Hold Fast Apologetics

What Does Scripture Say?

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A former Speech and Language Pathologist for nearly 20 years, I began educating our 3 children full-time in 2015 and have cherished every gifted moment (even the challenges). But what is interwoven into all aspects of daily life (as a wife, via motherhood, teaching, friendship, fitness, etc.) is Christian Apologetics (1 Peter 3:15)… which is why this blog exists.

  • This is Why the Banker Analogy Falls Short

    Two years ago, I was watching an interview on YouTube featuring respected author and celebrated Christian apologist Nancy Pearcey discussing the importance of recognizing counterfeit gospels. During this 50-minute dialogue, the interviewer shared an analogy which had impacted her:

    [When Banks want to train their employees how to recognize counterfeit bills], they never let them study counterfeit money, because you can’t go out there and study every single piece of counterfeit money and figure out what makes a counterfeit. They only ever let the bank tellers work with real money and have them work with it day in day out. Feel it, smell it, and hold it up to the light so that they’re so familiar with the real money. That if a counterfeit piece ever shows up, they know it immediately. [Therefore], when you focus on the truth, and you focus on God’s word, you don’t have to know all the details of everything else that’s wrong out there in the world [1]

    At first glance (or listen), this sounds very reasonable! We should know the Scriptures well! We should follow Charles Spurgeon’s advice: “Visit many good books but live in the Bible.” As Christians, we should study God’s Word often! Jesus contended that we need the Scriptures more than anything else! “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4).

    Therefore, given that we need to be lifelong students of God’s Word, reading the Scriptures often, why then does the Bank Analogy fall short? Or go bankrupt, shall we say? Nancy Pearcey’s response to the interviewer extends some needed wisdom:

    “I’ve heard that metaphor a lot, but I used to be a bank teller and it’s not true. [We were taught how to identify counterfeits]. [1]

    Pearcey continues…

    “I actually don’t agree with that. Because I think you have to know something about the worldviews [of others]. Christians can’t just live in their own little bubble if they really want to talk to non-Christians, they have to know something about how they think.” [1}

    What professor Pearcey is sharing here is incredibly compelling!

    If we avoid learning about other worldviews, we are choosing to remain in “our own little bubble.” But if we earnestly want to share the Good News of the Gospel, we need to be aware that non-Christians (and even numerous professing Christians) also claim to own the correct currency on Truth.

    To use the Bank Analogy further, every single major worldview has their own dollar bill. And these dollar bills are thought to be THE dollar bill. The doctrine which provides the look and feel of the bill comes from a sacred text associated with that worldview (Bible, Quran, Book of Mormon, Richard Rohr’s Universal Christ, Darwin’s Origin of Species, etc.) Therefore, if we do not slow down and define what makes their dollar bill THE dollar bill, we could be misunderstanding what they find to be essential. Defining terminology is therefore very important!! If we do not seek to understand what he or she means when referring to God, Jesus, and Salvation, we could be accepting or permitting the deposit of counterfeit theology without knowing it.

    For example, per the CARM apologetics webpage, the Church of Latter-Day Saints define “God” as “One of the countless gods in existence.  An exalted man from another world who created the earth whose name is ‘Elohim.’  He became a god by following the laws and ordinances of his god on the other world.  He has a body of flesh and bones, D&C 130: 22-23).” [2]

    This shows us that the LDS worldview is a polytheistic worldview (there are many Gods in Mormonism). A biblical worldview, however, instructs that there is only one God. Christianity is, therefore, monotheistic. This is an essential component to our dollar bill! There were and are no other Gods before Him nor besides Him (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 46:9; Ephesians 4:6). [3] God is the uncreated Creator of time and space, infinite and noncontingent (necessary). Humanity is created, finite, and contingent. The LDS and Christian worldviews differ dramatically when the terms are defined.

    Having numerous respectful dialogues with co-workers, family members, and neighbors not only demonstrates that we love and care for them, but it also provides us with the opportunity to learn from them! Being available to listen to others share about their worldview/religion, helps us learn more about how they answer the major worldview questions (how we got here, why are we broken, how can we be fixed, etc.). Again, we should prioritize these moments!

    Every heart needs to know how bankrupt we truly are because of sin. Minds need to grapple with the reality that God came down to live the sinless, righteous life we are unable to live, adding his own credit to our account after paying for our debt with his blood.

    “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

    Friends, studying the essential beliefs of other worldviews might seem overwhelming, but the hearts we encounter daily are worth that time. And you need not fear learning about other worldviews (that you might go astray)! As long as you are earnestly pursuing truth, you will find yourself on solid ground with Christianity (1 Corinthians 15). Yes, Christians, know God’s Word! And, be aware of the Counterfeits.

    1. “Nancy Pearcey, Finding Truth Part 1: Postmodernism Seeking a Substitute in all the Wrong Places.” 2021. The Meaning Code. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVd6QyQ4N9I&t=27s

    2. Mormonism – CARM

  • Jesus, Mary, and Joseph Fled to Egypt

    “After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, ‘Get up! Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him.’ 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called my Son.” (Matthew 2:13-15)

    Per the historical records of the New Testament, we know that Jospeh was warned in a dream about Herod’s plot to “destroy” Jesus, with the clear instructions to “flee to Egypt” (and stay there until Herod dies). Two major points stand-out here:

    1. Herod wanted Jesus dead.

    The beginning of Matthew 2 describes the scene: Magi traveling a long distance to Bethlehem of Judea (possibly with a large entourage, easily noticed by the townspeople), following a remarkable star in the sky with hopes of locating where the King of the Jews was born (Matthew 2:1-6). History tells us that Jesus could have been approximately two years old at this point. Therefore, when Herod learns of the Magi’s mission, he orders that all children, ages two and younger, be killed.

    2. Jesus’ flight to Egypt was planned (anticipated).

    The “so that” in verse 15 is incredibly important! Please do not overlook these words, for they turn our minds to the fact that Jesus’s journey to Egypt was not a surprise. It was prophetic! God’s Word provided an important detail about Jesus in Hosea 2:15, which he fulfilled when moving to Egypt around the age of two. This prophecy points to Jesus as God’s Son (2nd Person of the Trinity),

    Egypt’s border is nearly 90 miles from Bethlehem, outside of Herod’s jurisdiction (safe for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph), but still within the Roman province. This would be likened to Americans traveling across state lines to visit family. While Ohio and Indiana have different Governors, they are both under the jurisdiction of the US government. All this to say, Joseph and Mary were not violating the law by obeying God’s instruction to take refuge in Egypt.

    Sadly, the historical details of this pivotal event are either misunderstood or utilized to manipulate hearts for political agendas (see picture below).

    Found on X (formally Twitter).

    Whether the persons who repost these pictures are aware of the true, historical events or not, we need to be prepared to dialogue respectfully with them. Jesus’ fulfillment of nearly 300 prophecies from the Old Testament scriptures demonstrates, with mathematical precision, the notably miraculous intentionality of Jesus’ life on earth…his journey to Egypt included.

    Jesus was the promised Messiah from Genesis 3:15, and the Word who was with God and was/is God (John 1:1-3), the Creator of the Universe and everything in it (John 1:14; Colossians 1:15-17). Jesus came down from Heaven, adding upon Himself a fully human nature (Philippians 2). His mission was planned (Luke 2:24; 19:10; John 17:4) in eternity past and fulfilled by real-life events in history. To flippantly minimize these events into political memes or window displays is to misunderstand their immense importance. Every heart needs to know that Jesus was a real man who claimed to be God incarnate, the Savior of the world. To view him as merely a good teacher (or refugee) falls tragically short of reality.

    Wes Huff 8 minutes

  • “Why Do You Call Me Good?” Mark 10:18

    Jesus and the rich young ruler.

    “And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ 18 And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ 20 And he said to him, ‘Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.’ 21 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ 22 Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

    23 And Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, ‘Children, how difficult it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.’ 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him, “Then who can be saved?’ 27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.’ 28 Peter began to say to him, ‘See, we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, ‘Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.’” (Mark 10:17-31)

    (For an in-depth study of Mark, consider watching Mike Winger’s videos here)

    Erik Manning with Testify (7m 20s).

    Numerous scholars date the Gospel of Mark to around AD 55, with its intended recipients being Gentile Christians in Rome. Mark’s letter documents Peter’s eyewitness account of Jesus’s earthly ministry, with notable succinctness (a thematic description of events, as opposed to chronological) and urgency. Mark’s urgency to record these historical events points to their inherent significance to the reader; especially, when Christians were being persecuted and martyred in and around Rome (which increased with Nero, AD 64). And Mark showcases this urgency, immediately! In the very first sentence of this letter, Mark makes haste to recognize Jesus as the Messiah, God incarnate, as demonstrated by the Hebrew Scriptures:

    “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

    2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,”
    ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
        who will prepare your way,
    3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
        ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
        make his paths straight,’”

    Not only does Mark vividly illustrate the crucial role of the Old Testament in describing the promised Messiah, but he also documents the remarkable self-claims of Jesus pertaining to his identity. Therefore, when the rich young ruler calls Jesus a “good teacher” (Mark 10), Jesus wastes no time highlighting the fundamental assertion the young man is making about Jesus:

    • Jesus is good.
    • Only God is good.
    • Therefore, Jesus is God.

    “‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ 18 And Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.’”
    Mark 10: 17-18

    Christian apologist and YouTuber (Testify), Erik Manning, recognizes that Jesus was bringing the Shema (Deut 6:4) to the forefront by pointing out that “there is only one source of true goodness,” God alone. God is one, and only God is good.

    Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4)

    Manning also makes it clear that Jesus did not say that he was not good. Therefore, Jesus did not rebuke the young man, nor did Jesus deny that the richer young ruler’s assertion was true. Jesus simply (and lovingly) helped this man process through the title he was assigning to Jesus.

    Immediately following Jesus’s initial question, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone,” Jesus answers the young man’s heartfelt query of what he is lacking for salvation. Friends, please slow down and catch the imperative implications of Jesus’s response:

    “You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’ 20 And he said to him, ‘Teacher, all these I have kept from my youth.’ 

    “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me’” (Mark 10).

    In the video shared above, Erik Manning draws our attention to the fact that Jesus, intentionally places his own commands alongside the Ten Commandments (God’s commands). Again, do not miss the significance of Jesus’ message here: Jesus’s words are given equal weight and authority as the Ten Commandments! Therefore, obeying Jesus is obeying God. Following Jesus’s commands is following God’s commands. If salvation belongs to God alone (which it does), then salvation belongs to Jesus.

    So, what does this have to do with us two thousand years later?

    Even though Mark’s letter wasn’t written to us (because we were not alive then), God intended that we read it too (John 17:20). You see, God is good and He wants to be known. Therefore, God makes the important things easy for us to understand. As others have said, “The main things the plain things.” God, in His goodness, wants us all to know Him. And He wants us to know His faithful plan to save humanity, as documented in the Scriptures.

    “The Holy Spirit, therefore, has generously planned Holy Scripture in such a way that in the easier passages He relieves our hunger; in the more obscure He drives away our pride. Practically nothing is dug out from those obscure texts which is discovered to be said very plainly in another place.” Augustine, On Christian Doctrine, II. 6

    Mark makes it abundantly clear that Jesus recognized who he was. The Creator of the universe, the designer of our cells, and the engineer behind the honeybee’s waggle dance (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-14; Colossians 1:15-20), put upon himself a human nature. Friends, God came down! Let that blow your mind!

    Jesus is both fully human (see Philippians 2) and fully God. Jesus is of the same substance as the Father (homoousios). He is not only the Judge of our souls (John 5:22-23), but he is also the one who saves us! You see, Jesus is more than a mere model of faith…someone who gets us, or someone we emulate. Jesus is God incarnate! He is the object of our faith. Jesus received worship for a reason (Matthew 8:2; 21:9, 17).

  • Jesus, Christians, Nicaea, and the Scriptures

    Jesus, Christians, Nicaea, and the Scriptures

    Five minutes with Wes Huff from Apologetics Cananda.

    Here are the main points of this clip:

    ✔️Jesus was a Jew.

    “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

    2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,[a] 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king.

    And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph,[b] 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos,[c] and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

    12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel,[d] and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.”
    (Matthew 1:1-16)

    ✔️Jesus was/is the Jewish Messiah who fulfilled hundreds of Old Testament prophecies (Lk 24:44-48; 1 Cor 15).

    Per historian Justo L. Gonzalez, “The early Christians did not believe that they were following a new religion (worldview). They were Jews, and their main difference with the rest of Judaism was that they were convinced that the Messiah (Christ) had come, whereas other Jews continued awaiting his advent.” (Story of Christianity, Vol. 1, 41.)

    ✔️Jesus read the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament Scripture: See Luke 4).

    “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

    18 ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
        because he has anointed me
        to proclaim good news to the poor.
    He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
        and recovering of sight to the blind,
        to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
    19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’

    20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’” 
    (Luke 4:16-21)

    Here is a Google Document with samples of Jesus quoting the Hebrew Scriptures: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yMAZVwnkcYpzLUzpegNL-iNrwl5N5wwGSb-ABE742RY/edit?usp=sharing

    ✔️Initially derogatory in nature, the term “Christian” was applied to Jesus’s followers by the citizens of Antioch after Jesus’s crucifixion (Acts 11:26).

     “So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.” (Acts 11:25-26)

    “But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. 16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:15-17)

    ✔️The Council of Nicaea in AD 325 recognized the Scriptures to be God’s authoritative word (recognized vs declared).

    Infographic created by Wes Huff

    Wes Huff: “The first Council of Nicaea, which took place between May and August in 325 AD in what is now İznik, Turkey, was an ecumenical council called to deal with a specific theological problem. Its purpose was to sort out the Arian Controversy––a Trinitarian heresy being promoted by a presbyter in North Africa named Arius, teaching not only that the Son of God was eternally subordinate to the Father, but that the Son was not everlasting but created by God the Father at a specific point in time. Arius, in his letter to Alexandria, wrote that: “The Son, being begotten apart from time by the Father, and being created and founded before ages, did not exist before his generation… the Son is not eternal or co-equal or co-unoriginate with the Father” (Letter to Alexandria 4:458).

    The end result of the assembly was what is now known as the Nicene Creed, along with twenty canon decrees and a synod epistle that went along with the creedal statement. Within all of these documents, Nicaea quotes the New Testament books as authoritative and acknowledged the supremacy and jurisdiction they held. All 318 members (even the unorthodox ones as far as we can tall) recognized the rule scripture possessed already, they did not invent the status it held. The twenty-seven books of the New Testament were being read, studied, preached, and declared as God’s holy Word hundreds of years before anyone at Nicaea was even born.

    There is no evidence from any of the documents that came out of Nicaea nor from the testimony of witnesses and members who were there (Eusebius, Athanasius, or Eustathius, for example) that any part of the council had anything to do with choosing or establishing the canon of Scripture. So where did this idea originate from? Well, there are two possible sources where the myth could have originated and taken on a life of its own.” (full article)

    Friends, the above (bolded) statements are truth claims that need to be examined. Either they are objectively true (historically verifiable) or they are not. Why wouldn’t we test them?

    “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance, the only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” – C.S. Lewis

  • Ho Ho Homoousios!

    Ho Ho Homoousios!

    “First, if he claims to be God and yet in fact is not, he has to be a madman or a lunatic. Second, if he is neither God nor a lunatic, he has to be a liar, deceiving others by his lie. Third, if he is neither of these, he must be God. You can only choose one of the three possibilities. If you do not believe that he is God, you have to consider him a madman. If you cannot take him for either of the two, you have to take him for a liar. There is no need for us to prove if Jesus of Nazareth is God or not. All we have to do is find out if He is a lunatic or a liar. If He is neither, He must be the Son of God.”

    C.S. Lewis (Mere Christianity)

    2 minute video

    In AD 325, approximately 318 bishops converged at the Council of Nicaea to examine the Scriptures, witnessing together what God’s Word said concerning Jesus’ identity. Was/is Jesus the 2nd Person of the Trinity (God incarnate), or merely a created being (as Arius believed). Following their reading of the Scriptures, and the (alleged) famous slap from Nicholas of Myra, Arius’ teaching was recognized as heresy. Jesus is so much more than fully human, he is also fully God— Jesus is the homoousios = the same substance as the Father. Jesus is Holy!

    “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

    Isaiah 9:6

    “And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 ‘Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?’”

    Mark 2:5-7

    “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

    John 1:1-3

    “I the Father are one.”

    John 10:30

    “The Jews answered him, ‘It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.’”

    John 10:33

    “But of the Son he says, ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.’”

    Hebrews 1:8

    “Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,”

    Titus 3:13

    “Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”

    1 Corinthians 8:6

    Here are some academic resources:

    John M. Meade: https://equip.sbts.edu/article/the-council-of-nicaea-did-not-create-the-canon-of-scripture/

    Wesley Huff: https://www.wesleyhuff.com/blog/2020/10/13/what-happened-at-the-council-of-nicaea

    Michael Kruger: https://michaeljkruger.com/was-the-divinity-of-jesus-a-late-invention-of-the-council-of-nicea/

  • Jesus Doubles Down: John 10 and Psalm 82

    Jesus Doubles Down: John 10 and Psalm 82

    “At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.’ 25 Jesus answered them, ‘I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26 but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.’

    31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?’ 33 The Jews answered him, ‘It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.’ 34 Jesus answered them, ‘Is it not written in your Law,“I said, you are gods”? 35 If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, “I am the Son of God”? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.’ 39 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.”

    John 10:22-39

    Erik Manning with Testify (6m): “Alex O’Connor claims Jesus denied being God in John 10. Let’s break down the passage and see how the context, Old Testament echoes, and John’s own words prove the opposite.”

    Erik Manning from Testify and Is Jesus Alive explains that prior to the words recorded in John 10:34 (quoting Psalm 82:6), Jesus was “clearly claiming divine authority,” and the Jews demonstrated awareness of this because they picked up stones to kill Jesus for blasphemy (v33).

    Manning points out that Jesus doesn’t correct these men, but (instead) doubles-down regarding his divinity. Erik: 

    “His point is a classic Lesser to the Greater argument. Even if corrupt rulers can bear the title gods in some sense, how much more can he, the one consecrated and sent by the Father, rightly be called the Son of God. And notice the twist in his words. He says in verse 35 , that those gods were the ones whom the word of God came. But then in verse 36, he identifies himself as the one whom the Father sent into the world. Now rewind. Let’s read in context and go back to John 1. Jesus is the Word, which means he’s not one of the rulers being judged. He is the Word of God who comes to judge them. And that’s exactly what John’s gospel keeps saying. [According to] John 5:22, the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son. [Per] John 9:39,’ for judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.’ So, Jesus isn’t retreating from divinity. He’s actually raising the stakes.” (source)

  • Did Jesus Quote the Old Testament?

    “The thesis is ‘that Christ’s view of Scripture can and should still be the Christian’s view of Scripture’—no more and no less.”

    John Wenham, Christ and the Bible, Third Edition (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2009), 7.

    Did Jesus quote the Old Testament (Hebrew) Scriptures? Yes, and often! Jesus utilized the Hebrew Scriptures for theological debates, for teaching, as well as to show those around him that he was the only one who could fulfill the numerous prophecies pointing to the Messiah (Luke 24). The following paragraph includes biblical perspectives gleaned from Dr. Gary Habermas’s article, “Jesus and the Inspiration of Scripture:”

    “Central to a Christian world view is the conviction that Scripture, both the Old and New Testaments, comprises God’s word to us.” Dr. Habermas, distinguished Research Professor of Apologetics and Philosophy at Liberty University in Virginia, states that “Jesus’ testimony concerning Scripture combined with His resurrection can provide a firm foundation for our belief in the doctrine of inspiration, so the inspiration of Scripture in turn provides the necessary groundwork for Christian theology. The benefits of having such an underpinning are tremendous. Given a firm foundation, believers are free to build a Christian world view, being careful to base their ideas on the same footing laid by Jesus Himself.”

    “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”

    Jesus (Matthew 5:17-18; see Isaiah 40:6-8)

    “Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’ 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.’”

    Jesus (Luke 24:40-48)

    The chart shared below contains a sample of Scriptures demonstrating that Jesus quoted the Scriptures regularly. Friends, we can easily deduce from the clarity of Scripture that Jesus viewed/views the Old Testament Scriptures as the authoritative words of God. Jesus had/has a high view of Scripture; therefore, we as Christians should, too.

    “…To our Lord the Old Testament is true as to its history, it is of divine authority, and its very writings are inspired by God Himself.”

    John Wenham, Christ and the Bible, Third Edition (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2009), 34.

    If you want to dig into this topic heavily, please check out D.A. Carson’s and G. K. Beale’s Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament: A Comprehensive Bible Commentary on Old Testament Quotations, Allusions & Echoes That Appear from Matthew through Revelation.

    Matthew
    Jesus’s Words Old Testament 
    “He answered, ‘It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:4“He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then he gave you manna to eat, which you and your ancestors had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”  Deuteronomy 8:3
    Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.”  Matthew 4:7“Do not test the Lord your God as you tested him at Massah.” Deuteronomy 6:16
    “Then Jesus told him, ‘Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’” Matthew 4:10“It is the Lord your God you shall fear. Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear. ” Deuteronomy 6:13
    “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,    because the Lord has anointed meto bring good news to the poor;    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,to proclaim liberty to the captives,    and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;”  Isaiah 61;1-2
    “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5“But the meek shall inherit the land    and delight themselves in abundant peace.”  Psalm 37:11
    “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” Matthew 5:21-22“You shall not murder.” Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17
    “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’” Matthew 5:38“fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him.” Leviticus 24:20
    “Give us this day our daily bread,” Matthew 6:11“Remove far from me falsehood and lying;    give me neither poverty nor riches;    feed me with the food that is needful for me.” Proverbs 30:8
    “Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” Matthew 9:13“For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,    the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” Hosea 6:6
    “You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.” Matthew 12:34-35 “Keep your heart with all vigilance,    for from it flow the springs of life.”
    Proverbs 4:23 
    “But he answered them, ‘An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.’” Matthew 12:39-41“And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.” (v5)
    Jonah 3:5-10 
    “And the Lord appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” Jonah 1:17
    “And the disciples asked him, ‘Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?’ He answered, ‘Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.” Matthew 17:10-13 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” Malachi 4:5-6
    “He answered, ‘Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.’” Matthew 19:4-6“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24“
    Mark
    Jesus’s Words Old Testament 
    “and said to him, ‘See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.’” Mark 1:40
    *Jesus acknowledged that Moses was a real, historical figure.

    *Jesus demonstrated the authority of the Old Testament.    		“This shall be the law of the leprous person for the day of his cleansing. He shall be brought to the priest,” Leviticus 14:2
    “And he said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?’”
    Mark 2:25-26    		“Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, ‘Why are you alone, and no one with you?’ And David said to Ahimelech the priest, ‘The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.’ And the priest answered David, “I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy bread—if the young men have kept themselves from women.’ And David answered the priest, ‘Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?’ So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the Lord, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away.” 1 Samuel 21:1-6
    “And he said to them, ‘To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, so thatthey may indeed see but not perceive,and may indeed hear but not understand,lest they should turn and be forgiven.’
     And he said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?’” Mark 4:11-13    		“And he said, ‘Go, and say to this people:

    ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
    keep on seeing, but do not perceive.

    Make the heart of this people dull,
        and their ears heavy,
        and blind their eyes;
    lest they see with their eyes,
        and hear with their ears,
    and understand with their hearts,
        and turn and be healed.” Isaiah 6:9-10
    “And he said to them, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,“This people honors me with their lips,
      but their heart is far from me;
    in vain do they worship me,
        teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”  Mark 7:6-7    		“And the Lord said:‘Because this people draw near with their mouth    and honor me with their lips,    while their hearts are far from me,and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,’”  Isaiah 29:13
    “‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh.” Mark 10:7-8 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Genesis 2:24
    “And he was teaching them and saying to them, ‘Is it not written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” Mark 11:17“Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, I myself have seen it, declares the Lord.”
    Jeremiah 7:11
    “And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?” Mark 12:26“And he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.’”  Exodus 3:6
    “David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared,

     ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
    “Sit at my right hand,
        until I put your enemies under your feet.”’
    Mark 12:36    		“The Lord says to my Lord:    ‘Sit at my right hand,until I make your enemies your footstool.’”Psalm 110:1 
    “And Jesus said to them, ‘You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’” Mark 14:27“All we like sheep have gone astray;    we have turned—every one—to his own way;and the Lord has laid on him    the iniquity of us all.” (v6)
    See: Isaiah 52:13–53:12
    “‘And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” Mark 15:34“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?    Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning?” Pslam 22:1
    Luke
    Jesus’s Words Old Testament 
    “And Jesus answered him, ‘It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” Luke 4:4“And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” Deut 8:3
    “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
            because he has anointed me
            to proclaim good news to the poor.
    He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
            and recovering of sight to the blind,
            to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
            to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
    Luke 4:18-19“And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’”  Luke 4:20-21    		“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
          because the Lord has anointed me
          to bring good news to the poor;
    he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim liberty to the captives,
          and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
    to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
          and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;”  Isaiah 61:1-2
    “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.” Luke 6:21“Come, everyone who thirsts,
          come to the waters;
    and he who has no money,
          come, buy and eat!
    Come, buy wine and milk
          without money and without price.Why do you spend your money for that which is    not bread,
            and your labor for that which does not satisfy?
    Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,
            and delight yourselves in rich food.”
    Isaiah 55:1-2
    “My soul thirsts for God,    for the living God.When shall I come and appear before God?” Psalm 42:2
    “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.” Luke 6:25“Therefore thus says the Lord God:‘Behold, my servants shall eat,
              but you shall be hungry;
    behold, my servants shall drink,
              but you shall be thirsty;
    behold, my servants shall rejoice,
              but you shall be put to shame;’”
    Isaiah 65:13
    “And he answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.’” Luke 7:22“Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,    and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer,    and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.For waters break forth in the wilderness,    and streams in the desert;” Isaiah 35:5-6
    “This is he of whom it is written,‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
        who will prepare your way before you.’”
    Luke 7:27    		“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.” Malachi 3:1
    “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
    Luke 10:27     		“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” Deuteronomy 6:5
    “For from now on in one house there will be five divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”  Luke 12:52-53“for the son treats the father with contempt,
          the daughter rises up against her mother,
    the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
              a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.” Micah 7:6
    “But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’” Luke 13:27“Depart from me, all you workers of evil,    for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping.” Psalm 6:8
    “Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.” Luke 18:20“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

    You shall not murder.”Exodus 20:12-13
    “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10 “Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord. We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.” Psalm 118:26
    “But Jesus looked straight at them and said, ‘Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?” Luke 20:17“The stone that the builders rejected    has become the cornerstone.” Psalm 118:22
    “For I tell you that this scripture must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was counted with the transgressors.’ For what is written about me is being fulfilled.” Luke 22:37“Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,    and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,because he poured out his soul to death    and was numbered with the transgressors;yet he bore the sin of many,    and makes intercession for the transgressors.” Isaiah 53:12
    “And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with powerfrom on high.” Luke 24:29“Let your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let your saints shout for joy.”  Psalm 132:9
    “until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high,    and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,    and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.”  Isaiah 32:15
    John
    Jesus’s Words Old Testament 
    “And he said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.’” John 1:51“And he dreamed, and behold, there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. And behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it!”  Genesis 28:12
    “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”  John 3:14-15“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.’  So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.”   Numbers 21:4-9
    “It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me—” John 6:45“All your children shall be taught by the Lord,    and great shall be the peace of your children.” Isaiah 54:13
    “This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” John 6:58“And he rained down on them manna to eat    and gave them the grain of heaven. Man ate of the bread of the angels;    he sent them food in abundance.”
    Psalm 78:24-25
    “In your Law it is written that the testimony of two people is true.” John 8:17“On the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses the one who is to die shall be put to death; a person shall not be put to death on the evidence of one witness.” Deuteronomy 17:6
    “Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” John 8:58“God said to Moses, ‘I am who I am.’ And he said, ‘Say this to the people of Israel: “I am has sent me to you.” Exodus 3:14
    “Jesus answered them, ‘I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”  John 10:25-27
    “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
    John 10:28-30    		“Oh come, let us worship and bow down;    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!For he is our God,    and we are the people of his pasture,    and the sheep of his hand.
    Today, if you hear his voice,      do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,    as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,” Psalm 95:5-8
    “See now that I, even I, am he,    and there is no god beside me;I kill and I make alive;    I wound and I heal;    and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.”   Deuteronomy 32:39
    “Also henceforth I am he;    there is none who can deliver from my hand;    I work, and who can turn it back?”
    Isaiah 43:13
    “Jesus answered them, ‘Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’?” John 10:34
    *More on this important passage:
    Atheist Reads John 10 Like a Jehovah’s Witness…    		“I said, ‘You are gods,    sons of the Most High, all of you;” Psalm  82:6
    *Erik Manning from Testify and Is Jesus Alive explains that prior to the words recorded in John 10:34 (quoting Psalm 82:6), Jesus was “clearly claiming divine authority,” and the Jews demontrated awareness of this for they picked up stones to kill Jesus for blasphemy (v33).

    Manning points out that Jesus doesn’t correct these men but instead, doubles-down regarding his divinity. Erik: 

    “His point is a classic Lesser to the Greater argument, even if corrupt rulers can bear the title gods in some sense, how much more can he, the one consecrated and sent by the Father, rightly be called the Son of God. And notice the twist in his words. He says in verse 35 that those gods were the ones whom the word of God came. But then in verse 36, he identifies himself as the one whom the Father sent into the world. Now rewind. Let’s read in context and go back to John 1. Jesus is the Word, which means he’s not one of the rulers being judged. He is the Word of God who comes to judge them. And that’s exactly what John’s gospel keeps saying. John 5:22, the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son. John 9:39, for judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind. So Jesus isn’t retreating from divinity. He’s actually raising the stakes.” (source)
    “Fear not, daughter of Zion;behold, your king is coming,    sitting on a donkey’s colt!” John 12:15Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!    Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!Behold, your king is coming to you;    righteous and having salvation is he,humble and mounted on a donkey,    on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” 
    Zechariah 9:9
    “He has blinded their eyes    and hardened their heart,lest they see with their eyes,    and understand with their heart, and turn,    and I would heal them.”  John 12:40And he said, “Go, and say to this people:“‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
    keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

    Make the heart of this people dull,
        and their ears heavy,
        and blind their eyes;
    lest they see with their eyes,
        and hear with their ears,
    and understand with their hearts,
        and turn and be healed.”Isaiah 6:9-10
    “But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’”
    John 15:25    		“Let not those rejoice over me    who are wrongfully my foes,and let not those wink the eye    who hate me without cause.”  Ps. 35:19
    After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” John 19:28“They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me sour wine to drink.” Psalm 69:21

  • Is it Wrong to Expose False Teaching?

    The need to expose a teaching (or programming) which departs from the core beliefs of biblical Christianity is not new. It is an important endeavor, both described and prescribed throughout the New Testament letters! It’s not new and it won’t stop until Jesus returns.

    “But test everything; hold fast what is good.”

    —Paul (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

    If you venture upon X for just five minutes, it’s highly probable that you will read false teaching — unbiblical messages about God, the Bible, and Jesus. It’s also likely that you will witness persons posting their attempts to expose these false teachings.

    And while neither is comfortable to encounter, we should all agree that false information is bad information, and bad information should be examined — examined in light of accurate (good) information. This exposure of truth in the presence of error is also the exposure of a divide.

    Friend, exposing a division (a departure from sound teaching, see Ro 16:17), is not the same as causing a division.

    Exposing = revealing (Eph 5:11).

    Exposing = biblical (Galatians 1-2).

    SNL character, Debbie Downer

    Yes, we might feel like “Debbie Downer,” but to not expose a departure from sound, biblical teaching is choosing to preserve what is fractured. To embrace either apathy or fear (fear of man, discomfort, etc.) is to settle for a fractured church body, as opposed to a healthy church body.

    “When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear.”

    Thomas Sowell

    “Love does not find joy in wrongdoing or injustice but instead rejoices when the truth prevails.”

    1 Corinthians 13:6

    But what should be an immediate response is to pray. Pray first, not post first. Prayer should be the very first step we take in all things, especially when there is a trial. We need God’s wisdom, strength, and leading in all things. He needs to be glorified, not us.

    Lots and lots of prayer.

    “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”

    Philippians 4:6

    “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” — Jesus

    Matthew 7:15

    “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.” — Paul

    Romans 16:17-18

    “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” — Paul

    2 Timothy 4:3-4

    Sisters, keep praying for your elders and pastors, and continue to renew your minds with the Scriptures. The Church has been under attack from its earliest of days, but God is not surprised by this. He is using all of this for His good and perfect purposes (even the exposure of false teachings)!

    What Does the Bible Say About False Teaching? Quite a bit!

    Dr. Sean McDowell 37m
    Apologetics Canada 53m

  • Even Politics

    Yes, Politics is incredibly messy.

    Because we are incredibly messy.

    But morality (right and wrong) is necessary—which makes politics necessary.

    Why?

    Knowing “wrong” exists necessitates that “right” exists. As C.S. Lewis expressed in his book Mere Christianity, “A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line.” Simply stated, we know “evil” is real which requires “good” to be real. And good necessitates God. He is Holy, good, and right.

    God’s good design points us to our good Designer. We know right and wrong exists because God has made it clear to us (Romans 1:18-20; 2:15-18).

    Our ability to know that “right” exists is what creates the desire for justice and advocacy.

    Friends, every person alive today has a worldview which impacts every aspect of life…especially when determining what is “right and wrong.”

    And given that politics is the legalization of
    what is “right and wrong” (morality) in a society, why aren’t we caring more about politics?

    Yes, we should be very aware of the messy entanglements of politics…For we should not side with compromise, deal with bribes, nor participate in slander (even when persecution looms).

    Friends, if we are not lead by a biblical worldview, we will be lead by a cultural one. We will side with either the world’s view of right and wrong, or God’s. And this matters, immensely…even in political matters (2 Corinthians 10:3-7).

    “For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,”

    2 Corinthians 10:3-7

    And Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” And the people did not answer him a word.

    1 Kings 18:21

    “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

    Joshua 24:15

    75 minutes with Mike Winger

  • The Enneagram: Did John Calvin Really Say That?

    Don and Joy Veinot, alongside Marcia Montenegro, in their book Richard Rohr and the Enneagram Secret, address the frequent misquoting of John Calvin (by Ian Cron and others). Numerous Enneagram authors and enthusiasts, like Ian Cron, have advocated the pursuit of self-knowledge via the enneagram. Oftentimes, these authors do so by appealing to highly respected Christian sources…like John Calvin. But are they correct (let’s see)?

    Per Ian Cron, coauthor of The Road Back to You, “How did Calvin put it, ‘Without knowledge of self, there is no knowledge of God” (p.15). This has been quoted by many-an-enneagram enthusiast. Which is very concerning!

    For two major reasons…

    Firstly, we should always test what we hear alongside the original source. Therefore, instead of readily accepting Cron’s words about Calvin, let’s check-out the original source for Calvin’s words. Wouldn’t that be responsible?

    Secondly, nowhere in the Scriptures does God advocate humanity to look within for Him. Looking into the heart is like being in a deep pit and looking downward for a rope. Sisters, our wayward hearts do not reveal God, they need God.

    “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

    Jeremiah 17:9

    “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

    Matthew 15:18-20

    Here is Chapter 1 from Calvin’s Institutes:

    “the infinitude of good which resides in God becomes more apparent from our poverty. In particular, the miserable ruin into which the revolt of the first man has plunged us, compels us to turn our eyes upwards;” (Chapter 1 of Calvin’s Institutes).

    Therefore, to answer the question posed in the title of this post: No, John Calvin did not say that in order to know God, we need to look within. When we examine John Calvin’s own words we find a DIFFERENT message. As the Veinots and Marcia explain on p.42 of their timely book, “in short, Calvin asserted that we are sinners in need of a savior!” Calvin’s words are being utilized incorrectly.

    Calvin’s Institutes: https://ccel.org/ccel/calvin/institutes/institutes.iii.ii.html

    Friends, in lieu of readily believing secondary voices, everyone should prioritize going to the source and testing whether the secondhand information is tenable. As Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, “test everything; hold fast  what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

  • You and I are Not the Christ

    You and I are Not the Christ

    You and I are not the Christ.

    Even John the Baptist, whom Jesus said, “among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared,” proclaimed that he was not the Christ (Matthew 11:11; Jn 1:19-20).

    “He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’”

    John 1:20

    Only Jesus is the Christ (“Christ” is Greek for Messiah).

    However, popular authors like Richard Rohr claim that you and I are the Christ, too. Why? I do not know. But most of the New Testament letters warn us that harmful teachings would be promulgated. Therefore, unless we thoughtfully test their words alongside the Scriptures, we will might believe them readily (Matt 7:15; 1 Jn 4:1-4; Gal 1:6-9).

    “For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.”

    Matthew 24:5

    Per an interview in 2019, Rohr asserts: “Jesus was objectively Christ from his birth in Bethlehem, his conception in Nazareth, just like you and I are objectively Christ.”🚩 [1]

    Did you catch that “just like you and I are” part? Given that the YouVersion Bible app promotes a Rohr devotional, and John Mark Comer quotes Rohr on his Practicing the Way webpage, this is genuinely concerning! [2]

    Per the earliest eyewitness accounts of Jesus’s life, death, and bodily resurrection, Jesus not only claimed to be God by what he said, but also demonstrated he is God by his actions. [3]

    Jesus, fully God, never ceased being God when he added upon himself a complete human nature (Phil 2:5-8). His incarnation was an incredible miracle— an extraordinary act of love, on our behalf!

    ESV Study Bible

    “He suffered as God because only God had the power to save; He suffered as man because only man owed the debt.” – Michael Horton

    As you read above, some will attempt to persuade you that Jesus is merely an example of faith. But the earliest historical evidence shows that Jesus claimed to be more than just a model of faith — Jesus is 💯 the our object of faith.

    Faith is trusting in who He is and what He has done on our behalf (his work). His perfect, sinless life replaces our sinful life. His death pays our debt. His life gives us new life. And his bodily resurrection makes a way to God, which only he could make…on our behalf (John 24:6; Acts 4:12). Essentially, the Judge came down and took our place.

    “But to all who did receive him [Jesus], who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,” – John 1:12

    “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” – 1John 4:10

    1. https://lnkd.in/gxiciSdv
    2. https://lnkd.in/gvD3dGn8
    3. Bowman’s & Kimoszewski’s H.A.N.D.S. Acronym: https://a.co/d/dmOqUPf
      Picture: ESV Study Bible: https://a.co/d/crBeMDR
    3h 12m
  • God’s Got This

    God’s Got This

    Whose words are we listening to, (even in the still moments of the day)?

    Friends, it is not ‘overthinking’ that is our problem. Instead, what stirs up our emotions and creates anxiety, is “wrong thinking.”

    Meditating upon our own understanding of events (no matter how reasonable those thoughts might seem), as well as allowing our imagination to run wild — often creates anxiety, bitterness, and confusion.

    5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
        and do not lean on your own understanding.
    6 In all your ways acknowledge him,
        and he will make straight your paths.”

    Proverbs 3:5-6

    “Right thinking” comes from God. Right thinking comes from following His heart instead of our own. God is both our straightedge for accurate thinking (Ps 119:105; Ro 12:1-2; 2 Tim 3:15-17) and our compass. We need His guidance and instruction in all areas of life (Psalm 139:23-24 & Pr 3:5-6).

    “The Word of God I think of as a straight edge, which shows up our own crookedness. We can’t really tell how crooked our thinking is until we line it up with the straight edge of Scripture.”

    Elisabeth Elliot

    Friends, instead of following the words of your heart (looking in), turn your mind to Him. The Holy Spirit will never contradict Scripture. His words will provide you light for traversing this path, each and every day!

    I will lead you (Prov. 3).
    I will give you rest (Matt 11).
    My grace is sufficient (2 Cor 12).
    I love you (John 3; 1 John 4).
    I’m in complete control (Ro 8).
    I give you peace (2 Tim 1).
    I am with you (Hebrews 13).
    I will be your strength (Phil 4).