The Apostle's Sin - Galatians ch.1-2

The Simple Gospel - ch.1

     Paul wrote the book of Galatians to defend the true gospel of Christ. This gospel is very simple yet is the greatest news we could ever share. He is very plain about sticking to the God-given gospel without any additions or changes. 

 

Galatians 1:6-9 (WEB)

^"6 I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”; ⁷ and there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you, and want to pervert the Good News of Christ. ⁸ But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed. ⁹ As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed." 

     The main problem of his day was people trying to make Christians follow the Law of Moses while following the gospel. The Law has served its purpose... we now have the gospel of Christ!

 

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (WEB)

"¹ Now I declare to you, brothers, the Good News which I preached to you, which also you received, in which you also stand, ² by which also you are saved, if you hold firmly the word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. ³ For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,"

Hypocrisy - ch.2

     This sin was so deceptive that at least one of the Lord's apostles found himself trapped within it! The sin was hypocrisy... the way it revealed itself is a whole different story.

Galatians 2:11-14 (WEB)

^"11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I resisted him to his face, because he stood condemned. ¹² For before some people came from James, he ate with the Gentiles. But when they came, he drew back and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. ¹³ And the rest of the Jews joined him in his hypocrisy; so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. ¹⁴ But when I saw that they didn’t walk uprightly according to the truth of the Good News, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live as the Gentiles do, and not as the Jews do, why do you compel the Gentiles to live as the Jews do?"

Do you ever find yourself in Peter's shoes?

If we are honest, then we probably find ourselves there all too often...

Let us study the book of Galatians together to seek the true and simple gospel.

Does Jesus Reward A Witty Comeback?

     While most parents do not like it when their children “talk back” with some sort of witty comeback, Jesus does not seem to feel the same. I know that as I was growing up there were several comebacks that I thought of but wouldn't dare respond out loud to my parents.  However, Jesus seems to appreciate someone thinking about and challenging the norm.

 

     Jesus found himself in many battle of the wits with the religious leaders of his day. There is a time to keep silent but there is also a time to speak up. We see plenty of examples of each throughout the gospels. There is one unique occasion in which a Greek woman engaged in such a battle with Jesus. The account is recorded in Mark 7:24-30. Look closely at this conversation and examine how each of them responds.

- “But Jesus said to her, 'Let the children be filled first, for it is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.'
- But she answered him, 'Yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.'
- He said to her, 'For this saying, go your way. The demon has gone out of your daughter.'” - Mark 27-29 (WEB – emphasis added)

     Jesus knew exactly what his mission on earth was and he had every intention of fulfilling it. His mission was first to the Jewish people, then to the 'others'. But when one of these 'others' asks him for his help he rewarded her for her faith in God. See John 8:31-40 to find out what Jesus said about who is a Jew (descendant of Abraham). How should Jesus' attitude change the way we speak with the 'others' in our lives?

What Did Jesus Look Like? And why does it matter to you?

From Wikimedia Commons

Revelation 1:9-20 (WEB)
⁹ I John, your brother and partner with you in oppression, Kingdom, and perseverance in Christ Jesus, was on the isle that is called Patmos because of God’s Word and the testimony of Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet ¹¹ saying, “ What you see, write in a book and send to the seven assemblies : to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”


¹² I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. Having turned, I saw seven golden lamp stands. ¹³ And among the lamp stands was one like a son of man, clothed with a robe reaching down to his feet, and with a golden sash around his chest. ¹⁴ His head and his hair were white as white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters. ¹⁶ He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest. ¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man.
He laid his right hand on me, saying, “Don’t be afraid. I am the first and the last, ¹⁸ and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever more. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades. ¹⁹ Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will happen hereafter; ²⁰ the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lamp stands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven assemblies. The seven lamp stands are seven assemblies.



     This is the most complete physical description we are privileged to in all of Scripture. Each one of the symbolic phrases is connected with the announcement to one of the seven churches of Asia.

1) "And among the lamp stands was one like a son of man... He had seven stars in his right hand."
     This description is stated to the church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7. The meaning of these symbols are given in 1:20 and represent the angels of the seven churches and the seven churches. The application is stated clearly by Jesus, "...repent and do the first works; or else I am coming to you swiftly, and will move your lamp stand out of its place, unless you repent." -Revelation 2:5 

2) "I am the first and the last, and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever more."
     This description is stated to the church at Smyrna in Revelation 2:8-11. Jesus has overcome death and this should give hope during times of persecution (especially persecution to the point of death). The application is, "...you will have oppression for ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life." - Revelation 2:10 

3) "Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword."
    This description is stated to the church at Pergamum in Revelation 2:12-17. The meaning and application of this symbol are wrapped up into one, "Repent therefore, or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of my mouth." - Revelation 2:16

4) "His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace."
    This description is stated to the church at Thyatira in Revelation 2:18-29. The meaning and application of these symbols is that Jesus can see all the works we do and he encourages them to stand their ground against the evil among them (the woman 'Jezebel').

5) "He had seven stars in his right hand."
     This description is stated to the church at Sardis in Revelation 3:1-6. The meaning of the seven stars is that they represent the angels of the seven churches (Revelation 1:20). The application is for them to remember what their angel (messenger) had told them. "Remember therefore how you have received and heard. Keep it, and repent..." - Revelation 3:3a

6) "I have the keys of Death and of Hades."
     This description (called the "key of David") is given to the church at Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7-13. The meaning is that Jesus has total control of opening and closing doors of opportunities and events. The application is, "Because you kept my command to endure, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, which is to come on the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth." - Revelation 3:10

7) "The Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Head of God’s creation"
     This description is given to the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22. Jesus uses the very things this city is famous for (gold, garments, and salve) and tells them they are in need of those very things from him (in a spiritual form). The application is that Jesus can be trusted... they just need to trust in him. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with me." - Revelation 3:20



"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.”
    This phrase is repeated to each of the seven churches and is just as applicable for us today! 

Are you listening?

 

Bible Study: Outline of Revelation - the "sevens"

     Not everyone can agree what all the symbols of Revelation mean. But all can see there is a great deal of structure to the entire book. Below is an outline of chapters 6-16. This is not the only way to view the structure of these chapters, but I hope it is a helpful way. If you want to better understand this wonderful book, then you must have some way of putting together the pieces in your own mind.

Each seventh opens the next set of seven

 

seal 1 – white horse

seal 2 – red horse

seal 3 – black horse

seal 4 – pale horse

seal 5 – souls under the altar

seal 6 – great earthquake

  * interlude – 144,000 & great multitude (7:1-17)

seal 7 – silence, then trumpets

       trumpet 1 – hail & fire mixed with blood

       trumpet 2 – mountain thrown into sea

       trumpet 3 – star Wormwood

       trumpet 4 – third of the sun, moon, stars struck

       trumpet 5 – plague of locusts

       trumpet 6 – release of four angels

         * interlude – angel with little scroll & two witnesses (10:1-11:14)

       trumpet 7 – judgements & rewards

             bowl 1 – ugly & painful sores

             bowl 2 – sea turns to blood

             bowl 3 – rivers & springs become blood

             bowl 4 – sun scorches people

             bowl 5 – darkness

             bowl 6 – Euphrates river dries up

             bowl 7 – earthquake

* A special thank you is in order to one of my teachers at Crowley's Ridge College for teaching me more about Revelation and helping me piece it together. Thank you Dr. Larry Owen!

Scripture Comes To Life: How big was Noah's ark?

     It is sometimes hard to imagine things that the Bible speaks of. One of those things is how big the ark that Noah built truly was. You could take some helium filled balloons out to a field and allow them to float at the right height and space them out to the dimensions given in the Genesis 6:14-22. You could also check out this article from Answers in Genesis. Or... there are a couple of links below that can help you understand just how big of a task this ark truly was!

Noah Movie - Ark Featurette

     Many of you might have seen the new Noah movie. I knew ahead of time that the ark in the film was built to scale. The only problem is that I found it difficult to truly grasp how big the ark from the movie was. The above video from YouTube does a better job displaying the ark's size and they talk about why the ark in this film looks so different from what we normally think of.

     If a video is still too difficult for you to see the immense size, then perhaps you would like to encounter the ark for yourself. Well, just wait a little bit longer and you can visit the Ark Encounter that is being built in Kentucky!

Helpful Resources: Bible Gateway

https://www.biblegateway.com/

     This website is amazing! Almost every translation of the Bible you can think of is here online for free! One of the greatest things about using this site is that as long as you have an internet connection, then you have a wonderful tool at your fingertips. You no longer have to worry about learning everything on a certain program only to find that when you are away from your computer you have no way to use it. This site can be used with any device that can get on the internet. There is also a Bible Gateway app if you prefer that route.

     When you look up a Scripture, there are many options for further study. There is a "study this" section that brings up Bible notes and/or commentaries. Another extremely helpful resource is the button that looks like a volume button. When you click this icon a list of audio Bibles will appear so you can listen to that passage. If you don't like the audio Bible that first comes up, then simply choose another. There are so many to choose from that I am certain you can find one that works for you.

     They have been expanding their study section and now include several commentaries. One commentary I particularly like looking at is the "Reformation Study Bible" notes. I really like learning about the history of the church and also how people understood Scripture throughout the ages. 

     If you are new to Bible Gateway, then perhaps you should check out their tutorial. I'm sure there are many features that I have yet to discover. Let's find them out together!

Helpful Resources: Revelation Comic Book!

      The reason the book of Revelation is vastly misunderstood today is because we are not used to this type of literature. I absolutely loved reading this wonderful book in comic (technically 'graphic novel') form and I believe this form will impact today's audience in a similar way that the book originally impacted its recipients. It really helps seeing the vivid images from Revelation come to life on the page. I was pleased to discover that the pictures are illustrated according to what would come to the original audience's mind instead of making everything apply to a modern world. It is so important to understand Revelation based on how it was originally intended. The text of this book is an original translation of the entire book of Revelation. If you are looking to better understand Revelation, then I think this book is for you. I was able to pick up my copy from a local Wal-mart for about $15. 

 

Zondervan ad on Youtube.

Check out the Zondervan page for more info.

Bible Study: THE key to understanding Revelation

^"Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near."

  

- Revelation 1:3 (NIV)

     The book of Revelation can be very difficult to read for many Christians today. The problem I have with this fact is that the original audience seemed to be expected to understand most of the book. What has changed?

     I believe that even today we are expected to take the time to understand this wonderful book of revelation. I think we must change our attitude about it before this will ever be possible. Instead of simply getting overwhelmed within the first few chapters, try to view the book similar to how we view the parables of Jesus. While reading the gospels you will find that Jesus did not tell the meaning of the parables to the multitudes (He usually only told His apostles/disciples after they specifically asked Him about it). In many ways we are like those multitudes when we read Revelation. 

     The reason for Jesus using parables was to be able to speak wonderful truths about the kingdom of God to open ears while at the same time hiding these same truths from hard-hearted people. Which category do you fit into? I'm not saying we must understand everything in Revelation. I doubt even the original audience understood it all. But we must make an effort today to better understand God's Word (even Revelation)!

     While recently reading Revelation I came across the symbols that are revealed within the text and wrote them down as I read. Realize this is not my interpretation as to what these symbols really mean. This is what the text says they mean. Here is that list.

Symbols Revealed Within The Text

- 7 stars = angels of the 7 churches (1:20)

- 7 lampstands = 7 churches (1:20)

- 7 lamps in front of the throne = 7 spirits of God (4:5)

- 7 horns & 7 eyes of the Lamb = 7 spirits of God (5:6)

- golden bowls of incense = prayers of God's people (5:8)

- 2 witnesses = "the 2 olive trees" & the 2 lampstands (11:3-4) 
see Zechariah 4 for more info about these symbols

- 7 heads of scarlet beast = 7 hills which the women sits

also is 7 kings (5 fallen, 1 current, 1 yet to come) (17:9-10)

- beast = an 8^th king which belongs to 7 above kings (17:11)

- 10 horns = 10 kings with beast yet to receive kingdom (17:12)

- water where prostitute sits = people, multitudes, nations, & languages (17:15)

- woman on scarlet beast = the great city (17:18)

- fine linen for Lamb's bride = righteous acts of God's holy people (19:8)

- the dragon = ancient serpent, devil, or Satan (20:2)

- bride/wife of the Lamb = holy city / New Jerusalem (21:2, 9-10)

Bible Study: David - from foe to friend of the Philistines?

City of Gath By Ori~ (Own work) [Attribution], via Wikimedia Commons

Putting this into proper perspective

Time line of events (1 Samuel 16 – 1 Samuel 31)

- David is secretly anointed as future king while Saul is still king

- David fights against the Philistines (slays Goliath)

- Saul becomes angry with David's success in battle and the praise he receives for it

- Saul hunts David and tries to kill him (several times)

- David eventually flees to the Philistines – 1 Samuel 27:1-4

      logically - 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' – ancient proverb

- David fights alongside the Philistines against many other pagan nations

- the Philistines prepare for war against Israel

- the Philistines send David away for fear of him turning against them in battle

- it is during this battle that Saul & his son Jonathan perish

Providence of God as seen through these events

- God is sorry he had made Saul king & chooses David to replace Saul

      Saul is rejected as king yet still remains king for several years

- David must rely on & grow his faith in God while waiting to be king

- David flees from Saul and helps the Philistines clear out several pagan groups

      this simply means less work David must do while he is king

- David is rejected from the Philistines shortly before Saul is killed in battle

      the position of king of Israel is now free

      David is also free to move to Israel & fully become its king

- Ultimately God's will is done & the reign of David is ready to begin

      David is called a man after God's own heart – 1 Samuel 13:14 & Acts13:22

           Isn't that an appropriate description for the king for Israel?


Search the Scriptures to find out even more details about this strange situation.

Helpful Resources: e-Sword

e-Sword.net

     This computer program is free & is great! If I had to choose only one program about the Bible it would have to be e-Sword. Once you go to the website (e-sword.net) you can download the program and it comes with the King James Version (KJV) & Strongs which are connected together so you can select individual words from the KJV and it will link you to the corresponding Hebrew/Greek word used in the Bible.

Features listed on e-Sword.net

      Once the main program is downloaded to your computer you are free to download more Bibles, commentaries, dictionaries, books, & maps by using the download tab within the program. There are many free resources that are wonderful & several paid resources if you want something a little more specific.

      Probably the most helpful feature of this program, not always found in other Bible programs, is that as you look up a passage from the Bible there will be an icon that appears near resources that have info about that verse and/or chapter. This will most certainly help save you time. No longer do you have to sift through commentaries simply hoping they comment on a certain verse. Now you will know instantly. Why not give e-Sword a try? Its free so what do you have to lose?

Bible Study: David among the Philistines?

     I have been doing a sermon series on some key parts of the early 'United Kingdom' of Israel and I have noticed a few things about David. One thing I would love to invite you to study with me is how David can be seen fighting against the Philistines in 1 Samuel 17 and then in 1 Samuel 27 he is found fighting with the Philistines. What happened during these chapters that makes David seem like he switched sides? My next "Bible Study" blog will include a summary of this change during David's life.

In Our Culture: Freedom

Galatians 5:1 “Stand firm therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and don’t be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (WEB)

Freedom is such a wonderful thing. We often don't really appreciate it unless we get a taste of life without it. Later this week we will celebrate this freedom as a nation on July 4^th. Many people gave up their lives so we can have this freedom. What are you doing to help keep it?

The same can also be said of Christianity. I am constantly amazed at the level of freedom we have in this country. If you want a reminder of these freedoms, then go to www.persecution.com on any given day to see many countries which have little to no religious freedom. Many Christians around the world are struggling to find a copy of a Bible that is written in their own language. Contrast that with the many Americans who debate which translation is the most accurate. Isn't it wonderful that we are able to have this debate in the first place!