Tag Archives: Doctrine

Understanding Bible Covenants

Bible General, Doctrine, ,

You must understand covenants in the Bible if you want to understand the Bible. Although God himself never changes (Hebrews 6:17; Hebrews 13:8) he does change the way he deals with man. God does not deal with us today the same as he dealt with Adam and Eve. He did not deal with the Israelites the same as he dealt with Adam and Eve. Understanding these differences will help better appreciate the glory of Jesus Christ and his perfect law while becoming better students of the Bible.

Bible Covenants

For our purposes we are only interested in covenants between God and man. These are a special kind of covenant called a “suzerain” treaty or covenant. Arnold and Beyer  describe a suzerain treaty as a political covenant between unequal partners.” ((Bill T. Arnold & Bryan E. Beyer, Encountering the Old Testament, Baker Books, 1999, pg 149)) In the case of Jehovah there is no political aspect but nonetheless it is an agreement between unequals. As such, there was, and is, no negotiating to be done. God simply pronounced the covenant along with blessings and punishments. The people were free to comply to rebel.

Although their are many covenants between God and individuals in the Bible ((1 Kings 3:10-14; 1 Kings 6:12-13)) there are only three major covenants under which God has bound himself. Each is similar but there are striking differences too.

For example, in all covenants God is always supreme and is always sovereign. In all covenants man is to obey God and serve him. In all covenants man enjoys blessings for obedience and consequences of punishment for disobedience. Man is never left to himself or allowed to craft his own response to God (Judges 21:25; Acts 4:19). Man has never been left to himself. God has always directed him.

Three covenants, sometimes spoken of as dispensations, can be divided as follows: 1.) The Patriarchal; 2.) The Mosaic; 3.) The Christian. We will look at each in turn

The Patriarchal Period

The Patriarchal period begins at the beginning of time and continues to the Cross of Christ. It and the Mosaic share some of the same time period but are quite distinct. This period is marked by a more direct approach by God to his people. For example, we have God speaking directly to Adam and Eve in Eden (Genesis 3:9-19), to Cain (Genesis 4:6-15), to Noah (Genesis 7:1 ff), and to Job (Job 38:1 ff). Although the father of the Jews, Abraham lived and died under the Patriarchal system. We also see God calling entire nations back to Him through prophets even though those nations are not Jewish (Jonah 1:2; Nahum 1:1; Daniel 4:28 ff).

Until Sinai (Exodus 20) all people were under this kind of guidance or direction from God. At Sinai God would finish separating out the Hebrews into his chosen people and would give them their own laws or covenant. Except for the Jews, the Patriarchal age continued until Christ died at Calvary.

This period sees a very direct interaction between individuals and God. God dealt with the heads of the families who were instructed in issues of righteousness.

The Mosaic Period

Beginning in Genesis 12, God began to speak of a special group of people. This nation would be even more special to him than the others. He would actually create this nation from the offspring of Abraham (Genesis 12:2). These people were chosen by God even before they were born and even before they were more than a small family. They were chosen out of the sovereign will of God. It would take almost 500 years for these people to actually grow into a nation and occupy their own land but it was coming.

God rescued his people from Egypt and brought them into the wilderness where he would give them a law. Every nation must have law and God’s people were no different. So at Sinai he gave them their own unique law. We usually call it the Law of Moses but Moses was only the man to whom the law was given. It was created by God.

Included in the Law of Moses are the 10 Commandments. These commands form the basis for what will follow in the larger codex of law. Exodus 20:2 makes it clear that when this law was given it was given to a certain group of people. Specifically it was given to those God brought “out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” Although the Children of Israel ((Children of Israel, Hebrews and Jews are all terms for the same group.)) were under the law of Moses no other nation was subject to it. That is not to say other nations were under no law at all, just that they were not under the law given at Sinai.

This period runs from Sinai concurrently with the Patriarchal period until the cross of Christ. It applied only to the Jews. God deals with his chosen people first through Moses, then the Law of Moses and then through the Levitical priests and the national judges and kings.

The Christian Covenant

Everything changed at Calvary. When Jesus died, was buried, raised and established his church, all men were now under his law. There was no longer a need for the sacrifices of the Temple. Indeed the Most Holy Place was thrust into view when the veil was torn from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38). Suddenly the Levitical (Mosaic)  priesthood was obsolete for a new Priest, Jesus Christ, had been installed in Heaven itself (Hebrews 4:14 ff). Now He alone was the mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). The old law of ordinances was “nailed to the cross” and no more applied unto any person (Colossians 2:14; Ephesians 2:15; 2 Corinthians 3:1-11).

The priesthood of Moses could never take away sin fully, only could it set aside the sins until the coming of Jesus (Hebrews 8). Now all may be saved through Jesus. His blood covers all from the beginning of time into the future.

But Jews are not the only ones subject to Christ. Speaking to a predominantly Gentile audience in Acts 17:30 Paul said that God commanded “all men everywhere to repent.”

Today, we no longer live under Moses’ law. We do not do the things done under that period or dispensation. We honor the Old Testament and learn from its true stories and examples but we worship as the Christians did in the 1st Century (Galatians 3:24;-25 ). This is the reason we do not reach into the Old Testament for authority in worship. Animal sacrifices were an integral part of the Old Testament but have no place in the New. Mechanical Instruments of music were important in the Temple but not in the church. Worship is no longer on the Sabbath but on the “Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10) which is the first day of the week, Sunday.

Properly understanding the various covenants will aide us in serving God as he intends in the present age.

Is There A Middle Ground Between Heaven and Hell?

Bible General, Doctrine, Eschatology, Missions, Salvation, Sin, , ,

This is a question  that pops up in some form from time to time. The questioner wants to know what will happen to people who have  never  heard of God, Jesus Christ, the Bible and salvation. I am going to try and offer a reasonable answer to the question.

Let me say in the opening that people who ask this question do so out of a love of others. They are horrified at the idea that a person without the Scriptures could be lost. Surely, they reason, there must be some other divine plan for those legitimately ignorant of the Gospel. They seek some hope from Scripture for these unknowing souls.

They also seek a theodicy ((“A vindication of God’s goodness and justice in the face of the existence of evil”, American Heritage Dictionary)) to explain how a loving and just God could sentence someone to eternal hell if that person didn’t even know of God. For the most part, those who ask this question are not trying to prove some point or pursue a hidden agenda but are truly interested in the souls of men. Let’s examine their novel thought closely. Continue reading Is There A Middle Ground Between Heaven and Hell? →

Is There Any Room for Obedience?

Doctrine, Salvation, ,

Is there any room for obedience in salvation? I am trying to answer this question but I find many confusing answers in the protestant world. Some don’t seem to think obedience is important.

Some argue that we cannot obey God. Phil Johnson, himself a Calvinist, in arguing against an extreme form of Calvinism says this, “…the sinner’s inability to obey God does not nullify his duty to do so.” Notice the assumption that the sinner is unable to obey.

Boyce and Rykin in The Doctrines of Grace: Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel (page 70) echo the thought:

“Here we are dealing with the nature and extent of sin, and the point is that we are radically sinful, so much so that we cannot take even the smallest of steps toward God unless he first intervenes.”

The Southern Baptist Convention says this in their Baptist Faith and Message: Continue reading Is There Any Room for Obedience? →

What About the Old Testament?

Doctrine, Old Testament,

Bible students usually spend much time in the New Testament. Such is reasonable as most students seek mosesto know Jesus Christ. Since most of what we know about Jesus is in the New Testament that is where we spend most of our time. For some, the Old Testament is almost a lost or forgotten tome from an archaic time. Although we grew up on stories of Adam and Eve, Noah and the Ark, Samson and David, we have since moved on to newer material. I think ignoring the Old Testament, whether through casual neglect or deliberate avoidance is a mistake. A working knowledge of the Old Testament helps bring the New to life. I am absolutely convinced that we cannot fully appreciate the sacrificial death of Jesus apart from an understanding of the Old Testament and the Laws of Moses.

Putting the Old Testament in Perspective

Once we begin to study the books of Genesis through Malachi we are confronted with an important question: How should I apply the Old Testament today? For example, Leviticus is full of detailed instructions about animal sacrifices (Leviticus 1-4). Should I practice animal sacrifices today? Why or why not? Long hair was often a sign of special consecration to God through the Nazrite vow (Numbers 6:5; Judges 13:5; Judges 16:17; 1 Samuel 1:11). Should I let my hair grow? What about disobedient children (Deuteronomy 21:18-21)? Am I supposed to stone my teenager when he disobeys? Even the casual reader will note that there seems to be a big difference between the Old and the New Testaments. How do I understand that differences.

Paul speaks of the need to “rightly divide” Scripture (2 Timothy 2:15) so we may conclude that there are differences to be understood. The greatest difference seems to be between the “perfect law of liberty” (James 1:25) given by Christ and the “law of Moses” (Joshua 8:31-32; 1 Corinthians 9:9). Let me state my conclusion first and then offer scriptural support.

I conclude that the law of Moses was given to a specific people (Jews) for a specific time (until Christ) for a specific purpose (to prepare and enlighten men for the Christian era).

It was God Almighty who freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12:33-41; Exodus 19:4). He brought them to Mt. Sinai where he gave them their laws. God called Moses and his brother Aaron to the mountain where he began by giving them what we call today the 10 Commandments (Exodus 19:24).

Notice carefully how God begins this period of lawgiving. He says in Exodus 20:1,2:

Then God spoke all these words saying, I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other Gods before me…

This verse is important because we see that God is speaking specifically to the children of Israel and to no one else. Although other nations were in existence and even though their obedience to God was expected, they were never expected to follow the law of Moses for it was not given to them. All of the promises, dating back some 500 years, were directed to the offspring of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. (c.f. Genesis 12:1-3; Genesis 26:2-5;  Genesis 28:10-18). The covenant was between God and the people of Israel only.

The covenant between God and the Israelites would not last forever.  Continue reading What About the Old Testament? →

Forgiveness of Sins Comes At Baptism – Not Before (Part 2)

Baptism, Baptist Answers, Doctrine

The question of precisely when salvation comes is a tremendously important question. There is much error found in the religious world today on the subject and we are trying to correct those misunderstandings.

We have [cref 375 previously discussed] certain comments made by a gentleman who has so far declined to participate in our discussion. In that earlier post we noted several passages which demonstrate that salvation occurs at the moment of obedience, at baptism, and not before. The reader is encouraged to begin with that post and then followup with this posting.

We will again post his comment as we will be referring back to it during our discussion:

Every time the phrase “for the remission of sins” occurs it is speaking of the fact that sins have been forgiven previously! The Bible plainly teaches that the forgiveness of sins is conditioned upon repentance of sin and faith in Christ – never upon water baptism! (Matthew 3:11; Luke 24:47; Acts 3:19; Acts 5:31; Acts 10:43; Acts 20:21; Romans 1:16; Romans 4:5; et.al.)

In the previous post we debunked the idea that the phrase “for the remissions of sins” speaks of sins that have been forgiven previously. We will next examine the Scriptures he offers Continue reading Forgiveness of Sins Comes At Baptism – Not Before (Part 2) →

Forgiveness of Sins Comes At Baptism – Not Before (Part 1)

Baptism, Baptist Answers, Doctrine,

Am I saved before or after baptism? The answer points to a deep rift between the teachings of the churches of Christ and most of the denominational world. The Christian would argue that a man must be baptized in order to be saved while the Baptist, Methodist, Episcopalian, Lutheran, etc. would argue that one is saved before he is baptized. The answer can only be found in Scripture.

In a page critical of the churches of Christ, a Baptist writer offers several verses which he claims prove salvation comes apart from baptism. He writes:

Every time the phrase “for the remission of sins” occurs it is speaking of the fact that sins have been forgiven previously! The Bible plainly teaches that the forgiveness of sins is conditioned upon repentance of sin and faith in Christ – never upon water baptism! (Matthew 3:11; Luke 24:47; Acts 3:19; Acts 5:31; Acts 10:43; Acts 20:21; Romans 1:16; Romans 4:5; et.al.)

This gentleman is in gross religious error as will be shown. Continue reading Forgiveness of Sins Comes At Baptism – Not Before (Part 1) →

Once Saved, Can I Be Lost?

Baptist Answers, Doctrine

John was taught the truth many years ago and as a young adult he became a Christian. Since then he has begun to wander and now finds himself in a world of sin. As he ponders his condition he takes some comfort in his belief that although he persists in sin now, he was saved years ago and therefore cannot be eternally lost. Or can he?

The idea of the “Perseverance of the Saints” or “eternal security” is one of the cardinal points of a doctrine attributed to John Calvin during the Reformation period of the 16th and 17th century. Commonly called “Calvinism” this doctrine underlies the great majority of protestant faiths today.

“It is the truth that those who have been brought to faith in Jesus Christ – having been foreknown and predestined to faith by God from eternity past…never will and never can be lost.” ((Boice, James Montgomery and Ryken, Philip Graham, Doctrines of Grace, 2002, Graceway Books, Wheaton, IL, pg.155))

Those who hold this doctrine will argue that our friend John (above) was either never saved to begin with or he was saved and will be saved in spite of his sin.

One can quickly agree that there are some people who try to fake their way through salvation. They seek the blessings of the gospel out of a desire to please someone else or to gain some advantage. These, who never truly come to the Lord are not saved and we all can so agree.

But are there people, genuinely saved and added to the church by God (Acts 2:47) and enrolled in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Revelation 20:11-15), who can be eternally lost? Can their names be removed from the Book of Life once entered?  Continue reading Once Saved, Can I Be Lost? →

Why Is A Pitch Pipe Acceptable When A Piano Is Not?

Baptist Answers, Doctrine,

As we continue our discussion of questions raised by a denominational preacher we next turn to a common question which concerns worship. Our questioner wonders why we demand Biblical authority for all we do in worship but seem to ignore that requirement when it comes to song books, pitch pipes, microphones. He wonders why the difference?

First, the questioner is correct. We do refuse the mechanical instrument in worship. He is further correct when he notes that we typically use songbooks, microphones and even pitch pipes. There is a huge difference which we will try to explain. Continue reading Why Is A Pitch Pipe Acceptable When A Piano Is Not? →

The church of Christ Before the Restoration

Baptist Answers, Doctrine, , ,

It is generally held that the churches of Christ, as we know them today in this country, arose from the Restoration Movement of the 19th century. [cref 271 Thomas and Alexander Campbell] were major influences during this period along with many others. Some have wondered where the church was during those years from around the 4th century AD until the 19th century. It is a good question and deserves a good answer. Continue reading The church of Christ Before the Restoration →

UPDATE: The Baptist Interlocutor

Baptist Answers

We have yet to hear back from our friend who made such ridiculous charges against the Lord’s church. As we said in our first email, we did contact him at the email address he listed and have heard nothing. The email did not bounce so it did arrive but he has either not checked his email or he has chosen not to respond. Frankly, I suspect the later.

Nevertheless, I will continue my series of articles addressing his charges. It’s not about changing him as that may be impossible, but it is about all of us having solid answers to his questions. I hope the posts are helpful to you.

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