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Faithful Sayings

Five times in his epistles, Paul speaks of a statement he makes as being a “faithful saying” (a sure word). Not that the rest of his message was in doubt. It is simply a way of giving special emphasis to a particular truth. Here are the five:

  1. That Christ came to save sinners (I Tim. 1:15)
  2. That godliness is profitable both for time and for eternity (I Tim. 4:8-9)
  3. That good works should naturally flow from faith (Tit. 3:8)
  4. That pastoral ministry is a good work in which to be engaged (I Tim. 3:1)
  5. That believers are certain to live and reign with Christ eternally (II Tim. 2:11-13)

Views and Reviews: Living By The Book

Living by the Book

It is critically important for each Christian to have a basic understanding of how to interpret the Scriptures. Before we think about an application (how the passage is significant to us today), we must deal carefully with interpretation (what the passage means, in its context). Each of us must “be diligent to present [himself] approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing [skillfully handling] the word of truth” (II Tim. 2:15).

An excellent book on this subject is Living by the Book by Howard and William Hendricks (father and son). A refreshing approach, easy to follow, with lots of charts and illustrations, as well as exercises for you to try. (Now there are workbooks available as well, and a companion video.) The authors begin by explaining why it is important to study the Bible. Then they take the reader through three key steps:

  1. Observation (including “Six Things to Look For”)
  2. Interpretation (including “Five Keys to Interpretation”)
  3. Application (with “Four Steps in Application” and more).

Recommended!

Hymns: Using the Metrical Index

Many standard hymn books, in addition to having an alphabetical listing of each hymn, and other indices, provide a valuable index of the metre of each hymn. This is usually accompanied by an alphabetical listing of the tunes by name. (Not only the words have a name; many times the tunes do as well.) If you are leading a service, you may find this information helpful.

Metrical Index

For example, the name of the tune for “The Church’s One Foundation” is “Aurelia,” and the metre is 7.6.7.6 D. (The “D” stands for doubled.) This tells us each verse of the hymn contains 8 lines of verse (4 x 2), and each line contains 7 or 6 sounded syllables, alternately, as follows:

The Chur-ch’s one foun-da-tion =7

Is Je-sus Christ her Lord =6

She is His new cre-a-tion =7

By wa-ter and the Word =6

From heav’n He came and sought her =7

To be His holy bride =6

With His own blood He bought her =7

And for her life He died =6

The metre of “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” is 8.7.8.7. D. (Count out the syllables and see.)

With that kind of information, it is possible for you to combine a tune with different words, or sing the words to a different tune. Perhaps the words you want to sing have an unfamiliar tune, or one that is difficult to sing. But, knowing the metre, you often can make a switch. It also gives a new feel to old hymns and helps us to appreciate the message all over again. Example: Try using the tune “Aurelia” with the hymn “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded.” Both have the metre 7.6.7.6. D, so we know there are the same number of lines and the same number of syllables per line.

A couple of cautions are in order when it comes to switching tunes. 1) Sometimes, you’ll find that the em-PHA-sis is not on the right syl-LA-ble! You will have to check that out. 2) The other thing is that the mood of the tune may not fit the words you want to put it with. A bright or martial tune will not likely fit as well with lyrics about the suffering of Christ on the cross (or vice versa).

Sometimes a tune with a slightly different metre will still fit. For instance, consider “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” (the usual tune of which is “Hamburg”). This is a “Long Metre” hymn (LM), all of which use the pattern 8.8.8.8. But it can be sung effectively to the tune “Appalachia” (8.8.9.8), if some notes in the line with 9 sounded syllables are sung on the same word. (Try it and see!) Do a bit of experimenting. You may well discover a wonderful combination that will bless your congregation.

1 Corinthians 5:5 and Bible Translations

Question: Glenn also asks, “I am really concerned about the various translations. In the NIV, in First Corinthians 5:5, it states, ‘Hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed, and the spirit saved on the day of the Lord.’ In the NKJV the same verse is translated, ‘Deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ.'” [Glenn’s legitimate concern is that these do not sound the same.]

Answer:The availability of many different Bible translations in English can be a great blessing–or it can breed confusion and error. Unless we are experts in Hebrew and Greek, the safest course is to use one of the better literal translations as a main Bible, comparing others for study purposes. Among the newer versions, the New King James Version, and the New American Standard Bible are excellent. That is not to say they have absolutely no translation difficulties, but they tend to be reliable in the vast majority of cases. The New International Version is helpful many times too. But the translators often paraphrase (rephrasing the original in their own words, according to what they think it means). When this happens, the NIV becomes more of a man-made commentary than a Bible. And commentators can be wrong.

Bottom line: Use the NIV as a helpful study tool, but check it against a more literal translation.

Regarding the passage in question, the sinful nature (in Greek, sarkos, “the flesh,” used in this spiritual sense) is not “destroyed” on this side of eternity. In the believer, “The flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.” But we can have victory as we “walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16-17). Christians who do not do so become “carnal” (sarkikos), worldly, and remain spiritual babies (I Cor. 3:1-3). The Greek word (sarkos) which the NIV translates “sinful nature” can also mean “physical body” (as the NIV admits in a footnote). In other words, sometimes “flesh” is used in the physical sense of the word, depending on the context. I believe this is the intended meaning in First Corinthians 5:5. (The verse is describing a step also mentioned in First Timothy 1:20).

If the man is a believer (which is possible in this case), Satan cannot affect his security in Christ (Rom. 8:38-39). However, he can assault him physically–as he did Job. The thought here is that such physical affliction from Satan may cause this wayward individual to seek after God, and bring him to repentance.

In the local church, the fellowship of believers provides an umbrella of protection for each individual Christian. This comes about through the presence of the Lord in their midst (Matt. 18:20), the purifying work of the Spirit through the Word, and the mutual admonishment and encouragement of Christians. When a member is expelled (vs. 2, 11), he loses that benefit and is more vulnerable to Satan’s attacks. This is part of the remedial effect of church discipline. Believers should not pray for him to be kept from this, because it is meant to be corrective (cf. I Jn. 5:16-17, where John speaks of a “sin unto death [i.e. physical death]”). (Paul gives us an example of this in First Corinthians 11:27, 30).

Views of the Millennium (Revelation 20)

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Question: Glenn asks, “In Revelation 20 it refers to the 1000-year reign of Christ. Please explain the differences in the beliefs in those who are pre, post and amillennial?”

Answer: The word “millennium” is simply an English form of the Latin words mille annus, meaning a thousand years (taken, of course, from Revelation 20:4, “they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years”).

The Postmillennial View. That through the preaching of the gospel the world will eventually be christianized, bringing in a golden age (a millennium). Then the world will be fit for Christ’s return, and He will come back (“post” meaning after the millennium). This view was popular in the late 1800’s, when new inventions and discoveries signaled great progress. But two world wars dashed the hopes of most postmilliennialists that the world is getting better. There are relatively few of them today. And, of course, the view does not square with Scripture that teaches us “perilous times” will come in the last days, and “evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse” (II Tim. 3:1-5, 13).

The Amillennial View. That there is no such thing as a literal, earthly millennium (“a” meaning no). To hold this view, most amillennialists “spiritualize” the many Bible chapters describing the earthly reign of the Messiah, applying them to the church today in some symbolic sense. For example, consider what Matthew Henry (an amillennialist) does with Isaiah 11:6-9. The passage speaks of the removal of the curse upon creation, and the harmony in the natural world during the earthly reign of Christ. It refers to the wolf and the lamb dwelling together, etc. But Henry says, “Unity or concord [is] intimated in these figurative promises…men of the most fierce and furious dispositions shall have their temper so strangely altered by the grace of Christ that they shall live in love with even the weakest and such as formerly were easy prey.”

That the Lord transforms lives is quite true. The question is whether Isaiah meant that! And I would argue that he did not. The biggest problem with amillennialism is its inconsistent method of interpretation. It treats most of Scripture literally. But when it comes to many prophecies concerning Israel it resorts to “spiritualizing” (allegorizing). But then the question comes: Which Scriptures should be taken literally, and which should not? And who decides? (Matthew Henry decided those are “figurative promises,” but who gave him that right?) As the old interpreters used to say, “If the plain sense makes good sense, seek no other sense.”

The Bible can best be understood with a consistently literal interpretation, duly taking into account figures of speech. (See the article regarding the interpretation of prophecy on the website.) There are approximately 1,000 individual prophecies found in the Word of God. To date, around 500 (or half) of them have been literally fulfilled. That can give us confidence that a plain, natural meaning is intended by the prophets. For example, was Christ literally born in Bethlehem as Micah predicted (Mic. 5:2)? Or are we to treat “Bethlehem” in some spiritual or symbolic way, rather than as a literal town?

The Premillennial View (the position of this website). That Christ will come back, visibly, bodily, before (“pre” meaning before) the millennium, ushering in a golden age of peace and plenty on the earth. There is an enormous amount of Scripture describing His earthly reign from the throne of David, and the nature of life on earth at that time. A consistent treatment of the Scriptures (as even some amillennialists will admit) will lead one to be a premillennialist. A good book summarizing the arguments for this position is Ryrie’s little volume The Basis of the Premillennial Faith.

Contrasting the Secular and the Spiritual Man

Psalm 17:13-15 provides an interesting contrast between the outlook of the believer and the unregenerate person. A contrast between…

  1. Those who are enemies of God’s people and therefore of God Himself, versus those who can call on God for deliverance because they are on His side (“deliver my soul from the wicked,” vs. 13; cf. Rom. 8:31).
  2. “Men of the world” (vs. 14), who see life as bounded by the cradle and the grave (or the womb and the tomb!), versus those whose “citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20).
  3. “Men…who have their portion in this life” (vs. 14), versus those who have “treasures in heaven” (Matt. 6:19-21, 33; cf. I Pet. 1:3-4).
  4. Those who are unaware of God’s blessing and common grace (“whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure,” vs. 14; cf. Matt. 5:45) versus those who recognize God’s hand in every blessing (cf. Phil. 4:19; Jas. 1:17).
  5. Those whose idea of “eternal life” is to live on in their children (“they are satisfied with children, and leave the rest of their possession for their babes, vs. 14) versus those who believe in the resurrection, and life after death (“as for me, I will see Your face in righteousness,” vs. 15).
  6. Those who face final judgment for sin (Heb. 9:27), versus those who will be perfected and confirmed in righteousness, through faith (vs. 15).
  7. Those whose satisfaction is found in what they produce and acquire (vs. 14), versus those who find satisfaction in the fulfilment of God’s purpose (“I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness,” vs. 15).

What Makes Jesus Weep?

The prophet Isaiah describes the coming Messiah as “a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3). During His years of earthly ministry, He was “moved with compassion” over the spiritual condition of the multitudes (Matt. 9:36). The writer of Hebrews describes the sympathetic heart of Christ, our heavenly High Priest, even now (Heb. 4:15). Twice in the Gospels it specifically speaks of the Lord weeping.

1) In Jn. 11:35 Christ is touched by the SORROW of the human heart. He realizes, as no one else does, the terrible blight on His creation caused by sin. There may even be sorrow at what He is about to do in the context–restore Lazarus temporarily to a corrupt world only to face death all over again.

2) In Lk. 19:41 Christ grieves over the SLOWNESS of the human heart (vs. 42). (Even the stones seem more perceptive, and potentially more responsive vs. 40!) And the spiritual blindness of Israel would soon bring terrible judgment (vs. 43-44).

Both of these, bereavement and blindness, are effects of human sin. And the solution to both is found in Christ Himself. He is the resurrection and the LIFE (Jn. 11:25; 14:6), and He is the LIGHT, the personal revelation of God’s truth (Jn. 8:12; cf. 1:14).

Why Unbelief is Evil

Hebrews tells us to beware of “an evil heart of unbelief” (Heb. 3:12). Unbelief is evil because:

1) It suggests God’s Word is unreliable, that we cannot depend upon it.

2) It impugns the holy character of God, suggesting He is not speaking the truth.

3) It implies God is either weak or unloving, unwilling or unable to help us.

4) It lead’s to disobedience, and the work of God is not done.

5) It robs the world of an important witness.

6) It wastes valuable time, and we all have only so much of it.

7) It keeps God’s people from enjoying His blessings.

Views and Reviews: Lee Strobel

Author Lee Strobel has given us three excellent books. Strobel, educated at Yale Law School, was an award-winning legal editor for the Chicago Tribune. Until 1981, he was a skeptic concerning spiritual things. But when he found Christ he turned his investigative skills to good use, showing non-Christians the basis for what we believe. Written with the unbeliever in mind, these books would make excellent gifts for a sincere seeker, willing to consider the Bible’s claims. They would be especially helpful for those attending a secular university where God’s truth is commonly attacked.

The Case for a Creator - Lee Strobel

¤ In The Case for Christ the author compiles credible evidence demonstrating that Jesus of Nazareth truly is the Son of God. His examination of the death and resurrection of Christ is worth the price of the book all on its own.

¤ In The Case for Faith Strobel deals, one by one, with the most common objections raised by unbelievers (such as “God isn’t worthy of worship if He kills innocent children”). One after another, he carefully refutes these arguments and supports the Christian position.

¤ In The Case for a Creator Lee Strobel presents half a dozen lines of argument disproving evolutionary theory, and supporting the active involvement of Almighty God in the creation of the physical universe. (This book is up-to-date, scientifically, and highly technical in spots. But it makes for thought-provoking reading.)

Legalism and License

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Question: Bill asks, “Can you please explain the difference between legalism and license?”

Answer: In Christian teaching, license is a moral distortion of liberty. It is the notion that living under grace gives us the freedom (or even the right) to do whatever we want and be free from any binding standard. (This is called “antinomianism.”) It argues that since Christ has paid the penalty for all our sins, we are free to live as we please. But of course that is a gross misrepresentation of the truth. Christian liberty is not a license to do as we wish, but the power to do as we ought. Though the epistles recognize our freedom in Christ, that is balanced with the fact that:

A) If we truly love God we will want to do only those things that please Him (Jn. 14:15, 21, 23; I Jn. 2:5). Since God hates sin and cannot abide it in His presence (Hab. 1:13), why would we want to grieve Him (Eph. 4:30) and hinder our fellowship with Him (Ps. 66:18; Isa. 59:2)?

B) In showing Christ-like love to others–which we are to do (Jn. 13:34), we will want to avoid those things that could harm them. To act in such a way as would cause others to stumble into sin is hateful and wrong (I Cor. 8:9, 11-12; I Pet. 2:16; cf. Rom. 15:1-2).

C) Sin is still dangerous and destructive, if allowed into our lives as Christians. It can still enslave us if we let it. Instead, we should be living in a way that is edifying to ourselves and to others (I Cor. 6:12; 10:23; Gal. 5:13; cf. Eph. 4:29).

James speaks of “the law of liberty” (Jas. 1:25; 2:12), I believe he is referring to the entire Word of God, as applied under Grace. The Law of Moses called for strict obedience, but did not, in itself, provide the power to obey. The Law was thus a frustrating burden, a yoke of bondage (Acts 15:10; Gal. 5:1). Under Grace, we are given a new nature (II Pet. 1:3-4), and indwelt by the Spirit of God (I Cor. 6:19; Rom. 8:9). This is the spiritual and universal aspect of God’s “New Covenant” with Israel (Jer. 31:33; 32:40; Ezek. 36:26-27), made possible by the shed blood of Christ (I Cor. 11:25). We have, by this means, a new sensitivity to God and His will, and a new power to do what is right. That is liberating!

It is not that the Christian life is without standards. God’s righteous standard is eternal (Isa. 51:6, 8). Rather, we now have a new desire and a new power (by God’s Spirit) to live lives that are pleasing to Him. But that brings us to the matter of legalism. Charles Ryrie, in his fine book, Balancing the Christian Life, says, “Legalism is not the presence of laws….Legalism may be defined as a fleshly attitude which conforms to a code for the purpose of exalting self” (p. 159). Put a slightly different way, It is not “legalistic” to have moral standards. Legalism is the belief that God’s acceptance needs to be earned by our good works. It involves a failure to understand and appreciate the grace and love of God.

This addresses the motivation for Christian living. When Christ died upon the cross, He paid the penalty for all the sins of all mankind for all time (Isa. 53:6; I Jn. 2:2). If one lays claim to Christ’s Calvary work as His own, that is all that is necessary. There is no longer any outstanding payment in the way of our full acceptance by God. We are “accepted in the Beloved” (Eph. 1:6). Each and every believer is a “son and heir” in the family of God (Gal. 3:26; 4:7). Our standing before God is anchored in grace, His unmerited favour (Rom. 5:1-2).

In that exalted position, we live to please God, not to earn something that is already ours, but to express our appreciation for it. In this sense Law and Grace are complete opposites. (Under Law, Doing leads to Blessing; Under Grace, Blessing leads to Doing.) There is a word that is used some two dozen times in the epistles. It is the word “beseech” (plead, entreat). It perfectly reflects our new standing. The Law said, “Do this and you will be blessed.” Grace says, here are all the blessings, free and clear, guaranteed in Christ (Eph. 1:3). Now, won’t you please show Him how much you appreciate that? Won’t you please obey Him in response to His gracious gift?

That is the thrust of verses such as: Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, by the mercies of God [because of the great work of salvation described in the earlier chapters], that you present your bodies a living sacrifice…” And Second Corinthians 6:1, “We then [because of what is described in 5:21], as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain…” And Ephesians 4:1, “I therefore [on the basis of the great work of God described to this point in the book]…beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.”

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