffered this on account of the most unjust slaughter of John. He also adds, that John was a most righteous man. Moreover, he makes mention of his baptism, agreeing in all points thereto relating with the Gospel. He also informs us, that Herod lost his kingdom on account of Herodias, with whom also he was condemned to be banished to Vienna, which was their place of exile, and a city bordering upon Gaul, and lying near the utmost bounds of the west.

About a.d. 1450. Hardmannus Schedelius Chron. p. 110.—Josephus the Jew, who was called Flavius, a priest, and the son of Matthias, a priest of that nation, a most celebrated historian, and very skillful in many things; he was certainly a good man, and of an excellent character, who had the highest opinion of Christ.

About a.d. 1480. Platina de Vitis Pontificum’ in Christo.—I shall avoid mentioning what Christ did until the 30th year of his age, when he was baptized by John, the son of Zacharias, because not only the Gospels and Epistles are full of those acts of his, which he did in the most excellent and most holy manner, but the books of such as were quite remote from his way of living, and acting, and ordaining, are also full of the same. Flavius Josephus himself, who wrote twenty books of Jewish antiquities in the Greek tongue, when he had proceeded as far as the government of the emperor, Tiberius, says. There was in those days Jesus, a certain wise man, if at least it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works, and a teacher of men, of such especially as willingly hear the truth. On this account he drew over to him many, both of the Jews and Gentiles:—he was Christ. But when Pilate, instigated by the principal men of our nation, had decreed that he should be crucified, yet did not those that had loved him from the beginning forsake him; and besides, he appeared to them the third day after his death alive, as the divinely inspired prophets had foretold, that these and innumerable other miracles should come to pass about him and the famous name of Christians, taken from him, as well as their sect, do still continue in being.

The same Josephus also affirms, That John the Baptist, a true prophet, and on that account one that was had in esteem by all men, was slain by Herod, the son of Herod the Great, a little before the death of Christ, in the castle of Macherus,—not because he was afraid for himself and his kingdom, as the same author says,—but because he had incestuously married Herodias, the sister of Agrippa, and the wife of that excellent person his brother Philip.

About a.d. 1480. Trithemius Abbas de Scriptor. Eccles.—Josephus the Jew, although he continued to be a Jew, did frequently commend the Christians; and in the eighteenth book of his Antiquities, wrote down an eminent testimony concerning our Lord Jesus Christ.

TDR

Jesus Isn’t a Rorschach

November 21, 2018 / 1 Comment on Jesus Isn’t a Rorschach

The Rorschach Test is named after Swiss psychologist Hermann Rorschach and it involves inkblots. The inkblots are sufficiently ambiguous for someone to see whatever he wants to see in them. I doubt the reliability of the test itself, but I use it now for its illustrative value, because people treat Jesus like a Rorschach Test, that is, Jesus is Himself sufficiently ambiguous to see whatever Jesus one wants to see in Him.

An actual Jesus most reject. However, an inkblot sort of Jesus, that allows someone to see the Jesus he wants — that Jesus would be acceptable. We do understand Jesus in our imaginations. We know Him in our minds, also called our hearts in the Bible. What we know is real or concrete with definite boundaries. Another way of saying that is “He is Who He is.” When He is turned into someone or something else, He isn’t Jesus anymore.

People are more comfortable with an inkblot Jesus upon whom they can see what they want. He gives them what they want. He makes them feel how they want. They accept him, even if he isn’t actual Jesus. Since Jesus died, was buried, rose- again, and ascended into Heaven, this has been a problem. People impose on Jesus Who they want Him to be. In that sense, He becomes their servant, delivering to them a Jesus who is satisfactory to them. They think their personal perception of Jesus is Jesus. Paul wrote about this in 2 Corinthians 11:34:

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

He says “your minds should be corrupted.” People prefer a malleable Jesus, who they can turn into whatever they want him to be in their minds. They accept him, and he saves them, also in their minds, even if he isn’t Jesus. He gives them a false sense of security.

The interpretation of the Rorschach Jesus is shaped in the imagination by various means, including entertainment, recreation, and music. He is not shaped by a thorough exposition of scripture. He is formed by varied means and false teaching or the acceptance of a counterfeit Jesus by others. They might see something He isn’t, but the toleration of variations of him bolster the error.

Subjects view the same inkblot and they see two humans, a four-legged animal, a dog, an elephant, or a bear. No one is corrected. Whatever they see can’t be wrong. The perception should be accepted without criticism. There isn’t anything specific in the inkblot. It is designed to provide ample ambiguity for a range of perception. Jesus is treated the same way today by the world and now by evangelicalism. The only problem are those who require specificity and condemn for insufficient limitations on the true Jesus. He should be a craft or vessel in which to pour whatever it is someone needs him to be, which is the beauty of him. He doesn’t have to be one thing. He can be what you want or what you need in your own imagination.

A great threat exists for the corruption of thinking. The unbeliever under the wrath of God has a reprobate mind (Romans 1:28). Paul calls certain unbelieving men “of corrupt minds” (2 Timothy 3:8) and “men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness” (1 Timothy 6:5). For this reason, the epistle contain regular prayer concerning what someone “knows.” Paul writes to the Ephesians (1:15-20, bold print mine for emphasis):

Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places.

The brunt of Paul’s prayer is that those members of the church of Ephesus would have knowledge through revelation and have the eyes of their understanding enlightened so that they would know certain things (what and what and what). For them not to know rightly was intolerable for him. His prayer centered on their knowledge, in a major way because that’s how they could become messed up the most in their lives. Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:2-3 (bold mine for emphasis):

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 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 and virtue.

The wrong or false or lack of knowledge risks grace and peace and all things that pertain unto life and godliness. For salvation, someone needs the knowledge of Jesus our Lord and receives salvation through the knowledge of him. If someone doesn’t have the knowledge of Him, the right knowledge of Him, or sufficient knowledge of Him, he easily could be left in a lost condition, even while thinking he is already acceptable. This is how someone is deceived. Very often, a person convinced of partial truth is inoculated against all of the truth.

How does Jesus become a Rorschach? I will deal with one, even though I touched on several means above that are also worth exploring. A chief means is conforming the Jesus of the imagination into one’s own lust. This is a message of 2 Peter. Men walk after their own lusts and then conform Jesus or the entire Godhead to what they want Jesus or God to be. Every false worshiper shapes God into his own lust. In so doing, he isn’t serving God, but himself (cf. Romans 1:25).

A man knows he is in trouble. He knows death is coming. At the same time, he wants what he wants. He loves himself. He needs Jesus for the former, but the true Jesus clashes with the latter. The Rorschach Jesus works, except that He isn’t Jesus, so He doesn’t really work at all.

Editions of the TR Argument and Excellent Preservation Versus Perfect Preservation

November 19, 2018 / 6 Comments on Editions of the TR Argument and Excellent Preservation Versus Perfect Preservation

Mark Ward says he “won’t argue textual criticism with those who insist on the exclusive use of the King James Version,” but he really is arguing with them, against what he says he won’t do. He argues at his blog for what he calls “excellent preservation” versus what he says is “perfect preservation.” If you google “perfect preservation of scripture,” the entire first page of links has my name and our book, Thou Shalt Keep Them, in some fashion.

The “perfect preservation” view is a name I gave to the biblical and historical view of the preservation of scripture, coining the terminology. Ward won’t talk to me directly, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t arguing with me. I am saying right here and now that I would welcome a public debate with Mark Ward about perfect preservation of scripture.

If Ward is going to debate perfect preservation, he should debate the actual view instead of the strawman, which is what he and others present. I have to think they know they are doing it, which would be to call them dishonest or they just don’t care. I want to give the benefit of the doubt, but I’ve answered this over and over. This is also where the common question from those of the eclectic text view enters, the question of “which TR edition”? (TR = Greek textus receptus New Testament).

Ward ends his post by writing, “Please tone down the rhetoric. And let us know which TR has every jot and tittle, no more and no less.” His strawman is not the perfect preservation view, and this isn’t a dodge. We have written an entire book and I have written here so many posts that answer that question, it’s hard to say how many. People criticize me for having written so much, but it’s no wonder, when the same strawmen are repeated so often (here are examples of answering: one, two, three, four, five, six, and many more).

Ward and others conflate the very few differences between the TR editions into an eclectic text position, as if the modern textual critics believe the same as those who wrote the Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF). This isn’t true. Again, this seems like a knowing or purposeful lie. The men of the WCF believed in perfect preservation. Like any and every believer in the perfect preservation of scripture, they also knew there were variations in manuscripts of the New Testament. Variations in individual manuscripts do not contradict the doctrine of perfect preservation. The founders of modern textual criticism and the critical or eclectic text did not believe in perfection preservation, did not start with any scriptural presuppositions at all regarding the doctrine of the preservation of scripture. Leaving this information out is what makes it a dishonest explanation. At the very end of his Post Reformation Reformed Dogmatics, Volume 2, Holy Scripture: The Cognitive Foundation of Theology (p. 541), Muller makes this very interesting statement that is tell-tale for today:

All too much discussion of the Reformers’ methods has attempted to turn them into precursors of the modern critical method, when in fact, the developments of exegesis and hermeneutics in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries both precede and, frequently conflict with (as well as occasionally adumbrate) the methods of the modern era.

Scrivener published an annotated Greek New Testament that showed the differences between TR editions. This is known and was known. It’s nothing anyone is covering up. I’ve owned that New Testament all the time I’ve been a pastor. Ward’s point is that the scriptural teaching of perfect preservation required a fulfillment in one printed edition of the TR. He then comes at this in reverse, essentially a naturalistic view. The lack of homogeneity between TR editions means that perfect preservation didn’t happen, necessitating a different view on preservation, what he calls or coins, “excellent preservation.” Excellent preservation veers off what the Bible teaches in favor of the external evidence of textual variants.

Scripture teaches verbal plenary inspiration. It also teaches verbal, plenary preservation. What God inspired He preserved. This is perfect preservation. Ward says you can believe in preservation of scripture without believing in preservation of scripture and he does this by saying that “excellent preservation” is preservation. What is “excellent preservation”? It’s hard to put a finger on that, because scripture doesn’t teach that position. It’s like trying to argue how many sins one must commit to be a sinner. One. One error isn’t perfect any more. Is excellent ten, twenty, a hundred? It’s not the view taught by the Bible, so it is faithless. Maybe this is the rhetoric Ward says needs to be toned down, but I’m using biblical terminology to describe what I am seeing. I’m not trying to offend, but to hit at the brunt of the issue.

Ward wants those who do not believe in perfect preservation to be given credit for not denying the preservation of scripture. He denies the preservation of scripture, based on reasoning of the following two sentences:

[Y]ou’re not going to find a Bible verse or a sufficiently clear act of providence to give you what you demand—or tell you where to find it. The TRs themselves are divided in places.

Ward defies historical biblical exposition and theology. Christians have believed we do have Bible verses on preservation. There are actually many more preservation verses that yield the doctrine of preservation more than inspiration. Men have stopped believing the verses because of “evidence,” and now they saying there are none. It is revisionist history from Ward and those like him.

It is Ward’s opinion that there is no “sufficiently clear act of providence” to get perfect preservation. This speaks to the basis of his position, his opinion. What “sufficiently clear act of providence” is there for 66 books? Really. How do we know James is in the Bible? Galatians? If it’s in the Bible, it’s got to be true. The providence comes in many different ways, and this has been acknowledged by Christians through church history.

God preserved every word. The few differences between TR editions doesn’t void that. The words of the TR were preserved and available for hundreds of years before the critical text. I dealt with Ward’s argument about TR editions at the many links I provided above.

What are the boundaries of “excellent preservation”? Versus “perfect preservation”? The ‘beauty’ of excellent preservation is the ambiguity. Over the years, I have often mentioned driving the mack truck through the gap that is created by the ambiguity. How messed up does an orthodox view of scripture become? It’s the right thing to do and for sure the best thing to do to deal with messiness after one has established he believes in perfect preservation. God preserved every Word. He said it. We should acknowledge it.

Okay, so what’s so serious about this? Ward talks like it shouldn’t be a big deal. I want him and others like him to understand, so I’m going to enumerate the list of why it is serious. I think they already know, but I want to make sure.

God said He would preserve every one of His Words and we should believe Him, because He doesn’t lie.
When God says He would preserve every one of His Words and we teach and spread that He didn’t, that attacks and diminishes faith, which affects the faith necessary to be saved.
Verbal plenary inspiration loses its value if we don’t have what was inspired.
Doubt about the words affects certainty, which affects authority and then obedience — we don’t want to lessen certainty, authority, or obedience.
The church has believed in the perfect preservation of scripture and not believing it overturns historic, orthodox church doctrine — through the history of Christian doctrine, this has been the definition of heresy.
When scripture is changed, doctrines change, since doctrine comes from the Words.
All of the above affects churches, which makes them less effective at all of what they do.
The doctrine of preservation itself is attacked and then not kept, which churches are to keep.

Here is the Word of God, which is the essence of purity. The standard is Words. It is essentially the measure that people have for purity on about anything. I took a bite into some cake last week and had only one hair in it. That isn’t pure. That isn’t excellent. Who are we to call something excellent that isn’t perfect, if God is the One Who said He would preserve it?

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