Authority - The fact that the Scriptures are, in all its parts, the voice of God speaking to mankind. Therefore, the Bible should be received as such and accepted as the personal and final guide for all matters of faith and conduct.

Autographa - These are the original "autographs" (manuscripts) of Scripture.

Baptism - The term baptize is not a Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, or Catholic term; it is a Greek term. Baptizo in the Greek meant to "dunk," "dip," "plunge," "submerge," or "immerse." Originally, it had no religious connotation. Rather, the word baptize was used to describe a ship that had been sunk in a battle or a piece of cloth that was dipped in dye. Other times it was used to refer to someone who had drowned or a cup that was dipped into a pitcher to drink from. Its use was general in nature.

The first time the word baptize was used in the context of religion occurred as a result of its incorporation into the Jewish culture. The Jewish faith was somewhat complicated with ceremonies, rituals, festivals, and laws. The term baptize was used to describe the ritual known as ceremonial washing. Now, we would not say, "Go baptize your hands before you eat." We would say, "Go wash your hands before you eat." Yet the term baptize was used to describe this function of washing.

There is a second way in which the term baptize was used in the Jewish faith. The Jews developed a way in which Gentiles could become Jewish. It involved a number of things, including circumcision, a covenant meal, the agreement to obey Jewish law, and a ritual bath. The term used to describe the bath was bapto, meaning "immerse." Persons desiring to become Jewish would baptize themselves. The "bath" was an outward sign that they were dying to the old life as a Gentile and were being resurrected to the new life as a Jew. As a pledge of allegiance to the new identity, those who desired to adopt the Jewish faith as their own participated by baptizing themselves as a sign of their commitment.

What happened next involved John the Baptist. John got his name because of what people saw him doing. His unique role of baptizing other people was something that had never been done before, so it was natural that people came to watch. He was literally John the Baptizer. John took an ordinary word that meant to "dip," "plunge," "submerge," or "immerse," and coined it for the specific task he was performing. Soon it became almost exclusively associated with Christianity, and thus the word baptism appears in the New Testament. It's an outward demonstration of an inward work.

Bible - There have been hundreds of books written on the subject of the evidences of the divine inspiration of the Bible, and these evidences are many and varied. Most people today, unfortunately, have not read any of these books. In fact, few have even read the Bible itself! Thus, many people tend to go along with the popular delusion that the Bible is full of mistakes and is no longer relevant to our modern world.

Nevertheless the Bible writers claimed repeatedly that they were transmitting the very Word of God, infallible and authoritative in the highest degree. This is an amazing thing for any writer to say, and if the forty or so men who wrote the Scriptures were wrong in these claims, then they must have been lying, or insane, or both.

But, on the other hand, if the greatest and most influential book of the ages, containing the most beautiful literature and the most perfect moral code ever devised, was written by deceiving fanatics, then what hope is there for ever finding meaning and purpose in this world?

If one will seriously investigate these Biblical evidences, he will find that their claims of divine inspiration (stated over 3,000 times, in various ways) were amply justified.

Fulfilled Prophecies

The remarkable evidence of fulfilled prophecy is just one case in point. Hundreds of Bible prophecies have been fulfilled, specifically and meticulously, often long after the prophetic writer had passed away.

For example, Daniel the prophet predicted in about 538 BC (Daniel 9:24-27) that Christ would come as Israel's promised Savior and Prince 483 years after the Persian emperor would give the Jews authority to rebuild Jerusalem, which was then in ruins. This was clearly and definitely fulfilled, hundreds of years later.

There are extensive prophecies dealing with individual nations and cities and with the course of history in general, all of which have been literally fulfilled. More than 300 prophecies were fulfilled by Christ Himself at His first coming. Other prophecies deal with the spread of Christianity, as well as various false religions, and many other subjects.

There is no other book, ancient or modern, like this. The vague, and usually erroneous, prophecies of people like Jeanne Dixon, Nostradamus, Edgar Cayce, and others like them are not in the same category at all, and neither are other religious books such as the Koran, the Confucian Analects, and similar religious writings. Only the Bible manifests this remarkable prophetic evidence, and it does so on such a tremendous scale as to render completely absurd any explanation other than divine revelation.

Unique Historical Accuracy

The historical accuracy of the Scriptures is likewise in a class by itself, far superior to the written records of Egypt, Assyria, and other early nations. Archeological confirmations of the Biblical record have been almost innumerable in the last century. Dr. Nelson Glueck, probably the greatest modern authority on Israeli archeology, has said:

"No archeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or in exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries."

Scientific Accuracy

Another striking evidence of divine inspiration is found in the fact that many of the principles of modern science were recorded as facts of nature in the Bible long before scientist confirmed them experimentally. A sampling of these would include:

Roundness of the earth (Isaiah 40:22)

Almost infinite extent of the sidereal universe (Isaiah 55:9)

Law of conservation of mass and energy (II Peter 3:7)

Hydrologic cycle (Ecclesiastes 1:7)

Vast number of stars (Jeremiah 33:22)

Law of increasing entropy (Psalm 102:25-27)

Paramount importance of blood in life processes (Leviticus 17:11)

Atmospheric circulation (Ecclesiastes 1:6)

Gravitational field (Job 26:7)

and many others.

These are not stated in the technical jargon of modern science, of course, but in terms of the basic world of man's everyday experience; nevertheless, they are completely in accord with the most modern scientific facts. It is significant also that no real mistake has ever been demonstrated in the Bible, in science, in history, or in any other subject. Many have been claimed, of course, but conservative Bible scholars have always been able to work out reasonable solutions to all such problems.

Unique Structure

The remarkable structure of the Bible should also be stressed. Although it is a collection of 66 books, written by 40 or more different men over a period of 2,000 years, it is clearly one Book, with perfect unity and consistency throughout.

The individual writers, at the time of writing, had no idea that their message was eventually to be incorporated into such a Book, but each nevertheless fits perfectly into place and serves its own unique purpose as a component of the whole. Anyone who diligently studies the Bible will continually find remarkable structural and mathematical patterns woven throughout its fabric, with an intricacy and symmetry incapable of explanation by chance or collusion.

The one consistent theme of the Bible, developing in grandeur from Genesis to Revelation, is God's great work in the creation and redemption of all things, through His only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Bible's Unique Effect

The Bible is unique also in terms of its effect on individual men and on the history of nations. It is the all-time best seller, appealing both to hearts and minds, beloved by at least some in every race or nation or tribe to which it has gone, rich or poor, scholar or simple, king or commoner, men of literally every background and walk of life. No other book has ever held such universal appeal nor produced such lasting effects.

One final evidence that the Bible is true is found in the testimony of those who have believed it. Multitudes of people, past and present, have found from personal experience that its promises are true, its counsel is sound, its commands and restrictions are wise, and its wonderful message of salvation meets every need for both time and eternity.

From: Henry Morris and Martin Clark, as adapted from their book The Bible Has the Answer, published by Master Books, 1987. Supplied by Eden Communications with permission from Master Books.

Bibliolatry - The term bibliolatry is derived from the word idolatry, or the worship of idols. Thus, bibliolatry refers to the worship of the bible - taking it so seriously and so literally that it becomes the entire focus of religious devotion, even to the exclusion of everything else. Fundamentalism is often accused of engaging in bibliolatry.

Bibliology - is a science within systematic theology which deals with the nature of the Bible; its revelation, inspiration, authenticity, canonicity, authority, preservation and illumination.

Calvary - the Latin name Calvaria, which was used as a translation of the Greek word Kranion , by which the Hebrew word Gulgoleth was interpreted, "the place of a skull." It probably took this name from its shape, being a hillock or low, rounded, bare elevation somewhat in the form of a human skull. It is nowhere in Scripture called a "hill." The crucifixion of our Lord took place outside the city walls (Hebrews 13:11-13) and near the public thoroughfare. "This thing was not done in a corner."

Golgotha - the common name of the spot where Jesus was crucified. It is interpreted by the evangelists as meaning "the place of a skull" (Matthew 27:33; Mark 15:22; John 19:17). This name represents in Greek letters the Aramaic word Gulgaltha, which is the Hebrew Gulgoleth (Numbers 1:2; 1 Chronicles 23:3,24; 2Kings 9:35), meaning "a skull." It is identical with the word Calvary (q.v.). It was a little knoll rounded like a bare skull. It is obvious from the evangelists that it was some well-known spot outside the gate (Compare Hebrews 13:12), and near the city (Luke 23:26), containing a "garden" (John 19:41), and on a thoroughfare leading into the country. Hence it is an untenable idea that it is embraced within the present "Church of the Holy Sepulchre." The hillock above Jeremiah's Grotto, to the north of the city, is in all probability the true site of Calvary. The skull-like appearance of the rock in the southern precipice of the hillock is very remarkable.

Calvinism - Interestingly, John Calvin, the French reformer, did not formulate what today we know as the Five Points of Calvinism. This came out of the Canons of the Council of Dort (1618), and subsequent statements among the many Reformed Confessions have expanded upon these matters. Calvinism has been known for outstanding scholars, theologians, preachers, and reformers, men such as John Owen, George Whitefield, William Wilberforce, Abraham Kuyper, Charles Hodge, B.B. Warfield, J. Gresham Machen, and Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Those in the reformed tradition who answered the teachings of Arminius chose the word "TULIP" as an acrostic to summarize their answer to the Five Points of Arminianism":

"T" = TOTAL DEPRAVITY - Unregenerate man is in absolute bondage to Satan, and wholly incapable of exercising his own will freely to trust Christ. Salvation, therefore, is dependent upon the work of God who must will to give man life before he can believe in Christ.

"U" = UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION - The Arminians believed that God elected those whom He "foreknew" would believe unto salvation, so that foreknowledge was based upon a "condition" established by man. The Calvinists held that "foreknowledge" is based upon the purpose or plan of God, so that election had no basis in some fancied 'condition' on the part of man, but was the result of the free will of the Creator apart from any foreseen "work of faith" in spiritually-dead man. If God left you to yourself, to decide whether you would choose Him or reject Him, you would always refuse God as long as you are "of your father the devil". As long as you are a child of Adam, Jesus said, "You are not able to listen to My word" (John 8:43). Your will always follows your character, your heart, your affections.

"L" = LIMITED ATONEMENT - Probably the most controversial Doctrine of TULIP is the Doctrine of Limited Atonement which teaches that Christ's atoning work on the cross is particular and not universal. By that we mean, Christ's redeeming work was intended to save only the elect and actually secured salvation for them. His death was a substitutionary endurance of the penalty of sin in the place of certain specified sinners. In addition to putting away the sins of His people, Christ's redemption secured everything necessary for their salvation, including faith which unites them to Him. The gift of faith is infallibly applied by the Spirit to all for whom Christ died, therefore guaranteeing their salvation. In other words, the value of the atonement was sufficient to save all mankind, but it was efficient to save only the elect.

The term Limited Atonement has reference not to the number of people who are saved, not to the sufficiency and efficiency of the atonement, but particularly, to the question of the design of the atonement. Thus, it teaches that the design, purpose & goal of the cross of Christ was to save the elect, and only the elect.

"I" = IRRESISTIBLE GRACE - The grace of God cannot be obstructed, for, the Lord possesses "irresistible grace". By this we do not mean that God crushes man's obstinate will like a giant steamroller! Irresistible Grace is not grounded in the omnipotence of God, although it could be if the Lord so willed, but, rather, in the Gift of Life known as Regeneration. Since all dead human spirits are drawn irresistibly to Satan, the god of the dead, and all living human spirits are drawn irresistibly to the Lord, the God of the living, our Lord simply gives His chosen ones the Spirit of Life! The moment He does so their polarity is changed. Where they were once "dead in trespasses and sins" and oriented to the devil, now they are made "alive in Christ Jesus" and oriented to God.

"P" = PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS - The 'elect', can never be lost since their salvation is by the will of the unchanging, omnipotent God. Since no condition in man determines his being chosen, because Scripture teaches unconditional election, it stands to reason that there is nothing he can do to get himself 'unsaved' once he has been saved by God's grace. Surely, reasons the Calvinist, of it is the Will of God that I am saved, and since He "changes not", then I begin my salvation, continue my salvation, and enter heaven a saved person because He has willed it so!

Canon - The English word canon goes back to the Greek word kanon and then to the Hebrew qaneh. Its basic meaning is reed, our English word cane being derived from it. Since a reed was sometimes used as a measuring rod, the word kanon came to mean a standard or rule. It was also used to refer to a list or index, and when so applied to the Bible denotes the list of books which are received as Holy Scripture. Thus if one speaks of the canonical writings, he is speaking of those books which are regarded as having divine authority and which comprise our Bible.

Christ - means: anointed, the Greek translation of the Hebrew word translated "Messiah"

Christ is the official title of our Lord, occurring 1,514 in the New Testament. It denotes that he was anointed or consecrated to his great redemptive work as Prophet, Priest, and King of his people. He is Jesus the Christ (Acts 17:3; 18:5; Matt. 22:42), the Anointed One.

Christian - the name given by the Greeks or Romans, probably in reproach, to the followers of Jesus ("little Christ's!"). It was first used at Antioch. The names by which the disciples were known among themselves were "brethren," "the faithful," "elect," "saints," "believers." But as distinguishing them from the multitude without, the name "Christian" came into use, and was universally accepted. This name occurs but three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16).

Christology - is a consideration of the facts pertaining to the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Thus a complete study of Christology will examine the Biblical data for:

* the deity of Christ
* the preincarnate existence of Christ
* the virgin birth and incarnation of Christ
* the sinless life, teachings and works of Christ
* the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Christ
* the redemptive significance of the atoning work of Christ
* the triumphant return to earth and the Messianic reign of Christ
* the future eternal reign of Christ

Christophany - an appearance of the pre-incarnate Christ.

Church - Derived probably from the Greek kuriakon (i.e., "the Lord's house"), which was used by ancient authors for the place of worship.

In the New Testament it is the translation of the Greek word ecclesia, which is synonymous with the Hebrew kahal of the Old Testament, both words meaning simply an assembly, the character of which can only be known from the connection in which the word is found. There is no clear instance of its being used for a place of meeting or of worship, although in post-apostolic times it early received this meaning. Nor is this word ever used to denote the inhabitants of a country united in the same profession, as when we say the "Church of England," the "Church of Scotland," etc.

Circumcision - The word circumcision means literally "cutting around" and its practice is ancient, although it is not practiced in all cultures. It can, however, be found among the ancient Hebrews, Egyptians, Polynesians, and among various tribes in the Americas. Circumcision, normally part of a ritual, involves the removal of the foreskin either of a man or of a boy. Usually this occurs as part of some sort of initiation or rite of passage.

The Comforter - the designation of the Holy Ghost (John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7; RSV marg., "or Advocate, or Helper; Gr. paracletos"). The same Greek word thus rendered is translated "Advocate" in 1 John 2:1 as applicable to Christ. It means properly "one who is summoned to the side of another" to help him in a court of justice by defending him, "one who is summoned to plead a cause." "Advocate" is the proper rendering of the word in every case where it occurs.

Confession - An open profession of faith (Luke 12:8).

An acknowledment of sins to God (Leviticus 16:21; Ezra 9:5-15; Daniel 9:3-12), and to a neighbour whom we have wronged (James 5:16; Matthew 18:15).

Conversion - the turning of a sinner to God (Acts 15:3). In a general sense the heathen are said to be "converted" when they abandon heathenism and embrace the Christian faith; and in a more special sense men are converted when, by the influence of divine grace in their souls, their whole life is changed, old things pass away, and all things become new (Acts 26:18). Thus we speak of the conversion of the Philippian jailer (16:19-34), of Paul (9:1-22), of the Ethiopian treasurer (8:26-40), of Cornelius (10), of Lydia (16:13-15), and others.

Covenants - A covenant is an agreement between two parties, one is God the other man. There are two different types of agreements in scripture. Conditional and unconditional.

Conditional – base on man keeping the agreement by cooperation. If you will I will.

Unconditional—Is based on Gods promise by him fulfilling his part. I will even if you disobey .

Crucifixion - Crucifixion was a common mode of punishment among heathen nations in early times. It is not certain whether it was used by the ancient Jews; probably it was not. The modes of capital punishment according to the Mosaic law were, by the sword (Exodus 21), strangling, fire (Lev. 20), and stoning (Deut. 21).

This was regarded as the most horrible form of death, and to a Jew it would acquire greater horror from the curse in Deut. 21:23.

This punishment began by subjecting the sufferer to scourging. In the case of our Lord, however, his scourging was before the sentence was passed upon him, and was inflicted by Pilate for the purpose, probably, of producing pity to avoid a demand for further punishment.

The condemned person carried his own cross to the place of execution, which was outside the city, in some conspicuous place set apart for the purpose. Before the nailing to the cross took place, a medicated cup of vinegar mixed with gall and myrrh (the sopor) was sometimes given, for the purpose of deadening the pangs of the sufferer. Our Lord refused this cup, that his senses might be clear (Matt. 27:34). The spongeful of vinegar, sour wine, posca, the common drink of the Roman soldiers, which was put on a hyssop stalk and offered to our Lord in contemptuous pity (Matt. 27:48; Luke 23:36). He tasted it probably to allay the agonies of his thirst (John 19:29).

The accounts given of the crucifixion of our Lord are in entire agreement with the customs and practices of the Romans in such cases. He was crucified between two "criminals" (Isa. 53:12; Luke 23:32), and was watched by a party of four soldiers (John 19:23; Matt. 27:36, 54), with their centurion. The "breaking of the legs" of the crucified was intended to hasten death, and put them out of misery (John 19:31); but the unusual rapidity of our Lord's death (19:33) was due to his previous sufferings and his great mental anguish. The omission of the breaking of his legs was the fulfillment of a symbol (Ex. 12:46).

He literally died of a broken heart, a ruptured heart, and hence the flowing of blood and water from the wound made by the soldier's spear (John 19:34).

Our Lord uttered memorable words from the cross, including "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). "Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise" (23:43), as well as John 19:26, Matt. 27:46, Mark 15:34, John 19:28, Luke 23:46, and John 19:30 ("It is finished.").

Decree - Gods eternal purpose according to the council of his will, whereby for his own glory he foreordained what is to come to pass. Some things God proposes to do others he decrees. Permitting them to be done he affects good and permits evil. So he is in control of both yet he is not the author of evil.

Disciple - A scholar, sometimes applied to the followers of John the Baptist (Matthew 9:14), and of the Pharisees (22:16), but principally to the followers of Christ. A disciple of Christ is one who (1) believes his doctrine, (2) rests on his sacrifice, (3) imbibes his spirit, and (4) imitates his example (Matthew 10:24; Luke 14:26,27,33; John 6:69).

Dispensation - (Gr. oikonomia, "management," "economy") The method or scheme according to which God carries out his purposes towards men is called a dispensation. There are usually reckoned three dispensations, the Patriarchal, the Mosaic or Jewish, and the Christian. (See COVENANT, Administration of.) These were so many stages in God's unfolding of his purpose of grace toward men. The word is not found with this meaning in Scripture.

A commission to preach the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:17; Ephesians 1:10; 3:2; Colossians 1:25). Dispensations of Providence are providential events which affect men either in the way of mercy or of judgement.

Doctrine - The teachings of scripture (fundamentals, practices of ) [1 Tim.4:13-16 2 Tim.3:16]

Easter - rendered Easter in Acts 12:4 in the KJV (King James Version), but should be Passover, as in the ASV (American Standard Version). The day on which the church celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Effectual Call - the calling of God is His extending an invitation to people to come to Him (note that it is not people calling upon the Lord - it is the Lord calling out to people). In its particular meaning, effectual calling is that invitation extended to people whereby they are sufficiently enabled to savingly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (i.e. the call is responded to). Therefore, the effectual calling is both the outward call extended and the inward call realized through the drawing, enlightening and enabling work of the Holy Spirit, resulting in the sinner's belief in Christ.

Eisegesis - Reading into a text what isn’t there. Interpreting it by different rules than a consistent understanding from the Bible. Using a presupposition to arrive at the meaning, by ignoring the language and culture it was used in.

Election - This is the sovereign act of God whereby He chooses a certain person or group of people out of a larger company for a purpose of His own.

Epistle - formal letters containing Christian doctrine and exhortation, referring particularly to the 21 epistles of the New Testament, divided into Pauline and General epistles.

Eschatology - A consideration of the facts pertaining to "last things" including the return of Christ, the Great Tribulation, the Millennial Kingdom, the resurrection, the future judgments and the eternal state of both the just and the unjust.

The Rapture - The 'catching up' of the saints, both alive and dead, to meet Christ in the air.

Scriptural Support:

These are the two most important scriptures used to explain the nature of the rapture:

For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. I Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NASB)

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. I Corinthians 15:51-52 (NASB)

Different Theories of the Rapture

There is no debate as to whether or not the rapture will take place. Several theories attempt to explain the time and/or participants of the rapture.

Pre-Tribulationism: This view holds that the rapture takes place before the tribulation of Revelation. All Christians on the earth at that time will be taken to heaven to be with the Lord. Some scriptures used for support are Revelation 3:10, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9.

Post-Tribulationism: This view believes that the rapture will not take place separate from the 2nd coming of Christ. These two events are simultaneous, and all believers will take part. Posttribulationists appeal to Historical Theology, the parable of the virgins (Matthew 25:1-13, and to Matthew 24:43, 1 Corinthians 15:54.

Mid-Tribulationism: This view believes that the rapture will occur at the exact midpoint of the 7 year period in Revelation, and will include all believers. They equate the trumpet mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:52 with the last trumpet in Revelation 11:15. They also believe that the tribulation is only 3 1/2 years long, from Christ's words in Matthew 24:21, and Daniel 9:27.

Post-Tribualationism - Christ comes back at the end of the tribulation and those who are alive through it are raptured. There are 4 views within this position as well. Classic, semi-classic, futurist, dispensational.

Partial Rapture: This view believes that only those believers who are eagerly anticipating the Lord's return will be raptured, and the rest will be left to go through the tribulation of Revelation. The most important scripture appealed to is Luke 21:36, and they also use Matthew 24:41-42, 1 Corinthian 15:23, Philippians 3:11, 20, Titus 2:13, 2 Timothy 4:8, ; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, Hebrews 9:28.

Pre-Wrath Rapture - A Ύ view which has the church go through much of the tribulation to purify and perfect the bride.

Eternal Death - (the culmination and extension of spiritual death), the eternal separation of the soul from God in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:14)

Eternal Security - ". . . is that work of God which guarantees that the gift of salvation, once received, is possessed forever and cannot be lost. Since security rests on God’s guarantees, its truthfulness does not rest on my feelings or experiences." (C. Ryrie, "So Great Salvation")

"This doctrine teaches that those whom God has chosen before the foundations of the world and efficaciously called into saving faith and regenerated by His Holy Spirit can never lose salvation but shall be preserved in a state of salvation to the final hour and be eternally saved." (J. Dillow, "The Reign of the Servant Kings")

Faith - is accepting the truth and the person the truth actually represents. Faith is trusting entirely on that truth and that person alone forever. It might also be described as a clinging to the truth; embracing the truth; committing to the truth.

The essence of saving faith is not the faith itself, but rather the object of one's faith. Faith by itself avails nothing; just as faith in itself avails nothing. In a similar manner, misplaced faith will avail nothing and it will never save. Therefore, it is the truth that must be believed, and the person of God must be the object of one's faith!

Fasting - The Bible teaches that fasting is a way to add emphasis to private prayers. Fasting has become of interest in today's world where it is hard to concentrate in the midst of busy lifestyles in a quickly-changing world.

Because fasting centers on the abstinence of taking food, there are some precautions that must be taken before a person can fast successfully.

What is your state of health? (If it would harm you to abstain from food entirely, don't do it! God would not want you to harm yourself for Him.)
What is the purpose of your fast? (If it is merely to lose weight, a sensible diet is far more effective. If it is to come closer to God, food should be the furthest thing from your mind.)
Do you have a prayer support team? (If you have people praying for your success on a fast, the chances of temptation are greatly reduced.)

Figurative Language - the moon turns to blood (meaning red). look for the literal meaning first before attempting to interpret it as symbolic.

Forgiveness of Sin - is one of the constituent parts of justification. In pardoning sin, God absolves the sinner from the condemnation of the law, and that on account of the work of Christ, i.e., he removes the guilt of sin, or the sinner's actual liability to eternal wrath on account of it. All sins are forgiven freely (Acts 5:31; 13:38; 1 John 1:6-9). The sinner is by this act of grace for ever freed from the guilt and penalty of his sins. This is the peculiar prerogative of God (Psalms 130:4; Mark 2:5). It is offered to all in the gospel.

Foreknowledge - This means more than just "prior knowledge" since that is a quality of omniscience. The idea of foreknowledge in scripture (Greek - prognosko) is usually related to people and it means foreknown in terms of relationship, fore-loving, or a fore-choosing (see Gen 18:19; 24:7; Amos 3:2; Acts 26:5; Rom 8:29; 11:2; 1 Pet 1:20)

Foreordination - This is the method by which God decrees and determines a particular outcome and is most closely related to predestination. It is related to both people and events in Scripture.

Glorification - to become like Jesus at either the rapture of the Church, or at preceding resurrections. (to become immortal and incorruptible in a permanent state) [Rom.8:17; Phil.3:20-21; 1 Cor.15:42-44,49-54]

God - The Bible contains no definition of God, but contains many allusions to His being and attributes. God is Spirit (John 4:24), infinite in power (Dan 4:35), complete in wisdom, absolutely truthful (Heb 6:18), perfectly holy (Lev 11:44). He has revealed Himself through nature (Rom 1:20) and through His Son (Heb 1:1-2). There is only one true God (Deut 6:4), eternal transcendent apart from anything made. Has plurality within his nature as three identities simultaneously existing (persons) who are united in the one essence that is God. Other gods are mentioned in the Bible as false (Judges 6:31; 1 Kings 18:27; 1 Cor 8:4-6), or as demonic (1 Cor 10:19-22)

The Gospel - "Glad tidings" or "good news, " The English word gospel is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word godspell, which meant "good news." As now used, it means the message of Christianity and the books in which the story of Christ's life and teaching is found (Rom 1:15, 16). In the New Testament the word is never applied to a book but to the message (Rom 1:1; 1 Thess 3:2,9; Acts 20:24; Eph. 6:15).

Grace - The undeserved favor bestowed upon sinners, a gift from God giving us Christ's riches which we do not deserve nor can earn. (Eph. 2:8-10).

Grace is derived from the Greek, charis. In secular Greek, charis was related to chairo, meaning "to rejoice." As far back as the time of Homer it denoted "sweetness" or "attractiveness." It came to signify "favor," "goodwill," and "lovingkindness" especially as granted to an inferior by a superior.

Hermeneutics - The science of interpreting the written word, to find what the text actually meant. What God originally meant it to say. Eliminating what it never could have meant. This includes the whole field of interpretation. The use of tools such as a different bibles (word for word translations and paraphrase), bible dictionaries, interlinear, Greek word pictures and tenses, Concordance, etc.

The Holy Spirit - ". . . is a person of full deity and eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son" (Adapted from "Westminster Larger Catechism")

The following facts may be gleaned from this definition of the Holy Spirit and those of "God" and "Trinity":

1. The Holy Spirit is God (co-equal and co-eternal; same essence)

2. The Holy Spirit is a person (not merely a "godly" influence or "force" -- the Holy Spirit is not an "it", the Holy Spirit is a "He".

3. The names given the Holy Spirit; the attributes ascribed to the Holy Spirit; all the works of the Holy Spirit prove Him to br God!

Homiletics - The science (principles) and art (task) by which the meaning and relevance of the biblical text are communicated in a preaching situation.

Hyperbole - Ps.119:20: "My soul is crushed with longing. Luke 14:26: " If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. " An exaggeration or overstatement not to be taken literally but used to express another meaning.

Hypostatic Union - The dual nature of Christ being both 100% God and 100% man dwelling together as one person. (Jn.1:14,18 Phil.2:6-8, Isa.9:6 Heb.4, Col.2:9)

Idiom - an expression of language or dialect of a people that is not understood outside its culture. A special terminology.

Illumination - The supernatural work of the Holy Spirit whereby He causes and enables people to understand the inspired revelation of Scripture.

Impute - To place on ones account Christ's righteousness in exchange for our sin.

Incarnation - God becoming flesh the eternal Son who is God (the word) becoming the son of man through the virgin conception. (Mt.1:21-23; Isa.7:14)

Inerrancy - The fact that the Scriptures are free from any mistake or falsehood, and that what they reveal concerning any subject will not ultimately be capable of being proven to be false.

To every word/portion of the inspired text; inspiration guarantees:

1) the accuracy of every fact recorded in the Scriptures (whether historical; geographical; scientific; etc.)

2) that God has recorded exactly what He has desired to say; exactly what He wants revealed; and it is all true.

NOTE: inspiration guarantees inerrancy, and inerrancy guarantees the facts to be truthful; but the facts will always be a limited discussion, rather than an exhaustive discussion, on ant particular subject (i.e. the facts will be scientifically accurate but all the scientific data will not be presented.

Infallibility - The inability and the incapability of the Scriptures teaching any deception.

Infinity - is defined as "that which is free from any possible limitation". In other words, something greater cannot possibly be conceived of, and nothing can be added to the infinite that it did not already possess from all eternity. (adapted from A.A. Hodge, "Outlines of Theology", p. 133)

Iniquity - this is a reference to that which is altogether wrong.

Inspiration - "That extraordinary supernatural influence exerted by the Holy Ghost on the writers of our Sacred Books, by which their words were rendered also the words of God, and therefore, perfectly infallible." (by Benjamin Warfield, The Inspiration and Authority of the Bible, P & R, 1948; page 420)

Verbal Inspiration - The inspiration extends to the very words of Scripture.

Plenary Inspiration - The inspiration extends to every part of Scripture.

Verbal Plenary Inspiration - This is the traditional orthodox view. It teaches a verbal inspiration, meaning that the Holy Spirit guided the human choice of every word in the original autographs. However, the human authorship was respected and the characteristics pf the human author was preserved. It teaches a plenary inspiration, always meaning that every portion of the original autographs is equally inspired, resulting in an inerrant, infallible and authoritative record of divine revelation. This is the best view for maintaining the "dual authorship" of the Bible. "By the term 'dual authorship' two facts are indicated, namely, that, on the divine side, the Scriptures are the Word of God in the sense that they originate with Him and are the expressions of His mind alone; and, on the human side, certain men have been chosen of God for the high honor and responsibility of receiving God's Word and transcribing it into written form" (Lewis Sperry Chafer, Systematic Theology, Vol . 1 of 8, page 72).

A belief in a wholly-inspired Bible is the very foundation principle of the Christian faith. The verbal inspiration of Scripture is a doctrine of fundamental importance; for if the writing of the Bible was not Divinely (and therefore infallibly) guided, then the source of what we know of God and His dealings with men would be unreliable. If we could not, with absolute confidence as to its Divine origin and production, turn to the Bible as the authoritative Word of God in all its parts, then we would be quite unable to make any certain progress towards true enlightenment in spiritual things and in matters related to salvation.

The key aspects of Biblical inspiration are as follows:

1. The Bible was produced by the 'outbreathing' of God through His Spirit:

2 Timothy 3:16 - "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (where the italicised words are a single Greek word, theopneustos, meaning, literally, 'God-breathed [out]'). (There are no really sound linguistic grounds for weakening the sense of Paul's words, as the NEB and the RV do, by translating it as "Every Scripture inspired of God is also . . ."; the RV margin, the NIV, the Jerusalem Bible and many other modern translations give the proper sense required by the Greek sentence construction.)

2. The Spirit of God 'carried men along' to write His Word:

2 Peter 1:20,21 - ". . . no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved [Gk. phero, 'to be carried (along)'] by the Holy Spirit".

3. The inspired writers of the Bible wrote with the Divine authority of God Himself, and their words are binding on God's people:

1 Corinthians 2:12,13 - "Now we have received . . . the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Spirit teacheth".

1 Corinthians 14:37 - ". . . the things that I [the Apostle Paul] write unto you are the commandments of the Lord".

 

John 10:35 - According to Jesus, "the scripture cannot be broken".

4. The inspiration of the Bible involved the Divine control or superintendence of the very words used:

Numbers 22:38; 23:3,5 - "And Balaam said . . . the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak . . . and whatsoever He sheweth me I will tell . . . And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth".

 

2 Samuel 23:1-3 - "Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said . . . The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and His word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said . . .".

 

Jeremiah 1:7,9 - "But the Lord said unto me [Jeremiah] . . . whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak . . . Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth".

 

John 14:10,24 - ". . . the words that I [Jesus] speak unto you I speak not of myself . . . the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's Which sent me".

5. Because the words themselves were Divinely inspired (as well as the writers), the possibility of the original Scriptures containing errors is excluded:

Psalm 12:6 - "The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times".

6. The power of God's Spirit to enlighten, to convert, and to save is in the Scriptures themselves, and the benefit of their Divine origin is conveyed to us in their words, which do not require the additional operation of the Holy Spirit to make them intelligible:

2 Timothy 3:15 - ". . . the holy scriptures . . . are able [Gk. dunamai, 'have power'] to make thee wise unto salvation".

 

John 6:63 - ". . . the words that I [Jesus] speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life".

 

Acts 20:32 - "I [Paul] commend you to God, and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified".

 

Romans 10:17 - "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God".

 

Isaiah 55:11 - "My word . . . that goeth forth out of My [God's] mouth . . . shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it".

(http://www.bibletopics.com/biblestudy/36.htm)

Interpretation - The science whereby man attempts to discover the exact meaning of the inspired revelation of Scripture, using precise hermeneutical principles and always allowing all Scripture to ultimately interpret itself.

Jesus Christ - Jesus Christ our Lord is undiminished deity and perfect humanity united in one person forever.

"The Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance and equal with the Father, did, when the fullness of time was come, take upon Him man's nature, with all the essential properties, and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin; being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the virgin Mary, of her substance. So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which person is very God, and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and man" (from The Westmister Confession of Faith, chapter 8, paragraph 2).

Meaning: Salvation, or "the Lord is salvation," "the Lord Saves." "Jesus" is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua which was originally Hoshea (Oshea) (Num. 13:8, 16 - the King James Version of the Bible spells it "Oshea"), but changed by Moses into Jehoshua (Num. 13:16; 1 Chr. 7:27), or Joshua. After the Exile it assumed the form Jeshua, from which came the Greek form Jesus. It was given to our Lord to denote the object of his mission, to save. An angel told Joseph (his foster-father), "You are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21).

JESUS CHRIST - Je'sus, the proper, as Christ is the official, name of our Lord. To distinguish him from others with the same name, he is spoken of as "Jesus of Nazareth" (John 18:7), and "Jesus the son of Joseph" (John 6:42).

How Did He Die? - Medical experts, historians and archaeologists have examined in detail the execution that Jesus Christ voluntarily endured. All agree that he suffered one of the most gruelling and painful forms of capital punishment ever devised by man. Here is a brief summary of some of the things we know from history, archaeology and medicine about his last hours... SEVERE STRESS, EVEN BEFORE THE ABUSE BEGAN -- Jesus had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Even before the crucifixion, began he clearly had physical symptoms associated with severe stress. The night before the execution, his disciples reported seeing Jesus in "agony" on the Mount of Olives. Not only did he not sleep all night, but he seems to have been sweating profusely. So great was the stress that tiny blood vessels were rupturing in his sweat glands and emitting as great red drops that fell to the ground (see Luke 22:44). This symptom of severe stress is called hematohidrosis. (Learn more...)

Jesus was physically exhausted and in danger of going into shock unless he received fluids (which he apparently did not). This is the man that the Roman soldiers tortured.

TORTURE BY BEATING WITH ROMAN SCOURGES -- Having previously been beaten by the Jews, it was now the Romans' turn. The beatings administered by Roman soldiers are well known to be very bloody, leaving lacerations all over the body. Romans designed their whips to cut the flesh from their victim's bodies. These beatings were designed to be painful to the extreme. It would also cause a fluid build up around his lungs. In addition, a crown of thorns was forced into his scalp which was capable of severely irritating major nerves in his head, causing increasing and excruciating pain, as the hours wore on.

In Christ's severely stressed condition, these beatings were easily enough to kill him. His body was horribly bruised, cut and bleeding. Having had no nourishment for many hours, and having lost fluids through profuse sweating and much bleeding, Jesus would have been severely dehydrated. This brutal torture would certainly be sending him into what doctors call "shock," and shock kills.

In addition, Jesus was forced to carry the the wooden beam on which he would die. Imagine the effect of carrying a heavy weight if you were in that condition.

CRUCIFIXION -- Hung completely naked before the crowd, the pain and damage caused by crucifixion were designed to be so devilishly intense that one would continually long for death, but could linger for days with no relief.

According to Dr. Frederick Zugibe, piercing of the median nerve of the hands with a nail can cause pain so incredible that even morphine won't help, "severe, excruciating, burning pain, like lightning bolts traversing the arm into the spinal cord." Rupturing the foot's plantar nerve with a nail would have a similarly horrible effect.

Furthermore, the position of the body on a cross is designed to make it extremely difficult to breathe.

Frederick Farrar described the intended, torturous effect: "For indeed a death by crucifixion seems to include all that pain and death can have of horrible and ghastly--dizziness, cramp, thirst, starvation, sleeplessness, traumatic fever, tetanus, shame, publicity of shame, long continuance of torment, horror of anticipation, mortification of untended wounds--all intensified just up to the point at which they can be endured at all, but all stopping just short of the point which would give to the suffer the relief of unconsciousness."

One doctor has called it "a symphony of pain" produced by every movement, with every breath; even a slight breeze on his skin could bring screaming pain at this point.

Medical examiner, Dr. Frederick Zugibe, believes Christ died from shock due to loss of blood and fluid, plus traumatic shock from his injuries, plus cardiogenic shock causing Christ's heart to fail.

At the ninth hour (the time at which a sacrificial lamb was killed everyday in the Jewish temple), Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" and soon died, after saying "It is finished." At about this moment is probably the time when the temple's priestly ram's horn would have been blown that day, announcing that the priests had completed the sacrifice of the lamb for the sins of Israel. Also at that moment, the great, thick curtain that closed the Holy of Holies room from view, ripped open from top to bottom. -Mark 15:34 and Matthew 27:46

James Thompson believed that Jesus did not die from exhaustion, the beatings or the 3 hours of crucifixion, but that he died from agony of mind producing rupture of the heart. His evidence comes from what happened when the Roman soldier pierced Christ's left side. The spear released a sudden flow of blood and water (John 19:34). Not only does this prove that Jesus was already dead when pierced, but Thompson believes it is also evidence of cardiac rupture. Respected physiologist Samuel Houghton believed that only the combination of crucifixion and rupture of the heart could produce this result. Whatever the final cause of death, there is no question that it was painful beyond words.

Near the end, a criminal beside him mocked, "If you are the Christ, save yourself and us." Little did this sinner know that the man he was speaking to hung there voluntarily. He was speaking to our Creator, capable of releasing all the power in the universe and beyond, and easily saving himself. Jesus remained in this agony and shame, not because he was powerless, but because of his incredible love for humanity. He suffered to provide the needed way of salvation for you and me.

The Jesus Seminar - Among those who work outside of the normal canons of historical research is "The Jesus Seminar,"[1] a gathering of the skeptical-minded whose conclusions are published in The Five Gospels.[2] Instead of demonstrating historical objectivity, their enterprise is a stacked deck of hostile presuppositions.

They presume the Gospels to be error-ridden and implicitly inferior to all other sources contemporary to them[3]. For example, they effectively give the Apocryphal Gospel of Thomas greater weight than the canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).[4]

They reject miracle stories out-of-hand as fiction on the allegation that miracles aren't possible.

They presume the faith-motivated first Christians weren't interested in history, and willingly put words into Jesus' mouth to fulfill their own needs.[5] Under their brand of "criteria of dissimilarity"[6] the only words they accept as authentic to Jesus and thus not borrowed, are those which differ from both the concerns of the early church and from the surrounding Judaistic culture.

In rebuttal, this saddling of the burden of proof onto the Gospels instead of onto the critics, violates the entire tradition of historical research. Wayne Booth argues rightly that "Abstract commands to 'doubt pending proof' [ought to be replaced] with [what is] the ancient and natural command to 'assent pending disproof.'"[7] Second, the above opposition to miracles is based on an outmoded, 19th century view of science and commits the logical fallacy of begging the question (assuming what they seek to prove).

Principles behind their third presumption were rejected by secular historians decades ago as author Edgar Krentz admits.[8]

The Jesus Seminar absurdly ends up with a Jew who is stripped of his Jewishness, and with the founder of a Church whose followers rarely bothered to actually quote him. And their "Jesus" fails to account for the strong reactions of his contemporaries. The few words they judge authentic reduce Jesus to an insipid eccentric who would have been powerless to create the strong reactions either against him that resulted in his death, or for him in the movement that turned their world upside-down.

The notion that the first Christians weren't interested in Jesus' pre-crucifixion words is so improbable as to require direct and substantial evidence of a kind not remotely produced. And who is supposed to have created those world-changing words critics allege were put into his mouth? Not communities, which at most shape, but never create, profound discourse.[9]

Likewise, the often touted notion that individual "anonymous Christian prophets" created Jesus' words is shown to be without legitimate analogy. See Ben Witherington, The Jesus Quest: The Third Search for the Jew of Nazareth (InterVarsity Press, 1995), p. 200.

Writes John Bright, "It is far easier to credit such... insight to Jesus Himself -- who, on the very lowest count, was one of the great creative minds in history -- than to his early disciples, who were, for the most part, humble and very ordinary men."[10]

It is significant that contemporaneous Christians, Clement, Ignatius, and Polycarp described the Gospels as the words of Jesus.

REFERENCES AND FOOTNOTES

For first-hand reading of Seminar writers see:

1. Marcus Borg, Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time (San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1995), 160 pp. John Dominic Crossan, Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography (San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1995), 224 pp. [up]

2. Robert Funk, editor, The Five Gospels: The Search for the Authentic Words of Jesus (Polebridge, 1993). [up]

3. Ibid., Funk, p. 4. [up]

4. Ibid., pp. 15f, 26.; The Apocryphal "Gospel of Thomas" was heavily influenced by gnosticism, and almost certainly is to be dated in the middle next century after the close of the New Testament. See John Meier, A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, Vol. I (New York: Doubleday, 1991), pp. 124-166. [up]

5. Ibid., pp. 22f, 29f. [up]

6. Ibid., p. 30f. [up]

7. Wayne Booth, Modern Dogma and the Rhetoric of Assent (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1974), p. 101. [up]

8. Edgar Krentz, The Historical Critical Method (Fortress, 1975), p. 78f. [up]

9. See Vincent Taylor, The Formation of the Gospel Tradition (New York: Macmillan, 1935), p. 107f. [up]

10. John Bright, The Kingdom of God (Abingdon Press, 1953), p. 209. [up]

11. See Gary Habermas, The Verdict of History (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1988), p. 176f. [up]

Justice - Getting what you deserve from Gods hands, a righteous perfect judgment, rewards and punishments. (2 Cor.5:10; Rev.20:11-12)

Justification - is the legal act whereby God declares the sinner "not guilty" and imputes to them the righteousness of Christ. This places the believing sinner in a right relationship with God. This is not a subjective reality, but an objective positional reality.

"Justification is God's act of remitting the sins of, and reckoning righteousness to, ungodly sinners freely, by His grace, through faith in Christ, on the ground, not of their own works, but of the representative righteous and redemptive, propitiatory. substitutionary blood shedding of Jesus Christ on their behalf." (from J.I. Packer, "God's Words", page 139)

Kenosis - The Bible states that Jesus "emptied Himself" in describing His preincarnate glory contrasted with His humble state as a man (Phil 2). The question debated throughout the centuries has been in relation to exactly what it was Jesus emptied Himself of. Some say deity; others suggest glory; still others suggest power, or rights. Did He give up all His divine attributes, or just some of them? Without discussion of the pros and cons of these suggestions consider the following suggestions of what the emptying consisted of:

1) Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, veiled His preincarnate glory within an unglorified body.

2) Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, restricted the independent exercise of His "omni" attributes and submitted to the Father.

Knowledge - is the act or condition of knowing something with a familiarity gained through experience or association. It means "to perceive directly", "to have direct cognition", to "apprehend intellectually", "to acquire facts".

Lordship Salvation - Affirms 1) the need for complete surrender and repentance from sin in order to receive justification and that 2) God will cause all true believers to persevere in continual, sustained fruit and works in life. This fruit is the source of assurance that one is truly saved.

Background

Lordship salvation is the modern theological successor of reformist and Calvinist teaching. As John Calvin and Martin Luther defended salvation by faith in Christ alone against the onslaught of works based theology from the Roman Catholic Church, they had a very difficult problem. Although many in their congregations demonstrated a changed life, others that had professed faith in Christ continued to live very carnal lives. The Roman Catholic Church used this as evidence that a salvation apart from works could not and did not have the power to save. Luther and Calvin's response was to say that those persons who continued to live carnally had never truly placed their faith in Christ alone because anyone that had truly experienced conversion would necessarily continue in good works. This response to carnality continues today and has been called "Lordship Salvation" by those who disagree with the position (Lordship is meant to highlight the emphasis placed on accepting Christ as Lord of one's life).

The Theology

Lordship salvation proponents, such as John Piper, Tom Nelson, John F. MacArthur, and Steven J. Lawson see two areas as key to their understanding of and methodology for dealing with people who profess Christ, yet continue to live carnal lives.

Justification - the role of repentance and surrender at conversion. Christ preaches several parables where he makes it plain that there is a high cost for discipleship (Matt. 10:38; 16:24; Luke 14:25-27) and true commitment demands complete surrender of everything (Matt. 19:16, 21; Mark 10:23; Luke 14:33). Several of the calls to salvation in Acts use the word repentance (Acts 2:38; 11:18), which is always defined as "turning from sin" as does John the Baptist and Christ in the early part of his ministry (Mark 1:4; Matt. 3:2; 11:20). These passages are seen as proof that one must fully repent (from all sin) and make a total commitment to Christ before salvation can be had. It is not a salvation by works, as faith alone is what saves, but that in order to have faith alone, one must first have committed to a changed life. Jesus cannot be accepted as Savior unless he is also fully accepted as Lord over one's life.

Sanctification - the will of God that all men be preserved or that all men will continue in a godly life until the end (I Tim 4:16; Heb. 10:36). The sanctification of the believer is seen as an act of God alone with no responsibility placed on man. The result is that because God's desire is that all men persevere in good works and that God is the only one in acting in sanctification - all true believers will necessarily persevere. If anyone does not persevere, he must doubt whether his faith was true and therefore if his salvation is secure. Several "tests" have been proposed to determine if a professing believer is truly saved (using texts such as I John). This view is also known as "Perseverance of the Saints" from the 5th point of Calvinism.

Problems with the view

Although the motivations for the Lordship view - a genuine concern for the prevalent apathy of many people in the modern Christian church - are valid and noble, the theology has several severe Biblical and theological problems.

Poorly defined Biblical terminology

Salvation - Distinctions between justification, sanctification and glorification are not properly established in Lordship theology. Salvation is almost exclusively seen as eternal life in heaven and rarely, if ever seen as present sanctification. This creates a problem in interpreting passages such as Phi. 2:12. Disciple - there is a failure to distinguish salvation from discipleship. Although Christ makes distinctions between the free offer of salvation to all men (Luke 14:15-24) and the high cost of discipleship (Luke 14:25-27) resulting in reward, this distinction is ignored in Lordship theology.

Repentance - rather than defining repentance as it is used in Greek (metenoesan - "to change one's mind")1, an entire theology is forced upon the word giving it the meaning "turning from sin." The Greek translation of the Old Testament used metenoesan for God (Ex. 34:2; Jer. 26:13) who was obviously not turning from sin. John the Baptist and Christ did urge the Jews to repent from sin (John 1:23; Matt. 4:17) to usher in the Old Testament Covenants Christ was to fulfill, but this repentance from sin was not for justification, but rather identification with the imminent Kingdom of God. For salvation, repentance should be understood as a change of mind about who Christ is such as when Peter explains to the Jews who Christ was (Acts 2:36-37), then asks them to change their mind about rejecting him and receive salvation (Acts 2:38).

No Practical Assurance of Salvation - Although Lordship proponents teach ETERNAL SECURITY (that salvation cannot be lost once it is received), they teach that ASSURANCE OF SALVATION can only come when a believer is persevering in good works. Every time a believer struggles in sin or doubt, he is forced to doubt whether or not he is saved. The peace the God promises and that one can know for certain that he is saved (I John 5:13) is denied. Believers need to base their assurance on the objective truth about what the Word says regarding someone that has placed their faith in Christ's provision (Acts 10:43), rather than in the subjective truth of how one feels or what actions they commit.

Misunderstanding of God's Sovereignty and man's responsibility - No responsibility is placed on man for present salvation (sanctification). Although the New Testament places a high value on the results of those that persevere - reward (Phi. 3:14) and rulership with Christ (I Tim. 2:12) - these results are seen as ubiquitous among all Christians because all will persevere.

The Biblical Possibility of Failure - the New Testament makes it very clear that there is a present reality that a believer may not continue in good works and may face severe disciple (Heb. 10:26-27) even unto death (I Cor. 5:5; Jam. 5:20-21). If it is true that all will persevere, these passages make little sense. Lack of commitment of Biblical Saints - there are several examples of confirmed believers that did not display commitment or perseverance.

Lot - if commitment is a requirement for salvation, Abraham's cousin Lot surely would not have been saved, for he scarcely displays any commitment at any point in his life. But, the New Testament reveals he was considered holy (2 Pet. 2:7).

Solomon - Solomon's entire life was characterized by sin with almost 1000 women as either wives or concubines. Although his life is clearly not an example of perseverance, he surely was saved. Ananias and Sapphria - because of their sin (Acts 5:1-2) were taken to be with the Lord (Acts 5:5, 10) as an example of the seriousness that God has toward sanctification. They did not continue in good works and yet had the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3) so were believers.

The Lord's Supper - (1 Corinthians 11:20), called also "the Lord's table" (10:21), "communion," "cup of blessing" (10:16), and "breaking of bread" (Acts 2:42).

In the early Church it was called also "eucharist," or giving of thanks (Compare Matthew 26:27), and generally by the Latin Church "mass," a name derived from the formula of dismission, Ite, missa est, i.e., "Go, it is discharged."

The account of the institution of this ordinance is given in Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:19,20, and 1 Corinthians 11:24-26. It is not mentioned by John.

It was designed,

* To commemorate the death of Christ: "This do in remembrance of me."

* To signify, seal, and apply to believers all the benefits of the new covenant. In this ordinance Christ ratifies his promises to his people, and they on their part solemnly consecrate themselves to him and to his entire service.

* To be a badge of the Christian profession.

* To indicate and to promote the communion of believers with Christ.

* To represent the mutual communion of believers with each other.

The elements used to represent Christ's body and blood are bread and wine. The kind of bread, whether leavened or unleavened, is not specified. Christ used unleavened bread simply because it was at that moment on the paschal table. Wine, and no other liquid, is to be used (Matthew 26:26-29). Believers "feed" on Christ's body and blood, (1) not with the mouth in any manner, but (2) by the soul alone, and (3) by faith, which is the mouth or hand of the soul. This they do (4) by the power of the Holy Ghost. This "feeding" on Christ, however, takes place not in the Lord's Supper alone, but whenever faith in him is exercised.

This is a permanent ordinance in the Church of Christ, and is to be observed "till he come" again.

Love - The ancient Greeks had four different words we translate love. It is important to understand the difference between the words:

1. "Eros" was one word for love. It described, as we might guess from the word itself, erotic love. It refers to sexual love.

2. "Storge" was the second word for love. It refers to family love, the kind of love there is between a parent and child, or between family members in general.

3. "Philia" is the third word for love. It speaks of a brotherly friendship and affection. It is the love of deep friendship and partnership. It might be described as the highest love of which man, without God's help, is capable of.

4. "Agape" is the fourth word for love. It is a love that loves without changing. It is a self-giving love that gives without demanding or expecting re-payment. It is love so great that it can be given to the unlovable or unappealing. It is love that loves even when it is rejected. Agape love gives and loves because it wants to; it does not demand or expect repayment from the love given. It gives because it loves, it does not love in order to receive. According to Alan Redpath, we get our English word agony from agape. "It means the actual absorption of our being in one great passion." (Redpath) Strictly speaking, agape can't be defined as "God's love," because men are said to agape sin and the world (John 3:19, 1 John 2:15). But it can be defined as a sacrificial, giving, absorbing, love. The word has little to do with emotion; it has much to do with self-denial for the sake of another.

It is interesting to note that the Greek word "Agape" is a word that was coined exclusively for the New Testament; it was never found in classical Greek and they knew nothing of this Agape, the divine love of God.

Man - A direct creation of God. Made in his image to express God nature and bring glory to his creator. Specifically to have a relationship with God as a child to its parent. Created in holiness knowing only what is good until the fall, then gained knowledge of what is contrary to God.

Mercy - Is withheld punishment for judgment, God's mercy provides the need for sinful man in Jesus sacrifice.

Metaphor - Jn.6:48 I am the bread of life or eat my body and drink my blood- a figure of speech in which one object is liked to another by speaking of it as if it were the other but in fact is not.

Millennialism

Millennium - A literal 1,000 years of Christ reigning on earth.(Gr. Chiliasm=1,000 years, mentioned 6 times) The church was pre millennial the first three centuries of the church. His return was considered imminent.

Amillennialism - Teaches there is no literal millennium before or after Christ returns to earth. Uses an allegorical or symbolic approach to prophecy. (major proponents are Covenant theologians)

The belief that the millennial kingdom is indeterminate in length and fulfilled by Christ currently ruling in heaven. At the end of this reign Christ will come back to gather the church and judge the nations.

Historical

This position was first posited by Augustine (354-430). He believed that Christ would return and the judgments and resurrection would occur at the year 1000 A.D. After this year passed into history, the view was changed to mean an indefinite period of time between Christ's comings. Martin Luther and John Calvin were also amillennialists.

Doctrinal Characteristics

There are two views within amillennialism. The fulfillment of the millennial scripture comes either through the church that exists on earth now, or the saints that are already in heaven.

The church fulfills spiritually all of the covenants and promises made to Israel in the Old Testament. These include the ABRAHAMIC, Davidic, and New Covenants. God is finished with his program for Israel, and is solely concerned with the church, although Jews can enter back into the promises through faith in Christ.

Amillennialists use a combination of literal and figurative hermeneutics. They tend to interpret much of prophecy figuratively. They believe that a prophecy cannot be fully understood until its fulfillment, which is why we should not be quick to affirm a literal 1000 year earthly kingdom.

Scriptural Interprιtations

The land promises of the Abrahamic Covenant were fulfilled either by Joshua (Joshua 21:43-45), Solomon (1 Kings 4:21), currently by the church, or by the heavenly Jerusalem. The mystery of Ephesians 3:5 is that the church was actually in the Old Testament and thus fulfills those promises and covenants.

They believe that Daniel's Seventy Weeks Daniel 9:24-27 began in 536 B.C. under Cyrus, not in 445 B.C. under Artaxerxes. The seventy sevens are then imprecise in their exact duration. The seventieth week therefore is the entire church age, not the 7 year period of tribulation in Revelation.

Dispensational Pre-Millennialism - The 2^nd coming occurs in two stages first the rapture of the church then after 7 years Christ returns with his church to rule on earth. Uses a literal interpretation of prophecy.( used by pretribualtionists)

Historic Pre-Millennialism - The rapture and the 2^nd coming are simultaneous events as Christ returns to earth, before the millennium.

Post Millennialism - Christ returns after the millennium, there is no distinction between the rapture and 2^nd coming, it one event.

Minister - one who serves, as distinguished from the master.

Heb. meshereth, applied to an attendant on one of superior rank, as to Joshua, the servant of Moses (Exodus 33:11), and to the servant of Elisha (2 Kings 4:43). This name is also given to attendants at court (2 Chronicles 22:8), and to the priests and Levites (Jeremiah 33:21; Ezekiel 44:11).

Heb. pelah (Ezra 7:24), a "minister" of religion. Here used of that class of sanctuary servants called "Solomon's servants" in Ezra 2:55-58 and Nehemiah 7:57-60.

Greek leitourgos, a subordinate public administrator, and in this sense applied to magistrates (Romans 13:6). It is applied also to our Lord (Hebrews 8:2), and to Paul in relation to Christ (Romans 15:16).

Greek hyperetes (literally, "under-rower"), a personal attendant on a superior, thus of the person who waited on the officiating priest in the synagogue (Luke 4:20). It is applied also to John Mark, the attendant on Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:5).

Greek diaconos, usually a subordinate officer or assistant employed in relation to the ministry of the gospel, as to Paul and Apollos (1 Corinthians 3:5), Tychicus (Ephesians 6:21), Epaphras (Colossians 1:7), Timothy (1 Thessalonians 3:2), and also to Christ (Romans 15:8).

Miracle - an event in the external world brought about by the immediate agency or the simple volition of God, operating without the use of means capable of being discerned by the senses, and designed to authenticate the divine commission of a religious teacher and the truth of his message (John 2:18; Matt. 12:38)

It is an occurrence at once above nature and above man. It shows the intervention of a power that is not limited by the laws either of matter or of mind, a power interrupting the fixed laws which govern their movements, a supernatural power.

In the New Testament these four Greek words are principally used to designate miracles:

(1.) Semeion, a "sign", i.e., an evidence of a divine commission; an attestation of a divine message (Matt. 12:38, 39; 16:1, 4; Mark 8:11; Luke 11:16; 23:8; John 2:11, 18, 23; Acts 6:8, etc.); a token of the presence and working of God; the seal of a higher power.

(2.) Terata, "wonders;" wonder-causing events; portents; producing astonishment in the beholder (Acts 2:19).

(3.) Dunameis, "might works;" works of superhuman power (Acts 2:22; Rom. 15:19; 2 Thess. 2:9); of a new and higher power.

(4.) Erga, "works;" the works of Him who is "wonderful in working" (John 5:20, 36).

Nicolaitans - The church at Ephesus (Revelation 2:6) is commended for hating the "deeds" of the Nicolaitanes, and the church of Pergamos is blamed for having them who hold their "doctrines" (15). They were seemingly a class of professing Christians, who sought to introduce into the church a false freedom or licentiousness, thus abusing Paul's doctrine of grace (Compare 2 Peter 2:15,16,19), and were probably identical with those who held the doctrine of Baalam (q.v.), Revelation 2:14.

Parable - A figure of speech in a story setting to illustrate a moral or spiritual or heavenly truth. Taken from the peoples everyday experiences. Mt.13 The disciples asked why do you speak in parables. It has been to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given . The principle is (Isa. 6:9-10) to reveal to those who are soft in heart seeking truth , they will continue to be given more . For those who are hard of heart it is hidden until they repent. In Mk.4:13 Jesus explains In understanding this first parable of the sower is the key to understanding them all.

Pharisees - a prominent sect of Jews in Christ's time; opposed Jesus and His teachings; plotted His death (Matt 12:14); were denounced by Him (Matt 23). Characteristic teachings: belief in oral as well as written law; resurrection of the body; belief in the existence of spirit world; immortality of the soul; predestination; future rewards and punishment based upon works (Matt 9:11-14; 12:1-8; 16:1-12; 23; Luke 11:37-44; Acts 15:5; 23:6-8).

Physical Death - (the separation of the soul from the body), which affects humankind as the result of Adam’s sin charged to our account (Romans 5:12-14)

Prayer - "Prayer is spiritual communication between man and God, a two-way relationship in which man should not only talk to God but also listen to Him. Prayer to God is like a child's conversation with his father. It is natural for a child to ask his father for the things he needs." (Billy Graham)

"Though in its beginnings prayer is so simple that the feeblest child can pray, yet it is at the same time the highest and holiest work to which man can rise." (from Andrew Murray, "With Christ In the School of Prayer")

Preaching - proper preaching and teaching is nothing less than sharing the divine oracles of Almighty God! It is declaring God's truth to inform the ignorant, eblighten the mind, stir the emotions, and challenge the will. It is declaring the whole counsel of God in such a manner that everyone who listens is aware of the divine message and the divine presence. Proper preaching might also be known as "bridge building" between the Biblical world and the modern world! (from John R.W. Stott, "Between Two Worlds")

The preacher, if he is true to his divinely ordained task, must preach the Word, only the Word, and nothing but the Word! The preacher is simply the spokesman for God, standing "in the gap" to say to God's people and the world what God would want said. The point is this: God has already preached His message in the Scriptures - thus the preacher has been given the task to simply say again to his culture and his generation what God has already declared! Nothing else matters but a clear exposition of what God is actually saying in the inspired text. Period!

Allegorical Sermons - "One of the poorest methods is what is commonly called the allegorical. This sermon takes certain Bible narratives and gives them an allegorical interpretation. Such a sermon could be preached from the parable of the Good Samaritan. The preacher would explain the man on the road to Jericho as a lost sinner, the priests and the Levites would represent the efforts of the law to save him; and Jesus would be the Good Samaritan. Although all of those truths are in deeds biblical the allegorical method does violence to the literal intention of the Bible narratives." (from Jerry Vines, "A Practical Guide to Sermon Preparation")

Biographical Sermons - "This sermon presents a study of the life of a particular Bible character. The facts about the particular character form the basis for a message that has modern application. Very often God has a way of teaching truth by wrapping it in flesh and blood. The truth of faith is clearly seen in the life of Abraham, the father of the faithful. The danger of carnality is graphically portrayed in the life of Lot. The biographical sermon can be handled in an expository manner." (from Jerry Vines, "A Practical Guide to Sermon Preparation")

Devotional Sermons - a sermon emphasizing life situations. It’s where a text is used that is not doctrinal, nor an epistle. Usually the preacher will use Psalms, the Gospels, or an Old Testament story with the intent to comfort and encourage; to create within the listener more love and devotion for Jesus

Textual Sermons - "A textual sermon is one based upon a verse or two from the Bible. The main theme and the major divisions of the sermon come from the text itself. This sermon seeks to expound what the text itself actually says. Some of Charles H. Spurgeon’s greatest messages are built around a single verse of Scripture. The preacher may practice imposition, not exposition. He may choose a text as a mere starting point from which to express an idea he is fond of. Or he may use a text as a peg on which to hang something he would like to say. Very often a text is made to serve the preacher’s intentions rather than those of God’s word." (from Jerry Vines, "A Practical Guide to Sermon Preparation")

Topical Sermons - "The topical sermon is built around some particular subject or idea. The idea may be taken from the Bible or from outside the Bible. A topical sermon may be presented in an expository manner. Doctrinal sermons easily lend themselves to this approach. But usually the preacher gathers what the Bible teaches about some particular topic, organizes the passages into a logical presentation, and then delivers the topical sermon. However, in my opinion, it is one of the poorest ways to preach. Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., says the preacher should preach a topical sermon only once every five years, and then immediately repent and ask God’s forgiveness!" (from Jerry Vines, "A Practical Guide to Sermon Preparation")

Expository Sermons - "Expository preaching is the communication of a biblical concept (theme) derived from and transmitted through a historical, grammatical, literary study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit first applies to the personality and experience of the preacher, then through him to his hearers." (from Haddon W. Robinson)

"Not a lecture about Scripture, but the Scripture itself, opened up and enforced."
(Charles Haddon Spurgeon)

Predestination - This is God's sovereign act of ordaining the perfect means to accomplish His own perfect ends of what He had determin