Category: The Doctrine of God

Metaphorically speaking, my umbilical cord to my mother, the seminary I attended, was cut many years ago. I entered the world of theological studies as a newborn, without a family, a church, or a Bible College background. It took me several years to begin to walk and talk theology, but by then there were no professors I could run home to or siblings I could look up to. I was under the gun to create messages that people wanted to listen to. Not being as creative as the next guy, I sought refuge in developing a method of studying the Bible that made sense to me.

Challenged by professors who stated, “No pastor worth his salt had fewer than 3,000 volumes in his library,” and “One has to keep up with current thinking to be successful,” I tried that path but soon got lost in the opinions of men. Besides, books weren’t in my family’s budget nor the church’s for that matter. So I resorted to the only tools I had, a Greek text, some Dictionaries, and the almost always faithful, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. Soon, I was able to acquire a concordance that reversed the order from English to Greek to a concordance of Greek to English. That was a giant step for me in those days. But now, everyone has computers with tools to do the hard work for us.

Reflecting on the fading light of my seminary education, I began to develop my own method of studying which, in truth, is probably a conglomeration of things I learned in my master’s program but never really understood at the time. My methodology involved positing meaning to terms I heard and remembered like inspiration, dispensation, exegesis, and exposition.

Not having the time or resources to ponder all of the highfalutin jargon of modern-day theologians, I came up with my own definition of these terms and ways to incorporate them into my methodology. For instance, inspiration means “God-breathed”.[i] Kind of original isn’t it? Or exegesis, “to fully explain, or declare”.[ii]

Early in my Christian experience, before I got educated, I heard an individual say he didn’t like theology. Since most of my classes in seminary had the term theology somewhere in the title or syllabus, I knew I had to learn to like the term, even if others didn’t. Then I was faced with confusion regarding what theology is and especially the distinction between Biblical Theology and Systematic Theology. I have long since lost my notes regarding what the differences were then. So, recently I set out to try to rediscover their meanings today. What a shock. I have referred to these two approaches to studying the Scriptures with my own definitions for over a half century. Now I find that somehow my path has led me far afield of what many think they mean. This is especially true now that we have the ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible and the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible. Which one of these is going to get me to heaven? Did I somehow take the wrong path? Listening to explanations by theologians regarding the difference between these two theologies only confuses the issue. How did things get so complicated and messed up?

The first step down the road to this confusion was probably taken way back in early church history when men put down in writing what they thought the Bible teaches. Then men began to compare what others were teaching. Soon theology became a study of men’s thoughts about the Bible rather than a study of the Bible itself. It took on a life of its own. Shouldn’t theology be a study about God and what He has revealed to man through the Holy Spirit moving in the minds and hearts of the authors of Scripture?

This takes me back to some of those terms I learned in seminary like verbal, plenary, God-breathed, plain-language and figurative-language, literal interpretation. Of course in this woke generation, words take on meanings apart from the context of the author’s meaning and become whatever someone wants them to mean. But this will not do if we really believe the Bible is God’s Word. Do we really believe what the Bible says about itself?

God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son…[iii]

There was the true light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.[iv]

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.[v]

What is important is not what man says about the Bible but what God has said in His Word. For this reason, I will stick to my own definitions of Biblical Theology and Systematic Theology. Here they are:

Theology – a study of God in His Word.

Biblical Theology – a study of the Bible from the author’s perspective, observing all of the contexts of each term. This must include the historical, and geographical contexts, the immediate text, and the overall context of the book or books of that author. From this, we might come up with Pauline Theology or Johannine Theology. But never Dr. Back’s Theology.

Systematic Theology – a study of God in His Word from the standpoint of all that the Bible says about a term, concept, or topic.

Notice that both are focused on the Bible. Both begin with a complete study of all of the occurrences of a term, a concept, or a topic in the Bible. This is hard work. It takes time, diligence, and discipline. But it is worth it. Only when we know what the Bible says can we know what the Bible means. Only then will our salvation be based on what God says and not what men say.

Both Biblical Theology and Systematic Theology are essential to understanding God’s doctrine.

There were times when I struggled to get my mind around a concept using this approach to Bible study. When I could not fully grasp a concept, I put it aside until God gave me further illumination. Looking back, I have confidence that I did not lead anyone astray and, hopefully, helped some choose the right path to understanding God’s doctrine.

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[i] Θεοπνευτος, 2 Tim 3:16.

[ii] Εξηγησατο (εχηγεομαι), Jn 1:18.

[iii] Heb 1:1-2.

[iv] Jn 1:9-14.

[v] 2 Tim 3:16-17.

What we wear says a lot about who we are.

I just received a prayer request regarding a grandchild attending a music class at her public school where a male teacher dresses in women’s clothing. Isn’t this what is called dressing up in “drag?”

I realize that “drag” in the vernacular usually refers to one who is dressing and acting for entertainment purposes—if that is what someone wants to watch for entertainment. However, this behavior is now being forced upon this generation as something acceptable, even promoted, so that young children are indoctrinated to believe it is normal behavior.

This was practiced by Greeks and Romans in past history. In a recent article on the internet titled, Tales of Times Forgotten: Making the Distant Past Relevant to the Present Day, Spencer McDaniel wrote, “children wearing drag was a religious obligation!” (see)

This author concludes the article:

“In reality, the ongoing right-wing moral panic about children and drag is a uniquely modern phenomenon arising from uniquely modern historical circumstances. For the vast majority of human history, this notion that it is inherently inappropriate for children to view or participate in any form of drag has simply not existed. The fact that the ancient Greeks had absolutely no problem with children viewing drag or participating in it themselves at least for certain religious occasions reminds us of this reality.”

To be transparent, I did speed-read the article (not word for word) because I thought it was probably a diatribe against Christians. It is. This immediately brought to mind a verse of Scripture where Israel was strictly forbidden for individuals to dress in the garments intended for the opposite gender (cf. Deu 22:5). Since I do not have the mental capacity to recall tidbits of Bible “trivia” such as the prohibition against wearing garments of the opposite sex, to find this verse I ran a quick search of “garments” in Englishman’s Concordance. What an eye-opener. There are 125 matches regarding the term, in 104 verses. Most have to do with the garments of priests to be worn in religious observances. These were to be sewn, cared for, and worn in special ways so as to reflect the holiness of God.

With this quick overview of two opposing views on proper dress, please follow my logic for a moment.

We now have at least one or two generations of Christians who believe that what a person wears doesn’t matter. A few years ago, while attending a religious service in a church, a former pastor approached me and criticized what I was wearing. I was wearing my usual church attire, a sports coat, dress shirt, dress pants, and a tie. I was told that I need to dress informally to be relevant to this present age. In other words, I had to stop dressing like I thought God wants me to dress and dress more like the world around me.

Forgive me for this leap. But wasn’t he saying the same thing as the person who wrote the above article regarding wearing drag? On the one hand, we are told we should not dress as we think God might want us to dress when we come into the public assembly to worship Him. On the other, we should dress like the world wants us to dress.

Now, before you turn me off, let me say, you and I have the right to choose what to wear to church. In fact, I believe we have an obligation to wear what we believe honors the Lord we serve. In fact, what others think should not be the standard of our dress. But let’s not be judging one another on the basis of dress.

Let’s also not be so hypocritical as to say that how the world chooses to dress is evil and that how we choose to dress is holy and righteous. Dress is not the issue. In fact, let me state it stronger. Stop making dress the issue. Remember, whatever we do, we need to “do all in the name of our Lord Jesus“ (Col 3:17). Also, “whatever is not from faith is sin“ (Rom 14:23).

To be sure, I am concerned about the youth of today. There is an ongoing push to bend their minds to things that categorically are evil. Satan has many angels of light who have committed themselves to spread his doctrines which destroy both mind and body (cf. 2 Cor 11:14-15). We need to speak up when it is God’s will for us to do so—but in a God-honoring way. God has not called us to judge the world. He will do that in His way and in His time. We need to shine the light of the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ as His servants and not be so anxious about what the world is doing. One thing we do learn from the above article is that Solomon was right. “There is nothing new under the sun.” (Eccl 1:9-10).

God has not called us to judge the world. That is His job. We must find a way to live in this world without becoming a part of the world ourselves. Paul wrote:

I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters; for then you would have to go out of the world. But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he should be an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler —  not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God judges. (1 Cor 5:9-13)

Regarding our children and grandchildren being exposed to the things of the world, perhaps we need to view this as a teaching moment, not just by word but also by actions and attitude.

If you do a search on this website for the term love, you will find numerous references both to the term and to whole articles regarding the subject of love. The third part of my book, Let’s Talk About Matters of this Life, is an entire section on the doctrine of love in the New Testament. It is also published in full on this website. (see)

An overview of my bio will give you a clue as to why this subject has been so important to me as a Christian. My experiences as a child growing up in foster homes and then being adopted into a family left me with one question that motivated me to want to understand love from God’s point of view. What is love? That is why I chose to do a thesis on the topic for my doctoral degree at Western Seminary.

One of my first counseling sessions as a pastor was with a couple who had driven over a hundred miles to receive marriage counseling from a Christian counselor. When the wife asked the counselor “What is love?” the counselor sat back in his chair and repeated the question over and over but failed to give a definition. All the way home, the wife kept asking “What is love?” “What is love?” “What is love?” When they arrived home, she packed her bags and moved out.

As a last resort, they came to me, a young and inexperienced pastor, and asked “What is love?” I gave them what I had learned from personal study up to that point. They went away with an answer, incomplete as it was, and as a Christian couple determined to practice what I showed them in the Scriptures.

When I returned to Western Seminary for my doctoral degree, one of my goals was to extend my understanding of biblical love. I did exhaustive research at the Rose Memorial library on the campus of Biola University, Talbot Seminary, and Rosemead School of Psychology in La Mirada, California. After reviewing the topic in detail, I decided to omit the well-known passage in 1 Corinthians 13 from my study. The reason for this is that I was looking for the New Testament definition of biblical love. 1 Corinthians 13 tells us what love does, not what it is.

When seeking to find a definition of a term, we need to ensure that we are observing all of the contexts where the term occurs and, from there, posit an accurate definition. The apostle Paul was not seeking to define love, but to explain what love does and does not do. The context in which we find this chapter is in a letter addressing multiple problems facing the congregation of believers in Corinth and the surrounding region of Achaia. The term he used is agape (the noun).

Agape is found sixteen times in this epistle, nine of these in the thirteenth chapter. It is couched in a triplicate of chapters on the misuse of spiritual gifts. It summarizes how the willful decisions we make every day affect our relationships positively or negatively. Agape, as I discovered in my research of the New Testament, is the term used for a willful choice to act one way or another depending on how we view the object of our attention and the circumstances in which we find ourselves. Unlike the second term for love in the New Testament, philia, which is never commanded, every command to love is the verb, agapao.

Let’s examine what love does and does not do. First, agape supersedes prophecy, knowledge, and faith. In other words, there is nothing in life greater than to make choices based on what God has revealed in His Word to be the right choices.

Christians are constantly held to the world’s standard of love which is everchanging. But biblical love will never change whether coming from a teacher who claims to be a prophet or even an entity claiming to be a messenger from God.

Second, there are no circumstances that can arise that will change our need to make choices based on agape. We can feed the poor or seek to overcome the latest existential threat to human existence, but if the choice is not consistent with the Word of God, it is not profitable.

Notice the list of things Paul gives of what love does and does not do:

            Love is patient.

            Love is kind.

            Love is not jealous.

            Love does not call attention to itself.

            Love does not put oneself above others.

            Love does not act unbecomingly.

            Love does not seek its own.

            Love is not provoked.

            Love does not act on the bases of wrongs committed in the past.

            Love does not take joy in unrighteousness committed regardless of the reason, but only rejoices in the truth.

            Love bears all things.

            Love believes all things.

            Love endures all things.

In a simple and abiding statement, love does not let circumstances dictate how we act toward others. This was the opposite of how the Corinthian believers were treating each other and how we see so many professing Christians speaking and acting today.

In the final analysis, love, i.e. making choices, must be based upon what God determines is right, not man. Agape is what all creation is about. It is to choose to love God and to choose to love our neighbor as ourselves. Nothing will ever change this.

Throughout this letter to the Corinthian Church, Paul addresses behavior on the part of individuals in the church who were acting contrary to what was pleasing to God. Sometimes we are in circumstances that require us to act contrary to the way the world thinks we should act. In his letter to the Church in Rome, Paul exhorted the Church to “be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”[i] In another place he wrote, “…whatever is not of faith is sin.”[ii] Faith here does not refer to what we believe, but to the content of our faith, what God has revealed. In the next chapter, he wrote:

And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able also to admonish one another.[iii]

God has given us a roadmap for our Christian walk. That road is agape love. This is what we must do in every circumstance and toward others.

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[i] Rom 12:2.

[ii] Rom 14:23b.

[iii] Rom 15:14.

yourdailyshakespeare.com

Applying Biblical Love to Everyday Decisions We Make

In my recent article, (see), I commented on 1 Corinthians 13, aka, the love chapter. The topic of love has been one that I have studied for over a half century seeking to learn what biblical love is and to distinguish this from the love of the world and our present culture. This article has engendered more feedback than any other I have written. Here are some added thoughts about love as my personal study continues.

There are two opposite poles in the continuum of human existence. But before we look at these, we need to observe creation as it existed in the garden of Eden before the fall.

Mankind was created in the image of God as both male and female and given the ability to choose or reject God’s will. This was not free will as theologians like to debate. It was a communicable attribute God shared with His creation.

However, through the influence of Satan, a fallen angel, Adam and Eve chose to disobey rather than obey one simple command. As a result, this one attribute, the ability to choose, was damaged. This was and is the essence of the Imago Dei which was no longer available to mankind apart from God’s direct intervention. It is only when God repairs that damaged element of human existence that it can once again function so as to place an individual into a quality of existence (zoe, as in eternal life) with God.[1]

Agape is the single term that most characterizes the loss and regaining of zoe. It is the ability to choose to obey God. It is seen when men choose the world and reject God. The opposite is when men choose to obey God and reject the world. For this reason, we must allow the Holy Spirit to use the Word of God to transform[2] our thinking about love, and understand that this process of transformation is what James calls the salvation of the soul.[3]

When we ask the right questions of the Scriptures, who and what, not how and why, we come to the correct answers regarding our salvation through Christ Jesus our Lord. We must not think of love in human terms which only leads to confusion and darkness. But we must be transformed in our understanding of love, in the biblical sense of the term, in order to see the Light of the World [4] which men reject.

As this transformation takes place, it is or should be progressive over time. We then will understand how to make the right choices, redeemed agape, as we walk moment by moment in the power of the Holy Spirit.[5]

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[1] 1 Jn 5:11-13.

[2] Rom 12:2; Cf., 1 Cor 2:6-16.

[3] Jas 1:21-25.

[4] Jn 1:4ff.; 3:19ff.; 8:12.

[5] Jn 13:34-35; 14:21-23; Gal 5:16.

Have you noticed that in much theological debate in church history and today, the questions usually can be categorized as “Why?” and “How?” Often the debate quickly generates into proof-texting, using the texts to argue for our opinions and against the opinions of the opposing side.

One example is the question raised by the disciples when Jesus restored the eyesight of the man blind from birth.[1] At first glance, it appears that the disciples were asking a Who? and What? question. However, Jesus’ answer went to the heart of the issue. They were really asking “Why? and How? Why was he born blind? They wanted to know if it was because of his birth. Sin was a how answer.

Asking how and why questions are really seeking a judgment regarding the present circumstances. It assumes we know the right answers, or at least are seeking the right answers. But actually, it is the assumption that we can know when in fact, the how and why are often questions God has not answered, at least not directly.

Notice how Jesus answered their question.

Jesus answered, “It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was in order that the works of God might be displayed in him. “We must work the works of Him who sent Me, as long as it is day; night is coming, when no man can work. “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”[2]

It was Who, God, and What gave the man his sight. It was who, “we,” and what, “do the works of Him Who” sent Jesus.

Here is a second illustration. Jesus learned that His friend, the brother of Mary and Martha was sick.[3] The sisters came to Jesus requesting His immediate assistance and appealed on the basis of His love for Lazarus. It is important to notice the basis of their appeal is philia, not agape. Instead of going immediately to save Lazarus from death, Jesus stayed two more days during which time Lazarus died. Once He acted, it took four days total for Jesus to arrive at the place where Lazarus was.

John explains the answer Jesus gives to His disciples to their unspoken questions, why and how. Why did You let him die and how are You going to show Your love to him? Notice the change in the term for “love.” John says that Jesus “loved” (agape) Mary and Martha and Lazarus. In this simple statement and the change in the terms for love in this context from philia to agape, the questions were turned from why and how to Who and what.

It was God’s will, Who,? that Lazarus died. It was this demonstration of agape, that was going to demonstrate what love is. This is the definition of agape love, doing the will of God. It is in this statement and this context that once and for all we find the definition of true biblical love.

Think how much ink and paper could be saved if we didn’t keep asking Why angels stand on the head of a pin? and how so many can stand there? Think how many trees we would save.

I’m being ironic, but this is serious. In any theological discussion, instead of arguing over how we can be saved or why God would choose to save us, we need to focus on His Word. It almost always comes down to Who it is and what He does that saves. Who needs to be saved and what we need to do to be saved.

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[1] Jn 9:1-41.

[2] Jn 9:3-5.

[3] Jn 11:1-57.

I received the following email regarding God’s rest. Here is my response.

* * * * *

From: XXXX

Sent: Monday, March 13, 2023, 12:52 PM
To: Jerry Back <jerry_back@msn.com>
Subject: Interesting

An interesting comparison. I have much to learn about this and that!

Jos 1:12  And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh Joshua said,

Jos 1:13  “Remember the word that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is providing you a place of rest and will give you this land.’

Jos 1:14  Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land that Moses gave you beyond the Jordan, but all the men of valor among you shall pass over armed before your brothers and shall help them,

Jos 1:15  until the LORD gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

Heb 4:8  For if Joshua gave them rest, then He would not have afterwards spoken about another day.

Heb 4:9  So, then, there remains a sabbath rest to the people of God.

Heb 4:10  For he entering into His rest, he himself also rested from his works, as God had rested from His own. LXX-Psa. 95:11; Gen. 2:2

Heb 4:11  Therefore, let us exert ourselves to enter into that rest, that not anyone fall in the same example of disobedience.

XXXX,

* * * * *

Greetings, XXXX

The author was writing to Jewish Christians who were finding that being a Christian in that day was harder than being a Jew and so were considering going back to the OT way of life.  In this epistle, he gives five parenthetical warnings: The Danger of Drifting (2:1-4), The Danger of Distrust (2:7-4:16), The Danger of Dullness (5:11-6:20), The Danger of Disregard (10:26-39), and The Danger of Disaffection (12:27-29).[i] He uses lessons from the history of the Jews in the OT to explain these dangers, sometimes with direct references, sometimes with quotes from the LXX, and sometimes with allegory. This of course does not give us a license to use the allegorical method of interpreting Scripture. He was writing Scripture under the direction of the Holy Spirit. Hence his license to do so in order to illustrate a point.

With regard to rest in Hebrews chapter 4, the author uses the fear of the sons of Israel to enter the land where God was leading them as an allegory of the Jews’ distrust of God in the new dispensation. Their fear of the people in the promised land in the OT was actually a lack of trust in God’s ability to bring a physical victory over the pagans who occupied the land. This resulted in God not allowing them to enter. Not entering meant no physical rest. They wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Every one of that generation died never entering the land except for Joshua and Caleb.

The author uses this as a type of fear of living for Jesus their Messiah. This led to their not entering into the spiritual full fellowship with God in the NT. In typology, the antitype is always greater than the type. This is very Jewish reasoning. The type was not entering into rest in the land in the OT. The antitype was not entering into full eternal rest in this life in the NT.

Even Moses failed to enter the land. But he was still a son of God. The danger of not trusting God in all things NT was that they would not fully enjoy life unto the ages. Note that translators turn this around in translations to read eternal life to our detriment. The noun is zoe, a quality of life in relationship with God and aionios, unto the ages. It begins when we are born of God. Unbelievers will live forever also, but will not enjoy a quality of life with God.

While some want to take this letter to the Hebrew Christians as a warning against the loss of salvation, it is the loss of the full enjoyment of salvation under the sun, in this life. (cf. Jas 1:21; 2:12ff., 5:5:20 w. Heb 4:12; 6:119; 10:38-39; 12:3; 13:17).

Note also that we often quote 1 Jn 5:11-12 with regard to eternal life (zoe aionios), but not verse 5:13. Why not? And why does John need to tell us that we have eternal life if we have eternal life? It’s because, unless we are living in fellowship with the Father and the Son and with each other by walking in the light, we don’t feel like we have eternal life. Hence we fail to enter into God’s rest, i.e., experience the quality of life He intends for us right now.

This is the explanation of the five parenthetic warnings and the reason why we should take care to seek soul salvation under the sun. The tragedy is that it is possible to be saved so as by fire (1 Cor 3:15-16). That is, our soul is saved, but we do not have the enjoyment of our salvation now and will not have much by way of rewards when we get to heaven. We are not working for rewards. We already have all the rewards. The danger is we can lose them by not walking in fellowship with God and His people now.

May you enjoy life unto the ages right now.

Thanks for your question.

DJB

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[i] An Exegetical Examination of the Warnings in the Epistle to the Hebrews, (A Dissertation presented to the faculty of Grace Theological Seminary, by Duane A. Dunham, May 1974).

Does the Bible Talk About Dinosaurs?

 I recently received this question from a high school student seeking answers to questions arising from his experiences in the public school he attends. Here is my response.

* * * * *

Dear Bill,

The answer is yes and no. explaining the last answer first, no the Bible does not talk about dinosaurs. That is, we are not given a lot of material in the Bible regarding this subject. This is understandable since the Bible does not talk about a lot of things regarding life under the sun. Its purpose is not to explain everything, but to give an answer to the basic questions regarding God, creation, man, sin, and salvation. It states the purpose of human history, i.e., that man was created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

Solomon describes it this way:

He (God) has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end. (Eccl 3:11 NASB)

As Adam was given the task of identifying the animals in the Garden of Eden, mankind has the task of studying the universe and seeking to understand it. We will never have perfect knowledge and understanding because we are creatures of time and must learn what life is all about and how to live under the sun.

Because our knowledge is limited, and because of the damage caused by sin in the world, men do not seek after God. Instead, God seeks after men. That is, He provides revelation—the Bible—to persuade us to come to Him. (cf. Rom 3:10-18, 23)

Psalm 19:1-6 is often quoted as proof that man can understand God just by looking at creation. This is unfortunate because the Psalmist is saying just the opposite. Notice that the rest of the Psalm, verses 7-14 explain that viewing the wonders of creation will not save anyone. Only God’s revelation can do this. This is why it is important that we study, study, study. So that we can understand the message, the Word of God. (John 1:1ff.)

Coming back to your question and the first answer, yes the Bible does mention dinosaurs, though it doesn’t explain them, only that they were part of God’s creation. Notice Job chapters 40 and 41. “Behemoth” (Job 40:15 NASB) could be a reference to a dinosaur, though many Bible scholars see it as a hippopotamus. In verse 41:1, “Leviathan” refers to a sea creature that was enormous. Both of these references have caused much conjecture for and against dinosaurs. But the context was God speaking to Job and reminding Job of how large and imposing these creatures, both on land and in the sea, were when compared to mankind.

My personal view is that there were dinosaurs, but through climate change and overhunting, they ceased to exist. It is hard to argue against the many discoveries of bones, carcasses, and even drawings depicting these large creatures. But the debate is not really about their existence or nonexistence. It is about the nature of God’s creation and the origin and age of the universe itself.

As you know, I am a strong advocate for the literal translation of the Bible as opposed to the mystical or allegorical interpretation. There is plain language and figurative language. But once we leave the intended purpose of the Author of Scripture, the Holy Spirit, and give a mystical or allegorical interpretation, we lose the truth of the gospel and become lost in a vast sea of speculation. Man’s theories come and go. In the end, we can only see pieces of the past, but never the whole picture. But the Word of God endures forever.

It is significant that the first mention of the Church in God’s revelation is from the lips of Jesus.

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”[1]

“What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go and search for the one that is straying? And if it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. Thus it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.

And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer. Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. For where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst.”[2]

Notice the context of each of these texts. In Matthew 16, Jesus is warning His disciples regarding the misuse of God’s revelation to that point in time by the Pharisees and Sadducees. In this context, Jesus is warning against their false teaching. He likens it to yeast permeating a loaf of bread.[3]  Then there is the question to the disciples, “But who do you say that I am?”[4] Followed by Peter’s statement, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”[5]

The response of Jesus to Peter’s declaration has been interpreted in numerous ways in the centuries since then causing much division among those who name the name of Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. This is unfortunate because Jesus was not teaching something that was meant to be divisive. In fact, it was meant to define the primary purpose of the Church, i.e., to state that teaching God’s people how to live in harmony during the church age is its first priority. The keys to the kingdom of heaven can only be the completed canon of Scripture together with the power of the Holy Spirit in the Church.

Matthew, in his account of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, demonstrated this by the juxtaposition of these two passages and an illustration of what He meant by them with Peter’s response when Jesus, in His teaching, turned from preaching that the kingdom of heaven on earth was at hand to telling them of His pending death and resurrection which would delay the kingdom of heaven on earth.[6]

Verse 20 ends the previous event with Jesus instructing His disciples to not tell anyone that He was Christ. Why would He do that?

First, the most obvious answer is that His time had not yet come to be crucified. This was well into Jesus’ third year of ministry. Luke records the time for us more specifically as:

And it came about, when the days were approaching for His ascension, that He resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem; and He sent messengers on ahead of Him. And they went, and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make arrangements for Him. And they did not receive Him, because He was journeying with His face toward Jerusalem.[7]

However, before this, Jesus had already withdrawn from teaching in Jerusalem and Judea to areas of Tyer and Sidon because of the threats on His life.[8]

This brings us to the second reason Jesus did not want His identity as Christ to be preached. Hostility toward Him had reached a crescendo. Anyone identified with Him was also going to be a target of these threats. We know from what transpired from His crucifixion to the present day, many have paid the ultimate price for following Jesus.

In these two references, the only references to the Church up to this point in the progress of revelation, the contexts are that of conflict and declaring that biblical conflict management would be the Church’s first priority.

Recall that in the progress of revelation, the murder of Able by his brother Cain was managed by God. Instead of men executing judgment, God was in charge. This culminated in the banishment of Cain from God’s presence to the flood when God judged the entire world. After the flood, God decreed that human government would from then on have the task of executing judgment even to the point of the death penalty.[9]

This pattern is again repeated in the New Testament when God judged Ananias and Sapphira for lying to the Holy Spirit.[10] The foundation of the Church had not yet been laid by the apostles and prophets. This began in Acts chapter 6. While the Church existed with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, instructions for how the Church was to conduct its business were given over the next thirty-plus years in the epistles.

A casual perusal of the history of the Church recorded by Luke in the book of Acts and in the epistles clearly shows that the Church, by in large, has done a poor job in its first priority, resolving conflicts biblically. This is why I pursued the topic with vigor while pastoring among small churches, first as a Church planter, then as a pastor, and in several ministries as interim pastor, and as an adjunct professor in both Bible colleges and a seminary. In 1994 I began working on a Ph.D. in conflict management so I could teach the subject at the college and seminary levels.

I did not achieve my goal as I had planned. However, God has a way of using our dreams to bring glory to Himself. During that time, I became a certified professional mediator and served as such with the Fulcrum Institute in Spokane Washington. I completed all of the Peacemaker Ministries training and completed all but five hours of active mediation required to become certified with Peacemaker Ministries. God brought a halt to my endeavors. On February 28, 2002, I suffered a total heart block. I received a pacemaker. But my body has never completely accepted it. Since then I have had multiple health issues that eventually forced me to retire from full-time employment and ministry.

Out of that, I was able to put together a series of seminars that I call Managing Conflict Biblically. There is much information available on the subject today. I praise the Lord for that. However, I trust my Lord that He did not take me through all of that work only to allow His Word to return to Him void. My prayer is that what follows from this website will be used by many individuals, pastors, and churches to gain a better understanding of how to accomplish the Church’s first priority, managing conflicts biblically.

The seminars are available through this website in the form of a PowerPoint slide presentation with accompanying outlines with spaces to fill in from the slides. I make these available to anyone who wants to use them. You will need access to Microsoft PowerPoint to view the slides. For the best effect, view the seminars in the slide show mode to see the animations.

God knows I have financial needs but, with the apostle Paul, I want to offer the gospel without charge.[11]  So I make them available without charge and only ask that you use these for the purpose intended and that you follow the principles of copyright. If you want me to come to your church or group and present these in person, I am available. I just ask for my expenses to be reimbursed.

* * * * *

Basic Seminars: Resolving Conflicts Biblically

Introduction to the Basic Seminars  PowerPoint / Outline

Seminar #1: The Faithfulness of God in Conflict Situations PowerPoint / Outline

Seminar #2: God’s Pattern and Plan for the Church  PowerPoint / Outline

Seminar #3: The Spirit-Filled Church: The Key to Harmony PowerPoint / Outline

Seminar #4: The Mind of Christ: The Key to Unity PowerPoint / Outline

Seminar #5: Perspective: The Need for God’s Wisdom in Conflict Situations PowerPoint / Outline

Seminar #6: Growing Through Conflict: Achieving Genuine Reconciliation PowerPoint / Outline

________

[1] Matt 16:18-19.

[2] Matt 18:12-20.

[3] Matt 16:1-12.

[4] Matt 16:15.

[5] Matt 16:16.

[6] Matt 18:21-28.

[7] Luke 9:51-53.

[8] Cf. Jn 7:1 w. Matt 15:21ff.

[9] Gen 9:5-6.

[10] Acts 5:1-11.

[11] 1 Cor 9:18.

We live in the age of digital communication. We can connect to one another instantly almost anywhere in the world. Yet many today feel more disconnected than ever before. There is so much information and so many demands for our time and attention, it is next to impossible to keep up. For this reason, some are choosing to curtail and even limit the input of information and connectivity in order to remain mentally and emotionally balanced. It has become difficult to focus attention on what is important and to tune out the multitude of calls for our attention. Yet much of the information we receive does affect us daily and tuning it out can be dangerous.

Those who have accepted Christ Jesus as their Lord and Savior, have the advantage of knowing that God is the blessed controller of all things. He is not surprised by what is taking place. In fact, we read in Daniel’s prophecy written six hundred years before Christ:

“Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt. “And those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. “But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”[1]

Notice the last sentence. This is a clear picture of what is taking place in our time. Jesus refers to this as “the times of the Gentiles.”[2] Notice how closely the context in Luke’s gospel account parallels Daniel’s prophecy:

Then He continued by saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.

But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake. It will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. But you will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all on account of My name. Yet not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives.

But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is at hand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are in the midst of the city depart, and let not those who are in the country enter the city; because these are days of vengeance, in order that all things which are written may be fulfilled. Woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land, and wrath to this people, and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.[3]

When did the times of Gentiles begin and when will it end? It began with the destruction of the first temple in Jerusalem. It will end at the end of the seven-year tribulation. The Church will be raptured before the Tribulation, so some of what Jesus was predicting has not yet occurred. However, the Church, at this present time, exists during the times of the Gentiles. What we are now experiencing is what we read about in both the Old and New Testaments. So we should not be surprised at “the fiery ordeals” overtaking us.[4]

What did Christ plan for His body, the Church, to help us survive these hard times? To hear most preachers today, only that each individual is responsible to first be saved, then to arm themselves with the full armor of God outlined in Ephesians chapter 6. In other words, the provision given is personal salvation. But this is to omit the very heart of the gospel of Christ Jesus. It is to leave individual Christians alone in crises that overwhelm us daily. By ignoring the immediate context of such texts, the Church has become a people cut off from the truths of what God prepared for us in order to survive the times of the Gentiles.

When was the last time you heard a sermon on the doctrine of the Church, Ecclesiology? How many books are being written detailing all of the Scriptures regarding what the Church is and how it is supposed to function? What is the very purpose of the Church during this portion of the times of the Gentiles? This is why I stated in a recent post on my website that the first priority of the Church is resolving conflicts biblically.[5]

When we think of resolving conflicts we usually think about inner-personal conflicts. The tools are a scattering of verses of Scripture isolated from their context, which is the Church.

For instance, carefully read the Book of Ephesians. Observe that the overall context of the book and its central purpose is to define the Church and explain how it should function. Yet sermon after sermon uses scattered texts from this book to talk about personal salvation. Yet note what Paul is talking about in the following quotes:

He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fulness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things upon the earth.[6]

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.[7]

But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.[8]

For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man; so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fulness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.[9]

I have quoted extensively from the first three chapters of the Book of Ephesians in order to establish the context. The context is the doctrine of the Church. Yes, it speaks of personal salvation, which is necessary to be a part of the Church. But to stop there and not keep the main topic, ecclesiology, in focus is to violate the very purpose of the book. Paul, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is telling us how our salvation works. The goal of God’s redemptive plan is not just individual salvation. It is to bring glory to Himself through the Body of Christ, the Church. Any sermon that leaves this important detail out is violating the basic tenets of sound doctrine. This leaves the individual alone and a victim of the fiery darts of the wicked one.

The book ends with this instruction regarding the Church:

Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,[10]

The armor mentioned in this context would be worthless on the battlefield without brothers and sisters in Christ equally armed and standing with us. They are defensive in nature, not offensive. They are to enable each of us to stand together, defending each other. We are not in a wrestling match, but a war, not of our own choosing. We must be equipped together as God intends for the church.

Those who preach personal salvation and omit the doctrine of the Church are like parents who give birth to a baby and leave it on the birthing table to fend for itself. What a waste. What a disgrace to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Head of the Church.[11]

With this introduction to the topic of unity, recall that in Jesus’ High Priestly prayer in John’s gospel account, He prayed:

“And I am no more in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep them in Thy name, the name which Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, even as We are.[12]

Jesus, in those last few hours before His crucifixion, prayed for the Church. He knew that life for believers would become complicated and stressful. He told His followers:

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”[13]

Christians today in all parts of the world are experiencing the fulfillment of this statement. For too long in America, being a Christian has cost little. In the Americanization of the Gospel, individuals have been coddled into thinking that all their conflicts are personal and that they can resolve their conflicts alone just by simply quoting verses from the New Testament without the context of the Doctrine of the Church. Some are even going so far as to see the Church as part of the problem rather than the one and only solution given by God to function in this world of conflicts referred to as the times of the Gentiles.

This fundamental truth is noted by Paul at the beginning of his application of this epistle on the Doctrine of the Church when he wrote:

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.[14]

Unity is not an unattainable goal. It is God’s purpose for the Church. This is why I have placed my six seminars on resolving conflicts biblically on my website and made it available to the Body of Christ.[15] We must stop doing business as the world does its business and do the business of being the Church the way God intended. Unity is the number one imperative of the Church.

Gathering together in large groups to sing songs and listen to sermons once or twice a week does not even come close to fulfilling Paul’s injunction. We must do more. We must build relationships of fulfillment within the context of local churches that will fulfill the expectations of our Lord Jesus Christ for His body, the Church. This was the purpose of my writing and self-published the book, Can We Talk: About Matters of this Life.[16]

It did not reach the top of the New York Times bestsellers list. In fact, I ended up having to buy back some of the books that were sold. That is not a good recommendation for the worth of the book. However, I did not write the book so I could be popular or for self-aggrandizement. I gave most of my hardcopies away to missionaries and Bible school and seminary students. I have now added this book to my website.

In addition, I also have performed a short word study on unity that you can access for your study of this vital doctrine as well.[17] Please go to my website and take the time to read it. It is vital for you as an individual. It is vital for the Church. We must go back to the Scriptures and learn about God’s plan for the unity of the Body of Christ, the Church. We must come together as believers and learn how to relate to each other in ways that fulfill Christ’s plan for His Church in these times of distress.

\\

see reference                                              

______

[1] Dan 12:1-4.

[2] Lk 21:22.

[3] Lk 21:10-27.

[4] 1 Pe 4:12.

[5] see

[6] Eph 1:9-10.

[7] Eph 1:18-23.

[8] Eph 2:13-22.

[9] Eph 3:14-21.

[10] Eph 6:10-18.

[11] Cf. Col 1:18; 2:10, 19.

[12] Jn 17:11.

[13] Jn 16:33.

[14] Eph 4:1-6.

[15] see

[16] see

[17] see

I count it a blessing to be able to interact with choice individuals who provide me feedback, ask questions, and interact with my responses in my season of life. Following is an email chain just concluded regarding two important issues in our day, prophets in the church and the meaning of the Beatitudes. I am presenting this in raw form due to its timing. As I have the opportunity and resources, I will address both topics more in detail in future articles.

I begin with my latest response. For the beginning of the chain, scroll down to it below.

 *  *  *  *  *

Monday, May 15, 2023, 10:06 am

XXXXX,

Thanks for your comments on prophets, etc. My previous interaction with the topic was late last night as I was reading Scripture before falling asleep (something I do once in a while—sleep that is). This morning in my personal study, I am studying the book of Revelation using Hampton Keithley’s commentary on bible.org.

Hampton was a personal acquaintance. His wife’s sisters witnessed to my wife in high school and were instrumental in her coming to know the Lord way back when. Hampton was a graduate of Dallas Seminary and we both served as adjunct professors at Moody Bible Institute in Spokane at the same time. Hampton was the pastor of a church in Lubbock, Texas prior to returning to Spokane.  There was an individual in his church who funded Hampton and Kathy full-time so he and his wife could work establishing bible.org and writing articles for it. (see Special Announcements (Rev 14:1-20) | Bible.org)

Hampton is correct with most of his conclusions. This morning I am studying Rev. 14:13 where Hampton is identifying the voice from heaven. This is what brought my attention back to our conversation about prophets. It also brought to my attention an important discussion regarding the Beatitudes which I am now preparing to address in a new article for my website.

Note Hampton’s comments regarding the Fourth Voice:

A fourth voice now comes from heaven (either Christ’s or an angel’s) pronouncing a beatitude and evoking a response from the Spirit of God. Another possibility here is that the voice is that of the Spirit Himself. The last half of the verse would then identify who speaks from heaven. (For the four previous records of a voice from heaven compare 10:4, 8; 11:12 and 14:2).

The principle is that there is a direct communication from God from heaven rather than through angelic messengers. Why? Because of the importance of the message, but more so because God is interested in personally bringing comfort to His own.

This goes to the heart of what I was saying regarding prophets and prophecies in our time. Our email chain will probably be the grist for a new article, Let’s Talk About Prophets and Prophecy.

The first article mentioned above on the Beatitudes was prompted by this quote from Hampton:

What John is told to write is a beatitude, a pronouncement of blessing or divine happiness upon those individuals who comply with certain truths or principles of Scripture, but always on the basis of grace. In Scripture a beatitude is always seen as a reversal of man’s viewpoint by setting forth God’s viewpoint, values, priorities and ideas. To the earthling, obeying the beast and worshipping him is more blessed than death; even slavery is better than death. To many unbelievers death is feared, viewed as an unknown, or the end. But to believers, God’s viewpoint and the promises of His Word teach the direct opposite. To accept the beast is to forfeit trusting in Jesus Christ and so to forfeit eternal life. But death is never the end, it is only the beginning. This life is a place of preparation because our choices and works follow us into eternity.

The phrase “the dead who die in the Lord” refers to martyred believers (those who put their trust in Christ and share in His eternal life), those martyred for their stand in Christ. But they are blessed. The beast can kill their physical bodies, but their souls and spirits go immediately to be with the Lord. They will be given resurrected, immortal bodies, and will live in the eternal kingdom of God (Luke 12:4-5).

I have always had a problem with the Beatitudes being taught as instruction on how we are to behave today under the sun. Even those who see it this way have to give the caveat that no one can keep them all. Notice what happens when we understand the context of the Sermon on the Mount.

John the Baptist has been preaching the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Jesus is also preaching this message and did so until John was beheaded. (see the various articles where I explain the kingdom of heaven on my website. Use the brown search bar on the right and then ctrl-f on each article to see what I have written.)

The kingdom of heaven was the kingdom Jesus was offering to the Jews in His life on earth. When that bona fide offer was rejected and Jesus turned His face toward Jerusalem and His death on the cross, that offer was withdrawn.

It is this historical context in the progress of God’s revelation that is important to interpreting and applying the Beatitudes. These are not instructions on how to live today. To be sure, they do represent God’s holy standard for holy living. What Jesus is saying is that since His followers agreed with and longed for the virtues outlined, they will be blessed by their existence in the kingdom of heaven John and He were preparing them to receive. Since the offer of the kingdom was rejected, so were the blessings rejected. Those of us who have long for these blessings still long for them, and once the kingdom of heaven has been established on earth during the millennium, we will experience those blessings.

Your feedback is always appreciated. You are a man after God’s own heart. You challenge my thinking which is a beatitude for me in my season of life. I hope this is true for you as well.

God bless, in spite of our living in the period of the Gentiles.

 *  *  *  *  *

To read the articles referenced above, see the following:

Introduction and Approach to the Doctrine of the Kingdom of Heaven – Dr. Jerry Back)

Let’s Talk About The Kingdom of Heaven – Dr. Jerry Back

Let’s Talk About the Church’s First Priority – Dr. Jerry Back

 *  *  *  *  *

Beginning of the Email Chain

_________

From: XXXXX

Sent: Saturday, May 13, 2023, 5:54:06 PM

To: Jerry Back

Subject: Prophets

An interpreter (from the internet)

• The English word comes from the Greek prophetes (profetes), which signifies in classical Greek one who speaks for another, especially one who speaks for a god, and so interprets his will to man; hence its essential meaning is “an interpreter.”
• Illumination:

1Co 14:29  Have two or three prophets speak, and have the others pass judgment.

Inspiration:

1Co 14:30  But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, then the first one is to keep silent.

XXXXX

From: JERRY BACK

Sent: Sunday, May 14, 2023, 5:27 PM

To: XXXXX

Subject: Re: Prophets

You are correct that prophecy is forthtelling and not just foretelling. But it is conveying a message from God that involves revelation, i.e., God-breathed Scripture. When Moses wrote about creation and the flood, he was not foretelling but forthtelling because he was not there, and it happened in the past. The Holy Spirit was guiding him. When I teach or preach, I am not functioning as a prophet in the biblical sense of the term.

Prophecy ceased with the completion of the canon of Scripture. We need no other revelation until we witness the return of our Lord. That is what Paul meant when he said prophecy and knowledge would be done away with (future passive indicative, that is, something would occur to cause them to no longer be needed).

On the other hand, tongues would cease (future middle indicative, that is they would cease because their very purpose, to convince the unbelieving Jews who were seeking a sign–1 Cor 1:22–that Jesus is the Messiah) and would no longer be available. Jews today must believe God’s revelation written down now that the canon is complete. Jew and Gentile believers are on the same footing and come to Christ by God’s grace through believing the completed canon. God speaks through His Word (Heb 1:1-2).

When I am preaching and teaching, I am not giving a message directly from God. I am exegeting God’s word which is available to anyone willing to read it and study it. To omit the central feature, prophecy is speaking for God, is to cause confusion and has led many astray.

This is what Jeremiah meant when he prophesized, in 32:34, Jesus quoted in Jn 6:45, and John referenced in 1 Jn 2:20. Note the number of times John mentions the believer “knowing” in this short epistle.

When Paul wrote concerning the gift of prophecy, the canon had not yet been completed and there were still well-meaning Jews who needed signs. All that is past. There is no need for the gift of prophecy today.

I hope this helps.