Their Teeth Were Set on Edge

I am guessing that more than once as a kid you ate a sour apple, sour plums or grapes or sucked on a lemon and ended up with your teeth being “on edge.” I’ll bet that you never blamed your “sharp” teeth on your father. Yet that’s what the ancient Jews did as recorded in Ezekiel 18. The Jews in Babylonian exile blamed their captivity on their ancestors, citing the proverb “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge” as evidence that they themselves were not to blame. Recognizing Paul’s statement in Romans 15:4, “for as many things as were written before, for our instruction were written before,” in my third article based on the book of Ezekiel, I’d like to delve into the matter of personal responsibility.

If this proverb was used to show that children often face consequences for their father’s actions, then that would be correct. For example, the children of a father addicted to gambling, drugs or alcohol often unjustly suffer. But the Jewish people were going much further than blaming their misfortune on the sins of their fathers.  Ezekiel makes this clear by describing the following situations:

In Ezek. 18:5-9, Ezekiel describes a righteous man who conscientiously obeys the Lord.  “He is righteous and will surely live, declares Lord Jehovah” (Ezek. 18:9).

In 18:10-13, Ezekiel describes the wicked son of the righteous man. Despite the fact that his father was a righteous man, the wicked son “will surely be put to death; his blood will be on himself.” (Ezek. 18:13).

In 18:14-18, we read that the wicked son is the father of a righteous son, who, seeing his father’s acts of wickedness, turns to God. “But the son has done justice and righteousness and has kept all My statutes and done them. He shall surely live” (Ezek. 18:19).

In 18:21-23, Ezekiel describes  a wicked man who repents and turns to God. “All his transgressions which he has done will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has done, he will live(Ezek 18:22).

And finally, in verse 24 we read of a righteous man turning to sin: “All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his unfaithfulness which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die” (Ezek 18:24).

What is the common denominator of these five situations?  Each person is responsible for their own actions. “The soul who sins will die” (Ezekiel 18:20).

People have shifted blame since the beginning of time. Adam blamed God and Eve (Gen 3:12) for eating the forbidden fruit. Israel blamed Moses for their struggles in the Wilderness (Numbers 20:5). King Saul blamed the people for his failure to obey God, (1 Sam 15). It’s no different today. When two young men violently murder their parents, the defense is, “look at what the boys went through in their youth.” When a mother drowns her children, her defense is that she was molested as a child. It seems that almost any deviant behavior experienced during youth is sufficient to excuse one from moral responsibility for the most horrible crimes committed as an adult. However, Ezekiel 18 teaches that every person is personally responsible for their own behavior.

Furthermore, people can change. “But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has done and keeps all My statutes and does justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. (Ezek. 18:21). God wants all to be saved (2 Peter 3:9); He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked” (Ezek. 18:23).

A fundamental teaching of Calvinism is refuted by Ezekiel 18:20. Inherited or total depravity is the false idea that all humans are born inheriting the sin of Adam. They are depraved and unable to do good without God’s intervention. But, Ezekiel 18:20 clearly refutes the idea that guilt is transferred from one person to another. “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.”

Some believe that come Judgment Day, God will weigh our good deeds against our bad. But Ezekiel wrote,“But if the wicked man turns from all his sins which he has done and keeps all My statutes and does justice and righteousness, he shall surely live; he shall not die. 22 All his transgressions which he has done will not be remembered against him; because of his righteousness which he has done, he will live” (Ezek 18:21,22). All the horrible deeds Paul committed against the church were forgiven (1 Timothy 1:15,16).

The same holds true for the faithful man  who turns to sin. “But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness, does injustice, and does according to all the abominations that a wicked man does, will he live? All his righteous deeds which he has done will not be remembered for his unfaithfulness which he has committed and his sin which he has committed; for them he will die.” (Ezek. 18:24). All the good that Peter had done did not outweigh the bad when he committed the sin of hypocrisy. Paul said “he stood condemned” (Galatians 2:11).

James wrote about personal responsibility in James 1:14, where we find that “each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.” The Bible is clear about our responsibility, and I hope we will all be ready when “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10).

The Blanco Hills Church of Christ welcomes you to worship with us on Sunday morning at 11 and Wednesday evening at 6:30.

Buz Turk

830-554-0701

www.blancohillschurch.com

God’s Own People Worse than Sodom?

As I mentioned last week, I’ve been a Christian for over 50 years but don’t recall spending much time at all studying the book of Ezekiel. I looked upon it as one of those books in the Bible full of strange visions and difficult prophesies that had little impact on my life. While studying the book of Revelation, some of our congregation recognized John referenced many prophecies of Ezekiel’s. So, we decided to take a deep dive into the book of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel writes while in Babylonian captivity in approximately 590 BC. God directed Ezekiel to prophesy to the other captives, informing them of his displeasure with their behavior as well as that of those still in Judah. As we study Ezekiel, it becomes apparent very quickly that God’s people are for the most part very unfaithful. But it was a surprise to find that God looked upon His people as far more evil than Sodom. Who would have thought a people could be more evil than a city God wiped off the earth because fewer than 10 citizens were found faithful (Genesis 18)?

In Ezekiel 16 we find an allegory or symbolic story portraying ancient Judah in three stages of life: infancy, young womanhood, and adulthood.  Right off the bat God implies that because Judah is so evil, her parents must have been an  Amorite and a Hittite – two Canaanite tribes guilty of incest, homosexuality, bestiality and human sacrifice. In the allegory, due to his compassion, God takes the abandoned, unwanted infant, cleans her, and blesses her with growth. This period of adolescence likely represents the period when Israel was in Egyptian captivity (Exodus 1). In 16:7 the girl comes into womanhood and in 16:8 God marries her and makes a covenant with her. This event is symbolic of the covenant God made with Israel at Mt. Sinai after the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 19).  Ezekiel 16:9-14 describe how God adorns his wife with great treasures. Verse 14 reads, “Then your name went forth among the nations on account of your beauty.”  This likely symbolizes when Israel was under the leadership of Solomon. 1 Kings 10:23 reads, “thus King Solomon excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom. And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put into his mind.”

Though ancient Israel reached its zenith under Solomon, under his reign its demise also began. Solomon had over 1000 wives and concubines whose pagan ways turned his attention away from God. Ezekiel 16:25 reads, “you built yourself a shrine and made yourself a high place in every square.” Additionally, despite God’s repeated warnings, Solomon formed alliances with foreign nations through his marriages. In 1 Kings 3:1 we read, “Then Solomon formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt…” Ezekiel 16:15 may be speaking of this event where he writes, “You also played the harlot with the Egyptians…”

These foreign alliances were so disgusting in God’s eyes that He describes ancient Judah as a harlot so evil that she paid men to come to her! In 16:33 we read, “Men give gifts to all harlots, but you (Judah) give your gifts to all your lovers to bribe them to come to you from all around for your harlotries. 34 Thus you are the opposite of those women in your harlotries, in that no one plays the harlot as you do, because you give away your earnings and no earnings are given to you; thus you are the opposite.”

How rejected God must have felt when he said in 16:32, “You adulteress wife, who takes strangers instead of her husband!” At this point in the chapter, one would not think Judah could be more sinful. But in 16:47 we find that Judah is worse than her “sister” Sodom, “‘As I live,’ declares Lord Yahweh, ‘Sodom your sister and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done.’” God declares that Judah is worse than Sodom, a city so evil that God could not find 10 righteous people (Genesis 18)!  In fact, Judah’s behavior was so abominable that God said she had made Sodom “appear righteous” (16:51).

It's hard to believe a people that God had chosen to be His own and had nurtured, protected, made prosperous and dealt with personally, could become so evil. But they did and received His judgement. In 16:58 we read, “‘You have borne the penalty of your lewdness and abominations,’ declares Yahweh. 59 For thus says Lord Yahweh, ‘I will also do with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath by breaking the covenant.’” In less than 5 years from when Ezekiel wrote this, Jerusalem and Judah would be wiped out by Babylonian armies and the survivors taken into captivity (2 Kings 25).

But amazingly, despite their abominable behavior, God would provide a means so His people would be ashamed and given the chance to be forgiven and restored. Ezekiel 16:60-63 looks to the future when God would make an everlasting covenant with them. Contemporary prophet Jeremiah speaks of this covenant in Jeremiah 31:31, which the Hebrew writer says was fulfilled through the new covenant God made with his new people, Christians (Hebrews 8:8).

I believe every Biblical study should not end without making an application to Christians today. I often call these “so whats?”  The “so whats?” from Ezekiel 16 are:

1)    Even though we are God’s children in a covenant relationship with Him, we are human and can sin. (Rom 3:23).

2)    Like ancient Judah, we should be ashamed when we recognize our sin.

3)    God shows his incredible love and mercy toward us that even when we sin, He has made provision for forgiveness.

The Christians of the Blanco Hills Church of Christ invite you to worship and “search the Scriptures” with us every Sunday at 11 am and Wednesdays at 6:30 pm.

Buz Turk

Blanco Hills Church of Christ

Ezekiel’s Heavenly Vehicle

I have been a Christian for over 50 years but don’t recall spending much time at all studying the book of Ezekiel. Like Revelation, it was one of those books in the Bible full of strange visions and difficult prophesies that had little impact on my life. While studying the book of Revelation, some of us at the Blanco Hills Church of Christ recognized that John referenced many of Ezekiel’s prophecies. So, we decided to take a deep dive into the book of Ezekiel. In this and the next two articles I’ll discuss some of the circumstances  and events documented by Ezekiel that appear to have an impact on a Christian’s journey.

In the opening chapter we learn that the young priest Ezekiel has been chosen by Jehovah to prophesy to the Jewish exiles living in Babylon. Based on Biblical and other historical records this is probably around 593 BC. Ezekiel is one of tens of thousands of Jews that have been taken captive over the prior 15 years or so by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar and brought to what is known today as Iraq. As we read the book we discover that Jehovah is very displeased with both the Jews left in Judah as well as those in exile. In fact, much of the book of Ezekiel is prophecies about Judah’s pending doom. During this same time, Jeremiah is in Jerusalem and Daniel in Babylon, both receiving revelation from Jehovah. But the book of Ezekiel is not simply a book of prophecies or judgments. Jehovah will make it clear to Ezekiel (and you and me) why His people strayed and what they can do to turn back from their evil ways and get back into a right relationship with Him.

Beginning in Ezekiel 1:28, Ezekiel describes what amounts to a “vehicle” carrying a beautiful “expanse” (or platform) surrounded by a  rainbow. Supporting each corner of the expanse is a 4-headed winged and multi-eyed wheeled creature. Later identified in Chapter 10 as a cherub, each creature has the head (or face) of a man, bull, lion, and eagle. Atop the expanse is a throne, and on it is one “like a man,” aglow with fire and hot metal. In verse 28 we learn that the throne is the “glory of Jehovah.” When Ezekiel sees this “vehicle,” he is so terrified that he falls to the ground.

In the first chapter of Revelation, a vivid, glowing “man” with a sword protruding from his mouth appears to John. Terrified, John falls to the ground. The “man” then identifies Himself to be the resurrected Christ, and commands John to document everything he is about to hear and see and carry it to the seven churches of Asia. After Christ dictates to John individual letters to each of the seven churches (Chapters 2 and 3), John is shown the first of many visions that begin in Chapter 4 and comprise the rest of the book. For the sake of time, I won’t include everything John describes, but I find it quite interesting that in Chapter 4 John sees a “man” on a throne resting on a beautiful expanse encircled by a rainbow and surrounded by four winged creatures overlain with eyes with the appearance of a man, bull, lion and – you guessed it – an eagle. In subsequent chapters, as the creatures and other heavenly beings worship the “one” on the throne day and night, it is clear that Jehovah is the “man” on the throne.

In the book of Ezekiel, Jehovah never addresses Ezekiel by name, but rather uses the phrase “son of man.” I am convinced that Jehovah uses this name and terrifies Ezekiel with the “glory of Jehovah” to deeply instill in Ezekiel the awesomeness of God and where Ezekiel’s place is in relation to Him. Though Jehovah may have the appearance of man – whatever that means - Jehovah is truly superior in every way to Ezekiel.  As I mentioned earlier, there are numerous ties between the books of Ezekiel and Revelation. It is no coincidence that the Apostle John reacts in the same way as Ezekiel does when he initially finds himself in the presence of deity (Revelation 1:17). He too, has been shown this scene in Heaven, I believe, to make him grasp not only the grandeur but also the majesty of whom he sees.

As an item of interest, you may remember the sensational runaway best-selling book of the late 1960’s, Chariots of the Gods?, in which the author hypothesized many archaeological finds as well as some items in the Bible actually came from, were caused by or were inspired by astronauts visiting from outside our planetary system. The “vehicle” Ezekiel describes in Chapter 1 is purported by the author to be one of these spaceships. I invite you to investigate for yourself the reception Chariots of the Gods? received by the scientific community.

I believe every Biblical study should not end without making an application to Christians today. I often call these “so whats?”  The “so whats?” from these texts in Ezekiel and Revelation are that:

1)   God is holy and worthy of worship. Those surrounding the throne in Revelation 4 say “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power” (Rev 4:11).

2)   God is to be feared; revered. In Proverbs 1:7, Solomon wrote “the fear of Jehovah is the beginning of knowledge.” Multiple times in the Old Testament we read, like in Psalms 111:10 that “the fear of Jehovah  is the beginning of wisdom.” The divine instruction to both Ezekiel and John began with visions that caused them to fear God.

As we strive to enrich our lives, may we realize it only comes through reverential worship of Jehovah.

Do We Know God.... Or Really Just Know About God?

There is a song in our songbook at the church building entitled “Do You Know My Jesus?” As I was reading through the words of the song, I thought about another related question, “Do we know God?” I think these are incredibly important questions. God is the creator of the universe and will have ultimate say over where we spend eternity, so it makes perfect sense to feel a motivation to know Him. But do we? My guess is that if asked, our friends and neighbors would say “yes” to that question. We SHOULD be able to say yes to that question; however, I wonder if many times people know about God instead of actually knowing Him. There is a huge difference. One time I met the former governor of Texas, exchanged pleasantries and shook his hand… but I can’t say I know him. Likewise, plenty of people know about God, but how many really know Him? 

The ancient Hebrew nation thought they knew God. They were God’s chosen people, they were promised and given the land of Canaan where they lived (Joshua 11:23). God gave the Hebrew people His Holy word (the oracles of God, Romans 3:1-2), as well as prophets, priests, judges, and kings to lead them. They were given many prophecies about the Messiah coming to save them. God personally interfaced with Israel like no other nation. Despite these advantages, they ended up not knowing Him. During His ministry Jesus told the Pharisees that, “You know neither Me nor My Father; if you knew Me, you would know My Father also.” (John 8:19) Those people thought they knew God, but it turns out they didn’t, they just knew some things about Him. It can be the same for us today if we are not careful. According to the Apostle Peter, Christians make up the nation of chosen people today (1 Peter 2:9-10), and as such it is imperative that we know God and Jesus Christ, not just know some information about them. 

One time I picked up Moby Dick, and although I love adventure and whales, I quickly saw that Melville’s book was very wordy and not an easy read.  At this point the temptation was to look around for CliffsNotes, SparkNotes, ChatGPT, or some other way to get a quick synopsis. I wonder if sometimes people treat Christianity like this and miss key information in the effort to take a shortcut. Do you rely on what your ‘religious friend’ has to say? How about your minister, preacher, elder or pastor? Do you listen to a 20 minute sermon, read a blog, or listen to a podcast and think you come away knowing God? Knowing Jesus? The problem with relying upon these trusted experts is that they are humans. Jeremiah 10:23 records, “that a man’s way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps.” Jeremiah’s point is that without divine direction, people choose the wrong path. God is perfect, people aren’t, so if we end up following what people say, it may end up going against God.

Consider the following. God has created everything. God has given us our very lives, makes sure that those who put Him first have food/clothing/shelter (Matthew 6:25-34), and even more…God has provided eternally for us as well. God had a plan from the beginning to save man (2 Timothy 1:9; Acts 2:22-23), to answer what to do because of our sin. God also directed prophets, Apostles, and inspired writers to record His will. If we truly want to know God… not just a little about Him, we should open that word which He gave and preserved for us and see what He has to say. When we are seekers and look in all the wrong places, we can get in our own way and not find the truth. If you want to really know God, go to the source, His own words, to seek answers about Him.

Let’s put this in practice. Do you love God? To properly love God we must know Him and then understand what He says about love. Many like the idea of loving God or want to love God in their own way, but we can’t understand what God-approved love actually means until we have read what God says on the subject. God defines love in a way which is often far different than mankind’s idea of it. God shows us how to love by His own actions: He sent us His Son, so that those who believed on Him wouldn’t perish (John 3:16). This is what true love is. Further, Jesus taught that loving Him means that a person will keep His commandments (John 14:15; 16:8-11). This is what it means to love. There is so much more to learn about love from God, but you get the point. Recently a visitor to our community outreach was questioning why we do or don’t do certain things in our worship services. We tried to share with her that it was out of love for God, out of deference and respect to God, that we simply followed closely what He had directed us to do without adding or taking away. If we know God, the God who teaches us about Himself in the Bible, we will understand that He doesn’t change His character (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17; Hebrews 13:8). We will know that He disapproves when humans go beyond what is written (scripture) and add or subtract (Deuteronomy 4:2; 1 Corinthians 4:6). We can’t say we love God, and then turn around and do our own thing. If we know the God of the Bible, then we understand that we must love God by doing His thing.

Let us dedicate ourselves to really knowing God as He revealed Himself instead of trying to make Him fit into our notion of who He should be.

Modern Day Idolatry

In times past I’ve heard multiple sermons on the dangers of idolatry.  The preachers would explain how TV or any number of things were idols in our lives. I have to admit, I honestly thought they had gone too far. The idea of worshipping and idol was so foreign to me, that when they tried to tie it to watching too much TV, their message was lost on me. Fast forward a few decades, and now I find myself being a preacher of the gospel in a small Hill Country town in Texas, trying my best to serve God and this community. Recently we were manning “The Bible Tent” at a Blanco Market Day, and a nice couple stopped in, decked out in campaign attire for their candidate of choice. The husband pulled me aside and made some very strong remarks regarding politics and even brought up some scripture along the way. I questioned how this delivery would affect others for Christ, and how many people he thought would be convinced by his methods.  We then talked about goals and what God would want, and I could see that it was a big challenge for him to set aside his strong convictions for a moment and think about doing what was best for people, and to do it in service to God. This event got me to thinking about the subject of idolatry again……maybe those preachers from my childhood were on to something.

It turns out that the Old and New Testaments both are very clear about the sinful nature of idolatry and what God thought of it. There are a great number of verses on idolatry, but for brevity we’ll just examine a few. Exodus 20 records God giving the 10 Commandments to the ancient Israelites, and it is no mistake that He starts from the beginning with prohibitions of putting other gods before Him, for making idols, for worshipping or serving them. God was absolutely serious about idolatry and even commanded capital punishment for it (Deuteronomy 13:1-18). Today we live under the New Covenant, found in in the New Testament, but we find that God’s attitude hasn’t changed on the subject; He is deadly serious (Revelation 21:8). When we look up the definition of idolatry in various dictionaries, we read that it includes worshipping a physical object, god, or goddess, but also in a broader sense idolatry is putting anything ahead of service to God. We can find this plainly in scripture by observing Colossians 3:5, where it says that greed (covetousness or greedy desire) “amounts to idolatry” (NASB). I wonder what else in our lives amounts to idolatry?

What things come between humans and service to God? I think if we are honest, the list of idols could be a lot longer than we expect.  Many of you who have sat through sermons on a Sunday have probably heard about the dangers of materialism, or consumerism, and putting wealth ahead of God. This can even be translated into putting work ahead of worship, ahead of service to God and our fellow man. Is wealth, money, work, or the pursuit of material things an idol in your life? When is the last time you went without your phone for even a few hours? Some of us can’t be away from our phones for even a few minutes. Has devotion to any of these things taken the place of or removed our focus from God?  It’s worth at least asking the question.

What about family? Do we emphasize family to the exclusion of God, who gave us our families in the first place? Jesus laid it down clearly in Matthew 10:37, if we love family more than Him, we are not worthy of Him.

How about entertainment? Think of all the time, money, and effort we expend to entertain ourselves….from the multiple streaming services on our TVs and devices, to all the events we want to attend, places we want to see, experiences we want to have, sports, hobbies, etc. Entertainment isn’t wrong of itself, but devoting too much of ourselves to it definitely is.  

Are we consumed with self? How about self-serving interests? Sports and sports activities? Maintaining a perfect schedule? Working out? A career? How about politics and winning arguments? Let us be very clear, many of these things are not inherently sinful….what makes them sinful is putting them ahead of God and interfering in our dedication to Him.

Ok, so how do I know if something is an ‘idol’ in my life? Conduct a personal evaluation and ask yourself some questions:   How much time do I spend with it (be honest!)? How does the time I spend with this activity stack up against what I do for God? Can I say my life is a service to God with this in my life? Can I do without this thing (like a phone)? If so, for how long? Is it preventing me from doing what God has commanded? Does it cause me to be closer to God or further away? Does it cause me to love more, or less? You might even consider asking someone you trust to give you their honest opinion as well. Sometimes the view we have of ourselves doesn’t gel with reality.

The Bible cautions about being overconfident and thinking everything is ok when it really isn’t (1 Corinthians 10:12, Matthew 7:21-23). The Apostle Paul warned about people exchanging the creature for the Creator, for exchanging the truth of God for a lie (Romans 1: 25). Let’s heed the warnings of the Bible and take a hard look at all parts of our lives, making sure we’ve purged all those ‘idols’ so that we can work in God’s kingdom effectively.

Your questions or comments are welcome!

Jeff Mullen

Blanco Hills Church of Christ 

830-554-0701

blancohillschurch.com

blachohillschurch@gmail.com

The Christian and Contention

I’ve been reading some US political history lately (not really my thing to be honest), trying to expand my mind and see what I might be missing. I followed some advice from a trusted family member and it turned out to be interesting after all.  I had been thinking we were in a unique situation in our country lately, with all of the different and very strong opinions out there, everyone insisting they are right and have data on their side, that it’s not really opinion but “fact” that supports their point. Well, it’s probably no shocker to many of you that this situation isn’t new at all, and my reading of history showed as much. People have had deep convictions, strong assertions, and serious disagreements before, and of course will again. That reminds me of a wise man who once said there was really “nothing new under the sun” when you get right down to it (King Solomon, Ecclesiastes 1:9).  The question in my mind as a minister of the gospel is how the Christian is to handle these things.

I’ve been working with myself and my congregation for a while on how to approach religious differences with humility, love, and respect, but also emphasizing the need to treat God as holy and defer to His authority. I’ve given some sermons on the topic and wrote a blog a year or so ago, where I focused on what the Bible says about how to handle religious differences (for more info see https://www.blancohillschurch.com/new-blog-1/2023/3/13/truth-with-love). But what about non-religious differences as mentioned above? Ever heard (or said), “I had to tell them,” “I couldn’t let that pass”, “ignorance can’t be ignored”, “I had to set things straight”, or things like this?  The behavior that follows these statements is likely suspect; is it something Christ would point to and say, “I’m proud of you for doing that”? I wonder if sometimes we sort of turn on our Christianity when it comes to religion, and forget that we are to be this way all the time, even when dealing with non-religious matters. Let’s see what God has to say on the subject.

I’ve always read Colossians 4:6 (“Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt,…”) as pertaining to spiritual matters because of the context, but now that I look at it again, it does say “always”, so doesn’t that mean I need to control my speech all the time? Jesus Christ helps us with this as well in Matthew 12:34-37. Jesus teaches that what comes out of our mouth is a reflection of what is on the inside, in our hearts. Ouch. Maybe we need to take another look at our hearts. Do we really NEED to say the things we say or post? Or do we just want to? In our daily walk, do we have some innate need to be right, to win, to change others to conform to what we believe is the right way to think? Recall also the warning in Matthew 12:36-37 that even idle words will have to be accounted for. The Greek word ‘argos’ translated as ‘idle’ in this passage is defined as that which is inactive, unfruitful, and metaphorically used in the sense of ineffective or worthless (Vine, 1940). This means we need to be careful about the usefulness of what we are saying, that it is from the heart, and we will give an account to God for it.

The Apostle Paul through inspiration by God said that those who had been baptized into Christ were buried with Him and baptized into His death, and then like Him raised to walk a new life (Romans 6:4). This wasn’t a condition just reserved for religious conversations or events, like a garment to be worn on special occasions, but rather refers to an entirely new and total existence…after all, the Christian is a completely new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17), so we need to act like it…all the time.

Think about our end goal. Yes, it is to get to Heaven, but also to influence others to get to the same place and experience the wonderful gifts God has for His people (Hebrews 5:12).  In our political conversations, in any conversation for that matter, or even in the little things we do on a daily basis…how are we doing in achieving those goals? Bringing more people to God or pushing them away?

In Galatians 5:16-24 the Apostle Paul shows the stark contrast between living a life according to the Spirit and living one according to the flesh (a worldly non-spiritual way). Don’t skim over these lists of actions which accompany each way of life too quickly because they are there for a reason. Right alongside some of the more heinous seeming ones like murder and hatred, are others that apply to our subject matter today. Are we being contentious? Are we causing dissention? These things are deeds of the flesh and have no place our lives as Christians. Think about our interactions with people and consider whether we are showing the produce (fruit) of having the Spirit in our lives. After our conversation do they think, “wow, now that person is showing love” (v.22)?  How about joy? Peace? Patience? Do they think about us and what we represent and immediately think of goodness? Faithfulness? How about self-control and gentleness (v.23)?  It is critical that we show these traits in our daily lives…in all facets of our lives, not just about religious subjects. After all, those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires (v.24).  That language makes this a pretty serious matter.

Finally, consider 2 Timothy 2:24, “The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged,”

Let us humbly approach our God and sacrifice all parts of our lives to and for Him, all glory, praise, and honor belong to His holy name.

Questions or comments? All are welcome! 

Jeff Mullen

Blanco Hills Church of Christ

830-554-0701

blancohillschurch@gmail.com

blancohillschurch.com

Are You Spiritual, Religious, or Righteous?

According to a 2023 Pew Research Center poll, 22% of Americans say they are spiritual but not religious. 88% of them believe there is a spiritual realm beyond this world. 58% of Americans say they are religious. A religious person is someone who belongs to a religious group and (perhaps) practices what it teaches. More than 80% of Americans say that they have a soul or spirit and that there’s something spiritual beyond this natural world. Being spiritual and being religious have value, but one can be both spiritual and religious, yet not be righteous. Being righteous means being right with God; it means one has been saved by grace through faith. It means that what we believe matters. It means we’ve left sin behind and that we’re practicing our faith, denying ourselves, and taking up our crosses to follow Jesus.

In Acts 17 we find Paul in Athens conversing with what seems to be spiritual people. A spiritual person knows there’s something beyond this world, but he or she may not be settled on what they believe. They may acknowledge God, but they’re often open to whatever comes along. For them, spirituality means they can choose what they like and determine for themselves what the truth is. In Colossians 2:8, Paul warned the church about listening to whatever came along: “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” There are many ideas in this world, but not every spiritual one is true. As in every age, people deceive and are being deceived.

Some say they are more than spiritual; they are religious. Sadly, just being religious doesn’t make a person righteous. In Romans 10:1-3, Paul noted some religious people had rejected Christ and had established their own way. He said “they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” Paul had to rebuke some Christians for twisting the gospel, writing in Galatians 1:6-9, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” We are not permitted to change the gospel of Christ or the rules found in the teachings of Jesus. Yes, Jesus had rules! It’s amazing to me to hear people say Jesus had no rules. In John 14:15, Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” Jesus too had to deal with religious people who would not follow His commandments, identifying them as living lawless lives. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23 that, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, in Your name did we not prophesy, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name do many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.’” These folks were spiritual and religious, but they weren’t following the teaching of the Lord. Jesus expects His followers to keep His commandments - not make up their own. Many today call themselves religious but follow the commandments of men, following human traditions or the ruling of church councils, while setting aside the clear teaching of Scripture. Jesus said to the Jews who followed oral traditions in Matthew 15:7, “in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.” We need to ask ourselves, “Am I worshipping where there is an expectation or requirement to observe human traditions not found in the New Testament?”

Fortunately for me and you, because of God’s grace, being righteous does notmean we have to be perfect. None of us are sinless. John wrote in 1 John 1:7 that “if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” But being righteous does require commitment.

Are you committed to the Lord? The Lord said in Matthew 10:37-39 that, “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” We must not let anything or anyone come before our commitment to the Lord.

There is going to be a reckoning at Judgment Day. In addition to those that are totally unspiritual or irreligious, many who call themselves Christians will sadly hear the words “depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.”  We must not be found to be merely spiritual or religious. To enter heaven we must be righteous, having been committed to Christ. To be committed to the Lord one must believe Jesus is the Son of God. One must repent of sin and follow the Lord. With love, faith, and repentance, one must be baptized into Christ so that one’s sins may be forgiven (Acts 2:38).

Please feel free to contact me at 830-554-0701 or www.blancohillschurch.com  with any questions about this article or any other spiritual matter. The members of the Blanco Hills Church of Christ strive to follow the Lord’s teaching and are committed to helping each other be righteous so we can confidently stand on the Lord’s right hand on Judgment Day.

Buz Turk

Are You Listening?

In Matthew 13:24-30 Jesus teaches a parable in which His kingdom is a field in which wheat had been sown but, under the cover of darkness, an enemy planted weeds (tares) among the wheat. When the seeds germinated, both wheat and weeds appeared. The servants are told not to dig up the weeds, in case they uprooted the good wheat. They are told to wait until harvest, when both the wheat and weeds will be gathered, at which time the weeds will be burned. Jesus then walks away, not explaining the parable.

I dare say you have never heard a sermon in which the speaker told a story and walked away without an explanation. Why would Jesus teach this way, leaving listeners to wonder about the meaning? Jesus later explains that He is fulfilling the prophecy of Psalm 78, but the main reason is that too many listeners would not try hard enough to understand. Jesus said this attitude was prophesied by Isaiah (Isaiah 6).  Isaiah prophesied that some people think they see but really do not; they think they hear but really do not, and they think they understand – but in fact do not. Have you ever opened the ice box (that dates me) and in a minute or two couldn’t find what you were looking for, only to have your spouse walk over, and within five seconds push a bottle aside and point it out? I was lazy. I wasn’t looking hard enough. Many people want their religion to be “spoon fed;”  they don’t want to have to “dig in” to understand the Bible. Jesus leaves the crowds back in Matthew 13:36 without giving any explanation for this parable. But Jesus’ disciples were diggers. In verse 36 we find them follow Jesus into a house, wanting to understand the parable.

The symbolism is as follows: the field is the world, the sower is Christ and the seed is the Gospel, which produces the faithful children, i.e., Christians. The weeds are those who listened to the enemy, the evil one - Satan. Finally, the harvest is Judgment Day.

In the parable we find those who belong to Jesus and those who belong to the devil growing together. The workers are told not to remove the weeds as they might inadvertently pull out the wheat. Why would there be concern about accidentally pulling out wheat? Doesn’t God recognize His children? According to 2 Timothy 2:19, the answer is yes:  “The Lord knows those who are His.” One would think God would not want His children living in a world where they might be corrupted by evil companions (1 Corinthians 15:33). The answer is found in the one-verse Parable of the Leaven in Matthew 13:33, “the kingdom of Heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour until it was all leavened.” God wants His children (wheat, or leaven in this case) to influence or act upon the sinful world (weeds).  If the weeds are immediately pulled, they won’t have another opportunity to respond to the Gospel. We see here the blessing of God’s patience, which Peter echoed in 2 Peter 3:9, Christ “is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

I have often selfishly prayed that Judgment Day would come so I wouldn’t have to put up with pain any longer or see my country continue to circle the drain. However, the truth is that as a Christian my task is not to withdraw from the world and isolate myself, but to remain in the world and influence the lost to obey the Gospel. To do my part in transforming weeds to wheat.  Like Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:6 “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth,” my task is to share the Gospel and leave the rest to God to cause the growth on His own timetable.

After explaining the Parable of the Weeds to His disciples, Jesus said “He who has ears, let him Hear.” (13:43). What did Jesus mean by that? The people heard Him speak, didn’t they? Like I do too often at home, I hear my wife but I really don’t. I don’t concentrate. I don’t listen.  Unfortunately, many people have ears but they don’t really listen to Jesus and try hard to understand the parts of God’s word that aren’t crystal clear. Perhaps they don’t ask if they see a religious practice happening that’s not in their Bible, or question why their church is not doing what they find being done by the New Testament church.

As in the parable where the wheat and weeds will be harvested, a Judgment Day is coming for each of us. Paul told the Romans (14:10-12) that “we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. For it is written, ‘AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, TO ME EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL CONFESS TO GOD.’ So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.”  You and I will either be found weeping and grinding our teeth or rejoicing with the redeemed and our Lord.

It is not our intent at the Blanco Hills Church of Christ to avoid unclear or difficult passages of God’s word. In fact, we just completed a 15-month study of the Book of Revelation. We are listening to God’s word – and I suspect you wouldn’t be reading this article if you weren’t listening as well. If you have any religious question at all, please do not hesitate to call the number below, check out our website, visit our worship and Bible classes, or stop by the “Bible Tent” on Blanco Market Days. None of us are perfect,  but we’ll be happy to search the Bible with you for a Biblical answer. We meet for Bible study every Sunday at 10am and Wednesdays at 5pm. Every Sunday we meet to eat the Lord’s Supper at 11am, please join us!

Buz Turk

830-554-0701

www.blancohillschurch.com

Misconceptions About The "Rapture"

A teaching prevalent among many today is the idea that one day Jesus will return, silently whisking His faithful away to Heaven so that they can avoid a horrible tribulation. We’ve all seen the bumper stickers that say “In case of rapture, this car will be unmanned.” But is this taught in the Bible?

Keeping things in context is essential to understanding what God intended. Two texts are commonly misapplied in premillennial doctrine of The Rapture. The first is found in both Luke 17 and Matthew 24. In Luke 17:34-36 we find Jesus saying, “I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other will be left. There will be two women grinding grain at the same place; one will be taken and the other will be left. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other will be left.”  Matthew records most of the same conversation in 24:40 where Jesus says “Then there will be two in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding grain at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.” Though nothing in either of these two texts supports it, the popular doctrine of the rapture assumes these “takenings” will be silent.

The second misapplied text for The Rapture is in 1 Thessalonians 4. It appears the Thessalonian  brethren mistakenly thought that their brethren who had already died would miss the chance to go to heaven when Christ returned.  In verses 15-17 we read, “For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…” Paul comforts them by assuring them that the dead would join Christ along with the living when He returned.  In Latin, “caught up” in verse 17 is “raptura.” So, the idea of a “rapture” of saints upon a return of Jesus is certainly scriptural, but is the premillennial rapture consistent with the New Testament rapture?

Note what Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 4:16, “for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God.” This doesn’t sound silent at all. Believers of this doctrine may counter with, “but only the saved hear the shout and trumpet blast.” The problem is that we have to add to what is written by these inspired men to prove these events are silent. In Revelation 22:18 John tells us what will happen to those who add to what God has revealed: they will be punished. John was writing about the prophecies in the book of Revelation, but it makes sense that this principle holds true for all of God’s word.

Jesus makes clear that the rapture will not be silent. In John 5:28-29 Jesus said, “Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment.” Jesus said “all who are in the tombs will hear His voice.” Jesus’ own words refute the idea of a rapture heard only by some.  

Another facet of this misconception is that the unsaved won’t be resurrected with the saved. This theory says the unsaved will be resurrected after a 7-year tribulation, which is then followed by a 1000-year reign of Christ and his saints. But as we read earlier, Jesus said, “an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice, and will come forth.”  Again, Jesus’ own words singlehandedly refute the popular doctrine of the rapture.

Finally, we know the “takenings” of Luke 17 and Matthew 24 have already happened. After Jesus talked about people leaving beds, grinding grain, and working in the field, His Apostles, puzzled about these strange events, in Luke 17:37 asked “Where, Lord?”  Jesus responds with “Where the body is, there also the vultures will be gathered.” In  Matthew 24 we find this same conversation. In verse 2, as they are looking at the magnificent Temple built by Herod, Jesus tells them it will be completely destroyed. In the next verse they ask when this will happen.  He then proceeds to describe the many signs that they should look for to warn them to flee the destruction of Jerusalem while there is still time. In verse 28 he says, “Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” Essentially verbatim what Luke recorded in Chapter 17, after the so-called rapture occurs. But then in Matthew 24:34, in the same context of the statement about the vultures gathering, Jesus clears up the question about when these events will occur: “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” “All these things” includes the ones leaving the beds, grinding grain, and working in the field. Since it had to happen within that generation, the events described by Luke and Matthew that many today call The Rapture, actually occurred over 1900 years ago - when Jerusalem was destroyed by the Roman army in 70 AD.

When Christ returns, all dead or alive,  saved or unsaved, will be resurrected in the same hour for Judgment. The question is, are you ready now for Him to come back?

We sincerely welcome you to study and worship with us as we prepare for His ultimate return.

Buz Turk

Blanco Hills Church of Christ

830-554-0701

www.blancohillschurch.com

God's Plan From The Beginning

There is a belief in the Christian world today that Jesus Christ originally came to establish a kingdom on this earth, but that because mankind wasn’t ready for it, He was rejected and crucified. Many believe Jesus will come again at some future point to establish this kingdom, and this time He will be successful and rule here on earth. The problem with these concepts is that they contradict with multiple scriptures in the Bible which plainly show us that what happened in the first century was actually God’s intent from the very beginning, and that things played out exactly according to His plan when Jesus was crucified.

The Bible provides every proof we need to understand God’s design was from the beginning, and there are many. For instance, we know from the Bible record that Joseph and Mary were the parents of Jesus. The Apostle Matthew starts his gospel with a genealogy of Jesus coming from the line of Abraham, going through the tribe of Judah to King David and down to Joseph (Matthew 1:1-16). He specifically points out Jesus being the son of David and this would help Jewish people understand that their prophecies concerning a future and eternal king from David’s lineage (2 Samuel 7:16) were fulfilled by Jesus. The Apostle Peter makes this connection plain in Acts 2:29-36. Matthew further explains that Mary was actually a virgin at the time of Jesus’ birth because she was with child from the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18). This is why it is so important that in Luke 3 we have the record of Jesus’ genealogy through Mary’s side of the family as well. Mary’s lineage goes through King David, but Luke significantly then traces it all the way back to Adam. Recall that when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, God promised Eve’s seed would bruise the serpent’s head (Genesis 3:15).  We can see fulfillment of this prophecy with Jesus Christ’s great victory over Satan on the cross (Hebrews 2:14), thousands of years later. God had carefully planned it all from the very start.

The erroneous belief in an earthly reigning messiah which is prevalent in our society today is not new.

The ancient Israelites of Jesus’ day were waiting for the Messiah (Savior), but they expected and wanted a physical earthly messiah to literally sit on a throne like King David did, as evidenced by them trying to make Jesus their earthly king (John 6:15). They did not expect a messiah who would save others by sacrificing Himself and then rule a spiritual kingdom from Heaven. When on trial before Pontius Pilate, Jesus personally settled the matter by stating His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36).

In Acts 2, the Apostle Peter states that Jesus was killed according to God’s definite plan and with His foreknowledge (v.23). God didn’t make anyone sin, but He knew it would happen and provided mankind an escape from our own wrong choices. The Apostle Paul records that God sent His Son in the “fullness of time,” or just at the proper time in human history (Galatians 4:4), not at an inappropriate time when man wasn’t ready. Would a perfect God choose the wrong time? We know He chose the perfect time for Jesus to come. The Apostle Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:18-19 that Christians are redeemed by Jesus’ blood. If Jesus had not come and died on the cross, we would not be redeemed; this was all according to plan. 

So what is the point? The point is that all these verses, and many more, lead us to the unavoidable fact that God has had a plan to save man since before the world was created. This plan included sending Jesus to earth on purpose to die for the sins of mankind (Ephesians 1:4-6, 1 Peter 1:18-21). A sacrifice has always been required for our sins, and Jesus dying, innocent of any crime and living a perfect life, makes this sacrifice a complete and perfect offering to God for us. This means when Jesus came to this earth and voluntarily submitted to an illegal execution, it was all according to God’s plan. The cross looked like a defeat to those not understanding that we aren’t waiting for an earthly reigning messiah, (note the mocking of Jesus in Matthew 27:39-43), rather we know it was and is the power of God to save (1 Corinthians 1:18). Jesus’ death on the cross was a certain and complete victory.  We are not waiting for a future victory from Jesus because He has already accomplished God’s will on this earth (John 17:1-5) and is currently reigning over His kingdom, His church (Matthew 16:18-19). We aren’t waiting for a future kingdom to enter, we are in it now. Note what the Apostle Paul says God has already done for Christians, “Who rescued us from the authority of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son of His love…” (Colossians 1:13). This kingdom to which Christians already belong will be delivered to God (1 Corinthians 15:20-26) by Christ at the end of time. 

Jesus didn’t fail in an attempt to set up an earthly kingdom, rather He succeeded with His sacrifice and God has exalted Him to reign as the head of His kingdom, the church (Ephesians 1:22-23, Matthew 16:18-19). After this life, we won’t have more chances to be obedient (Hebrews 9:27), so let’s get busy living the life of faithful servants in that kingdom right now.

Jeff S. Mullen

Minister, Blanco Hills Church of Christ

blancohillschurch.com

blancohillschurch@gmail.com

830-554-0701

Should We "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy?"

This article comes by way of request from a young Christian, wishing to see what the Bible says about the Sabbath day and if it should be observed by Christians today.

God created the heavens and the earth in 6 days and rested (ceased from work) on the 7th day. God later told the ancient Israelites that they too should cease from their labors on the 7th day of the week, calling it the Sabbath day (Exodus 20:11). This day, the 7th day of the week, is Saturday.

The command to “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” is part of The Ten Commandments we find in Exodus 20:8. We often hear we must keep and follow the Ten Commandments but as Christians, we need to understand the Ten Commandments are part of the (Old Testament) Law of Moses, which was a system of laws specified for a single nation, the Hebrews of ancient Israel. God gave this law specifically to them at Mt. Sinai (Mt. Horeb) after they were rescued from Egypt (Deuteronomy 5:1-5).

Christians today are God’s chosen people (1 Peter 2:9), the new Israel (Romans 2:28-29, Galatians 6:16). Why wouldn’t they be subject to the laws we find in the Old Testament, like keeping the Sabbath? The Bible clearly states that as Christians we belong to a new covenant and are not subject to the Law of Moses in any way. It is not only wise but necessary to learn and understand as much as we can from the Old Testament teachings to help us learn about God’s character, sin, justice, punishment, forgiveness, fulfillment of prophecies, etc. These things validate and factualize our faith in God and His promises, however, the laws given to the ancient Hebrews are not for us today. In Jeremiah 31:31-35, from the Old Testament, we read that God planned for a new covenant to come. In Hebrews 7:12, in the New Testament, we read that in this new covenant we have new laws. One of the great things Jesus Christ did with His sacrifice was abolish the old covenant with all its laws and ordinances, and enable Gentiles and Jewish people together to be fellow citizens in God’s house (Ephesians 2:11-22). We are those Gentiles, and with the Old Law completed Jesus gifts us an opening to be the chosen of God and the hope that comes with that.

In the first century A.D., one big problem the church at large was dealing with was Christians of Jewish background expecting Gentiles who obeyed the Gospel to continue observing the discontinued laws from the old covenant. The Apostle Paul wrote extensively denouncing these practices. In Colossians 2:13-16 he clearly points out the Sabbath day observances (part of the Law of Moses) were not applicable to Christians. Jesus had effectively nailed these laws to the cross, cancelling the debt that stood against everyone. We might think of this as a “PAID IN FULL” stamp placed across an invoice. The point here is that Christ’s sacrifice gave us a new covenant, established by the blood He spilled on the cross (1 Corinthians 11:25), and the old covenant (including the Ten Commandments within it) has been fulfilled and has passed away.  

Further, we can read in the New Testament (which contains our new covenant with God through Jesus) of many laws for Christians concerning worship, daily living, how to treat God and our fellow man, etc. None of those laws include examples or direction to revere the Sabbath day in any way, just like we don’t have to offer animal sacrifices or comply with the myriad of other old law requirements. These have been replaced with a new set of laws meant for the Christian. This change was predicted throughout the Old Testament and gives us a glimpse of our all-knowing God.  

So, under this new covenant we are directed to assemble and worship God on Sunday, the first day of the week (Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2), not on Saturday as practiced under the old covenant.
Ok, but should the first day of the week then become the “Christian Sabbath” with no work being done? For a number of reasons, the answer is no. We have already covered the fact that the Ten Commandments and the Law of Moses were given to a different nation, and that Law was abolished by Jesus Christ. Further, the first day of the week was a normal workday for everyone in the 1st century and continued as such until Emperor Constantine’s edict in 321 A.D., where he declared it a day of no labor. While the sentiment behind the edict may have been honorable, it didn’t come from God and isn’t found anywhere in the Bible, so for hundreds of years faithful Christians worked and worshipped on Sundays. Also, early writings about Christians from the 2nd - 4th centuries (Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, Justin Martyr, Eusebius, etc.) show that Christians worshipped on Sundays, and Eusebius specifically points out that Christians didn’t observe the Sabbath day (Church History 1:4:8). Of course this information comes from secular history, but it is still important as these people where very close in the timeline to the writers of the New Testament.

We must be extremely careful not to create edicts or doctrines made from man’s traditions and not approved of by God (Matthew 15:9). He specifies how and when to worship Him and teaches us through His word. Approaching God in worship on Sunday is approved and required by Him. All other days are yours to use as you will in walking in His light and sharing the Gospel with others.

Jeff Mullen

Minister, Blanco Hills Church of Christ
blancohillschurch@gmail.com

www.blancohillschurch.com

830-554-0701

Are We Getting The Point?

Have you ever been sure you knew something, knew you were right, but it ended up that you were mistaken and had missed the point? I think we all have. We can read about this type of correction throughout the Bible. There were those whose entire jobs centered around being experts in the scriptures (Scribes, Pharisees, lawyers, priests, etc.) who would challenge Jesus since His teaching was very different from theirs, and they were convinced they knew better. Jesus’ answers left them speechless and unable to argue their original point (Matthew 22:46, Mark 12:34, Luke 20:40). These people put themselves forward as experts, but were not. We can certainly see application for us today. 

In one such incident recorded in Luke 10:25-37, we read where Jesus is asked a very important question, “...what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” This question is profound and one we should all ask. Unfortunately, this ‘expert’ wasn’t genuinely seeking an answer…he was well versed in the law (God’s Old Covenant with Israel) and was testing Jesus (v.25) to undermine or invalidate His ministry. The lawyer’s attitude of self-justification (v.29) also speaks to his motive.  Jesus let the lawyer answer his own question about inheriting eternal life. The man was technically right, in answering we must love God with our whole being and love our neighbor as much as we love ourselves (v.28). Shortly after this the lawyer, seeking a loophole in the law, asked Jesus who his ‘neighbor’ was, and Jesus responded with the famous parable of the Good Samaritan (vv.30-37) which we all can learn lessons from. It is easy to look harshly at the lawyer, but instead a self-examination might be warranted to keep us from this type of attitude. How is our service to God and our fellow man? Are we really on the right track?

Commonly, the parable of the Good Samaritan is preached about on Sundays as a tool to help people see that we shouldn’t be selfish and need to help people. This teaching isn’t wrong of course, but there is much more to this parable to help us in our walk of faith. As background to the story, it may be helpful to note that the ancient Israelites despised the Samaritans. They were considered half-breeds, unclean, and unrighteous in their worship since they did not worship God in the temple in Jerusalem. Jewish people traveling north would often avoid Samaria and cross the Jordan River twice, adding significant time to a journey due to their disdain. Also of note is that the Jewish city of Jericho was the home of a great number of Levites (the tribe of ancient Israel which took care of all that went with temple worship), so there was much travel on the road between Jericho and Jerusalem. This road was relatively short (~17 miles) but famous for being dangerous because of robbers. 

In the parable, a traveler on the road is mugged and left half dead on the road. The first two people to come near are a priest and then a Levite, who pass by without helping. These men are both from the tribe dedicated to serving God in worship, yet they don’t stop and even make an  effort to distance themselves. A Samaritan man comes by next and does stop though. He provides first aid, takes the victim to a place where he can recover, and pays for his care. Notice carefully that this isn’t just a moment where someone says to themselves, “well, the right thing to do is help”, it is much more than that. Verse 33 reveals that the Samaritan had compassion, which here literally means to be moved in the inward parts. Are we moved in our ‘inward parts’ when we help others? The Samaritan had real feelings that moved him to action. Verse 37 records what he did was ‘mercy’, that his help was heartfelt and true.

Recall that the parable from Jesus is in response to the question of “who is my neighbor?”, which the lawyer rightly understood was someone to which God expected him to have agape love for (v.27). Agape love is unselfish, ready to serve, values and esteems the person in question (W.E. Vine, vol. 3, p.22). The lawyer may have understood ‘neighbor’ to be someone who he had affinity with, someone in his chosen nation, who may have lived next door, worshipped like him, someone he might have had tender affection for. However, Jesus taught by this parable that our ‘neighbors’ include people who may not be worshipping according to God’s law, might not belong to ‘our people’, may have mistreated us, and may even be classified as enemies. Agape love is not only an obligation we need to complete, it is heartfelt and involves esteem, true compassion, and real mercy. We all know what it’s like to be helped from obligation, to feel like you are a burden to someone, to be on the receiving end of this type of ‘help’. This is not agape love. How is that “moved in our inward parts”? If we help people just because we must, an attitude change is needed. 

We learn from the parable that being an expert in the law of God or being from God’s chosen people (like the lawyer, priest, and Levite were), doesn’t mean that we are being righteous.  This still applies today. Christians are now designated as God’s chosen people and a nation of priests (1 Peter 2:9). God has blessed us with all the knowledge needed to be faithful Christians, but are we missing the point of who we are to be? Are we just collecting the knowledge and missing  the point? How to achieve eternal life was the original question in Luke 10:25, and it’s still pertinent today. God teaches us that the pathway to eternal life involves complete and total dedication to Him, as well as heartfelt love, involving an inward deep compassion and mercy to our fellow man.

Jeff Mullen

Minister

Blanco Hills Church of Christ

830-554-0701

blancohillschurch@gmail.com

blancohillschurch.com

Did Paul Misremember?

In 1 Corinthians 10:8, in warning the church in Corinth about sin, Paul said Israel’s sin of “sexual immorality” resulted in “twenty-three thousand” falling “in one day.” Skeptics of the Bible say this passage contradicts what Moses wrote in Numbers 25:9, where he wrote “those who died by the plague were 24,000.”

Did Paul simply misremember? Some have defended Paul by saying he was probably going off memory and just made a simple mistake. If it was you or me depending on our memory of something we studied in school decades earlier, I’d understand a mistake like this. But that’s what this and the past two articles have been about. The writers of the Bible did not make mistakes. If Paul or any of the other 39 men who wrote the Bible made mistakes, then they were not inspired by God.

The claim is made over 3,800 times in the Old Testament alone that Scriptures are the words of God. In Exodus 17:14, Moses wrote, “Then Yahweh said to Moses, ‘Write this in a book as a memorial.’” David is recorded in 2 Samuel 23:2 as saying “The Spirit of Yahweh spoke by me and His word was on my tongue.” God told Jeremiah, “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.” (Jeremiah 1:9). Jesus affirmed the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures when he said in Matthew 5:18 “not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” That is a pretty strong statement about a document.

Neither Paul nor any other apostle had to rely on his own memory. Unlike you and me and every person born since the end of the first century, they were directly inspired by the Holy Spirit. Jesus said he would send the Holy Spirit to the apostles to “teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.” (John 14:26). He told them the Holy Spirit “will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). Christ had already assured them they need not worry about what to say, “But when they deliver you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given to you in that hour what you are to say. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” (Matthew 10:19-20)

The apostles echoed this resource of truth over and over in their letters. In his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul wrote, “For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him?” (2:11). In other words, I cannot know what’s on your mind unless you reveal it to me. Then Paul goes on to say that the Corinthians could know the mind of God because the Holy Spirit had revealed it to the apostles, and they in turn had shared it with the Corinthians: “So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit...” (1 Corinthians 2:11-13).  Later in the same epistle, Paul said, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you,…” (1 Corinthians 11:23). In 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Paul wrote, “we also thank God without ceasing that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God...”

In his second letter to Timothy, Paul wrote that, “all Scripture is God-breathed” or “inspired of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). This ‘inspiration’ is not the same as we often hear today. E.g., a person said their father inspired them to become a doctor; or one was inspired by nature to write a poem or song. The Bible was written by men directly inspired by God the Father, Christ, or the Holy Spirit. They were told what to write. In Acts 1:16, Peter said “Scripture had been fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David…” Likewise, Peter wrote that, “no prophecy was ever made by the will of man, but men being moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” (2 Peter 1:21). In Ephesians 3:5, Paul said that what he wrote had “been revealed by the Spiri to his holy apostles and prophets...” In his letter to the churches in Galatia, Paul wrote, “that the gospel which I am proclaiming as good news is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11-12). He told the Thessalonians that what he taught them was “by the word of the Lord” (1 Thess 4:15). Finally, Peter recognized the inspiration behind Paul’s epistles when he said they were often twisted and distorted like  “the rest of the Scriptures.” (2 Peter 3:16).

So, how do we reconcile Paul’s 23,000 and Moses’ 24,000? Some say Paul was just approximating. I.e., am I wrong if I said I paid $3/gallon of gas if the price was actually $2.95/gallon? If Paul was not inspired, I could buy this explanation. Some say it was a scribe’s error. I hate to think that I must rely on uninspired, fallible scribes to ensure the accuracy of God’s word. If they erred here, might they have erred somewhere else?

I believe the simple answer is in one piece of information Paul provided which Moses did not. Paul said 23,000 died in one day. Moses said nothing about time, he simply said 24,000 died.

By careful study, sound logic, and an open heart, we can easily see that the Bible is completely reliable and accurate. Feel free to contact me about anything in this article or about the Blanco Hills Church of Christ.

Buz Turk

830-554-0701

www.blancohillschurch.com

Alleged Contradictions

Last week we mentioned that many do not believe the Bible is inspired because they have heard it contains many contradictions. In this article we’ll look at a few such “contradictions” to see if they have merit.

In Galatians 6:2, Paul told the Galatians to “bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Three verses later he said “for every man shall bear his own burden.” So which is it? Can a Christian help his brother out, or must one bear his own burdens alone?

The alleged contradiction is easily explained. Paul used two words with slightly different meanings that are translated into English with the same word. In verse 2 the Greek word translated “burden” is baros, which is defined as a weight, burden or  trouble. One Greek expert described “baros” as “an experience of something that is particularly oppressive.”  In verse 5 Paul uses the word “phortion,” which is often translated as a load or a light burden.

Other texts in the New Testament support the fact that a “baros” burden was relatively heavier than a “phortion” burden. In a parable found in Matthew 20, some disgruntled workers who were not happy that they were paid the same as others that had worked less, said “These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.”(20:12) They believed their burden (baros) of working longer hours was worth greater pay. In 2 Corinthians 4:17, Paul wrote that “our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight (baros) of glory.” Paul clearly states that our eternal reward will be much weightier (baros) than any personal affliction. Finally, in Matthew 20:12, Jesus said “My yoke is easy and My burden (phortion) is light.” Each of these texts support Paul’s use of these two different Greek words. A Christian is certainly accountable for his burdens, but at times may benefit from the help of others.

Another accusation is made that the Bible contradicts itself when it comes to God changing. In Malachi 3:6 we read “For I am the LORD, I do not change.” Jeremiah records in 15:6 that God said “I am weary with repenting.” Since repenting is changing one’s mind, does God change? Malachi said he doesn’t. Jeremiah indicates He’d done it so much He was weary. Isn’t that a contradiction?

David supports Malachi in Psalm 102:25-27: “…You laid the foundation of the earth…They will perish, but You will endure; yes, they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will change them, and they will be changed. But You are the same.” In the New Testament we find the brother of Jesus echoing Malachi when he wrote in James 1:17 of the Father: “with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”  Finally, in Hebrews 13:8 we find “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

The issue is not that God has never changed. In Jeremiah 18:8-10, God said “if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it... if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it.”  In Hebrews 1 we read how throughout history, God changed the way He communicated to man. Malachi meant that  His character has not changed. He has always hated and punished evil. He has always loved and rewarded good. His character is consistent. Malachi and Jermiah meant different things. They do not contradict each other.

The fifth of the Ten Commandments is to “honor your father and your mother.” (Exodus 20:12)  Yet skeptics have alleged that Jesus contradicted these scriptures when He taught (Luke 14:26) that His disciples must hate their father and mother. Can that be true? When you turn to this passage, you find that the answer is yes, He did say that! In fact, He went on to say that a disciple must also hate his “wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life.” If the word “hate” 2000 years ago meant what it means today, then, yes Jesus would have contradicted many teachings about love in the Bible. But is that the case? Look at the story of Jacob and his wives Rachel and Leah.

In Genesis 29, we learn that Jacob agreed to work seven years to be able to marry Rachel. However, at the end of those seven years, he was deceived by his father-in-law and was given the older sister Leah as his wife. In exchange for another seven years, Jacob was given Rachel as his wife. In the King James Version, Genesis 29:30 says “and he loved also Rachel more than Leah…” In the very next verse we read “And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated…” Here we learn that the KJV translators equated “hated” with “loving less.” Jacob didn’t despise or hate Leah; he simply loved Rachel more. So going back to Luke 14, the idea is not that disciples must hate their fathers and mothers, but they must love them less than they love Christ. Christ must come first. A disciple must be willing to sacrifice everything – even the love of family -  to follow Christ.

When I read of allegations such as these, I wonder about the integrity of the those that make them. Does anyone really believe Jesus demanded that his disciples hate their parents? Is that congruent with a man that, as he was about to die, ensured his mother was taken care of?

As always, I encourage your feedback on anything in this article. Please know you are welcome to worship with us at the Blanco Hills Church of Christ.

Buz Turk

830-554-0701

www.blancohillschurch.com

Contradictory or Just Different?

There are any number of reasons why people don’t believe the Bible is inspired by God. They may have been taught from childhood that it was a book of fairy tales. They may have never taken the time to open a Bible and therefore don’t know of or are indifferent to its content.  Perhaps they’ve watched their “Christian” neighbors behave in ungodly ways that expose their hypocrisy and have decided they don’t want any part of that group. Some undoubtedly have opened the Bible and know some of what is in it, but don’t want to live up to it; they don’t want to be told what to do. They choose not to believe because they’d be compelled to change their behavior.

All of the above reasons might be given by every culture since the Bible was completed almost 2000 years ago. Possibly the most frequently cited reason for rejecting the Bible is because of Bible errancy. It is alleged that it contains mistakes or contradicts itself. There are numerous websites that list hundreds of alleged mistakes of a historical, geographical, or scientific nature. It’s no wonder that many don’t accept the Bible as inspired when they read statements like “Every analyst of the Bible should realize that the Book is a veritable miasma of contradictions, inconsistencies, inaccuracies, poor science, bad math, inaccurate geography, immoralities, degenerate heroes, false prophecies, boring repetitions, childish superstitions, silly miracles…” (The Encyclopedia of Biblical Errancy), or “the basic writings of the Christian religion are so full of absurdity, contradiction, and discord that the only way to maintain the truth of Christian doctrine is to ignore the Bible itself” (The Atheist’s Introduction to the New Testament). Sadly, but likely true, the author of that book goes on to write “…fortunately for most Christian churches, this is not a problem, because most Christians do not read the Bible seriously, and are woefully unaware of its contents…”

I’d be the first to admit that if the writers of the Bible made mistakes in their writings, then they were not guided “by inspiration of God” as Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16. The question is: did the writers of the Bible make mistakes, or are these alleged mistakes or contradictions just misinterpreted? One who is honestly trying to understand any document written centuries ago from a culture far distant from their own will consider some basic principles of interpretation that allow for a fair and reasonable analysis of the work.

The world is changing every day. I’m 68 and have traveled around the world multiple times, but I might as well be hearing Greek when listening to some of the modern-day questions asked these days on my favorite TV show, Jeopardy! I often have to pause the show and ask my wife what “this or that word means.” In our daily lives, we often say or hear things that make no sense to us or those listening to us. Sometimes I ask myself, “did I hear that right?” Sadly, too often I assume I did understand it and berate the speaker for saying something wrong or illogical. When we say something that is misunderstood, we want the chance to clarify our statement. In order to be as fair with the Bible writers as we would want others to be with us, there must be some fair means of interpretation.

For example, is it possible that more than one interpretation of an event is correct? Matthew and Mark recorded that “robbers” insulted Jesus while He was on the cross (Mt 27:44, Mk 15:32), whereas Luke wrote that “one” of them blasphemed Him (Luke 23:39). These accounts are different, but are they contradictory? Did Luke err, or can all three be true?

Another item to consider is the context of a statement. If you read the statement “that guy is on fire!” you can’t know what is meant without understanding the context. Was the speaker watching Michael Jordan in the 1990s, or might he have been watching a 1960s newsreel of the Vietnam war?  In Matthew 24:29, Jesus said “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Then a few verses later Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” I read where a man said this text alone was the “straw that broke the camel’s back” for convincing him the Bible was wrong because 2000 years have come and gone and “the sun is still shining, the stars still twinkle in the sky.” Is it possible that Jesus was not talking about the Judgment Day at the end of time, but rather used figurative language to describe what the Roman army under Nero and Vespasian would do to Jerusalem forty years later in 70 AD? The events  of 70 AD happened in time for the generation to whom Jesus was speaking in Matthew 24 to witness them. This apparent contradiction is easily explained with a little study.

For some reason, many people forget about the need to understand a statement that on its face appears to be contradictory when it comes to the Bible. In reality, statements that appear “different” are what we would expect to find in a book compiled from over sixty separate books, authored by forty men from different cultures across a time span of 1500 years. In the next two weeks I will examine a number of “alleged Biblical contradictions” to demonstrate how they are not mistakes, but merely contain statements that are misunderstood or different, not contradictory.

Please feel free to contact me about this article or any question you may have about the Blanco Hills Church of Christ.

Buz Turk

830-554-0701

www.blancohillschurch.com

blancohillschurch@gmail.com