Author: gat_robo

Races, Racial Prejudice And God’s Plan In All This

By Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.

Have you ever faced questions like these:

  • Who am I, and why am I of a certain race?
  • Why do people of different races often not get along well with each other?
  • Why are so many people, often even Christians, racially prejudiced, sometimes even to the extent of persecuting or killing one another?
  • Is one particular race best?

When God created mankind He created them male and female. God does not tell us in His Word the color of Adam and Eve. Scientists speculate, research and periodically come up with new theories. Famous artists have painted rather intriguing pictures, and most children’s storybooks have their own depictions of Adam and Eve. It is interesting that believers, especially children, in various parts of the world often portray persons in Scripture to look like themselves. In other words, they identify with them. The race each one of us belongs to is the human race; and truly, God’s Word is for each one of us.

Genesis 1 says clearly that God created mankind male and female. Chapter 2 shows that the female was created from the male and was given to him by God to complete him and give him joy. These are the only two kinds of people God made – and He made them so they would need one another and that the human race would go on. Ephesians 5:21-33, one of many Scripture portions that refers to this, points out that what God gives us in Genesis is a beautiful picture of something even more wonderful: Adam and Eve represent Christ and the Church. Christ loved the Church and gave Himself in death for it, and now is graciously preparing it to be His bride forever in glory. This picture shows us too what God’s will is for the loving, self-sacrificing relationship of husband and wife in marriage.

More important than race, Acts 17:26 tells us that God “has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings” (NKJV). While there are several different blood types which one must be careful to distinguish when giving blood transfusions, none of these types is specific to one race. If I would need a blood transfusion, the race of the person providing the blood would not matter. And when God speaks of sinners, He tells us that all have sinned. He never breaks this down by race, as men so often do with statistics. We can be thankful that in this day of grace God offers salvation freely to “whosoever will” (Rev. 22:17 KJV). The Bible assures us that God is no respecter of persons. Men make differences among people, race and color, but God makes no such distinction.

When we read Genesis 6-9, we see that because of man’s wickedness God destroyed mankind off the face of the earth through a tremendous flood, which even covered the tops of the mountains. Only one family of eight persons – Noah, his wife, their three sons and their sons’ wives – was spared. From them, the present population of the earth has descended. As one traces their progeny through Genesis 10 and 11, it becomes plain that Shem was the one through whom the Savior eventually came. He was the ancestor of the people of Israel as well as of their Arabic-speaking Middle Eastern neighbors. Japheth was the ancestor of the people who lived in Europe. Ham, whose name means “black,” was the ancestor of the majority of Africans and the probable ancestor of most Asians and Native Americans. Ham’s descendents were very practical and are credited with the largest amount of the great inventions of ancient times.

Returning to Acts 17:26 we see that God in His wisdom has “determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings” (NKJV). In His wonderful grace He has fitted people for the environments in which He has placed them, even though people have moved, and have often been moved, to many places besides their ancestral homes. A man with dark skin living near the equator can really thank our all-wise and all-loving God that He has made him that way, for science says his skin does not sunburn as easily as others. This is but one reason to appreciate God’s provision for people. There are many other such evidences of our Creator-God’s loving, tender care for His creatures too.

In Matthew 11 we see the Lord Jesus Christ, God’s Son, looking back over the past years of His ministry. He spoke sadly as He denounced cities where He had done many of His mighty works, but who had not believed on Him. Then we see our Lord Jesus turning to His God and Father and saying, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight” (vv.25-26).

This statement of the Lord’s must ultimately be our answer as Christians to questions about how God has made us – things we do not understand. Human reasoning is not going to give us the answer. God’s Word tells us of God’s love for us. It tells us of His goodness and His wisdom. It tells us that He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. Scripture tells us that “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Rom. 8:32). The Bible reminds us to “behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 Jn. 3:1). And it tells us that we are soon going to be like our Lord Jesus, for we shall see Him as He is. May we with the apostle Paul say, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain” (1 Cor. 15:10).

Another thing: In John 9 the disciples asked the Lord why the man who was blind from birth was blind, whether it was because he or his parents had sinned. The Lord answered that it was not for either of these reasons, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. The chapter goes on to detail how the blind man was healed and how this brought him into much difficulty with the Pharisees. In fact, eventually he was cast out of the synagogue, but through all these problems he became a worshiper of the Lord Jesus.

I would suggest that you, whoever you are, were born the way you were not because of any sin of your own or of your ancestors, but that the works of God should be revealed in you. God may have uniquely fitted you to be able to serve Him where you are or in a place or situation in which He is getting ready to place you. For a person of another race to do the work He gives you to do could very well be a much more complicated and difficult matter.

Passing on to the subject of prejudice, especially racial prejudice, we have noted that God is no respecter of persons. God has made the different races. He does not play favorites. His grace reaches out to all. Again and again He exhorts us to be like Him. In the Old Testament we find Him repeatedly exhorting His people Israel to show kindness to the strangers among them. Prejudice is one of the ugly products of pride. It is taking an attitude of superiority to another individual, race or group in society. It is totally un-Christlike.

Again consider Acts 17:26, where we see that God “has determined [every nation of men’s] pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.” Sinful man has done much to disturb this order. Rulers have moved peoples they subjugated to other places. In the Bible, the conquering Assyrians did so with the people of the ten-tribe kingdom of Israel, and the Babylonians with the people of Judah. In later years African chiefs often sold their captives to Arab, European, or American slave traders, and these captives were forced into slavery in lands far from their homes. Today, vast numbers of people are trying to escape from warfare, persecution, poverty or other difficult situations by migrating to nations where they feel their condition will be better. Many are losing their lives in the process, and countless others are deeply resented or hated. Human pride, jealousy, lust and other sinful conditions of heart are causes of such wicked attitudes and the deeds that spring out of them.

How sadly different such attitudes are to the loving heart of our God who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, still extends His loving invitation to all mankind, regardless of race or skin color: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Mt. 11:28-30). How have you responded to Him?

Thoughts As To Shepherding

“The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” —Psalm 23:1 KJV

“For I have not shunned to declare unto you … all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers … to feed the church of God.” —Acts 20:27-28

“The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” —1 Peter 5:1-4

“He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.” —Isaiah 40:11

The following lines are thoughts shared by an older brother in the Lord who had been given the gift of shepherding. During his decades of caring for the flock of God, he served in a very self-sacrificial way, giving glory to God.

The above opening precious statement of Psalm 23 is essential. He is my possession, ever filling all my needs. It is only then that we receive all the counsels of God.

The charge begins with an exhortation: Take heed to yourselves first and then to all the flock. Be sure to notice this: It is the Holy Spirit who makes us or sets us up as overseers! A note by the well-known Bible scholar J. N. Darby (1800-1882) on shepherds is very vital: “They are to act in this character, or have it by acting!” It is not simply an exhortation to do it, but to acquire that character by doing it – to be so characterized. Be shepherds.

The elders are addressed in 1 Peter 5. They are mature in serving God in the God-given capacity that is according to 1 Corinthians 12, one of the many spiritual gifts that He has bestowed on His redeemed people, “the sheep.” God knows that the sheep need oversight and feeding, with rich up-building while strengthening Christ-likeness. The feeding, or rather the service of it, is not by constraint, but by wholehearted willingness and “of a ready mind.” The passage goes on to warn against human means of dealing with God’s people, instructing elders to be examples to believers, the flock.

The foregoing, may I suggest, is the means to an end, namely to train “the younger.” They are written about in 1 John 2:13-14: “… Young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one … Young men, because ye are strong and the Word of God abides in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.” This work must be current and ongoing, to be given up totally and unreservedly in service to the Master, who came not to be served but to serve! Through 1 Peter 5:4, the elders are exhorted to feed the flock of God, taking oversight willingly, being of a ready mind and examples to the flock. But in verse 5, Peter commands, “Ye younger likewise submit unto the elder and both to each other, yes to be subject one to another clothed with humility.”

This is the preparation of a vessel, or servant, called by God to be with the sheep like the shepherd David of old. All of the foregoing has instructions for the welfare of the souls. Isaiah 40:11 speaks of the love and care of God for His people Israel, yet it is very practical and an example to us in relation to families, households and assemblies.

In closing I would just like to refer to Abel and Enoch. Abel was a keeper of sheep. In Genesis 4 we read of Abel’s flock of which God had respect, that is, unto Abel and his offering.

Abel walked with God. Then we read twice in Genesis 5 that Enoch “walked with God” (vv.22,24). “Enoch walked with God and he was not; for God took him.” May we be of like faith – ever walking with God!

A Few Challenges from the Story of Nicodemus

By Curt Darling

Who was Nicodemus? Reading through John 3 we see that he was a Pharisee who had a curiosity about the Lord Jesus. Others of that same ruling class probably had questions about Him, but they were not apparently interested in finding out the truth. Do you want to know the truth, the real truth?

Nicodemus was a man of reputation as a ruler of the Jews, yet he came to Jesus by night so as to not damage it. Many people do the same thing. Rather than being open about their interest in Christ they seek to keep their standing in their social circles, whether in their family, friend, school or work settings. Could this be a lesson for us as well?

This Pharisee had been noticing Jesus and admitted that He was a “teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that Thou doest, except God be with him” (v.2 KJV). Jesus’ response, recorded in the next verse, was likely unexpected by Nicodemus: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” This was something Nicodemus could not understand, so he asked, “How can a man be born when he is old?”

Jesus told Nicodemus that a man had to “be born of water and of the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:26 tells us that water is representative of the Word of God. We are only born again by the work of the Word of God and Spirit of God in our hearts, minds and lives. Our natural birth was one of flesh, following in the line of Adam, but to be born of the Spirit means new life in Christ! Like the wind, one cannot see the Spirit, but its effects are very evident. Does this seem to be too much to grasp?

It was for Nicodemus at the time. Jesus rebuked him because as a teacher in Israel and knowing the Scriptures he should have known better. But the Lord patiently continued, speaking of descending, ascending and being in heaven. The Lord Jesus is God. Do you believe that?

Jesus gave an illustration from the written Scriptures in that day (Num. 21:4-9) to help Nicodemus understand. When the nation of Israel wandered in the wilderness, they complained about the manna God gave them to eat. The wandering they experienced, to begin with, was their own fault as they had not followed Him by faith. Are you wandering through life because you haven’t trusted Him? The manna, which the people said they “loathed,” pictured the Lord Jesus and the provision of life He gives through Himself (see Jn. 6:50). How dared they abhor it and, in type, the Son?

This attitude angered God then as it does today, and it demanded judgment. Serpents appeared, biting the complainers; and many people died. Through this the people still living recognized that they had sinned against the Lord ­ something that death still tells us now ­ and they asked Moses to pray for them. Instead of acting for yourself, are you trying to be saved from God’s judgment through the faith of a godly person you know?

As an intercessor, Moses prayed for them, but that was not sufficient to keep them from this judgment of death, nor is it today. The Lord told Moses, “Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live” (Num. 21:8). A person realizing death was coming had to, by faith, turn toward that pole and simply look at that serpent. That person would then live. It worked because God said it would. The fiery serpent on the pole, the Lord revealed to Nicodemus, was a picture of Himself: “He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21). Salvation through faith in the Lord Jesus works today too! Do you believe?

Whoever believes in the Lord Jesus will not perish. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved” (Jn. 3:16-17). Jesus continued by telling Nicodemus that a person who believes is not condemned; but the one who does not believe is condemned already. The Lord was the light that came into the world. Unbelievers hated that light for it revealed their evil, but believers came to the light. Don’t you think that Nicodemus was touched by what Jesus said?

Turning to John 7:44-52 we read of how the Pharisees sought to take Jesus. But the officers they sent to do so returned without Him, reporting that “never man spake like this man.” In the course of the ensuing discussion, Nicodemus said, “Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?” Do you want to hear what Jesus said and did?

The Son of Man was lifted up just as was the serpent Moses had made in the wilderness. As Nicodemus saw the Lord Jesus on the cross he must have remembered the first conversation they had had in secret. This Pharisee believed; have you?

Later, John 19:38-42 tells us how Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took care, at their own expense, of the body of their Savior. They placed it in a sepulchre and wrapped it in linen cloths with a large amount of myrrh and aloes. This was in keeping with the Jewish custom. But there is more to this story, for to touch a dead body, according to the law of Moses, was to become unclean and would keep them from celebrating the Jewish Passover, a most important feast, held then. In effect, these men who had followed the Lord secretly, now in a very public way, separated themselves from religion to be attached to the Lord Jesus Christ. They knew who He was and what He did. So, they believed and acted in faith to the honor of the Lord Jesus Christ ­ God Himself. When you look at yourself with this in mind, do you see anything like this in your life?

Sign Gifts

Part One
The Gift Of TONGUES And Its Use

By Albert Blok

There are many differing opinions about the importance and use of tongues. Some believe that if one does not speak in tongues, that person is not saved. Others consider speaking in tongues to be a gift that is still important today, but they do not say that it must be done to be a born again Christian. Then there are other people who believe that speaking in tongues was a gift of the past and that this gift is, generally speaking, not in function anymore.

But what do we learn about speaking in tongues as we see it in the Bible? To start, we need to understand the meaning of the word “tongue” as it is used in Scripture.

The Word’s Use
The word “tongue” is used in several ways. It is applied to the muscle that we have in our mouth, as we see in the story of Gideon: “Every one that laps of the water with his tongue, as a dog laps …” (Jud. 7:5 KJV).

“Tongue” is also used to indicate speech or talking, as in Exodus 4:10 when Moses said, “I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” Similarly, Esther stated, “But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue …” (Est. 7:4). James observed, as to our quickness in often talking unadvisedly, “The tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (Jas. 3:5-8).

A third manner in which “tongue” is used is in terms of a specific, known and identifiable language. One example is found in Ezra 4:7, which says, “The letter was written in the Syrian tongue, and interpreted in the Syrian tongue.” In Acts 2:7-11 the many foreigners “were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? … We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.” From these verses we see that the third explanation of “tongue” is the one that applies to our study.

Three Occurrences
There is no example of anyone speaking in tongues in the Old Testament. Furthermore, it is interesting to notice that we have no account or indication that John the Baptist, the great herald of the coming Messiah, ever spoke in tongues. Nor do we have a record of the Lord Jesus doing so. It was however something that would come later, and the Lord Jesus in His parting message told His disciples that there would be those who would speak with new tongues (Mk. 16:17).

The first mention and time that we have of speaking in tongues was at Pentecost in Acts 2:4-11, a passage we already referenced. The Holy Spirit had come down and had baptized all the believers into one Body, the Church. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues. What was the subject? It was the “wonderful works of God.” Although unknown to those who spoke them, the words were known to the listeners – the actual languages of every man in their own language.

The second time that tongues is mentioned is in Acts 10:44-46, and it is further explained in Acts 11:15. “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God” (10:44-46). The newly believing Gentiles spoke in tongues, which were understood by the Jews as they recognized that they were magnifying God.

The third encounter as to the use of tongues took place in Ephesus, as recorded in Acts 19:1-7: “It came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.”

In all three cases, when the people received the Holy Spirit they spoke in tongues. Each time there was a change or demonstration that God was working in a special way. In Acts 2 it was a new relationship: The Lord in heaven identifying Himself with a group of believers on earth, baptizing them together and thus forming the Church. At that time there were only Jewish believers.

The adding of Gentiles to the Church, and that equally in relationship with Christ, is noticed in Acts 10. They spoke in tongues just as the Jews had done on the first day, at Pentecost, showing that there was no longer any distinction between believing Jews and Gentiles. This may not be such an important difference to us now, but at that time it certainly was marked. Therefore we understand Peter’s explanation: “For as much then as God gave them the like gift [the Holy Spirit] as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?” (11:17).

In Acts 19, certain men of Ephesus were looking for Christ to come as the Messiah, having understood only this much from the preaching of John the Baptist. It was a Jewish position. But since the preaching of John the Baptist, the Lord had been rejected and had gone to heaven. When they understood this they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and received the Holy Spirit. This took them from an Old Testament position to a New Testament one. God wanted to show the change by having them speak in tongues. We need to understand that this was a situation that occurred at that time, but it cannot be repeated because the teaching of John the Baptist has been replaced.

The Fourth Occurrence
It is interesting to consider that speaking in tongues is spoken of only four times in the Scriptures. The fourth and last time is in 1 Corinthians 12-14, and the subject is about gifts as given to each one individually as the Holy Spirit willed and gave. The emphasis of the teaching in these chapters in relation to the gift of tongues is the correcting of the abusive, incorrect use of this gift in the assembly of Corinth.

As we read these three chapters in the context of the entire first letter to the Corinthians, we quickly see that they were very carnal, desiring to satisfy their flesh. That group of believers had many difficulties. There was gross immorality, infighting, selfishness and a spirit of division. Among these believers were those who had the gift of tongues, as given by the Holy Spirit as He willed. However, they were using this gift incorrectly. From this example we see that speaking in tongues was not a sign of spirituality, as many teach today. It was not proof of someone being saved or an indication of being filled with the Holy Spirit, for a believer who is filled with the Holy Spirit could not use a gift in an incorrect way.

Some believe speaking in tongues is a necessary proof of salvation, because of what took place in Acts 2 and 10. However, the people who spoke in tongues in Acts 2 had already believed in the Lord Jesus as their Savior. Instead, what happened at Pentecost was the beginning of the Church. Likewise, the Gentiles in Acts 10 spoke in tongues when the Holy Spirit fell upon those who heard the Word, showing that they were now received in the same manner as the Jews had been – this did not take place as a proof of their individual salvation. There are many other examples in Scripture of individuals who never spoke in tongues at their conversion, such as Saul of Tarsus, Lydia of Philippi and the jailer in Philippi and his family.

As A Sign Gift
It is important to notice that speaking in tongues is placed last in the list of gifts (1 Cor. 12:7-10,28). Rather than having the desire to speak in tongues, believers are admonished to seek the gift of prophesy (14:1-5).

As stated before, it is important to see that the gift of tongues is only used in New Testament Church times, not in the Old Testament. The sign gifts, of which tongues would be considered part, were for the confirmation of the message of the gospel: “If the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?” (Heb. 2:2-4).

Although signs were a demonstration and verification of the work of God in the preaching of the gospel, the gift of tongues was principally a sign and proof to the unbelieving Jews of the truthfulness of the new message that was being proclaimed: Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior by faith. We see this in 1 Corinthians 14:21-22: “In the law it is written, with men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear Me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not.” Paul, as directed by the Holy Spirit, said that tongues were a sign to the unbelievers – the ones under the law, the people of Israel. So the purpose of tongues was to show the unbelieving Jews that God was now working in a special way, different than before.

One may wonder why this would apply even in Corinth, but we know that Jews were scattered all over and Paul’s practice was that he would reach out to his own people with the message of the gospel in almost every place he went. This was the case in Corinth too, where “he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks” (Acts 18:4).

Concluding Thoughts
In the correct understanding of Scripture, there is a principle of “first mention.” This principle is that unless clearly indicated otherwise, the significance of the word is to be interpreted by its first use, which in this use of “tongues” means a specific, known and identifiable language. This is clearly understood in the passage of Acts 2 where various languages are named. In Acts 10 and 19 the hearers understood what was being said, so in all three cases it was an identifiable and understood language. There is no justification to think otherwise. Considering this, the practice by some to utter unintelligible sounds and noises with the pretext that they are speaking in tongues has absolutely no Biblical justification or support and thus must be dismissed as something that is artificial and false.

As we read through the book of Acts we see that the miracles and sign gifts diminished rapidly as time passed. Historically we read nothing about the use of tongues after Acts 19, only 27 years after Pentecost. There is no further mention of the use of tongues except for the corrective letter to the church in Corinth.

It is important to notice that Peter, James, John and Jude were all present at Pentecost and personally experienced what happened that day. All wrote letters, which we have in the New Testament, but none of them wrote about tongues in their letters even though they did speak about the Holy Spirit (collectively a total of 27 times).

Peter in 1 Peter 2:2 told us that we are to grow and be built up. How, by tongues? No, but by the pure milk of the Word.

Paul wrote 13 or 14 letters and in only one of these letters did he write about tongues. It was in one of his earliest letters – 1 Corinthians – and when he did it was in a corrective way.

The gift of tongues was used in praise or prayer (Acts 2, 10; 1 Corinthians 14:2,14), and for edification (v.26), but there are no occasions in Scripture to suggest its private use. It was for public use before unbelieving Jews with the application of perfect love, as put forward in 1 Corinthians 13, to verify the message of the gospel of grace by faith in the risen Lord Jesus Christ.

Look for the conclusion of this Series next month.

 

We do not find speaking in tongues in the Gospels, other than in the prophecy of the Lord Jesus in Mark 16:17. In verse 14 the Lord reproached the Eleven for their unbelief and hardness of heart. He then gave them the commission to preach the gospel to all the creation, indicating the consequences for the hearers and the signs that would follow those who believe (vv.15-17). The Eleven went forth and the Lord fulfilled His promise, confirming the word by the signs following it. Notice these points: Signs were only given as confirmation of the word, it does not say signs would follow all believers, and the promise in this passage was given only to the Eleven.

——H. L. Heijkoop (adapted)

 

Marriage, More Than A Piece Of Paper

“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” —Hebrews 13:4 NASB

By Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.

Marriage is the oldest of human institutions. It dates back to the garden of Eden, man’s first home, and was created expressly for man by God. Marriage was not man’s idea, but God’s. Contrary to what many people think, marriage was instituted by God for His glory and for man’s enjoyment and blessing. No piece of paper was involved in that beginning long ago; in fact, the first marriage was absolutely simple, consecrated by God Himself.

God shows us in His Word that human marriage, wonderful in itself, is a picture of something far more magnificent. God planned long before He created mankind, or even the earth on which we live, that human marriage was to picture the marriage of the Church to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This marriage will soon take place in heaven. Although the Church was a mystery hidden by God and thus nowhere mentioned in the Old Testament, some pictures foreshadowing this glorious marriage are already given us there.

When we look at Ephesians 5:22-33 and other passages in the New Testament we see what marriage means to God. Therefore, we can well understand that He promises to judge anyone who deliberately spoils or abuses this depiction of His glorious purpose which He has also lovingly designed for man’s pleasure and benefit. Both fornication and adultery are deliberate acts involving the will of two individuals. God differentiates these sins from rape – the forcible sexual violation of one person by another. God’s Word does not, however, recognize any “accidental” commission of these sins! By contrast, God makes a distinction between murder and manslaughter in His Word. He provided cities of refuge in Israel for those who accidentally, or unintentionally, killed someone else; while for murderers there was no such provision made. Seven times in Numbers 35, God commands that the murderer must be put to death.

The model God gives to us to exemplify His ideal of marriage, as we have already noted in Ephesians 5, is that of Christ and the Church: “Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her” (v.25 KJV). He is the Head of the Church and the Savior of the Body. He sanctifies, cleanses, nourishes and cherishes her – loves her as His own body. One day He will present her to Himself in glorious, splendid, spotless beauty. What a wonderful example He gives in this way to husbands, who themselves are exhorted to love their wives as Christ loved the Church. The Church in turn is subject to Christ and respects Him, a subjection and respect that are not forced on her but that comes from the depths of her heart. This is the example for wives who are to be subject to their own husbands in everything as to the Lord.

Marriage, in this way, is a relationship built to the utmost degree upon giving. It is not based on getting – but oh, how much each one gains by this wholehearted, unreserved giving. Christ gave Himself; He gave His life. In fact, He, God the Son, the Lord of Glory, stooped to become Man in order to be able to give His life. The Church is to be His eternal Consort,* whom God (looking back to the picture given us in Genesis 2) designed to be a help perfectly suited for her husband. Being made by God as a product of the Son’s death, she submits to Him with full respect in everything as a part of Him. Such is God’s ideal for marriage.

Only A Piece Of Paper?
Marriage is certainly more than a piece of paper! What is this expression, “a piece of paper,” all about? Sad to say, more and more people today are rejecting what God tells us about marriage. Many people in today’s world think there is nothing wrong with a man and a woman simply living together without being married. Some give reasons why they prefer this “free lifestyle” to the bonds taken on in a legal marriage. They ask why two people who love each other should have to go through the formality of getting legally married. Many feel that without the legal constraints of being married they are not tied down to only one person, or they are free to move on when they are no longer in love or it no longer suits them to live together. Just how is it that a piece of paper called a “marriage certificate” or a “marriage license” makes a marriage legitimate? “Isn’t love the main thing?” they ask. What connection does love have with a piece of paper?

The piece of paper itself is not the important thing, but what it stands for is absolutely vital. God has established marriage as a relationship whereby a man and a woman are united together before God and man, as husband and wife. In creation, God had made the woman out of the rib He had taken from the man, whom He had caused to fall into a deep sleep, and had brought her to Adam. Scripture then immediately says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (Gen. 2:24-25 NKJV). From this point on the woman is referred to either as “the woman,” “Adam’s wife,” or “Eve” after Adam gave her that name. She was not his “girlfriend,” “significant other,” “mistress,” “concubine,” “fiancée,” or “roommate.” No, she was his wife!

A wife in Scripture is a woman in a definite relationship to a particular man. This man has left father and mother; thus he is no longer under their authority. He has left them to be joined to his wife in a profound new relationship that is referred to by several expressions that involve both the sexual union and the intimacy that goes beyond physical union: “knowing her,” “becoming one flesh.” In fact, the expression used of being naked and not ashamed indicates the liberty of complete openness, without any reserve between husband and wife. In marriage, “yours” and “mine” fade into the background while “ours” shines out bright and clear.

We do not find any reference in Scripture to a wedding ceremony, but weddings in God’s Word are usually associated with feasts — sometimes, as in Samson’s case, lasting for several days. Thus, a wedding was a definite event, normally a joyful one, that marked a public change in the status of the two individuals involved. These two – always a man and a woman – thereby became husband and wife.

While custom in today’s world usually places the emphasis on the bride, this was not so in weddings recorded in the Bible. There the emphasis is normally on the bridegroom, for the bridegroom pictures Christ. In the account of the first wedding in the garden of Eden, God created the woman for the man to be his helpmate.

That first marriage was respected throughout the Bible. This was true even of wicked men beginning with Cain and his descendant Lamech in Genesis 4. Incidentally, this Lamech is the first polygamist mentioned in God’s Word. In time other perversions have also damaged the marriage relationship that God began in purity and simplicity. Godly men in Scripture, sad to say, also are often seen involved in polygamy although they honored the institution of marriage. Sexual intercourse outside of marriage is always viewed as sin in God’s Word. Sleeping around and prostitution are always wrong, for sex was not given to mankind as a toy with which to play.

Sex within marriage is not only for procreation, but it is pleasurable and is commended in Proverbs 5:15-20 to the young man who has just been warned against the immoral woman. Other passages show us that sex within marriage is a fantastic gift from God, giving the married couple the ability to express their love and appreciation for each other in a physical way. This gift of God gives pleasure even when misused. However, God calls such misuse “fornication,” or when married persons are involved, “adultery”; and He absolutely condemns both of these sins.

Marriage is definitely more than a piece of paper. Why insist on that piece of paper then? God has appointed authorities in this world for our good. Before He did so, when man had no government but simply had his conscience to guide him, his wickedness increased until God intervened with the judgment of the flood. The Book of Judges gives us examples of the dreadful things that happened in Israel when there was no king, and every man did what was right in his own eyes. In the increasingly lawless world we live in, immorality is blatantly out in the open and is being promoted and protected, even called “right.” Yet for the good of society, governments are still recognizing and, to a certain extent, protecting the institution of marriage. We Christians are told in Romans 13, 1 Peter 2 and elsewhere to obey the laws that governments make and to pay the fees they demand. A license to marry is one of these. A marriage ceremony is another. These “pieces of paper” are a part of what governments require as they function under God to protect and promote marriage. They help to keep man’s passions in check and under control. We Christians should pay the fees they demand and obey their requirements as they act within the framework of the authority God has committed to them. In doing so we are obeying God’s Word.

Yes, marriage is more than a piece of paper – much more! But that piece of paper the government requires is an integral part of marriage in our countries, for it makes a marriage legal and openly recognized as being the bond that binds a man and a woman together while on earth. Marriages may be made in heaven, but heaven tells us to submit to the authorities it has established for man’s good on earth. We do this in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ who has told us to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.

ENDNOTE
* A “consort” is a “spouse, especially of a reigning monarch,” according to Dictionary.com.

Marriage: It Is More Than A Piece Of Paper!

By David Anderson

God-designed Marriage Is A Permanent Husband-Wife Relationship
For all matters concerning the Christian faith and its practice, the first and foremost question is, “What did the Lord Jesus say and teach about the issue?” When the Pharisees aggressively questioned Him, albeit primarily for His views on divorce, He replied: “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” (Mt. 19:3-6 ESV). He said that they – and we – must consider marriage as God instituted it for mankind on the sixth day of creation. The Lord definitely meant from the very creation of Adam and Eve: “But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female’” (Mk. 10:6). He insisted that this relationship must not be altered in any way or by anyone.

The Lord was saying that our Maker provided family relationships for mankind, and He directed everyone to read about their beginnings (Gen. 1:26-31, 2:18-25, 3:20, 4:1-2). Genesis 1:26 states that God decided by divine council to make man in “Our image, after Our likeness.” Therefore mankind is unique among all of God’s creatures. This transcendental, or superior, nature of human beings manifests itself in many ways. But with respect to marriage, it is expressed in the union of one man and one woman to form the fundamental social unit of mankind: the family. Eve (woman) was designed to be Adam’s (the man’s) companion, a “helper fit for him.” She was to be his counterpart suitable to help him and to make his life complete. God designed woman to be like man, that is partaking of his nature, and formed Eve from part of Adam’s body. Her function was to help, comfort and benefit her husband – to be his soul mate. On the other hand, Adam was designed to love and to care for his wife.

From this initial intimate relationship, family relationships developed by the procreation of children. This was in order to progress human life and populate the earth. From Genesis 2:18-25 we learn that God provided these human relationships, and the love commensurate, or appropriate, with such relationships within the family unit, by the special creation of woman for man. The Lord God recognized that it was not good for Adam to be alone, so He blessed Adam by providing Eve. He saw what was necessary for Adam and said, “I will make him a helper fit for him” (v.18). Adam did not, and could not, find a helpmate for himself in the animal kingdom (vv.19-20). So the Lord God built – the literal translation of “made” in verse 22 – Eve from Adam’s side and presented her to him as his wife. Adam found in Eve his perfect counterpart, who was like himself (one of his kind). But she was also his complement, and one upon whom he could joyously display his love.

The final divine comment or command in the creation account about marriage was given by the Holy Spirit through Moses in Genesis 2:24: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Family life was to be maintained from generation to generation by means of the institution of marriage. Families therefore were designed and established by God at man’s creation. It is a fact of history that almost all peoples of all times have practiced family life based upon the permanent marital union of one man with one woman.

No details are given of how a man would find or get himself a wife or of how society would regulate the marriage institution. But Genesis 2:18-22 implies that God would provide each man with his own wife. We do learn from Genesis 1:27 that the intimate relationship of man and wife was based upon their distinctive sexualities of male and female. Thus “one flesh” is the sexual relationship that enabled Adam and Eve, then subsequently all of mankind, to obey the first divine command made to them: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” (v.28). Such emotional and physical (sexual) intercourse was good, proper, beneficial and healthy to both of them (2:25). However, it was not until after their fall into sin that Adam “knew” (the Hebrew idiom for sexual intercourse) Eve; and that they actually produced any children (3:20, 4:1-2).

It is obvious that the final part of Genesis 2:24, “hold fast [cleave] to his wife, and they shall become one flesh,” cannot mean that marriage is just a piece of paper! Nor can it mean anything other than one man married to one woman for the whole of their life. It cannot mean anything less or anything more. Nothing else can be substituted for it. A permanent monogamy is implicit in this verse.

Marriage Is A Promise Made Before, And With, God
Let’s consider two verses as we progress: “The wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant” (Mal. 2:14) and “The adulteress … who forsakes the companion of her youth and forgets the covenant of her God” (Prov. 2:17).

While it is true that marriage is more than a piece of paper, it is necessary to stress that it is a formal commitment by both spouses. Throughout Israel’s history, marriage was viewed as a formal contract. Malachi 2:14, which we just quoted, shows that this contract was made not only between the families of the bride and the bridegroom, but by each spouse before God. Each committed himself or herself to obey God’s original command in Genesis 2:24 and to remain faithful to his or her partner. They committed themselves to each other and to God “by covenant.” In civil law such formalities require witnesses and certification. But the reality is that all verbal commitments made during the marriage ceremony are oaths also heard and witnessed by God, and He regards each and every marriage as a covenant between Himself and the spouses. Nowadays, at least in the western world, there is a legal requirement for the couple to confirm the promises made to each other by their signatures to a marriage certificate. The law requires this record for good civil order and government, but the principal issue remains true: The commitment to each other by husband and wife is a solemn oath before God. Both Genesis 2:24 and Proverbs 2:17 indicate that God requires every married person to act in faithfulness to their word.

Marriage Portrays The Eternal Union Of Christ And His Church
Marriage is also more than a piece of paper because it pictures the reality of the eternal union of Christ and His Church. Ephesians 5:22-32 discloses this amazing and profound mystery, which has been made known to believers of this time period (3:1-6). In 5:31, Paul uses Genesis 2:24 as the proof text for his statements that the Church is the body of Christ (Eph. 5:29-30), and that a husband’s love for his wife must reflect that which Christ has for His Church (vv.25-30). The intimate marriage relationship of man and woman is designed to reflect the fact that Christ and His Church are one body (1:23). This reality will be seen in the future when He comes again to claim her as His bride and marries her in heaven. Currently, the Church is being prepared for that wonderful event (5:26-27).

The steps which the Lord took to get His bride and how He makes her suitable to marry Him are taught in Ephesians 5:25-27. “Christ loved the church” goes back to eternity past – we were “chosen in Him before the foundation of the world” (1:4). He was “the merchant man,” who sought and found the “one pearl of great price,” and who then sold all that he had to be able to buy it (Mt. 13:45-46). The cost was exceedingly great and beyond measure: “the church of God, which He obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). Yes, Christ so loved the Church that He willingly offered Himself in sacrifice to God for her (Eph. 5:2).

During this present age, the Church is being built by Christ Himself (Mt. 16:16-19). It is also a betrothal period in which He is actively purifying “her by the washing of water with the word [of God]” (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:26). When the building and cleansing works are complete, He will “present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (v.27). Soon, the Church will be raptured to be with Him forever (1 Th. 4:15-17). As her Bridegroom, He will take her to the wedding place, heaven itself (Rev. 19:1,9; Mt. 25:1-10).

After the wedding and the celebration of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7-9), the Church will reign alongside Him throughout His millennial kingdom (20:4-6). During His reign, she will be the heavenly administrative city (21:9-22:5). At the end of the kingdom (see 1 Cor. 15:24-28), the Church will go into eternity with her husband to be the object of His love forever (Rev. 21:1-6). The Church is to be Christ’s wife for a thousand years, but His bride for eternity!

God’s Care: Lessons From The Eagle

By Alfred Bouter

The eagle is a large bird of prey with a massive hooked bill and long broad wings, known for its keen sight and powerful soaring flight.1 It may have the status of “king” among birds, much like the lion on land. Eagles are powerful, having striking features that God has used to describe some of His actions in delivering His people Israel from Pharaoh’s bondage in Egypt. “You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself” (Ex. 19:4 ESV). He led them out of their servitude and brought them to absolute safety, resembling the eagle who builds its nests very high in the mountains to keep its young out of the reach of foes (Job 39:27). The LORD fed, guided and protected them, as Moses wrote, “Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them on its pinions, the LORD alone guided him” (Dt. 32:11-12).

However, Moses predicted that Israel would become disobedient, and God would discipline them by delivering them to a strange nation, which would act like an eagle swooping on its prey (Dt. 28:49; Job 9:26). God will act in a similar way with all nations because He controls everything, even though all are fully responsible and accountable to Him (please read carefully Acts 17:24-31). Moses compared God’s care of His people when leading them through the wilderness with a man who carries his son (Dt. 1:31). Paul summed up this protection and treatment by saying that God nourished them, implying the idea of a mother taking care of her baby (Acts 13:18). Others link this verb with a slightly different reading, that God “put up with them,” which would highlight their resistance during the wilderness journey (see Dt. 8). What a contrast with the Lord Jesus who always obeyed!

Nonetheless, God did take care of them – something that He does for us all, whether we see and appreciate it or not. David praised God for His care by saying that He “satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Ps. 103:5). From observation we know that the eagle parent at some point in the upbringing throws its young out of the nest to teach it to use its wings, and swoops underneath to catch and carry it back on high. Perhaps we may link this point with Isaiah 40:31: “ … shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary.” This verse describes how God re-energizes the believer who puts his trust in Him, even in old age (Ps. 92:12-14).

Ezekiel described very remarkable visions in which he saw amazing creatures, each with the faces of an eagle, a man, lion and ox (Ezek. 1:10) or an angelic being called a “cherub” (10:14). These details are associated with God’s unfathomable greatness, acting in judgment according to His wisdom and power (Ezek. 1:10, 10:14; see Jer. 4:13, 48:40). Revelation describes these created beings, calling them “living beings,” as being intimately linked with God’s supreme power, wisdom and control (Rev. 4:6-9, see Jer. 49:16,22; Lam. 4:19).2 For sure, all these things are “too wonderful” (Prov. 30:18), or beyond our grasp. Nevertheless, they describe God’s wisdom, control, power and loving care of His creation, as displayed in His providence and righteous judgment. These details have been written and communicated to us that we may bring honor and glory to God, now and forever.

Let us worship Him who was manifested, or seen, in the flesh, and for whom the wise men came all the way from Babylon to Jerusalem. “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up in glory” (1 Tim. 3:16 NKJV).

ENDNOTES
1. Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 11th edition.
2. Mentioned 20 times in Revelation (4:6-9, 5:6,8,11,14, 6:1,3,5-7, 7:11, 14:3, 15:7, 19:4).

Stretched Beliefs

By Paul Alberts

How often do we hear comments that fail to take into account the true value of something? There are many things in this world about which people battle for what they think is right, even though their expressed views are often based on nothing more than selfish pride or opinion. By contrast, those who base their position on an accurate interpretation of Scripture have a firm foundation for their convictions. The Lord Jesus is “the truth” (Jn. 14:6 NKJV) – there is no other. We should ask ourselves individually, “Are the principles I hold right before Him?”

Like a piece of clothing that has been stretched out, over time we can too easily lose the biblical accuracy in our beliefs. This may happen by going beyond what the Bible says about a matter, or we might compromise regarding scriptural instruction and fall short of what is right. Changes either way need to be corrected, for the consequences can be quite significant. Good or bad, our positions on matters will affect others. More importantly, will our Lord be honored and glorified by the views we hold and express that are outside of the teaching found in the Word of God? Of course not.

But how can we be confident of the accuracy of a view we hold? First, we must read, study and meditate on His Word. This is not a once in a lifetime activity, but a daily privilege to spend time in the Lord’s presence, learning as Mary did at His feet (Lk. 10:39; Acts 17:11). Second, prayer must accompany our desire to learn from Him (Mk. 10:10). Third, we need to realize that the Holy Spirit will teach us truth (Jn. 14:26) free of error – something that is not true of even the best Bible schools. Fourth, it is not possible to be seeking our own way at the same time as we are trying to learn what is right before God (Lk. 10:29). Finally, sin and its associated partners will prevent us, by grieving the Holy Spirit, from seeing the truth of Scripture (Eph. 4:30-31); they must be confessed (1 Jn. 1:9).

As the Word of God is presented in the articles this month, let us be ready to receive what He would open to us for our blessing and that of those near and dear to us – all to His glory.

Magazine February 2018

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Emphasis: Stretched Beliefs -Paul Alberts
Worship: God’s Care: Lessons From The Eagle -Alfred Bouter
Feature: Marriage, It Is More Than A Piece Of Paper! -David Anderson
Feature: Marriage, Just A Piece Of Paper? -Emmanuel V. John
Feature: Marriage, More Than A Piece Of Paper -Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.
Issues: Races, Racial Prejudice And God’s Plan In All This -Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.
Series: Sign Gifts -Albert Blok
Discover: Discover Questions -Alan Groth
Uplook: A Few Challenges From The Story Of Nicodemus -Curt Darling
Serving: Thoughts As To Shepherding
Overview: 1 Corinthians -Leslie M. Grant
YouAsked: Do people become angels when they die? -Eugene P. Vedder, Jr.
Response: Responses
GoodNews: The Virus Of All Viruses -Jefferson Alleyne
Full Magazine PDF: Magazine PDF