In What Sense Does Satan Have The Power Of Death In Hebrews 2:14?

Heb 2:14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,


Satan had the power of death in the sense that he authored sin and became its promoter. Sin brings with it death. He went to the garden of Eden and brought death to man by his lies.

Joh 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.

He also has the power of death by justly demanding it from God against sinners. He accuses sinners of their sins before God and demands that they be punished with death.

But Satan is overcome, loses its power to demand death against redeemed sinners, by the blood of the Lamb. Through the death and the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, Satan's demands are justly met. The Lord Jesus says: "I already paid for them."

Re 12:9 So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

10 Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

11 "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

What's The Difference Between Being A Son Of God And A Child Of God?

We become sons of God by adoption. We become children of God by the new birth.

Being a son of God speaks of one's position in the family of God. Thus, even a female Christian can be called a son of God since this is a term which refers to one's spiritual position in the family. As a son of God, we have privileges and responsibilities to do. Being a child of God refers to our relationship with Him in the family.

Both happen at the same time, at the moment of faith. The very moment a sinner places his trust in Christ for salvation, he becomes, both, a son of God and a child of God.

Was Paul Wrong In Using Sperma In A Singular Sense In Galatians 3:16?

Ga 3:16 Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, "And to seeds," as of many, but as of one, "And to your Seed," who is Christ.

Critics attack the apostle Paul by saying that Paul was a terrible exegete here in Galatians 3:16 by using a collective word "sperma" or seed to refer only to a single person, in this instance, the Lord Jesus Christ. They say that "sperma" is a collective word much like the words "dozen" and "family."

Reply:

First of all, it is not true that the word "sperma" is a collective word all the time in the way it is used in the Scriptures. There are instances in which the word is used to refer to a single person.

Ge 3:15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel."

Here the woman's seed (sperma in the LXX) refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. It does not refer to a collective group.

Ge 4:25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, "For God has appointed another seed (sperma in the LXX) for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed."

Here the word "seed" refers to Seth. It does not refer to a collective group.

Ge 21:12 But God said to Abraham, "Do not let it be displeasing in your sight because of the lad or because of your bondwoman. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice; for in Isaac your seed (sperma in the LXX) shall be called.

Ge 21:13 "Yet I will also make a nation of the son of the bondwoman, because he is your seed (sperma in the LXX)."

Question: "Which passage in Genesis was Paul alluding to in Galatians 3:16?

I believe Paul was alluding to Genesis 22:17-18:

Ge 22:17 that I will bless you greatly, and I will multiply your seed greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore. Your seed will possess the gate of his enemies.

18 In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."

The word "seed" is cited three times here in these verses. The first use of the word "seed" obviously is collective. It refers to Abraham's descendants, the Israelites: "I will multiply your seed greatly like the stars of the heavens, and like the sand which is on the seashore."

But the second and third uses of the word "seed" is singular. It is Messianic in nature. Notice: "Your seed will possess the gate of HIS enemies. In your seed will all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice."

It ties in perfectly with another Messianic verse in Psalm 72:17:

Ps 72:17 His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; All nations shall call Him blessed.

Paul in Galatians 3:16 was only alluding to Genesis 22:17-18. Hence, the words in the former does not perfectly match with that of the latter.

Explain John 14:21

Joh 14:21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."

God has a wide circle of love for the whole world, so much so that He gave His Son for it (see John 3:16).

However, there is an inner circle of God's love which only those who trusts in the Savior experience.

Yet there is still a deeper and inner circle of His love which only those who obey the Lord's commands, among those who trusted in Him, especially experience. And it is to this circle of saved people whom the Lord will manifest Himself. They will experientially know more of Him in a special way.

Did Rachel Bow Down To Joseph? Was The Prophecy In Genesis 37:10 Fulfilled?

Ge 37:10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?"

Joseph had a dream. In the dream, it is seen that his entire family is bowing down before him. Yes, his father, mother and his brothers.

Question: "How was the prophecy fulfilled? When Joseph became the governor of Egypt, his mother, Rachel, was already long dead?"

The prophecy is yet to be fulfilled. In the 1000-year reign of Christ, He will have kings and lords under Him, with Him as King of kings and Lord of lords. And Joseph will be one of them.

And during that time, Rachel, Jacob and Joseph's brothers will be raised from the dead and they will bow down to him as the prophecy said. It was already partially fulfilled (see Genesis 43:26, 28) but its full fulfillment will be at the reign of Christ when He comes again.

The Lord will reward faithful service with authority over others in the future:

Lu 19:17 "And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.'
18 "And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.'
19 "Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'

Is The Desire To Obtain Rewards In Serving God Selfish?

The Bible teaches that saved people (those who have repented and trusted in the Savior for salvation) are promised rewards.

A side note: Salvation is not a reward given by God because salvation is a gift. However, after a sinner has been saved, his faithful service to God will be given rewards.

Question: Is it selfish and therefore sinful to aim for rewards in serving God?

Answer: God is the one who promised rewards to Christians who faithful serve Him. Therefore, aspiring for a reward in itself is not necessarily sinful.

The motivation of true Christian service is not primarily and solely to obtain a reward, although it is one of them. He serves God because he loves him. Love is his first and foremost motivation. Aiming for a reward is his secondary motivation.

He aims for a reward because through his rewards he aims to glorify God even more.

If God Is Omniscient Then What About Genesis 18:20-21?

Ge 18:20 And the LORD said, "Because the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grave,

21 "I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry against it that has come to Me; and if not, I will know."

If God is omniscient then why do we read of God here going down to investigate Sodom and Gomorrah to find out if the outcry made against them were true?

God here is acting as a human judge. Though through His omniscience He already knows the matter of things, He goes down personally to Sodom and Gomorrah to demonstrate to Abraham that He is a judge who does not unleash His judgment without just basis of doing so without accurate knowledge of the matter. He is a just and fair judge.

Is Faith A Blind Leap In The Dark?

Some say that faith is a blind leap in the dark. You don't know what you are leaping into and yet you still take the plunge. This is not Biblical faith at all.

Faith is looking into the clear light of God's Word (His promises, guarantees and assurances) and then walking accordingly. Faith is seeing the evidence (God's Word) and then acting accordingly.

How Do I Seek The Kingdom Of God?

Mt 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

The Lord Jesus instructed His disciples here to seek first the kingdom of God. Question is---how do we do it? How do we seek the kingdom of God?

During this time, the Lord Jesus came to Israel to present the promised kingdom of God to the nation. He stood there, the king of the kingdom, and called upon them to come to Him.

The kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven is for people who have the right heart condition:

Mt 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Mt 5:10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 Mt 5:19 "Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Mt 5:20 "For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

 Mt 7:21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven

To seek the kingdom of God then is to try to obtain it by fulfilling the conditions set forth in the Sermon on the Mount. Anyone who does it is seeking the kingdom of God. He wants to be a part of the kingdom of God and so he obeys the conditions set forth by the Lord in His sermon here in Matthew 5 to 7.

It is organizing one's life according to the values and principles of the coming kingdom.

Did Samson Commit Suicide?

Jg 16:29 And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left.

30 Then Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines!" And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life.

Samson's death was not a suicide. It was the death of a martyr. He was Israel's one-man army at that time. A soldier goes to battle knowing full well that he may not return home alive. If he dies, it's not suicide but the death of a martyr; it's a death of a soldier who dies in battle.

His death was a sacrifice, not a suicide. 

Who Is The Woman Clothed With The Sun In Revelation 12:1? Is She Mary?

Re 12:1 Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars.
Re 12:2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.

Re 12:5 She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne.

The woman here is a symbol for the nation Israel. See for yourself.
Israel came from the family of Jacob. Notice below that the family members are symbolized as the sun, the moon and the stars:

Ge 37:5 Now Joseph had a dream, and he told it to his brothers; and they hated him even more.
6 So he said to them, "Please hear this dream which I have dreamed:
7 "There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf."
8 And his brothers said to him, "Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?" So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words.
9 Then he dreamed still another dream and told it to his brothers, and said, "Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me."
10 So he told it to his father and his brothers; and his father rebuked him and said to him, "What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall your mother and I and your brothers indeed come to bow down to the earth before you?"

Question: "If this refers to Israel, in what way did Israel give birth to the male Child, which refers to the Lord Jesus Christ?"

In this way---Israel is the mother land of the Lord Jesus Christ, so to speak.

 Mic 5:2 "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting."

In Hebrew, the words "come forth" carry the meaning of giving birth. Israel, specifically, Bethlehem gave birth to the Ruler of Israel.

What Does Sovereign Mean?

The meaning of the word is found in the very word itself. Take a look: sOVEREIGN.

We see two words here: "Over" and "Reign." Sovereign means to reign over. God is sovereign. He reigns over all.

What Does "Inspiration" Mean When We Refer To The Bible?

2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

Inspiration here simply means God-breathe. God breathed the Scriptures. Theologically, here's how it is---It is God breathing His revelation into the minds of the writers. The writers, then, in turn, inhale God's revelation and then exhales it, so to speak, through their writings, using their own unique personalities.

Strictly speaking, inspiration is limited to the Scriptures. It is the Scriptures that are inspired. We often hear of people saying: "The apostle so and so was inspired."

No, to be accurate, it is the Scriptures that are inspired. The apostles who wrote Scriptures were "moved" by the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures are inspired. Its writers were moved.

2Pe 1:20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,
21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Marriage First Then Make A Living Later Or Make A Living First Then Marriage Afterwards?

Regarding this question, under normal conditions, God's answer would be this:

Pr 24:27 Prepare your outside work, Make it fit for yourself in the field; And afterward build your house.

A relevant principle can be gleaned from this passage. First, one must first prepare his livelihood then when that is done, he is to build his house for marriage.

So the answer would be---make a living first then go get married.

Why Is The Word Of God Sharper Than Any Two-Edged Sword?

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

A two-edged sword can penetrate deeper than an ordinary single-edged sword simply because it is sharp on both edges. But the word of God is even sharper than any two-edged sword.

Why? It is because of this---a two-edged sword can only penetrate the physical aspect of man. But the word of God goes even deeper. It can penetrate and pierce through the soul and spirit of man and can go deep into the thoughts and intents of his heart.

No physical two-edged sword can do this. Only the word of God can.

Is It True That The Voice Of The People Is The Voice Of God?

The answer is "Absolutely No!"

The voice of the people is not necessarily the voice of God. Vox Populi is not necessarily Vox Dei. The masses can go wrong, you know:

Ex 23:2 "You shall not follow a crowd to do evil...

Ps 2:1 Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing?

2 The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed,

Nu 14:11 Then the LORD said to Moses: "How long will these people reject Me?..

Mt 7:13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are MANY who go in by it.

14 "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

During Noah's time, only eight got it right! Only eight were saved through the ark. The rest were wrong in thinking that there would be no Flood to judge the world.

During Christ's time, Israel as a nation rejected Him, only a minority did believe in the Lord Jesus initially.

Do You Have To Accept Jesus As Lord In Order To Be Saved (Lordship Salvation)?

First of all, we cannot separate the Lordship of Christ from His being being the Savior for the one who died on the cross was the LORD Jesus Christ.

When we receive Him as Savior, we receive the entirety of His person, both His being Lord and His being the Savior.  Every saved sinner will manifest the Lordship of Christ in his life somewhere, sometime and somehow, as God progressively sanctifies him.

The Christian progressively bowing and submitting to the Lordship of Christ is the field of sanctification.

The message that must be accepted and believed in order to be justified is the message that Paul preached to the Corinthians when he came and preached in Corinth:

1Co 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand,

2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you--unless you believed in vain.

1Co 15:3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

In order to be saved from the penalty of sin, Paul did not require the Corinthians to submit to the Lordship of Christ. No, he simply preached to them the good news that Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead.

However, when they did believe in the message, Paul's emphasis turned to encouraging the Christians to submit to the Lordship of Christ.

It is at the moment of receiving the word of salvation, the Gospel, that we become followers of the Lord. A saved sinner is a disciple. He has a new nature. He has the indwelling Holy Spirit. He has the mind of Christ.

1Th 1:6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word...

Why Do We Have Different Skin Colors If We Came From Adam And Eve?

We all came from Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve probably were medium-colored human beings.  God built in their respective genes the different skin colors that humanity has now. Actually, we all have the same skin color, we only vary in the amount of the color we have.

Let AaBb stand for a person with medium skin tone. Let the capitals A and B stand for a black skin. Let a and b stand for light skin. Adam and Eve both had AaBb skin color. Adam ---AaBb. Eve---AaBb. 

Based on the available genes they have, they could potentially bear children with different skin colors. 

They could bear a son who has AABB skin color. This son would be very dark in color. Or they could bear a daughter with aabb skin color. She would be very light in skin color. Or they could have a child with BaAb skin color. 

A human being with AaBb gene in him married to another person with the same genetic makeup could bear children with different skin colors over the long haul.

Explain 1 Timothy 3:15 "The Church...the pillar and ground of the truth?"

1Ti 3:15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

The Church is the pillar and ground of the truth in this sense---the Church is the upholder and proclaimer of the truth of the Gospel and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As the ground and a pillar support and uphold something, so does the Church uphold the truth of the Gospel and the Lord Jesus Christ.

As a pillar was used during Paul's time to post and advertise notices for the public to see, so the Church proclaims the truth of the Gospel and the Lord Jesus Christ.

What Is God's Ideal Form Of Government?

God's ideal form of government is an absolute monarchy under a perfectly righteous, just, holy and benevolent Man. Only the Lord Jesus qualifies. And God has determined to set this kind of government during the millennium.

In the meantime, before that time comes, we are to submit to every governing authority that God has established in our land. God has allowed the imperfect rule of imperfect men from generation to generation to show that man's only hope for a perfect government is a theocracy under Him in the person of the Lord Jesus.

Every ruler that will come into the scene will surely disappoint eventually, one way or another.

But for now, democracy is better than communism. It is better than anarchy. A bad government is better than no government at all.

In Democracy, we are free to practice Christianity and we are allowed to voice out our grievances to our government, peacefully and respectfully of course. But the best form of government is the government of the absolute monarchical rule of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And it will come eventually as prophesied.

What's The Meaning Of The Term "Election Of Grace" In Romans 11:5?

Ro 11:5 Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

"Election of grace" here is in contrast to election of works. God does not elect according to the works of the law but according to grace. Now, grace and faith go together.

Ro 4:16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace...

God elects not according to what a sinner earned and deserved. No, God elects a sinner who trusts in Christ as an undeserved favor. This expression is not about Calvinism's arbitrary election of some sinners to salvation at all.

The Purpose Of God's Election Of Israel

God chose Israel for three purposes:

a) That Israel might be the repository of God's truth here on earth
b) That Israel might be the channel of the coming Savior to the world
c) That Israel might be a witness of God's character and supremacy in the eyes of the world

Israel has fulfilled the first two but has sadly failed in the third. Instead of bearing witness to God, she fell into idolatry, became like the nations around her and rejected her Messiah when He came.

Now, she is under the chastening hand of the Lord. But in the future, she will repent and turn to God in Christ and will bear witness to Him in the eyes of the world during the millennium. And the world will turn to the Savior through her witness.

How Do I Know My Spiritual Gift?

Every single Christian has at least one spiritual ability given by God at his or her conversion. But how do we know our spiritual gift or gifts?

One of the ways to find out is do some try outs and listen to what other Christians say about you. Just like in basketball, coaches often have try outs in which aspiring varsity players play in and allow themselves to be evaluated by the coach.

As they play, they display their different sets of basketball skills. One may be good at dribbling and shooting. Another maybe good at rebounding. Still another maybe good at defense. And all these are observed by the coach and noted.

Principle number 1---do some try outs. Participate in church activities which require spiritual gifts to do and be effective in.

Principle number 2---listen to the evaluation of others. We are often biased about our spiritual gifts. One may think that he has the gift of teaching even though many other Christians say differently.

Listen to the comments of Christians. They may say: "Hey, you are good in teaching. I learned a lot from you when you shared something last time in our Bible study. You have a way of explaining a passage very clearly."

This is a good indication that you may have the gift of teaching.

Another may say: "Hey, I was really encouraged to walk in Christ when you exhorted us last time. I was really blessed."

This is a good indication that you may have the gift of encouragement and exhortation.

How do I know what kind of spiritual gift or gifts God has given me? Participate and listen.

Are We Allowed To Eat Animal Blood?

It is sad to know that there are Bible teachers who say that the eating of animal blood is okay. Here in the Philippines, we have what we call "Dugo-dugo" or "Dinuguan."

These teachers say that the prohibition in Acts 15:20 was only prohibited on the part of the Christian Gentiles because they might offend the sentiments of the Jews. One of the prohibitions in Acts 15:20 is the prohibition to eat blood (animal blood).

Ac 15:20 "but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.

However, even before the Jews came into existence during the time of Noah, the eating of blood was already forbidden:

Ge 9:3 "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all things, even as the green herbs.

4 "But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.

The Jewish race started with Abraham. Here we see in these verses that the eating of blood was already forbidden even way before the Jewish race came into existence. Why? Because it is not food. God does not recognize it as food.

Blood was never eaten during Adam and Eve's time. It was not to be eaten in Noah's time. It was not to be eaten during Moses' time. It was not to be eaten during Christ's time. And it is still prohibited during this Church Age and it will still remain prohibited even during the millennium. Blood is not food.

Le 17:11 'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.'

Blood is the life of the flesh. Blood represents life and God is the owner of life. Not to eat blood is to recognize God as the owner of life.

What Is Gopherwood In Genesis 6:14?

Ge 6:14 "Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.

There are many speculations as to what gopherwood is. But I am convinced based on my own research that gopherwood is a type of wood that was covered with pitch to prevent the waters from going inside the ark.

The Hebrew word kopher which is equivalent to kaphar is often translated "atonement." Notice the word "kopher" almost sounds like gopher.

Gopherwood refers to any kind of wood which was covered with pitch. It is a beautiful picture of Christ's atonement. The waters of judgment could not get into the ark because it was covered with pitch.

Eyewitness testimonies who were able to locate the ark on Mount Ararat was able to get a piece of wood from the ark and found it to be made of oleander wood which was very dark because it was covered with pitch.

The oleander wood covered with pitch is the gopherwood in my opinion.

Why Pray To God If He Already Knows Our Needs Even Before We Pray?

The Lord Jesus assured His disciples: "...your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him." (Mat. 6:8) If such is the case, why is there a need to pray?

There are many answers, let me just give you some:

First, prayer is the God-ordained means by which we get our needs from God.

When God created the universe, He said: "I know already in advance the things that they will be praying for, but I will only answer their prayers if they pray to Me. I have ordained prayer to be the means by which they will obtain their needs from Me."

God will not act until we pray. That's why James says: "...you do not have because you do not ask." (Jas 4:2)

Second, God is teaching us dependence. Prayer is our declaration of dependence on God. He wants us to confess our need of Him. Every time we pray, we do so.

Third, He wants us to know Him up close and personal one on one. When we pray and we see the way how God works in our lives to answer specifically our prayers, we experience the privilege of knowing Him more fully one on one.

We experience the joy of knowing that God is interactive with us personally one on one. We experientially know that He truly cares for us in a personal one on one way. As a result, we become more thankful to Him. We glorify Him all the more. It grows and develops us more spiritually.

If God just gives us everything we need without us praying for it, these things would never be possible in our lives. We just take everything that God is doing to us for granted.

What's Repentance?

Repentance literally means a change of mind or a change of heart attitude.

It's a change of heart attitude towards God. From rejecting, ignoring or taking God lightly, the repentant sinner now takes Him seriously.

It's a change of heart attitude towards sin. From delighting in sin, the repentant sinner now hates and abhors sin.

It's a change of heart attitude towards self. From having high views and estimates of self, it now realizes and owns its spiritual bankruptcy and helplessness in saving oneself.

It's a change of heart attitude towards Christ. From relying on self and its efforts for salvation, the repentant sinner now turns to Christ and wholly relies and trusts on Him and what He did on the cross for salvation.

Is It True That Reading The Bible Can Make One Lose His Mind?

2Ti 3:15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Re 1:3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

The devil is making every effort to prevent men and women from reading the Bible, God's Word. One of the ways he does this is by disseminating slanderous and injurious claims against the Bible.

The answer is "No!" On the contrary, reading the Bible makes one wise for salvation. A blessing is attached and promised to anyone who reads it and keeps its words.

Why Do Saved Sinners Still Die Physically?

If death is the penalty of sin why do saved sinners still die physically?

We must learn to distinguish between the penalty of sin and the consequence of sin. Once a sinner trusts in Christ and what He did on the cross for salvation, the penalty of sin is taken away immediately.

However, sin carries consequences. It affects, infects and contaminates us physically. And so saved sinners still die physically even though they are already saved from the penalty of sin which is death.

One day, God will give saved sinners resurrection bodies freed from the contamination of sin. God decided to not give saved sinners their glorified bodies immediately upon salvation because there are many lessons to be learned about God which can only be learned in their present mortal condition, lessons that could not be learned if they are immediately given their glorified bodies at the moment of salvation.

Explain 1 Peter 1:20-21

2Pe 1:20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,

21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

Verse 20 is not saying that no individual can personally interpret the Bible on his or her own. Right interpretation is the result of the Holy Spirit's illumination. Anyone who truly seeks to know the meaning of God's Word will surely be illumined by the Holy Spirit and know its true meaning as a result.

Peter here is explaining the origin of the prophecies in Scripture. When Peter says: "no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation," he means to say this:

When the prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel  and many others spoke and wrote their revelations from God, they did not sit in a corner, listen to God's revelations and then give their own personal understanding of what God had just revealed.

Isaiah, for example, did not say after receiving a revelation from God "I personally think that God meant this. And so here, I am writing my own personal interpretation of it here in my book."

No. Prophecy never came by private interpretation from the prophets' own minds. Prophecy came, as stated in verse 21: "prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."

Prophecy did not originate from men's fallible minds trying to give out their own personal interpretations of what God had revealed. But prophecy came as men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. They were moved and used by God as His mouthpiece to reveal His mind.

Verse 20 does not forbid Christians from interpreting and understanding the Bible. There is nothing wrong with interpretation so long as it is the result of the Holy Spirit's illumination.

Jesus was tough on certain people but Paul says to be gentle. Explain please

Love can be tough against the hardened promoters of false religion who stubbornly reject the truth:

In your face "Hypocrites!" "Serpents, Brood of Vipers" and "Beasts"

Mt 23:29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, HYPOCRITES! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,

Mt 23:33 "SERPENTS, BROOD OF VIPERS! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?

1Co 15:32 If, in the manner of men, I have fought with BEASTS at Ephesus, what advantage is it to me?...

It is gentle to all who are ignorant of the truth:

2Ti 2:24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,

25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, SO THAT THEY MAY KNOW THE TRUTH...

Does 2nd Thessalonians 2:13 Teach Unconditional Election?

2Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth

First of all, the expression "from the beginning" does not mean before the beginning of time. It refers to a starting point in time.

1Jo 2:7 Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.

From the beginning here refers to the beginning of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ when He taught the disciples the commandment to love. They did not hear the commandment before the beginning, in eternity past, before the creation of the world. No! From the beginning refers to a point in time here on earth.

Mt 19:8 He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

From the beginning here refers to the beginning of the marriage institution when God created Adam and Eve. It does not refer to eternity past, before the creation of the world. From the beginning, man and woman was created as one. There was no divorce.

 Lu 1:2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us,

From the beginning here refers to the beginning of the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. It does not refer to eternity past.

In 2nd Thes. 2:13, the expression "from the beginning" does not point back to eternity past. It refers to a point of time at the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel by Paul there in Thessalonica. This is not about God choosing who will be saved in eternity past.

Second, the word salvation here based on the context means salvation from the coming Tribulation Period. Paul has been talking about the Tribulation Period, the coming of the Anti-Christ, his deluding influence and the wrath that will befall the entire planet (read 2 Thes. 2:1-12)

The Thessalonians were apprehensive that maybe they have entered that frightful cataclysmic stage in world history. Paul wrote to comfort them. God, when they believed the Gospel message, did not appoint them to experience the wrath that the world will experience at the Tribulation Period.

He has been talking about this in his first letter to them:


1Th 1:10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.

1Th 5:2 For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.

The day of the Lord here refers to the Great Tribulation Period.

1Th 5:9 For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

God did not appoint the the Church to experience the coming wrath of the Tribulation Period. No, they were appointed to be saved from it.

Does God Desire The Salvation Of The Elect Only According To 2 Timothy 2:10?

2Ti 2:10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

By failing to notice the word "also" in the verse, many go right on interpreting the verse wrongly as teaching that God aims for the salvation of the elect only.

No, God does not aim for the salvation of the elect only, He desires all to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4) but ALSO the elect.

Who then are the elect here?

First of all, in this very book, Paul declares himself to be a preacher and a teacher to the Gentiles.

2 Ti 1:11 ... I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

He traveled far and wide, he tirelessly labored and preached the Gospel so that the Gentiles can hear the message of salvation in the Gospel. But in every place where there was a synagogue of the Jews, he first went there and presented to them the way of salvation.

Ro 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

He so longed and desired the salvation of his fellow Jews:

Ro 9:1 I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit,
2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart.
3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh,

Ro 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.

Secondly, Israel is called in the Bible as elect:

De 7:6 "For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.

Isa 45:4 For Jacob My servant's sake, And Israel My elect, I have even called you by your name; I have named you, though you have not known Me.

When Paul says that he desires the salvation of the elect also in 2 Tim. 2:10, the context points to the Jews as a chosen people. Start reading from verse 8:

2Ti 2:8 Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel,

9 for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.
10 Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

The expression "seed of David" is very significant to a Jew. The Jews once had a discussion about this one:

Joh 7:42 "Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"

Matthew was written to Jews. In presenting Christ to them as Savior, Matthew started out by saying in effect: "Jesus Christ is the seed of David." Notice the very first verse of Matthew:

Mt 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

Why start out this way? The Messiah being a descendant or a seed of David is that important to a Jew. The Jews cannot accept a Messiah that is not a descendant of David. The Lord Jesus being a seed of David means that He was the promised Jewish Messiah.

Now, since the Messiah was a Jew, Paul also desired the salvation of the Jews! He labored and endured all things for their salvation.

Yes, he was the apostle to the Gentiles, but he also desired the salvation of the Jews. He never forgot and neglected His Jewish brethren. He went out to them and told that the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed the promised seed of David, the Messiah. This has nothing to do with an elect caste chosen by God unconditionally to be saved. 

This verse is not at odds and in tension with John 3:16, 2 Peter 3:9, 1 Tim. 2:4 etc. 

How Did Enoch Walk With God?

Ge 5:22 After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters.

23 So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.

24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.


God has a certain path that He takes. He treads the path of righteousness and holiness. When we keep His righteous and holy commandments, we are walking with God. When we make His way our way, we are on the road with God. We are walking with Him.

Le 26:3 'If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them,

Walking with God requires faith and obedience to Him. When these two things happen, fellowship with God is the result.

What Was The Purpose Of Tongues?

1Co 14:21 In the law it is written: "With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me," says the Lord.

22 Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.

Zero in on verse 22, the purpose of tongues was for a sign to unbelievers, specifically hardened Jewish unbelievers, who heard God's message but rejected it.

1Co 1:22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom

Mt 12:39 But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign..."

There are three things to be considered:

First, tongues simply mean languages.

Re 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying: "You are worthy to take the scroll, And to open its seals; For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

Ac 2:8 "And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?

Ac 2:11 "...we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God."

Second, tongues are an ominous sign of rebellion, judgment and dispersion.

1) God has a message to a certain people. 2) The people reject God's message. 3) God causes them to hear tongues as a sign of judgment. 4) Then dispersion comes.

In Genesis 11, we see this pattern:

1) God told the people back then to go and scatter and multiply
2) The people decided to rebel against God's will. They built a tower and decided to bond together
3) God came down and confused their tongues
4) They were dispersed into all parts of the world as judgment from God.

In Deuteronomy 28, we see a similar pattern:

1) God told them that He would bless them if Israel obey His voice (see Deut. 28:1)
2) God told them that He would judge them if they disobey His voice (see Deut. 28:15)
3) One of the judgments is that God would sent them foreign invaders of foreign tongues as a sign of judgment (see Deut. 28:49)

De 28:49 "The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you will not understand,

4) God would then disperse and scatter them (see Deut. 28:64-65)

In Jeremiah 5, a similar pattern is seen:

1) God had a message to Israel. He calls on them to return (see Jer. 4:1)
2) Israel refused to heed God's message (see Jer. 5:3)
3) God then will cause them to hear foreign tongues as a sign of judgment (see Jer. 5:15)

 Jer 5:15 Behold, I will bring a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel," says the LORD. "It is a mighty nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you understand what they say.

4) God will then disperse and scatter them (see Jer. 5:19)

In Isaiah 28, a similar pattern is observed:

1) God calls on Israel to repent and turn to God and find rest in Him (see Isaiah 28:12a).
2) Israel rejected His message which He sent through the prophet Isaiah (see Isaiah 28:12b).
3) God will cause them to hear foreign tongues as a sign of judgment (see Isaiah 28:11).

Isa 28:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people,

4) God then dispersed and scattered them (see Isaiah 28:13). The words "be caught" here in this verse means be caught in captivity in a foreign nation.

Isaiah 33 states that for Israel not to hear a foreign tongue in their own land is a sign of blessing. During the Millennium, Israel will be ruled by their own Messiah. They will not be judged and be under subjection to any foreign rule:

Isa 33:19 You will not see a fierce people, A people of obscure speech, beyond perception, Of a stammering tongue that you cannot understand.

Third, tongues then are a sign to unbelieving Jews of a coming judgment and dispersion because they have refused God's message.

1) The Lord Jesus Christ called on the nation Israel to come to Him (see Matthew 11:28)
2) The nation Israel rejected Him. They crucified Him.
3) God then, as punishment, will cause their land to be invaded by foreigners (the Romans). These Romans spoke in a foreign tongue.

Mt 24:2 And Jesus said to them, "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

When Israel rejected Christ, God set Israel aside and began a new program. He is now calling all people in every nation to come to Christ. He is now building His Church---an international community of believers. Israel is no longer, for now, the focal point of God's program. He shifted from Israel to the nations.

Notice the shift:

Mt 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: "Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.
6 "But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

This was before they rejected Him. But when they rejected the Lord Jesus Christ, God shifted His program:

Mt 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 "teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.

A shift from one nation (Israel) to all the nations. From setting aside Israel, to building His Church. At the birth of the Church on Pentecost, tongues of different languages were heard (see Acts 2).

It's as if God is announcing: "I am now shifting gears, from Israel to the nations." A new program is set in place. It's as if God were announcing: "I will stop talking to Israel as a nation, but I will now call on Gentiles, and I will signify this by enabling my Church to speak in tongues of different people all over the world."

The birth of the Church with tongue-speaking was to signify its ministry and composition. It would be an organism that would do evangelism worldwide and it would be an international community composed of different nationalities.

To a stubbornly unbelieving Jew, if he knew his Old Testament Bible, this would tell him that this is a bad sign. It meant that God spoke to them, that they rejected His message and now, God is causing them to hear tongues as a sign of impending judgment.

4) About 40 years after the Lord Jesus prophesied that the Romans would invade them, that the temple would be destroyed, after about 40 years of hearing the sign of the tongues, General Titus of Rome came and attacked Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

The Romans destroyed their center of worship (the temple) and dispersed the Jews to all parts of the world. For 2000 years Israel was scattered to different foreign nations.

Conclusion

The purpose of tongues was to signal the unbelieving Jews that judgment and dispersion is coming. God is now shifting from Israel to other nations. This is seen in the fact that our Bibles was written largely into two languages.

The Old Testament was largely written in Hebrew (the language of the Jews) while the New Testament was written in Greek (the international language during NT times).

Now that the purpose of tongues was fulfilled (it was to signal to unbelieving Israel judgment and dispersion) it is no longer needed. This is confirmed by the testimony of Christians for over 2000 years.

The early Church Fathers, who came on the scene after the apostles died, said that tongue-speaking had ceased during their times. Respected theologians during the 3rd and 4th centuries of the Church taught and confirmed this.

From the Church Fathers down to the Reformers like Luther, Calvin and even down to the 1800s, tongues were conspicuous by its absence in the Church. It ceased on its own.

Does Acts 13:48 Teach Unconditional Election?

Ac 13:48 Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

First of all, the text does not say that God appointed them to eternal life in eternity past. No, this was done here in time.

Second, the Greek word for "appointed" here in the expression "As many as had been appointed to eternal life believed" can also be translated as disposed.

It can be translated as "as many as had been disposed to eternal life believed."

God is the one who inclines a sinner towards eternal life. Without this work, nobody is able to do so. God wants all to be saved. And so He works in all to dispose them to eternal life.

However, in His sovereignty, He decided to give a sinner a free choice. He frees up the will of a sinner. He inclines him towards eternal life, and if the sinner will not resist, He will, by God's grace, trust in Christ for it.

In this instance, the sinners who were drawn by God did not resist God's drawing. The result? As many as had been disposed to eternal life believed.

An example of this is Cornelius. Cornelius was a man disposed God to eternal life by God. He was a repentant man by the grace of God. And so God commanded him to send for Peter who will tell him words that he might be saved. Notice God's appointment of Cornelius for eternal life by setting him up to meet with His messenger, the apostle Peter.

Ac 10:30 So Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,
 31 "and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.
 32 'Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.'
 33 "So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God."

What Does Romans 9:15 Mean?

Ro 9:15 For He says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion."

God can do as He please. He is sovereign. If it pleased God to show mercy to non-Jews, He can do it. After all, God is the God of all men being their Creator, there is no other.

 Ro 3:29 Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also,

The purpose of Paul in writing this verse is not to limit and confine God's mercy on certain people called the elect. No, he cited this verse to show that God can have mercy on all, whether Jew or Gentile.

Ro 10:12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.

Ro 11:32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

Far from limiting God's mercy, Paul, in fact, used the verse to show that God is sovereign with His mercy. And He has sovereignly decided to have mercy and compassion, not just on Jews, but also on Gentiles who trust in His Son for salvation.

The Jews thought that salvation belonged only to Jews, since they were descendants of Abraham, they were given the covenants of God and the Law etc.

Paul says: "No, God can have mercy on anyone, not just Jews. His mercy is not confined to the physical descendants of Abraham. His mercy is not earned by law-keeping. No, it is given to those who have faith in Christ."

This has nothing to do with unconditional election to salvation of a few at all.

Does Romans 9:13 Teach Unconditional Election?

Ro 9:13 As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."

First, Paul is not talking about unconditional election to salvation here. He was talking about earthly blessings and the superiority of Jacob over Esau because of the blessing he received from God.

Notice that Paul began with the words: "As it is written." He was saying something in verse 12 that he now supports in verse 13. What did he say in verse 12?

Ro 9:12 it was said to her, "The older shall serve the younger."

13 As it is written, "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated."

Jacob was loved by God in the sense that he received a superior blessing over Esau. The result of the blessing is that Jacob would be served by Esau.

You remember Esau forsook and sold his birthright. That birthright carried the blessing of the firstborn son, a superior blessing. Esau did not value spiritual things. He was a picture of an unbeliever. Jacob, on the other hand, valued spiritual things and so he sought the firstborn right blessing from Esau. Jacob was a picture of a believer.

Jacob was the one who received the blessing of the Promise Land. He received the blessing of becoming the line through whom the Messiah would come. On the other hand, Esau received the desert lands, a wasteland.

Mal 1:2 "I have loved you," says the LORD. "Yet you say, 'In what way have You loved us?' Was not Esau Jacob's brother?" Says the LORD. "Yet Jacob I have loved;

3 But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness."

Esau and his descendants proved to be unbelievers generally. They persecuted Israel, their brother and they rejoiced upon the destruction of Israel.

God promised that whoever blesses Abraham and his descendants will be blessed, whoever curses Abraham and his descendants will be cursed. Edom in hating Jacob cursed himself.

Second, Jacob and Esau here represent the nations Israel and Edom. When God uttered these words, He did not utter it in eternity past, He did not say it during the lives of Jacob and Esau. On the contrary, He said it long after Jacob and Esau died.

Between Genesis and Malachi 1:2-3 are hundreds of years. The words: "Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated" were uttered in Malachi to Israelites and not personally to Jacob and Esau when they were alive. Jacob and Esau never heard of this proclamation personally.

"Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated" is found in Malachi and not found in Genesis.  Many times in the Bible, Jacob means the nation Israel and Edom means the nation Edom.

If you read Genesis, Esau, the person, never served the person Jacob. Why? Because God meant the nation Edom, and not the person of Esau, to serve the nation Jacob or Israel.

"The older shall serve the younger" is a prophecy of what will happen to the nations that will come out of Jacob and Esau.

Ge 25:23 And the LORD said to her: "Two nations are in your womb, Two peoples shall be separated from your body; One people shall be stronger than the other, And the older shall serve the younger."

In the future, in the millennium, the nation of Edom would serve Israel. This verse is not talking about unconditional election at all.

Third, God does hate those who rebel against Him, but He loves them enough that He wants them to repent and be saved (see John 3:16).

Does John 15:16 Teach Unconditional Election?

Joh 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

Unconditional election unto salvation is read into this verse and not read out of it for it is not there. The Lord Jesus was speaking to His apostles and what did He really say actually?

"I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain..."

He did not say that "I chose you to be saved." No! That is twisting and distorting the text! He was talking about fruit-bearing not salvation. This has nothing to do with salvation but all about His choice of them as apostles. All one has to do is to move nine chapters back and it becomes clear:

Joh 6:70 Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"

71 He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve.

Judas was one of the chosen ones. He was among the chosen twelve. And yet, was Judas saved? No. Judas was given the awesome privilege to tell others about Him and testify about Him. But he wasted it away, not being truly converted.

With all the privileges that the Lord chose him into, he should have truly repented and make good of the Lord's choice of him.

Israel is a chosen nation. But not all Israelites are saved. They were chosen and given the privilege to witness and tell the nations about the true living God. And yet, many of them neglected their privileged status and even became idolatrous.

Some people who are influenced by Calvin just go on reading this verse carelessly. They just parrot what their favorite Bible teachers say about the text instead of really reading the text in its face value.

What Does The Term "Son Of Man" Imply In Relation To The Lord Jesus?

The term implies three things:

First, it implies authority.

 Ps 8:4 What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?
5 For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,

Second, it refers to the humanity of the Lord Jesus. Surely a son of man is a human being. Ezekiel was called "son of man" by God referring to his humanity.

Third, it refers to His being the Messiah who will come in glory and power.

 Da 7:13 "I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.

What Was The Denomination Of The Apostles?

What was the denomination of the apostles like Paul, Peter and John?

During their time, there were no denominations. They were faithful to the One-Body principle. There was only one body---the Church.

Local churches like Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus etc. were never denominations. They were simply the local manifestations of the One body---the Church. Every local church was the Universal Church in miniature manifested locally.

There is only one Microsoft Corporation in the world. However, it has many local branches worldwide.

I repented of denominationalism years ago. Denominationalism is, first of all, a heart attitude. It is the attitude that says: "You don't belong to our group since you did not sign up in our local church as a member. I only support and extend my hand of fellowship with those of our group. You need to be a member of our group to enjoy our group's privileges."

They require another type of membership other than what the Bible clearly states. The Bible says that "we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another." Ro 12:5

Every time someone says to another Christian: "You need to be a member of our local church." I would just love to point this verse to him saying: "If he is already a Christian then he is already a member in the eyes of God! Why don't you follow the principle in this verse?"

Actually, the only membership required in the New Testament is the membership of the One Body of Christ (the Universal Church) through faith in Christ. If Christ has accepted one as one of His, then it is the responsibility of other Christians to receive him or her into their local fellowship. If the Head has accepted him or her, who are we not to accept him or her?

Can you imagine the right hand requiring membership of other body parts unto itself? This is ridiculous. The fact that the other body parts are part of the body and recognized by the head should be enough for the right hand to accept them as they are and not require any other type of membership unto itself.

When it comes to local churches, the correct term and principle to go by is not local church membership but regular local church fellowship.

In our fellowship if someone says: "Brother, I want to be a member of your group." In reply, we would say:

"We are not the ones who accept members in the One Body of Christ. It is the Head who accepts members.  He accepts anyone who will put their trust in Him. We don't require anyone to sign a document to make him or her a member of our local church. If you have truly trusted in Christ, then according to Romans 12:5, you are already part of us in the eyes of God. Our responsibility is to merely RECOGNIZE those whom He has already accepted into His body. Can you tell us your testimony? If you have a saving testimony, then we welcome you into our FELLOWSHIP. Being in our fellowship, you are then required to be committed to it, use your gifts for its edification. If opportunity arises, use your gifts also for the edification of other local churches whoever and wherever they are. They are part of the One Body."

The man-made requirement to sign up for local membership has caused divisions practically in the ONE BODY of Christ. The One Body principle is something that we should uphold. We are to do nothing, say nothing and be nothing that would go against it.

We don't say: "We are Baptists Christians or Methodist Christians" or whatever. It is to give confusing signals to the world. It is to imply that Christians are divided into sects. We simply content ourselves in calling ourselves "Christians" like the first Christians in the New Testament.

If you are a new Christian, then know that the Holy Spirit has placed you spiritually into the Body of Christ as its member, "we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another." Ro 12:5

Then you ought to go and find yourself a group of local Christians, faithful to the Lord and His Word, and regularly fellowship with them.

It is just so sad that many local churches are stricken with a denominational mindset. They are practically dividing the One Body of Christ in principle and in deed so many times.

Even though I serve in their ministries faithfully, they still would not recognize me as one of them, even though I am already their fellow member in the eyes of God as stated in Romans 12:5. Apparently, the declaration of God in Romans 12:5 is not enough.

On the contrary, the so-called person who has signed in their membership roll is considered a member even though he practically does not participate in the ministries of their local church! The signing of a pen unto a paper as their own local church member is that essential, even though God does not require it!

Again remember, "membership" is in relation to the Universal Church, through faith in Christ. Regular local fellowship is in relation to the local church. The one occurs at salvation. The other should be an ongoing lifestyle for a Christian.

Like the apostles, I am a member of only one Body---the body of Christ. I regularly fellowship in a local body of Christ, who worships in a home in Labangon, Cebu Philippines.

What's The Purpose Of Christian Water Baptism?

Its purpose is for the outward and public identification with Christ's death and resurrection.

It is a picture of being united to Christ's death and resurrection, that the trusting sinner has died with Christ and has been raised with Him.

What Does The Names "Adam" And "Eve" Mean?

Adam means red or ground or red ground. He was taken from the earth. I would not be surprised if Adam was a ruddy (reddish) man. The native Indians in America are ruddy people.

Eve means life.  "And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living." Ge 3:20

Explain Jeremiah 29:11

Jer 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

The Lord was specifically promising the nation of Israel a glorious future here. Jeremiah prophesied that the nation Israel will be exiled into captivity in the land of Babylon.

There, as a nation, they would seem to be without a future and a hope. But God promised them that He would free and liberate them and bring them back into their land.

Jer 29:10 For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.

Jer 29:14 I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.

This was partially fulfilled when Israel returned to their land from their captivity in Babylon seventy years after. But its full realization will be during the Melinnium when their long-awaited Messiah would reign with Israel as the top nation of the world.

This verse is often taken out of context and made to mean that God promised every single Christian material prosperity and financial success. Not so. Under the Christian dispensation, yes, we do have a hope and a future. But it refers to our future conformity and glorification with Christ.

Only when this verse is ripped out of context is it made to mean what the Prosperity Gospel preachers would have it mean.

Explain Adam's Helper In Genesis 2:18

Ge 2:18 And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him."

God gave Adam work to do (see verse 15). Now, in doing that work, in doing God's will, he needs a helper, a companion and a partner in doing it. In doing God's will, working at it with a partner and a companion is expedient.

Man, be committed to the work that God has given you to do. And choose a lifetime partner that will help you and not hinder you in doing it.

Woman, choose a man who is committed to God's work and prepare yourself to collaborate and assist him in doing it.

Singles, find a Timothy in doing God's work.

What Does A Priest Do In The Bible?

A priest in the Bible is someone who serves in the temple. In the Old Testament, when the tabernacle and, later on, the physical temple was still in existence, priests were seen serving in the temple and offering sacrifices to God.

In the New Testament, the temple of God is the Church of God, the people themselves redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, through faith in Him.

Every single Christian is said to be a priest. He or she is to serve the Church of God, the people of God, with their spiritual gifts, offer Him the sacrifice of praise, thanksgiving, good works and present themselves to God in service to Him.

What Does "Prosper" In 3 John 1:2 Mean?

3 Jo 1:2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

People who are influenced by the message of the Prosperity Gospel movement often take this verse to prove that God wants His people to be materially wealthy in this present evil age wherein the King is rejected and not ruling here on earth.

Some of them, every time they see the word "prosper" in the Bible, they then automatically understand it as being financially prosperous.

Actually, the word just means success. And there are many aspects in life that one could be successful in. Success does not have to exclusively mean financial success.

The Greek word for "prosper" carries the idea of being helped on the road to reach one's destination. It simply means successfully achieving a goal. Anyone who has successfully achieved one's goal in life is a success, he is someone who prospered in obtaining his aims in life.

The expression: "prosper IN ALL THINGS" is not to be taken in an absolute sense. It is the same with Philippians 4:13 which says: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Paul was not talking and referring to absolutely all things, even evil things. No, the context limits it. He was referring to all things in relation to doing God's will.

Php 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

In the same way,  the apostle John was not talking about absolutely all things in 3 John 1:2, he was referring to the all things that pertain to the service and ministry that Gaius rendered to Christians.

You see, Gauis apparently had the gift of hospitality and helps. Gaius' ministry was that he helped and assisted Christian missionaries. The apostle John commended him for it and encouraged him to continue doing it:

 3JN 1:5 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers;
3JN 1:6 and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.
3JN 1:7 For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles.
3JN 1:8 Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth.

Gauis was a man walking in the truth and his aim and ministry was focused on helping and assisting fellow Christians. John was saying: "May God prosper you, give you success in all things in relation to your ministry."

He was not talking primarily about financial success. The apostles were people who were not rich.

 Ac 3:6 Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."

1Co 4:11 To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless.
12 And we labor, working with our own hands.

Churches influenced by the Prosperity Gospel movement fail to distinguish between God's promises to Israel in the future age and this age.

This age, the Church Age, is Christ rejected by the world. He is not reigning here as King on earth. And we partake of His sufferings and rejection. But in the future, when He comes to reign on earth, with Israel converted and materially blessed, that's the time that Gentiles share in that blessed and glorious age.