“ The Bible is the Infallible Word of God???”

“ The Bible is the Infallible Word of God???”

So I had a very interesting event take place recently in my life. Two of my childhood friends who I have always known to be Christians have not only denied Jesus Christ but, deny the entire doctrine of the New testament and now seek to discredit the four Gospels, the Epistles, their content, and their authors. They have turned to another form of doctrine being taught by what they call themselves, ”Black Hebrew Israelites.” This of course was not my first encounter with these heretics and enemies of the faith. You might recall a certain guest speaker being invited to our church that’s right Claude Anderson the author of “Powernomics” this man came and pointed out presumed errors in the holy scriptures showing us “Shakespeare” in Psalms 46 somehow forged his name between verses 3 and 9. Of course that is completely coincidental and you would basically have to completely infer this instance to have an argument of its validity which of course no one was impressed at “The Acres.” We get sound doctrine on a regular basis but, The Hebrew Israelites are troublesome they point out seemingly legitimate errors that they notice and attack Christians with. They actually stomped me with this one and I was completely embarrassed….me? without an answer??? I was ashamed and intrigued all at once. Here is their argument:

One of the first questions they presented to me was “what proof did I have that Jesus Christ ever existed?” Well of course apart from structures and characters of history that were alive during His time on earth there is none. Well they used this unexplained event in the discussion to bring out this contradiction in scripture that stomped me: “Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem..(Matt.2:1)” Now this scripture shows us that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Judea during Herod the Great’s reign. Herod the Great son of Antipas ruled over Judea from 37B.C.E -4B.C.E. Luke 1:5 also agrees with Jesus being born during Herod’s reign showing that Zacharias and Elizabeth received news of John the Baptist’s birth in the same timeline. Now Herod died around 4B.C.E meaning then that Jesus had to have been born sometime before 4B.C.E however, neither history nor scripture reveal how much before Herod’s death Jesus was born. We do know that Herod gave a decree to have all young children killed 2 years and under based on the wisemen’s information. (“Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.”Matt.2:16). Joseph being warned in a dream by Gabriel was told to go into Egypt. Knowing that Herod died while Joseph was in Egypt helps greatly with dating Christ’s birth because he was at least 2 years old when Herod made the decree placing Jesus’ birth right at about 6 or 7B.C.E. We also know that after Herod’s death his son Archelaus ruled in his place from 4B.C.E-6A.D. Now Joseph heard while in Egypt that Herod’s son ruled in his place. Matt.2:22 says: “But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee.” Now the Hebrew Israelites told me that Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth contradicts Luke’s account. Luke 2:1-2 tells us "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) " Now here is where the problem occurs as I stated in the above statement Herod the Great’s rule ended in 4B.C.E with his death. From 4B.C.E to 10A.D his son Archelaus ruled in his place until Caesar Augustus deemed him incompetent and juvenile and ended his reign. Cyrenius’ term as governor of Syria doesn’t begin until 10A.D according to records so how was Jesus born at this time when King Herod is dead by then?? This of course created problems with my argument seeing as how I wasn’t familiar with these dates and times as they were. I believe it’s our responsibility to know these things if we are to be effective in explaining scripture and it also helps when the bible seems to be contradicting itself we can go and debunk things like this with simple interpretation of history so that’s what I learned this weekJ.

Now what is really going on with the contradiction between Matthew 2:1 and Luke 2:2? Does the bible have an error? Or was Herod raised from the dead after 4B.C.E? According to Luke’s account Herod was indeed dead by the time Cyrenius was governor of Syria. Well I researched it for 2 weeks and found out what they did not see in the text neither did they mention the events of history that took place in Rome. Luke 2:2 mentions that the census took place when Cyrenius “was first made governor of Syria” meaning there must have been more than one census taken on the world. Of course I found this to be true there were actually 3 censuses taken over each exactly 8 years apart from one another. When Jesus was born this census is actually believed to be the second census taken in Rome . The first census taken is also noted in the book of Acts 5:37(“After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, [even] as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.”) “Judas of Galilee” (not Iscariot) rose up in the days of the taxing according to scholars because Jews had not been required to pay any monetary tribute to anyone but, God and the taxing required the Jews to pay a monetary tax fee, scholars believe that Jews in the lower socioeconomic bracket like Judas often rose up to revolt against such difficult brought on by the Roman government who basically didn’t bother the Jews this is the reason for Gamaliel’s statement in Acts 5:37. So here is the answer: Cyrenius actually was not the Governor of Syria prior to 6A.D but he was governor of Cilia during this time which was also during the first taxation of the world which he headed up. Luke is still not inaccurate however . The greek word “governor” used in Luke2:2 is the word “hēgemoneuō” this word means “to be leader, to lead the way or to rule or command as a procurator or proconsul.” Now this is a different word than the word used to identify Pontius Pilate who was Governor at the time of Jesus’ death. The word used for “governor” there is “hegemon” this word means “a leader of any kind, a guide, ruler, prefect, president, chief, general, commander, sovereign.a "legatus Caesaris", an officer administering a province in the name and with the authority of the Roman emperor.” So Pilate as Governor or the “hegemon” has the same authority as Caesar. So who was Governor of Syria during Jesus’ birth?There were 2 short terms held. It is documented that Publius Quinctilius Varus governed Syria shortly between 9-8B.C.E as well as a Roman by the name of Saturninus. Varus didn’t rule well during the first census so Caesar Augustus used Cyrenius during the first census so its no surprise he would be the first man that Caesar chose for the second and third census as well making him governor for the sole purpose of leading the census giving him a temporary position as Governor of Syria for a short time during the census but, not ruling as the official governor of Syria until 6A.D. So in conclusion, Jesus was born around 6-7B.C.E Herod died 2 years later and Cyrenius was temporary governor of Syria during that time but, not the “Legatus Caesaris” as was Pontius Pilate was until 6A.D. So there you have it. The Hebrew Israelites simply don’t have the Holy Spirit of Faith to see these errors therefore we always have an advantage. Hope this helps more than me!!

Revelation Chapter 2 (breakdown of Ephesus)

"Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted."(Rev.2:1-3)

The letters to the 7 churches of Revelation have been interpreted by theologians over the years to be description of 7 church ages. This first letter is to the angel or pastor of the Church of Ephesus. This church is descriptive of the "Apostolic Church Age" which is marked by the purness of the early church marked by the fact that they "canst not bear them which are evil" and how they have "tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars." So this particular church had some what of grasp on the reality of not only being set apart but, the soberness of mind to understand and know that false teachers were lurking and they generally sniffed them out and exposed them. This church was under extreme persecution.



Revelation 2:4-7 reads, "Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."

I want to key in here on verse 4 and 5 many use these verse to dispute eternal salvation and say that this church had "fallen" because it left its "first love" and that without repentance they would remain in this "fallen" state. I strongly disagree folks. the greek word "fallen" here is the word "ekpipto" which basically means to "fall down from a place." It is not the greek word "parapipto" with is the word used to described UNSAVED people posing to believe that fall away in apostasy denying the true gospel and Jesus Christ. So repent here is not to turn "back to God" but rather to turn "and do the first works." Jesus removing the candlestick out of his place does not mean he is going to destroy them or some other spiritual condemnation. The candlestick or lampstand represents the church or church age. Remember during this age sin is dealt with almost immediately {i.e the death of Ananias and Sapphira(Acts5:1-11)}; sin is as a cancer to God this church would have simply been taken out of its place stil remaining in the grace of God through faith but none the less not in an assembly in ephesus. The greek word for the phrase "will remove" is the greek word "kineo" this word means "to move or set in motion." The Greek word "place" is the word "topos" which means metaphorically here "the condition or station held by one in any company or assembly." Christ the head of the church would would come and remove this church's position and/or location from where it is to somewhere else. He would not allow the sin in this church to corrupt other sister churches surrounding it or any new converts. It is quite simple. Jesus goes on in verse 7 saying how they did hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans.The Nicolaitans were by name: Ignatius, Irenaus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertillian,and Hyppolytus. These men were men who professed to be christians but lived a completely licentious lifestyle. They were sexually unrestrained and lawless men carrying the name of Christ and lead many asstray. The phrase in verse 7 follows verse 6 it says "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life" Now the tree of life was taken out of Eden to keep man from consuming it a living forever. Well in the new testament it is given to "him that overcometh." this phrase appears after the mention of each of the seven churches from Ephesus to Thyatira. Once again many theologians and false teachers teach that you will miss out on the tree if you do not overcome through obedience and cardinal deeds. Well that's stupid. overcome here is the same as overcome in 1John 5:4-5 tell you how to overcome and who they are that overcome. it says, "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith.Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? " So who are they that overcome the world? The born again children of God. How do they victoriously overcome? The put their faith in Jesus Christ. So to overcome at the end of each age is the same criteria to simply believe that Jesus is the Son of God. This concludes the first church Ephesus and its relation as the "Apostolic Age of Persecution" stay tuned we have six more churches to go!!

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again"(Jhn.3:2-7).

"The Acknowledging

"The Just Shall Live By Faith"

Salvation is the only thing that separates our Doctrine from the doctrine of the buddists,the muslims, and other (so called) religions. The doctrine of Christ so boldly and vividly explains the key to eternal life in the midst of Christ's absence. Paul speaking by the Spirit says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the jew first, and also the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith:as it is written, The just shall live by faith (Rom.1:16-17)." The just shall live by faith not hope and not obedience. I think many of our fellowlaborers in the doctrine of Christ have over looked the the need for adequate understanding of our place and position in Christ. What does it mean to live by faith exactly? and How can I apply that very declaration to my everyday understanding of who I am in Christ? Do I simply walk in a way that calls attention to believing everything I hear?
Walking by faith and living by faith may sound alike but they are quite different. The walk of faith is a walk where you put your faith on the line in the midst of a situation or any opposition and behave and carry yourself in a way that does not show the presence of doubt in opposition or distress. Walking by faith is simply put: The action my faith guides me to perform, ESPECIALLY in the midst of anything that opposes what I'm standing on by faith. Living by faith is a little different because it doesn't involve any action. Paul says, "The just shall live by faith," Living by faith is the revelation that God gives everyone who is made righteous. It is not a state of mind neither is it mind over matter. Living by faith is the revelation of righteousness given to every believer whether they are able to explain it or not. Paul says, "For therein;(Rom1:17)" where? in the Gospel of Christ where "the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith..." To live by faith involves having understanding of Christ's gospel. "Righteousness is revealed" from faith to faith. From faith to faith simply shows the by which righteousness transfers. In other words Righteousness moves from faith to faith not person to person. People are not righteous faith is righteous and by that faith makes you righteous. This is how the scripture shows Abraham's justification:"For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, [was] not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.(Rom.4:13)."
You see Abram's faith was righteous and God counted in to him for actual righteousness. God gives righteousness to anyone who has faith apart from the works of the law. So just an example so that you can understand what all this means: When YOU believed the Gospel of Jesus Christ a transaction took place. God took your faith in the redemptive work of Christ and said "here is your righteousness." The Holy Spirit was then sent into your heart crying "Abba Father" sealing the deal and giving new life in your human Spirit causing you to live by the faith that you started with when you first heard the Gospel. So from that faith you started with, Christ intended for you to share that same faith so that righteousness could be revealed to them that don't have life as well.So when they believe the faith that they hear come out of your mouth about the Gospel of Jesus Christ then righteousness is once again "revealed from your faith to their faith and the Holy Spirit is sent again into another believer crying "Abba Father" and causing new life for them to live by because we all have to be born twice to live a new life by the faith of the Gospel. So when you first believe that faith starts new life....and that is how you live by faith..................phew!!!!! So do you get it now????? :)

"The Print of Nails"

Evangelism is the single most important duty of every believer regardless of gender or race in the body of Christ. The revelation of God's love is seen in only one universal truth and that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is what gives light and life to the world.( Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life(Jhn8:12). Peter calls Jesus "the Prince of Life whom God raised from the dead(Acts3:15)" and this Prince paid a price that none other could have paid in the flesh having remmitted every one of our sins but, those closest to Jesus had a difficult time understanding and believing His ressurrection from the dead. When told the good news of His ressurrection the scriptures say, "And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.(Matt.28:17)." I call your attention to one Thomas called Didymus one of the 11 disciples who witnessed Christ after His ressurrection and is marked by many of us as "doubting Thomas."
Thomas had this to say after first hearing that Christ had risen:".....Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.(Jhn.20:25)." The print of nails would be Thomas' only connection to the reality that Christ had surely ressurrected and that what the law and prophets had uttered concerning Him was true. Thomas' complete redemption and salvation through faith rested in his ability to put his finger in the print of nails and his hand into Jesus' side. John declared, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen [it], and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;(1Jhn1:1-2)." John understood that Thomas was handling life with his finger. What a privilege it must have been for Thomas to have handled "the Word of Life." but there is something that Jesus said in response to Thomas' obstinate and doubtful request: "Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust [it] into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed [are] they that have not seen, and [yet] have believed." Jesus says that those who have not seen and believe are blessed; understand that the test for the world in the days of Jesus in His flesh was to see God in Jesus Christ. In our generation the test is that the world would see Christ through His Gospel. The struggle then was recieving the visible Son of David the struggle in our day is recieving the invisible God in the face of Jesus Christ through the Gospel. Thomas needed nail prints to believe and the world needs you to preach the gospel just like Thomas needed the print of nails. Evangelism is the world only hope and how can they hear without your preaching?

"The Son of Man is Lord Even of the Sabbath Day"(Part 2)

Hebrews 4:9-10 says, "There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his." Rest is the greek word "sabbatismos" which means a cessation from all labour and work. It is a topic that God has given me to elaborate on. In part one we addressed the Sabbath Day and how it relates to the Son of Man, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. In this blog we're going to breakdown God's rest in it's two basic existences in scripture.
There are two basic rests that are identified in scripture:The first is the rest that the children of Israel were to enter into after departing Egypt. This is the rest that God had promised Israel when He made His covenant with Abraham saying, "Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee(Gen.12:1)." It was this Land of Canaan that God had called His people to rest but Heb.3:19 says, "So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief." They fell dead in the wilderness of Egypt after wandering 40 years("But with whom was he grieved forty years? [was it] not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?"Heb.3:17 ). This is the first rest in which that generation of Israel died because they did not believe God and did not enter into His rest because of unbelief and the following generation under Joshua's administration were lead over the Jordan river into the land of God's rest, Canaan(Josh.3:1-4:18).
BUT God hinted to us in Joshua 22:4 that there was another day of rest that was not yet revealed. Hebrews 4:6-8 says, "Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts For if Joshua had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. " So the rest of Joshua 22:4 was only to serve as a figure for the rest that God has called every believer to. Now many who think they already know what this rest is will say this rest is the Kingdom of Heaven or this rest is the rest that we find when we are born again but the scripture speaks very clearly about the nature of the kingdom; The Kingdom comes and finds you: (note:And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.Lk.10:9), and if the rest is the new birth then why does Heb.4:11 say, "Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief?"The new birth does not involve man's works or his labor. This "rest that remaineth to the people of God" involves labor. So what is this rest? Does it have anything to do with the yoke of Christ? What didn't you read what He said? He said His "yoke was easy and His burden was light." Yokes and burdens?!! What does He mean I thought we were resting????? stay tuned for part 3.