WHAT IS THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE?

WHAT IS THE CHRISTIAN BIBLE?

2Timothy 3:15-17; 2Peter 1:19-21

What is in a book?

Over two billion people in the world put their faith in a collection of ancient writings called the Bible. What is this volume called The Bible? It is a library of 66 books, 39 of which are called the Old Testament and the remaining 27 called the New Testament. It is difficult to find any book which has been as read, as studied, as analyzed, as dissected, as summarized and as criticized as the Bible. Millions of books and articles have been written about it. Thousands base their education on it. Others base their livelihood on it. Kings and nations have tried to destroy it, atheist philosophers have tried to discredit it over the centuries. But the Bible has proved practically indestructible.

It possesses power to transform lives. Wicked men reading it see their wickedness rebuked and their lives changed. The foolish read it and learn wisdom. The grieved read it and are comforted. The hopeless read it and find hope. It offers hope for now and for the future. Many nations, though they may not admit it, base their laws on it.

The book teaches about God and creation, evil, the coming of Christ, future judgement on wickedness and coming reward for righteousness. This book is our Bible. We read it, study it, live by its precepts, get married according to its standards, bring our children up by its principles, and conduct our business based on its guidelines. We place our hope of eternal life in the saving work of our Saviour Jesus Christ as recorded in it. It is an extremely authoritative book. What is it that makes the Bible as indispensable as it is? It is an inspired book. It is God’s book though written by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit.

NAMES OF THE BIBLE

The Bible we read today is known by many names, all of which are to be found in the Bible itself. These names describe to us the Writer of the Bible, the functions of the bible, the character of the Bible, its importance in the relationship between God and mankind. They reveal to us the purpose of God for writing the Bible and endowing it with such power. Here are some of the names by which the bible is called.

(i)                       The Word of God (Heb.4:12;  Eph.6:17; Col.1:25; Luke 8:11)

(ii)                      The Word of the Lord (Jer.1:2, 11; Ezek.1:3; Isa.1:10; Acts 8:25; 1 Pet.2:23-25)

(iii)                    The Word of Christ (Col.3:16)

(iv)                   The Word of Life (Phil.2:16)

(v)                     The Word of Truth (Eph.1:13)

(vi)                   The Word of Faith (Rom.10:8)

It is also called The Scriptures (28 times in the NT and once in the OT), invested with divine authority, in contrast to the uninspired works of men (2Tim.3:15-16)

The Bible is called the Oracles of God literally the speech of God (Heb.5:10)

SYMBOLS OF SCRIPTURE

(a)-  Fire (Jer.23:29); (b) Hammer (Jer.23:29); (c) (Lamp (Psalm 119:105; (d) Mirror (James 1:23); (e) Milk (1Pet.2:2); (f) Rod (Rev.11:1-2); (g) Seed (1Pet.1:23; Luke 8:11); (h) Sword (Heb.4:12; Eph.6:18); (i) Water (Eph.5:26; John 15:3; 17:17); (j) Gold (Psalm 19:7-10); (k) Honey (Psalm 19:10; Rev.10:10), etc.

What we find out is that the word of God lives up to all these symbols by which it is described. You can begin to appreciate its awesome power.

 

THE BIBLE IS AN INSPIRED LIBRARY

2Tim.3:15-16; 2Pet.1:20-21; Jer.1:9

The Bible’s firm declaration is, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for correction and for instruction in righteousness…” (2Tim.3:16). By “All Scripture”, we mean the Christian Bible containing 39 OT and 27 NT books. This includes the Jewish Bible containing the 39 OT books. This is the Bible that is inspired of God – God breathed on the writers what He desired to communicate to us. Inspiration does not mean dictation. A standard pattern of speech in OT is, “Thus saith the LORD”, or, “And the Lord said unto…” or “And the word of the Lord came to me…”  For instance, God laid His hand on the mouth of Jeremiah the prophet as a means of transferring the prophetic words to Him (Jer.1:9). With Ezekiel, God caused him to eat the “scroll”, or “roll”, representing the word of God, and he went forth to prophesy in the “heat” of his spirit (Ezek.3:1-4 , 14). This is what is known as inspiration.

Inspiration can also be in the form of revelation, where God communicated truth to man that which could not be discovered by natural reasoning. God reveals Himself and His purposes to man through a human agent. Although there are things that are recorded in the Bible by experience and observation, they are no less revelation from God to man (Deut.29:29; John 16:12-15)

PROOFS OF INSPIRATION OF THE BIBLE

 

MIRACULOUS EVENTS IN THE BIBLE

The Bible is a book of miracles – a miracle is a supernatural act of power done by God. The Bible contains numerous accounts of miracles – the Red Sea dividing, manna falling from heaven every morning for 40 years, Water coming out of the rock, the dead being raised, the lame walking, the blind seeing, etc., etc., etc., etc… No work of man is comparable.

PROPHECY AND FULFILMENT

Prophecy is the foretelling of events before they occur. The Bible itself is called the book of prophecy. Event were accurately predicted generations before they occurred. This can only happen because God caused men to pen down such predictions. This is also a sign of inspiration of the Bible.

UNITY OF THE BIBLE

The 66 books of the Bible were written over a period of 1600 years, by approximately 40 different authors (Kings, statesmen, prophets, peasants, fishermen, herdsmen, priests, tradesmen and prisoners) who lived in different cultures and different countries (Egypt, Rome and Babylon) they wrote the Bible in three different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek). What they wrote contains almost every kind of literature (History, Law, Prophecy and Poetry). Yet the book is amazingly unified. It is as if each author produced a certain strand which fits in and harmonizes with the rest of Scripture. We affirm that the Bible the written word of God has one primary message – the revelation of the Living Word of God, our Lord Jesus Christ.

MIRACULOUS PRESERVATION

The bible boast many superlatives. It is not only the most loved book, it is also the most hated book! Multiplied millions of it have been either burnt or destroyed one way or the other. Some countries ban it and forbid their people reading it. It’s authority has been the subject of constant vicious attack. But through the centuries, the Bible has survived all attacks and continues its work of changing lives. It is still loved by millions

INFLUENCE OF THE BIBLE

The influence of the Bible as a book is unmatched by any other book. It has influenced some of the most beautiful music, art, law, science and education. Millions of lives have been changed by its truth. Only eternity will reveal the full influence of this holy book.

THE OLD TESTAMENT CANON

The simplest explanation of canon is that it is the standard by which we know what is inspired Scripture and what is not. The Jewish Scripture is called the Tanach standing for Torah (5 Books of Moses), Nevi’im (The Prophets) and Ketuvim (The Writings headed by the Psalms). Those are the three major divisions in the Hebrew Bible today. The OT is the book of God’s Covenant first made with Noah (Gen.9:8-17) with the rainbow as the seal. The second was made with Abraham (Gen.15:8; 17:1-4) with the seal of circumcision.

There is a lot that can be said of the OT but suffice it to say that Jesus gave His approval of it during His ministry on earth. He recognized the OT Canon, quoted it often in His teaching (Isa.61:1; Luke 24:27, 44-46; 11:50-52 (Gen.4:8; 2Chro.24:20-22)). Notice His approval of the three divisions of the Jewish OT (Luke 24:44). The Hebrew Bible today contains the exact number of Books (39) found in the Old Testament but with a different arrangement. The OT is therefore part of the Christian Bible. Some Church traditions add some other books called apocrypha. But these are considered not inspired. At every stage, God’s people understood what God’s word was and bound themselves to do them (Exod.24:3-7); (2 Kings 23:1-3); (Neh.8:1-9:38).

THE NEW TESTAMENT CANON

The New Testament is the most reliable collection of writings of any work of antiquity. Within 125 years of its completion, 43% of all the verses can be found in papyri. Within 125 years of completion, 0% classical literature is found any manuscript form. There are three times more of NT manuscripts with its first 200 years than the average Greco-Roman author has in 2000 year (D.B. Wallace). Some writers have said that the New Testament is the answer to the Old Testament. It is also important to note that the New Testament cannot stand without the Old Testament. God has planned that both testaments of His Word will be indispensable of each other. The Supreme subject of the NT is Jesus Christ, the Messiah of mankind. Its supreme purpose is the redemption of mankind. The Gospels declare the arrival of the Messiah (Luke 2:10-11). In the Epistles we see the Lordship of the Exalted Messiah (Heb.8:1). And in Revelation we see the soon returning of the Lord (Rev.22:7)  

The NT has 27 books. Athanasius was the first father of the Church, who recorded all 27 books of the NT in 367 AD. The books of the NT were written within 50 years of Christ’s ascension.

A fragment called The Muratorian fragment (dated 170 A.D.) contains 21 of the 27 NT books, showing us that the 27 book canon was established very early in the life and worship of the Church.

The early Church considered the canon of the NT closed by 100 AD. This was about the time when the last apostle, John died. Anything written after the apostles were not at all considered to be part of Scripture, because the eye witnesses inspired by the Holy Spirit did not stamp their authority on such.

Councils of Hyppo (393AD) and Carthage (397 AD) recognized and affirmed the 27 books we have today as the books of the NT.

CRITERIA FOR CANONICITY

The 27 books of the NT had to pass a strict test for canonicity before they were accepted by the universal Church. The books had to show:

(1)           APOSTOLIC AUTHORITY – the author must be an apostle of Jesus Christ or someone who has a close connection to an apostle.

(2)           DATE OF WRITING – the book must be written within the lifetime of the apostles (the last apostle died at about 100 AD.

(3)           ORTHODOXY – the teachings in the book must be in agreement with the teachings in other books of the NT and in deed other books of the OT.

(4)           CATHOLICITY – the book must be accepted by the Church as a whole, not just in one region.

(5)           TRADITIONAL USE – the book must have some tradition of having been used as scripture by the Church.

(6)           INSPIRATION – the book must show signs of inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and in most cases claim this inspiration.

All 27 books of the NT met all of the above conditions. All the other books written after these did not meet these criteria. So we are very confident that all the books we have in our NT are the only books that were recognized by the Church from the very beginning. So all the other books you hear about like the book of Enoch, or the Gospel of Thomas, even if some quotation from them found their way into the NT, did not meet these conditions and thus were excluded from the canon (Jude 1:14).

THE FOCUS OF THE BIBLE

The Bible reveals God’s plan of redemption through the ages. From Genesis 3:15, we see God’s promise of redemption after the fall of Adam and Eve. This fall would affect every human being in the world and cut them off from the glory of God.

The Bible traces for us how God from the very beginning planned the redemption of man. He called Abraham and made a covenant with him to build a nation. Through that Nation Israel, God’s Anointed One – the Messiah would be born.

From Genesis 3:15, prophecy after prophecy was given concerning the identity of the Messiah. All those prophecies are fulfilled in Jesus Christ (Micah 5:2 in 1Pet.1:20; Isa. 7:14 in Mat.1:22-23; Zech.9:9 in Mat.21:1-7; Isa.53:4-7 in Mat.27:12-14; 1Pet.2:21-25; psalm 22:1ff; Psalm16:8-11).

Now we know that all these prophecies concerning Jesus have been fulfilled. This means that the rest of the prophecies concerning His return in the Rapture and to judge the living and the dead will surely come to pass. Are you ready for that?

HOW TO APPROACH THE BIBLE (2Tim.3:15-17; 1Pet.2:2-3)

The bible has set objectives that it seeks to achieve in the life of believers – to TEACH, REBUKE, CORRECT and TRAIN in righteousness. The Bible can do this for us because it is perfect (Psalm 19:7-11). In Halley’s Bible Handbook we find some useful suggestions on how we should approach the Bible.

(i)                       Accept the Bible. It is the word of God. Do not worry about the theory of critics. Pin your faith in it. It will never let you down. Trust and practice its teachings and your joy will be full and you will be happy forever.

(ii)                      Read the Bible with an open mind. Do not put it into a strait jacket of a few pet doctrines. Remember it was given by inspiration of the Omniscient mind of God. Read it fairly. Read it honestly. Apply its teachings to your daily life.

(iii)                    Read the Bible Thoughtfully. Set your mind to understand what it is communicating to you.

(iv)                   Write its instructions down. You are free to mark its content as the Holy Spirit illuminates it for you.

(v)                     Memorize Verses of the Bible. Repeat them to yourself. Use them in your prayers and in your worship. Claim its promises. Obey its commands.

(vi)                   Memorize the names of the books. Know what the books are, the other in which they are arranged, and what they teach.

(vii)                 Love and cherish the Bible. It is God’s book to you. The teachings of Christ and His apostles recorded in the Bible will lead you to salvation.

  

(adapted from Haley's Bible handbook)

THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS

THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS

Mat.28:1-11; 1Cor.15:1-20, 29-32

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is pillar upon which Christianity stands. Without the resurrection Christianity will fall. Jesus rose from the dead bodily after three days in the grave. His resurrection proves His deity. The book of Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles and letters of the New Testament will be lying fabrications without the resurrection. But Christ rose from the dead and by that perfected the salvation of multitudes. There are many sceptics today who doubt the resurrection. All they need to do is to study the New Testament account and many extra-biblical historical accounts. Such people should also consider the phenomenal growth of the Church, and the change of the lives of many from unexpected quarters. Our own conversions also testify to the truth of the resurrection.

CHRIST’S PREDICTION OF HIS OWN RESURRECTION

Mat.12:38-40; 16:21; 17:9, 22-23; 20:18-19; 26:32; Luke 9:22-27

During His earthly ministry, Jesus always spoke about His coming date and resurrection.

The Sign of Jonah (Mat.12:38-40)

Jesus Rebukes Peter (Mat.16:21-23)

The Post-Transfiguration Speech (Mat.17:9-12, 22-23)

When commissioning the Twelve (Luke 9:22-27)

The Passover Night (Mat.26:31-32)

THE FACTS ABOUT THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS

Mat.27:27-37; 57-66

(1)Jesus Died By Crucifixion (Josephus, Tacitus, Lucian, Mara Bar-Serapion, Talmud)

(2)He was Buried (Mat.27:57-61)

(3)His Death Caused Despair in His Followership. Peter denied Him. The rest were scattered, afraid and in despair (Luke 24:13-32).

(4)Christ’s Followers Believed that He rose from the dead – Paul the apostle claimed it. Oral traditions of the Church declared it (1Cor.15:3-7); Apostolic sermons in Acts 2 declared it. All four Gospels (Mathew Mark Luke and John) recorded it.

(5)Christ’s disciples had real life encounters with their risen Lord (Luke 24:13-32; John 21:1-7,14; 1Cor.15:5-8)

(6)Disciples Transformed from Fearful People to Bold proclaimers who were ready to die for their testimony of the resurrection. All the apostles except John, and many other disciples died proclaiming that Jesus rose from the dead

(7)The Stunning Conversion of Saul of Tarsus from the Church’s persecutor, to the most ardent follower and defender of the faith (Acts 9:1-6; Gal.1:18-24). The conversion of Saul is well documented in the Acts of the Apostles. Paul always told the story of his own conversion (Acts 22:1-21); in Acts 26:1-28)

(1) The Conversion of James the just, the brother of Jesus. During Christ’s ministry, His earthly brothers did not follow Him (Mark 6:3-4; John 7:5). The appearance of Jesus to James His brother after the resurrection became part of the Church tradition (1Cor.15:7). James became a leader of the Church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:12-21). He eventually also became a martyr defending the resurrection of Jesus.

(2) The Tomb of Jesus was found to be empty (Luke 24:1-12). 75% of critical scholars accept the empty tomb as a historical fact. If the body of Jesus had still been in the tomb, it would have been very improbable for the Jerusalem Church to start just 50 days after Christ’s crucifixion. By accusing the disciples of Jesus of stealing the body, they were attesting to the fact of the empty tomb (Mat.28:12-13).

The objections of many critics against the resurrection is not the subject of message today. Objections like, (1) the story is full of contradictions, (2) miracles are not possible, (3) the body was stolen, (4) Jesus only fainted, but later recovered from his wounds, (5) Jesus was substituted by someone else (Muslims), and many others, will be presented by our speakers for the apologetic conference on July 11

THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH

Acts 2:1-4, 14-36, 37-47

COMING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (Acts 2:1-4).

(Acts 2:1-4): This marked the beginning of the Church. The few disciples that still remained faithful had hurdled themselves in an upper room in Jerusalem as the Lord had commanded them, apparently waiting to see what was going to happen next. Then all of a sudden, the Holy Spirit came upon them with a baptism of fire. All fear was gone. They received a new ability to speak many languages not previously learned

PETER’S SERMON (Acts 2:14-36)

(Acts 2:14-36): Peter preached a powerful sermon with his new found ability. Through the scriptures he proved that Jesus whom Jews crucified was indeed the Messiah. His sermon was so powerful that 3000 people were converted.

POWERFUL CONVERSIONS and CHURCH GROWTH (Acts 2:37-47)

(Acts 2:37-47): Three thousand people joined the Church in one day. May it so one day with this our Church! Peters Sermon was empowered by the Holy Spirit. The new members were so enthusiastic about their new fellowship they came together daily to worship and praise God. Signs and wonders that were seen in Christ’s ministry began to manifest in the ministry of the apostles. At a point it was now the shadow of Peter that God was using to heal people (Acts 5:14-16). From this time on the Church continued the phenomenal growth.

WHY SHOULD YOU CARE ABOUT THE RESURRECTION?

1Cor.15:1-20, 29-32

The Necessary Foundation of the Christian Faith (1Cor.15:1-11)

Without the Resurrection

(1)  All preaching is vain

(2)  Our faith is vain

(3)  The apostles were false witnesses

(4)  Your sins are not forgiven

(5)  All the martyrs of the Church have died in vain

(6)  It was senseless for the apostle to endanger themselves preaching

(7)  It was pointless Paul fighting with beasts in Ephesus defending the faith.

Without the resurrection all New Testament writings have no basis. But through Christ’s resurrection we have obtained pardon.

You must believe the message of salvation (1Cor.15:1-3).

Confess it with your mouth (Rom.10:8-9)

Believe it in your heart (Rom.10:9-10).

Jesus summed it up as it was recorded at the end of Marks Gospel, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Do you believe the gospel? Do you believe that Jesus Died on the Cross? That He was buried? That He rose again on the third day? Have you got this knowledge in your heart? Are you confessing the Jesus Christ is Lord?

IN CHRIST ALONE OUR HOPE IS FOUND!

DEEP CALLETH TO DEEP

Deep Calleth Unto Deep

Psalm 42:1-43:5

In the Wilderness, Moses faced rebellion from a section of the congregation of the Children of Israel under the leadership of Korah Dathan and Abiram (Num.16:1-12, 28-35). Korah and all those leaders died but their sons did not because God does not punish children for the sin of their fathers (Ezekiel 18:1-4; Jer.31:29-30). The children of Korah continued in their Levitical service to God. They were Psalmists and worship leaders. These two Psalms were written by them.
A GREAT HUNGER TO RETURN TO GOD

Psalm 42:1-4; Exod.33:11-23; Psalm 63:1-8

“As the deer pants for the water brooks”; “O God you are my God”; “Show me your glory”! These are expressions of the yearnings of the heart to experience God. Though God is a Spirit, yet we can experience Him. We can feel His presence. When you are born again you experience the joy of knowing God. Have you experienced that joy since you believed? The writer of the psalm is expressing a deep hunger to get back to fellowship with God. He was not able to get to the Temple to worship God in the great congregation. His soul was famishing. He cried out to God for help to come back and worship him again.

Have you lost some of the beautiful experiences that you had when you first believed? Have you allowed sin to creep in and rob you of the Father’s fellowship? Then do like the prodigal son. Arise and come back to the Father (Luke 15:18-24). You may not have backslidden but you may have allowed the problems of this life to rob you of fellowship in the Congregation. We only see you once in a while because you have become too busy; and now there appears to be something missing in your fellowship with God. Arise and go back to the Father God.

 A GREAT CRY FOR DELIVERANCE

Psalm 42:5-7; 43:1-4

The psalmist is here pouring out his heart and how he feels to God. That is real prayer. When in need, get on your knees and pour out your heart to God. If sin has marred your fellowship tell Him, hiding nothing (Psalm 53:1-12). God is ready to restore if we are ready to repent. Jesus told the woman caught in adultery, “Go home and sin no more” (John 8:11). And when He saves us He wants us to remain saved – sin no more! As you agonize in prayer, or even wrestle like Jacob till day break (Gen.32:26), then the joy of the Lord will return (Psalm 42:7-8). You will come into the house of God, into the Church with joy and gladness. You will worship Him without fetters!

A GREAT HOPE FOR FUTURE FELLOWSHIP

Psalm 42:8-11; 43:5

Did you know that God sends songs in the night to believers? Not every day but He does. It can be a sign of restored fellowship with God. With your fellowship to God blossoming, your yearning for God will increase. You will experience what is known as the joy of God’s salvation. You will praise God in your heart always. Whenever they say come to the house of God you will come with joy. Rain or snow or sun will not stop you from being in the presence of God. You will yearn for God more and more (Exodus 33:12-22; 34:5-8).

OUR FOUR-FOLD IDENTITY WITH CHRIST

OUR FOUR-FOLD IDENTITY WITH CHRIST

Philippians 3:1-16.

The Philippian Church was the first Church in present-day Europe established by Paul the apostle during his second missionary journey. Paul and his companions travelled to Macedonia by revelation from the Holy Spirit. We can trace the powerful incidents leading to its formation. First there was the dramatic vision (Acts 16:9-10), then Lydia the purple goods seller got saved and hosted Paul and his comeepanions (Acts 16:14-15), then the young woman with familiar spirits was delivered (Acts 16:16-18). Paul and Silas were jailed as a result, but were quickly delivered from prison by a mighty earthquake, leading to the conversion of the Philippian jailer and his family (Acts 16:25-31).

With this encounter with the power of God and the fact that there was no synagogue in Philippi, there is little wonder that the Church had very few of the kinds of problems that Corinthian and Galatian Churches had.

In the absence of problems, at about 62 AD, before he was martyred Paul wrote the epistle to the Philippians,  exhorting this Church to continue in their service to God.

I believe this exhortation is necessary for Deeper Life Bible Church Dundee. Though you are not many, yet you are continuing to hold the forth in this city. We pray for you every day at the headquarters in Glasgow that you will grow in stature, in your identity and service to Christ, so as to make a big impact in the city of Dundee.

1.    PRESSING ON TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST (Phil.3:4-10; 2Tim.2:1-6)

Anything we wish to do for Christ or with Christ or through Christ must begin with the knowledge of Him. And the knowledge of Jesus Christ leads to salvation and eternal life (John 17:3). It is shocking how many people claim that Jesus Christ was not a man of history; who think that the stories about Him were legendary. But the great majority of people believe both from scripture and from history that He was born in Bethlehem; that He was crucified, died and was buried; that He rose from the dead on the third day (1Cor.15:1-3). Oh it also even more shocking that many people especially those who go to Church, who believe in these facts are actually not saved! Why? Historical and factual knowledge alone will not result in salvation. You need to have the factual knowledge but then you need to identify personally with Christ and His work to be saved (Rom.10:6-13). In Rom.1:16, he said he was not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. In Gal.6:14, he was proud to boast only in the cross of Jesus Christ (Gal.6:14). Jesus referred to (Num.21:4-9) to explain the importance of the Cross to Nicodemus (John 3:14-16). After you have known the historical facts, press on to know Him as Lord and Saviour. There must be a heart experience if Christ.

2.    PRESSING ON TO IDENTIFY WITH CHRIST (Phil.3:7-11; Rom.6:3-6)

Paul the apostle gave up everything that was of value to him in order to identify fully with Christ. He now saw all the things which he had spent his life attaining (including becoming a rabbi, a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee), he saw them as liability, something that stands in the way of knowing Christ. He wants us to know that all human achievements are like dung (human waste, excrement!) when compared with the beauty, the excellence, the freedom, the joy and the benefits, of knowing Christ.  And we are called upon to identify with Christ in a similar way. The name Christian is made up of nine letters, six of which make up the name Christ. The remaining three letters “ian” are nothing but descriptive letters. So without identifying with Christ, our Christian life will be non-descriptive, it will be meaningless and miserable (1Cor.15:19; Rev.3:17). The apostle told us in (Rom.6:3-6) that our baptism was a sign of identifying with Christ in His death and burial and His resurrection. He tells us that having now identified with Christ, joined with Christ, we should live in newness of life. He died to destroy the works of the devil (1John 3:7-9) and we need to work with Him as He continues to do that work.

3.    PRESSING ON TO ATTAIN TO THE HIGH CALLING OF CHRIST (Phil.3:12-16)

Our calling in Jesus Christ is a high calling, but the road is rough and long, and the time is uncertain. There are always imminent dangers along the way. Though we are saved, we cannot rest on our oars.

In Phil.3:10 Paul listed four things that he pursued throughout his life:

(1)           To Know Jesus Christ

(2)           To Experience His Resurrection Power

(3)           To Participate in His Suffering

(4)           To Be like Jesus Christ In His Death

On his way to Damascus to arrest Christians, He was arrested by the Lord (Acts 9:3-6). That was the beginning of his quest to know the Lord more and more. It was the same with Moses. After his first encounter with God, Moses became thirstier to know God (Exod.33:11-23). As children of God today, we need to press on to know the Lord more and more (Psalm 42:1-11). That well of living water must begin from today to spring into eternal life on our hearts

Yes we have experienced His salvation. Put that in the bag and press on to know Him more. You may have experienced his intervention in the past, seen His hand at work in your life. Put that in the bag and press on to know Him more. Have you experienced His sanctifying power, and baptism with the Holy Spirit? Put that in the bag, for there is more of God than that.
Like the apostle Paul, let us press on to know Him more and more, to experience His resurrection power, to participate in His suffering and death so that we may share with Him by and by in His glory.

BALANCING MARIAGE RELATIONSHIPS AND MINISTRY

BALANCING FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS AND MINISTRY

1 Corinthians 7:25-40

The Church in Corinth may be compared to the Churches of Christ today. It struggled with many problems foisted on it by the society in which it was operating. Members of the Church struggled with contemporary issues and were caught in them many times.

There are hints in the epistle that sexual looseness or promiscuity was a culturally accepted practice in sections of the Corinthian society, and many in the Church actually thought that sexual freedom was fine. They even seemed to have arguments to support what they were doing (1Cor.6:12-13).

We can see something similar in today’s society, which calls evil good and good evil, approving things the Bible disapproves (Amos 2:7), taking the place of God. Biblical marriage is no longer seen as a necessity. Divorce enjoys almost universal approval. Marriage itself has been redefined to include same sex. Sexual freedom is constantly shoved into our faces everyday by the media, not sparing our children. What are we to do in all these things as Christians? We must stand and vigorously defend the principles of the Gospel of Christ.

In our text today, the apostle is dealing with the issues of celibacy, marriage, divorce and remarriage, and service to the Lord, all of which can affect the physical and spiritual well-being of the believer. As Christians we maintain the standard of the Word of God concerning these social issues.

1.  THE PLACE OF MARRIAGE IN THE LIFE OF A BELIEVER (1Cor.7:25-34)

MARRIAGE

This is a binding institution put in place by the Almighty God from the beginning. The Bible declares and we affirm that God made us male and female and decreed that a man (by implication, a woman also) should leave father and mother and be joined to his wife (or her husband) (Gen.2:24; Mat.19:4-9). Marriage is a contract between a man and a woman. They leave their families and go and establish a new nuclear family. God’s will is that the man and woman who are now husband and wife will stay together till death part them. They are not to separate. I will talk about this later.

CELIBACY

In telling people to remain unmarried here, the apostle was not suggesting that it was wrong to get married, otherwise his position would be in conflict with the Biblical injunction about marriage (Gen.2:18-25).

In saying that singleness was good for the believer (Paul himself and Barnabas, were not married, see (1Cor.7:7-8; 9:5)), he was in line with the statement of our Lord Jesus Christ concerning celibacy (Mat.19:10-12). Jesus mentioned three types of celibate people whom He called eunuchs.

EUNUCHS

(i)                       Those who were born so

(ii)                      Those who were made so

(iii)                    Those who made themselves so for the kingdom of God.

Of the first two, one was made so by disfigurement by man, and the other was caused by birth defect. The last set made themselves so for the sake of the Kingdom of God, and Paul the apostle falls into this category. In their case the word eunuch is most probably figurative (1Cor.9:5), whereas the second case clearly entails castration.

The apostle was in agreement with Jesus here concerning marriage. Marriage is an institution made for the benefit of man. If you decide not to marry, you have not sinned. If you marry you have not sinned, but you must remain married. He was urging people to remain as they were for the following reasons:

(1)           Because of an impending danger (oppressive, physical, economic or mental danger) for the Corinthian Christians at the time (1Cor.7:26-28)

(2)           Because of the imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ (Believers in New Testament times lived with the imminent return of Jesus always in view (1Cor.7:29-31; 1Thes.4:16-18; 1Cor.15:51-52). How so different everything is now!

(3)           Because of the opportunity for undistracted service to the Lord (1Cor.7:32-35)

Whether married or not every Christian has a standing calling – to go and preach the gospel and serve the Lord in His Church without distraction.

MARITAL OBLIGATIONS

If you are married you must fullfill your marital obligations to your spouse. This will protect both of you from temptation. You do not have rights over your own body. When you said, “I do”, you handed the rights to your body to your spouse. You must fullfill the obligation of the sexual needs of your spouse. Do not use your body to bargain or to settle a score as some people may do because it is unscriptural to do so. The word to burn (1Cor.7:9) is a figure of speech referring to unfulfilled sexual desires that can lead to temptations.

In any case marriage is not to be placed above the preaching of the Gospel. Paul decided to remain single in other to devote himself wholly to the Gospel. He was urging those who were not married to remain single like him in order to give full attention to the service of the Lord. He urged those who were married not to allow marriage and family to distract them from serving the Lord.

 

Remember that Jesus does not accept divided loyalty (Luke 9:57-62). In Israel at the time of Christ, there was a practice called “Re-interment”. A year after a man dies his sons will collect his bones and put them in an ossuary (Gen.50:25). This may be the case of this man in Luke 9:57. Lord I will preach the Gospel, but please let me work and make some money…! Lord I will follow you but please let me finish my education. Lord please delay your coming, I want to get married and have some children!

Children of God, let us obey the Master now. Now is the time, not when you are satisfied with life! Tomorrow may be too la

2.  THE IMPLICATIONS OF DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE (Deut.24:1-4; 1Cor.7:10-12; Mark 10:5-12; Mat.19:1-9)

DIVORCE

Paul upholds the command of the Lord that a husband or a wife should not divorce their spouse.

There were two major rabbinic schools in Israel at the time of Jesus – the School of Shamai and the School of Hillel. The school of Shamai said a man may not divorce his wife unless he found unchastity in her. The school of Hillel said he may divorce her even if for spoiling a dish for him. Rabbi Akiba said he may divorce her even if he finds someone fairer than her! This debate was brought to Jesus in order to trap him (Mat.19:1-3; Deut.24:1-4). But the Lord showed them that He was greater than Abraham, Moses or Solomon. He took them back to the beginning (Gen.2:18-25).

ONE FLESH

God made us male and female and commanded a man to leave his father and mother and cleave to his “WIFE” and they “TWO” shall be one flesh. Jesus reminds people that it was God who joined the man and the woman and no one but God can separate them. 

Moses permitted divorce because of the hardness of men’s heart. So wherever there is divorce, there is hardness of heart.

If both husband and wife are truly born again, their hearts truly changed with the love of God shed abroad in their hearts, they would not divorce.

But we know there are very difficult, event dangerous and life-threatening cases. In such cases if divorce occurs, Scripture requires that the believer remain celibate. Divorce is not a nice thing. It affects everyone in that family circle both psychologically and socially. Children are especially affected.

The will of God is that two people who truly love each other with the love of Christ, not the superficial and selfish love of this present age, should get married.

So those of you who are not married and who are praying to get married, you will need to talk to the pastor if you feel that God has shown you who to marry. The purpose of that is to help you along the way and ensure that you do not fall into the hands of predators. The pastor will ensure that the process is facilitated and made easy for you. Once God has led you no one will hinder that process.

CALL FOR “SINGLENESS” (1Cor.7:25-38)

The apostle was calling for restraint and caution because of some impending danger for Christians in Corinth at that time. He did not say what is was (did not have to say because the Corinthians knew). But we know that during the time of this writing, the Church was undergoing persecution.

Again he wasn’t giving them a commandment from the Lord. He was speaking to them as one with the Spirit of God. He urged them to focus on serving the Lord.

This is also a timely message for us as a Church. We are prone to inverting our scale of preference; we are prone to fixing our priorities on personal issues. The apostle is urging us to reverse that, set our priorities to the service of the Lord. The Lord is coming soon.

In our own Church here what we see is that is occupying most of us now is work and education. Brethren given the fact that Jesus is coming very soon, the trumpet shall soon sound, should education and work be our main priority? The answer is no! Is it right to give God the leftover of our resources? The leftover of your time? The leftover of your money? The leftover of your strength? You know the answer to these things. We will need to turn things around today and begin to put God first in everything. We need singleness of purpose. Put God's Church first. Put evangelism first. Put ministry first. That is what our Lord wants from us. That is the only place our true blessing will come from the Lord.

On the day of separation you need to put yourself in the position to hear the Lord tell you, “Well done thou good and faithful servant. You were faithful in that which was little. Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord”!