Bethany Bible Church

Author: Pastor Greg Allen

  • Reconciling Habakkuk with Job

    Question: In Habakkuk 1:13, the prophet says that God is “of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness,” and yet, in Job 1 and 2 Satan not only enters into the presence of God, but carries on a conversation with Him. How do we reconcile Hab. 1:13 and Job 1 and 2?

    * * * * * * * * * *

    Dear friend,
    God does, clearly, have dealings with and uses those upon whom His eyes are too holy to look in an approving way. And though I don’t believe that we could ever fully resolve this aspect of the mystery of God’s providence to our complete satisfaction, I suggest that things may become a bit clearer to us if we consider the whole message of the book of Habakkuk.
    Habakkuk was, at first, posing the question to God of how long God was going to tolerate the sinful conduct of His own people (1:1-4). God’s answer was that He was about to deal with their sin in a dreadful way < by raising up the Chaldeans to be the administrators of His punishment upon Israel (vv. 5-11). This shocking piece of news was worse to Habakkuk than the problem of Israel’s sin; and it led to then ask the very sort of question you’ve raised: How a holy God could use such an instrument as the Babylonians? Israel was bad; but not as bad as the Babylonians! How could a holy God seem to stand by and permit such an evil nation to punish His covenant people?

    Are you not from everlasting, O LORD my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O LORD, You have appointed them for judgment; O Rock, You have marked them for correction. You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness. Why do You look on those who deal treacherously, and hold your tongue when the wicked devours a person more righteous than he? (vv. 12-13).

    To “behold evil” or to “look on wickedness”, in this context, seems to mean “to show favor to” those who are wicked and evil. (The standard biblical Hebrew lexicon, in fact, specifies the use of the Hebrew word “look” in Hab. 1:13 as to “look upon, i.e. endure to see”, with the idea being that of showing regard to someone or something.) So, there’s more in mind than God simply ‘seeing’ evil. The sense of Habakkuk’s complaint seems to be that God appears to showing regard or favor to the wicked in that He not only does not punish them, but even positively uses them and allows their treachery to be gotten away with to the disadvantage of His chosen people Israel.
    Habakkuk was not, I believe, being irreverent in asking such things of God. His words in 2:1 suggest strongly that he was very reverent in his approach, and was willing to be taught and corrected. And I believe that God’s answer to Habakkuk’s second question helps us work toward an answer to the question you’ve put forth.
    First, that God tells Habakkuk to write His answer down the vision for future readers, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry” (2:2-3). This suggests that Habakkuk hadn’t really seen the full story when he only saw God’s use of the wicked Babylonians. There was more to the story yet to come. God hints to Habakkuk of the full “end” of the story when He says, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (2:14). However poorly we may understand God’s interaction with the wicked now, we can be sure that, in the end, He will prove to be righteous and just in all His actions.
    Then, secondly, God seems to exhort Habakkuk not to allow the situation to cause him to have any doubts about the constancy of God’s character in a practical sense, but to keep on trusting that God is acting faithfully. “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; but the just shall live by his faith” (2:4). (This Habakkuk seems to do in the end: see all of chapter 3; but especially 3:17-19). We are to trust that, however God may use the wicked and discipline the righteous, He still “‘will render to each one according to his deeds’: eternal life to those who by patient continence in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness; indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God” (Rom. 2:6-11).
    Finally, God overwhelmingly reveals to Habakkuk how the instruments of His judgment upon Israel were not going to be exempt from judgment themselves. In fact, the whole rest of chapter 2 seems to describe the greater and more dreadful judgment and “woe” that was yet to be brought upon come on Babylon and all evil-doers. Evil may have been on the rise; “But the LORD is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him” (2:20).
    In chapter 3, Habakkuk offers a humble prayer in which makes the appeal, “In wrath remember mercy” (3:2). He goes on to speak prophetically of God’s glorious salvation of Israel in the future. “You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for salvation with Your Anointed. You struck the head from the house of the wicked, by laying bare from foundation to neck” (3:13). In other words, God demonstrates that what wickedness Babylon meant for evil, God meant for the good of His disobedient people (Gen. 50:20); and that He knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment (2 Pet. 2:9).

    * * * * * * * * * *

    Our holy God, then, does allow evil, sometimes even allowing it in His presence; but never does He do so in such a way as to approve it. “The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God so far manifest themselves in His providence, that it extendeth itself even to the first fall, and all other sins of angels and men; and that not by a bare permission, but such as hath joined with it a most wise and powerful bounding, and otherwise ordering and governing of them, in a manifold dispensation, to His own holy ends; yet so, as the sinfulness thereof proceedeth only from the creature, and not from God, who, being most holy and righteous, neither is, nor can be, the author or approver of sin” (The Westminster Confession of Faith, “Of Providence”, v, 4).
    And so, to answer your question, I believe that we can best resolve the seeming contradiction between God’s absolute holiness and His allowance of evil in His presence, without compromise of His character, if we remembering that (1) what the wicked mean for evil, God always means for good, and sovereignly uses such evil bring about the good of His people; and that (2) God, in absolute holiness and justness, eventually fully punishes the evil that He temporarily permits in the fulfillment of His sovereign purposes. This certainly happened in the case of Job. God permitted the evil of Satan’s accusations in order to bring about His own glory and the eventual good of Job; and His use of Satan didn’t change the fact that He will ultimately cast Satan into the Lake of Fire.
    Perhaps the prayer of Psalm 10:12-15 sums up the best of what we can say about this: “Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up your hand! Do not forget the humble. Why do the wicked renounce God? He has said in His heart, ‘You will not require an account.’ But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief, to repay it by Your hand. The helpless commits himself to You; You are the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man; seek out his wickedness until you find none.”
    In Christ’s love,
    Pastor Greg

  • Revealing Revelations

    A good friend to our church family writes: “I would very much like to know the meaning behind one third in the book of Revelations in regards to the Trumpets and destruction. Please help me with this.
    I would also like to ask a second question if you would not mind. I am having great difficulty in understanding chapters 6,7,8,9 of Revelations. Can you help me out?”

    * * * * * * * * * *

    Dear friend,
    Thank you very much for visiting our website, and for sending in your questions. I’ll do my best.
    Part of your question is concerned with how the details of the Book of Revelation fit in with its overall structure. The Book of Revelation is one of my favorites in the Bible. But admittedly, the structure of it is hard to grasp at first. There are lots of different opinions about how it should be understood; but I’ll share mine. Not everyone would agree with the understanding I have embraced of this wonderful book; but I hope my attempt will help you.
    The key to understanding Revelation – including the passages you asked about – is found in the first chapter, in verse 19. In the first chapter, John is given a revelation of the glorified Lord Jesus Christ. He sees Jesus as He is in all His resurrection glory. And then Jesus tells him, “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this” (1:19). And there, you have the structure of the book in a nutshell.
    Chapter one concerns the things “which you have seen” – that is, the vision of the glorified Jesus. The original readers of this book faced great persecution for their faith; and Jesus wanted them to see Him as He really is, because this would give them assurance as they faced their trials.
    Chapters 2-3 concern “the things which are”; and in these two chapters, we see that Jesus writes seven letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor. In these letters, He gives them valuable instructions regarding how to live in the midst of an unbelieving world.
    Chapters 4-22 touch on “the things which will take place after this”; and this is the section that deals, primarily, with prophecies about the end times and the events that proceed Jesus’ return to the earth. I think that this last section, “the things which will take place”, is the section you’re having questions about.

    * * * * * * * * * *

    This last section – “the things which will take place” – can be divided further. It begins with 4:1; “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, ‘Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” John immediately finds himself in the spirit, beholding heavenly realities. Chapters 4-5 describe the commencement of the end time events from the perspective of heaven before the throne of God. It is before the throne of God that Jesus, “the Lamb”, is found worthy to open the scroll that was handed to Him and “loose its seals” (5:2, 9). This initial vision is very important; because it establishes the fact that, in all the dreadful things that will take place in the opening of the seals, God still rules supreme from His heavenly throne.
    Chapters 6-11 describe the opening of those seven seals. The first six seals, the opening of which is detailed for us in chapter 6, all appear to me to unleash events that are the results of unrestrained human evil. The sinful heart of man is allowed to express itself in all its rebellious fury. These events, in my understanding of of Revelation, describe the events of the Great Tribulation. God, as it were, pulls His restraining hand away and allows human evil to get as bad as it can get.
    But there is a pause between the opening of the sixth and the seventh seals; and this pause is described for us in chapter 7. During this pause, I believe the ministry of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses occurs; and their witness is concluded by the rapture of the saints. (Note 7:14-15. John asks who the great multitude is that stand before the throne of God; and he is told, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.”) Though not everyone would agree with my interpretation, I think the flow of Revelation makes the most sense when we see that the church will be present on earth during the time of the Tribulation. In chapter 7, they are shown as, (as the grammar of the original Greek suggests), in the process even then of coming out of the great tribulation.
    But please understand: that doesn’t mean that I believe the church ever suffers the wrath of God for sin. I believe a very important distinction occurs before the opening of the seventh seal in chapter 8. At the close of the sixth seal, we read that the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, “hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’” (6:15-17). Clearly something new is about to commence – and the sinful world stands in terror over the prospect. The period of “tribulation” has ended (7:14), and the great day of the wrath of the Lamb has begun.
    Personally, I don’t believe the Bible teaches that believers will be exempt from tribulation; but I absolutely believe that no child of God will ever be subject to God’s wrath upon this sinful world. “For God did not appoint us to wrath”, Paul says, “but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess. 5:9). It seems to me that the Bible makes a distinction between “the Great Tribulation” and “the Day of the wrath of the Lamb”. For those of us who have trusted in Him, Jesus – the Lamb of God – has taken all the wrath of God for our sins upon Himself. But for the one who refuses Him and rejects His sacrifice on the cross, “the wrath of God abides on him” (John 3:36), and the suffer the wrath of the Lamb.
    And so, I believe that the seventh seal describes the dreadful outpouring of God’s wrath on the Christ-rejecting world for sin. It’s described in chapters 8-11 in the blowing of seven trumpets; in other words, the series of seven trumpet judgments is the the seventh seal, and the breaking of that seal releases those seven trumpet judgments upon the world. If you look carefully at these seven trumpet judgments, you’ll see that they are different in nature from the first six seals. Whereas the six seals appear to be expressions of human evil unrestrained, the seven trumpet judgments appear to be acts of judgment that are beyond human origin – divine expressions of wrath for sin very much like the plagues of God on Egypt in the time of Moses. The seventh trumpet is blown; and it marks the conclusion of God’s dreadful wrath, and the commencement of Christ’s glorious reign over the kingdoms of this earth (11:15).

    * * * * * * * * * *

    Now you didn’t ask me about the later chapters; but I have to tell you how I believe they fit in. It has made the most sense to me to see the story of the Great Tribulation and the subsequent outpouring of God’s wrath upon earth being repeated in chapters 12-19. The same events are being described in these chapters as was described in chapters 6-11; except, whereas in the first telling of the story was generally from the viewpoint of heaven, the second telling is generally from the viewpoint of earth.
    Chapters 12-13 tell the story of the wrath of the dragon (Satan) over the birth of the male Child (Jesus); and of his subsequent wrath toward those who believe on Jesus. Chapter 13 tells, particularly, of the rise of the Beast (the Antichrist) and of his false prophet. These events parallel the events described in the opening of the first six seals in chapter 6. Chapter 14 tells the story of the 144,000 witnesses (which parallels the first half of chapter 7); and of the reaping of the earth (which parallels the second half of chapter 7). Chapter 14 concludes with the ominous threat of wrath (vv. 17-20); and so, chapters 15-17 describe the outpouring of God’s wrath in the seven bowl judgments. (I see remarkable similarity – though not an absolutely identical parallel – between the events described in chapter 16 and the events described chapters 8-9. They are similar enough to seem to be describing the same series of events in the outpouring of God’s wrath.)
    Chapters 17-18 describe a “pageant” in which is portrayed the dreadful nature of the “world religion” of the Antichrist; giving emphasis to the righteousness of the terrible judgment of God upon all who rebel against His Son and embrace this false religion. Chapter 19 describes the wonderful event that follows the wrath of God – that is, the glorious return of Jesus Christ, with all His saints, to rule upon this earth. It mentions only briefly the 1,000 year reign on Christ upon the earth; and then concludes with the final resurrection and the GreathWhite Throne judgment. Chapters 21-22 describe, in glorious detail, the New Jerusalem – our eternal home, in which we’ll dwell with Jesus forever.
    That’s a pretty quick review; but I hope that it gives you a basic frame-work by which to understand the events in the book of Revelation. Again, I have to emphasize that this is my view of the book. Not everyone will agree with it; but it’s the one that has made the most sense out of the book for me.

    * * * * * * * * * *

    Now about your questions regarding the significance of “thirds” in the “judgment” passages. We’re told that, when the first trumpet sounds (8:7), “hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.” Then, we’re told that, when the second trumpet sounds (8:8-9), “something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.” We’re told that, after the third trumpet sounds (8:10-11), “a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star was Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.” Finally, when the fourth trumpet is sounded (8:12), “a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them did not shine, and likewise the night.” Four realms of the natural world are affected by these judgments: trees and plant life (v. 7), the seas, marine life, and the ships (vv. 8-9), a third of the rivers and streams – destroying much human life (vv. 10-11), and a third of the heavenly bodies (v. 12).
    With the repeated reference to thirds, it’s tempting to think that there might be a symbolic significance to “one third”. Personally, however, I think its significance is more practical than symbolic. The destruction of a third of any of these realms is a significant devastation in itself; but it’s not a complete devastation, nor is it a devastation of even most of these realms. It’s less than half. This is important to remember because, as I have suggested, this portion is speaking of judgments upon the earth that are divine in nature. In permitting only a third of these things to be destroyed, God is demonstrating (1) His sovereignty in that the devastation does not exceed His appointed limit, and (2) His mercy in that the devastation is not a complete loss to future humanity. Even in judgment, God is showing Himself merciful.

    * * * * * * * * * *

    May I add one more thought? There is, sadly I think, a lot of controversy and divisiveness over this wonderful book. I find that unfortunate; because I believe that the book was not intended to emphasize divisive views of prophecy, but rather to emphasize the glorious hope we have in Christ. Jesus – not the details of prophecy – is to be the central focus of the book. The angel in Revelation gives us the right emphasis to have when he spoke these words to John: “Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (19:10). I believe we gain the greatest blessing from the Book of Revelation when we keep the spotlight on Jesus.
    God bless you as we await His soon return together.
    In Christ’s love,
    Pastor Greg

  • Nathan Who?

    A good friend to our church family writes: “In 2 Samuel 7, we read about Nathan the prophet. Could this be David’s son, the same Nathan we read about in Chapter 5?”
    Dear friend,
    There are certain names in the Bible that create a lot of confusion because there are so many people that share that same name. One of the much-used names I sometimes struggle to keep attached to the right owners is the name “Mary”. There are so many Marys in the New Testament that it’s sometimes quite a chore to keep track of which Mary is which. I think you’ve just introduced me to another such name. Thanks.
    “Nathan” was a very popular name in Bible times; perhaps because it means “gifted”. There may possibly be as many as eight distinct Nathans mentioned in the Bible – although it’s awfully hard to tell exactly how many; and several of these Nathans are even more easy to confuse because they are associated with David. There was one man named Nathan whose son was one of David’s mighty men (2 Sam. 23:36). There was another Nathan who was the brother of Joel, another of David’s celebrated soldiers (1 Chron. 11:38). In the list of the advisors to King David’s son Solomon, we apparently find two more distinct Nathans mentioned in one verse. One Nathan was the father of an advisor named Azariah; and another Nathan was a priest, a friend to Solomon, and the father of another of his advisors named Zabud (1 Kings 4:5). There was a Nathan who was mentioned in the linage of Jerahmeel, the brother of Caleb (1 Chron. 2:36). Another Nathan was an important leader who returned to Jerusalem among the exiles with Ezra (8:16); and still another was mentioned as one among the leaders of these exiles who had sinned (10:39). Still another Nathan is mentioned as the head of one of the chief families in Israel that will mourn when Jesus returns (Zech. 12:12). One Nathan in the Bible has a great honor; because he was the ancestor in flesh of the Lord Jesus (Luke 3:31).
    However many Nathans there are, there are certainly Nathans-a-plenty. And I haven’t even mentioned one of the most famous Nathans yet – the one you referred to in your question. He was a godly prophet who lived in the time of King David; and who served the king as an important advisor and spiritual leader. He was a brave man; because he was willing to confront the king in his sin, and rebuke him in the name of the Lord (2 Sam. 12:1-10). Much of what we know about David and of Solomon is to this Nathan’s credit, because he also served as their biographer (1 Sam. 29:29; 2 Sam. 9:29).
    So, one of the Nathans you mention is this outstanding prophet (2 Sam. 7:2-17); and another is the son of David (2 Sam. 5:14). With all the confusion there is between the different Nathans, I’m more confident about the distinction between these two than I am about most of the others. The prophet Nathan was not among David’s “seed” who came from his body (2 Sam. 7:12); but was the one who announced that one from among David’s seed would be the Messiah. So they are not one and the same person, but two different individuals who just happened to share a very, very common name together.
    When making mention of different people with common names, the Bible doesn’t always make the distinctions as clear to us as we may wish. And some of those people don’t stand out in the Bible’s narrative as quite as importantly as others. But you can identify them with as much clarity as is needed, if you carefully compare the contexts of the passages where they’re mentioned and think in terms of how they fit in with the main flow of the Bible’s story. Comparing one entry in a good Bible dictionary with another in another dictionary is sometimes helpful too; because you can see how different scholars have understood the different people associated with these names.
    By the way; with all the multiple billions of names to keep track of in this world, doesn’t this make you very glad that God knows your name, and loves you as an individual so much that He even knows the number of hairs on your head?
    Pastor Greg

  • Sermon Preparation

    A minister recently visited our “Questions To The Pastor” section and asked, “How do you prepare a sermon?” Here’s Pastor Greg’s answer …
    Dear Brother,
    Thank you for your question; and I’m honored that you would ask. Frankly, I feel that immediately after each Sunday morning service I preach, I learn a new lesson on how I SHOULD have prepared the sermon. But nevertheless, I’d be happy to share with you what I have learned.
    I’ve come to appreciate that preparing a sermon is half “art” and half “science” (and, of course, all a matter of depending on the Holy Spirit). If you ask most pastors how they prepare their messages, you’d hear certain “steps” in the process that they all had in common. But there is a lot about the marvelous task of sermon preparation that involves sanctified personal style and practice; and that comes to each individual preacher only through time and experience. One of the greatest preachers in church history, George Whitefield, said that the best way to prepare to preach on Sunday is to preach on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday! I think he’s right.
    I’d like to attempt an answer to your very good question by, first, affirming a couple of overall principles about preaching; and then, I’ll share with you the steps I generally follow in preparing a Bible message. I’ll end by recommending what I believe are the most helpful books available on the subject.

    * * * * * * * * * *

    Here are some general principles. First, I believe that a sermon must be the product of a man that is utterly dedicated to holiness in Jesus Christ. The most important verse to remember on preparing and preaching sermons is Proverbs 4:23: “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life.” One of the chief preparations you must make in order to preach is the preparation which concerns your own soul. You must be sure that your heart – and indeed, your whole life – is set apart for the Lord’s use. This whole-hearted dedication must be reflected in what you think about in your mind, what you say in private, how you treat your wife and children, how you manage your business affairs, what you do when no one is watching, what you watch on television or in movies, or what you read. This isn’t to say that you must be perfect, of course; but you must not keep hidden areas of sin in your life, nor harbor unconfessed sin in your heart. What comes out of the preacher’s mouth on Sunday morning will, in the end, rarely rise higher than what’s already in his heart. So, spare no effort in guarding your heart.
    Second, I believe that a sermon must be biblical. And by that, I DON’T mean that it should merely be a sermon that contain a lot of Bible verses. What I mean is that the theme of the sermon, the goal of the sermon, and even the very structure that the sermon takes, must be guided by a text of Scripture. Sometimes, what happens is that a preacher thinks-up a subject or a topic that he’d like to preach on; then he develops the main points of his sermon based on his own knowledge of the subject; and then, finally, he finds verses that support those points. But that’s developing a sermon completely backwards. When a preacher develops a sermon that way, he is the one that’s really in charge – and not the word of God. As preachers, we have authority ONLY so long as we are accurately telling our listeners what GOD has said – ONLY so long as we are speaking “not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches” (1 Cor. 2:13). We must always be sure to obey Paul’s instruction to Timothy: “Preach the word!” (2 Tim. 4:2); because the true authority in preaching lies ONLY in proclaiming God’s word.
    Third, I believe that the work of developing and delivering a sermon must be done with dependency upon the Holy Spirit. The preacher must bathe his work – from beginning to end – in much prayer. The Holy Spirit is, after all, the one who gave the Bible to us. He is the one who loves the people in our church infinitely and guides them to the Savior. All that God intends preaching to accomplish for people is, in the end, something that ultimately only the Holy Spirit can do. Even no less a preacher than the great apostle Paul wrote, “And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:1-5).
    That passage reminds me of a fourth and final principle: I believe that a sermon should always glorify Jesus Christ – not the preacher. We must always make sure that “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” is the grand theme that undergirds our preaching ministry. Personally, I have taken Colossians 1:28-29 as my guiding verses: “Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.” What people need to be urged to do, above everything else in life, is to look to Jesus. When people leave church on Sunday, they will have gained NOTHING if the only thing they looked to was the preacher! The preacher should, in the end, be simply an arrow that points them directly to Jesus. If he does this, he will not only be a blessing to his church, but he’ll be a blessing to the world.

    * * * * * * * * * *

    Now, let’s talk about the work of actually creating the sermon itself. I don’t claim to be an expert; but here are the steps I typically follow in preparing a sermon.
    The first thing I do is decide what passage to preach. Ordinarily, I preach through a book of the Bible in my church; and because that’s true, it’s usually pretty easy to decide what my next passage will be. But I also try to be sensitive to times when the Holy Spirit leads me to depart from my usual sermon series and preach from a unique passage – and that’s something that I feel He often does. Perhaps the Holy Spirit draws me irresistibly to a passage that I had read in my daily devotions; or perhaps He points my attention to a passage that relates to a problem my church family is dealing with. The guiding principle I have learned to used has been this: AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, DON’T PREACH FROM A PASSAGE UNLESS YOU HAVE A PASSION FOR IT. There have been many times when I have studied and prepared to preach from a passage that was next in order in my usual sermon series; but I found myself frustrated because my heart wasn’t yet in it. Often at such times, I find that I’m wishing that I could preach from a completely different passage that my attention had been drawn to. Whenever that happens, I consider carefully whether or not that is the leading of the Holy Spirit. And if I’m convinced that it is, I preach from that passage instead. Even if I’ve prepared to preach from a passage – or even if it’s announced in our church bulletin that I’m preaching from a particular passage – I’ll still wait to preach from it until I have a genuine passion for it. I have been following this principle for several years now; and I’ve found that it serves God’s people very well.
    The second thing I do, once I feel that God has led me to a particular passage, is decide how much of that passage to preach from. You have to define how much of the passage you can effectively deal with in one sermon. The principle I follow here is this: ONLY PREACH AS MUCH OF THE SELECTED PASSAGE AS WILL CONVEY ONE BASIC IDEA. To try to preach on several basic ideas in one sermon will only confuse people. The people of God will gain more from one biblical idea well established in their minds, than from two or more that are not well established. Sometimes this might mean preaching a whole chapter of a book of the Bible; but at other times, it might mean preaching from only one verse. The clarity of one basic idea, rather than the size of the passage itself, should be the decisive factor. I find this to be a very important step in the development of my sermon; and I will devote a great deal of work in trying to understand and clearly state that one basic idea that the passage conveys. As I study further on along the process, I might find that I have to change how much of that passage I preach from – either preaching from more of it or less of it. I might also find that I have to refine how I’ve stated its one basic idea. But as much as possible, I make sure to stick to no more than one main idea; and I let that one biblical idea be my guide in developing the sermon.
    Third – as much as it’s in my ability to do so – I study the Bible passage in the original language – Hebrew if it’s in the Old Testament; Greek if it’s in the New Testament. (Not everyone can do this, of course; and if they can’t study from the original languages, they should at least try to compare different translations.) I try to copy the passage in the original language on a separate piece of paper; and divide the sentences and paragraphs into main and subordinate clauses. I also spend a lot of time looking up individual words in a Greek or Hebrew dictionary, and recording information about the individual words and points of grammar on this sheet of paper. As I do this, the natural divisions of the passage begin to become clearer to me; and later on, these will become the main points of my sermon outline.
    Fourth, after I study the passage for myself – and (this is very important!) ONLY after I do so – I then consult commentaries. I don’t consult every commentary I can lay my hands on; but I try to make my time effective by consulting the best ones. I tend to characterize my use of commentaries in this way: I treat them as if I’m having a meeting with a group of scholars, that I’m consulting for expert advice on my passage. It’s as if I gather them together at a conference table and ask each one individually, “What have you learned about this passage? What problems did you run into in studying it? How do you see it’s main point being developed? What are the lessons you’ve learned from it? I’ve had a question about this one particular phrase; how do you understand it?” And of course, if I were really meeting with a group of scholars and asking questions like that, I’d never call them together without having first studied the passage for myself! Often, I find that after having consulted with the “experts” in this way, I need to revise my conclusions about the passage. If so, then God has used the commentaries to help me do my job! Sometimes, however, I find that I have discovered a legitimate insight into this passage that the commentaries failed to mention (although I’m very careful about concluding this); and if that happens, then once again God used the commentaries to help me think critically about my insights.
    Fifth, after having done all this work, I spend some time meditating on the passage, and thinking carefully and prayerfully about it. This is a very crucial step to me; because it’s how I get the information to go from my head into my heart. I let the passage preach to me for a while. I try to take as much time as I need in this stage of my sermon preparation. This may sound strange to some; but some of the most rewarding times of sermon preparation for me have been the times when I lay in bed at night, with a reading light next to my bed and my Bible open before me, and just thinking through the passage word for word and praying silently to God about what I read. I’m often overwhelmed by the things God permits me to discover during those times. Of course, this ought to happen only after I’ve done all the preparatory work of studying the passage; so that I won’t make a mistake and think that the passage says something that it doesn’t really say! But this has been a way that God has shared some precious truths from His word to me. Sometimes, I turn out the light and I find that the sermon begins to take its shape in my mind while I’m going to sleep. (Hopefully though, no one will go to sleep when I actually preach it!!)
    Sixth, after having meditated on the passage for a while, I begin to write the sermon. I tend to write out my whole sermon word for word. (I don’t try to read my sermon from the pulpit though.) I have found that writing it all out word for word helps me to think through my sermon logically and accurately. It helps me to select my words carefully, and keeps me from going off track. I begin by writing down the main points of my sermon – checking to make sure that those main points truly represent what the passage is intending to say. Then, I make sure that those individual points truly support the one main idea that God is wanting to teach us from that passage. Then, I write an introduction, write a conclusion, and then fill in the blanks with the overflow of what God had laid on my heart in the course of my study. I try to write my written sermon as if I were actually speaking to the people who will hear me on Sunday morning.
    And let me say something at this point about sermon illustrations. I prefer to use illustrations that come from my heart – either from experiences in my own life, or from some story that I recall from something that I’ve read somewhere. (I prefer to do this as opposed to using ready-made illustrations taken from a book of sermon illustrations. I don’t fault someone else who uses such books of illustrations; but I don’t use them personally because they don’t seem natural to me. I also try to restrict myself to using illustrations only when they will be effective. If an illustration is so good that it almost demands to be used, and because it will genuinely and effectively helps explain an important point in the passage, then I’ll use it. I never try to use illustrations to fill up space.)
    Sometimes, I do things a little differently here or there in the overall process; but generally, that’s the procedure I follow in creating a sermon. After I have completed my written sermon, I read it a few times aloud in practice, and then I step into the pulpit, try to ignore my notes, and just preach from my heart. I always pray before I preach; and I also pray afterwards that God will continue to use His word in people’s lives after the church service is over. A few days after I preach the sermon, I review my written sermon, make some changes and adjustments, and then send it out to go on our church’s website where (GASP!) the whole world can read it. I also pray, though, that God will use my written sermon to bless someone who visits the website.
    For me, the whole process of creating a sermon, from beginning to end, usually takes me twelve to fifteen hours.

    * * * * * * * * * *

    That’s what I do to prepare a sermon. But if you would like to learn more from experts who are far more qualified than I to speak on the subject, I recommend the following books:
    Without question, the first book I’d recommend would be “Biblical Preaching” by Dr. Haddon W. Robinson (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 2001). Dr. Robinson’s is recognized as an esteemed authority on the subject of biblical preaching, and is one of the greatest preaching instructors in ministry today. I have heard him preach a few times myself; and have been amazed at the power God gives him in his preaching. His book is used by Bible colleges and seminaries around the world; because the method he teaches is so simple and clear. If you can’t get any other book on the subject but this one, you’ll certainly have more than enough to help make you an effective preacher!
    The second book I’d recommend – one that has blessed me greatly – is “Preaching & Preachers” by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1971). Reading this book reminds me a lot of what it would be like to have an older, more experienced preacher put his godly arm around you and giving you good, sanctified advice. Dr. Lloyd-Jones’ book will help you think the right things about the awesome task of preaching. Not everyone will agree with all he has to say; but I have read his book many times, and have gained something that made me a better preacher each time I did.
    A third book I would recommend is “Rediscovering Expository Preaching”, which is written and edited by Dr. John MacArthur and the faculty of Master’s Seminary (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1992). This book is a lot like having a whole seminary course on preaching in your hand. Dr. MacArthur has set a standard in our day for expository preaching; and he has gathered much expert advice together in this book. It contains separate chapters on all the different stages of sermon preparation; and it will walk you through the different steps of getting ready to preach. I highly recommend it.
    If any of this proves helpful to you in your ministry of proclaiming God’s eternal truth to the people in your care, than I am grateful to Him. Thanks very much for an excellent question. God bless you.
    Yours in Christ’s love,
    Pastor Greg
    (All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version.)

  • Revelations: Millenial Interpretations

    A visitor to our website asks:
    Question: What are all the views and the Biblical backing for the three main views (premillennial, postmillennial, and dispensational) on how the book of Revelation is interpreted, and what, in your opinion, is the correct view on this topic?
    Answer:
    Dear friend,
    Let’s start by fine-tuning your question just a little. I think that what you’re asking about is the main approaches to understanding the Bible’s teaching about the end-times, and about Jesus’ future reign. There are mainly three views: amillennialism, postmillennialism, and premillennialism. The thing they all have in common is “-millennialism”, because they’re all concerned with how we understand the millennial (1,000-year) reign of Jesus as it’s described in the Bible (particularly Revelation 20).
    You mentioned “dispensationalism” as one of these. To be accurate, dispensationalism is not a view of the millennium in the same sense as these others, but is a system of interpretation of the Bible. Dispensationalists have two main distinctives: they seek to be consistently literal in their interpretation of Bible prophecy, and they see the Church and Israel as two distinct entities. Dispensationalism, then, sees several distinguishable “economies” or “dispensations” in the outworking of God’s plan of redemption; and it sees them unified by the common principle of grace. (Most dispensationalists today see seven such “dispensations” in the Bible: (1) Innocence (in the garden of Eden), (2) Conscience (after the fall), (3) Human Government (after the flood), (4) Promise (after the call of Abraham), (5) Law (after the law was given through Moses), (6) Grace (after the sacrifice of Jesus), and (7) Kingdom (after Jesus’ return). Dispensationalists argue that, if someone is consistent in interpreting the prophecies of the Bible literally, they will be Premillennialists. But the point is that “dispensationalism” should be seen as a distinct thing from the others you mentioned.
    Now, let’s talk about those three views of the millennial reign of Jesus. All three are held by competent Bible scholars who reverence the Scriptures. The first one we mentioned is “amillennialism”. This is a name that’s a bit confusing; because the “a-” in amillennialsm suggests that those who hold this view believe that there is no millennial reign of Jesus. Actually, those who hold this view believe that Jesus’ kingdom reign is happening right now. They would say that Revelation 20:4-6 describes Jesus’ present reign of the souls of deceased believers in heaven. The name “amillennialism” is meant to distinguish a view that does not believe there will be a “literal” earthly reign, but only a spiritual one.
    Next would be “postmillennialism”. As the prefix “post-” would suggest, this is the view that believes that Jesus’ return to earth occurs after the millennium. That, at first, sounds confusing; but the idea behind this view is that the Kingdom of God is now being expanded throughout the whole world through the preaching of the Gospel, and the work of Gospel missionaries. This view teaches that, progressively, the world will become “Christianized”, which will lead to a long period of unprecedented peace and righteousness on the earth. Following this period of Christian “peace on earth”, Jesus will return to establish a new heaven and a new earth. Postmillennialists do not take the 1,000 years literally; but believe the “1,000 years” is a symbolic way of describing the long, undefined period of peace and righteousness that proceeds Jesus’ return.
    The third view would be “premillennialism”; and as you might guess, the prefix “pre-” suggests that, in this view, Jesus’ return is seen as occurring “before” the millennial reign on earth. Jesus return is the event that marks the beginning of this 1,000 year reign. In this view, evil in the world is understood to grow worse and worse until it becomes embodied in a world-ruler named the Antichrist. The Antichrist and his forces are destroyed by the literal return of Jesus Christ to earth; and His return is immediately followed by His literal 1,000 year reign (see Revelation 19-20). There are two branches of this view. One is “historic premillennialsm”, which does not believe in a strict distinction between the church and Israel, and which does not demand a consistent literal interpretation of prophecy. The other is “dispensational premillennialsm”, which does maintain a distinction between the church and Israel, and does seek to be consistently literal in the interpretation of prophecy.
    Now that you have a rough overview of the differences between these views, let’s talk about how they impact the Book of Revelation. Amillennialsim tends to see Revelation in strictly “symbolic” or “idealist” terms. Because it holds that the Kingdom reign of Jesus Christ is occurring right now, it sees Revelation as symbolically describing the ongoing struggle in spiritual realms between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of evil.
    Postmillennialism, because it sees the Kingdom of God as being progressively expanded and established by the victorious spread of the Gospel, tends to see the Book of Revelation in symbolic terms as well. Many postmillennialists are “preterist” in their approach (from the Latin word “preter” which means “past” or “beyond”) – that is, they believe that Revelation does not describe future events, but rather describes events that have already occurred in the first century, particularly the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans in 70 AD; at which point the spread of the Gospel throughout the world began. Others take a “historist” approach – that is, they believe that Revelation describes a record of church history in allegorical form.
    Premillennialists, because they are generally “literal” in their interpretation, tend to be “futurist” in their approach to Revelation – that is, they believe that it primarily describes literal, “future” events.
    I suppose no other book of the Bible is approached in so many different ways. And I think that, in certain places in Revelation, each of those various approaches has validity. I believe, for example, that some portions of Revelation do indeed give us a panoramic view of the history of the church; and that other portions are highly symbolic; and that still other portions were time-bound to the Apostle John’s own day. But I am a dispensational premillennialist in my approach to Bible prophecy; and I believe that the “literal/futurist” approach is the most sensible way to approach Revelation.
    I believe that an important interpretive “key” that unlocks so much of Revelation is found in Jesus’ words to the apostle John in Revelation 1:19. Jesus told him, “Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.” The “things which you have seen” would most naturally be the things John just saw – namely the vision of Jesus described in 1:9-20. The “things which are” would seem to be the things Jesus says in His seven letters to the seven churches in chapters 2-3. And the “things which will take place after this” would be the things that begin to be mentioned in Chapter 4 and go all the way to the end of the book. (You’ll notice that, in 4:1, John is given a vision of a door standing open in heaven; and he is told, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” What seems to follow is a panoramic view of future events.)
    Let me add one more comment on approaching the Book of Revelation. Whenever we read or study this book, we should always keep in mind that its great theme is a wonderful Person – Jesus Christ. It is the “revelation” of Jesus in all His glorious majesty (1:1). We should never let the details distract us from Him. The approach to this book should always be a profoundly reverent one; and it seems to me that the right approach is the one that leads us to a greater sense of worship of Jesus’ majesty. An angel told John, near the end of this book, “Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 19:10). I think it’s very wise to keep that in mind.
    I hope that all of this will encourage you to read Revelation for yourself often. Personally, it’s one of my favorite books of the Bible.
    Yours in Christ,
    Pastor Greg
    (All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version.)

  • New Heaven?

    Question: Can you give some insight into the Bible’s teaching about “the new heaven and the new earth”? Some groups teach that the 144,000 mentioned in the Book of Revelation will be the only ones in the new heaven; and that everyone else will be in the new earth. What is the new heaven and the new earth? Are these two different places? Who will be in them?

    * * * * * * * * * *

    Dear Friend,
    The Bible teaches us that God is the creator of the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). But it also teaches us that this present creation – the present heavens and the present earth – are temporary in nature. Peter writes that God spoke the heavens and earth into being; “But the present heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition [or destruction] of ungodly men” (1 Peter 3:7). Peter elaborates on this when he writes, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up” (v. 10). Peter speaks of the destruction of the present heavens and earth as something literal: “Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be devolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?” (vv. 11-12). And he adds, “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (v. 13).
    The most explicit description of the new heavens and the new earth we have in the Bible is found in its last two chapters, in Revelation 21-22. This passage begins with these words: “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away …” (Rev. 21:1). As beautiful as this present creation is, the future creation – as it’s described for us in these passages – is beautiful and glorious beyond conception! Its centerpiece will be “New Jerusalem”; a glorious city in which we will forever dwell with the literal presence of Jesus (Rev. 21:2-3).
    The Bible doesn’t present the new heavens and the new earth as if they were two separate, distinct places – as if the new heavens were one place with only one specific population, and the new earth another place with a completely different population. Nor does the Bible mention them apart from one another. Since they replace the “old creation”, I believe it’s best to see them as simply two aspects of the one “new creation” – and to see them mentioned together as a way to express the wholeness of the new creation.
    It’s true that the Bible mentions other nations that surround this New Jerusalem. We’re told “And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it” (v. 24). And the mention of “nations” and “kings” surrounding New Jerusalem have led some cult groups to teach that they will be the distinct occupants of this glorious, heavenly city – with everyone else outside-looking-in. But the Bible tells us that all unsaved, unredeemed people, whose names have not been written in the Lambs Book of Life will have been cast forever in a distinct place called “the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:11-15). There will not be any “outsiders” and “insiders” in the new creation. All its occupants will be “insiders” only (21:27). Apparently, then, there will be surrounding nations and kingdoms of redeemed, glorified people that will retain some sense of distinction; but all will be subject to King Jesus, and will worship Him at His throne in New Jerusalem – bringing “the glory and the honor of the nations into it” (v. 26). I take it, then, that all who wish to may dwell in the New Jerusalem. No specific group will be awarded this honor above another, because all those who dwell in the new creation will be “written in the Lamb’s Book of Life”.

    * * * * * * * * * *

    This leads to the question of who the 144,000 are. They’re mentioned in two places in the Bible. The first time they’re found is in Revelation 7:4-8. In this first passage, they’re introduced to us during an intermission between the opening of the sixth and the seventh seal; the seventh introducing a dreadful outpouring of God’s wrath upon an unbelieving and unrepentant world. There we read that this group is “sealed” by God, and that it is very specifically composed of those from the twelve tribes of Israel. They are even very specifically numbered as 12,000 from each specific tribe.
    Revelation 14:1-5 mentions them again, and gives us some specific details about them. We read, “Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpist playing their harps. They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in there mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.”
    Many cult groups are eager to identify themselves as this elite group. The details that are given about the 144,000, however, appear to be literal descriptions; and when taken as such, none of these cult groups could possibly fulfill the qualifications. The 144,000 are specifically from the twelve literal tribes of Israel – and none of these cult groups can make a claim to being anything like that – except by interpreting this passage symbolically. (By the way; God has successfully preserved the Jewish people as a distinct group upon the earth to this very day. And so He is – I’m sure you’ll agree – more than able to preserve twelve-thousand from these twelve distinct tribes for this future “sealing” if He so wishes – even if they don’t know who they are.) These also are specifically “virgins” (and I haven’t heard anyone who says they’re in this group make THAT claim yet – except again, of course, “symbolically”.). These cult groups make the claim to be the 144,000 now; and yet, the 144,000 aren’t even identified until a specific time during the period of Great Tribulation – that is between the sixth and seventh seals. Nor can those who claim to be the 144,000 in the new heavens be what they claim to be; because the Bible describes the 144,000 as “standing on Mount Zion”. Nowhere in the Bible are they presented to us as a distinct group in the new heavens.
    I note that the introduction of this group of 144,000 Jews is followed by a description of “a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Rev. 7:9-10). We’re told that this great multitude is composed of those who “come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb” (v. 14). This great multitude (as distinct from the 144,000) are very manifestly in heavenly glory. So I offer this as my interpretation: I take it that the 144,000 are redeemed Jewish men that God will rise up at a date in the future, and who will be used by God as mighty “evangelists” for the Gospel of Jesus Christ – the result of whose ministry during the great tribulation will be the salvation of a great multitude before the outpouring of God’s wrath upon the earth.
    Pastor Greg
    (All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version.)

  • Which Bible?

    Someone from our church family writes:
    I have two questions. The first one is, what Bible do you recommend? My eyes are getting worse as I get older, and I like to replace my old one to a large print version. The second question is, what is this Gender-neutral version I been hearing about? It all sound nice, but wouldn’t that alter the real meaning of what the Bible is saying?

    * * * * * * * * * *

    Dear Friend,
    There are mainly three types of English Bibles currently on the market; and their differences have a lot to do with the approach to the work of translation that was used in making them. One type is a “literal” or “formal equivalency” translation (sometimes called a “word-for-word” translation). The translators of these Bibles sought to make a translation from the original Hebrew or Greek into English that followed the wording of the original documents as closely and as literally as possible – hence the name “word-for-word”. The translators of these Bibles recognized that this approach wouldn’t necessarily make for the smoothest reading in English; but the priority was to make sure that every word and phrase was translated as accurately and as literally as possible. Some of the most popular and respected of these types of Bibles would be the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the New King James Version (NKJV), and of course, the old King James Version (KJV).
    Another type of Bible translation is called a “dynamic equivalency” translation. In these Bibles, the translators didn’t so much seek word-for-word accuracy in their translation, but rather sought to accurately capture the broader meaning of the original writers. Their translation was intended to reproduce the same sort of experience and understanding in the modern English reader as would have been experienced by the ancient reader of the original Greek or Hebrew text. This means that, in some cases, a literal word-for-word accuracy would need to be sacrificed in order to create a smoother English reading that captures the meaning as a modern reader would understand it. The most popular and respected of these kinds of translations would be the New International Version (NIV), the New Living Translation (NLV), and the Good News Bible (GDB).
    In addition to these, a third type of Bible is a “paraphrase”. This type of Bible isn’t really a “translation”; because it doesn’t try to make an accurate translation from the original languages. Instead, a knowledgeable Bible scholar sought to “re-express” what the Bible says in a way that would be meaningful to a modern English reader – sort of like putting it in their own words. These types of Bibles, while very good and helpful to read, are meant mostly for devotional reading, and should not be used for serious study. The most popular of these are The Living Bible (LB) and The Message.
    There are a couple of things you might find helpful to consider in picking a translation of the Bible. You might consider, first, how you will be using this Bible. (A “formal equivalency” translation, for example, is the best to use for serious, accurate study. But a “dynamic equivalency” translation may prove easier to read for someone that is new at reading the Bible.) Second, consider which version will make it easiest to study with other people in church. (I believe it’s good and helpful for us to have a variety of translations to study from in discussion groups, because we can gain insights by seeing the differences. But it can also become a real distraction if the version you’re using is different from the one that’s being publically read from, or that’s being used in a sermon.)
    Almost all of the translations I’ve mentioned have been published as excellent “Study Bibles” – that is, with helpful notes, maps, and charts that aid your understanding of what the Bible says. And almost all of them have been published in “large print” editions, that would make it much easier to read.
    Personally, I use four different translations a whole lot. I enjoy comparing the King James Version, the New American Standard Version, and the New International Version; but the translation I have personally chosen as my “main” Bible is the New King James Version. It is based on a different Greek text than the NASB or the NIV (as well as than the old King James Version); but I appreciate its elegant style and its accuracy. Plus, it’s very similar to the old King James Version (which was what I read when I first started reading the Bible), but doesn’t use thearchaic language the KJV is famous for (the old “thees” and “thys”). Some of the best “Study Bibles” in the NKJV are the Nelson Study Bible, the New Geneva Study Bible, the Believer’s Study Bible (now published as The Holy Bible: Baptist Study Edition), and The MacArthur Study Bible. (For the other versions, I believe the New NIV Study Bible, and the Ryrie Study Bible in either the NIV, NASB, or KJV are excellent. The new NASB Study Bible is very good too, because it adapts the notes from the NIV Study Bible and applies them to the NASB.) Several of these, also, can be bought in a large print edition.

    * * * * * * * * * *

    This, obviously, relates to your second question. There have been several “Gender-neutral” Bibles introduced to the market lately. The motivation behind these editions of the Bible is to prevent someone from being turned-off from reading the Bible because of what seems like a gender bias in the Bible’s text. Some of the changes that are being suggested in these translations are legitimate and sensible. For example, when the Bible speaks of “mankind” (a word that has fallen out of favor with many today), the word in the original language can often be legitimately translated into the more gender-neutral terms “humankind” or “humanity”. If a word is truly non-gender-specific in the original language, then it’s certainly proper (perhaps even more accurate) to translate them into non-gender-specific English words.
    But many of these translations go beyond “translating” and into the realm of “interpreting” – or, even worse, “changing” the original meaning of the text so that it wont offend anyone. Some of these translations choose to use non-gender-specific words (“people” or “persons”), even though the meaning and intention of the original word is unquestionably gender-specific (“man/male” or “woman/female”). This is to tamper with God’s word; and that’s something that should never be done!
    Certainly, we should never “offend” people unnecessarily. But changing the meaning or intention of God’s revealed words in order to accommodate “political correctness” is wrong. No translator has a right to change what God has said – no matter how disagreeable it might be to modern tastes (Psalm 12:6-7; Matthew 5:18; 24:35; Rev. 22:18-19). To do so is to choose to offend God in order not to offend people. Translations that do this show a disregard for the sanctity of God’s word, cannot be considered reliable, and should be avoided. Modern readers of the Bible must change their thinking to conform to the word of God, rather than the word of God be changed to conform to the thinking of modern readers.
    Pastor Greg

  • Kneeling While Praying?

    Dear Pastor Greg,
    “I pray everyday, the longest before going to sleep. But rarely do I ever get on my knees. It’s not because of bad knees, it’s more of being lazy or comfort. Do you think that weakens my prayer?” – Joni
    Dear Joni:
    Thanks for writing. The Bible doesn’t teach that the effectivness of our prayers depends on our bodily posture. In fact, we find examples in the Scriptures of lots of different postures being used in prayer. We find that King Solomon prayed a very serious prayer before the alter in the temple on his knees with his hands spread out before God (1 Kings 8:54). But we find that his father, King David, “sat” before the Lord and prayed (2 Samuel 7:18). Nehemiah, a servant of the king of Persia, prayed a very important prayer while standing in service before the king (Nehemiah 2:4). Jonah, of course, prayed while in the belly of a great fish (Jonah 2:2-9); and we can only imagine what sort of bodily position that would have required! King Hezekiah even prayed while very sick in his bed, turning his face to the wall (2 Kings 20:1-3). Psalm 4:4 strongly suggests that it’s certainly acceptable to pray to God while laying in bed. Given the variety of prayers we find in Scripture, I believe our prayers aren’t hindered if we do not kneel.
    Prayer is the act of talking to God, and pouring out our concerns to Him. God loves us through His Son Jesus; and He delights in hearing from us. He isn’t nearly as concerned about our bodily position in prayer as we usually are. I believe His greatest concern is the condition of the heart being carried around in that body. We could have a very reverent body posture in prayer (even kneeling), and yet not have God hear our prayers because our hearts were not right with Him. Unrepentant sin can keep God from hearing our prayers (Isaiah 59:1-2; Psalm 66:18); or pride (Matthew 6:5; Luke 18:9-14); or even ill-treatment of one’s spouse (1 Peter 3:7).
    Perhaps it’s best to let each situation determine which posture would be appropriate in prayer. The posture of our body should help us get our focus on Him rather than becoming a distraction to us, or become an end in itself. There are times when kneeling would be the most appropriate and natural way to communicate a reverent and humble heart in praying about a very serious matter. There are times when standing would be appropriate in a formal setting, such as during congregational prayer in church. There are other times when laying in bed and chatting with God is an appropriate and normal way to communicate our thankfulness for His love and care for us at the end of the day. There are times when praying quietly while walking, or driving, or standing in line is the appropriate way to turn our immediate concerns over to God’s sovereign care. It’s wonderful that the Almighty God allows us to speak to Him at any time, anywhere! What a privilege! The key to it all is to make sure our hearts are reverently submitted to God, that all known sin is confessed to Him, and that we have a clear conscience before Him. If we do that, the matter of our body posture will take care of itself.
    Pastor Greg

  • The Order of Melchizedek

    Dear Pastor Greg,
    The Bible tells us that Jesus was a priest after the Order of Melchizedek rather than the imperfect Levitical priesthood from the lineage of Aaron. What is it that God wants me to understand by this, here and now, in my life?
    Dear Friend:
    I believe that the Bible’s teaching about Melchizedek is extremely important for us as Christians to understand. But before we get into its practical impact on us, let’s think very briefly about this man Melchizedek himself. He’s found in three key passages: the Bible introduces him to us in Genesis 14, connects him to Jesus in Psalm 110, and explains that connection in Hebrews 7. I think that when you see what the Bible says about him in these three passages, you’ll appreciate why God wants you to know about him.
    According to Genesis 14:18-20, Melchizedek was the king of the land of Salem; but he was also a priest of “God Most High”. The importance of this king/priest is highlighted to us long before Israel became a nation, in that he blessed Abram (that is, Abraham, from whom Israel came) following an important military victory. As a result, Abraham gave him a tenth of the spoils of his victory. “Now beyond all contradiction,” as the writer of Hebrews tells us, “the lesser is blessed by the better” (Heb. 7:7). He also points out that the Levites, who received the tithes of the people in the old priesthood, themselves paid tithes to Melchizedek through Abraham (vv. 4-10). This marked Melchizedek out as one who is greater than the Levite priesthood that would eventually come from Abraham’s body. So; the first point to remember about Melchizedek is that his priesthood was established early on as a greater priesthood than that which was yet to come through Abraham’s offspring, Levi.
    A second thing to remember about him is that, unlike the temporary Levitical priesthood that came from Abraham, the priesthood of Melchizedek is to be understood as eternal. In Psalm 110, God gives us this prophecy about the Messiah through King David; “The LORD has sworn, and will not relent, ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek’” (Ps. 110:4). Here, the Messiah (Jesus) is called “a priest forever”; signifying that His priestly office is an eternal one. The writer of Hebrews elaborates on this, saying that Melchizedek was a king/priest “without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually” (Heb. 7:3). This isn’t saying that Melchizedek himself lived forever; but is simply saying that his priesthood isn’t bound to a specific genealogy, exercised for only a limited period in a lifetime (as was the priesthood of the Levites). Jesus is like Melchizedek in that He is a priest “not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life” (v. 16). “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (v. 25).
    One of the key themes of the Book of Hebrews is that the people of God must now trust Jesus as the Priest of a new and better covenant with God – one that replaces and fulfills the old covenant that was administered through the Levitical priesthood. The writer of Hebrews had to establish that the priestly order of the Levites was temporary in nature; and that Jesus is of a priestly order that holds supremacy over the old one. To do this, he established that Jesus is our priest “in the order of Melchizedek”. Therefore, by God’s own oath (Psalm 110:4), “Jesus has become a surety [or guarantee] of a better covenant” (Heb. 7:22).
    * * * * * * * * * *
    And here’s what all this has to do with us: We in the Protestant/Evangelical tradition sometimes mistakenly believe that we no longer need a priesthood; but this isn’t true at all! We’re fallen sinners; and have always needed a priesthood – and always will. What we’ve always needed however is a priesthood unlike the old one – not a limited, human, fallible priesthood of men who themselves needed to be cleansed of their own sins before they could do us any good; but one that is superior to that old priesthood. And the practical importance of understanding Jesus as a priest in the order of Melchizedek is that He forever fulfills our need for this new priesthood. His is an unchangeable, eternal priesthood performed by One who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. The writer of Hebrews says, “Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man” (8:1-2).
    So in answer to your question: God wants us to understand Jesus as our High Priest in the order of Melchizedek; because once we do, we will cease from trying to earn God’s favor through a system of works that couldn’t save us, and will rest confidently in the full sufficiency of Jesus’ finished work for us forever. Nothing could ever make us more sufficient before God than to have such an all-sufficient High Priest as Jesus – a High Priest of the superior order of Melchizedek. And praise God: by faith, we do!
    Pastor Greg

  • September 11, 2001

    Dear Pastor Greg,
    After the horrors of this morning’s events in the east, I have to wonder what we can do? My kids are all numb and almost destroyed psychologically — what can I tell them (and me) to ease the pain. Prayer I know….
    It is so hard when one doesn’t even know the enemy!! I have strong thoughts about who it might be, but they are connected to no country or government. What to do?
    Can you give any comforting words about this?
    Dear Friend:
    Thanks for your note. I was glad to see you at the prayer meeting last night … I hope that our time of praying together helped ease some of the anxiety that you expressed in your note.
    I wish I had answers. Everyone asks “Why” at times like this; but of course, there’s no reasonable answer. The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9). And I feel that, yesterday, we were shown a depth of evil that makes us agree that it’s something we can’t fully know or understand. The next verse says, though, “I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Even though I can’t fully understand the reasons why human beings could sink to the depths we saw yesterday (I don’t think any of us can understand it this side of glory); I know that God not only knows the depths of such evil minds, but is also able to administer ultimate justice to those who perpetrate such unspeakable evil.
    You asked what we can tell people at times like this; and I think that we can freely admit that we don’t have all the answers. But I think we should readily affirm that God does. We can affirm that God is good, because He sent His Son to die on a cross to save people from the ultimate consequences of evil. We can affirm that God understands our pain and confusion, because His own Son experienced the pain and death we feel on earth through the cross. We can affirm that evil has a source, first in the devil who is a rebel against God, and second in the fall of mankind through the scheming of the devil; and that God has done something about the root cause of it all in sending Jesus to die and to be raised on our behalf.
    Perhaps we won’t have such a hard time affirming the fact of man’s falleness now; since people have seen it first-hand in such a horrible way. (It’s going to be pretty hollow whenever someone brags about the supposed ‘ultimate goodness of mankind’.) And I think that this would be a truly hopeless world if we couldn’t point to the cross of Jesus and say, “See? Yes this is an evil world; and it’s our fault that it is, because we’re sinners. But it’s not a hopeless world; because look what God had done to save us!” Someone once said that this world will become so dark with sin that the light of the good news of Jesus will shine even brighter by contrast. The Bible tells us that God works in this world so that people “should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us …” (Acts 17:27). People are certainly groping for Him now. And so, in answer to the question, “What can we do?”; I think the most important thing we can do is point people to Jesus, so they can be delivered from the dreadful effects of sin and be transformed from the inside out.
    We can also be praying for our leaders. God has commanded us to do that (1 Tim. 2:1-8). And I think also that such horrible tragedies as the one we saw yesterday should be the call for us to show the love of Christ to people in need. We can give blood, or send money, or food, or medical
    supplies – and not least of all, our prayers; and do it all in Jesus’ name.
    As far as what can we do militarily “when one doesn’t even know the enemy”; on a temporal level, we can pray for our leaders while they are seeking to investigate this awful act of war. We can pray that they’ll find the parties responsible and bring them to justice – as much justice, of course, as it’s within the power of human governments to administer. (There is a point where we can do no more, and must trust the ultimate justice of God.) But I also believe that we can know who – ultimately – the enemy behind all this is. We’re at war with this enemy, ultimately, because we belong to God – and he is at war against God. And we can rejoice in the fact that he is an enemy who has been overcome by the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 12:11) – a defeated enemy doomed to be cast soon into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:10).
    I believe with all my heart that God will bring good out of something that seems so horribly evil. I wish I could say we’ll see all the good God will bring from it in our lifetime on earth; but I don’t know that I can say that. But I believe that, by faith, God is at work even now – even as you read this note – in ways that demonstrate His greater power over evil. He’ll show it, and we’ll see it soon. We need to keep praying that His Son will be glorified in the midst of all this, and that the world will see it, too.
    I don’t know if that answers every question you might have. (I’m sure it doesn’t. It was an awfully big question.) But those are the things I’ve been thinking. God bless you.
    Pastor Greg