From Gary... Bible Reading September 16

Bible Reading  

September 16

The World English Bible

Sept. 16
Psalms 74-76

Psa 74:6 Now they break all its carved work down with hatchet and hammers.
Psa 74:15 You opened up spring and stream. You dried up mighty rivers.
Psa 75:1 We give thanks to you, God. We give thanks, for your Name is near. Men tell about your wondrous works.
Psa 75:2 When I choose the appointed time, I will judge blamelessly.
Psa 76:2 His tabernacle is also in Salem; His dwelling place in Zion.
Psa 76:3 There he broke the flaming arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah.
Psa 76:4 Glorious are you, and excellent, more than mountains of game.
Psa 76:11 Make vows to Yahweh your God, and fulfill them! Let all of his neighbors bring presents to him who is to be feared.

Sept. 16
1 Corinthians 12

1Co 12:2 You know that when you were heathen, you were led away to those mute idols, however you might be led.
1Co 12:4 Now there are various kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit.
1Co 12:5 There are various kinds of service, and the same Lord.
1Co 12:19 If they were all one member, where would the body be?
1Co 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.



1. It seems very clear that while Paul had problems with some non-Christian Jews [see Acts 13:45-46, 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 and elsewhere] he was not addressing them when he wrote his scathing letter to the Galatians.

2. The people he was so angry with were Christian Jews; that is, Jews who had received Jesus as the Messiah and committed themselves to him.

3. The proof of that is that they were offering “a gospel” to Galatians who were already in Jesus Christ [Galatians 3:1-5]. In addition, Paul becomes specific in 2:4-14 and levels an accusation against his fellow Christian Jews [including Peter and Barnabas].

4. So what exactly was Paul enraged about? It’s clear that Paul was called by God to a mission peculiarly [not exclusively] to Gentiles as surely as Peter [and others] were commissioned with the gospel to the Jews [Galatians 2.7-8]. What troubled Paul was that some Christian Jews came into the region where he had established churches among the Gentiles and they were demanding that these Gentiles live as Jews. That is, to be Torah observant [including being circumcised] if they were to be saved and blessed in Jesus [Galatians 2:14b, 5:11-5 and compare Acts 15:1].

5. And what was wrong with that? It’s usual for us to say that these Christian Jews were teaching salvation by keeping “the moral law” rather than requiring membership in the Jewish community. It’s usual to hear that they were teaching salvation by personal virtue and merit but neither of those proposals is what Paul talks about. Read again the entire second chapter and see that it is about binding on Gentiles the Torah, the Jewish law with the food laws, circumcision and all that goes with it [compare also 4:17, 21-31 and 5:1-2].

6. Yes, we’re told, but since the Mosaic Law required sinlessness then to bring Gentiles under the Mosaic Law was in effect laying on them the demand for sinlessness. [See 3:10-12 which is used to support this claim that the Mosaic Law demanded sinlessness. Click here for a related piece.]

7. But did these Christian Jews believe they were sinless? Did they believe they were required to be sinless? Did they not believe that they were sinners and aren’t the psalms filled with people who confessed sin and asked for forgiveness and thanked God for graciously granting it? The notion that the OT demanded sinlessness is false. Note Acts 15:11 and note again that Peter was indicted in Galatians 2.

8. So when the Jewish Christians who were disturbing the churches Paul had established independent of Jewish law observance demanded that Gentile Christians become Jews they were not asking the Gentiles to earn their salvation by good works; they were not trying to bring Gentiles under a law that demanded sinlessness. That wasn’t what enraged Paul.

9. Let me repeat, the Jews that Paul is angry with in Galatians are Christian Jews who believed in forgiveness of sins in Jesus. The problem was that they believed that everyone had to be a Torah-observant Jew or turn to Judaism in order to get forgiveness and blessing in the Messiah [see again Acts 15.1].

10. This implied that all that God had been doing through Paul [and others] among the Gentiles had not brought salvation or blessing. Paul’s divine commission to the Gentiles [see again Galatians 2:7-8] was being undermined and the Gentile saving relationship to Jesus was denied. In effect, God had not and was not saving these people by the gospel Paul proclaimed. The “true” gospel, these people claimed, was not Paul’s—it was the gospel with an exclusively Jewish twist; a gospel Paul said was no gospel at all [Galatians 1:6-9].

11. There was no necessity for Jews to cease being Jews to find forgiveness and life in Jesus [see Romans 10:9-10, Acts 21:18-26 and 1 Corinthians 9:20 but note Galatians 2:14].Nevertheless there was something fundamentally wrong about Jews demanding that Gentiles become Jew in order to find life in the Messiah.



The Consequences of Divorce and Remarriage by Dave Miller, Ph.D.


The Consequences of Divorce and Remarriage

by  Dave Miller, Ph.D.



From Mark Copeland... The Testimony Of John The Baptist (John 1:19-34)

                          "THE GOSPEL OF JOHN"

              The Testimony Of John The Baptist (1:19-34)


1. In the prologue to John's gospel, we were introduced to John the
   a. A man sent from God - Jn 1:6
   b. Who came to bear witness of the Light - Jn 1:7-8
   c. Who bore witness to the preeminence and preexistence of the Light
      - Jn 1:15

2. As John begins the narrative portion of his gospel, he starts with
   John the Baptist...
   a. His testimony to priests and Levites from the Pharisees in
      Jerusalem - Jn 1:19-28
   b. His testimony the next day when he saw Jesus - Jn 1:29-34

[What did John the Baptist testify concerning Jesus?  What lessons might
we glean from his testimony?  We note first of all that John the Baptist


      1. He confessed he was not the Christ - Jn 1:19-20
         a. Many people wondered if he were the Christ - cf. Lk 3:15
         b. John clearly asserts that he was not the Christ
      2. He was not literally Elijah as foretold by Malachi - Jn 1:21a
         a. Some thought Elijah would return in person, which John
            denies - cf. Mal 4:5
         b. John did fulfill the prophecy, which was figurative
            1) As foretold by the angel Gabriel - cf. Lk 1:l7
            2) As testified by Jesus - cf. Mt 11:11-15; Mt 17:10-13
      3. He was not the Prophet foretold by Moses - Jn 1:21b
         a. Moses foretold a Prophet like him would come - cf. Deut 18:
         b. Many people were anticipating the arrival of this Prophet 
            - cf. Jn 6:14; 7:40
         c. This Prophet was indeed Jesus, not John - cf. Ac 3:22-26
      4. He was the one foretold by Isaiah - Jn 1:22-23
         a. The voice of one crying in the wilderness - cf. Isa 40:1-3
         b. Sent to prepare the way of the Lord - cf. Lk 1:16-17;

      1. John's example is a powerful one for all Christians, especially
      2. As followers of Christ, our task is similar to his role as
         a. To deflect attention away from ourselves, and point people
            to Christ!
         b. Let us never forget, no matter how honored we may be, we are
            not the Christ!

[As John continues with his testimony, he proclaims concerning Jesus...]


      1. Given in response to those from the Pharisees - Jn 1:24-25,28
         a. Why did he baptize, if not Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet?
         b. For he had been baptizing in Bethabara (or Bethany) beyond
            the Jordan
      2. The One coming after him is preferred before him - Jn 1:26-27
         a. Even One who was in their midst as he spoke!
         b. Whose sandal strap not even John was not worthy to loose!
      3. The reason Jesus was preferred before him?
         a. "For He was before me" (i.e., because of His preexistence) 
            - cf. Jn 1:15,30
         b. "Who is mightier than I" (i.e., because of His power) - cf.
            Mk 1:7
      4. John would later reaffirm Jesus' preference over himself
         a. "He must increase, but I must decrease" - Jn 3:30
         b. He is "above all" - Jn 3:31

      1. We should not hesitate to exalt Jesus over self - cf. Lk 9:
         a. He is preferred before us
         b. While we may be the body of Christ, He is the head! - cf. Ep 1:22-23
      2. Jesus deserves our humble service and adoration
         a. Because of His power - cf. Col 1:16
         b. Because of His preexistence - cf. Col 1:17
         c. Because of His headship over the body, the church - cf. Co 1:18

[On the next day, John the Baptist had another opportunity to testify
concerning Jesus, in which he declared...]


      1. Declaring Jesus as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of
         the world!" - Jn 1:29
         a. As foretold by Isaiah - cf. Isa 53:4-7,10-12
         b. As later proclaimed by the apostles - cf. 1Co 15:3; 1 Pe 2:24; 1Jn 2:2
      2. Identifying Jesus as the "Man who is preferred before me" - Jn 1:30
         a. Because He was before John (i.e., His preexistence)
         b. Even more so now as the Savior of the world!

      1. We should never forget the basis of our salvation!
         a. We are not saved on the basis of our good deeds - cf. Tit 3:5
         b. We are saved by the blood of the Lamb! - cf. Re 1:5; 5:9; Ro 5:1
      2. We should ever point the world to Jesus!
         a. He is their only hope for forgiveness of sins! - cf. 1Ti 2:
         b. We should proclaim Jesus Christ and Him crucified! - cf.
            1Co 2:2

[If Jesus is truly "preferred before" us, we will never hesitate to
offer Him as the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.  Finally, we
note John's testimony concerning Jesus that...]


      1. "I did not know Him" - Jn 1:31,33
         a. Though related, Jesus lived in Nazareth, John in the Judean
         b. Even if there had been a casual acquaintance, John did not
            know Jesus as the Messiah
         c. Yet John came baptizing with water
            1) That the Christ might be revealed to Israel
            2) For upon whom the Spirit would descend, would be the One
               who baptizes with the Holy Spirit - cf. Mt 3:11
      2. "I saw the Spirit descending...and He remained upon Him" - Jn 1:32
         a. Just as John was told to anticipate - Jn 1:33
         b. Which occurred when Jesus was baptized by John - cf. Mt 3:16
      3. "I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God." - Jn 1:34
         a. John saw the Spirit descend upon Jesus like a dove - cf. Mt 3:16
         b. John testified to the same truth as spoken from above: "This
            is My beloved Son" - cf. Mt 3:17

      1. We must be willing to confess Jesus as did John - cf. Mt 10:
      2. We must confess Him to be the Son of God
         a. As did Nathanael - cf. Jn 1:49
         b. As did Peter - cf. Jn 6:68-69
         c. As did Martha - cf. Jn 11:27
      3. We must believe Jesus to be the Son of God in order to be saved
         a. As John declares in his gospel - Jn 20:31
         b. As the Ethiopian eunuch confessed in order to be baptized 
            - cf. Ac 8:37


1. Jesus would later describe the testimony of John...
   a. He bore witness to the truth - Jn 5:33
   b. He was the burning and shining light - Jn 5:35
   c. In which some were willing to rejoice - Jn 5:35

2. Are we willing to rejoice in the testimony of John...?
   a. Knowing that John was not the Christ?
   b. Understanding that Jesus is preferred above John and all others?
   c. Accepting Jesus to be the true Lamb of God who takes away the sin
      of the world?
   d. Willing to confess along with John that Jesus is the Son of God?

If we are willing to accept the testimony of John the Baptist and obey
the Son of God, eternal life can be ours! - cf.. Jn 3:36; He 5:9; Mk

Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011

From Gary... Heliocentric Vortex Theology


For Harry...

When I was a boy in grade school, I was taught that the planets revolve around the sun- and so they do.  However, as the second of the two pictures above points out, the Sun is also moving and so the concept of a Vortex is quite valid and technically, I suppose, more accurate than the old Heliocentric model.  However, even though I find the Vortex concept to be a better understanding, I take issue with the concept of the Sun being like a comet.  Sol does not exist by itself in the universe, but rather is part of a grander scheme of galaxies, local groups of galaxies, etc..  What is really important here is our thinking.  Are we so "old school" that we cannot conceive of previously learned concepts in new ways (even if we have more than a few years under our belt)?...  

Now, it is a good thing to rethink the things previously taught us, but, what about the practical lessons of life?  You know, the day to day stuff- how we live, how we think and what do we actually do because of these two things.  I probably shouldn't have, but nevertheless, I chose the title for today's post "Heliocentric Vortex Theology". Why? Because these words describe my thinking about the practical application of that subtle change in thinking from the Heliocentric to the vortex in regards to thinking about God and then applying that to our ordinary life.  Lets begin with to seemingly unrelated passages from the Scriptures...

Matthew 5:1-16 NASB
(2)  He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
2 Peter 1:1-8 NASB
(7)  and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
Jesus and Peter; two very different individuals!!!  First, the passage from Jesus' "Sermon on the mount".  Please notice the progression within the "Beatitudes". First his "Blessed" statements concern themselves with our thinking about ourselves and progress to our relationship with God, to others and finally the results of those things. So, the one who follows Jesus would change the focus of their life (one dimensional - everything is about me) to a more inclusive perspective (What would God [and of course, Jesus] wish me to do for him?). Secondly, Peter's writing. Notice, that everything pertaining to life and godliness is though the true knowledge of HIM who called us.  That would be God and his prophet, priest and king- Jesus.  Specifically, though his words- and that would include the "Beatitudes". Applying them would have been something Peter would have called discipleship.

The point of this entire post is that of change.  Change from thinking as the world does, with its emphasis on self-gratification to discipleship of the God of Heaven. If we are willing to do this, then our lives will be enriched, empowered and molded by Jesus. Also, the words of growth penned by Peter will transform our brief existence into something wonderful. It is like our view of the Solar System changing from a Heliocentric to a Vortex concept, but applied to the Almighty. And that is life-changing!!!! You could almost call it a theology- Wait, I did that!!!