Paul: The Teaching Pastor

A Biblical Understanding of Teaching/Preaching according to Pauline Literature 

            Teaching is one of the most important elements that a Christian can utilize in the reaching the degenerated world and discipling the regenerate.  Teaching can take many forms, from a formal classroom means of delivery, to home studies and then even behind the pulpit, which has become the clergies primary method of instruction.   

I. MOTIVATION of Biblical Pastoral Teaching – The Great Commission: 

            A. Command to make disciples of all nations 

Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Jesus’ last message to His disciples and indeed to all Christians was to give them their obligation and duty to accomplish.  In the Great Commission, Christ issued an edict to all Christians to “make disciples.”  In making disciples, it doesn’t just mean sharing the Gospel message and leaving it at that, but sharing the Gospel and then training/teaching that disciple (which literally means follower) in the way that he should take.  True discipleship therefore, involves an intensive exercise of Biblical teaching. 

            B. Command to make disciples by means of teaching 

Matthew 28: 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.  To make followers of Himself, Jesus was admonishing His disciples to accomplish this task by means of teaching.  The Greek word poreuqe,ntej is a participle of means.  We are to make disciples of all nations, by means of teaching them. 

            C. The power of the Gospel 

Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. ¹⁷ For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.  The power of the Gospel is one of the motivations for teaching and preaching.  It is through this that Paul is proclaiming his dedication to the message of salvation and declaring that it is for “the Jew first and also for Greek.” 

            D. The body of Christ has many members, with unique abilities 

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. ²⁸ And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?  The church is made up of many different skilled people.  They are all skilled in different things.  This passage advocates the Christian using his area of strength for the glory of God.  Everyone does not have he gift of teaching, but everyone does have a specific area of excellence that they can use to strengthen the church. 

            E. A true servant of God must teach others            2 Timothy 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient.  One of the primary responsibilities of the pastor is to teach.  Paul is writing to his beloved son in the faith and admonishing him on pastoral skills, that all ministers need to sharpen and implement in their ministry.  There are different types of teaching.  Some involve small groups, house visitation and the most used today, preaching. 

Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.  One key aspect of the pastor is to be such a true servant of God and able to teach, that he can convince those who wouldn’t hearken.   

II. METHODOLOGY of Biblical Pastoral Teaching: 

            A. The House Church 

In Acts 20 the Apostle Paul, stated that in Ephesus he taught in public and from house to house.            B. The Open Air Services 

In Acts 16 Paul taught Lydia the seller of purple in a part of Macedonia.  Also in Acts 17 Paul taught on Mars Hill, expounding to the people.  He sought out something that they had that he could connect with them.  They had an alter to the unknown God, so he began to teach them about one that they did not know.   

            C. The Jail Ministry  

In Acts 16 Paul and Silas began their jail ministry.  Their method of teaching was to sing the majesty of God.  They sang so well, that they brought the house down. 

            D. The Extended Ministry  

Paul also stayed for extended periods of teaching at certain times.  In Acts 18, he stayed at Corinth for six months, teaching the word of God to them 

            E. Reasoning in the Synagogues  

In Acts 13:5 Paul taught in the synagogue at Salamis, he went to an established place of worship and preached Christ and the gospel to the Jews.  The end result was that the deputy believed, being astonished at the doctrine that Paul taught.  He taught them from the stories of the Old testament (Acts 13 – David, Moses, etc.). 

III. MECHANICS of Biblical Teaching: When, What 

            A. Practice what you teach/preach 

Romans 2:21 you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? In order to be an effective teacher/preacher, one must put into daily practice what one teaches.  Paul is proclaiming that you cannot teach one thing and do another, such actions are called hypocrisy. .   

Titus 2:7 In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, ⁸ Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.  Teacher must be of such examplatory character that someone that is trying to condemn you cannot do so, because of anything that you have done. 

            B. Preparing the foundation (Building up to more difficult subjects) 

1 Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.  Teachers lay foundation blocks in young children’s mind.  As child developed throughout his life, he has many teachers, each taking their turn to build on that person’s life and aiding them to become the person God wants them to be. 

            C. The world is my class room 

1 Corinthians 4:15-17 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.  The responsibility of teaching is not just something that you present once to an individual but it is a process of accountability as you help that disciple of Christ grow in grace.  This gospel is not just something you preach in one church but to everyone, in every church, so that you may be His witnesses, both in your hometown, neighborhoods, nation, and world (Acts 1:8). 

            D. Comprehendible lecture 

1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.  The teaching and proclaiming of the gospel message is not to be so complicated that your students cannot understand.  It is a simple clear message that is important, not the presentation of an exalted vocabulary.  

 

            E. Teach no new doctrine 

Romans 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.  Avoid those who teach another doctrine than that which has been taught from the beginning.  What is essentially new is essentially false.   

Ÿ         1 Timothy 1:3 As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine.   

Ÿ         Titus 2:1 But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. 

            F. Proper structure of the classroom/what to teach?            1 Corinthians 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.  There is a proper structure to the classroom.  One must operate the classroom properly and in order (1 Corinthians 14:40). 

1 Corinthians 3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ. ² I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able. ³ For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?  The lesson plans of the teacher should not have to stay on basic Christian doctrine forever, but as a student walks with God, there must be a deepening in their relationship, so that they can change their diet from “milk to steak.” 

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  Teaching involves a spirit of admonition, as well as a spirit of worship to the Almighty God. 

IV. MILITANT PURPOSE of Biblical Teaching    

            A. Discipling  

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore into all the world and make disciples… 

            B. Admonishing the Brethren 

2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.  In teaching of the word, we must be ready and persistent and encouraging our people with good teaching. 

            C. Teaching about Christ 

The heartbeat of the Christian message.  Wherever Paul stopped he preached Christ to them. 

1 Corinthians 1:23 But we preach Christ crucified… 

            D. Guarding the weak Believer  

Romans 15:1 Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves.  The teacher also ought to protect the young disciplee until they can “get off the bottle” and start enjoying “the meat of the gospel.”  A teacher ought to place others ahead of his own interest and self-rights.  It comes down to the fact, does the teacher really love the student?  If so the student’s interests will be placed before that of the teacher. 

            E. Establish correct thinking 

2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears. 

            F. Communicate all good things 

Galatians 6:6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 

            G. Perfecting of the saints and edifying of the body of Christ 

Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; ¹² For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.  The primary work of the teacher is the equipping of the saints.  This equipping is for: 1) The work of the ministry; and 2) The edifying of the body of Christ. 

V. MAGNIFICENT REWARD of Biblical Teaching:                        A. The harkening pupil is no longer the servant of sin 

Romans 6:17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed. 

            B. Pupils that reproduce themselves (prepared for the ministry) 

2 Timothy 2:2 And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 

            C. The firmly persuaded pupil 

Colossians 1:28 We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.   

2 Timothy 1:12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. 

            D. The development of their individual gifts of the Spirit 

Romans 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: ⁵ So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. ⁶ Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; ⁷ Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; ⁸ Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 

Conclusion: 

If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching. ~ Paul the Apostle

The False Witness

Summary of the Cult 

      The Jehovah Witnesses are a worldwide organization with approximately 6 million members worldwide.  They have approximately 700,000 full-time witnesses and have 5 million bible studies each week.  This organization was founded in 1884 as “
Zion’s Watchtower Tract Society.   The founders name was Charles Russell who was a devious character who suggested his books were better to read than the bible and was divorced by his wife in 1913 for adultery, conceit, egotism and domination. The Jehovah Witnesses also have their own translation of the Bible, called the New World Translation © 1961. 

Errant Teachings and Refutation:

        The first item to exam when studying cult evangelism, is the organization itself and the function of its founder in its history.  This organization is founded upon the principle that they are the only true witnesses of God.  The support this by using their translation, the New World Translation, Isaiah 43:10 “You are my witnesses.”  The refutation for this title that they give themselves if found clearly in the context of this verse.  This verse is not referring to a religious group, but to
Israel as a whole.  The emphasis that the Jehovah Witnesses place upon it is a clear misrepresentation of the scriptures. 

   The second errant teaching of the Jehovah Witnesses is in reference to their biblical version that they “translated.” The Jehovah Witnesses developed their own translation in 1961, called the New World Translation.  This version was supposedly developed as a more clear translation and was supposed to be more true to the Hebrew and Greek text, than the King James Version.  This version has many fallacies in it and this version was clearly written in an attempt to distort passages and to make them conform to Watchtower doctrine.  In the NWT there are many examples of how they have twisted the scriptures in order to mature their doctrinal beliefs.  An example of this is observed in John 1:1 where it says “The Word was a god” rather than “the Word was God.”  There translation is contrary to Greek grammar and is a clear misinterpretation of the definite article.  Also a statement that can be made to a Jehovah Witness to show how this is a misuse of the definite article, is that if they translate John 1:1 the way that they do, they must believe in more than one God.

       Other examples of the misinterpretations of the Jehovah Witnesses translation is seen in their translation of Colossians 1:16 in which they had the word other to the statement about Christ creating the world.  This completely changes the theology of the passage and is a clear misrepresentation of the Greek text.  The Watchtower also adds the name Jehovah in many insistences in the Bible.  In actually this word Jehovah is a made up word.  When the English speaking people of King James’ day translated this they did not know that this word was actually the Hebrew name Yahweh with the vowels of Adonai.  The Watchtower’s translation of the bible is based on bias and the translators, (only one having a college education), were focused only on propagating Jehovah Witness doctrine. 

     The second major mistake in the doctrinal teachings of the Jehovah Witnesses is that there are many fallacies and heresies that are present in their teaching.  The Jehovah Witnesses can be easily discredited by their numerous false prophecies that they have predicted over the last century.  In the book of Deuteronomy 18:17-22 it lists the qualifications of a false prophet and tells us how we can discern false prophets.

   And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken. ¹⁸ I       will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my          words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. ¹⁹ And it      shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak    in my name, I will require it of him. ²⁰ But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a             word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the    name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. ²¹ And if thou say in thine heart, How      shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? ²² When a prophet speaketh           in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou             shalt not be afraid of him. 

    The clear definition of a false prophet in this passage is that if the things he predicts does not come to pass, then he is a false prophet.  Some examples of this can be seen in the Watchtower prediction that Armageddon would occur in 1914.  A second prediction that they made was that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would return from the dead in 1925.  A third prediction that they have made is that the end of the 6,000 years of human history would be in 1975.  All of these predictions never came to pass so we know from scripture that the are false prophets. Matthew 7:15 says, Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 

     This fallacy in the Watchtower organization is emphasized by Charles Russell who prophesied that Christ would return in 1874.  When that did not occur, he changed the date to 1914.  When that did not happen either, he claimed that Christ had in fact retuned, but in an invisible sense and had begun to reign over the earth through the Watchtower organization.  They believe that in 1874 Jesus caught up the apostles and the dead members of the 144,000; 1914 was the time of the Gentiles ended and Christ began to reign and in 1918 He came to the spiritual temple and begun the judgment of the nations.   

      The third error in the teachings of the Jehovah Witnesses is in their teaching of the trinity.  They believe that the trinity is a doctrine originated by Satan so that the hearts of men would be turned away to follow after a polytheistic god.  The refutation for this is clear.  The Jehovah Witnesses also except the King James Version as a expectable version along with the NWT.  In the King James and even in the NWT the doctrine of the trinity can be proven by examining a number of passages in the scripture.  An example of how one can do this is by starting in Revelations 1:8 (God is the father), Isaiah 44:6 (only 1 God), Revelations 22:7 (I come quickly), Revelations 22:17 (I come quickly), Revelations 22:13 (Alpha and Omega), Revelations 22:20 (Jesus is the one who comes quickly), Acts 5:3 (Holy Spirit is God), and Acts 5:4 (Holy Spirit is a person – can only lie to a person).  Therefore from this we can deduce that there is three persons, one called God the Father, God the son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit. 

     The fourth mistake in the Jehovah Witnesses’ doctrine is found in their understanding of Jesus Christ.  They believe that Jesus is really the archangel Michael, who was the first creation of God, who then created the rest of creation.   They believe that Jesus came in bodily form as a man, died on a stake and then rose from the dead in an invisible form (his body was dissolved in the gases).  They also teach that Jesus returned in 1914 to rule over the earth in an invisible form and use the Watchtower as His mouth piece.  In Acts 1:3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the

kingdom of
God.  Also in 1 Corinthians 15 it also lists the numerous accounts of all that saw Jesus alive after His resurrection (Luke 24:36-40, John 2:19).  Even the point of their beliefs in which they state that Jesus died on a stake is unfounded, for the historical account in secular history is clear on the method of punishment as is the Greek language about this matter of Christ dieing on the cross.   As far as Christ returning in a spiritual sense to the earth in 1914, this is a violation of the prophecies in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 where it says, For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 

      The fifth fallacy presented by this cult is in there misunderstanding of the personage of the Holy Spirit.  They believe that the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force or simply God’s active force on this earth.  This is clearly wrong; for the scriptures specifically say that the Holy Spirit has all three components of a personage.  The three aspects of personality that he has displayed overall in Acts 5 where He is showed distinctly as separately as a person is he has a mind, will and emotion.  The mind is also proven by 1 Corinthians 2:10, the will by 1 Corinthians 12:11, and emotion Ephesians 4:30.    

      The sixth error in the Jehovah Witnesses doctrine is in their understanding of the atonement.  They believe that the death of Christ removed the effects of Adam’s sin and that mankind is now placed into a position in which he can work out his own salvation.  In John 14:6, Jesus says to “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” 

     In their belief of the atonement they also have a misrepresented belief of what salvation is.  They believe salvation is earned through their works as found in the epistle of James.  They fail to understand that Jesus fulfilled every part of the redemptive process and that all that we need to do is repent, believe and receive the free gift of salvation (Acts 3:19).  Also in Ephesians 2:8 it says For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. 

     A seventh fallacy is found in their eschatological beliefs.  The Jehovah Witnesses have many strange beliefs such as they will fight against the rest of the world with Jesus on their side and that the only ones who will go to heaven are the 144,000 and they will stay here on the paradise earth.  They also believe that there is no hell or lake of fire, but it is the grave and nothing more.  In Matthew 18:8 and Matthew 25:41-46 refer to the fact that there is a hell and a sport prepared for the devil and his angels and for those of God’s creation who reject Jesus as the messiah.        The Jehovah Witnesses have many strange beliefs.  They refuse to celebrate Christmas (it is worldly) and they do not celebrate birthdays because throughout the bible they only have connection with unpleasant events.  They also refuse to take blood transfusions as they believe that it would be like eating blood, which is forbidden by the scripture.                                            The Jehovah Witness also believes that it is alright to lie to a person in order to further their cause.  An example of this was found in Communist East Germany, where they would lie to public officials about who they were.  A more startling example is given by F.W. Thomas in his book Masters of Deception.  He related an account in which he was handing out tracts he had written revealing the fallacies of the Jehovah Witnesses.  He handed one of these to a JW and that man lied directly to him saying that he knew the author of the tract personally and that he was a disgruntled member who had robbed the organization of public funds.  He relates how he confronted the man with his lie by producing his driver’s license to prove that he was the author and that he had never been a Jehovah Witness.  The man refused to apologize and excused it as a means in which the world could be saved at any cost.  Some excuses the give for lying is that Rahab lied about the two Israelites hiding in her house and that Abraham, Isaac and King David lied on several occasions.  Regardless of the out come it is never right to do wrong.   

Witnessing to a Witness:   The Jehovah Witnesses are an organization that reaches out daily to the world with a passion to convince people of their beliefs.  They are also people that need to here the good news of the Gospel.  We can witness to them by simple following the two greatest commandments, love God and love our neighbour, basically let Jesus shine through.   

Here are some ways that Christians can share Jesus with a Jehovah Witness:  

1. Identity with a Jehovah Witness.  Show them that you value them as people and always remember that they were people before they were a cultist.   

2. Discuss persistently with a Jehovah Witness.  Talk with them until they refuse and walk away.  Share the gospel with them, it may be the only time they here it (Isaiah 55:11, Hebrews 4:12). 

3. Answer to the best of your ability every question that a Jehovah Witness asks you.  Also be prepared, study about them and what they believe.  They know very well what they believe and have bible verses and explanations that convince them of it.  This is why it is important to study and for Christians to know their Bibles well.   

4. Allow a Jehovah Witness to back away so that he can save his self image. 

5. Don’t approach a Jehovah Witness with a feeling of resentment and hatred.  If we are going to reflect Christ we must act like Him.  Be patient with a Jehovah Witness.  Listen to what they have to say as well and show them in love and kindness where their wrong and try to reconcile them to Christ. 

Conclusion: 

The Jehovah Witnesses are a growing religion and we as believers must be able to share the gospel with them.  We need to study and be more proficiently so that we can be in a place to do more than just tell them we disagree but prove to them in a loving way through the scriptures that they are following a way which leads to destruction.  Jehovah’s Witnesses are committed people and are people that we as conservative holiness Christians can learn from in the fervor for witnessing and their friendliness to those in the community around them.  We must pray for these six million people and love them to Jesus. 

Purpose of the Law: “Not under Law, but under Grace”

Modern and liberal scholarship has placed great emphasis on the suggestion that the law no longer is applicable in today’s Church world.  Greg Bahnsen, the dominion theologian, emphasizes in his book By this Standard that “a common working assumption is that the New Testament believers are not expected by God to live to the Old Testament stipulations.” This has become an issue of great controversy in current scholarship. 

The viewpoints emphasized by the various theological camps are numerous, with some declaring that a shift in our adherence to Old Testament law has been altered and some declaring that it remains the same.  Bahnsen supports the idea that the Old Testament is linked to the New Testament and together their form a continuance of God’s law.  He said “The Bible teaches that we should presume continuity between the ethnical standards of the New Testament and those of the Old, rather than abbreviating the validity of God’s law according to some preconceived and artificial limits.”

Old Testament Law still has a purpose for the New Testament dispensation: 

In Romans 15:4, the Apostle Paul gives the very purpose of the Old Testament.  Paul said that basically everything that is written in the Old Testament was written to teach us, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  The two testaments are indivisible; they depend upon each other for interpretation and comprehension.  Bahnsen says “the New Testament should interpret the Old Testament for us.”  The testaments are not two separate books, but one book, and with one key purpose: to guide mankind into a personal relationship with God. 

The Law is not just an isolated writing in the Old Testament, but it is also established in the New Testament.  Romans 3:31 says “Do we make void the law through faith?  God forbid: yea we establish the law.”  An individual who proclaims that they “are not under the law, but under grace” is saying that the New Covenant makes void the Old Covenant teachings.  The Old Testament law remains God’s standard and as a result it is “holy, just, good, and spiritual” (Romans 7:12, 14).

The real meaning of “not under the law, but under grace” can be summarized in the eight functions of God’s law.  Only seven of these principles apply to the Christian, because of the act of repentance that justifies us and declares us righteous before God.

1. The law is designed to impart wisdom to us so we can know the truth and please God.

Psalm 119:98 Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine.  Psalm 119:142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth. 

Deuteronomy 4:6 “So keep and do them, for that is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’

2. The law is designed to reveal Christ.

Luke 24:44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”  

Galatians 3:24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.

3. The law is designed to teach us how to be saved by faith, not by the works of the law.

Psalm 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.   Romans 7:10 and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me.  

Galatians 3:24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.   Galatians 3:21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law.  Romans 9:31 but
Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. ³² Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone,  

Romans 3:28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

4. The law is designed to encourage faith in God and obedience to His commands.

Joshua 1:7 “Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. ⁸ “This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.  

2 Kings 21:8 “And I will not make the feet of Israel wander anymore from the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them.”

5. The law is deigned to teach us how to love God by fearing Him and keeping His commandments.

Deuteronomy 10:12 “Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,   Deuteronomy 11:1 “You shall therefore love the LORD your God, and always keep His charge, His statutes, His ordinances, and His commandments.  

Deuteronomy 11:13 “It shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul,

6. The law is designed to teach us how to be blessed and happy.

Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.   Psalm 40:8 I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart.”  

Psalm 119:1 Aleph. How blessed are those whose way is blameless, Who walk in the law of the LORD.

7. The law is designed to reveal the sinfulness of sin and help restrain man’s sinful tendencies.

Romans 3:20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.   Romans 5:20 The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.  

Romans 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the Law sin? May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, “YOU SHALL NOT COVET.”  Galatians 3:19 Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made.  

1 Timothy 1:9 realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers

8. The law is designed to bring a sense of guilt and condemnation on those who willfully violate God’s law.

Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God. Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT ABIDE BY ALL THINGS WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW, TO PERFORM THEM.”   Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us– for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE “ 

The context of the term “law” in Pauline writings can have a few different meanings.  In one sense he uses it to refer to the Ten Commandments (Romans 13:8; 7:7).  In another sense he uses it to refer to an individual law (Romans 7:2-3).  A third sense is that he uses it to refer to the whole Old Testament (1 Corinthians 14:21, “In the law it is written…” ).  Paul also uses the term “law” to refer to rule or principle in which he speaks of the “law of faith” in Romans 3:27.  He also uses it as a legalistic term in reference to the misinterpretation of scripture (Romans 7:6; 2 Corinthians 3:6).

The Old Testament and the Proper Use of the Law: 

The law, since the time of the fall, has become a means of condemnation and death.  The pre-fall period, would have brought life and well-being for obedience, but the law cannot bring about a means of justification in the life of a sinner.  The law in the hearts of men, can only be lived out through a spirit of obedience and servitude (a personal relationship with God), which results in the law being established through grace, by faith.

a)      The law declares the character of God and so reveals His glory – the kind of lifestyle and attitudes which the Lord requires of His people tells us about our God.

b)      The law displays the demand of God upon our lives as men – The law’s commands show us how we are to be like God, by clinging to His will for us.

c)      The law pronounces blessing upon adherence to its demands – God’s law is for our own well-being (Deuteronomy 10:13) and obedience to them is the pure delight of the righteousness of man (Psalm 1:1-2).

d)      The law provides a definition of sin – The law illustrates a standard of sin.  In 1 John 3:4 it declares that sin is “lawlessness.”

e)      The law exposes infractions and convicts of sin – The law judges thoughts and the intent of the heart.  It brings conviction on our sinfulness.

f)        The law works to incite rebellion in sinful men – It makes a sinner more defined in his rebellion against a holy God.

g)      The law condemns all transgressions as deserving God’s wrath and curse – God’s law brings justice and punishment for those who refuse to adhere to its principles.

h)      The law drives us to Christ for salvation – The lost have no hope if they chose to live a life apart from Christ.

i)        The law guides the sanctification of the believer – The law gives us a pattern in which to live our lives by in faithful service to God.

j)        The law also serves to restrain the evil of the unregenerate – The law is used to restrain the outward evil of ungodly and fallen man.

The Old Testament and Jesus Christ: 

Jesus did not come to cancel out the Old Testament, but He rather came to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17).  He did not come to perfect the law, for it was already complete (Psalm 19:7; Romans 7:12).  His purpose of His coming was not to make the law more internal, for it was already commanded in the Old Testament the requirement of an internal obedience to God (Deuteronomy 6:5-6; Psalm 51:10).

Jesus never contradicted the law.  In His Sermon on the Mount when He said “you have heard it said, but I say unto you” He was not contradicting the law.  It was rather a contradiction in regards to the tradition of the elders which were not in harmony with God’s law.  “Jesus never contradicted the law during His teaching ministry.”  We must obey all of God’s commandments.  As Bahnsen says “those who are not striving to become rivals to God by replacing His commands according to their own wisdom will endeavor to reflect His moral perfection by obeying all of His commands.”

The holiness of God is reflected in the law.  The character of God is irrevocable, He is a constant, He never changes (Malachi 3:6).  “The law that shows His holiness cannot be changed because His holiness is unchangeable.  The law is a standard for being like Him and for knowing Him intimately.”

In Romans 10:4 it says “For Christ is the end of the law of righteousness to everyone that believes.”  This does not mean that Jesus is the literal end or conclusion of the law.  The word ‘end’ does not mean termination point, but it is the goal toward which the law is directing us.  Everything in the law illustrates some truth about God.

Christ obeyed all of the laws perfectly, therefore not requiring an sacrifice to atone for Himself.  He came to do the will of God (John 6:38) and He obeyed all of the commandments (John 15:10).  Therefore if Jesus kept the spirit of the law, it is certain that the believers today should endeavour to keep the law.

The Old Covenant, The New Covenant and the Law:  Jeremiah 31:31 “Behold, days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, ³² not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD. ³³ “But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares the LORD, “I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. 

 The New Covenant was initiated at the time of the first celebration of the Eucharist, before Christ was crucified.  “We live today under the New Covenant administration of the redemption and are reminded of that every time we partake of the Lord’s Supper.”  The New Covenant and the Old Covenant are the same.  God did not throw away the law when the New Covenant was initiated.  There were some new additions made to the covenant, but it was essentially the same, in that it was now a renewed covenant.  “The New Covenant is a renewal of the ancient promises with new additions.” 

The gospel messages of both covenants are the same.  In Genesis 12:3 and 22:18 it declares, “in your seed shall all the nations of the world be blessed.”  In Hebrews 4:2 it says that the gospel was preached to the children of
Israel in the wilderness, but it did not profit them because they did not exercise the required faith.  Members of both covenants are regenerated the same way, by faith.  Galatians 3:8 says “The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU.”  Paul clearly denies any significant contrast in the gospel message of the Old and New Covenants.  In Romans 9:31-32 he explains that the reason for
Israel not attaining to God’s standard of righteousness is because they sought righteousness by the works of the law, and not by faith.  Conclusion: The Law represents a large portion of Scripture and is as important today, as it was for the Old Testament believer.  God is unchanging and His law is unchanging, it is the same yesterday, today and forever.  The interpretation of the Old Testament is very important an must be considered in light of the universal principles and specific applications of the testament.  The Law, the Gospel and means of salvation are still the same.  We must obey the commandments, follow the gospel of peace and accept Christ as Lord and Saviour of our lives by faith, through grace.

Jesus Our Passover

The Passover was one on the most important festivals of the Jewish calendar, commemorating the Israeli deliverance from Egyptian bondage.  This feast and sacrifice was strictly observed (Exodus 12:43-49, Leviticus 23:4-8).  It had important ramifications in regard to the ministry of Christ.  In the origin of the Passover, the foundational element was illustrated in the applying of the blood, which is what is necessary in order to except the gift of God, through Jesus Christ.  The prefigurement of Christ can be seen in the Passover sacrifice and its call to remembrance of the gift of God.  

 

In What ways did the Passover prefigure Christ’s ministry? 

The Passover prefigured Christ ministry in three ways: 1) The Death of the Lamb-Crucifixion; 2) Prophecies of Messiah’s Redemption; and 3) the Passover-Lord Supper.  These elements presented in the Passover can also be seen in the prefigurement of the ministry of Christ. 

 

1) The Death of the Lamb-Crucifixion: The death of Jesus is linked historically with the Passover and took place around the 14^th day of Abhibh or Nisan. The crucifixion was around this season, and the comparison is focused upon the similarities between the Paschal Lamb and the anointed one of
Israel who gave his life for the sinners of the world.  The deaths of the Paschal Lamb laid upon the Jews a divine obligation to put away their old food and begin to eat new bread, so the death of Christ lays us under obligation to put away sin and begin to lead a new life.

 

The references in the Gospels refer to Jesus as the Lamb of God, giving a comparison between the Paschal Lamb and the Christ who gave His life for the lost.  John the Baptist proclaimed Christ to be “the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world” (John 1:29).  John the Baptist also said in this passage “look the Lamb of God,” which is the implication that Christ through his death was to the people of this day to what the lamb was to Israel before Christ became the perfect sacrifice that would take away the sins of the world.  The name of the Passover through the crucifixion of Christ and His resurrection was changed by the Christians to be known as Good Friday, which calls into remembrance of the substitution death of Christ.  The Messiah by His life, work, death and resurrection has accomplished eternal salvation (Hebrews 5:9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him).

 

2) Prophecies of Messiah’s Redemption:  The blood of the Lamb that was slain and sprinkled upon the door posts and lintels that protected them from the Angel of Death.  Just as God looked at Israel with compassion when they were in bondage in
Egypt, the Messiah looked upon all of mankind with that same compassion as they were held in the bondage of sin (Psalm 102:18-20), (Broadhurst, 55).  The redemption and atoning death that Jesus gave fulfilled every sacrifice of the law.  In the Passover He became the sin bearer.  The Paschal Lamb was to act as the substitute for
Israel, so that there firstborns could be saved.  The word Passover means “passing over” or “sparing.”.  This substitutional sacrifice with the unblemished Lamb was symbolic of the sacrifice that Christ gave on the cross (Isaiah 52:13-53:12).

 

The symbolic sprinkling of the blood upon the people in the later celebration of the Passover and this act of sprinkling of the blood was an act of sealing the covenant.  In the original Passover the blood was sprinkled upon the door, so Christ’s blood needs to be applied to the hearts of those who believe, which will save them from sins and death (Romans 6:23, I Corinthians 6:11, Ephesians 1:7).  The blood on the door also meant safety from judgment, so the blood of Christ means we can escape an inevitable and eternal judgment (Acts 4:12).    There is a great necessity just as it was at the time of the first Passover to apply the blood to our hearts, so that we can have confidence to enter the holy place through the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-25).  He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for us only, but also for the entire world (1 John 2:2).

 

3) the Passover-Lord Supper:  The Passover was a memorial meal for the Children of Israel to call to remembrance all that God had done for them in delivering them from their captivity in
Egypt.  In the book of Exodus 12:14 it says Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance.  This is referring to the remembrance of the Passover and what God had done for them in
Egypt.  In 1 Corinthians 11:24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”     

Jesus said to His disciples in reference to the Passover that they leave out the Paschal Lamb, the unleavened bread, and the bitter herbs.  Jesus said to take communion (the Lord’s Supper) in remembrance of Him, for the blood he shed for mankind (1 Corinthians 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. ²⁵ After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. ²⁶ For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.)  The Passover is symbolic of a past deliverance, just as the Last Supper is the remembrance and Thanksgiving for the body of Christ that was broken for us. 

What does 1 Corinthians 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened.  For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us,” mean?In 1 Corinthians 5:7 the Apostle Paul gives nine words in reference to the Messiah’s fulfilling the Passover sacrifice.  This verse of scripture is the great doctrine of the gospel. The Jews, after they had killed the Passover, kept the feast of unleavened bread. We also keep this feast but not for seven days only, but for all of our days. “We should die with our Saviour to sin, be planted into the likeness of his death by mortifying sin, and into the likeness of his resurrection by rising again to newness of life, and that internal and external. We must have new hearts and new lives.”    The entire life of a Christian must be a feast of unleavened bread. The Christian’s most common communications and religious performances must be holy.

Jesus’ Messianic activities reached a climax in the events of the Passover.  The crucifixion took place around the first day of the Passover.  The Lamb of God, which took the sins of the world upon Him, sacrificed His life for us and became that offering of liberation for all those who will choose to accept it.  Just as the sins of Israel were atoned for and they were no longer slaves of the Egyptians, so all that choose to have fellowship with God can be part of the redeemed people of God, for Christ was sacrificed for us.  The Passover redemption in the Old Testament represented the old covenant and the Gospel account of Christ sacrificial death represents the birth of the new covenant.  Christ sacrificial death is call to become pure and holy, to throw out the old leaven. Jesus became that lamb (John 1:29) and gave His life for mankind so that we could be saved from sin (Romans 6:6-11) (Beet, 88).

Conclusion:The elements in the Passover in reference to the blood sacrifice and to the Paschal Lamb that was slain easily apply to Christ’s sinless sacrifice on the cross.  The Apostle Paul developed this comparison by referring to Christ as our Passover.  This is the foundational illustrating factor of connection between the Passover and the Christian message.The Passover theme can be seen in Christ’s sacrificial death, which allowed the provision to be established for the forgiveness of sins to those who except the sacrifice.  The call to “do this in remembrance of me” can be seen in then necessity to keep the Lord’s Supper, just as the Jewish Orthodox keeps the Passover.  It is the Lord’s Passover!

Why I am a Protestant!

 On October 21, 1517, Martin Luther’s hammer echoed forth on the wooden door of the castle church in Wittenberg.  The ninety-five theses that were affixed that day are the hallmark of what the Protestant church confesses.  Imbedded in these ninety-five complaints against the Roman Catholic Church, are the three solas and one solus.  The Protestant church is much divided into its various denominations and associations, but they all accept the Bible as the absolute standard of their faith and practices, rejecting the supremacy of the pope, the sacramental system of the Roman Church, and the works salvation as a means to God.

SOLA SCRIPTURA

      Scripture Alone: The Bible is the absolute and final authority for all beliefs and practices.  Whenever something is to be found contrary to the scriptures it must be discarded.  This confession cuts deep into the Roman Catholic, emphasis of tradition and canonical law equal to or more than equal to Holy Scripture.  This belief means that the Scriptures alone, carries all that is necessary for salvation and atonement.  The emphasis that Protestant’s place on the importance of the Bible separates us from the Roman Catholic Church, which places its emphasis on the Pope, as the Vicar of Christ.

SOLA GRATIA

    Grace Alone: This is rooted in the grace that God offers us; His gracious act of offering atonement and justification to undeserving mankind.  God alone is the source of this grace.  There us no chance a human could merit his own favour with God.  Ephesians 2 declares “For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves.”  This verse declares that salvation comes from God by faith, not by any work we can to by our own selves. 

SOLA FIDE

      Faith Alone: Salvation is by grace, but we must respond to it by faith, believing in Christ alone for our salvation.  Ephesians 2 declares again “ye are saved through faith.”  Good works are not the way to God, but are rather the fruits of the faith that we place in God. 

CHRISTUS SOLUS

     Christ Alone: Together the three solas, affirm that Christ is the object of the Protestant faith.  The Easter message or Christ incarnate, crucified, risen again, is the entire object of the Protestant faith.  We are saved by Him alone.

MARRIAGEUS SOLUS

   Marriage Alone:  Lastly we are Protestants because God has not called us to be celibates, and to be alone the rest of our days.  God has given us the privilege of accepting marriage as an honourable estate founded in the very structure of the Church.  Protestant clergyman can not be Roman Catholic, for this very important reason, they must find a helpmate for their ministry.  If we are going to be Protestants, we must follow Martin Luther’s example in this area of his life, and ascend upwards to the high calling of matrimony. 

CONCLUSION

     The term Protestant means that we stand for something.  Our forefathers had something to say against the established Church, and took their stand.  In many cases this stand, cost them their lives, but they realized that truth merits any price.  The Protestant Reformation caused a beam of light to shine once more in the Church, causing people to truly have right relationship with God.  May the Protestant church always confess in their creeds: Scripture Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone and Christ Alone!

The Lord’s Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer: A Personal Line of Communication

        The Lord’s Prayer can be heard across the centuries of time as men and women who love God echo forth the words that our Lord and Savior taught, in response to the question continually on man’s heart, “Lord Teach us to pray,”  (Luke 11:1). The Lord’s Prayer or the Disciples’ Prayer, as it is sometimes called, has sixty-six words in the King James Version and can be repeated in the span of one minute.  Regardless of the brevity in which most people recite it, it is a prayer that contains meaning and a far greater depth than most people gives it credit for.

      This prayer taught by Jesus has become the foundation for all prayer patterns and it also teaches us some formative information about God the Father.  Through this prayer we learn that, when we become Christians that God is ‘Our Father.’  In this recognition of who God is, it creates a since of belonging to the believer; because God as our Father loves us and cares for us.  The personal pronoun that is used to start the Lord’s Prayer brings the emphasis away from it just being a prayer for the Disciples, to becoming a prayer personal meant for us in our communication with God, who is our Father.

     In the context of the Lord’s Prayer there is a deep personal relationship emphasized with God.  Through this we are reminded that God as our Father loves us; as it says in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world,” that He loved the individual person that He was willing to send His son to save us from sin.  In this fact the individual can say that God is our Father with confidence and a surety that He is their Father through adoption.  Through the gift of salvation we are adopted to become sons of God; which establishes the father-son relationship.

      In the establishment of God as one’s personal Father the next part of the Lord’s Prayer establishes where God’s habitation is.  God is in Heaven and because of this we need to know about the place where He resides.  In the prayer we refer to Him as ‘Our Father, which art in Heaven.’   This refers to Him as being transcended (lifted up), or uplifted as it is said in the Anglo-Saxon definition.  Through this we affirm that Heaven is God’s realm and the Earth is the orphanage where He adopts His children.  In Heaven there is a peace that is free from assault from the devil, release from separation, freedom from grief, no more death, no more regrets, and a forever worship of our Father which is in Heaven.  As a result of where the Lord’s Prayer acknowledges where God is, we are to approach the topic with reverence, humility and complete submission in clear emphasis of God’s power and majesty.  Through this definition of where God is we can emphasis that God is not only our Father in Heaven but He also abides with us here on Earth and is with us at all times in our hearts.

    The next phrase of the Lord’s Prayer is a term of reverence and respect in referring to God that His name is hallowed.  This term ‘Hallowed be thy name’ emphasizes the appreciation and filial awe we have for God’s name.  There is so much contained within the meaning of His names, such as Adonai; which means Lord or in case with Moses at the burning bush “I am that I am.  These names reveal so much about who God is and that He is not confined to one fragment of our lives, but is all through it, for His name is hallowed and respected by all.  This name implies the title that God is our King and that He is a God of authority and those beings recognize His authority before all His creation.

     The next section of the Lord’s Prayer is ‘Thy Kingdom come.’  This section refers to the reign of Jesus, that His kingdom represents the entire Christendom.  This phrase emphasizes that Jesus’ kingdom includes His people, evangelism, and the spread of His Church.  It also implies that His kingdom is made up of the Church, His messengers, Revival fires, missions and missionaries.  This phrase is calling for God’s establishment of His kingdom here on earth, in the hearts and souls of all mankind.

     Through the recognition of whom God is and that His name is to be respect the next obvious division of the Lord’s Prayer is that His will be done.  The Lord’s Prayer said ‘Thy will be done,’ it does not say our will, but the will of our Father that is in Heaven.  A Danish Christian philosopher once remarked in reference to God’s wills that “Prayer does not change God; but it changes those who offer it.” To due God’s will is the most important part of this scripture because without the clear obedience of this fragment of the prayer the others are still meaningful but without the fire of the words.  As John 6:38 says “For I come down from Heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of Him that sent me.”  Jesus when He came to Earth was still doing the will of His Father.  This is the perfect example of how we are supposed to follow God and do His will, even as our Lord Jesus Christ did in obeying God who sees the larger picture.  

     In this next phrase the emphasis is place on the fact that God’s will is not only done in Heaven but also on Earth, as it says ‘In Earth as it is in Heaven.’  In Jeremiah 18:2 it refers to the Potter’s Wheel and how the potter has the master control and that He knows what is best for His pottery.  The same is the case with our Lord His will is done in Heaven and also in Earth in the shaping of our daily lives.  In Psalms 40:2 it says in reference to all God has done for us, “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.”  If we did not have God for our Father we would be in a terrible way; where we would still be sinking in that horrible pit and in the miry clay, but He came and pulled us out and established us in His way of safety.  As Phillip Keller said, “Obey and be blessed; disobey and meet disaster.”  Mankind has two distinct choices, as presented in this quote we can obey  God and be blessed or disobey and reap eternal punishment.

     The Lord’s Prayer next seeks God through a request ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’  In this part of the Lord’s Prayer it is asking for God to bless us with the things we need and that we may do all for His glory and praise.  As Mathew 6:33 says “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you.” Truly we can do all things for the glory of God and thank Him for all that He has given us each day.

      The Lord Jesus now tells His disciples to pray continually each day that God may forgive there debts or trespasses.  The phrase in this section is ‘And forgives us our debts.’  This illustrates to us clearly that we must remember our failures of the past so that we can forgive those who commit sin against us in the future.  Through the gift of God’s only Son to ransom us from sin, we have an eternal debt of gratitude to God.  But as truly as He forgave our debts we can pray that God will not only forgive us, but also pray ‘As we forgive our debtors.’ For even Jesus illustrated this fact in Luke 23:34 when He said “Father forgive them…” Truly Jesus is a living example of how He taught His Disciples to pray and to us in the present and to those in the future.

    ‘And lead us not into temptation’ is the phrase that means so much as we are not only asking God’s help for the past, but we are continuing to seek it for the present and the future.  The power of the tempter verses man is a spiritual struggle, but man can come out the victor through God’s help, as we pray for help in times of temptation.  As I John 4:4 “Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world.”  The prayer also continues ‘Deliver us from evil.’  We pray this in I Timothy 6:11-12a “But thou O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life…”  Paul is instructing Timothy that the key in life is to follow God and nothing else.  If other things get in the way flee from it and follow after God with your whole heart.

     The final part of the Lord’s Prayer is the benediction ‘For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’ We pray in this part that God’s kingdom is here even now in the hearts of man, and that we serve a God of power and majesty and that it is His glory and not that of mans.  This final phrase concludes the Lord’s Prayer with Praise, emphasizing the position of God, His power, majesty, glory, and his goodness.  This concluding sentence summarizes the definite purpose of the Lord’s Prayer which is to worship and praise Our Father in Heaven.

   The Lord’s Prayer is the most influential prayer in history because it emphasizes a clear communication with God.  Thomas Carlyle, a nineteenth century Scottish writer said “I tried to think out the Lord’s Prayer, but found it beyond my depths.”  Truly the Lord’s Prayer is an important form of communication with God as it emphasizes a personal relationship with Him and establishes a clear idea of the greatness of God.  It was once said “The Lord’s Prayer may be committed to memory quickly, but it is slowly learned by the Heart.” The Lord’s Prayer is an established communication line with Heaven for through it; Christians learn how to pray and connects us in a more deeply personal relationship with God.  As Matthew Henry said “The Lord’s Prayer is a letter from Heaven.”  Truly the Lord’s Prayer is a line of communication, by which we talk to the Father and He talks to us.

The Sabbath and the Christian

    The emphasis one places on the Word of God and the principles that it maintains is focused on whether an individual truly loves God.  To love God is to self-sacrificially commit oneself: to delight in Him, to rejoice in serving Him, to desire to continually to please Him, to seek one’s happiness in Him and to thirst for a fuller enjoyment of Him.  One’s regard to this definition of what it means to love God, all comes down to one’s commit to serve Him. The Bible contains a clear emphasis that to serve God, believers must worship Him, i.e. Isaiah 66:23 “And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.”

    The one significant factor of truly loving God is delighting in what He delights in.  One of these elements that is emphasized 174 times (BBW 6.0) in the scripture is that God considers the Sabbath to be essential for a relationship with Him.  The concentration of the Sabbath in the Christian life is imperative to truly love and honour God with our entire being.  Some questions that believers ask today in regards to Sabbath observance are: “Is the Sabbath Saturday or Sunday” and “Is the Sabbath binding upon the 21^st century Christian?”

“Is the Sabbath Saturday or Sunday?”

    This is a question that has plagued the Christian world over which day of the week are we to worship God.  In determining this factor one must take into account why we worship at all.  Why did God make the Sabbath?  God said in the book of Ezekiel 20:20 “and keep my Sabbath days holy, for they are a sign to remind you that I am the LORD your God” (NLT).  The Sabbath day was originally meant for a sign between God and man.  It is up to mankind to keep the Sabbath day holy, so that it may act as a day of remembrance to the God who has delivered us and kept us (just as He did for the Children of Israel).  Another key element to concentrate upon is found in the words of Jesus, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (KJV, Mark 2:27).  The Sabbath was created by God for the chief of His creation, mankind, to act as a sign and a symbol of remembrance.

     In the scriptures the recognition that God made the Sabbath is quite clear as it was seen in Mark 2:27.  The Sabbath was made for man by God for a specific purpose.  In order to love God it requires us to delight in what He delights in, as it says in Isaiah 58:13-14,  “Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the    Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the LORD’s holy day. Honor the LORD in   everything you do, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly. If you do this, ¹⁴ the  LORD will be your delight. I will give you great honor and give you your full share of  the inheritance I promised to Jacob, your ancestor. I, the LORD, have spoken!” (NLT).  This reference emphasizes the truth that God wants us to keep His Sabbath, and He will delight in us.  He made it for us. 

     The issue of is the Sabbath, Saturday or Sunday is decided in the focus of what we are celebrating.  In the Old Testament the Jewish people were required by God to worship one day week.  It comes from the Hebrew word shabbath and means to desist, cease or rest.  This day God called the Sabbath, has a two-fold definition.  It refers to either a Jewish sacred day of worship and rest (the seventh day – OT) or the first day of the week (celebrating Jesus’ resurrection – NT).

      In the Old Testament God command His people to worship Him and picked a day that calls to remembrance the six days that God worked and then rested the seventh day (Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:10-13; Leviticus 19:30).  This word Sabbath was not just focused upon the seventh day of the week, as some church groups emphasizes, but scripturally the Sabbath refers to a special time reserved to worship God, to rest and to remember His work in ones life.  One of these occurrences in found in Leviticus 23.  This passage is referring to the Feast of the Unleavened Bread, and is a call to remembrance of what happened in the Egyptian captivity.  Other special Sabbaths included the Day of Atonement and the seventh year release to let the ground lie fallow.

      Leviticus 25:7 “And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the          increase thereof be meat. ⁸ And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee,  seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee  forty and nine years. ⁹ Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the  tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound  throughout all your land. ¹⁰ And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty  throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and  ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his    family.” (KJV).  Therefore the Sabbath was not just a once a week observance by the Children of Israel on Saturday, but also a means of celebrating their love to God at different occasions.  This means that the word Sabbath does not just mean the Jewish Sabbath, but a day set aside to worship and glorify God, (Byer, The Sabbath). 

      There was a distinct historical shift that took place in the middle to late part of the 1^st century A.D.  This was a time where the Apostles and other believers focused on worshiping God both on the Jewish day of worship and on the day in which Jesus rose from the dead.  The historical shift is depicted in Revelations 1:10 where John said “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day…” (KJV).  Another scripture reference in which this is revealed to is in Acts 20:7 where it says “And upon the first day of the week the Disciples came together…” (KJV).  The Apostle Paul also stated this first day of the week as a time of worship in his letter to the Corinthians.  In 1 Corinthians 16:2 it says “Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store…” (KJV). 

     Through examining these references we can confer that the day of worship for the Christian has migrated from the seventh day of the week to the first day.  At one time in the earlier church, both were observed but as time progressed the seventh day was dropped as a day of worship and only the first day of the week, Sunday was celebrated as the Christian Sabbath.  The focus of God’s command in Exodus 20:8 is to “Remember the Sabbath day, and to keep it holy.”(KJV).  “Christians are free from the Sabbath in that they can gather on the first day, and at the same time stand under the sign of the Sabbath in that they gather every seventh day” (Byer, The Sabbath).

“Is the Sabbath binding upon the 21^st century Christian?”

     Sabbath observance is binding upon all Christians.  The day that we worship may have changed but the universal principle, which states we are to delight in what God delights in, is still a factor.  God made the Sabbath day for man (Mark 2:27) before the commandments that Moses wrote were even codified. 

     The evidence is revealed in Genesis 2:2-3 “And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. ³ And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” (KJV).  God had sanctified or set apart, one day out of seven in a week.  This was done approximately 3500 years before the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11), so this can signify that God considers this observance important in serving and delighting ourselves in Him.  If God, the creator of all things instituted this day of rest and worship in the beginning it is obvious to assume that He would require it not just for a short time span of a few thousand years, but for eternity (Isaiah 66:22-23). 

     The necessity of Sabbath observance was also codified in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15).  God specified in His law that we are to keep the Sabbath.  In various passages throughout the Old Testament a clear emphasizes is placed upon maintaining the Sabbath and keeping it holy.  In Numbers 15:32 “And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.”  The scripture reveals more detail about this case in the next several verses.  The man is brought before Moses and the congregation of Israel and tried and taken out of the camp and stoned for violating the Sabbath, this is a specific application, as people are not stoned today for breaking the Sabbath, but the same element of God’s wrath has not changed, it does not please God for people to violate the Sabbath (Exodus 34:21 “Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: even during plowing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.”). 

     In the book of Nehemiah it gives more references to the importance of keeping the Sabbath Holy.  In Nehemiah 10:31; 13:15-21 it refers to the occasion when merchants tried to entice the God’s people to buy on the Sabbath day.  Nehemiah corrected this problem by ordering the merchants out of the city, locking the gates and then finally threatening to kill the merchants if they were to continue to violate the Sabbath. 

     The scripture specified in Leviticus 23:24 that the seventh day is an holy convocation of remembrance of what God did for them (Numbers 28:25 “And on the seventh day ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work.”)

      In this holy convocation to the Lord there is an emphasis placed upon three reasons why a day was reserved by God for man.  The first reason is that God reserved the Sabbath day for man (Genesis 2:2-3).  The second is that God made Sabbath for us to rest (Exodus 20:8).  Thirdly God made the Sabbath for a day of remembrance (Deuteronomy 5:12-15):

      Deut. 5:12-15 “Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath  commanded thee. ¹³ Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: ¹⁴ But the seventh  day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy  son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine  ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant   and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. ¹⁵ And remember that thou wast a servant  in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a   mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee  to keep the sabbath day.” (KJV).

      The Lord Jesus Christ is our example of how we need to keep and reverence the Sabbath day.  There were three main exceptions that Jesus reveals in His observance of the Sabbath that do not violate the universal principle of keeping the Sabbath holy. 

       The exceptions are 1) Deeds of Mercy, such as healing, or feeding animals (Matthew 12:10-12, Mark 3:2-5, Luke 6:6-10, 13:10-17); 2) Deeds of Necessity, such as the proper care of animals (Matthew 12:1-12, Mark 2:23-28, Luke 6:2-5); and 3) Deeds of Worship, such as priests in the Old Testaments preparing the burnt offering on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:5).

       The reasons we observe the Sabbath to day as Christians is routed firmly in the question of whether we truly love God.  The universal principle of this matter is focused on the fact that we are to delight in what He delights in.  The 21^st century believer is to keep the Sabbath holy as it was specified in God’s eternal law (Exodus 20:8-10).

     The Sabbath day is a day of rest and remembrance made by God for man.  We are to observe it and keep it in concordance with His divine will for the believer.  The Lord’s Day in which we choose to worship should be a day we set apart to focus on Him (Genesis 2:2-3), A day of celebration that Jesus is risen from the dead, A Day of assembly (Acts 13:42; Hebrews 10:25), and a day of rest from our normal work schedule (Exodus 20:8-10). Leviticus makes it quite clear that we are to obey God and keep His commandments of worshiping on the Sabbath.  “Ye shall keep my Sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary, I am the LORD.”  (Leviticus 26:2).